Why are WDW resorts so expensive?

[ddbowdoin]

My last trip was May of 2010 and I have to say that I made out like a complete bandit. A week, spent off site (1 mile from parks) and tickets for 1K total. That figure included a 7 day park hopper, direct flights (via logan, jet blue), lodging (free breakfast is beyond clutch), car rental, and 14 a day parking fee's at the park. The first day landing we went straight to Publix, picked up the essentials and each day we brought deli sandwiches. Boars head meats, quality bread selection, and spreads simply outmatches any choices from the quick dining options at Disney. I'm 25, not 12... how many days in a row can I eat chicken fingers and french fries?

Even at the value level, I am seeing prices between 1375 and 1500 without airfare! From what I have read, the resorts at this level should really not be considered resorts and are more like hotels. How do people get deals, because I check frequently and am on many emails lists, and still there's no way I can justify spending the money inside the park when so many options outside are close and cheap. Now, I don't have a family so the magic of the resorts will be considered once I have little ones.

I was just wondering how people feel about the value of the resort compared to staying outside.

 

[lebeau]

IMHO the resorts on HPB are at best a safety valve before going off property. They are close to WDW, the shuttle service is only bad vs abysmal and the rooms, service, etc are fair to good.

That was more or less my opinion as someone who's never actually stayed there but looked into it a few times.

 

[lebeau]

You are being unfair to Olive Garden and Friday's.

In some cases, maybe unfair to Olive Garden. But not Friday's. I'm not sure how people eat at Friday's or Applebee's. I'll take the food at the Sci Fi (which is some of the weakest ts on property) over those two chains.

 

[Mammymouse]

One other consideration on discounts - the price of our dollar influences how many international travelers come to Disneyworld, too. Although the dollar does fluctuate, the guests coming from other countries sometimes get twice for their money than we do. So for their wallets it is a better deal than what the US guest would recognize. It seems that when our dollar is down the Disney discounts come forth.

 

[Master Yoda]

That was more or less my opinion as someone who's never actually stayed there but looked into it a few times.

So far I have logged in stays at 4 of them. The Double Tree, Royal Plaza (before the post hurricane refurb), The Buena Vista Palace, and the Regal Sun (I think it was the Grosvenor back then) Of those I liked the Double Tree the best but that was mainly due to all the rooms being suites and the free cookies. All had that old hotel feel to them that you get when the rooms have been painted so many times they have actually lost square footage. Service was good and house keeping was fair save for 2 glaringly bad incidents. I never tried any of the restaurants. To sum up they are a decent place to sleep and shower that are really close to the parks. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[baanman]

Expensive...Yes

Yes, the Disney experience is expensive. However, we also purchase the "package deal". There is something about being able to hand over a plastic card and know that the meal is already paid for, especially when the dining plan price for the day is about the price of the meal at table service. Lunch and breakfast are virtually free. Also, the Disney atmosphere carries through the entire experience. Everyone tells you to have a Magical Day. Off-site hotels just don't quite capture Disney.

Worth the money for total Disney immersion.

 

[loveofamouse]

to each his own cause Im not paying extra just for someone to say have a magical day lol :ROFLOL:

 

[Disney Dawg88]

My last trip was May of 2010 and I have to say that I made out like a complete bandit. A week, spent off site (1 mile from parks) and tickets for 1K total. That figure included a 7 day park hopper, direct flights (via logan, jet blue), lodging (free breakfast is beyond clutch), car rental, and 14 a day parking fee's at the park. The first day landing we went straight to Publix, picked up the essentials and each day we brought deli sandwiches. Boars head meats, quality bread selection, and spreads simply outmatches any choices from the quick dining options at Disney. I'm 25, not 12... how many days in a row can I eat chicken fingers and french fries?

Even at the value level, I am seeing prices between 1375 and 1500 without airfare! From what I have read, the resorts at this level should really not be considered resorts and are more like hotels. How do people get deals, because I check frequently and am on many emails lists, and still there's no way I can justify spending the money inside the park when so many options outside are close and cheap. Now, I don't have a family so the magic of the resorts will be considered once I have little ones.

I was just wondering how people feel about the value of the resort compared to staying outside.

I thought I was the only one on here who felt that way . . . I don't understand it either. I travel to Lake Buena Vista once a month for work and I stay right near downtown Disney in nice new hotels for $79-$99 per night depending on time of year. It takes me about 10 minutes to get from the various hotels I stay at and I can make it to the MK parking lot in 10 minutes.

While I understand people like the convenience and of staying in a Disney hotel, it doesn't make sense to me price wise. The hotels aren't as nice, I've stayed in a couple of the resorts, and if you're there on vacation chances are you're not spending a lot of time in them. I guess if were me I would rather save $50 - $100+ per night and use that money on something I'm actually going to use or enjoy the benefit of.

 

[worldfanatic]

STAYING OFF PROPERTY = DISNEY WORLD LIGHT

People can say what they want, and try to convince themselves otherwise........ but true Disney World Insiders have no doubt.
There's no way on earth to experience full WDW Magic if your off property, period, end of story.

 

[draybook]

This EMH alone are worth the extra cost to us. Throw in free dining(when available) and parking included and that's a wrap!

 

[lebeau]

This EMH alone are worth the extra cost to us. Throw in free dining(when available) and parking included and that's a wrap!

I've seen a lot of folks extohl the virtues of EMHs. To tell the truth, whether we stay on property or not, we avoid any park that offers EMHs like the plague. If I'm not mistaken, the Unofficial Guide actually supports this approach as well.

The one thing you can be sure of is that if a park offers EMH, it's going to be busy that day. I've heard horror stories about how jam packed the MK can be during evening EMHs.

Since we have little kids, we're not staying in the parks late anyway. And it takes some effort to get there by rope drop. Scrambling to get there an hour before rope drop doesn't sound appealing.

So really, the only benefit of EMHs to me is that it makes planning easier because I know which park is likely to be the busiest that day.

 

[lebeau]

STAYING OFF PROPERTY = DISNEY WORLD LIGHT

People can say what they want, and try to convince themselves otherwise........ but true Disney World Insiders have no doubt.
There's no way on earth to experience full WDW Magic if your off property, period, end of story.

A lot of people prefer not to be immersed in "the magic" 24/7. To those people, staying on property = Pixie Dust overdose.

One experience isn't inherently better than the other. It's just a matter of what you value. If you value convenience and Disney immersion over accomodations and potentially saving money (that may be used for other vacation perks), then on property is clearly the way to go. But if like the OP you would rather extend your vacation at the expense of those things, off property is going to give you more bang for your buck.

I've done both. Enjoyed both. All things being equal, I'd rather stay on site. But all things aren't equal. And sometimes off site is the better option for us.

 

[thewhitequeen]

I don't know why people call themselves "foodies" when they visit Disney. I suppose you could be a "foodie" for Outback type restaurants. :shrug:

I like to dine in Disney because of the atmosphere, but I'm another who thinks the food, in general, is on par with the middle of the road chain restaurants throughout the country. Perhaps it's because where I live, I'm surrounded by top of the line eateries.

In short, Disney is way overpriced with regard to their restaurants.

 

[wm49rs]

So really, the only benefit of EMHs to me is that it makes planning easier because I know which park is likely to be the busiest that day.

We tend to view EMH the same way, even when staying on-site. Occassionally we'll take in an early morning one to get in a couple of the more popular rides, but for the most part we just look to avoid EMH....

 

[Master Yoda]

I've seen a lot of folks extohl the virtues of EMHs. To tell the truth, whether we stay on property or not, we avoid any park that offers EMHs like the plague. If I'm not mistaken, the Unofficial Guide actually supports this approach as well.

The one thing you can be sure of is that if a park offers EMH, it's going to be busy that day. I've heard horror stories about how jam packed the MK can be during evening EMHs.

Since we have little kids, we're not staying in the parks late anyway. And it takes some effort to get there by rope drop. Scrambling to get there an hour before rope drop doesn't sound appealing.

So really, the only benefit of EMHs to me is that it makes planning easier because I know which park is likely to be the busiest that day.

Early EMH tend to be consistently good as the majority of people on vacation do not want to get up at 6ish to make it to an 8 AM park opening. Late EMH can be a really mixed bag. I have seen the parks like ghost towns during them and seen them like the 4th of July.

I don't know why people call themselves "foodies" when they visit Disney. I suppose you could be a "foodie" for Outback type restaurants. :shrug:

I like to dine in Disney because of the atmosphere, but I'm another who thinks the food, in general, is on par with the middle of the road chain restaurants throughout the country. Perhaps it's because where I live, I'm surrounded by top of the line eateries.

In short, Disney is way overpriced with regard to their restaurants.

Compared to what? If you are comparing them with chain restaurants then you would be correct but that is not exactly an apples to apples comparison. If you compare Disney's food prices with other theme parks they come it quite reasonable.

 

[thewhitequeen]

Early EMH tend to be consistently good as the majority of people on vacation do not want to get up at 6ish to make it to an 8 AM park opening. Late EMH can be a really mixed bag. I have seen the parks like ghost towns during them and seen them like the 4th of July.

Compared to what? If you are comparing them with chain restaurants then you would be correct but that is not exactly an apples to apples comparison. If you compare Disney's food prices with other theme parks they come it quite reasonable.

This I agree with. Even the local seasonal amusement parks fast food prices are more expensive than Disney, so I suppose I'm being a bit unfair with the fast food price comparison.

That said, aside from atmosphere, I would compare the breakfast buffet at Chef Mickeys to be lower in quality than what they serve at the Marriot breakfast buffet down the road but you pay twice the price. Disney charges an exorbitant amount of money so you can shake hands with Mickey and that's what I find ridiculous. You certainly aren't paying for the food.

 

[Master Yoda]

This I agree with. Even the local seasonal amusement parks fast food prices are more expensive than Disney, so I suppose I'm being a bit unfair with the fast food price comparison.

That said, aside from atmosphere, I would compare the breakfast buffet at Chef Mickeys to be lower in quality than what they serve at the Marriot breakfast buffet down the road but you pay twice the price. Disney charges an exorbitant amount of money so you can shake hands with Mickey and that's what I find ridiculous. You certainly aren't paying for the food.

Quite correct and it is why I avoid character meals like the plague. I would much rather go to Kona or WCC for breakfast and pay nearly half the price of the typical character meal.

 

[sshindel]

That said, aside from atmosphere, I would compare the breakfast buffet at Chef Mickeys to be lower in quality than what they serve at the Marriot breakfast buffet down the road but you pay twice the price. Disney charges an exorbitant amount of money so you can shake hands with Mickey and that's what I find ridiculous. You certainly aren't paying for the food.

While I admit, if you're an adult, it may not be worth spending the extra money for standard buffett food to meet someone in a Mickey suit while you eat. For those with children though, that extra interaction adds to the value and can help negate the extra cost, or even make it a great deal.

I know, even at 18 months old, the look on my daughter's face when Snow White, Jasmine, and Aurora showed up at our table to interact with her was well worth the price paid. I don't really even remember what we ate, but I do remember the look on Aurora's face when my DD tried to shove a piece of bacon in her mouth (and the picture we have of it). And the hug that Jasmine gave to her, which made her year. And her shock to see Belle in her yellow dress... and ... and... I could keep going on.

Character meals are not a good one to judge against outside venues. It's easier to compare standard CS / TS restaurants at Disney with outside locations. Once you get the Character interaction in there, it's up to you to decide if that extra price is worth interacting with the characters. As an adult with no children, it was not for me. Now though, it is well worth the price, at least for my family.

 

[JohnLocke]

I think another reason to stay on site, besides some of the extra perks, is that I think it can be much easier to budget the trip out, and doesn't require you to carry around as much cash.

As someone who doesn't really care for credit cards, and also doesn't really like to carry around too much cash, it's nice to have the DDP and everything pretty much paid for before you get down there. Having to worry only about paying a tip once a day; buying a souvenier here or there, and getting it sent back to the hotel so I don't have to tote it around; and only having to possibly worry about the occasional snack or drink, I find to be a lot better than the alternatives that come with staying off-site.

 

[lebeau]

Early EMH tend to be consistently good as the majority of people on vacation do not want to get up at 6ish to make it to an 8 AM park opening. Late EMH can be a really mixed bag. I have seen the parks like ghost towns during them and seen them like the 4th of July.

To the best of my recollection, I have never taken advantage of EMHs even when staying on property. But my understanding is that they can be beneficial if you are in a position to make good use of them. The morning EMHs have a lot more appeal to me for the reason you stated.

I have heard that parks that offer morning EMHs tend to fill up later in the day. Supposedly, people plan their trips around EMHs and then stick to that plan even if they sleep through the EMHs. So if the Jones family planned to take advantage of morning EMHs at MK and then slept in, they might still go to MK even though they missed any benefit of EMH. I've got nothing to support this, but I've heard that it can be a drawback of morning EMHs.

On the other hand, if you hit EMH in the morning and then park hop somewhere else when the park fills up, you can potrntially get a lot of benefit out of EMHs.

If I was travelling with like-minded Orlando commandos, I would definitely try to take full advantage of EMHs. But, my wife and kids would revolt. For us, it's best to steer clear of the potentially gridlocked park altogether.

 

[lebeau]

I think another reason to stay on site, besides some of the extra perks, is that I think it can be much easier to budget the trip out, and doesn't require you to carry around as much cash.

As someone who doesn't really care for credit cards, and also doesn't really like to carry around too much cash, it's nice to have the DDP and everything pretty much paid for before you get down there. Having to worry only about paying a tip once a day; buying a souvenier here or there, and getting it sent back to the hotel so I don't have to tote it around; and only having to possibly worry about the occasional snack or drink, I find to be a lot better than the alternatives that come with staying off-site.

There's definitely a convenience factor. But you pay a premium for that convenience. At least for us, we fare much better paying for our meals a la carte. And if we are in a position to eat a few meals off property, the savings really add up. Throw in a kicthen and you don't have to worry about budgeting for food because it's affordable.