What Percentage Are There For The Parks?

[silk velvet]

I have always gotten the impression that most resort customers were not heavy-duty sightseeing types. I always got the impression that most resort customers were sort of like cruise ship customers. The resort would be their vacation. What percentage of Disney resort customers, especially in the high-end resorts, are there for the parks and what percentage are there for more traditional resort services?

 

[Master Yoda]

This is just a guess but I would say pretty close to 100% are there for the parks. Disney resorts are great but there are much better options for a "resort only" stay. The only exception that comes to mind would be resort guests attending a convention and even then I am pretty confident a very high percentage hit the parks as well.

 

[smk]

I have always gotten the impression that most resort customers were not heavy-duty sightseeing types. I always got the impression that most resort customers were sort of like cruise ship customers. The resort would be their vacation. What percentage of Disney resort customers, especially in the high-end resorts, are there for the parks and what percentage are there for more traditional resort services?

I have never gone to WDW, stayed in a resort and not gone to a park. I don't go everyday of every vacation but I always go to a park.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Disney resorts are great but there are much better options for a "resort only" stay.

That's my thought too. If you want to hang around a hotel for a week or two, why would a Disney resort even enter your mind? Maybe the GF or Saratoga Springs would work, since they offer the pampering services, but I seriously doubt this happens much, if at all.

 

[CleveRocks]

I have always gotten the impression that most resort customers were not heavy-duty sightseeing types. I always got the impression that most resort customers were sort of like cruise ship customers.

I agree with the other posters. I don't share you impression at all. When standing in long lines, navigating huge crowds, and having trouble seeing the sky (of all things!) at Wishes because of the throngs of people, I've never thought, "Geez, this is a lot of day-trippers and Holiday Inn guests!" Disney has 22 resorts, so that's maybe what, over 25,000 rooms?

What would give you the impression that resort guests don't flock to the parks? Because you see people hanging around the pool? Well, smart and lucky travelers take days off from park touring. I guarantee those crowds at the pool are not comprised of the same people every day.

 

[CleveRocks]

That's my thought too. If you want to hang around a hotel for a week or two, why would a Disney resort even enter your mind? Maybe the GF or Saratoga Springs would work, since they offer the pampering services, but I seriously doubt this happens much, if at all.

I know what you mean. I've seen one or two threads in the past about a very few people who are proud of the fact that they go to a Disney resort but don't go near the parks. Hey, I love WDW, I want to be there with my family as often as we can afford (at least right now while the kids are young, 6 and 4), but why on Earth would people choose a WDW resort when there is a whole country, not to mention a whole world, out there??? I think those people lack imagination, or are comfy only with what they know. Me? I love to explore, I love seeing new places.

Going to a Disney resort but not going to the parks? That's like going to Idaho and ordering carrots with your steak. That's like going to Maine and ordering crab, or to Maryland and ordering lobster.

 

[Nansafan]

We always stay at a Disney resort (summer trips are Deluxe resorts and shorter winter trips are Moderate level) and we always visit the parks. On long trips we like to save a day in the middle for "hotel pool fun" but that is only one day off.

I'm sure resort vacation people (non-Disney resorts) like to do resort stuff but the resort vacation people at Disney resorts like to do the parks and do the resort stuff too. (I am referring to people I personally know and am not making generalizations.)

My doctor is an avid golfer and goes on a 2 week golf vacation every summer. One year her vacation was to do the golf getaway package at WDW. This included park tickets. They decided, "why not?" and visited the MK after a day of golf. She was hooked and they visited the parks every evening thereafter. They came to WDW planning on just golfing and found themselves at the parks.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

In my 30 years of going to WDW I personally don't know of anyone that would stay at the WDW resorts and not go to the parks -- so I would venture a bet to say 100% -- although a few of the guests might go to the golf courses while their families go to the parks.

As to the convention hotels (the only real convention hotel is the Coronado) even those people, almost 100% go to at least one of the parks -- or while they are at their meetings, their families go to the parks (that is how they make their money here and why most companies would choose to convene here in the first place).

There are many options off-property around the area that provide much better "luxury resort" pampering, golf courses, and spas.

 

[The Mom]

I agree. The only reason WDW can charge the prices they do for their rooms is because of the proximity to the parks.

It would be like staying at a beach resort and never going near the ocean, or going to a ski resort and never hitting the slopes. That is not to say that there are not other things for people to do at those resorts, but it would be hard to keep busy for a whole week doing them. It would also, IMO, be a waste of money. See above, and make a substitution.

As mentioned, it is only a choice if the family doesn't mind splitting up for the whole day, or you have lots of money to spend. I would have a hard time justifying paying for both golf fees AND park tickets on a daily basis, not to mention meals, etc. but that's just me.

As mentioned, someone may be there for a convention, and is at meetings all day (my husband has done this in the past; we stayed at the Polynesian and park hopped while he caught a shuttle downtown) but even then he stayed an extra day to hit the parks. :lol: