Disney moderates vs. Disney Deluxe.

[Greg Wright]

How big of a disappointment is it going be to go with a Disney moderate instead of a deluxe?

Curious if is really worth all the extra $ for the deluxe?

 

[disneyag]

I suppose it depends what you are used to and how much time you will spend in your room. I like the idea of interior hallways, larger rooms, queen sized beds, but some people don't care about those amenities.

 

[honeymom]

2 years ago, we were booked for a deluxe. However, money being tight, we switched to a moderate - POFQ. Perhaps I don't have anything to compare to, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the only thing I would have liked better at a deluxe is if it was on the monorail, or walking distance to a park.

My sister really enjoys Poly. However, she has also stayed at CBR and Wilderness Lodge and prefers CBR. I think she just prefers a tropical environment.

 

[safetymom]

I have never stayed at a Deluxe but I find the moderates very very nice.

We have stayed at POR, CSR, CBR. Our favorite is CBR.

I would rather stay at a moderate and go more often then stay at a deluxe and not be able to go yearly.

 

[mcm]

I have stayed at all three (value, moderate, deluxe). The diference for me is the transportation. You just can't beat the monorail right in your hotel or being a boat ride away from the Kingdom.

 

[CaipiraBob]

<p>I think the differences come down to 1) How much time are you going to spend on the hotel grounds 2) Are you going to eat at a major restaurant with the family frequently or use a convenient food court 3) Is there any particular sentimental value that would make your stay more pleasent 4) Do you want "concierge" level service?</p>
<P>If you're off and going all day long, then there's no point to paying for a deluxe hotel. You'll inevitably be sleeping as soon as you get back after park hopping all day. Well, I would at least...</p>
<P>If you're into having several restaurants to choose from on-grounds, it may tip the scale, but unlikely. You can still go to any of the restaurants on any resort any way, and often visit other resorts to eat even when staying in a deluxe hotel.</p>
<p>Sentimental value - Uhm, that's the one that gets me. I've always had a "thing" for the Polynesian, so I'm stuck. Otherwise, you can create the same special memories you yourself and your family no matter where you stay. It's always the company you keep that makes it special.</p>
<P>Concierge - If you want access to that level of service then I guess this conversation is moot. It's a great way to go with kids though, so consider it.</p><P>I've stayed at the moderates and thought they were excellent. I don't see why, unless one of the above factors kicks in, you couldn't have a terrific trip staying at one.</p>

 

[susy]

I have stayed at all three levels.
As far a mods, I stayed at CBR and CSR. CBR did not impress me at all. The theming is lovely, good food court, very small pool slide, the rooms are great here, BUT I did not feel that I got so much more for my money. It felt like there were six bus stops(am I imagining this?)I paid $84 and had recently stayed at ASMo for $49- the dfference in price was not justified to me.

Next stay was AKL for $119. This resort is so beautiful. We were upgraded to a deluxe room, so it's hard for me to compare. The transportation was EXCELLENT and this resort is not far from the parks. It is close to THREE and far (15 min) from ONE.

We got CSR for $109 and felt it was worth it (but I didn't feel that CBR was worth $84). The resort has lot of the same amenities a the deluxes do and the pool is just amazing!

It depends on what you are looking for....
make a list of pros and cons for each
and how important each thing is to you.

 

[married2grumpy]

We have just stayed at our first moderate, CBR , and loved it. We have also stayed at ASMO and the Polynesian in the past. While I would love to stay at the Polynesian every time, we cannot afford it. The major difference we found from a deluxe to a moderate was the transportation choices are not as good at the moderates. I don't believe the deluxes have food courts either, which we like. They have snack areas instead that offer limited hot and cold meal choices. The price difference from a moderate to a deluxe is a big consideration. We were able to stay 2 weeks at CBR for what it would have cost to stay 5 days at the Poly. That was our deciding factor. We will try either AKL or WL our next trip though. A standard room at both is not that much more than a moderate and we will not be staying for as long. I'm sure all the Disney resorts are great and it is all a matter of preference. Choose the moderate and have some extra spending money instead.

 

[Scoootch]

I think it kind of depends on how much you would get out of the resort -- would you only be sleeping there and occassionaly using the pool and would you have your own car with you? Would you be eating mostly in the less expensive places -- food courts or fast food spots? Is space a factor to you - do you need the extra space of deluxe as far as room size?

If the answer to these ??'s is YES than you'd do great at a moderate The grounds are just as nicely themed, the rooms are nice although smaller and transportation is available although maybe a bit more crowded. You'd have the food courts to go along with a sit down resturuant as well.

If your answer is NO -- a deluxe would give you things like Room service,Valet Parking, quicker access to the parks via monorail or short walking distance or boat and more sit down resturaunt choices instead of foodcourts (although they usually do have a fast food type spot too).
The real question is would you take advantage of the extra ammenites available at the deluxe resort to justify the extra expense per night?

It's all about what you will get out of the resort itself that you choose. Just ask yourself how much of the ammenities you will actually use.

Best of luck on deciding!!

 

[alien]

As the others said, it depends on what you're used to. My husband and I honeymooned at the Polynesian - I had always wanted to stay there. We went a few times after that and always stayed at the Polynesian. Then money got tight and we stayed at CBR. The kids had a great time but my hubby and I were so disappointed with it. The rooms were smaller with outside access, large food court with a lot of people, and different transportation options. My husband said he wouldn't go back unless we could stay at the Polynesian. For us, the resort is as much of the vacation as the theme parks. The rooms are larger, the pool is wonderful, and the whole theme of the Polynesian is so relaxing. You can spend a very hectic day at the park(s), but "come home" to such a relaxing atmosphere. I wish we were a family who only cared about getting a bed at night to sleep - it would save us a LOT of money!!!

 

[Greg Wright]

Are the food courts "disney-fare", i.e.semi-expensive, or chain-operated, i.e. McDonald's?

How do the Swan/Dolphin compare to the true Disney deluxe resorts?

Thanks to all who have posted -very helpful!

 

[BethC1952]

I've stayed in all three types of hotel, and liked them all. For us, it's just not worth the extra money to stay at a deluxe. I'm really not fond of interior hallways (I like to be able to step directly outside), I don't need or want all the "extra" services that come with concierge level rooms, and we "resort hop" anyway in our down time, so eating somewhere other than our own resort is never a problem. Yes, the deluxe resorts are closer to some of the parks, but you still have to travel to get to the others, so there really isn't much of a savings of time there.

We vacation at a very relaxed pace, and don't mind the bus ride from one place to another, nor do we mind walking a little bit to get to a bus or place to eat (it helps to walk off some of those calories!).

We prefer to save the money and go more often!

Beth

 

[Greg Wright]

Just exactly WHERE are the moderate resorts? Does anybody have a link to an online Disney map that shows where they are?

Thanks

 

[PoohSizedDH]

I suppose if you asked 10 different people this question, you'll get 10 different answers.
For us, It all depends on what we have planned. Frankly, We'd rather stay at a Value, and spend the extra money splurging on dinners at all the real good restaurants (WELL, AT DISNEY, ALL OF EM ARE REAL GOOD, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT i MEAN)

Also if we are going to the parks all day, my wife and I both feel it is silly to spend all the extra money on a deluxe room we're only going to be passing out in.

Now our needs may change later in life, the thought of having a monorail to get right back to the room is very appealing for when we have children.

If we just wanted to go for a weekend to relax, and get away without doing a park, then spending more for the deluxe ammenaties, pools, spa, etc.. is a good idea.

Like I said, 10 different people, 10 different answers

 

[kdibattista]

To us, it would not make the vacation any less enjoyable. Although AKL is our favorite and I cannot see staying anywhere else, I would definitely not hesitate to go and stay at the French Quarter if that's all our budget would allow. FQ is our favorite moderate!!!

 

[MJames41]

To me, as it has been said before, it all depends on what you are looking for. My daughter absolutely adores Caribbean Beach Resort (with Port Orleans - French Quarter a very, very close 2nd), my son would be happy if we stayed at the Contemporary all the time, and I think the All Stars are perfect.

Every resort has something to offer - just make sure what they are offering is what you want.

 

[Donnainnj]

I think my choice of moderate or deluxe has a lot to do with how recently I have been to Disney. If it is more then 2 years and the trip isn't over 8 nights the moderates are perfect. We spend a lot more time doing the parks and other outside the resort activities if this is the case. It also has to do with finances, the first trip in a long while we usually purchase annual passes, then the next trip is sooner and we have already paid for passes so more of our budget can go to accomodations.

 

[Buzz2001]

I stayed at the Contemporary in October and was not impressed with what it had to offer for a deluxe over CSR. Inside, outside hallways are not an issue, the room didn't seem much larger, there was only one sink and it was in the bathroom and I had to ask for a coffee pot.

 

[Mamu]

I love the Disney Moderates, they have a great theme to them. I also find their food courts serve better food then the deluxe. I just wished they would accompany more people.

We ended up staying at the Poly this past February because we needed the daybed. What do you do with a 9 year old GD and a 12 year old GS.

 

[>>^..^<<]

Hi there....


We have stayed at both moderate and deluxe and both ways our holidays were great.

The difference was my expectations for each - no big deal that you can't get room service at POFQ (except pizza) and I knew that ahead of time...but if I didn't know that - I may have been disappointed.

People who read the boards and about other peoples experiences are really well prepared for what to expect at their chosen resort.

BTW my DD9 loves the pool at POFQ the best - she says the deluxe pools (AKL & GF) are "okay"

>>^..^<<