Good day to you all.
My family and I are currently deciding on which WDW resort to stay at for a visit at the end of August 2018. There are 3 adults and 2 children under 10 in our group. I'd like to throw the question out there:
What makes a more expensive resort "worth it" to you and your family?
I understand we all have a variety of budget levels but money than is spent on one luxury can't be used on another. So why do you choose to, or choose not to, spend more on a resort and less on say food or souvineers etc?
For me it's usually traveling companions as my mom is a hotel snob LOL. However for me it's more about experience. I'm pretty happy with anything clean and at least comparable to mid range. I don't vacation to relax. I stay home to relax. I vacation to do things.
When I'm solo I don't care much about where I stay. I just need a clean room with a bed and a shower. That said I like trying new stuff so I'm a fan of split stays and I'll do Values for the majority and then a night or two at a Mod or Deluxe that is new to me. Next trip I haven't seen any good prices at the Deluxes so I'm going back to POR so I can try an Alligator Bayou room (last time was a Royal Room).
I also would rather spend less on the room and put that money towards experiences. Like Dining with an Imagineer, or Behind the Scene's Tours, or Holiday events. My family is not into that and I am so it makes great solo trip extras.
When I'm with family or friends I tend to stick to Moderates or Deluxe as the Value rooms are small and the extra space is just better as well as double sinks, larger beds, coffee maker and atmosphere (my mom hates the values, tolerates the mods and loves deluxe haha).
I also don't tend to do the more expensive resorts when alone because the 'extras' don't appeal to me.
I don't work out on vacation.
I'm not a pool person, if I'm going to lounge around and read or relax I want to be someplace cool and shady and private, plus I sunburn quickly and to the point of getting sick so I don't sunbathe, ever.
I will stop occasionally in a lobby or lounge to listen to music or have a quick break from my traveling companions, but I don't really get lounging around in hotel lobbies.
I'm not a foodie and while I do plan 1 or 2 TS or dining experiences, I'm much more likely to grab something quick and easy in the parks or a resort. And like resorts I want to try them all so I only eat maybe one meal at my actual resort so that I can try a new place every meal. I'm usually to busy to sit down every meal. I snacked my way through Europe, no joke, I only ate in one sit down type place and that was a street cafe in Paris every thing else was grab food on the way to somewhere.
I am also not the kind of person who likes to hang out in a bar. Not that I never do that but at Disney I'm usually in a park or sleeping. I also tend to drink very conservatively. So I might have a drink with dinner or have one drink at a lounge or outdoor venue but it's really not my idea of fun. Even when I'm with family or friends I usually will have only one drink or two and then switch to club soda or a coke.
I always look at Mods and Deluxes and I can afford them (well mostly, I'm not really in the salary bracket to do Poly TPV at $500-$600 per night) but in the end I'd rather stay mid range and take more trips than blow an entire budget on one trip. And that's anywhere.
Fall 2016- Europe 10days mid range 1 night at high end airport access for convenience and to prepare for the long flight home.
Winter 2017 WDW 3 nights Value/1 night Mod
Spring 2017 Washington D.C. 4 nights Higher Mid range (paid more for location)
Fall 2017 Vegas 3 nights Free but doing some experiences so paying for those
Christmas WDW 3 nights Condo Offsite (with family that I'm paying for) and 3 nights onsite Mod level for now but may go Deluxe.
If I had gone luxury on any of these trips I probably would have done 1 to 2 less trips. So that's my trade off for not doing Deluxe hotels every trip.