Just at a loss... Never stayed in a Deluxe and want to know if they are worth it. Halp!

[DisneyWishes14]

We stay deluxe 95% of the time and LOVE the 1-bedroom villas, but, IMHO, especially with only 2 adults in your party, you just won't need that space and it's not worth the $1500. I would stay at POR (it's SO nice) and spend that extra money on experiences (dinner, events, etc.) that will impress!

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Ok, So here's the quick rundown. Its just me and my boyfriend going for 5 days in OCT (early 30's couple), I've been several times and stayed in all the moderates (but only mods, never a deluxe or value), hes been only once and stayed offsite. We are currently booked in copper creek at WL one bedroom and I'm stoked to stay there but I am having a hard time paying an extra $1500 over what I can get PO Riverside for. I've stayed in POR and find it nice and romantic as well. We do tend to stay in higher end hotels and do place value on location and room types, however that's a big price delta for 5 days and we could use it to do really cool dinners or specialty parties/tours instead since we might not be in the room much. BUT then I LOVE the theming of WL and have always wanted to stay in a deluxe.

Anyway, just wanting to read some opinions for both sides, I know its a personal thing but maybe someone has better insight for me who's maybe been in this situation. You guys always have great answers

Some questions to ask yourself--where do you plan to spend the most time and will you make full use of the villa?

Are you going to use the kitchen or washer and dryer? Will you come back to the room and use the living room to watch tv at the end of the day or will you just be tired and go to sleep so it wouldn't really matter having a sofa to sit on.

Another thing to consider when staying at the WL it's only really convenient to go to the MK by boat. Any other park you have to take a bus (you can also hop on the monorail to Epcot once you get to MK).

The Food and Wine festival will be going on when you're there so would you consider staying at an Epcot resort? We were there at the last F&W and did a split stay at BC and PO Riverside.

 

[happymommy]

All my early stays on property used to be in deluxe, but for 5 nights, just the two of you, honestly I've now grown to love Pop. It's just what I want, and with the new renovations, no way I'd pay so much more since you'll likely be at the parks a lot. If you want deluxe, I'd look even at the Swan.

 

[Belle'sFan]

i have a similar situation, driving me crazy. We have reserved a standard room at WL, but I keep thinking about POR. I have stayed at WL twice before and absolutely love it, but I know we would be happy at POR, it would be something new for us, and we would save $$. The price difference in this case is not as much as what you have, but enough to make me think about it. Even though we spend a lot of time in the parks we do come back to the room for an afternoon break/swim. It's so amazing to walk into that WL lobby -every time it makes me happy just walking in. The location for us is perfect also - love the boat to MK, the hoop-de-doo, monorail resort hopping, etc.. So it's worth it for me with a standard room -I might have a hard time with the cost of a villa though. There is always a less expensive option, you just have to know what is worth it to you.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

love the boat to MK, the hoop-de-doo, monorail resort hopping, etc..

Hoop Dee Doo isn't at Wilderness Lodge. It's at Fort Wilderness.

 

[kniquy]

This is why many people will buy into DVC - love the deluxe but would not want to pay that price tag on it - i'm in that boat. We will be staying in a 2BR at AKL -- i could not and would not pay $6-7K for that room, but that amount pretty much eats up my initial investment in DVC.

Ok in your situation - i would stay at POR and use it to splurge on your trip. Maybe you only us $1K of that savings -- do nice dinners, maybe do a special tour. I can't stand the thought of paying so much for a room, when you might actually not spend much time in the room. I am sure CCV are very nice but that extra $1500 could be so much more fun spent in the parks

 

[hertamaniac]

To me, I apply not a $ delta, but a % delta. If that % pierces our ceiling, then it's a no-go; this is just a personal preference.

I live local and have been to almost all the resorts and certainly do think WL is among the best. But, if you really want to get scientific, I would literally calculate the hours you plan to spend at the resort and divide that into the cost. The $/hr. comparison might be interesting.

I believe that if the resort is your primary destination, as opposed to the hours spent in the parks or Disney Springs, then I would adjust my thoughts/percentages.

Ultimately, I think this comes down to your trip itinerary.

 

[Eastern]

$1500 is a lot of money.

All Disney hotels have atmosphere. What are you looking for? I find that the price difference for the deluxes mostly buys you a better location in relation to the parks. I like that but it is not always a must do for me.

I agree with what others have said in regards to booking a standard room at a deluxe. Get quotes from TAs if you haven't seen any discounts as they often have group rates. At this point your discounts may be limited but there is always something if you are flexible with your hotel choices.

Another option is to stay at POR for 2- 3 days and end your vacation with a couple days at a deluxe. You can plan to relax at the resort more at the end of your stay.

Another option is to book POFQ vs POR. POFQ is my choice when I don't want to pay for deluxe. It is small, quiet, has its own buses, and there are no bad room locations. Convenient food court and you can always walk over to POR for a bigger food court/TS.

 

[Moana of Motunui]

We had the same issue when planning our trip next year. We booked at WL but couldn't justify paying $300-$500 per night so we dropped to POFQ. We're happy with that but if we get a nice discount that would put us in the range we're paying at POFQ, we would consider moving to a deluxe. Good luck with what resort you do stay at!

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

If you do not plan to spend time at the resort and you are stressed out at the additional cost; I would stay with a moderate resort. We do go back to the resort during the day to take a break, spend time at the pool, make dining reservations, etc; and find it worth the additional cost for the deluxe resorts.

 

[toodycat]

I love staying deluxe, but a one bedroom villa is a lot of space for just two adults. Unless you really think you will use the sitting area and kitchen, I would go back to POR or see what deal you can get a deluxe resort for just a room. Even if you stayed at POR, but dined at some really fine restaurants, say the California Grill, and did a couples spa day at the GF, it would be less than $1500.

 

[toodycat]

I wanted to add that you should keep checking the WDW website for room availability up until the last minute. DH, DS and I were supposed to be AKL this weekend, but DS had to work and we were forced to cancel, and instead of being at MK, the closest I'm getting to Disney magic this weekend is disboards. Anyway, our two standard rooms became available fairly last minute. The same thing could happen for your dates.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

POR is awesome. It's so well landscaped you are surrounded by vegetation there. It screams "Disney attention to detail".

 

[robl45]

It depends how much time you will stay in the room. Honestly a room is a room. I've been staying in Deluxe only because the kids like the pools and I never got to stay in those as a kid so I wanted to do it for my kids. With all there is to do at Disney, you hardly spend time in the room. I would use the money for something else.

Ok, So here's the quick rundown. Its just me and my boyfriend going for 5 days in OCT (early 30's couple), I've been several times and stayed in all the moderates (but only mods, never a deluxe or value), hes been only once and stayed offsite. We are currently booked in copper creek at WL one bedroom and I'm stoked to stay there but I am having a hard time paying an extra $1500 over what I can get PO Riverside for. I've stayed in POR and find it nice and romantic as well. We do tend to stay in higher end hotels and do place value on location and room types, however that's a big price delta for 5 days and we could use it to do really cool dinners or specialty parties/tours instead since we might not be in the room much. BUT then I LOVE the theming of WL and have always wanted to stay in a deluxe.

Anyway, just wanting to read some opinions for both sides, I know its a personal thing but maybe someone has better insight for me who's maybe been in this situation. You guys always have great answers

 

[Karebear]

For me, I think that the $1500 is too much for the 5 nights. I got a really good deal in July and the BC was only about $100 per night more than a moderate..that difference I was able to justify. Have you thought about CSR? I have stayed there and loved the pool and the bus service was great. They are in the middle of a remodel, so that could be an issue. On the other hand, the new rooms look amazing!

 

[denlishen]

I wanted to add that you should keep checking the WDW website for room availability up until the last minute. DH, DS and I were supposed to be AKL this weekend, but DS had to work and we were forced to cancel, and instead of being at MK, the closest I'm getting to Disney magic this weekend is disboards. Anyway, our two standard rooms became available fairly last minute. The same thing could happen for your dates.

I'm definitely stalking it like a bad ex girlfriend lol. Everyday several times a day

 

[bootlord9000]

I changed from a Standard room at AKL (which I got an amazing deal on) to a room at CSR yesterday. The difference was $700 (because of construction) and since AKL isn't my dream resort, we decided to go with CSR.
Maybe you could take that money and start planning your next trip where you could stay at a standard room instead of a 1BR.

 

[Belle'sFan]

Hoop Dee Doo isn't at Wilderness Lodge. It's at Fort Wilderness.

I know- I've stayed there twice. The monorail isn't at WL either. I meant I enjoy the hoop de doo and the moniorail and both are easy to access from WL.

 

[HopperFan]

Ok, So here's the quick rundown. Its just me and my boyfriend going for 5 days in OCT (early 30's couple), I've been several times and stayed in all the moderates (but only mods, never a deluxe or value), hes been only once and stayed offsite. We are currently booked in copper creek at WL one bedroom and I'm stoked to stay there but I am having a hard time paying an extra $1500 over what I can get PO Riverside for. I've stayed in POR and find it nice and romantic as well. We do tend to stay in higher end hotels and do place value on location and room types, however that's a big price delta for 5 days and we could use it to do really cool dinners or specialty parties/tours instead since we might not be in the room much. BUT then I LOVE the theming of WL and have always wanted to stay in a deluxe.

Anyway, just wanting to read some opinions for both sides, I know its a personal thing but maybe someone has better insight for me who's maybe been in this situation. You guys always have great answers

Do you plan on lots of time in your room and at your hotel?

For us, we go to Disney to enjoy the parks, the restaurants, the special events etc. Yes, I love WL but for two of us, I couldn't come close to justifying that. I agree with @mom2rtk that you should look at pricing a regular room. That would give you the deluxe experience and MK location and a price point that would be a better comparison to POR.

(Love both WL and POR .... would stay at either in a heartbeat ... but if the change is big enough, I'd rather spend on other things.)

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I've stayed at POR and at WL (standard, not DVC) a few times. Both have a pleasant, rustic atmosphere. The ideas I was going to suggest to you have already been brought up by other posters: do a split stay and end with one or two nights at WL; keep looking for a WL standard room to open up; or stay just at POR this time but book WL for some other time when you can get a standard room. The one-bedroom DVC is more than you need for one couple, and paying for five nights there doesn't seem worth it. I actually prefer split stays anyway, because it's like two (or more) vacations in one.