Why are in-resort TS so important?

[bumbershoot]

Just sort of a general question. When discussions come up about why to choose one resort over another, or negatives about value resorts/POFQ, etc., the argument often comes up about the availability of TS restaurants. As in, this resort is better because the TS there is better. Or I would never stay there because they don't have a TS.

Well, I don't recall ever seeing that argument made. Since you want to talk to those people I bet it would be useful to go to those threads as you come across them and ask them the question. So far it doesn't seem you've found any with this thread.

 

[VillainFavs]

Well, I don't recall ever seeing that argument made. Since you want to talk to those people I bet it would be useful to go to those threads as you come across them and ask them the question. So far it doesn't seem you've found any with this thread.

Actually several people did respond and answer my question. Not sure why you think no one did. They do have reasons that are important to them for making this exact argument. These things may not apply to us but I appreciate them responding and find it interesting.

Not really sure what the point of your post was, though.

 

[JennyDrake]

As others have said, it depends upon touring style....while is it NOT a factor for me at all, I have retired friends who sleep in, go to parks and like to enjoy a sit down meal in the a/c before retiring to their room. For them a good TS is important.

 

[RADOPT]

For some of us it is a big deal because of the needs/limitations of the people we travel with. For me, it is very important not only if there is a TS but what TS & CS served at our hotel.

 

[Nancyg56]

I certainly didn't mean for anyone to get defensive! I was just asking a question because it's never even been a part of my decision where to stay. Not a consideration for us at all!

And we've never had our own transportation at Disney, always solely relied on theirs. Yet we end up eating at all different resorts, parks, and DS. Have never minded getting from one to another.

But we also would never eat at a restaurant more than once on a trip. Just too many different places to enjoy!

I guess I was trying to figure out if I was missing something or if it truly is just different things for different people.

I don't think not having a TS restaurant at our resort is a deal breaker for my family, but it sure is a bonus. We like to spend time at the resort, so if there are TS restaurants onsite, or within easy access we tend to book them during the trip. It is nice to have a dinner option within walking distance a few times during the trip, and while we do not book the same meal twice, we might book the same restaurant twice is the meals are different. For instance, if we are staying at the Poly, we will make some of our meals polycentric. 'Ohana for dinner one night, Kona for lunch or dinner another, maybe the luau, and 'Ohana for breakfast on our checkout day. If we book the BC, we would focus some meals in the Boardwalk area.

 

[BarbieGal457]

For us it's never been a big deal to have a TS at our resort. We are rarely at the resort for long periods, so we tend to eat during our travels to the parks and other resorts. However, this time is our first time staying at a deluxe (Yacht Club woohoo!!) and I am excited about all of the different eateries there/at Beach Club and also within walking distance. We are huge Epcot fans so I think it will be really fun. I think depending on this trip, having a TS in the resort may factor more into decisions in the future once we have that option available and if we find it more relaxing. We also both don't eat large breakfasts, more grab-and-go, so I think that's factored into why we haven't worried about having a TS so far.

 

[smiths02]

Just sort of a general question. When discussions come up about why to choose one resort over another, or negatives about value resorts/POFQ, etc., the argument often comes up about the availability of TS restaurants. As in, this resort is better because the TS there is better. Or I would never stay there because they don't have a TS.

Is that really a big deal to a lot of people? I just never even think about it. We go in between lots of different resorts for dining options. And just because we stay at a resort with a TS doesn't necessarily mean we'll eat there. Or that we'll eat there more than once. We stayed in Wilderness Lodge last year because we really loved the resort. We didn't eat TS at the resort once! But we've been to Whispering Canyon several times in the past from other resorts.

I just don't see the need to plan my week-long stay around the one meal I might eat at that resort. Or do people eat at the same restaurant multiple times in one stay?

Like I said, just curious because I really don't understand this argument!

It was a nice perk for us when we stayed at AKL or Poly or Beach Club to have meals that we wanted to eat at or bars/lounges (like Trader Sam's) that we wanted to go to. I think it is just another convenience factor.

When DH and I stayed at the Poly, we went our first time without a car. We decided to only to Epcot and MK and only eat in those parks or at Poly/GF. It was fun to have everything just a monorail ride or short walk away. In 3 nights, we visited Narcoossee's, Ohana, and Trader Sam's. (We got deal on CL, otherwise we would have also had Kona for breakfast one morning, I'm sure)

When we did our split stay at the Beach Club, it was nice to have the fishing excursion, DHS, Epcot, Cape May, and Yachtsman within easy walking distance-no buses or driving or dealing with Uber.

It is not make or break, we have stayed other places, but it is a nice perk. We don't enjoy eating dinner in a food court, nothing snobby about the food just the effort to get everyone over there and order and find a table and keep the little ones occupied and the noise. When we were at AoA, we did pick up dinner and bring it back to the room from the food court, but at AoA we had a table. I wouldn't enjoy doing that with 5 people in a room say at CBR. So I don't know that it is a big deal with moderates, but with deluxe it can be a big deal especially at GF/Poly/CR or BW/YC/BC because you have many options very easily accessible.

 

[Masonmj84]

We don't necessarily need a TS in our resort but we prefer being within walking, boat, or monorail distance to TS restaurants as we basically eat TS almost every day. We don't have a car at WDW and prefer to avoid buses for resort-to-resort transportion (although taxis or Uber/Lyft are obviously another option). For this reason, we prefer doing split stays at deluxe resorts.

And the fact that most deluxes have limited CS or food courts doesn't bother us because we almost never eat CS (it's not that we're food snobs, we just enjoy the slower pace of TS and don't like the hassle of CS - e.g., wait in one line to order, wait in another line to pay, face the possibility of having difficulty finding a table or being overrun by large groups of teenagers, etc. - we would much rather have a reserved table and be waited on).

 

[nkereina]

It's not a factor for us either, but I can see it being a point for someone who is with small children or someone who is disabled that might need the ease of getting around and/or the flexibility of changing plans on the fly. If they unexpectedly get stuck at the resort one night because they need to rest, the weather is bad, or whatever the case may be, having a TS on-site may be beneficial for them. Especially if they have dining credits they need to use from the dining plan. It's just an added convenience, especially for someone who makes loose plans (or no plans) or maybe doesn't know what to expect.

 

[Leelo]

It's not a factor for us either, but I can see it being a point for someone who is with small children or someone who is disabled that might need the ease of getting around and/or the flexibility of changing plans on the fly. If they unexpectedly get stuck at the resort one night because they need to rest, the weather is bad, or whatever the case may be, having a TS on-site may be beneficial for them. Especially if they have dining credits they need to use from the dining plan. It's just an added convenience, especially for someone who makes loose plans (or no plans) or maybe doesn't know what to expect.

I agree. I enjoy traveling to different resorts and parks to eat meals and do not need them to be where I stay but I know my friends with small children would definitely consider the time and energy it would take to travel somewhere else to get a meal.

 

[MammaMoe48]

I think it's a matter of personal preference. Many people are fine with not having TS at their resort and eating at the food court. For some, it is a must. We like TS because, as another poster stated, the idea of carrying a tray and then finding a table is just so unappealing to us, especially for dinner. It's nice to just sit and relax and have your meal brought to you. We like to take our time, have a bottle of wine or some cocktails and we like the idea of being able to take a nice, short stroll back to the room. That's part of the reason why we chose the Boardwalk - it has easy access to a lot of really good TS places, especially at EPCOT.

 

[Manda]

We don't eat at the table service restaurants usually when we stay at deluxe resorts and the existence of the restaurants in the resort isn't usually a deciding factor for me when picking resorts. But, for us, the main benefit of having TS at the resort is the in-room dining menu. We often have at least one night where we just want to crash in the room and get room service and eat in our PJs. The options for room service are much more limited otherwise.

 

[AshleeH]

It's never mattered to me, but we drive and have our car, so I make reservations wherever I want. If I was at the mercy of Disney transportation, I would favor it in a bit more because it can be unreliable and eat into park time.

Now, for the parks, it's all about location location location for us. That is our most important factor with any Disney trip.

 

[jeffbear]

For the intersection of folks who do WDW without a car, stay on property and love a nice sit down dinner ... you cannot beat having a TS restaurant that you enjoy in your hotel. It's certainly do-able to go out to eat somewhere else, but it's soooo relaxing to just stroll down from your room and eat once or twice in a trip without all the schlepping to somewhere else.

 

[alex9179]

I like to relax at meals and prefer TS. I think my main reason is convenience. I want the option if we're tired, hungry, and don't want to travel. My kids take, what seems like, forever looking at the menu and I'd rather be sitting while they make up their minds instead of standing or holding up the line. When my kids were younger, food court CS was a pain in the neck and we've avoided resorts that only have that ever since our first trip. Nobody got what they wanted because of the different ordering bays or the lines looked long. Smaller CS, like CHH, was easier for me.

We usually have our TS meal in a park to give ourselves a break. This trip has several non-park days so I chose resorts that have convenient TS. Even though we'll have our vehicle, we'd rather not drive much. We like beer, wine, cocktails, and a DD

 

[GrrArrgh]

It doesn't really matter to me much in terms of booking, especially on a short stay, but all things being equal, I'd like to have a good TS restaurant that I don't have to waste a lot of time getting to and from. On our stay last year, we were at the GF. I wanted to do a character breakfast. The most convenient option was 1900 Park Faire. It was really nice being able to do that and then continue on to the MK, especially since we only had a couple of days in the parks. I wouldn't have spent the time getting there if we were staying somewhere else.

 

[Apopper74]

I have never stayed at a resort based on TS but have always stayed at one that has at least one. On easy days, I have always Done a ADR at resort.

 

[Anniefrances]

The only time it factored into my resort choices was when my kids were really young. As a single parent it was much easier to manage a stroller and stuff without having to travel across property. But even then, it was never the leading factor in my resort choice -more like a tie breaker for the times I was able to afford mod/deluxe.

 

[mindeola]

TS, and even QS, are not a consideration when we book a resort. I am on a quest to eat at every Disney restaurant so we rarely repeat anything.

 

[alex9179]

TS, and even QS, are not a consideration when we book a resort. I am on a quest to eat at every Disney restaurant so we rarely repeat anything.

Although we don't go enough to make it a quest, we also like to dine at different places. We've booked different resorts each time and try to make most of our meals new experiences. The two are hand-in-hand for us at this point.

If DH and I ever go alone, a good lounge will be one of the boxes to check when choosing a resort. It's nice to build a rapport and have a place to start/end the evening.