Value vs. Deluxe

[izzylovesmickey]

We mostly stay deluxe. Have stayed a night at a value and it was fine but was noisier and more chaotic. Have had several stays at CSR and will return there very willingly. But we have had multiple trips where it has monsoon rained (or we were confined to the resort due to a hurricane) and we were so happy to be staying at a deluxe for the interior hallways and several options for meals. It was especially nice our last trip when we could get to go orders from the TS within the resort and since we are all able to enjoy adult beverages, we had the lounges inside the resort to enjoy. Whatever your decision, being at WDW can definitely be better than a day at work (lol)

 

[Smugpugmug]

Everyone else has answered your question in terms of differences and honestly I don't think you can go wrong with which resort you pick. In my opinion it's about what you value in your vacation. I have stayed at all 3 tiers (value, moderate and deluxe) and I enjoyed all 3 for different reasons. If I am doing a full week I would rather stay deluxe since something I value in a vacation is having pool breaks/resort days mixed in between theme park days. There is nothing wrong with the value or moderate pools but the pools at the deluxe resorts have hot tubs that aren't super tiny (looking at you Port Orleans) and are very luxurious. Lounging at the pool with a drink is just as important to me as going to the theme park. I also personally don't love the motel style rooms and the values are VERY loud and full of kids (elementary school aged and groups of unsupervised teenagers). I agree with Miffy about the noise - the walls in values/moderates really are tissue paper thin. I was able to hear every single conversation and what the people in the room next to me were watching on TV when I stayed at Coronado pre-pandemic.

On the other hand I have done quick 2-3 day trips where I was in full non-stop theme park mode and in those cases being at the pool wasn't important to me. I have no problem picking a value in that scenario and yeah, why would you pay the extra money if you're at the park all day and aren't enjoying the amenities? I also found the busses at value resorts (the All Stars specifically) to come WAY more frequently than at deluxe resorts.

 

[lockets]

Something no one so far has mentioned: noise. I don't know if all the Values are like this, but I stayed at All Star Music many years ago and to say the walls were paper-thin would be a compliment. The walls were tissue-paper-thin.

I heard every single word that was spoken in the room next to mine, plus the sounds from all the occupants' activities, including a screaming baby and the sounds accompanying the try for another baby (ahem). And the noises from everyone rolling their luggage down the outside corridor and their conversations, etc., etc. I got zero sleep.

And toilets flushing and big families walking right by your window at 6 AM gabbing it up on their way to rope drop…

 

[lockets]

Never underestimate the value of extended evening hours…

To answer the is-it-worth-the-money question…You could probably monetize evening hours value by calc per hour cost of your ticket to determine their worth. Then knock that off deluxe room cost to see what the true gap is between value vs. deluxe cost.

Also I forget if you’re renting DVC and driving if free parking park extends to you? If so knock that off the cost as well. At value you’d have to pay.

If you’re comparing a deluxe that has more means of transportation to a value that has just one means of transportation that’s a factor as well. If being at a deluxe gets you to certain places quicker… Time is money.

 

[CrystalClear82]

So this will be our 3rd trip. our first to we stayed at POP. Dh co-worker convinced him to go deluxe. That it is worth the extra money. We ended up renting some DVC points and are staying at Copper Creek at the Wilderness Lodge. What are the advantages at staying at a deluxe vs value? I know they have TS offered, closer to a park, and now some extended hours. Is that mainly the only differences? Oh, and a slide at the pool. Maybe it's me, but that seems like very little for double to triple the cost. I know being close to a park is really nice, but.... I was just wondering if maybe there is something I'm missing? LOL. DH co-worker keeps saying once you go deluxe you won't go back. but I haven't figured out WHY. Thank you for your feedback!

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the POP. We've stayed there for many years. The POP was affordable and suited our needs because we were NEVER in the room, with the exception of sleeping and bathing.
That being said we've now recently moved our vacations to Deluxe resorts. Why?? Because we are spending more time at the resort and less time at the parks. Our vacations now are less rushed. We are early morning park goers and spend the evenings at the hotel or downtown.

Are you missing anything??? No. It's what suits the needs of your family and your budget.

 

[tiana1989]

Never underestimate the value of extended evening hours…

To answer the is-it-worth-the-money question…You could probably monetize evening hours value by calc per hour cost of your ticket to determine their worth. Then knock that off deluxe room cost to see what the true gap is between value vs. deluxe cost.

Also I forget if you’re renting DVC and driving if free parking park extends to you? If so knock that off the cost as well. At value you’d have to pay.

If you’re comparing a deluxe that has more means of transportation to a value that has just one means of transportation that’s a factor as well. If being at a deluxe gets you to certain places quicker… Time is money.

That IMO is the best deluxe perk right now. Unfortunately, it depends when you’re staying since it’s only twice a week. We stayed at WL the week of Christmas, but we were doing a split stay with POR and our WL stay was sandwiched between the extended evenings. I was soooo mad because they excluded WL from the AP discount, so we were paying an arm and a leg to stay there and didn’t get the biggest benefit. We knew that going in, of course, and couldn’t justify another night there to get the perks, but definitely check your travel dates to know if it even matters in your calculations.

 

[CalOilerGurl]

Such a great question. At Disney, Value, Mod and Deluxe have lots to offer - it just depends what you are looking for. We like to spend a lot of time at the hotel (even at Disney) so we like a really nice room and a property with lots of amenities. IMHO the slide does make a difference - my kids can literally spend a day at the pool for that reason!

 

[IndyToThere]

I would say that Deluxe resorts are more 'comfortable'... more nooks and crannies that you can wander to and take a moment to relax, more enjoyable lobbies, more dining options other than just a food court. Also, in my personal experience the bus lines going to the parks haven't been as crowded as they were at our stay at Art of Animation (pre-skyliner). Not sure if this is typical or just during our stays - perhaps the people staying at Deluxe don't feel the need to rush in the morning to get to the parks as much as those in Values (possibly because they're further in their Disney journey and have done the parks multiple times by now?, not sure).

The Values are 'ok', but typically are louder and seem busier as they have fewer amenities. Whereas the Deluxe resorts have more things happening, so people are spread out more and less congested in a given area. We tend the feel to feel the 'magic' more in a Deluxe resort, and with DVC it becomes more reasonable. Cash prices for Deluxe though is pretty outrageous and hard to justify.

At the end of the day, the Deluxe resorts give us the 'feels' and offer something that a non-Disney resort doesn't.

 

[WDWvet]

We've stayed Value, Moderate, and Deluxe multiple times at each level. We genuinely loved each experience, that's why we always come back!! However, for us, the large extra cost of deluxe and even moderates is simply not worth it, UNLESS, we stay at a resort that eliminates some travel to and from the parks AND offers a significant experience in addition to just being a hotel. For example, Beach Club & Yacht Club fit that category for our family- Stormalong Bay + Walking to Epcot and Hollywood Studios are things I'm willing to pay extra for. Some of the other deluxe resorts have drawbacks that make them less of a value to our family, for example, Animal Kingdom Lodge was absolutely amazing, but you have to take buses to every park and the walks to our room were insanely long.

 

[bakerworld]

So this will be our 3rd trip. our first to we stayed at POP. Dh co-worker convinced him to go deluxe. That it is worth the extra money. We ended up renting some DVC points and are staying at Copper Creek at the Wilderness Lodge. What are the advantages at staying at a deluxe vs value? I know they have TS offered, closer to a park, and now some extended hours. Is that mainly the only differences? Oh, and a slide at the pool. Maybe it's me, but that seems like very little for double to triple the cost. I know being close to a park is really nice, but.... I was just wondering if maybe there is something I'm missing? LOL. DH co-worker keeps saying once you go deluxe you won't go back. but I haven't figured out WHY. Thank you for your feedback!

I'd be curious to know if Dh's co-worker recommended CC.

CC is a really nice resort. Super wilderness theme. Very impressive lobby with nice seating areas on the high floors overlooking the lobby. Nice places to eat in the lobby and the Grill by the DVC pool. My understanding is they have a DVC Cabin for viewing you can walk thru for g&g. CC will be great boat access to MK. You could do a Monorail tour of the surrounding resorts. Trader Sam's at the Polynesian is cool. My biggest con with CC is that every time we stay there the one bus we want is always a long time coming but that's probably just our luck.

Personally, if I was staying in a deluxe location for the first time I'm pick a 'walkable' like Beach Club, Boardwalk or Bay Lake. For theme and impressive lobby CC blows them away. We find the bedding and pillows at the deluxe locations are more plush.

 

[westie55]

Once you go deluxe, you absolutely can go back to value. Or moderate. I've done it. All of the Disney resorts are great. It's really a matter of what your budget is, what amenities you plan to use, and what is "worth it" to you to spend your money on. This is very subjective.

Lately I've been travelling with multiple stroller age children so it is worth it to me to be close to MK and I will pay to avoid having to fold a stroller and wake up a sleeping baby as much as possible. Previous trips I've traveled with my sister and left my husband at home. We are hard core park goers and don't need things that my husband values like signature restaurants on sites or a hot tub. My point is that different things are important to different groups of people. If you want more subdued, visually quieter theming and interior hallways then you may not want a value resort. If you absolutely hate buses, you may want to pay for one of the deluxes. Same is true if you want on site table service dining and hot tubs or waterslides. In general, I also find the bedding to be more comfortable at the deluxes than the values. I actually like the food courts at the values and moderates better than the quick service at the deluxe resorts because they have a wider selection. I've stayed at AoA and never found it to be particularly louder or more crowded than any of the other resorts. Bus lines at park closing do tend to be longer for value and moderate resorts than deluxe resorts in my experience.

Think about what is important to you. You really can't go wrong!

 

[mdinme]

superb post…GF is supposed to be stuffy lol. I feel underdressed in there

I've stayed at nearly every resort in WDW. I own DVC but I don't think I would be able to stomach the prices for Deluxe resorts now. If I had to pay for a resort I would probably stick with the values or stay offsite. I just don't get how people spend $400+ per night for a room PLUS all the other WDW expenses. Of course, I have about $20K sunk into DVC plus another $2K per year in dues so glass houses and all that.

Here are my thoughts ...

PROs of Deluxe over Value:

1. Deluxe extended evening hours
2. Better pool with slide and hot tub
3. Table service restaurant in the resort
4. Proximity to a park
5. Better landscaping
6. Uniquely and adultly themed
7. No giant cartoonish icons
8. Internal corridors
9. Balconies
10. Interesting views possible
11. Larger rooms
12. Plusher common areas
13. Nicer furniture
14. Deluxe bus stops are closer to the park

CONs of Deluxe

1. Price
2. Small (and in some resorts no) quick service restaurants
3. I find the GF to be a stuffy place
4. Bus service can take longer

PROs of a DVC Villa:

1. Studios:
   • A feeling of more room with the fold out couch folded up
   • A mini kitchen with a toaster, microwave and paper plates & plastic cutlery
   • Free laundry on the premises
2. 1BR and bigger:
   • A LOT more room
   • A full kitchen
   • Real dishes, glasses and cutlery and a dishwasher
   • Laundry in your room
   • King size bed in the master bedroom

 

[DizneyFamof4]

If you can afford it and are really wanting to stay at CC then do it, but if you are not going to use the resort to it's fullest then, only your family, can decide if it's worth it. It also depends on what type of family you are, our family can and have had a great time at all the resort levels and other families (mainly the parents) need a fancier or bigger room to enjoy themselves, each family is different.
We have stayed at all 3 levels and over the last few years, we just have a very hard time now trying to find the "worth" of paying so much more $$ to stay at a deluxe, and we do spend time at the resort and do not just sleep there. When we stay around the resort, we do not sit in our room so the room size is not a big factor for us, especially the refurbed rooms with the fold up murphy bed. Now, we may still stay again at a deluxe, but it will be only for a short stay or maybe a split stay so we don't break the bank. Normally renting points brings the cost down to where its a lot more bearable (only studios) to stay at the deluxe resorts, so we have done that once, but that also has a lot of caveat's to it. A big con for for us at a deluxe, is most of their QS are usually pretty limited and we much rather do QS at the end of the day then spending more time at a TS, if they're even open when we get back from a park. The extended hours is a BIG plus, but like others have mentioned it's only 2 days a week and you have to make sure you are planning to go to that park that particular day. I also never found the values to be that much louder than any other WDW resort and I hear people more from a hallway then from outside. Actually (only at WDW) we rather have our door open to the outside. Personally, we think the Mods give the best bang for your buck, but we do love the fact that POP has the skyliner and POP has become one of our "go-to" resorts and is definitely our favorite Value resort. The only thing I can tell you is to have your family look at both resorts and compare them and pick what you all think will be best for your family. That is what we do and we also let our DD's help pick the resort, DW and I are not a believer in that the "parents are paying so we should dictate which resort", to us this is a "family" vacation. Good luck and have a great time no matter where you end up staying
BTW; we used to visit GF and also thought it felt like we would not like it, UNTIL we actually stayed there and found out that it really is a great resort, one of our favorites. Almost everyone is wearing t-shirts and shorts, so we never felt any different then any other resort. Now in the evening I have seen people all decked out going to dinner at Narcoossee’s, which has a dress code. We also would visit POLY and liked it until we stayed there, so go figure. LOL We realized that visiting a resort is not the same as actually staying there. We also find, again for us, that the "location" thing is so over blown, we never found it a big deal to save 10-20 minutes here or there, especially when we were are also paying 3+ times more.

 

[Have3Kids&aHusband]

We haven't stayed at values, but did do a split stay at a moderate and then to a deluxe to save some money. We did that when our three were a little bit older, so they had more to say when we switched. If they were younger, I don't think they would have noticed the difference as much. They are pool people and like the pools at the deluxe better. Also, when we switched from the moderate to the deluxe, we were given an upgrade to a corner room & water view, so there was a more noticeable difference. We did a split stay two years ago when the parks first reopened, so we stayed at the Contemporary & then Boardwalk. They enjoyed being able to walk to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. (We were originally supposed to stay at Poly & YC) But even within the deluxe category our kids like some more than others. They liked being able to walk to MK from the Contemporary, but didn't like the theming there as much as others. They liked Boardwalk, but they like YC better due to Stormalong Bay. If WL allowed 5 people in a standard room, I think they would stay there again because they do like the theme of the resort. But we are trying GF this time as part of our split stay since we can now walk to MK instead of Poly. They did like the theming and the pool at Poly when we stayed there.