Why the high prices for Disney resorts?

[pyrophoric]

Spoken like a true cheap skate I am sure ...

Besides transportation and sending purchases back to your room, why the extremely high prices to stay at Disney resorts?

We were looking at staying seven days at either the Contemporary or Polynesian this year but never realized the price per night for a semi decent room. My real shock was looking at the amenities. You seem to get so much more for so much less at hotels outside the parks.

Are there things they aren't listing that I should be aware of when deciding where to stay?

Thanks

Edit: I guess the question should really be, are there hidden amenities or things not well known that would make a stay at a Disney resort a little more valuable?

 

[GatorGambit]

Oh one more disadvantage of doing a WDW vacation on the cheap that I forgot to add:

• Time to Plan: There is no question that buying a packaged Magic Your Way deal is FAR superior as far as time to plan. In fact, outside of making an ADR or two, I haven't done hardly any planning for my upcoming trip, and it's kind of nice. Getting the best deals on transportation, lodging, and theme park tickets takes a signifigant amount of time to research, plan properly and track. I happen to like to plan for my trip, so it's not too big of a deal for me. However, I know there are plently of folks out there that just don't have the time.

 

[hrcollectibles]

As several have said Location, Location, Location. You mentioned you lived in the panhandle. I am sure that once you get to Disney you would like to relax and not drive while visiting the Disney Parks. They resorts do have buses.. IF money is an issue why not stay at a moderate or Value resort and visit the Deluxe resorts, maybe have a meal at one and explore them. I look at it this way, I love staying on property for the immersive environment and the location. The reason i stay at the value resorts is because I basically just need a place to lay my head and shower. I too have friends that live in the Orlando area so when I am there I like to take the time to hang out with them and go to the other parks.

 

[Tiger45]

I always thought the best reasons of staying at a Disney Resort were:

24 hours of being in the magic
not spending money on a rental car and parking
inclusion of park tickets in price of room
convenience coming and going(walk/boat-monorail/tram/car/driving)
extra magic hours

Also don't forget if you stay in the magical location and plan on eating at the parks- you get to add the dinning plan. also the conveneince of paying for your meals upfront and not having to budget for them as you go along.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Another thought, since you are planning a good length of stay - split your stay between 2 resorts....

Try booking a 2 or 3 night stay at a Disney moderate resort followed by your offsite resort - this way you will get a feel for the onsite experience, but if it doesn't work out for you, its a short stay and you will be offsite to your other resort fairly quickly.

 

[scorp111]

Supply and Demand....

People are obviously willing to pay it.

I know that doesn't help you, but it is part of the reason.

 

[pyrophoric]

Disclaimer: I am a HUGE cheapskate. I have made doing big things on the cheap somewhat of an art form. With that....

I have been to WDW somewhere around 100 times - my first visit being when I was 18 months old in 1978. (Oops...gave away my age there!) I am going back again in about 3 weeks, and of all those times, this will only be the second time I have ever stayed on property - the Buy 4 Get 3 Free deal was just too good to pass up. With that said, I have never had a bad time staying off property, and when done correctly you can stay at WDW Deluxe- or Moderate-level accommodations for somwhere between Moderate- and Value-level prices. Consider:

• Location: My last visit I stayed at Gaylord Palms. I could literally see Pop Century from my room. There are many hotels off of 192 that are only a 2-3 minute further drive away from the parks than the majority of on-property resorts - and in some cases even closer than on-property!
• Value for the Money: The Gaylord Palms stay I referenced was a $99 a night stay off of Priceline. The hotel is rated as being on par with most Deluxe resorts, with better pools to boot. I've stayed at Hampton Inn on 192 several times for the around the price of a night at a Disney Value resort, and got free WiFi and free breakfast out of the deal.
• Transportation: If you are driving down yourself, then this is a completely moot point. If you are flying down, renting a car is no big deal, and I vastly prefer it over Disney transportation, which I have used on several occasions. I have rented small cars though Priceline/Hotwire for around $100 for a week at MCO out the door.
• Dining: This kind of depends on your party and what you want to eat. Table service on- and off- property is a push in my opinion if you live near a metropolitan area. Buffets and counter service restaurants are hands down cheaper with varying degrees of quality outside the World. I usually do breakfast on or off property, lunch on property, and dinner on property unless it's an early night and Disney's offerings aren't appealing.
• Downsides of Staying Off Property: Immersion, theming and the Disney Experience are negatives to varying degrees depending on where you are staying at. You don't get luaus, monorails, character breakfasts and watercraft rentals at the Hampton Inn. Go a bit more upscale for a fraction of the cost of an on-property resort, and you get resort quality amenities, better pools, more theming, over a basic hotel. Gaylord Palms has great theming and a WDW store! However, the Disney Experience cannot be replicated, which is why I still want to stay a night at each monorail resort.
• One more thing: Extra Magic Hours: I think they are overrated. Studies show that the park with that day's EMH end up being more crowded than the other parks. If you are willing to park hop it can make a difference, but my family stays in one park for an entire day. I'm not saying it isn't a worthwhile benefit, I'm saying that it shouldn't be as big of a factor in choosing your accomodations.

Anyhow, that's my take on it.

Well said, I like to shop around too so I don't mind finding the deal. I guess that is why I am so critical of my choice between on-site and off.

The only thing I have to ask is ... how did you get $99 at Gaylord? Everything I am seeing is $200+ atm.

The Caribe Royal is $133 at some sites but it seems to have more amenities than the deluxe resorts at Disney.




Question, if you don't stay at the Disney resorts can you still rent things like wave runners and such? If so, where would you go on property to rent them or is there a better place off property?

 

[TurboCaroline]

Back in 2003 was our first trip to WDW together and I was very ignorant about everything Disney. In my mind I was certain that it was a better deal to stay off property, so we stayed at the Super 8 on 192....That was the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. It was right behind a Publix and at 6am every morning they would unload their trucks right outside our door.:fork: Not a very pleasant experience...The price was maybe $50/night and we realized later that is wasn't much more to stay at a value resort. I hated leaving the motel and driving to the park we were going to and park. It seemed like such a hassle to me. I love parking my car and leaving it for the entire trip and buses taking me where I need to go. To each their own I guess...:shrug:

 

[dsnyfreak]

while having stayed mostly on site I have stayed off site for other reasons ( wrestlemania last year being one) and just visited disney one day, universal the other, i say just being there is fun, and if your planning on visiting friends or relatives and other area attractions, you're better off picking a value resort anyway since youre not going to be in the hotel the entire time of your vacation. just think about how much time you're going to be spending in the room. I say if you're rich why not spend it on a $400+ a night go for it but if you're on a budget, stay value, you're still in the middle of the magic and get all the perks, plus one BIG reason I always pick a value resort besides the price is you dont have to make reservations every time you want to eat!! or pay the 18% extra for room service!!! because at the deluxe resorts, you dont have as much of a choice of food as other resorts, unless you want to pay alot more and make priority seating arrangements everyday and hope you can get in.

 

[jsdratm]

If you don't want to rent a car you can save like $15 a day on parking and the cost of renting a car by staying in the resort so that would make it a little more worthwhile. However, I still got by dirt cheap by staying at the HoJo on 192 for $34 a night. I was minutes from DW and it was so convenient that I stayed there a whole 10 days for a price of about $400. Some hotel rooms cost that much a single night! I still had to pay the $15 parking fee, but I still saved a lot of money since I had my own car and didn't rent one.

I like the HoJo since you have a IHOP right next door so you can have a hearty breakfast for a reasonable cost, then go quickly to DW or Universal or Sea World. Its not exactly the Ritz Carlton, but as a single guy I don't really care where I sleep as long as it has air conditioning and a bed. I hardly spent any time in the room aside from sleeping anyway so I didn't care how nice it was.

 

[GatorGambit]

The only thing I have to ask is ... how did you get $99 at Gaylord? Everything I am seeing is $200+ atm.

Priceline bid last year (April 2008). I bid $99 on Resort-level hotels and that was the lucky hotel I was given. Honestly, $99 for any of the "World Disney World Vicinity" area Resort-level hotels is a great deal.

I would bid Priceline for Resorts, but use hotel web sites for pricing for non-resorts (Hampton Inn, etc.)

Question, if you don't stay at the Disney resorts can you still rent things like wave runners and such? If so, where would you go on property to rent them or is there a better place off property?

I believe you can rent watercraft on-property from Disney-run facilities regardless of where you are staying. I keep hearing Fort Wilderness is the best place to rent from.

I know you can definitely rent PWC and take ski boat tours at Sammy Duval, which is based out of the Contemporary and is NOT Disney-run: http://sammyduvall.com/

 

[GatorGambit]

we stayed at the Super 8 on 192....That was the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. It was right behind a Publix and at 6am every morning they would unload their trucks right outside our door.

Ouch. That didn't sound like fun. I love TripAdvisor.com for researching hotels before I book them, just to be sure I don't get that kind of surprise!

 

[Susan Savia]

We stay offsite. Not everyone feels they must be surrounded by Disney 24/7. As pass holders, our days are very full, entering each day at rope drop and staying until fireworks are over. We are totally immersed in Disney during this period, we do not need to be while we sleep. We do not see the value in spending $400+ for a room per night when we are in the parks all day and back to the room to sleep at night. The resort amenities (pool, monorail/ferry, and food court, free parking etc.) we also use. Offsite, we enjoy amenities such as free breakfast, internet service, pool, parking at our door, etc. And doesn't it cost more for each person (adult) in your room beyond 2 people? We do eat in the parks for lunch, but thats about it. Dining offsite saves too. As long time visitors to Disneyworld we do not feel we have missed a single thing by staying offsite, except for maybe the high price of staying there. But I got to tell ya, I thoroughly enjoy reading all about the folks who do stay onsite and the places they eat at etc. To that I say, ENJOY!!

 

[VT GAL]

Hello!

If you do a package (room/tickets/dining-if you choose) you have to put a $200 deposit for your room and have to pay off the balance (I think) 45 days before you arrive.

If you get a room only reservation you pay the same deposit, but your payment in full is due later.

Plus if you are interested in doing tours or anything like that it is SUPER easy to coordinate.

The making payments over time makes budgeting easy for us!

We REALLY love Port Orleans French Quarter, because it is smaller and offers a lot of ammenities. Plus we love the boat to Downtown Disney!

I hope that this helps, and if I got anything wrong someone please correct me!!!!

Good Luck!
Shelley

 

[DisneyJoe]

If you do a package (room/tickets/dining-if you choose) you have to put a $200 deposit for your room and have to pay off the balance (I think) 45 days before you arrive.

If you get a room only reservation you pay the same deposit, but your payment in full is due later.

Correction:

- MYW packages, $200 deposit, balance due 45 days before arrival; cancellation penalty of $100 if between 45 days and 6 days before arrival; penalty of $200 if less than 6 days before arrival

- room only, deposit equal to 1 night room cost including tax, balance due at checkin, cancel up to 6 days before arrival with no penalty; if less than 6 days before arrival you lose your deposit

 

[VT GAL]

Thanks DisneyJoe!!! I was trying to remember without looking at my planning notebook!!!

Shelley

 

[VT GAL]

Thanks DisneyJoe!!! I was trying to remember without looking at my planning notebook!!!

Shelley

 

[pyrophoric]

A lot of great information.

We are going to buy annual passes and go down for a single night to test out one of the Disney resort hotels. We might also drive around and look at the other resorts as well as check out Caribe Royal Orlando.

 

[durangojim]

To me a lot of this depends on what kind of person/traveller you are. If you view a hotel/motel room as just a place to sleep, then staying on property at a Disney resort probably isn't worth it as you can definately save more money and time if you stay off property and rent a car. However, if you view staying at the resort as an integral part of your vacation and enjoy doing things at your resort each day (swimming, eating, renting boats, etc.) then the value of staying at Disney along with using the included transportation and Magical Express is excellent. I will say this, I have never paid the rack rate for any of the 18 times we've been to WDW in the past 8 years and would never do so. I believe that the rack rates are too high for what is given, but the discounts abound so that really isn't an issue.

 

[KingStefan]

Well said, I like to shop around too so I don't mind finding the deal. I guess that is why I am so critical of my choice between on-site and off.

The only thing I have to ask is ... how did you get $99 at Gaylord? Everything I am seeing is $200+ atm.

The Caribe Royal is $133 at some sites but it seems to have more amenities than the deluxe resorts at Disney.

Question, if you don't stay at the Disney resorts can you still rent things like wave runners and such? If so, where would you go on property to rent them or is there a better place off property?

First, let me say that there is no comparison to staying on-site. It is a unique experience.

However, having said that, if you choose to stay off-site, certainly the Caribe Royale is absolutely one of the best choices you can make! The rooms are huge compared to on-site rooms at the same price. Consider upgrading to a larger suite with a jacuzzi for a fantastic experience. And the breakfast they provide can't be beat, and is included in the price of the room (at least it was when I was there 7 years ago). And you are so close to the property that it almost feels like staying on site.

The pool is wonderfully themed, and you almost feel like you are at a Disney resort. Also, there is a convenience store right across the road, and it is less than a mile to some other larger stores.

Now let me caveat this by saying that this was the only resort-level hotel I've stayed at in the area, but I've looked around, and shopped on-line, and although there are some that are more lavish, price-wise, this one seems like a pretty good deal.

If you want to save a bit of money, their sister property Buena Vista Suites are right next door, and a bit cheaper. And if I understand correctly, you can use the Caribe Royale facilities (but you'd have to check that out, because I've not stayed there, and I'm not certain how that works).

And yes, you have access to nearly all the same restaurants, water sports, shopping, lounges, etc., on Disney property if you stay off site as those who stay on-site. The notable exceptions are the pools and the extra majic hours. But walk-in guests are welcome to participate in most organized activities (like story times, campfires), can put their kids into the kids club for the same price as resort guests, rent bicycles, pedal boats, waver runners, use all the Disney transportation, eat in the same restaurants and lounges, etc.

Of course, it's not the same as actually staying on-site; you are missing the immersion. It's that and the EMH (and the proximity) you are paying extra for. And the free parking.

 

[dave2822]

Additionally, if you are going to stay off-site, make sure you scout the off-site resorts well and do some research.

In terms of quality of rooms, pools, etc, there isnt much difference no matter which Disney resort you pick, but there certainly is off-site. Not every off-site resort is the Ritz, to put it nicely.

Because I've stayed at some scary ones :lookaroun