Yes the Disney IS being lost...

[mco65]

Oh no it's a real intangible and that is where you have to determine it's value to you. It also has many variables ... are you comparing value to offsite comparable type, are you comparing value to offsite cost - so maybe a "time share resort" or are you staying deluxe and now comparing to a true deluxe offsite or what you can get for the same amount of money per night (that is huge difference).

Also if your kids are younger and fully engaged in the bubble effect and you have no plans to go elsewhere .......... vs mine now grown who want to do Universal, Discovery Cove, outlets, dining offsite ........ now I'm not getting the bubble because we leave.

Story: Many years ago we were meeting family at WDW. We had always stayed on property with kids when little and didn't do anything other than WDW. Uncle really wanted Sonny's BBQ for dinner so off we went. The minute we drove through the gate DS had a complete meltdown. You'd think we had driven off a cliff. He was a wreck all through dinner. The minute we drove back in the gate he completely relaxed. I imagine that is how some adults are as well.

I do the same thing!!! but for Sonnys BBQ, i might make an exception!

We stay at Moderates almost exclusively. We did stay at GF once.. would love to stay at a Deluxe more often its cost prohibitive for us.. as i am sure others would say, staying onsite is cost prohibitive... everybody has their cross to bear I suppose.. some bigger than others..

 

[gr8leg8]

I learned something about myself during our last trip.

AKL for the first time - Thank you convention rate!!
Our last night was at AoA Little Mermaid room - for the first time. We are big Pop Century fans.
I have bubble preferences... I liked AoA better.

I can appreciate the beauty of AKL,
but I was happier at AoA. Go figure.

We will go back to AKL for the restaurants,
but we will be sleeping with the fishes.

 

[elaine amj]

I like theming - and agree that Disney rooms are getting too generic. I would have loved more Disney touches during our last stay at SSR. Every little detail we did spot brought a smile to our faces...and that's a big part of why I love traveling to WDW.

 

[WorldWacky]

I agree with all of your points.. they are inline with how i feel as well but that still doesn't debunk that bubble effect which is real because i notice.. every time we drive down, we invariable will leave the bubble one evening for a cheap dinner and you can just the bubbles absence.. i don't know if thats just in my head or something they put in the air but it sure feels real to me.. call me crazy..but for now, i am willing to pay extra for that bubble feeling..

We will continue to stay on property but part of that “bubble” for us has always been that complete Disney immersion and THAT includes the Resort rooms themselves. The very plain, generic decor takes me out of that very bubble.

 

[loves to dive]

I never liked any over the top theming in the rooms, as others have said, you get a lot of Disney all over property so the rooms don't need it for me. We tend to stay more often in the deluxe Epcot resorts and lately, in Swan/Dolphin and the rooms at those resorts have never been over the top Disney. I drive down and always have a car and never use it, we park it and use Disney transportation, which is one of the draws in the bubble for me. We enjoy a refreshing adult beverage or two and not having to worry about who is going to be the designated driver is great. I just booked a trip for a couple of weeks from now, it was just an on a whim trip and could have found plenty off property resorts for less than I ended up paying at CSR but the thought of having to get in my car and drive to a park, park the car and walk then reverse it when we were tired, just didn't appeal. We are on the whim type of people and can be in a park and just on a whim decide to go to another park or to the resort we are staying at or to another resort to walk around and Disney transportation makes those whims a lot easier. I stayed one night at POP in Sept. during a split stay and was in a renovated room. I had stayed there before and swore I'd never stay again, I disliked the room that much. But, never say never and fast forward, I really enjoyed the new room and would even consider staying there for more than one night on a future trip. The non-Disney rooms at Swan/Dolphin don't bother me either, being able to walk to two parks is the draw there for us. Now, if there was an off site resort that you could walk to Epcot/HS or had transportation to the parks like Swan/Dolphin did, I'd consider staying at one.

 

[DisneyFanThi]

I stayed in one of the new Pop rooms in October, so I guess I'll use it to sort of make my points. I guess for me I don't rely on the room to maintain the Disney feel and theming, but rather the resort as a whole. From something as small as the Mickey Bars sold in the food courts to the landscaping and architecture of the resorts, they all sort of come together to create that feeling. When I walk into the resort, I feel like I'm home and in that "Disney Bubble," and the room still kept that feeling. I liked the article and it was definitely thought provoking for me. The only counter point I would make is that removing that one theming piece changed the theme of the room, but adding that one theming piece is what ties the room together and completes it. I know the criticism is there that the new Pop Rooms can feel sterile, and to some degree I can see that, but how much more "Disney" was the design of the old rooms?

 

[GAN]

I care more about the theming of an entire resort than I care about the theming of my individual room, if that makes any sense. I barely even notice the little touches in my room, but I can vividly remember the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge, the "streets" of POFQ, and the huge wall of animation at AofA. So it's a whole package for me.

When you factor THAT in, plus Magical Express, Disney transportation, the convenience of having 1-2 restaurants just steps away, and the general quality of the rooms and the customer service, it makes it an easy call for me to stay on-site.

Then again, I am independently wealthy, so that probably plays a part in it, too.

I totally agree(except for the independently wealthy part). If the room is clean, comfortable, and FUNCTIONAL(which it seems these renos are), that's all I'm looking for. The resort property and STAFF do the rest for me. Which is why I booked another week at Poly next June with my girls(24 & 20). Looking forward to it for sure....

 

[SorcererHeidi]

never stayed at swan and dolphin.. never even thought about it.. seems pricey.

They usually have some great discounts - some of the ones I'm aware of are nurses, teachers, first responders, government employees, etc.

 

[rteetz]

They usually have some great discounts - some of the ones I'm aware of are nurses, teachers, first responders, government employees, etc.

Yep they do a lot and often can be cheaper than Disney moderates.

 

[DisneyKingpin]

This sounds like a case of be-careful-what-you-wish-for. I like the rooms just fine. There’s enough Disney everywhere else that you don’t need to sleep in a room that looks like this.

 

[rteetz]

This sounds like a case of be-careful-what-you-wish-for. I like the rooms just fine. There’s enough Disney everywhere else that you don’t need to sleep in a room that looks like this.
View attachment 286226

Some people would love that.

POR does have princess rooms you can book.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

This sounds like a case of be-careful-what-you-wish-for. I like the rooms just fine. There’s enough Disney everywhere else that you don’t need to sleep in a room that looks like this.
View attachment 286226

Now that room would definitely make me barf if I had to stay in it. Only things worse would be a Frozen room, or a Duffy room!

 

[GAN]

Now that room would definitely make me barf if I had to stay in it. Only things worse would be a Frozen room, or a Duffy room!

Looks like a possible honeymoon suite somewhere in the Poconos....

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Looks like a possible honeymoon suite somewhere in the Poconos....

Giant champagne glass! (Not that I know anything about those types of places - I've heard things).

 

[Mousey0324]

Agreed with the generic basic rooms. Just had a part stay at Coronado. Non refurb. Room was run down and simply awful. We couldn’t wait to move. Terrible for $225 plus tax and fees. It had a motel feel. Yuck.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

My room at Coronado a few weeks ago. It was a refurbished room. I LOVED IT! I don’t want Mickey everywhere.

 

[maxiesmom]

I too miss having more theming in the rooms. But if your kids are complaining about the rooms at CBR being small, sounds like they have some high expectations. Not sure where you have been staying, but those rooms are not small at all.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

My room at Coronado a few weeks ago. It was a refurbished room. I LOVED IT! I don’t want Mickey everywhere.

View attachment 286322View attachment 286323View attachment 286324

That is a nice looking room Nikki.

 

[Shanti]

in the Disney Resort Hotels. I don’t often post on this particular forum but listen obsessively to the podcasts. I had to respond though to this subject being brought up on this week’s show. We recently went to WDW and stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort. I knew all about the construction and we weren’t bothered by that at all. But what DID strike me was the lack of theming in the room. At one point, my 13 year old asked if we were staying at a Disney Resort! Yes, that actually happened. Then my 16 yr old asked where all the hidden Mickey’s were. She had been looking all over for some. They were both very disappointed. We stay in a lot of hotels and unfortunately, this room wasn’t at all special in any way. My younger daughter actually said (with plenty of teenage attitude), “This is just a plain, small hotel room.” They loved the pool and we had lots of Disney Magic in the parks, but as far as the room-I agree, it was just a plain, small hotel room. (And I say that with plenty of 41 yr. old attitude.)

I agree. It's a shame the way the Disney resort rooms are being de-themed with every renovation.

 

[HopperFan]

Agreed with the generic basic rooms. Just had a part stay at Coronado. Non refurb. Room was run down and simply awful. We couldn’t wait to move. Terrible for $225 plus tax and fees. It had a motel feel. Yuck.

And here is why the Disney touches are important throughout, even the rooms.

For this same price I can stay in a very nice real deluxe hotel, bigger room, much nicer finishes, interior hallways, granite bathrooms, much nicer amenities and dining options .....

If most the "perks" are not there for me on property, then at least I get Disney 24/7.

Now they start taking away the Disney touches .... so the bubble shrinks.