Priciest Place on Earth

[NickMaio]

If you stayed on property you wouldn’t have paid for parking at the resort or in the parks.

Parking is still free for resort guests at the theme parks.

The bus system, as we know it today, did not start until around 1992. At least I think so......

Even after that we always drove our van to the parks. It was always quicker and better than their buses.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The bus system, as we know it today, did not start until around 1992. At least I think so......

Even after that we always drove our van to the parks. It was always quicker and better than their buses.

Well technically the bus system as we know it today didn’t start until today. haha.

I was just pointing out that parking at wdw theme parks is, and has been, free for Disney resort guests.

 

[Patcheslee]

Quick question, I noticed folks here always post rack rates but I have never known anyone who paid rack rates.

Are there no more discounts?

Discounts don't seem to be as available as previous years. The only references I have is originally booked CBR in mid June 2019 had pool view 5th sleepers at $240/weekend night. A discount came out but, our room or resort wasn't available for it. We ended up switching to Poly for $1000 more for the 10 days. I budget by rack rate, then hope for discounts. 2017 visit we has a 15% room discount for CBR standard room.

 

[Vacationeer]

For those interested........

Walt Disney World Resort (Orlando) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

www.tripadvisor.com

From: Shocked, Disappointed in May/June 2022

”If you stay at the resorts on-property, you’ll pay over $30 per day to park in addition to the “resort fees”.”

There are no “resort fees”. Resort parking is $15-$25 depending on hotel level or you can use the free transportation.

“Hey, I’m retired, my wife and I can afford it, but my grown kids certainly can’t!”

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Halloween Horror Nights from what we’ve seen turned out to be a very aggressive crowd , not our deal but regular park hours I agree is a different vibe. I’ve heard of some even assaulting the HHN characters and getting arrested in the process.

You could substitute F&W for HHN

 

[NickMaio]

From: Shocked, Disappointed in May/June 2022

”If you stay at the resorts on-property, you’ll pay over $30 per day to park in addition to the “resort fees”.”

View attachment 642521
There are no “resort fees”. Resort parking is $15-$25 depending on hotel level or you can use the free transportation.

“Hey, I’m retired, my wife and I can afford it, but my grown kids certainly can’t!”

I think you missed the point of the link......
There are droves of dissatisfied and even loyal wdw customers who are saying....Never again, or what a waste of money.
Echoes go on and on and on.......

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I think you missed the point of the link......
There are droves of dissatisfied and even loyal wdw customers who are saying....Never again, or what a waste of money.
Echoes go on and on and on.......

It should be noted this is new. TripAdvisor reviews of WDW in the past have been highly favorable. To see this many 1 and 2 star reviews in a row when you click “recent” should be very alarming.

 

[Chi84]

It should be noted this is new. TripAdvisor reviews of WDW in the past have been highly favorable. To see this many 1 and 2 star reviews in a row when you click “recent” should be very alarming.

And read the actual reviews because they don’t seem to match up with the number of stars. One reviewer gave 4 stars and said, “Plan ahead or be disappointed. Lower your expectations. Then you’ll have an ok time.” A 3-star review said, “My experience is too expensive and with no Magic smile.” Another 3-star: “Is Disney World trying to drive customers away?” Another 3 star: “Not worth the price of admission, lodging, transportation, food . . .” And my favorite, quoted earlier, 3 stars for “Waste of money. I’m tired of Disney nickel and diming me to death.”

One wonders what needed to happen to get below 3 stars.

 

[NickMaio]

It should be noted this is new. TripAdvisor reviews of WDW in the past have been highly favorable. To see this many 1 and 2 star reviews in a row when you click “recent” should be very alarming.

Yes, I completely agree.
Pages and pages of 1 and 2 stars.
WDW really needs to listen before they need to backpedal.
It's wild. I was quite surprised.

 

[Married5Times]

(Caribbean Beach) had pool view

pool view?? as in an upgrade??

generally hotel rooms offering things like these count:
ocean view
golf course frontage
lakefront
vineyard view
city view
castle view(if we're talking Disney)

I've seen CB's pool...........there is nothing special whatsoever or pretty about it. Hence, nothing to gaze at and ultimately pay more for

 

[Chi84]

pool view?? as in an upgrade??

generally hotel rooms offering things like these count:
ocean view
golf course frontage
lakefront
vineyard view
city view
castle view(if we're talking Disney)

I've seen CB's pool...........there is nothing special whatsoever or pretty about it. Hence, nothing to gaze at and ultimately pay more for

You're not paying to see the pool. You're paying to not see the parking lot.

 

[Patcheslee]

pool view?? as in an upgrade??

generally hotel rooms offering things like these count:
ocean view
golf course frontage
lakefront
vineyard view
city view
castle view(if we're talking Disney)

I've seen CB's pool...........there is nothing special whatsoever or pretty about it. Hence, nothing to gaze at and ultimately pay more for

Yes CBR has a pool/water view booking category. There are 8 booking categories for the resort in total. We book pool/water view to be closer to the quiet pools and beach.

 

[Sandurz]

Yes, I completely agree.
Pages and pages of 1 and 2 stars.
WDW really needs to listen before they need to backpedal.
It's wild. I was quite surprised.

Yeah, it's all laid out right there– the problem (generally) isn't prices in a vacuum. It can be an expensive trip if it delivers on what people want. "It was expensive BUT..." is a completely different testimonial than "complete waste of money". Something can be a waste of money at any price point. And something can feel like a good value at any price point. It comes down to the actual experience.

It used to be that WDW was an almost guaranteed great time for relatively low prices. Cheap AND good is a hell of a combo! The prices started ratcheting up over time without too much decline in guest experience so people keep coming and having positive word of mouth. But they are now in the dangerous territory where the average guest experience is teetering on the edge of falling off a cliff.

I mean look at this review:

Just spent over $20k bringing the whole family for an all inclusive 7 day trip. We stayed at the Contemporary Hotel and visited all of the parks. Now that it's over I really wish I had taken a trip over seas rather than waste my money at Disney. 1/4 of the rides we went on were either broken or stalled half way through the ride. Brunch for 3 adults and 3 kids cost $400 at Belle's castle. (I have pics of the receipt) Otherwise, you couldn't eat for less than $275 for 6 people at any restaurant in the park. Food and drinks were ridiculously expensive and they nickeled and dimed you for everything else. We were on the phone or at at the front desk with customer service literally every single day of our trip. Our room keys quit working multiple times. We had to re-register our finger prints and take pictures of our party every time we entered a new park because our park passes kept deactivating. The Disney Experience app constantly crashed and registered the people in our party to separate accounts so that we could never link them. The app had more problems than I can list here but suffice it to say that it's subpar for what I would expect from Disney. Half of the pictures from the rides never liked to our mobile accounts. The Genie Plus was a complete waste of money due to the way its set up. You're luck to able able to book one ride, and by the time you can redeem it, the rest of the rides at the park are booked until closing time.

This is the exact type of guest Disney has ostensibly been angling for! Rack rate for a room at the Contemporary, family of 6, paying for Genie+, doing table service meals. And they're shouting from the rooftops how terrible it was. Legitimate complaints too, directly tied to WDW making poor operational choices, not like when someone who was just a grump didn't like princesses and characters and thought the rides were for babies or anything like that.

It's really something to witness.

 

[celluloid]

I was just pointing out that parking at wdw theme parks is, and has been, free for Disney resort guests.

They just charge them at night for a discount now.

 

[larryz]

You're not paying to see the pool. You're paying to not see the parking lot.

But then again... how much parking lot will you see if (a) you keep the curtains closed, or (b) you're asleep or (c) you're in the parks or enjoying other amenities of the WDW complex?

 

[Chi84]

But then again... how much parking lot will you see if (a) you keep the curtains closed, or (b) you're asleep or (c) you're in the parks or enjoying other amenities of the WDW complex?

Agreed. We never pay for a better view, although we almost always get one.

 

[Jrb1979]

Agreed. We never pay for a better view, although we almost always get one.

Same with my family. We don't care what we see out the window of our room. Majority of the time we there to sleep only.

 

[Married5Times]

You're not paying to see the pool. You're paying to not see the parking lot.

good point. makes sense

 

[eliza61nyc]

Agreed. We never pay for a better view, although we almost always get one.

I will spring for a savanna view when we stay at akl. I admit we love having coffee and pastries while watching the animals in the early morning. We naturally get up very early ( im always up by 630) vacation or no.

 

[NickMaio]

I will spring for a savanna view when we stay at all. I admit we love having coffee and pastries while watching the animals in the early morning. We naturally get up very early ( im always up by 630) vacation or no.

If we were to go back to WDW property AKL would be the only place we would stay, because of those views.
They must be nice.