Reviews of Disney Resort Rooms

[Aliceacc]

AliceAnn, there is no agenda, and yes I am an adult. I just have a different opinion then most of you do on here, and people that LOVE Disney have a heard time hearing an opinion that may some way distort their image of these Disney Resorts. You get defensive, and think its arguing when I am just discussing/giving a different view point on these resorts.

The majority of these reviews online are not anonymous. They have people's names and/or have been verified by the review sites.

Why aren't you being honest with Easygoingeezer about the Saratoga Springs Resort? At least tell him that the transportation to the parks from the resort is horrible/long.

Um, I've never been there. So how and why on earth would I pretend to know any more than he does?? I do have a friend-- I could supply her name and phone number and the names of her husband and kids if I didn't mind invading her privacy. She stayed there last year and loved it, enough so that she's returning there over Easter break.

And, for what it's worth, I'm not arguing about the Disney resorts. I'll give you: the three I've been to (CR, Poly, Beach Club) have all been fabulous experiences. And after my last experience at the Beach Club, they have my everlasting gratitude; the CMs went far, far above and beyond when we faced a medical crisis.

But I'm no expert on someone else's trip. The only experiences I can speak to are my own, the experiences that I had at the Contemporary many years ago, and the more recent stays at the Poly and the Beach Club.

What I continue to have an issue with is why you still care. You're not going there. We get it. Lots of people stay off site and have a fabulous time. Maybe you'll be one of them.

But I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why you still care enough to quote endless reviews from people you don't know. Or why you are so determined to "prove" that their opionions are more valid than the ones expressed here. Even if every single thing you've quoted actually did happen exactly as you quoted, why are those reviews more valid than the ones expressed here???

(As an aside: I teach teenagers. Trust me, I know arguing when I see it.)

As for the fact that the reviews have names: that means absolutely nothing.
For what it's worth, you've quoted my name several times. Incorrectly. So apparently my username is "Aliceann." I've read it online, numerous times, so apparently that makes it fact. Right???

And anyone with enough saavy to open a Disboards account knows exactly how easy it is to open an account at any site and say what you want. I've posted on those sites. (Positive reviews, as it happens of non-Disney resorts in other parts of the country.)

I don't think that anyone is arguing that the poor reviews exist, or that some people have had disappointing stays in Disney resorts. With the kind of volume they do, some poor experiences are a statistical guarantee. What we are saying is that, given the number of repeat customers the Disney resorts have, given the number of people who have a "favorite" resort, given the number of people who return year after year after year and continue to stay onsite, there must be something there, at least for them. The Disney resorts, at least for those thousands and thousands of loyal customers, are not the hellholes you would have us belive, based on your vast experience reading negative reviews.\

You read some negative reviews and extrapolate them into an indictment of the entire organization. That's not how extrapolation works.

Also, for what it's worth, many of us have stayed at 5 star hotels. I've stayed at the Waldorf in NYC, at the Palmer House in Chicago, at other fine hotels in Baltimore and Detroit and Fort Lauderdale and a variety of other cities. We understand the ameneties offered by 5 star resorts. We get it. But I have no interest at the current moment in staying off site at Disney. That's my preference; it certainly doesn't need to be yours. So return to any of those off sites you've enjoyed so much in the past, the ones where there are absolutely no negative reviews.

The more reviews you quote, the more obvious your agenda appears.

So once again, let me pose the question: You're not staying there. Why do you continue to care?

 

[maxiesmom]

I beginning to wonder if the OP doesn't work at one of those off site hotels.

As for not picking a resort because it has a bad review, good lucky find a hotel that doesn't have any. No place is perfect.

 

[BigKid45]

We've stayed on site 4 times and never had an issue with our rooms. I don't want to totally discount the chance that some rooms have issues. As OP have said, multiply the number of rooms X365 days/year of constant use and there will be issues. People don't post critiques when everything goes as planned...only bad experiences and exceptional experiences tend to get posted.
Travelling on business I have had my share of problems in 4 & 5 star hotels, but I don't avoid those hotels. Yes the cost is high for rooms on property, but you are paying to stay "on property" which has many more benefits than just the room.

 

[smiths02]

I don't understand the constant quoting of bad reviews from another website. We are all have internet access. We can all read. I hope that most of us who plop down a few grand for a vacay at Disney were smart enough to do research.

Do you have a personal review? If not, then stop arguing our personal experiences with the experiences of people you don't even know.

I have been 3 times. I have had 3 clean rooms with NO issues. I have stayed AKL twice and CBR pirate room once.

ETA: The Waldorf doesn't have an animal savanna or African CMs to talk about their culture with me.
The Waldorf doesn't have a pirate bed that makes my son feel like Jack Sparrow.
Those things ranked higher for me personally than the luxury of Waldorf.

 

[queenofthehive]

Easygoinggeezer- please do not worry about Saratoga Springs. We stayed there last year and absolutely loved it. I did not feel the transportation to the parks was unusually long and I have stayed at a lot of resorts on property. SSR is a lovely resort. Our room was clean and well maintained. The pools were a blast. Service was excellent. i loved the ambience of the resort. It was beautiful. My family had wonderful memories there and I am sure you will too.

 

[vicki_c]

vicki_c, I am just curious if you have ever tried to stay off site at The Peabody ( sadly it was sold this past Sept to the Hyatt ), the Ritz Carlton, or the Waldorf Astoria? If you time it right, you could book a room at these hotels anywhere from $250-350 a night. We stayed on the club level at the Peabody one trip for only $249/night, and it was phenomenal experience. The Waldorf Astoria is right in the back yard of Disney. You should see the pools and lazy rivers some of these hotels have. I'd be curious to see how many of you have actually given any of these hotels a try so you could compare the quality/value of them to the Disney Resorts. I understand the location argument but how far is the Waldorf Astoria from Disney (1-2 miles ) if you can save $1,500-2,000, and stay at a true 5 star hotel. So how many of you have given any of those 3 hotels a try?

I've heard fabulous things about those places, and I could afford to stay there if I wanted (we often pick a Disney deluxe, club level when we are not using our points). But I don't WANT to stay at those places when visiting Disney. I want to stay on property in an on-site resort, so comparing those places isn't necessary to me. (I heard no more ducks at the Peabody now, that's sad - though not relevant!)

And by the way, SSR is a fantastic resort, I own my DVC points there and it's been wonderful when we stayed there. We often drive everywhere but have used the buses and had no issues. And the water ferry to DTD is an awesome amenity there.

I have a lot of Disney resort experience. Except for a few years when I lived an hour from Orlando and we visited much more often (so stayed at cheaper places), we have stayed many nights on property. Over 30 nights in 2008 alone. The worst thing I ever had was a leaking refrigerator which was replaced in one day.

(Edited). After reading some of the other responses, I think the reason why this has become so contentious is mainly because we feel [or I do anyway] that you are trying to make it out like we must be liars or crazy. As if our experiences are less valid than people who post bad experiences. That makes no sense. I have no doubt that some people have had bad experiences at Disney resorts. I don't call those reviewers liars or crazy. I'm aware there are nicer places than Disney, in Orlando and elsewhere, for less money. It's just not how I choose to spend mine.

 

[Lynne M]

Enough. This thread is closed pending moderator review and assignment of infractions.