If you are mostly going down to be in the parks, POP and AOA are great. I’ve stayed at both in Feb of different years. AOA had a lot more very young families. Pop had families of course, but we were an adults only trip both times and it seemed less full of crying at Pop. The rooms were very bright and comfortable. I’ve been on a cruise and I think that comparison is unfair. The value rooms are certainly bigger than a cruise cabin. The skyliner has also really elevated that area. The walk to the buses is not that bad, except Disney Springs!! And at AK, Pop has one of the closest buses! It’s really not that bad to stay at a value. I worried and worried and we had a great time. BUT I also haven’t stayed a deluxe. So maybe I just don’t know what I’m missing 
I’ve stayed at both WL and Pop. While the boat ride to MK is awesome and it’s nice to not have to wait in line for a bus at the end of the night, for me the Skyliner puts Pop over the edge for me. Having the skyliner access to two parks is awesome. I also liked that Pop has the sliding doors to the sink area in the bathroom. WL, and I believe other deluxe resorts, is an open area so no privacy there. I feel like the area with the beds is about the same size in both rooms. The extra space comes from the entrance/hallway and the large closet and the open sink area. Deluxe has 2 sinks vs 1 at the value, but I feel like I had more bathroom storage/cubbies at Pop. When we’ve stayed at WL, we took more resort breaks. We use the rooms at Pop to sleep mainly but I do like the Pop food court and the main pool. For me, if I don’t plan to be in the room much, Pop is my choice.
Exactly.
Brian had a hefty backlog of reviews and other material that he wanted to publish prior to July 11th reopening, so you will find a number of new resort reviews on the youtube channel that may be of interest to you.
I was going to suggest Swan or Dolphin, too. I have stayed at The Swan, probably 5 times. I love the beds, the rooms, the location. I got a better rate when I was still teaching. Worth checking into. My primary reason for not staying there last time was because you have to book dining at 60 days. Not 60 days plus length of stay up to 10 days.
I have not stayed at the Swan but found the Dolphin to be a bit busy in an overwhelming way. My understanding is that the Swan is smaller and therefor not as busy. Is this accurate? The location, restaurants and price point are great for sure!
I never felt it was crowded or busy. Didn’t have the convention hotel feeling that I noticed when we went into the Dolphin public areas.
I am seriously thinking that if our December trip doesn’t happen, I may look at the Swan for the next trip. Now that there is no dining plan or character meals, I may book there instead.
The other difference I’d say is that values feel more like Motels while Deluxe are Hotels. Moderate somewhere in between but towards the Motel side. Deluxe will also have balconies/patios based on that hotel feel. For us the balcony has been great at GF & AKL in moderate weather (December) as we really used it a lot and immaterial other places like BC in the summer where we melted if we opened the door to enjoy the view…
This blog is the best ever. The driveway. The car parked in the room. Touring Plans at its best!
OMG I remember that blog. I remember clearly how helpful that visual was helping us select a level for our first family trip.