Moderate now or Deluxe later?

Hey Gang-

We are debating rolling a 9 night trip at the end of October this year.
Our last visit was in 2009 and we are wayyyy overdue.. Due to budgetary reasons, if we go this year, we would most likely be in CBR , which we've done a few times and loved. On our last trip though, we did the Beach Club & fell in love. So I'm wondering...Should we go this year (knowing the next trip is 3-5 years off) and roll CBR or go next October & stay in Beach Club.

A 3rd option we are considering is going this OCT to POP and staying an extra few days or adding the cruise. I've never stayed at a value and am very leary as on vacation, I like the peaceful, naturally scenic settings of the mod/dlx. Would I be shell shocked @ the pop?

Mongello fo life!

I would look into CSR now. It offers some deluxe amenities and may meet your needs for a resort.

CSR has queen beds and the rooms have been renovated and are gorgeous. The rooms also have a sliding wooden door separating the sink area from the room instead of a privacy curtain like the other mods (can be good for little ones napping in a pack n play).

Amenities include a fitness center, spa, free wi-fi, tanning beds, a sauna, salon, full menu room service and a night club. Microwaves are available at check in only upon request.

The resort offers the same toiletries as the deluxes (except GF). CSR has separate shampoo and conditioner instead of the shampoo/conditioner combo at the other mods and values (a small thing, I know, but it means I don't have to pack shampoo and conditioner).

CSR has the largest hot tub of the mods and one of the longest pool slides on Disney property. The pool, slide and playground area is great and all located in one area at the main pool. The also have movies, campfire and activities at the main pool area on a daily schedule.

Bus service is terrific and is not shared with another resort.

It is a tough one. I say it depends on how much time you spend at the resort. Beach is just beautiful and if you hang at the hotel a chunk of time, it maybe waiting for.

I've stayed at all levels, Pop just once. We have stayed at multiple deluxe hotels, always during our short trips. Our long trips have always been at the Moderates, most trips we have gone the moderate route.

There was nothing wrong with Pop. It was nice and clean but the theming of the hotels is so far from my taste in resorts at Disney or anywhere. The rooms are very tight and frankly I found the bus service to be about the worst we've endured at park closing times. I found Pop to be a great idea if you actually opened and closed the parks and literally just crashed there. While the main pool is huge it lacks theming beyond paint IMO.

Me, I'd go for the moderate but I have tried to deliberately avoid the deluxe hotels most of the time because they really take a hit into our vacation dollars and I just don't think it is necessary. Now many could make the same argument about value to moderate.

I always decide to go when we can knowing that life can sometimes get in the way of future visits. In your case however, you might want to commit for another year if the Fantasyland expansion is a big part of what you will want to experience.

I know I've said this in the past but for us, when we're on a WDW trip, the only thing we do at the resort is sleep, shower and get ready to leave it to go spend our day at the parks etc. So, for us, personally, much as I LOVE the Deluxe resorts, I have a hard time justifying the additional expense, when those dollars could be used toward more fun and goodies. Trust me if money wasn't an object I'd spend every trip in a 2 Bedroom Villa (so it's not that I don't like the Deluxe resorts). :)

Honestly, I would look into Port Orleans French Quarter. This is my family's favorite of the moderates that we've stayed in (POFQ, POR, and CBR) just because it seems like the only one that has its own bus stop and beignets in the food court (yummy!). The pool is very fun and family-friendly, and the rooms were recently updated beautifully. We stayed at a Pirate Room at CBR last year and, while I loved the room itself, I hated being so far from the central area of the resort. However, if you chose to stay at a closer, albeit not pirate-themed, room at CBR, I can see how that would be great too! Our biggest complaints at CBR were pretty minor: long walks to the pool and slow bus service (but buses are slower at the moderates, and that's accepted.

I'm not the best at dealing with Disney withdrawal, and for that reason I'd probably go this year rather than waiting. In the end, it comes down to what the rest of your year looks like. If this October looks like a better time to travel for your family, you should go! If next year is a very important event for your family (anniversary, important birthday, graduation), save the trip for then and make it more special!

I agree with on of the previous posters. We've stayed at CSR before and we absolutely loved it. The resort was really more like a delux than a moderate but with moderate prices. I'd also consider how much time you actually spend at the resorts. After staying at CSR and POR its really hard to imagine staying at a value again due to the crowd and bus issues. The values just seem so packed, busy and far from relaxing, to a point that it actually becomes stressful. Not what I want on a vacation. However, if thats what it takes to be able to throw in a cruise, I'd be tempted to stay at a value. Just keep in mind before hand that the resort won't be a focal point of the trip.

For us, after trying a couple of moderates, we really like the improved experience for the extra dollars. We too have some budget issues over the last few years and it seems our WDW and DCL trips are becoming more difficult to reach as we try to catch up on bills etc.