Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Chi84]

Many of the perks are subtle, but the perks are more than 'just a room.'

Like the deluxe rooms have much nicer towels, and the level of service is much higher. Top level rooms came with turn-down service. At roughly 5pm, someone would come to the room to empty trash, replenish wet towels, turn-down sheets, and place a special Disney themed chocolate on the pillow. Deluxe rooms get much more and better-quality toiletries or did.

In the days of Key-the the World cards, WDW peasants got blue cards, but the patricians got gold cards. Every time they used the card for a room charge or FP, CM's knew they were a gold level customer.

Top level rooms get the fridge stocked with the guests' choice of beverage: soft drinks or beer- as long as it is a brand WDW stocks. Guests just come back to find a replenished fridge. Plus, a full array of coffee pods/tea flavors.

Many of the extras are soft extras. During the pandemic, deluxe rooms are more likely to get daily housekeeping, or at least trash removal.

Some years back, regular folks had to use a park kiosk to get their 4th FP. So they had to wait in like a 20 minute line, and it was a little silly. Top level customers could text their FP requests, and a CM would book it for them.


[Celebrities get another level of extra service altogether. It would not be safe for - say- Dwayne Johnson- to stand in lines or dine at Crystal Palace like the rest of us. He would be completely mobbed.]

These are just a few examples off the top of my head. Disney has long made an art of giving top end customers unadvertised little extra freebies, they fluctuate over time.

When you say top level rooms, what are you talking about? In my experience, the services you’re describing are not standard for deluxe rooms. Is this personal experience you’re describing or what you heard or read? Are you describing concierge level?

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Many of the perks are subtle, but the perks are more than 'just a room.'

Like the deluxe rooms have much nicer towels, and the level of service is much higher. Top level rooms came with turn-down service. At roughly 5pm, someone would come to the room to empty trash, replenish wet towels, turn-down sheets, and place a special Disney themed chocolate on the pillow. Deluxe rooms get much more and better-quality toiletries or did.

In the days of Key-the the World cards, WDW peasants got blue cards, but the patricians got gold cards. Every time they used the card for a room charge or FP, CM's knew they were a gold level customer.

Top level rooms get the fridge stocked with the guests' choice of beverage: soft drinks or beer- as long as it is a brand WDW stocks. Guests just come back to find a replenished fridge. Plus, a full array of coffee pods/tea flavors.

Many of the extras are soft extras. During the pandemic, deluxe rooms are more likely to get daily housekeeping, or at least trash removal.

Some years back, regular folks had to use a park kiosk to get their 4th FP. So they had to wait in like a 20 minute line, and it was a little silly. Top level customers could text their FP requests, and a CM would book it for them.


[Celebrities get another level of extra service altogether. It would not be safe for - say- Dwayne Johnson- to stand in lines or dine at Crystal Palace like the rest of us. He would be completely mobbed.]

These are just a few examples off the top of my head. Disney has long made an art of giving top end customers unadvertised little extra freebies, they fluctuate over time.

You are describing the differences between resort categories. Yes, nicer and more expensive resorts have nicer things and better service. That's not a resort perk, that's a direct exchange of currency and goods/services. Are you suggesting that a $99/night hotel should have the same towels, linens, level of service as a $750/night hotel?

We're talking about giving people, who paid the same exact ticket price as everyone else, perks because they happen to be staying at a Deluxe resort. No offense, but your extensive list contains really no real example of this. Extended Evening Hours are the first park benefit distinctly and universally afforded to only Deluxe resort guests.

Famous people getting stuff isn't new either. We're distinctly talking about park benefits based on resort class. Not one off visits to the Magic Kingdom by The Rock.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I was once given a Fastpass for lunch at Be Our Guest.

That was an odd one, back when BOG was fairly new and in high demand. BOG went to QS at lunch, but it was hard to get a seat. On a day when most folks waited an hour, our name was called in less than 10minutes after we checked-in.

 

[gerrie grant]

DVC is not about the room accommodations. People buy DVC to have a way to stay at Disney in cases where it benefits them to buy in and stay on "points" instead of paying cash. (This is a calculation based very much on specific circumstances, so I don't want to get into discussions of how DVC never makes sense.) The deluxe rooms aren't the draw - in fact, I personally prefer the moderate resorts to the deluxe ones. But there is no DVC for value or moderates - you have to stay deluxe. So adding resort perks would do absolutely nothing for me. I don't speak for everyone, though.

took our grandchildren, bought all the bells and whistles for concience. i actually felt sorry for the blue collar workers in line watching the more privilaged pass them up to wait in 15 minute lines while they waited in two hour lines! that had to be a bitter pill to swallow.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Good point, but yeah super small subset and a hefty, hefty fee. In terms of blanketed benefits afforded to only Deluxe guests, I can't think of anything else.

It isn't really a hefty, hefty fee. Or wasn't.

The Dining Plan used to cost $60/day for adults: 1 QS, 1TS, and 2 snacks/day, BEFORE it included alcohol.

Same time frame: Club Level was $130-$150/night. WDW's Club Level roughly =half-board, only slightly different. With 4people/room, that breaks down to roughly $35/night per person. At WDW prices, if you only bought breakfast, a beer, and a bag of chips in the QS, you could expect to pay about $35.

[For a long time though, the only way to book CL was to call. It was not well-advertised.]

In any event, CL = access to a semi-private lounge that serves food/beverages from 7am to 10pm:
7am-10am =continental breakfast buffet: unlimited beverages, cereal, pastries, bread, muffins, fresh fruit, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs.
Mid-day offers are very limited: snacks+ beverages
Evening offerings are a light buffet of appetizers and beverages (incl beer)
Then 8-10pm =desserts like the ones at Crystal Palace or Chef Mickey's

Non-dining plan, a food court breakfast might be: grape cup: $4.25, yogurt $3.40, pastry/muffin $4, juice $4, coffee $3.70= $20.
(A breakfast platter is about $14.85 +coffee $3.70= about $18.50.)
If you have a beer, expect to pay $8-$10 each. Breakfast, beer, chips = $35.

Current WDW pricing is another matter though. Current pricing is crazy. This year the CL add-on costs more like $250. I won't try to convince anyone that $250/day is a good price for CL at WDW.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

When you say top level rooms, what are you talking about? In my experience, the services you’re describing are not standard for deluxe rooms. Is this personal experience you’re describing or what you heard or read? Are you describing concierge level?

I described a mix of standard deluxe rooms and Club level.
Yes, mostly personal experience. Though there is another level of room beyond Club Level, the top level suites. Those are $$$$$$$$.

Long ago, there used to be a Samantha Brown show on the travel channel, and she did some episodes on Disney hotels. Whenever she did episodes on Disney's deluxe hotels, they would let her give a tour of a top end suite. The big suite at AKL has a crazy nice dining table made of wood. The top end suites have special art too.

 

[Chi84]

You are describing the differences between resort categories. Yes, nicer and more expensive resorts have nicer things and better service. That's not a resort perk, that's a direct exchange of currency and goods/services. Are you suggesting that a $99/night hotel should have the same towels, linens, level of service as a $750/night hotel?

We're talking about giving people, who paid the same exact ticket price as everyone else, perks because they happen to be staying at a Deluxe resort. No offense, but your extensive list contains really no real example of this. Extended Evening Hours are the first park benefit distinctly and universally afforded to only Deluxe resort guests.

Famous people getting stuff isn't new either. We're distinctly talking about park benefits based on resort class. Not one off visits to the Magic Kingdom by The Rock.

If you go to Morton’s you get a better steak than the one they give you at Denny’s. Someone should look into that perk.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

You are describing the differences between resort categories. Yes, nicer and more expensive resorts have nicer things and better service. That's not a resort perk, that's a direct exchange of currency and goods/services. Are you suggesting that a $99/night hotel should have the same towels, linens, level of service as a $750/night hotel?

We're talking about giving people, who paid the same exact ticket price as everyone else, perks because they happen to be staying at a Deluxe resort. No offense, but your extensive list contains really no real example of this. Extended Evening Hours are the first park benefit distinctly and universally afforded to only Deluxe resort guests.

Famous people getting stuff isn't new either. We're distinctly talking about park benefits based on resort class. Not one off visits to the Magic Kingdom by The Rock.

You asked what other perks have been given to deluxe resort guests and I answered as factually as possible.

I'm sorry.

 

[Chi84]

You asked what other perks have been given to deluxe resort guests and I answered as factually as possible.

I'm sorry.

But all you did was describe what people are paying for at deluxe resorts, mostly describing concierge level because I guarantee you that free beer and other beverages do not come along with a deluxe room. Those aren't perks. A perk is what Universal provides when it gives its deluxe resort guests free Express Pass. At most, Disney gives Extended Evening Hours, as noted by @disneyglimpses.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

You asked what other perks have been given to deluxe resort guests and I answered as factually as possible.

I'm sorry.

Those aren't perks.

 

[LittleBuford]

"different things" They're both theme parks, both have good attractions, both have some amazing immersive environments. To never set foot in one while the other is increasingly becoming more awful it seems silly to me.. But you do you boo.

Disney gives me the feels, Universal doesn’t. They may both be great theme parks, but only one of them offers Disney, and Disney (more than theme parks per se) is what I’m into.

 

[LittleBuford]

However is your second time at MK this week going to be more fun than your first time going to USO this week?

In my case, absolutely. It’s all a matter of personal taste, of course, so trying to generalise what people should and shouldn’t feel is pretty pointless.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

When you say top level rooms, what are you talking about? In my experience, the services you’re describing are not standard for deluxe rooms. Is this personal experience you’re describing or what you heard or read? Are you describing concierge level?

To clarify a bit, the question asked was ''when did [deluxe] become different treatment as opposed to different accommodations?"

The differences in service ('treatment'] have long been subtle, and not 100% across the board.

There's no way, in a forum like this, to definitively 'prove' that gold Key-to-the-World-Card = being treated a little nicer all over Walt Disney World.

That's why I kept my initial response short. It is what it is.

 

[mikejs78]

Frankly I think all resort guests should get perks at the parks. They always have. Advanced access to dining, advanced fastpass booking, guaranteed access to the parks, extra magic hours. There are far fewer perks here for resort guests, they need to bring some back or create new ones.

I also don't have a problem with different levels of resorts getting additional perks, although I'd prefer that in general all resort guests getting similar perks.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Oh one other perk - or at least difference - is when they do free dining the deluxe resorts got the regular plan while moderate and value got the quick service .... That is probably the type of "variance" that is appropriate

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

In my case, absolutely. It’s all a matter of personal taste, of course, so trying to generalise what people should and shouldn’t feel is pretty pointless.

When I read that portion of the thread, I interpreted much of the comments more broadly than 'me /us personally'. In that context, it might be interesting to look at how the parks rank.

I would not say US and WDW are the same, certainly. Nor do I think any individual has to like Universal or WDW.


More broadly though- the general public might find that Universal now offers an improved product, while WDW might be slipping.


According to T.E.A.C.O.M. report for 2009, MK had 17,233,000 visitors. Disneyland was #2, Tokyo Disneyland was #3...Disney had #1 through #8, and
8 of the top 10 parks worldwide. Universal's top park was Tokyo Universal at #9, Universal Studios Orlando park was #13. (I randomly picked 2009.)

In 2019, Tokyo Universal was #5, Universal Studios Orlando was #11, and Islands of Adventure was #12. Disney had 7 of the top 10 parks worldwide. That was the year GE opened, and it was supposed to boost WDW's numbers, but HS was #9- still WDW's lowest park. Islands went up 6% that year to HS's 2% increase.

Clearly 2020 was an off-year, but Disney only had 5 of the top 10 slots. HS dropped way down.

HS was #7 in 2009, #9 in 2019, and #11 in 2020.

The 2021 report will be closely watched when it is released.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Disney gives me the feels, Universal doesn’t. They may both be great theme parks, but only one of them offers Disney, and Disney (more than theme parks per se) is what I’m into.

Down to even the smallest details, I fully agree. It's really honestly not even close for me.

 

[bhg469]

Oh one other perk - or at least difference - is when they do free dining the deluxe resorts got the regular plan while moderate and value got the quick service .... That is probably the type of "variance" that is appropriate

I remember getting table service at moderate resorts but I hear you...

 

[Aurorafan]

I remember getting table service at moderate resorts but I hear you...

I thought that as well, but wasnt sure since I have never done the free dining.

 

[G00fyDad]

^^ DIZNOID. ^^

What the hell is a diznoid?