Disney Survey on implementing a $15 resort fee

[CaptainAmerica]

The problem is, they've already reached that point. Look at all the resorts they have to discount and play the free dining game with in order to fill rooms. Look at all the deals given to the South American tour groups also to fill rooms.

That's part of why this whole conversation is so ridiculous. Disney never plans to get rack rates on rooms. People act like they expect to sell out at rack rates and then the discounting is "proof" that the demand isn't there. If Disney labels a room $380, they always plan for it to sell at $285 (rough math). The reason they price high and discount is because it tricks people into thinking they're getting a deal, when in reality they're paying what Disney planned for them to pay in the first place. Anyone who actually does pay rack rates is just a bonus.

 

[Mad Stitch]

It's a deceptive price increase, because it wouldn't show up in the advertised rates.

That's what I really hate about these things. In order to look competitive with each other they show an advertised rate, but make up the difference in the resort fees that often are not disclosed until you check in. Just tell me what the out the door rate is up front!

 

[GrammieBee]

As sure as night follows day, if Disney implements a resort fee, room rates will not go down, but will continue to increase from present levels.. The resort fee is also likely to keep increasing with additional fees gradually being added.

That first question on the survey contains an elephant in the room which most will not see. They will only see $350.00 plus $15.00 for a room in a deluxe resort. Wow, that's a good deal! HOWEVER, just where and when is this $365.00 plus tax room? Currently it is possible with a 30% or 25% discount to get a standard room at Boardwalk or the Yacht Club for slightly less than that. The current rack rate at the Grand Floridian for a standard room is over $800.00 per night. A $365.00 per night room there, or at the Polynesian, is simply not going to happen.
That mythical $365.00 room would be a limited number of rooms where Disney says they are available. If indeed available they will, no doubt, be the smallest least desirable rooms at whichever resort, with no view, limited amenities, good only on days in the middle of the week, excluding any holiday, and during hurricain season. Very sneaky.

 

[Millionaire2K]

This seems like their way of getting more cash out of DVC members more than anything else.

Like many of you said Disney could just raise the hotel cost $15 and all is well with the World. However they can NOT do that with DVC resorts. The total points per year at a resort never goes up; and the dues cover cost.

So if Disney breaks off features (MagicBand, Wifi ect..) and then charges for them they can now get more cash from DVC.

Disney couldn't just say "Hey DVC resorts you now don't get these features unless you pay extra." That would KILL DVC. Disney must add the fee across ALL resorts instead of just raising prices like normal.

So DVC will Pay $15 per night
Normal resorts will pay $15 instead of the normal price increases.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I'm just thinking they give away fastpasses to placate angry customers. That would be a really good idea. They get their money grab and the average customer is happy they got something for it.

The problem is FP is a finite resource. They can only give to some by taking away from others.

 

[DonnaC]

We love Disney and go every year, but they are already "over priced" but the convenience should already be included in that hefty price. It will make me consider staying off property if they do this :-(

 

[MrPromey]

The simplicity of a Disney vacation was always the draw for me. No extra fees, no worries... nothing to have to stop and think about. The new generation of Disney leadership doesn't understand this. Perhaps it's built into their nature to enjoy convolution, after all, upper management by its very definition is all about making things utterly complicated.

In pricing, they're creating a confusopoly. It has worked for the cell phone and cable industries so why not Disney. After all, cell phone operators and cable companies are two of the most widely praised and loved businesses in the United States, right?

 

[betty rose]

The purpose of resort fees is not to collect more revenue. Then they could just as easily do what they've always done - raise room rates. The purpose of resort fees is to hide part of the cost, and mislead consumers about the true cost when they're comparison shopping.

Now, they are greedy and sneaky.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

Gang, what do any of you expect at this point? Positive news coming from WDW?

The Mouse entered into a serious game of "chicken" with their core audience many, many years ago. So far, nothing has caused the masses to flinch let alone swerve off the road to keep from getting hit upside the wallet from the out of control vehicle that is WDW and their miserly ways. We've emboldened them to the point where someone in management thought the time was right to try shuffling the deck a bit with hidden costs becoming not so hidden. Whether it's for artificially suppressing rack rates or moving costs over to different tax rates, it doesn't really matter. They still believe we are suckers enough to keep coming and thus far in their gamble - they've been proven right at every turn. Occupancy, attendance, profits all sky high. The goose is ripe for their plucking.

Hey, if all it takes is a $15 charge for many out there in WDW fandom to finally see the forest for the trees - then hopefully, it will be $15 well spent because it isn't going to get any better in Orlando until there is a change. It has to get worse before Burbank will stop using WDW as the ATM that it's become as it prints money for DIS corporate.

If you don't like the thought of a $15 surcharge on a night at the resorts - don't go. If they come to their senses and don't implement the surcharge... still, don't go. Whether they do it or they don't and it made you this angry today at the very thought of them attempting this... keep that feeling of utter contempt for you as a potential guest in mind before you book your next stay. Even if they don't implement the charge doesn't change the fact that they wanted to do it to you.

Look, I understand how all of you feel. I LOVE WDW SO MUCH. It's because of that love that it equally hurts as much as I see Mickey behind the wheel of the car barreling down the road straight at me just daring me not to come back.

I came to my own terms with this love/hate relationship with WDW a few years ago. I don't visit the resort as often as I did before or could even though I have a Premier Pass. When I do, I do my best to not spend as much time and money as I would like to. I've rewarded a job well done by Disney Parks on the west coast with more frequent trips to DLR and when I go to Orlando, I make sure Universal gets a good chunk of my resort dollars and time for their efforts in the last decade.

We are all WDW's core. If we don't change, how can we ever expect them to?

Today's survey news could've been worse... when I saw the topic's preview message about a $15 charge... I have to admit before I saw the whole message, I thought it may have been about a $15 charge to contribute to Disney's Political Action Committee.

 

[JohnWD]

This seems like their way of getting more cash out of DVC members more than anything else.

Like many of you said Disney could just raise the hotel cost $15 and all is well with the World. However they can NOT do that with DVC resorts. The total points per year at a resort never goes up; and the dues cover cost.

So if Disney breaks off features (MagicBand, Wifi ect..) and then charges for them they can now get more cash from DVC.

Disney couldn't just say "Hey DVC resorts you now don't get these features unless you pay extra." That would KILL DVC. Disney must add the fee across ALL resorts instead of just raising prices like normal.

So DVC will Pay $15 per night
Normal resorts will pay $15 instead of the normal price increases.

I don't think Disney can add a resort fee to DVC members per our contract. Maintenance fee increases are another story, but must be presented and approved by the members.

 

[PhilharMagician]

When I first saw this, all I could do is laugh. I have been openly whined and complaining about the egregious price hikes throughout, cuts throughout, record attendance in WDW and high profits in North American Parks and Resorts. Now a possible $15.00 resort charge? I am honestly (sarcastically) waiting to see the busses, boats and monorails being refitted RFID/card readers to be able to except a required payment to use WDW transportation.

I am curious, what will be the next hit? I really never would have thought of a resort fee being added since there is a huge premium already to stay on WDW property.

Sorry a little frustrated right now.

 

[asianway]

I don't think Disney can add a resort fee to DVC members per our contract. Maintenance fee increases are another story, but must be presented and approved by the members.

They can't double charge for items already covered within the dues. The fee as worded in the survey would be illegal to charge to owners.

Keep in mind the members have all assigned their voting rights to disney execs for purposes of approving budgets

 

[PhilharMagician]

I don't think Disney can add a resort fee to DVC members per our contract. Maintenance fee increases are another story, but must be presented and approved by the members.

Wait to see what happens next December in the annual meeting. I would bet DVC puts a proposal out to increase resorts costs with an option to either pay the higher amount or reduce some resort perks.

Going back to (I think) 2005 when free valet parking which was a DVC member perk was removed in favor of offsetting maintenance fee hikes. This could happen again.

 

[BrianV]

Wait to see what happens next December in the annual meeting. I would bet DVC puts a proposal out to increase resorts costs with an option to either pay the higher amount or reduce some resort perks.

Going back to (I think) 2005 when free valet parking which was a DVC member perk was removed in favor of offsetting maintenance fee hikes. This could happen again.

I feel badly for DVC "owners". Much more of a captive audience. They can raise prices at restaurants and parks and the owners cannot vote with their feet as well as the rest of us. (That said, they get to go to wdw mucj more often than the rest of us!!)

 

[betty rose]

Honestly they could probably just start charging for Magical Express like DCL already does and make money that way.

That is probably coming too. Then they have to rename the busses, to Express.

 

[betty rose]

I feel badly for DVC "owners". Much more of a captive audience. They can raise prices at restaurants and parks and the owners cannot vote with their feet as well as the rest of us. (That said, they get to go to wdw mucj more often than the rest of us!!)

Not always, we live in Denver, and now more DVC costs, I don't think so. It's getting closer to time to sell out.

 

[glvsav37]

I like this idea. I'd have no problem with the resort fee if they gave me more fastpass+ selections. I like the Value = 3, Moderate = 4 and Deluxe = 5. I also think the fastpass+ tiers should be removed for on property guests.

Funny, when FP+ first came out, I brought up the idea of WDW offering additional FP+'s for guests staying at higher tier resorts. Sort of a way to entice people to upgrade their resorts without it being a very visible "Hey i'm better then you" gesture...and I basically got screamed at on other boards for "wanting to give more to higher paying guests" yada yada.

While I'd love tho get more FP's, paying an extra $15 a night isn't the way I was thinking about it....figure every category room is going to be paying the same $15. Its the base price difference in the tiers....not this flat $15.

 

[Nick Pappagiorgio]

The purpose of resort fees is not to collect more revenue. Then they could just as easily do what they've always done - raise room rates. The purpose of resort fees is to hide part of the cost, and mislead consumers about the true cost when they're comparison shopping.

x1000000000000000

 

[JohnWD]

Wait to see what happens next December in the annual meeting. I would bet DVC puts a proposal out to increase resorts costs with an option to either pay the higher amount or reduce some resort perks.

Going back to (I think) 2005 when free valet parking which was a DVC member perk was removed in favor of offsetting maintenance fee hikes. This could happen again.

You brought up an interesting example. I never used the "free" valet parking perk - I was too cheap to give a tip each time, so I just parked and retrieved the car myself. Apparently other DVC members felt the same, because the perk was eliminated instead of increasing the maintenance fee.

 

[Nick Pappagiorgio]

I didn't really complain too much about the prices on the tickets rising. It happens. What are you gonna do? But making people pay more for what is touted as one of the Disney hotels' big advantages is just terrible. Is there a large amount of people out there not taking advantage of those perks? Nearly everyone staying does, I'm sure. I mean, even talking to newbies about staying at a Disney hotel, I point out some of those perks as a good reason.

Though what's weird is, people would probably be less annoyed by hotels rates just being raised, because, again, it happens.

If they raised rack rates by $15 it would be a non issue. But it is the fact that these fees are aimed at deceiving customers by showing them a lower price to deceptively appear more competitive. The entire goal is to trick consumers.