Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
You pay so much because no one ever says no.
And it’s not even “supply and demand”...it’s Disney fans sick fetish with being charged more to be proud of themselves.
Very simple psychology
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Why does Disney charge so much?
- Thread starter WondersOfLife
- Start date
You pay so much because no one ever says no.
And it’s not even “supply and demand”...it’s Disney fans sick fetish with being charged more to be proud of themselves.
Very simple psychology
I stayed off property for the first time in many years because the prices just didn't make sense. Do I get a gold star? I did go to MK today though.
No gold star. But I’d take a huge wad of cash savings over a sticker.
mikeanabean
Active Member
I would love to know what the actual break even $ amount is for Disney on a daily basis. I agree that all of that stuff is not cheap but the cost per night @ the hotels is getting crazy expensive.
It's only 8 miles...? I've stayed at locations where I drove 40 minutes to Disney each day.
flynnibus
Premium Member
8 Miles? By what measure, the crow?
Cabana bay to TTC is 14 miles.. including highly congested areas. It's 20mins on a good shot. Now add in parking lot time getting to the vehicle and back to it.. and then back to room.. Adds up for a daily commute... plus paying for parking at both ends.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
That's a tough sell for anyone with kids, though.
I’d rather save $2,000 and drive the extra miles to VERY SPECIFICALLY the transportation and ticket center.
Ah. Well. I dont have kids so that’s not my problem.
Although my parents would spend $35 a night at a hotel when me and my sister were little and drive from the international Orlando airport area every morning to save money. So... I guess as long as your kids aren’t unbearable they should be okay.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I don't either. I was just saying that's a specific reason for some people to not do what you're suggesting. Much harder for some than others.
Moreso in regards to the 40 minute drive, but even driving daily from Universal could be a significant hassle for some people. Easier to just stay at one of the Disney Springs area hotels to save the money.
That's fair too. I totally didn't think about the Disney Springs hotels. (Hilton Palace is a rip off, for the record. But that's another story.)
You could also use Uber.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Back to your original question...
Your scenario is a corner case for Disney.. and a scenario they do not address well. The needing 3 beds setup doesn't fit Disney's offerings.. so you end up buying multiple rooms or forced into these 'suites'. It sucks - but welcome to adulting
The alternative most try elsewhere first is to get a rollaway bed.. some may charge a small fee.. but cheaper than another room. Problem is usually they can not be guaranteed.
For families with more kids... they hit this often.. like my family with 3 kids. We just don't fit Disney's standard rooms.
This normally means you look to shop to find a product that has a 3rd bed (usually a pullout) like you found at Cabana Bay. So while it is a 'equal' comparison to your situation, it's not really an equal comparison for all...
For your dates...
For a single room Disney at AoA - Disney is charging avg $245/night before taxes.. or $191 if at ASM
Cabana Bay is charging $191 avg before taxes for a standard room
So when you look at baselines.. it's not really that much different. Parking is more expensive at UNI and it also 20+mins away.
You have the caveat tho for 'your situation' - the baselines don't work, and you fall into this rut where Disney doesn't have any attractive offerings, while Universal does with their room+sitting room setups. There, the Cabana Bay 'suite' is much more attractive compared to booking 2 rooms (~$35 upgrade vs $190 for an extra room).
Disney's 'family suites' at the values have always been priced almost as expensive as booking two rooms... and you were looking at AoA which is the most overpriced value as well.
Your quandary isn't unique - it's just a scenario that does NOT fit the Disney mold very well at all.
Once you accept Disney can't fit you well... and you open yourself up to 3rd parties... the sky is the limit and it gets much harder to filter down what is really important to you to make a good choice.
But you can find suite hotel rooms with 3 beds for under $150/night inclusive... for a total stay under $800. Like The Towneplace Suites just for instance.. the more you dig and the more you offer shop things could get even better.
TLDR - Your situation exaggerates the Disney difference because you need an offer they really don't have a product that fits well
orlandogal22
Well-Known Member
It's easy to go from Disney property to Universal property.
Drive it like we locals do.
Leave Disney property from Hotel Plaza Blvd, if that's where you're most familiar. Make a quick left onto 535 (Apopka Vineland).
Make a right at the very next light; it'll be Olive Garden. That's Palm Parkway. Just take that all the way straight past all the hotels / motels. You'll also pass USPS, Westgate Resorts, Walmart, etc.
Palm turns into Turkey Lake. You'll come to the intersection of Turkey Lake and Sand Lake at a Whole Foods on the corner. Continue just going straight. You'll see Volcano Bay come up on your right. Turn right onto Hollywood Way. Boom. You're at Universal.
You avoid I-4. It'll take you about 15 mins. (depending on traffic, time of day, etc.) from end of one property to start of another.
(of course, dependent upon where you're at on Disney property, you may need to tack on 10-15 mins. to get OFF property - but again, you can completely avoid I-4 by just doing the backroad - which is pretty much a straight shot once you get on Palm / Turkey Lake. Also, I'm not counting time to park, blah blah blah - I'm only stating a quick way to get from one property boundary to another)
Last edited:
Very, very true.
In the end, I cancelled the Cabana Bay resort as well... And switched to a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house with a full kitchen, private pool/hot tub, washer/dryer on Airbnb for $400 for the total stay.
Airbnb-
*3 Bedrooms
*2 Bathrooms
*Free Parking
*Gated
*Online Check in
*Washer/Dryer
*Kitchen
*Living Room
*Balcony
*Movie Theater
*Private Pool/Hot Tub
*Tennis Court
*Basketball Court
*Arcade
*Game Room (Pool/Fuzzball/Table Tennis)
*Onsite Convenience Store
*Cafe/Restaurant/Bar
*2 Miles from Disney's Gates
At this point... If anybody out there is smart and staying onsite isn't a line, they'd just book an entire freakin house on Airbnb.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
Back to your original question...
Your scenario is a corner case for Disney.. and a scenario they do not address well. The needing 3 beds setup doesn't fit Disney's offerings.. so you end up buying multiple rooms or forced into these 'suites'. It sucks - but welcome to adulting
The alternative most try elsewhere first is to get a rollaway bed.. some may charge a small fee.. but cheaper than another room. Problem is usually they can not be guaranteed.
For families with more kids... they hit this often.. like my family with 3 kids. We just don't fit Disney's standard rooms.
This normally means you look to shop to find a product that has a 3rd bed (usually a pullout) like you found at Cabana Bay. So while it is a 'equal' comparison to your situation, it's not really an equal comparison for all...
For your dates...
For a single room Disney at AoA - Disney is charging avg $245/night before taxes.. or $191 if at ASM
Cabana Bay is charging $191 avg before taxes for a standard room
So when you look at baselines.. it's not really that much different. Parking is more expensive at UNI and it also 20+mins away.
You have the caveat tho for 'your situation' - the baselines don't work, and you fall into this rut where Disney doesn't have any attractive offerings, while Universal does with their room+sitting room setups. There, the Cabana Bay 'suite' is much more attractive compared to booking 2 rooms (~$35 upgrade vs $190 for an extra room).
Disney's 'family suites' at the values have always been priced almost as expensive as booking two rooms... and you were looking at AoA which is the most overpriced value as well.
Your quandary isn't unique - it's just a scenario that does NOT fit the Disney mold very well at all.
Once you accept Disney can't fit you well... and you open yourself up to 3rd parties... the sky is the limit and it gets much harder to filter down what is really important to you to make a good choice.
But you can find suite hotel rooms with 3 beds for under $150/night inclusive... for a total stay under $800. Like The Towneplace Suites just for instance.. the more you dig and the more you offer shop things could get even better.
TLDR - Your situation exaggerates the Disney difference because you need an offer they really don't have a product that fits well
Cabana Bay is also a much nicer hotel in both theme and overall quality than any of the comparable Disney resorts (pricewise, that is), which is an additional factor.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
Yeah, from a price standpoint it's a no-brainer. I dislike Airbnbs for multiple reasons, and actually prefer staying in a hotel over having an apartment/house on most trips (there are exceptions), but you can absolutely get far more for your money using that option.
If it was just me and my fiancee, as others have stated, Disney Resorts would be perfectly fine.
But it's me and my fiancee.. My brother-in-law... and a friend of mine from Louisiana. So we needed the space/privacy.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
We did a one nighter before flying home last year (before “the incident”)...and I really liked it.
The price is what made the appeal so much better...it’s definite not “deluxe”...but had a wide selection of amenities.
$150 for that as compared to $200 and up for pop or allstars??
And that was on a holiday weekend.
Disney prices are protected because the name “disney” is above it. They haven’t really cared about maintaining the brand quality in areas such as this for quite some time.
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
and there are people that have a lot of money. some people go on vacation and aren't interested in getting the cheapest price. the know what they like and are willing to pay whatever price is being asked.
My family and I rented a house one year, yes it was cheaper but we don't rate our vacations on the cheapest options, saving a buck and then spending the entire time wishing you were some where else is a waste of money.
so the second answer imo is the best. disney charges that rate because there are folks who are willing to pay it for whatever reason AND more importantly, they are happy.
now of course there are better places off site for better prices.
My family and I rented a house one year, yes it was cheaper but we don't rate our vacations on the cheapest options, saving a buck and then spending the entire time wishing you were some where else is a waste of money.
so the second answer imo is the best. disney charges that rate because there are folks who are willing to pay it for whatever reason AND more importantly, they are happy.
now of course there are better places off site for better prices.