Deluxe or Moderate?

[JM_97]

Looking at hotels for a future visit, I was certain that a moderate resort (Coronado, Caribbean or Port Orleans Riverside) was going to be the choice. But now I've convinced myself to shell out some money for a deluxe resort. More specifically, the Contemporary. They are much more expensive, but they look amazing! But before I jump in, I have a few questions...

1. Are deluxe resorts, and really the Contemporary, worth the extra cost? All about saving money but I'm also convincing myself that if I'm gonna go to Disney World, I might as well go all out...
2. What are the Garden Wing rooms like at the CR? Have you ever felt like you were separated because you weren't in the main building?

Any info would be amazing. Thank you!!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Are deluxe resorts, and really the Contemporary, worth the extra cost?

It depends what you expect to get for the cost. Contemporary you can walk to MK, but the transport to other parks may take longer. Are you a park warrior? Then resort amenities won't matter much. If you're expecting luxurious rooms or etc., prepare to be disappointed. Disney Deluxe is really about location. Contemporary's pools are fairly meh, and most deluxe pools aren't a big upgrade on mod pools.

What are the Garden Wing rooms like at the CR? Have you ever felt like you were separated because you weren't in the main building?

They're fine, but they lack views, and they are separated both physically and architecturally. The point of the CR is "woo the monorail runs through it!" You don't get that in GW.

 

[Mome Rath]

I've stayed at all levels and the answer to 1 is that it all depends on what you are after. I would never spend outside of a comfortable budget to stay at Deluxe over Moderate. I think the biggest draw for Deluxes are location. They are so close to the action (depending on which park you want to frequent the most) that they can save a lot of time. I determine where I want to stay depending on what I want out of a particular trip.

If I want a really laid back vibe, with an easy route to Disney Springs, I choose Port Orleans. If I want a lot of excitement and action, I choose Pop. If I want to be close to EPCOT due to a festival going on, there's nothing that beats walking from Boardwalk. If I want to be part of the action at MK, and have easy access to multiple hotel restaurants, then Poly all the way. So, for me, the trip isn't made or broken by level of stay... it's more of what my goal is.

 

[JM_97]

I've stayed at all levels and the answer to 1 is that it all depends on what you are after. I would never spend outside of a comfortable budget to stay at Deluxe over Moderate. I think the biggest draw for Deluxes are location. They are so close to the action (depending on which park you want to frequent the most) that they can save a lot of time. I determine where I want to stay depending on what I want out of a particular trip.

If I want a really laid back vibe, with an easy route to Disney Springs, I choose Port Orleans. If I want a lot of excitement and action, I choose Pop. If I want to be close to EPCOT due to a festival going on, there's nothing that beats walking from Boardwalk. If I want to be part of the action at MK, and have easy access to multiple hotel restaurants, then Poly all the way. So, for me, the trip isn't made or broken by level of stay... it's more of what my goal is.

We want a good mix of park and resort time. Our plan is to be at the parks from like 9 am-1 pm, hotel in the middle of the day and then back to the parks in the evening.

 

[Mome Rath]

We want a good mix of park and resort time. Our plan is to be at the parks from like 9 am-1 pm, hotel in the middle of the day and then back to the parks in the evening.

I think that's one huge pro of the Deluxes, esp. Poly/Floridian/Contempo; if you are spending a lot of time in MK and EPCOT and hopping between them even, it's hard to beat staying so close. The buses to HS or AK can be a bit annoying, IMO, but it's a trade off.

 

[SarahC97]

I don't think CR is worth it if you don't stay in the main tower. TBH, for the price, I've not been really impressed with deluxes with the exception of TPV at CR. Of course, that's subjective.

 

[Gehrig1B]

The deluxe draw for me is 1) proximity to parks, 2) internal hallways with doors that do not open to the outdoors 3) more and better restaurants and lounges (in general) 4) room proximity to all the amenities. I am not a fan of Contemporary though, the theming is nothing special and its not that much closer to MK than any of the other MK resorts. We personally like the feel and serenity of Wilderness Lodge. To your question, I would always choose a deluxe (other than Animal Kingdom Lodge) if my budget can handle it.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I never wanted to stay at the Contemporary- I was sure I would hate it. Two years ago we tried downgrading to s moderate and found that it wasn’t for us. The only deluxe that had availability for us to switch to was contemporary gc wing room. We loved it. Had a view of the canal and a patio. I would stay there again in a heart beat

 

[sjberg79]

I've only stayed in a moderate once - French Quarter... it's great! Would absolutely book it again! But we generally deluxe people. I've stayed at most of the deluxe hotels now. Before we went to the Contemporary, I was SO excited! I was like, "This is the dream!", you know? It's historical, it has the monorail right through it, you can walk to MK. We stayed in the garden wing. On the positives, the room was large but those things I mentioned about it being historical and the monorail and the walkability... that's where the charm ended for me. Everything else was a solid, "okay... mehhhh". Like, the pool. It's just so BLAH for a deluxe! Of all the deluxe resorts, this is the one I would be the least excited to come and stay at again. But this is YOUR dream and if you haven't stayed there yet, then live YOUR dream! Experience is subjective and one person's blah is another persons heaven. It could be that I just wasn't blown away because having stayed at so many of the other deluxe properties. I would honestly pick French Quarter over this one, I like the pool better and even though you can't walk to MK they have a good bus system.

 

[SA mom]

This totally depends on budget. We’ve stayed both. The money you save at a moderate (or even value) sure can buy a lot of extras throughout the vacation: special meals, tours, souvenirs, experiences, etc.

We’ve stayed all levels, but prefer staying at the Swan on points so that we can spend money in other areas. We have been able to get deluxe rooms through Priceline for under $230 a night.

 

[Disneypro1]

No a deluxe is not worth the cost over a moderate or especially a value. However. A moderate imho could be worth the cost over a value. Although we almost always stay at a value resort we have went Moderate. The cost increase isn’t that much. But to some. Deluxe is worth it. I just don’t think so. Besides. They are free to visit. And the rooms all look alike when I’m asleep.
If money had no bearing and it was endless. Is stay Deluxe. But the savings to go value almost pays for the entire trip.

 

[Krystal659]

Years ago when my son was younger I got a great price at the Contemporary, my now teenage son and husband accept and expect nothing less They would rather go less often, save, and stay there.

1. For us, we find the ease of using the Monorail is great, especially for MK and Epcot and other resort restaurants we enjoy. 2. Now that my son is older, I have no problem letting him walk down to the cafe alone (I can easily see him by standing outside the room). 3. Early morning runs to get coffee, etc. are super easy there.

The most important for us does depend on the time of year. Last year for a Mardi Gras trip in February we stayed at French Quarter. I thought it was great for a preferred room at a moderate, my son hated it (especially the waiting on buses). I would not stay there during our typical summer trips as we tend to leave the parks in the middle of the day and there is simply no substitution for the quickness of the walk back to the resort mid-day.

As many others say, it really depend on how you "do Disney". We are early morning rope droppers, leave mid-day, and return until park close. Often I feel like we need a vacation from our vacation, but we leaving having done everything we want

 

[Lumpy1106]

On our first on-property stay we made the same comparison - just couldn't justify the added cost to step up to a deluxe and the CR is on the high end of the Deluxes. Love POR and POFQ but the mid-day break back to the resort will be difficult as that is a longer bus ride.

For what you plan on doing, I would recommend AoA or POP - both are much cheaper than a Deluxe but still very nice. Skyliner to either is an easy ride from DHS and EPCOT so getting back to the room for that afternoon swim will be a breeze. You could say the same about CBR, but it's a HUGE resort so if your room is not walking distance to the Skyliner you will still have to wait for a bus to get around the resort.

 

[Krystal659]

On our first on-property stay we made the same comparison - just couldn't justify the added cost to step up to a deluxe and the CR is on the high end of the Deluxes. Love POR and POFQ but the mid-day break back to the resort will be difficult as that is a longer bus ride.

For what you plan on doing, I would recommend AoA or POP - both are much cheaper than a Deluxe but still very nice. Skyliner to either is an easy ride from DHS and EPCOT so getting back to the room for that afternoon swim will be a breeze. You could say the same about CBR, but it's a HUGE resort so if your room is not walking distance to the Skyliner you will still have to wait for a bus to get around the resort.

I honestly thought about Pop due to the skyliner system. I think I may book a split stay this summer and try one night and not gamble our whole vacation. I think Pop would maybe be best for times of the year that have Epcot festivals. It feels like Contemporary is getting pricier every year.

 

[Krystal659]

I've only stayed in a moderate once - French Quarter... it's great! Would absolutely book it again! But we generally deluxe people. I've stayed at most of the deluxe hotels now. Before we went to the Contemporary, I was SO excited! I was like, "This is the dream!", you know? It's historical, it has the monorail right through it, you can walk to MK. We stayed in the garden wing. On the positives, the room was large but those things I mentioned about it being historical and the monorail and the walkability... that's where the charm ended for me. Everything else was a solid, "okay... mehhhh". Like, the pool. It's just so BLAH for a deluxe! Of all the deluxe resorts, this is the one I would be the least excited to come and stay at again. But this is YOUR dream and if you haven't stayed there yet, then live YOUR dream! Experience is subjective and one person's blah is another persons heaven. It could be that I just wasn't blown away because having stayed at so many of the other deluxe properties. I would honestly pick French Quarter over this one, I like the pool better and even though you can't walk to MK they have a good bus system.

I am not a pool person, but I completely agree the pool at the Contemporary is disappointing after seeing others (Beach Club looks like a small water park).

 

[JM_97]

Okay so I did more research and have changed my mind about the CR. The only rooms that would be in the budget would be the garden rooms, and as I think about it, I'd rather be in the tower and those rooms cost waay too much for us. So Contemporary is out.

I looked at the other deluxe resorts and the next option would be the Beach Club. I liked how it's near two of the parks and that pool does look enticing. If we go moderate, I think Caribbean Beach would be the choice.

 

[Krystal659]

Okay so I did more research and have changed my mind about the CR. The only rooms that would be in the budget would be the garden rooms, and as I think about it, I'd rather be in the tower and those rooms cost waay too much for us. So Contemporary is out.

I looked at the other deluxe resorts and the next option would be the Beach Club. I liked how it's near two of the parks and that pool does look enticing. If we go moderate, I think Caribbean Beach would be the choice.

When are you going, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[PollyannaMom]

Are deluxe resorts, and really the Contemporary, worth the extra cost? All about saving money but I'm also convincing myself that if I'm gonna go to Disney World, I might as well go all out...

I agree with the others who said it depends on what you want from your vacation. We've stayed at all three levels, and were happy each time based on what was most important to us on that particular trip.

Our deluxe stay was at AKL. We chose it for the animals and the Christmas decorations, and were impressed with both! (We're big fans of Sanaa, too!) We had actually considered the Contemporary, and even checked it out on a previous trip - but honestly, I didn't love it. To me, it felt kind of sterile.

Our value stay was at POP. The food court was decent, the bus area was well-organized, and I adored the big icons! (I like to play amateur photographer.) That was a quick trip, heavy on the park time, and light on the budget. Again, the perfect choice for the that trip.

If I had to generalize, though, I'd say I'm a moderate girl. We've stayed at POR, CBR, and POFQ, and loved them all! I find them to be a good balance between having enough resort amenities and not paying for amenities I'm not using because I'm in the parks instead.

I looked at the other deluxe resorts and the next option would be the Beach Club. I liked how it's near two of the parks and that pool does look enticing. If we go moderate, I think Caribbean Beach would be the choice.

I've never stayed at Beach Club, but I loved Caribbean Beach! A lot of people will tell you it's too big, but I actually like walking in beautiful settings, so the size didn't bother me at all.

I loved the hammocks down by the beach, and the colorful Caribbean look of the buildings. (Try to find some current pics, though. - The beach area may have changed after the tragedy at Grand Floridian a few years ago.)

We were there in February of 2015. To give that some perspective, we had over 110 inches of snow in Boston that year (broke all the records that had been kept since 1872) and the Caribbean theme is just what we needed for our escape from that!

 

[JM_97]

When are you going, if you don't mind me asking?

Early May

 

[sjberg79]

Caribbean Beach just had their rooms redone (I read on one site described as "Polynesian lite", a good thing!) so that would be a really good choice with the sky liner. I love the Epcot resorts, all of them are fantastic but if the pool isn't your favorite thing then they might not be worth the money. Have you looked at the Swan and Dolphin? They are Epcot resorts with the awesome ability to walk to Epcot/HS and significantly cheaper than the official Disney ones. Only negatives when we've stayed at them is you can't charge your purchases to your magic bands and you can't use the magic express (we don't ever take it, we always get a town car so the loss of that never bothers us). But it still has the same buses just like the other resorts, all the same other perks.