Is There A Disney Resort you Won't Return To?

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Kristen K.'s picture
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Is There A Disney Resort you Won't Return To?

We all love Disney and speak highly of the quality of it's resort hotels, but my question is this...

Is there a Disney Resort Hotel that you refuse to book at? What is is about that resort that will keep you away? Did you have a bad experience yourself, or is it because of what others have said?

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I'd have to go with Coronado Springs. There's nothing wrong with it, in fact I find the theming beautiful, but it doesn't seem to a lot of perks for me. I don't like that it's a convention centre (stayed at Contemporary while a convention was going on - it was crazy!). I also don't like that it's further away from Epcot, DDD, and Magic Kingdom than the resorts I usually book at. I've always liked the look of CS but the convention centre and distance to the parks make it a resort I will likely never book with.

What about you Kristen?

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I'm not a fan of SSR. It's too big, too far away and I don't like the motel style. It doesn't even feel like Disney to me. But if it were the only resort with availability, I'm there in a flash.

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J.P. wrote:
What about you Kristen?

First, I do believe any Disney is better than no Disney. So if I had no other choice, I would stay anywhere. Truth is though, I am not really a Value Resort girl. Even though Art of Animation was sparkly and new, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I like a larger room, more dining options, bars, a closet, and a hot tub. I really really hated not having a hot tub.

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It would have to be CBR for me. There was nothing wrong with it per se, I just wasn't blown away and didn't really feel the Disney vibe while I was there.

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I have to say Coronado as well. I mean the rooms are really nice and it is a beautiful resort But we had issues with the quick serve and the convention feel didn't sit well with us at all. It just wasn't our cup of tea. We also found the Carribean beach resort not quite for us either. It was nice but more for families.

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I've stayed at All Star Movies and Sports once and it will be the last! It was SOOO busy ALL the time. The food options are limited and it's far away from the parks.

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I don't think we will ever do a value... And when we visited Saratoga springs last trip I wasn't impressed mostly because of the thousands of bus stops

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I've stayed in All Star Music twice. I liked it (especially the Three Caballeros pool) but wouldn't go back just because I'd like to try something different. There times of year I was there (March and May) it didn't seem too crazy.

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I'm with you Kristen, I'm not a value girl at all. In fact the night we did Hoop De Doo our bus made a few stops and the groups who got off at pop really were not my cup of tea, yes I am an snob (I'm currently enrolled in a support group Wink lol), they were just a bit brash and loud, plus i didnt care for the look of the hotel. If i want to save money and stay cheaper I will stay off site as i could get a nicer hotel for less money than a value. I have never stayed at a mod but thats cause we have only stayed at 2 resorts, both deluxe. I would like to try out OKW - there are usally really good deals to be had there and SSR, not sure if thats just for the UK market or not though - the lots of bus stops doesnt bother me as I dont think we would do it without a car again, i didnt like the buses at all.

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We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside on our last trip. I really liked it and thought it was a nice resort. I wouldn't say I'd never go back to it, but it wouldn't be very likely. We just don't spend enough time at the Resort to make it worth our while to pay so much more for a moderate than a value. I like the value resorts (although I find the All-Star ones always have teams or large travel groups) but we're pretty much only there to sleep so it doesn't bother us.

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Stayed at OKW in 2011, and after 2 nights, I happily moved to BCV when a room became available. Too many bus stops and time spent on a bus. Not likely that I will ever stay anywhere other than an Epcot resort again.

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I'm torn on this one... the Value resorts are definitely a good "value", but there are definitely downsides to them as well, especially the All-Star resorts. Those I will not do again. Always crowded, not as nice, and the bus situation stinks. There was just something missing, and I can't figure out what it is. Pop Century would be my choice out of the Values... never a bad experience there... great fun theme, clean, and they have their own bus. Staying at a Moderate is a much nicer experience, but like Spook said, you have to really figure out if it is worth the extra cash. For us this year, we had booked our stay at Pop until these crazy discounts came out, which saved us enough money to make an upgrade to POFQ a no-brainer.

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I agree with Kristen, any Disney is better than none. That being said, no desire to stay at Coronado Springs. Theme just doesn't appeal to me. We did stay at Caribbean Beach and have no burning desire to return. It is very nice, pool looks straight out of POTC but it was just too big, bus wait time was very long, rooms were, meh.....Not anxious to try any of the "Value" resorts unless I had to. Regarding the deluxe-Old Key West, Contemporary, and Bay Lake Villas hold no interest. Maybe too modern? Not knocking them but just not my cup of tea.

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RobynPrincess wrote:
yes I am an snob (I'm currently enrolled in a support group Wink lol)

LoL!! No support group here, I have no problem with my snobbiness.
I'm sure Becks534 will agree, I can get a little too big for my britches now and then. rolling
When it comes to hotels I'm especially bad because I spent years working in the industry. I know what I like & want, I know what the industry standards are, woe be to them that promise and don't deliver.

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I'm new around here but I have to chime in...I wouldn't stay at Coronado Springs again. It was too spread out for my liking. (Granted, I had a 4 month old and an almost 2 year old with me) I much prefer POFQ or POR if I am going to stay Mod. Smile

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Spook wrote:
We just don't spend enough time at the Resort to make it worth our while to pay so much more for a moderate than a value. I like the value resorts (although I find the All-Star ones always have teams or large travel groups) but we're pretty much only there to sleep so it doesn't bother us.

We're the same. My husband is a saver (and guess who's not...!) and not as much of a Disney-phile as I am. He's easier to convince when I tell him how cheap the value resorts are. We are theme park junkies, and if there is a park open, we will be in it, so the amenities are not really necessary for us. I think you have to know how to navigate the All-Stars in order to get the best out of them. Yes, they're bare bones, but we've always been able to get what we wanted or needed (including king size beds), and you just have to know that you're better and smarter than everyone else at the resort! Cool
(I had to jump on the snobby train!)

Once we are traveling with children, however, I think we may upgrade to something that has more to offer since we (read: the children) won't have as much stamina to be in the parks all day.

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Swan and Dolphin

We stayed there when I was a kid and my dad was on a business trip. I remember the hotel wasn't bad, but it didn't feel like Disney at all. If I'm going to stay at Disney, I want to be completely immersed in it.

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Other than maybe art of animation, we are done with values

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I must concur on the values as well. The All Stars were a blast with my 4 young kids, but not so much now as a solo grown up traveler. mickey

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I prefer Pop and Art out of the Values. Maybe I'm biased since I worked at Pop and "assisted" with the opening of Art. At Pop they get a lot of groups. Like the Brazilians and the Pop Warner cheerleaders and football players. They usually try to put them in buildings 7-9 since those are the buildings further away from everything. I was never really impressed with the All-Stars.

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I wont return to Port Orleans Riverside. It's beautiful but due to landscaping, lack of signs & at night poor lighting I spent A LOT of my time there getting lost. I also wont stay at Coronado Spring although from the pictures I've seen it's beautiful & I think I'd like the Peppermarket. However, I do eat at the resort foodcourt but simply refuse to pay a tip for foodcourt meals & if you eat at the Peppermarket that's what you have to do. Although I've read that if you get your food to go you don't have to pay the tip but I'm not going to get every meal or snack I get at the foodcourt to go.

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disneydoc wrote:
I must concur on the values as well. The All Stars were a blast with my 4 young kids, but not so much now as a solo grown up traveler. mickey

I agree with all the posts on these resorts. I have never stayed at one, but I have visited them in my younger (pre-marriage) years after evenings at Pleasure Island wink wink

They did not seem anything like a place I would want to stay at. Nothing seemingly wrong with them from what I saw. Just not what I would consider staying at is all on a Disney holiday.

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CBR, the bathroom was gross.

I am all about a Disney resort. We stayed at CBR on a split stay. Started off site at the Wyndham Grand Orlando (hotel section) for 3 nights, then 5 nights at CBR. The Wyndham resort was beautiful and the room was IMMACULATE and we soooo did not fit in. Everyone hung around there in suits and dresses, even the kids. It was such a hassle. We were so thankful to check in at CBR, and so thankful to be at a Disney resort. Even though the bathroom was NASTY, it was still better being onsite than off. I was, in the end, happier at CBR than I was at Wyndham. But, I would try to stay everywhere else on Disney property before I decided to stay at CBR again. The resort, as a whole, was gorgeous, and we liked the food court. But a nasty bathroom is all it takes to sour my attitude toward a resort or hotel.

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We've never stayed at a value resort although have visited AOA after it opened and we found it too open and too large for our liking. We've also stayed at CBR twice but would not go back as we found the food court lacking and much prefer POR for moderate. This fall (46 days and counting) we are staying at the Boardwalk Inn for the first time and looking forward to seeing what the deluxe has to offer. I can see us going back to POR in the future due to great value for the cost. And I also agree with Kristen - any Disney is better than no Disney! As my DH says "we love living in the Disney bubble for the week" and would never stay off-site.

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We still feel like we are getting a good value at pop and the buses are so easy to use. All stars buses are why we wouldn't go back. For us, we are at Disney together the hotel makes no real difference the time together is our focus. Dh and I work opposite shifts so vacations are when we can regroup. Pop is our place until we get a free resort upgrade.

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I can't say there's a Disney hotel that I'd NEVER go back to, though I certainly prefer not to go back to any of the All-Stars. I think they are just a little used and abused and need some sprucing up. I'm kind of a snob in that I really prefer the moderate level (well, I prefer deluxe, but my budget prefers moderate), but I am giving AOA a try in Feb.

What's this food court tipping thing at CSR?? Do you normally tip at a food court? I honestly can't remember...

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JMUDukz wrote:

What's this food court tipping thing at CSR?? Do you normally tip at a food court? I honestly can't remember...

No - you don't usually tip at a food court. Pepper Market has weird set up that makes it sort of semi-table service, you do have a server. In addition to the tip that you need to leave your server though, there's a 10% service charge that all meals get - even the to go orders. It's weird.

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JMUDukz wrote:
but I am giving AOA a try in Feb.

AoA is a fabulous resort!! The only rooms that are a "hassle" to get to are the Mermaid rooms. They are the farthest from the lobby. Still very nice! Not sure if they are still having important visitors to make sure everything is going smoothly. Next to the Drop Off at the Big Blue Pool, they have a refill drink station with soft drinks and tea. For coffee and hot chocolate, you have to go inside.

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Mandy wrote:
JMUDukz wrote:
but I am giving AOA a try in Feb.

AoA is a fabulous resort!! The only rooms that are a "hassle" to get to are the Mermaid rooms. They are the farthest from the lobby. Still very nice! Not sure if they are still having important visitors to make sure everything is going smoothly. Next to the Drop Off at the Big Blue Pool, they have a refill drink station with soft drinks and tea. For coffee and hot chocolate, you have to go inside.

Sigh. I of course am in a mermaid room. Although I will appreciate the irony of my complaining about the long walk to the room when my sole purpose of going down is to run a half marathon.

Have you eaten at Landscape of Flavors, Mandy?? Any must haves or must avoids??

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JMUDukz wrote:
Mandy wrote:
JMUDukz wrote:
but I am giving AOA a try in Feb.

AoA is a fabulous resort!! The only rooms that are a "hassle" to get to are the Mermaid rooms. They are the farthest from the lobby. Still very nice! Not sure if they are still having important visitors to make sure everything is going smoothly. Next to the Drop Off at the Big Blue Pool, they have a refill drink station with soft drinks and tea. For coffee and hot chocolate, you have to go inside.

Sigh. I of course am in a mermaid room. Although I will appreciate the irony of my complaining about the long walk to the room when my sole purpose of going down is to run a half marathon.

Have you eaten at Landscape of Flavors, Mandy?? Any must haves or must avoids??

When I was at Pop last year, I walked over to AoA and walked through the entire resort. I didn't think the walk to the Little Mermaid section was that bad. Of course, this was on the first day of my trip. I may have had a different answer if it was toward the end.

I had lunch while I was there. I had the chicken burger. It was really good.

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