Considering your priorities for a trip

A or B - I won’t pay for the extra events.

Wow, that is a big difference. I typically go during a “value” season and stay st AKL or WL (and I get a pretty good deal renting from a friend), but I’ve never had to pay more than $200/night. For next Dec I think my 7 nights at WL will barely break $1,000 for the whole stay…

Unfortunately spring break is very expensive. It’s worth it though to get a 12 day vacation with the kids only missing 3 days of school. Everytime we have stayed deluxe (just 3 times plus the upcoming trip over spring break) it has been expensive. $313 for BCV with points, $330 for AKL in standard bunk bed room, best was $290 at Contemporary. I cannot imagine getting deluxes for $200 a night. I would never stay value or moderate again if that was the case!

The question isn’t hypothetical for me because I’ve made this decision for my next two trips: C.

A few years ago I would never have considered a value resort. I like comfort and luxury. But the deluxe resorts are incredibly expensive and — for me — represent very poor value for money.

What changed the game for me was when I saw the refurbished rooms at Pop. Stylish, modern, simple and — ultimately — just somewhere to sleep. Why pay more? I can hang out at deluxe hotels for free. Sure, the pools are rubbish, but then I’m not really a pool kind of a guy. Sure, the food courts are rubbish, but I’m not a food court kind of a guy. Anyone can eat at any restauarant: you don’t have to be staying at a deluxe.

Τhe extras are a big draw for me. They make things simple and predictable. I just shelled out $125+tax for After Hours at AK: 8.30-11.30pm. Now I don’t have to worry about FOP. Because I booked this trip very late, there were no FPPs available for FOP. I’m not going to rope-drop. Sorry. So I’m facing a very long wait in the standby line. I was actually up for that, until I saw the TP predictions for waiting time for FOP during my trip: up to three hours. Madness. This way, for a relatively small amount of money in the grand scheme of things, I get to ride FOP multiple times with minimal waiting.

It’s the same with the dessert party for HEA. It just removes the stress. No staking a spot and defending it for an hour. Show up half an hour early, wait in a relatively uncrowded area, and get a great view of the show. Then have some lovely desserts. For $69. Bargain.

It does occur to me that this is one area in which being single and childless is a huge advantage. Planning is simple: I only have myself to please. And cost is less of a factor. Mummy, daddy, two kids: suddenly After Hours is a $500+tax upcharge. Ouch.

Of course, I haven’t actually stayed at Pop yet. And next month I’m staying at ASMo, desperately hoping I get a refurbished room. I may rediscover a love of deluxe hotels. But I hope not.

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It’s for this reason we don’t do up charge events. With a party of 7 it’s stupid money.

We stayed at a value when we were stranded in Disney because of a hurricane at home and I would never stay value again. Not with our party size. Even spread over two rooms it was too close for comfort.
So that leaves me with choice B or E, either of which would be good.

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For us, I think maybe I need to accept it’s out of reach–I think its about $400 for the HEA dessert party (which I did when it was just DH and I) and $800 for DAH for our party of 6

That is a definite advantage. DH and I have different preferences with regard to these things but he is also a go-with-the-flow guy and I am an overthinker and excessive planner.

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On our last trip in June, we did the AK African Safari Tour and it was totally worth it. If I’m going to spend money in an upcharge event, I want it to be an experience in and of itself. At this stage in our Disney park attendance career, paying extra for reserved seating at a fireworks show or to ride “select” attractions after close and some cookies for the whole family is not worth it to me. $800 is a lot of money and can buy you a more memorable experience than DAH, in my opinion.

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C or D - but that is my take as a family of four (we’re doing a modified D this trip).

If it were just a trip with my friends or with my husband, I’d go for an even shorter time, higher end, and more extras (I think that’d be an Option F - 3 nights/4 days deluxe with DAH, TS and dessert parties).

I really appreciate that Disney is a choose your own adventure vacation. Last time I went it was a Deluxe (courtesy of my BFF’s DVC) for three nights and we did the DVC After Hours event. I was a bit spoiled and thought “Forget the kids! I need to get back her with the husband for another adults only trip.”

I would probably say D. We really like POR and stay there when we do a moderate. DAH and the HEA dessert party were some of the best things we did on our last trip. We have been to Disney many times so a 5 day/4 night trip is the perfect length for us.

But I can see the appeal of choice A. With a longer trip there is more flexibility and honestly you could do so much more in the parks that you won’t need DAH. I also think more days would allow your teens to sleep in a few days (I know mine started protesting RD). Also the cost of those add-ons with 6 people is rather overwhelming.

Of those choices, I think I would choose B. We spend some afternoons at the resort and DH likes to chill in the room while DD and I go to the pool or shopping. Or if we have spent all day at the park we can go back to the resort and eat at the TS there. Not having a TS restaurant makes staying at a value less appealing to me. And as much as I enjoy my upcharge events I think I would choose the extra 2 park days over 2 events.

But as @bswan26 suggested I would compare the cost of renting DVC as I would much prefer to be in a deluxe over a moderate.