We’re bizarre. Then once more, a little bit of weirdness is virtually required for card-carrying Walt Disney World followers–to not point out bloggers, the oddest of the bunch! One of many methods this manifests itself is in having arguably warped perceptions of worth for cash and what’s “price it” and what isn’t. Nowhere is that this extra apparent than with motels.
Should you browse our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Motels from Worst to Greatest, you could be shocked at how “eclectic” that checklist is, for lack of a greater time period. There are Worth Resorts that rank increased than Deluxe Resorts, and a few of our favourite motels are literally motels. The checklist eschews a few of the top-tier properties in favor of the cut price basement choices.
We’d wish to assume there’s a way to our insanity. That we’re frugal versus low cost–and there’s a very massive distinction! We’re keen to pay premium costs when the worth given matches the fee. That’s how you find yourself with “bizarre” outcomes, like our fixed rants about Lightning Lane Multi-Cross at Animal Kingdom being a waste of cash (regardless of costing the least of any park), whereas we’re keen to splurge on pricier resort stays. That is an instance of the latter. We comprise multitudes, as the youngsters (and poet Walt Whitman) would say.
One current submit lined My Favourite Lodge for Low-cost Walt Disney World Weekend Getaways, which sang the praises of All Star Sports activities for providing superlative bang for buck if all you want is a spot to crash. Robust emphasis there on the very first phrase of the title–All Star Sports activities is my favourite resort, once I do solo analysis journeys.
Oddly sufficient, this can be a “companion” piece of that, masking our favourite resort for fast journeys with Child Bricker (Megatron). For these stays, the Backyard Wing at Disney’s Modern Resort has emerged as our clear favourite. For Walt Disney World followers, the largest distinction in all probability jumps out instantly: this can be a Deluxe Resort that isn’t “low cost” by any goal metric. However once we’re touring as a household, it must also be a on condition that our preferences, priorities, and wishes are completely different.
With that in thoughts, right here’s a rundown of why we love the Backyard Wing at Disney’s Modern Resort for doing fast getaways to Walt Disney World the place effectivity, consolation and, sure, even value, are key…
Price – It might not be coincidental that my two favourite Deluxe Resorts–Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge–are normally the 2 most cost-effective at Walt Disney World. The one actual exception to that’s if there are deep reductions on the Deluxe Villas, and there occurs to be studio stock at Outdated Key West or Saratoga Springs. However that’s completely different–and inconsistent.
On condition that, maybe it additionally shouldn’t be a shock that we’ve actually come to understand the Backyard Wing at Disney’s Modern Resort. Throughout a current low season keep, the Backyard Wing was actually the most affordable Deluxe Resort out there, with a price of round $350 per night time after an Annual Passholder low cost. Even with “solely” most of the people supply, it will’ve value round $400 per night time.
Distinction this with charges on the Grand Floridian or Polynesian Village Resorts, each of which have been simply over $500. Whereas we desire each of these motels on stability, not sufficient to justify the additional $150+ per night time. And actually, I’m undecided I’d at all times take these over the Modern even when value have been no challenge.
Amusingly, the “featured room” that Walt Disney World advisable for our keep was the ‘Theme Park View – Atrium Membership Stage’ on the Modern, which was discounted right down to $875 per night time. That’s truly not horrible by theme park view or Membership Stage rooms, however at almost triple the price of the Backyard View, it was not contest. The $500+ nightly distinction may purchase much more corn canine nuggets than we may ever eat.
Whereas there are different issues and causes we’ve turn out to be followers of the Backyard Wing, that is actually the core of the apple. Merely put, that is the most affordable choice for being inside strolling distance of any theme park. And it actually helps that these rooms are among the many closest to Magic Kingdom, the park the place we spend probably the most time.
That is additionally the place the “fast stays” half comes into play–for longer journeys, we’re staying elsewhere because of whole value and having extra time to soak up Walt Disney World. For shorter stays, not solely is the Backyard Wing doable, however we really feel like an advantageous location is nearly crucial so as to get extra achieved. A greater location can imply a shorter keep, which finally ends up making this Deluxe Resort barely extra budget-friendly. Talking of location…
Location – That is the place the Backyard Wing has an actual and underrated benefit. It’s simpler to stroll between the Backyard Wing and Magic Kingdom than it’s to take the monorail, as a result of it’s a straight shot–you stroll out of your room (assuming you’re staying on the bottom flooring, which is our desire) after which stroll to the park.
Equally, it’s quicker to stroll from Backyard Wing than it’s from the A-frame when you account for having to problem with the elevator and the whole lot else. Being inside the principle constructing does make utilizing the monorail a lot simpler, whether or not you’re going to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT. In truth, when you’re going to be heading to EPCOT with regularity, the A-frame is healthier. The Polynesian is healthier nonetheless.
We’ve discovered that is actually essential for nap-time or noon meltdowns. Having to problem with the monorail, boats, or worse but, buses, simply provides pointless layers of friction that complicates and prolongs the entire course of. This may appear to be an insignificant little factor–and I assumed it was earlier than we turned dad and mom–however it may be enormous. Particularly when you’re within the eye of the storm, so to talk, and are simply seeking to get again to the room whereas encountering as few individuals as attainable.
From this angle, the one resort that beats the Backyard Wing is Bay Lake Tower. Truthfully, relying upon the result of the present room reimagining, we’d purchase extra DVC factors there. Alternatively, the Polynesian Villas/Island Tower are equally compelling for being inside strolling distance of the TTC and Magic Kingdom.
Eating – This isn’t actually distinctive to the Backyard Wing, however Modern Resort has a robust culinary lineup with California Grill, Steakhouse 71, Chef Mickey’s, and Contempo Cafe. The primary stand-out for some (not us) is California Grill, which contains a 3-course prix fixe dinner menu. However with a child and on brief journeys, we realistically aren’t consuming there.
We are also enormous followers of Steakhouse 71, which is the resort’s mid-tier foyer restaurant that serves nice choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s stable and pretty priced. This is likely one of the eating places at which we dine most–I particularly love the lounge for solo meals, and it’s very simple to go away Magic Kingdom (a meals desert) and do a fast meal right here.
Then there’s Chef Mickey’s and Contempo Cafe. Each are traditionally hit & miss, however we’ve had some nice meals recently at counter service Contempo Cafe, which is seeing a little bit of a renaissance. A concise verdict on Chef Mickey’s is unattainable. It’s a sophisticated character meal; suffice to say, there’s a motive Chef Mickey’s is a rite-of-passage meal for generations of Walt Disney World followers. All of this completes a really well-rounded culinary lineup at Disney’s Modern Resort.
Room Measurement – Throughout our first go to to Walt Disney World with Megatron, we did a break up keep within the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside and the Backyard Wing. Our pondering was that the Royal Rooms are quite a lot of enjoyable–however extra importantly, it was the weekend and the Modern was dear.
No matter motive, going straight from one to the opposite threw the dimensions disparity into stark aid. Commonplace rooms at Reasonable Resorts are roughly 314 sq. toes in dimension, whereas commonplace rooms on the Modern are 420 to 437 sq. toes. (See Lodge Room Sizes at Walt Disney World for extra.) Room sizes will be inconsistent and differ primarily based on flooring, accessibility, and so on–particularly within the older motels, however the level stands. It was a diffusion of not less than 100 sq. toes–and we felt it!
Fortunately, we went from the smaller room to the bigger one, reasonably than the opposite course. So what we “felt” was a way of spaciousness and luxuriousness as we had extra respiratory room. Pre-baby, this didn’t actually matter to us. Identical to anybody else, we most popular bigger rooms, however have been completely high-quality with Values or Moderates and didn’t “want” a bigger room, extra baggage/space for storing, and so on.
Having a child is a gamechanger on this regard. Because it seems, including one child that’s lower than 10% of the dimensions of an grownup human doesn’t enhance what it’s essential pack by 10%. Commonplace logic would dictate that, since child garments are fairly small, that will roughly be the case. It is vitally a lot not the case. Megatron will not be a lightweight packer, and this one child doesn’t simply want as a lot stuff as one grownup, however in reality, greater than each of us mixed.
Up to now, we’ve additionally been fairly nicely organized (usually not even needing Mousekeeping!). Not this time. As oft-overwhelmed new dad and mom, it regarded like a hurricane made landfall in our room roughly 7 minutes after our arrival, and it by no means actually bought any higher. The above photograph is not consultant of how our room truly regarded through the journey. It’s a carefully-crafted phantasm.
Suffice to say, I now fully perceive why space for storing and sq. footage are such massive offers for households. Modern provided us respiratory room and a little bit of a buffer, and that was very a lot welcome (and crucial).
Room High quality – Longtime followers have had no scarcity of criticism for a lot of of Walt Disney World’s current room redesigns. For probably the most half, we now have not. Our perspective has been that the brand new rooms have balanced the tastes of contemporary visitors with thematic and purposeful issues and that, whereas typically skewing too sterile, the outcomes are typically good. Higher than what they changed and positively superior to the tasteless and generic redos achieved over the past cycle.
The Incredibles rooms on the Modern are the massive exception to that. We’re not bothered by the character integration in principle, however the execution is sloppy and doesn’t actually excel at both of the issues it’s presumably making an attempt to do. As a character-themed room, it feels weak and uninspired. As an upscale resort room, it’s excessive and unsophisticated. These rooms are neither luxurious nor immersive, and are barely higher than current rooms at Worth or Reasonable Resorts. Not precisely excessive reward!
With that stated, the Backyard Wing has the very best variations of the Incredibles-injection rooms. It was the final part of the resort to be redone, occurring after the principle A-frame constructing. That room reimagining was a race in opposition to the clock to get completed, and consequently, a few of the tower rooms are shoddily achieved. The Backyard Wing model makes little iterative enhancements and the rooms are nicer, even when they’re nonetheless a blended bag.
Environment – There’s one thing particular in regards to the A-frame of the Modern. It comports with childhood fantasies of staying within the fancy resort the monorail whizzes by way of, fulfilling a lifelong dream and was excessive on novelty worth and funky issue. That’s, the primary time you keep there.
With every subsequent keep within the Modern’s Primary Tower, we’ve been much less impressed–the luster has worn off. This is smart, because the extra you do one thing, the much less particular it may possibly turn out to be. That’s not totally it, although. In equally massive half, Disney’s Modern Resort is beginning to really feel something however. Its Grand Canyon Concourse seems to be drained, dated, and visually chaotic.
The atrium has been a hodgepodge for the final decade, however its fashion has continued to age and litter has regularly been added. Should you examine photographs of the Modern’s atrium as we speak versus the Seventies or Eighties, it’s an evening and day distinction. A lot much less stuff and stylistically superior. Greater than another Deluxe Resort, the Modern wants an aesthetic overhaul. We’ve been banging this drum for years now, and are extremely disenchanted that the Grand Canyon Concourse hasn’t been redone in the identical superlative fashion because the foyer.
BONUS: Strolling House – This one has not been related to us but, however solely as a result of Megatron went from being a cautious walker to a fiercely impartial one, refusing of mum or dad hand-holding in actually the final week. Whereas the Grand Canyon Concourse does have carpet, and there are lengthy hallways of oft-unused conference house which might be possible good for stretching these child legs, I’ll nonetheless take the grass and open air.
Suffice to say, we desire the Backyard Wing ambiance over that of the atrium. It’s good being on the bottom stage, in a position to go away straight from our room or just benefit from the recent air of the patio. The Backyard Wing additionally offers handy entry to the swimming pools, seaside, and operating path at Disney’s Modern Resort. It’s constantly much less busy, whereas the Grand Canyon Concourse will be chaotic and never conducive to strolling.
Till the Grand Canyon Concourse is redone, we’ll take the pure serenity and peacefulness of the Backyard Wing over the Primary Tower. I additionally love the morning or late night time walks alongside the shore of Bay Lake–good for coping with a jetlagged Megatron (or me).
In the end, we’ve loved our current stays on the Backyard Wing and have a newfound appreciation for this forgotten facet of Disney’s Modern Resort. The Backyard Wing has exceeded our expectations, particularly as in comparison with current stays within the A-frame. With that stated, a really massive a part of that is pushed by value and comfort–and in addition the low bar set by the Modern, as an entire.
However, it’s disappointing that the Primary Tower has fallen out of our favor. The important thing takeaway to anybody planning a visit is that the Backyard Wing will make issues simpler with out breaking the financial institution, with little or no draw back for the “compromise” (except for perhaps the view or novelty).
The Backyard Wing at Disney’s Modern Resort actually wouldn’t be our high decide if we have been doing ceremony of passage journeys, first visits, and even longer stays. We’d love if these rooms have been extra just like the redone ones at just about another Deluxe or DVC resort, and could be extra inclined to e-book the A-frame if the reimagining have been truly carried by way of to the Grand Canyon Concourse (or if it value much less). However for our present wants with a toddler and price range on faster journeys, the Backyard Wing is a good compromise choice. It’s removed from good, nevertheless it’s nice for us!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study motels on our Walt Disney World Motels Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for the whole lot it’s essential know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever stayed within the Backyard Wing at Disney’s Modern Resort with infants, toddlers or youngsters? What about for the reason that Incredibles room reimagining? Would you advocate the Backyard Wing or Primary Tower? Experiences with the placement, value, swimming pools, transportation, or eating? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
