Are Preferred Views Ever Worth It?

I’m doing some research for an upcoming article on satisfaction at standard rooms vs preferred ones (think “preferred” at value resorts, water view (etc) at moderates, savanna vs standard at AKL, etc). Which resorts do you think merit ponying up more money for a better view?

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Very very personal choice. It often has more to do with location, per se, than view (although often the view might be considered “nicer”). Preferred tends to be close to the main “stuff” of the resort (transportation, food, pools). I would read the description in the reservation booking process to see if it matters to you.

Most of the time it would not matter to me. But every now and then, and depending on my budget, sure I’d spring for it,

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I would never pay for an upgraded view at at value or moderate resort. Since the walkways go right past my window, I always have the blinds/drapes pulled shut.

For deluxes I will pay for savannah at Kidani, but will use the touring plans room request feature at Jambo. I will also book a Lake view at BLT and use the request feature to try to get a partial theme park view, but I am too cheap to actually book theme park views.

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Thank you both! I should have also stated upfront that there are no wrong answers here. I’m legitimately try to get a variety of opinions.

I have paid for preferred at ASM, for the proximity to the main building/ bus stop. Wouldn’t pay for a difference in view at a value or moderate.

At a deluxe, it’s subjective. I will always pay for savanna view at AKL. I wouldn’t pay for TPV at Poly/Contemporary/ GF.

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It depends on the cost for me. If it’s $10-$20 a day and I don’t have to look at a parking lot, I’m in.

I will say that some of the standard views at Yacht Club were pretty awful based on the room finder - like this one

I mean - you just spent $600/night on a room and THIS is your view?!

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Yikes. I’ve never stayed there bc I’m not really into any of the epcot resorts, but you’re right, that is a terrible room and I’d be pissed if I was given that based on the rates.

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It sort of looks like a beach???

Ok no.

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Generally, I’m a bargain traveler when it comes to accommodations. For me that means not getting some upgraded view or paying more to be closer to the lobby or whatever. In August I’m doing a split stay at ASMo and POP. I don’t plan on being in the room a lot. My priorities are a non-connected room and an upper floor so hopefully it will be quieter but that’s it so nothing I can’t (hopefully) get with a standard.

About the only place where I’d want to upgrade is a savanna view at AKL. OTOH if I was able to get a great deal on a non-savanna room I would take that and just spend more time at Sanaa (oh darn!). I’m not somebody who tends to spend a lot of time in my room or at the resort when I’m on vacation so spending more money for a particular view generally wouldn’t be something I’d care about too much.

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pool views there are phenomenal and standard views can be super convenient but look at parking lots

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It’s wild to me some of the really awful views some of the deluxe resorts have like that Yacht Club view upthread. Plant a living roof up there or something, Disney! :joy:

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We were upgraded from standard to river view last trip at POFQ, we were in building 6 looking down towards POR and the view was gorgeous. I was going to pay for river view next time but when I looked at the room finder most of the river views were terrible! So now I don’t want to take the risk. It’s a fair amount of money over 2 weeks for a crappy view.

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I agree with most everyone here. I’ve stayed in a lot of different hotels and the only ones I would pay a premium for is a savanna view at AKL or a preferred room at ASMusic because that resort layout is like 1 long tunnel. Some hotels I think the upgrade is actually a worse view. At SSR the preferred building bus stops are usually so packed that buses often skip them on the way out at peak times. I also had a standard view in GDT at CSR and it had views of Epcot and HS vs the lake at CSR which is an upgrade.

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Hard question. I think it’s a very personal choice. I loved our savannah-view room at AKL and would not want to have any other view, even though it was a VERY long walk to the room at the end of some very long days in the parks. We really took advantage of that balcony and spent more time in our room, even eating meals in our room, just so we could watch the animals as much as we wanted.

Likewise, I love the water-view room at the YC and watched a wedding from beginning to end from the balcony.

I should have gotten a preferred (close) room the year we were at the ASMus when my youngest was 3 years old. We didn’t have a stroller. I hated that walk in the dark.

That terrible YC view linked above is similar to the terrible view I had at BC, and I still spent time drinking my morning coffee on the balcony. If you leaned over the rail, you could see Illuminations fireworks!

So I basically agree with other posters that “preferred” at the Value resorts doesn’t mean much unless you have a toddler to carry, and all the views I’ve had at Moderates were fine – maybe I just really enjoy Moderates – but there are some Deluxe resorts where the view makes a big difference. I can’t imagine staying at the Contemporary without a theme park view. But you know, to each their own.

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ROFL – you said it so much more succinctly!

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Here is somewhere I wouldn’t bother to pay more for an upgraded view.
First, as you say, some of the “better” views are not.
Second, some of the standard views are more picturesque
Finally, that is one teeny resort and you’re not far away even when you’re far away

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WDW is so expensive that I don’t think I’d pay extra for a non-standard view unless I really wanted to book at a certain resort and all the standard rooms were sold out. That happened once at BW and we ended up overlooking the pool. It was fine, but I would have been equally happy overlooking a parking lot.

If funds were less of an issue, I could see booking a savannah room at AKL or a room that might get me a fireworks view. Those are things I might consider paying for if budget allowed. As it stands, though, I’ll stick with standard rooms.

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We were actually further from everything than we’d been on the previous visit when we had a great room in building 4. The view made me so happy every single time I saw it though!

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We’ve never paid for a preferred view, don’t feel the extra price justifies the benefit.

We had a lake view while staying at the Contemporary and loved it. We spent several hours sitting on our balcony watching the various boats and water craft on Bay Lake.

I was disappointed with the theme park view from California Grill, too many roof tops and parking lots.

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AKL is probably the only one I would do it. For me, if you’re not overlooking a savannah, why stay there (although the Jambo lobby is amazing). If I was ever forced to stay at CBR again, I would consider it to not have a 10 minute walk just to go to the main building.

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