BuzzKillington
Active Member
My wife and I used to always stay Deluxe when we only had 1 child but then once we grew our family, that party ended. Kids are very expensive!!
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How do people afford Deluxe?
- Thread starter BrerJon
- Start date
JasonDeyoung
Well-Known Member
I get military, Florida Resident and Passholder discounts. Usually one of those has a decent price. Otherwise I wouldn't pay what they ask, not worth it to me in my opinion. Great resorts, but not $500+ a night great
For what it's worth, AKL on BrerJon's dates is only $264/night. Getting down to affordable, perhaps.
And go for the BMW if you want an expensive German car.
Demeter Tess
Well-Known Member
My husband and I rent DVC points. Lets us stay deluxe for moderate prices!
Frankie The Beer
Well-Known Member
Bay Lake rooms are better than some high end apartments, totally worth the money.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
I'm amazed, too, but we have to remember that the cost of living is vastly different in various parts of the country, and while for me, a week at the Contemporary would equal my home mortgage payments for a year or help me "adopt" a small village in Africa, for others, it's a month's housing costs. So of the people you're seeing who speak of staying at Deluxes like it's no big deal, most of them make far more than we do. Others have similar incomes and simply SPEND far more than we do and are comfortable with high amounts of debt, or they are "going without" things we might consider essential to afford a pricy vacation. Sometimes I'm jealous of them too, but if there's one thing I've learned from working at some very high-end, high-income workplaces, it's that money can't buy happiness, and that those who have "just enough" for the necessities are more likely to truly value, appreciate and enjoy what's important in life than those who can afford far more.
So in summary, my income and my WDW accommodations may be moderate, but my life is "deluxe" with blessings, so I won't complain.
MarkTwain
Well-Known Member
Middle/upper-class people from foreign countries get a lot more from our dollars than Americans do. My roommate worked concierge at the Grand Floridian, and he said most of the time he answered the phone he had to hand it off to someone that spoke Arabic, Spanish or Hindi. So I think a huge number of the people staying at deluxes are from other countries.
Aside from that, VIPs, conventioners, and just plain old-fashioned wealthy people.
Aside from that, VIPs, conventioners, and just plain old-fashioned wealthy people.
zurgandfriend
Well-Known Member
I have had this discussion many times, I love Disney and I love my comfort so I work a second job at the holidays to help pay for my WDW trip with deluxe accommodations. People always comment about the expense and say it’s a waste, these are the same people that have boats, ski, play golf every weekend or have season tickets to a local sports team. If you like it and it’s fun it’s worth it.
well it looks like all that is currently being offered is suites, which are ridiculous. Is the Contemporary your only choice?
maine native
New Member
We always go to Disney during low season because it works for us. I have been able to find special deals as well, making the vacation very reasonable. We recently stayed a long weekend in New York city and paid through the nose for a tiny room at a Hilton Garden Inn. It was cheaper staying at the Grand Floridian for a week then being in New York for 3 nights. If you do your homework and search for deals, you can stay at AKL or WL for a great price. If it is still a little out of your range, do a split stay at a moderate or value, and then finish with a few nights at a delux resort. It's Disney!!! All the resorts are great.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
How do people afford million dollar homes? How do people afford BMWs? How do people afford Spider-Man Band-Aids?
I didn't realise it was a special hospitality suite, I just saw Garden room, and I know in Port Orleans and Caribbean Beach, that means the cheapest basic parking lot view. I wasn't searching for anything special, just the cheapest room for 2 adults, and that's what they came back with.
Do Garden Suites have multiple bedrooms then, like DVC villas? I guess if there's 3 bedrooms in one, the price isn't so bad.
As for resort choice, I'm not really considering a stay, it was purely looking out of interest, but if I did have a Deluxe I'd like to try out it would be the Contemporary, so that's what I was looking at - although even the cheaper ones still seem very expensive to me for what you get.
So am I right in thinking that most people only pay $200-$300, but you have to book way in advance and use discounts in order to stay at those prices? Is that why I never see anything reasonable online when I look (I'm not one to plan trips more than a couple of months out).
If Walt Disney World isn't full of rich people, then I really must be missing a trick somewhere.
Please take this the right way, I don't mean to come across as rude or a jealous 'have-not', but I'm curious, what is it about Deluxe hotels that you feel is worth an extra $200-300 per night over a Downtown Disney hotel, or a Moderate?
I have stayed in Deluxe resorts before (GF, AKL and WL) when they were a lot cheaper (and using discounts) as well as Moderates, Values, and several off property and Downtown Disney area, so I know what they're like, but for my tastes I don't see what you get that's much better for the money, so I'm interested to see where others find the value now that prices are so much higher.
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ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
Restaurants with better food. Indoor walkways. Nicer grounds. Most offer transport options besides buses. Most are closer to parks. More beautiful theming. More space in room.
My bias is that when I stay at a deluxe, I get at least 35% off. I don't think GF is worth $1000/night on any planet. But DAK for $200/night in January? Absolutely.
Oh I totally get it for $200, even $300, it's the price of $1300 I was shocked by!
Skibum1970
Well-Known Member
For my family, we save up until we have enough to stay in a moderate. Then, I scour the Disney site for specials. Earlier this year, we stayed at Wilderness Lodge for $250/night. Throw in the fact that we will only stay a week and it is affordable. However, as someone else stated, we typically go to other places for vacations and WDW is an every few years trip. Plus, I set a pretty tight budget to ensure that spending doesn't blow up on us and we eat as cheaply as possible.