Tuvalu
Premium Member
Well said. Now can we please put this thread to bed???!!!!
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How do people afford Deluxe?
- Thread starter BrerJon
- Start date
BigTxEars
Well-Known Member
I would choose a WDW value over anything off property myself, being "in the bubble" is so much more important to us that the rating of the resort we stay at. The theming at the Values is awesome IMO, very cool
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
As was already stated, it's a personal thing.
My parents are DVC members, so this isn't usually an issue, but they prefer deluxe resorts. They like the Epcot Resorts especially because of the proximity to the parks, but they also think of the resort time as an experience. We spend a lot of time at the pool and just at the resort, so deluxe is a good choice for us. Proximity to the parks is a big reason, though. They are certainly not willing to pay more than $300 per night for a room.
Now I went last January with a friend. Both of us are in college and this was the first vacation both of us had taken with no "adults". We stayed on property partially for that reason, but I am an AP holder and got an excellent room-only discount. My dad was footing the hotel room bill (it was a graduation gift and he's awesome), so we could stay anywhere we wanted to within a certain budget. We had the option: stay at a value resort and stay for nine days, or stay at a moderate or deluxe and stay for less time. We opted for the nine days and stayed at Pop. Since we were barely in the room (actually, we spent more time at other resorts than we did our own other than sleeping) and there were only two of us, Pop made sense. For others, it might not have made sense. Two double beds for one might be an issue. I know it would be in my family; my parents can barely share a queen sized bed. We would have to get two rooms. At a certain point, it makes more sense to do a deluxe just for the extra room.
As for how people afford it: saving money for a long period of time, higher income level, fewer vacations per year, shopping for excellent discounts...take your pick.
My parents are DVC members, so this isn't usually an issue, but they prefer deluxe resorts. They like the Epcot Resorts especially because of the proximity to the parks, but they also think of the resort time as an experience. We spend a lot of time at the pool and just at the resort, so deluxe is a good choice for us. Proximity to the parks is a big reason, though. They are certainly not willing to pay more than $300 per night for a room.
Now I went last January with a friend. Both of us are in college and this was the first vacation both of us had taken with no "adults". We stayed on property partially for that reason, but I am an AP holder and got an excellent room-only discount. My dad was footing the hotel room bill (it was a graduation gift and he's awesome), so we could stay anywhere we wanted to within a certain budget. We had the option: stay at a value resort and stay for nine days, or stay at a moderate or deluxe and stay for less time. We opted for the nine days and stayed at Pop. Since we were barely in the room (actually, we spent more time at other resorts than we did our own other than sleeping) and there were only two of us, Pop made sense. For others, it might not have made sense. Two double beds for one might be an issue. I know it would be in my family; my parents can barely share a queen sized bed. We would have to get two rooms. At a certain point, it makes more sense to do a deluxe just for the extra room.
As for how people afford it: saving money for a long period of time, higher income level, fewer vacations per year, shopping for excellent discounts...take your pick.
aw14
Well-Known Member
Gotta disagree a little. I got a great deal this past summer for the CR. Made it just as reasonable as any other deluxe at that time.
In honesty, that trip cost less than our previous trip for a New Years Eve at POFQ.
Blackburn23
Well-Known Member
I'll say this, we stayed at the Dolphin for $20 cheaper a night than the All Stars. Only MIA was Magical Express. Location, transportation and amenities were amazing!!
BigTxEars
Well-Known Member
Those resorts look very nice, if I were forced to stay off property those would be my first choice for sure. But that dang fish is still just ugly
Polydweller
Well-Known Member
Well maybe it's ugly to some and that's perfectly ok, but they are based on the Dolphins in Bernini's Triton Fountain in Rome,Italy. Those are in turn based on an ancient Roman mosaic. So the dolphins are actually classic art.Those resorts look very nice, if I were forced to stay off property those would be my first choice for sure. But that dang fish is still just ugly
Blackburn23
Well-Known Member
Those resorts look very nice, if I were forced to stay off property those would be my first choice for sure. But that dang fish is still just ugly
haha
I was always smitten with the Dolphin as a kid for some reason (just looked different) but I am like you, we NEVER stay off property. When I found the rate I thought, why not? Its in the middle of everything! I called and grilled the poor lady with questions to ensure I would have all the same benefits, and Magical Express was literally the only think I lost but Mears provides a discount direct service to the Swan/Dolphin as well so it worked out. The view from the 12th floor was unreal and the easy access to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT was great. Each evening we could enjoy the Boardwalk and not worry about transportation back. It was great!
TXDisney
Well-Known Member
I stayed at the swan past year and honestly for cheaper the location is the exact same as BI and BC/YC like others have mentioned your just not really "in" a Disney hotel though there. But if your like us, and never in your room except to sleep and get ready, location and price is a big deal. That being said we stayed at BI just a few months ago and lived it. Decide what you want in your trip and what matters. If a deluxe hotel is what you want then save accordingly and maybe push your trip back. Let's say u save $300 a month for a trip, you can have a whole disney trip completely in 2yrs at a deluxe.
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
This is one of the reason why we have cut back on our trips to WDW - For almost exactly the same price (actually about $400 less) my wife and I will be cruising for a week to Bermuda - so that includes room and board, and because there was a special, it also include alcohol.
We are DVC, so granted, our rooms come in on the cheaper end, but with the way costs have skyrocketed at WDW and the quality has gone done, we find ourselves not going as much.
Airfare is another factor, seeing as WDW is in FL and cruising out of NYC or Bayonne is a 30 min drive, but even without airfare, WDW is getting way to expensive for what you get.
-dave
BigTxEars
Well-Known Member
We stayed at the Boardwalk this June for a week, I can see wha you are saying with it being just like it with it's location. It seems a bit farther from Epcot but closer to DHS, but that may not be true. Either way neither park is far from any of those resorts in that area.
BigTxEars
Well-Known Member
BigTxEars
Well-Known Member
Well I never though that Mona Lisa was much of a looker either
The swan is nice but yeah count me as a uneducated art critic on the dolphin...it's just does not do it for me....the resort itself is beautiful though.
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
Give it up dude, you went on the cruise for the free booze right ?
Celebrity does this thing with perks. You get to choose one of four perks when you cruise (depending on the promo)
Free regular alcohol package
Free tips
Airfare credit
Onboard credit
We got in on their "choose 2" promo, where you get to choose two perks. My wife and I were like "free alcohol - done, and now what do we choose for the other ....". We went with free tips. We have no airfare, and even though the on board credit was worth about $50 more than the included tips, we were thinking, with free drinks, what are we going to be spending money on?
Honestly, we don't get blitzed, but on vacation we do enjoy wine with dinner, and a couple of drinks here and there throughout the day. Those add up VERY quickly.
Sandals, was even better, totally all inclusive. But every time I ordered a drink, they made it differently. Often they would blend up a banana in it too. Crazy time.
-dave
Spike-in-Berlin
Well-Known Member
We stopped booking Disney Deluxe resorts, we have stayed at the WL, the Poly, the AKL (just one terrible night in a Haunted Mansion room with REAL cobwebs) and the YC and we decided we will not continue to support TDO charging increasingly insane deluxe prices anymore for resorts which are in many aspects not even comfort class and feature the worst housekeeping we ever experienced in expensive hotels! WE love the Pop and the AoA and although we kinda miss the gargantuan lobby of the WL or the atmosphere at the YC (our Poly was destroyed months ago) it's just not worth the money any more. Perhaps we will tryout moderate someday but with the present prices deluxe is history, we do not pay superior prices for inferior service.
Let me indulge a bit of bio here. In 1999, when my son was a newborn, I opened my own firm and did not take any vacation for 4 years. During that time of ultra-work my business got firmly situated, and money started flowing quite nicely. After 4 years of no trips, we splurged in 2003 and went to the Polynesian for 9 days. Given the "package" that we bought through our travel agent, we really didn't know how much the room was costing versus everything else, and just assumed that the thousands we shelled out was the cost of a really cool trip. Back then, the website was harder to explore regarding options, such as deluxe versus moderate, park hopper versus park hopper plus. In short, we were willing to pay because, hey, we hadn't been anywhere fun in 4 years, and staying at the Poly wasn't that much more expensive, I think, sort of, "Let's just book and be done with it."
Then we became addicted to the convenience, the niceties, etc . . . especially at the Epcot resorts. For us, it's now mostly about convenience. We thus minimize the time we wait for buses. We now own 300 points at the Boardwalk through DVC, and that's where we stay, in a one bedroom villa now that the family has grown.
As to the millionaire thing, well, yeah. Being a millionaire isn't as unusual as you may think. Many teachers, for example, if you were to slap a present value calculation on their pension plans, would fit the definition. In hanging out in the lobbies, I believe many people who stay deluxe are indeed millionaires and/or some parent or other relative with big bucks is picking up the tab. In general, however, I assume most of the deluxe guests are either millionaires or have a six figure income, or both.
Finally, many people splurge with the credit card, and create huge balances without much thought as to how it's going to get paid off. Somehow, those people stand out.
Then we became addicted to the convenience, the niceties, etc . . . especially at the Epcot resorts. For us, it's now mostly about convenience. We thus minimize the time we wait for buses. We now own 300 points at the Boardwalk through DVC, and that's where we stay, in a one bedroom villa now that the family has grown.
As to the millionaire thing, well, yeah. Being a millionaire isn't as unusual as you may think. Many teachers, for example, if you were to slap a present value calculation on their pension plans, would fit the definition. In hanging out in the lobbies, I believe many people who stay deluxe are indeed millionaires and/or some parent or other relative with big bucks is picking up the tab. In general, however, I assume most of the deluxe guests are either millionaires or have a six figure income, or both.
Finally, many people splurge with the credit card, and create huge balances without much thought as to how it's going to get paid off. Somehow, those people stand out.
got2lovedisney
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Back when you could book a stay that began during a discount period and have that price it carry over to your whole vacation, we stayed at Wilderness Lodge Dec 24-26. I was standing in the checking line and was calling to transfer my Dream Dollars to my card when I mentioned in conversation to my DBF that at $129/night I couldn't pass it up that trip. He said the guy behind me had to pick his jaw up off the floor. He probably got a high end room at rack rate.
When we stay deluxe it has usually been offseason in a standard room, with a discount code and using Dream Dollars.
When we stay deluxe it has usually been offseason in a standard room, with a discount code and using Dream Dollars.
surfsupdon
Well-Known Member
Remember those glorious days??!
We had a 6 year period of checking in on 12/26 and staying thru the New Year (promotions usually ended the day after Christmas). As a result, we were staying at Yacht Club for anywhere from 189/night up to about 234/night for the later years. Rack rate was well over 400/night for the same room.
Now with night-by-night pricing, that strategy is out the window, and we would never stay at Yacht Club for 545/night, PLUS tax.
WDWoptmist
Well-Known Member
With Passholder or Florida Resident discounts I often find Deluxe resorts starting in the $250-$350 range...there are not many rooms that are $1000 per night usually if it shows that online it means all of the standardish rooms are sold out which tells you those $1000 rooms are always available and not fully booked