How do people afford Deluxe?

[tmitch]

I like the the one comment on this page about how she "tolerates" moderate resorts. How arrogant

 

[Disneygrl]

Everytime i stay onsite, I stay at a deluxe. But I always rent DVC points from a DVC timeshare owner. I'm staying at BWV next trip. 12 nights for $1540.

 

[WDW Monorail]

4 nights and a two day hopper ticket cost me $1400 last month at a moderate. It was a bargain considering only my flight to italy in august cost me $1900.

It's not necessarily about affording something, it's about valuing one thing more than another.
When one purchases something, that person is considering the value of the item being bought to be greater than the value of the $20 bill being handed over. The person would rather have a particular item instead of the $20 bill.
This logic works for all things.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I like the the one comment on this page about how she "tolerates" moderate resorts. How arrogant

I didn't see that one. Well, there's no pretentiousness filter on these forums, and perhaps she simply didn't realize how that comment would "sound" onscreen. I work in a field where most of my coworkers were raised by wealthy parents and make a lot of money themselves, and they say ridiculous stuff like that all the time. It's not that they're necessarily arrogant or trying to offend -- but they're completely ignorant about how the rest of the world lives (and how hard the rest of the world has to work for much less), and have come to believe that their lifestyle is some sort of bare minimum to be "tolerated" instead of a luxurious one to be savored and stewarded with gratitude, simply because that's all they've ever known. It's like Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," only with bling instead of shadows.

That being said, I agree with what @WDW Monorail said above. At the end of the day, the decision to invest in deluxe Disney accommodations is dictated as much by their subjective "value" to each specific individual, as it is by how much money that individual has to spend. Many wealthy people are satisfied with a spot in Fort Wilderness Campground, and many lower-income folks feel that scrimping and saving for years to afford a deluxe resort is worth the exorbitant cost. C'est la vie!

 

[epcotisbest]

I didn't see that one. Well, there's no pretentiousness filter on these forums, and perhaps she simply didn't realize how that comment would "sound" onscreen. I work in a field where most of my coworkers were raised by wealthy parents and make a lot of money themselves, and they say ridiculous stuff like that all the time. It's not that they're necessarily arrogant or trying to offend -- but they're completely ignorant about how the rest of the world lives (and how hard the rest of the world has to work for much less), and have come to believe that their lifestyle is some sort of bare minimum to be "tolerated" instead of a luxurious one to be savored and stewarded with gratitude, simply because that's all they've ever known. It's like Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," only with bling instead of shadows.

Recently heard a coworker's daughter pitch a hissy fit because she wanted to go to Cancun with her college roommate but mom and dad were making her go to the Bahamas instead. Such a first world problem.

 

[tmitch]

I didn't see that one. Well, there's no pretentiousness filter on these forums, and perhaps she simply didn't realize how that comment would "sound" onscreen. I work in a field where most of my coworkers were raised by wealthy parents and make a lot of money themselves, and they say ridiculous stuff like that all the time. It's not that they're necessarily arrogant or trying to offend -- but they're completely ignorant about how the rest of the world lives (and how hard the rest of the world has to work for much less), and have come to believe that their lifestyle is some sort of bare minimum to be "tolerated" instead of a luxurious one to be savored and stewarded with gratitude, simply because that's all they've ever known. It's like Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," only with bling instead of shadows.

That being said, I agree with what @WDW Monorail said above. At the end of the day, the decision to invest in deluxe Disney accommodations is dictated as much by their subjective "value" to each specific individual, as it is by how much money that individual has to spend. Many wealthy people are satisfied with a spot in Fort Wilderness Campground, and many lower-income folks feel that scrimping and saving for years to afford a deluxe resort is worth the exorbitant cost. C'est la vie!

While I appreciate your response and honestly do value your opinion, I refuse to "empathize" with someone who is so out of touch that they can't or won't realize how their own words will portray them. This forum isn't typed live, she had the choice to review her post, and either did and was happy with it, or didn't care. I tend to think the latter judging by the arrogance of the post.

 

[RiceCrispyMickey]

Its interesting as a Brit, packages work slightly different over here. My husband and I went in 2013 (in March) for our honeymoon and stayed 10 nights in All star sports. Cost us about £3000 for flights, hotel, food (eating table service every day, plus QS lunch or breakfast and snacks) and tickets overall. We stayed in SSR for 10 nights this year (In June) and it was only about £500 more overall because we had free dining so didn't spend any money on food. It's all about watching out for the deals I think... and doing the maths!!

 

[daisyduckie]

Am I the only person to ever stay Deluxe and not fall immediately into a swoon, deeply in love and swearing to stay no place else? Deluxes are nice, don't get me wrong. But to me the best things are their pool areas, and their location near one of the parks. Their bus service usually sucks, which I guess is what you get in trade for being able to walk to Epcot or the Magic Kingdom. They lack decent quick service options. And the rooms are not really that much bigger than the Moderates. And it is not like I dance around in the extra square footage swinging my arms out, yelling how great all this space is!

 

[Lord_Vader]

The Deluxe resorts are in the prime locations as close to a park as they can be, Poly/CR/GF at MK, YC/BC/BWI at EC & DHS, AKL at AK. We loved AKL immensely and BWI because of the combination of theming and proximity to DHS/EC but were not as fond of YC/BC mainly because of the loud children we had on both sides and below us with parents who didn't realize or care. Real estate 101; location, location, location.

And yes I left a few off that I don't include in my reasoning like SSR b/c I would not stay there to be close to DTD/DS.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Am I the only person to ever stay Deluxe and not fall immediately into a swoon, deeply in love and swearing to stay no place else? Deluxes are nice, don't get me wrong. But to me the best things are their pool areas, and their location near one of the parks. Their bus service usually sucks, which I guess is what you get in trade for being able to walk to Epcot or the Magic Kingdom. They lack decent quick service options. And the rooms are not really that much bigger than the Moderates. And it is not like I dance around in the extra square footage swinging my arms out, yelling how great all this space is!

We stayed in a deluxe for the first time in May (2br villa at VWL, on rented DVC points) and while the extra amenities (larger room, balcony, proximity to MK, smaller and more easy-to-walk footprint) were lovely, I agree with you that the accommodations certainly weren't worth the rack rate, and barely worth the price we paid (40% less than rack rate, divided among other family members with whom we traveled).

For the most part, the differences between the various "amenity levels" among resorts are just baby steps. Still, everybody has that "baby step" that is really important to them. For my family, it's the things that differentiate value from moderate, and they are worth the added cost to me, particularly since we plan our trips during room discount offers so the cost is more comparable to a value at rack rate: bigger beds (hubby is over 6' and can't get a good night's sleep in a double bed), in-room coffee maker (I need it in the morning, don't want to pay for coffee somewhere, and can't bring a coffeemaker from home since we fly carryon only), and dual sinks/privacy curtain/doors (I like to get up, dress and get my hair and makeup done before everybody else wakes up, and the other three are trying to get ready simultaneously thereafter). I'm sure there are differences between moderates and deluxes that are "dealmakers" for some people, too -- just not for me.

 

[surfsupdon]

I work hard and I save hard.

For me, I will never pay a Deluxe Resort rack rate -- ever. So it needs to be a discount.

Then everything comes to what is fair to me: I am willing to pay up to 260/night to stay at Yacht/Beach/BoardWalk. So if I can afford it, I will be there. Usually bounceback discounts and AP rates can bring the price down to an acceptable number, for me.

Also, in Disney, time equals money. So if I can walk into 2 parks and NOT rely on busses--I am extremely happy.

 

[HatboxGhost]

Even with the fact that my wife and I don't have children and have our mortgage paid off, we STILL cannot afford to stay at a deluxe resort. Well, we could, however we wouldn't be able to eat that week. LOL.

Seriously, I look at it as a waste of money, but to each his own. My wife and I stay at the AOA in a suite and to us, THAT is our deluxe. Just the two of us in our own little "apartment".

 

[ToTBellHop]

Am I the only person to ever stay Deluxe and not fall immediately into a swoon, deeply in love and swearing to stay no place else? Deluxes are nice, don't get me wrong. But to me the best things are their pool areas, and their location near one of the parks. Their bus service usually sucks, which I guess is what you get in trade for being able to walk to Epcot or the Magic Kingdom. They lack decent quick service options. And the rooms are not really that much bigger than the Moderates. And it is not like I dance around in the extra square footage swinging my arms out, yelling how great all this space is!

I agree with you. The deluxe resorts are gorgeous, but we only stay there when we get a great deal. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy at a moderate (we truly struggle w/ the space in a value room w/ the four of us, so we don't stay there; plus, I find the food courts to be insufferable in the morning). The amenities at moderates are actually pretty similar to what you get at a deluxe. Deluxes are just prettier. But, I don't think "prettier" is worth an extra $200 or more per night.

For our upcoming trip, we had POFQ booked until the deals dropped. With 35% off at AKL and the additional 5% we save using gift cards at Target to pay the balance through a Disney Vacation Account (another $20 per $1000 spent received in gift cards), we were able to book AKL for $200 more than POFQ. For 9 nights. Slightly more than $20/night extra for us to stay at AKL was a no brainer. We also have two-year olds who love animals

 

[jayhawkmickey]

Why would someone spend $200,000 on a 200 mph+ car that you can only drive 70 mph legally? There is a family in my town who has a zebra, several bison, and a camel as pets in their enormous yard. Why would anyone pay fifteen million dollars for just an apartment in NYC. The answer is because they can. I can only hope they do a lot of good with their money and if so they deserve a lovely vacation. As for me the hotel is just a place to shower and sleep in between park hours. Some of my relatives think I'm spend happy because I like staying on property rather than off site. Why. Because I can.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

How do I stay deluxe?

At the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Resort. Better and cheaper than Disney Deluxes.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

Yes. This. Exactly. Love it. There are so many wonderful off-site resorts for the same rate or less. To the OP's point, though, I have often wondered the same question. I have never stayed on-site but the people I know who have have booked a group rate as part of a wedding or convention or received some other sort of discount. For everyone else, I assume that people prioritize the resort and work it into their large or modest budgets...maybe forgoing other pleasures. I always dreamt of staying on-site while growing up, but at this age with more experience, it's really hard to justify the costs to myself. I'd rent a car, take a shuttle, or stay at Bonnet Creek or at the Swan or Dolphin.

How do I stay deluxe?

At the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Resort. Better and cheaper than Disney Deluxes.

 

[scoobygirl39541]

We're not millionaires and stay at AKL every year. In addition, we're staying at Boardwalk for the first time in Feb and, with the promotion they've got going now, its incredibly cheap ($2900, 4 nights for 2 with tix and food)!

 

[Chezman1399]

I used to stay mostly at All Star and Pop Century with a moderate thrown in every now and then, as I moved towards the end of my seasonal employment for Disney. My regular job allowed me to start using the 50% and sometimes 60% off cast discount to stay deluxe. When I realized I couldn't go back to Value/Moderate, I bought into DVC. On this last trip we actually stayed a night at Pop again, and weirdly things that never bothered me before bothered me like limited in room amenities, lower quality beds, bedding, and towels, smaller bathroom, lack of kitchenette/kitchen, and overall cleanliness of the resort made me wonder how I used to do that for every trip. That was completely due to the comparison having just stayed a week at Villas at the Grand Floridian and I would absolutely stay at Pop again, it was just a bunch of things I never noticed before.

The biggest reason I decided to start staying deluxe is I found when I have a boat or monorail for transportation to certain parks it makes the travel a lot less tiring, and I actually feel fully refreshed at the end of my Disney Trip which is a way I rarely felt when I was staying at a resort that always required bus transportation. Like I said above I never really noticed the amenities difference until this last trip. Also they changed the Tie Dye Cheesecake, so that disappointed me too.

Anyway to answer the OP, I can afford it because I bought into DVC. My first contract at AKL was bought with Cast Discount + Cruise Discounts + Referral Discount, so we were able to break even very fast. We actually found AKL to have the same bus problems, except it was even farther from the parks, so we bought a second contract at Villas at GF last year to get closer to the parks. And yes DVC is a lot up front, but when you break the cost down over the years everything becomes a lot more affordable, for us anyway with staying in deluxe and our vacationing habits.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

For some one Like me I am a part time stay at home mother and we go to Disney 2 weeks a year Usually in September. After the room ,tickets, food ,souvenirs, renting a car, Universal ,etc We spend usually 7 grand . IF we stayed at a Deluxe It was quoted at 14,000. I Would rather stay at a moderate and save that money !

 

[crispy]

Am I the only person to ever stay Deluxe and not fall immediately into a swoon, deeply in love and swearing to stay no place else? Deluxes are nice, don't get me wrong. But to me the best things are their pool areas, and their location near one of the parks. Their bus service usually sucks, which I guess is what you get in trade for being able to walk to Epcot or the Magic Kingdom. They lack decent quick service options. And the rooms are not really that much bigger than the Moderates. And it is not like I dance around in the extra square footage swinging my arms out, yelling how great all this space is!

Nope, I am right there with you. I have stayed at every level of resort and would choose a value or a moderate over a deluxe pretty much any day of the week because I can't justify paying the price jump from moderate to deluxe. In reality, we spend very little time at our resort even when I plan resort days and we drive so I don't get worked about transportation issues. I am a self-proclaimed tightwad, though, so you have to take that into consideration.