Today, we’re sharing a sneak peek at the new Disney Vacation Connection desktop widget –- that’s it…right there with Pluto. When you open the red suitcase on your computer screen you’ll find valuable news, calendars and information about Disney theme parks , Disney Cruise Line , Adventures by Disney and Disney Vacation Club . It’ll be easy to try. Just download the widget to your desktop (free of charge) and you can customize planning for your next vacation, find special events and ticket prices and create a personalized Disney vacation countdown. Here’s a quick walk through showing how it’ll work. Click here for more information from the Disney Park Blog. Disney Park Blog goes Live … A Model Vacation on Disney Cruise Line – Exclusive Tilt-Shift Video … First Disney International Sales Center Set to Open in Japan … Disney Cruise Line “Disney Dream” Update … Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Buzz up! Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Post this to MySpace Share this on Facebook Tweet This! Email this to a friend? Subscribe to the comments for this post? Add this to Google Bookmarks Add this to Google Reader Post on Google Buzz Ping this on Ping.fm Blog this on Blogger Share this on Reddit Share this on Mixx Share this on PFBuzz
Today, we’re sharing a sneak peek at the new Disney Vacation Connection desktop widget –- that’s it…right there with Pluto. When you open the red suitcase on your computer screen you’ll find valuable news, calendars and information about Disney theme parks , Disney Cruise Line , Adventures by Disney and Disney Vacation Club . It’ll be easy to try. Just download the widget to your desktop (free of charge) and you can customize planning for your next vacation, find special events and ticket prices and create a personalized Disney vacation countdown. Here’s a quick walk through showing how it’ll work. Disney Vacation Connection is not quite ready yet but you can sign up to receive notice when it officially launches. Also, please let us know what you think in comments.
I see this question asked a lot on Disney message boards: Should I upgrade from a Disney value resort to a moderate resort? For my money, the answer is easy: No. I realize this is an unpopular opinion and it probably makes me sound cheap, but hear me out. I promise this isn’t entirely about wanting to spend more money in Disney signature restaurants. Okay, maybe it is. But priorities are important, right? So what’s the difference between a value and a moderate? I’m glad you asked: Theme : Disney moderates have a more grown-up theme. If you’re looking for a romantic weekend, Pop Century is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. All Stars, especially when cheerleading and football competitions are in town, should definitely not be the first thing that comes to mind. Kids tend to love the values and some adults enjoy the theming, but overall, the moderates are more pleasing to the eye. ADVANTAGE: Moderates, but only for those who actually spend time at their resort. Food : Moderates resorts have a sit-down restaurant. These aren’t the type of Disney restaurants you probably go out of your way to go to. In other words, you’re not going to leave the Contemporary Resort and head over to the Pepper Market for dinner, but if you happen to be staying at the resort, they’re fine. Values have food courts, which have a lot of variety. They’re also inexpensive and kids like them. ADVANTAGE: Values. I love Disney food, don’t get me wrong, but the table service restaurants at the moderates aren’t good enough to justify upgrading from a value to a moderate. And if you’re on the dining plan, are you really going to waste a table service credit on Boatright’s when you can eat at Le Cellier or Boma for the same credit? No, I didn’t think so. Rooms : Moderate rooms run around 314 square feet; values a mere 260. That amount of space means you can sleep five people instead of four (the fifth using a cot, which costs extra, or a trundle bed depending on the resort) and you’ll get a slightly larger vanity in the bathroom area. It also means you’ll have more space for a Pack & Play if you’re traveling with a small child. Moderates also come with refrigerators. You’ll have to pay $10 per day to rent a fridge at a value. If you want to avoid that cost, go to the Disboard s and participate in one of their fridge swaps. It’s a fun way to meet people. ADVANTAGE: Tie. Unless you need to sleep five to a room, that extra 60 square feet isn’t doing much for you. You’re still getting the same two double beds (some Coronado rooms have queens) and the same sheets as your friends over in the values. Same pillows too. Amenities : While both values and moderates are beautifully landscaped, there’s no denying that the mods have prettier grounds by most standards. Moderates have slides, hot tubs and more pools. They also have lounges where you can get an adult beverage and enjoy (fairly tame) nighttime entertainment. In addition, moderates have adequate fitness centers if you’re thus inclined. ADVANTAGE: Moderates, but again, it depends on how much time you’ll be spending at your resort. Transportation : I’m going to just call this one a tie. Both levels of resorts have adequate bus service and I would be hard pressed to find a huge difference between value and moderate buses. Service : You’re going to get the same Disney service at a value as you will at a deluxe. I secretly think that Disney value cast members are kind of like the smart but akward girl at the Sadie Hawkins dance: They try harder because they’re the underdog. Not that I know anything about that sort of thing. Ahem. Move along, nothing to see here! ADVANTAGE: Tie. They’re both good. Cost : Okay, so if you’re discounting cost entirely, you’re probably going to pick a moderate, but in the real world that’s really not an option, so let’s discuss numbers. A week in November at Pop in a standard room runs a reasonable $849. A standard room at Caribbean Beach Resort is $1361 for that same week, a difference of $512. That’s a big difference and only you can decide if the nicer amenities and theming are worth it. Do you spend enough time in your room to justify that cost? But perhaps you need the extra space. Maybe you’re like me and you have a family of five. What do you do then? Well, I might just rent a second room at a value or go with a value suite. In both cases, I’ll pay just a bit more than for a moderate but I’ll get a lot of extra space, room for the adults to…
