SO glad I have DVC- did you see the new rack rates?

[podsnel]

Geez!!! It's expensive to go to WDW when you don't have DVC- I know that there are specials, free dining, etc throughout the year to offset the prices, but for my family? We have never gone when there was a "deal" to be had, and just the regular season rates for the deluxes are @$400/night or more STANDARD!!!:scared1: SOOOOO happy to have points and not be dealing with all THAT!!!:yay: :yay: :yay: Aren't you?:goodvibes

[Chellymouse]

AMEN!!! If we didn't have DVC we probably wouldn't be going next year! :worship: DVC!!

[jlewisinsyr]

I saw the rates for Animal Kingdom Savannah View went up over 5%, year over year, makes the 2.5% increase in dues seem small.

[DisneyDreams21]

Every year when the resort rates go up, I am glad to have DVC. There is no way we could stay in the style we enjoy at rack rate.

[Coach81]

Imagine what they will be like in 10, 15, 20 years????? I love my DVC!!! :goodvibes

[BWV Dreamin]

Geez!!! It's expensive to go to WDW when you don't have DVC- I know that there are specials, free dining, etc throughout the year to offset the prices, but for my family? We have never gone when there was a "deal" to be had, and just the regular season rates for the deluxes are @$400/night or more STANDARD!!!:scared1: SOOOOO happy to have points and not be dealing with all THAT!!!:yay: :yay: :yay: Aren't you?:goodvibes
Can you post the rack rates?

[bobbiwoz]

I admit that I was shocked at the price that was asked for both the standard view as well as the savannah view Room (not villa) at AKL when I asked for Sunday's price earlier this week. I'll keep the $100 rate for Pop, but the 8 points that I'm paying for a value studio on Monday really is a bargain! I get to enjoy that wonderful resort for very little money.

Bobbi:goodvibes

PS. But still, whatever the rate, whatever the resort, I would much rather stay on property than be somewhere else. Being there makes the trip more magical for me.

[thewesterberg]

Here's a link (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/disney-rates-deluxe-2009.htm)to the 2009 Deluxe rates (which don't include resort tax, so add another 12.5% to the price!)

[twinklebug]

I'm relieved to own points too, it makes planning so much easier knowing the room is said and done and the last thing to figure out is are we driving or flying. I never would have been able to plan in advance like we can with DVC - I'd be sitting waiting to jump on the "deals" and hoping I could find decent airfare to go with it.

However, we're going to see some incredible Disney resort deals coming this year with everyone settling down hanging onto their money. Hope they offer a % off for individual (weekend) nights and not just the buy 4/get 3 free deal type bit.

[mybabesuz]

I priced out our rooms we are planning to get for next Christmas...
It came to 16525.00 :scared1:

I guess my DVC is paying for itself in one trip...:thumbsup2

[pixie08]

I am so happy we bought DVC!!!

The thing is I probably would have to stay in a mod or value if I did not have DVC or not go at all:eek:

[Brave teacher]

:scared1: WOW!!!:scared1:

I am sooooo glad we bought our DVC.

[Disneypirate85]

VERY glad to have my DVC, like so many others wished we had bought in earlier before paying for all those Moderate rooms....:sad2:

[Claire L]

VERY glad to have my DVC, like so many others wished we had bought in earlier before paying for all those Moderate rooms....:sad2:

..or even all those deluxe rooms!

Claire ;)

[In Luv with Disney]

We just bought at BLT on Saturday and boy am I glad we did! :cool1: Although we won't be using it for a couple of years due to the economy, I am THRILLED to be able to stay in a MK view room for SO MUCH LESS than it would cost paying rack rate! If I had to pay rack rate, I wouldn't stay Deluxe EVER.

YAY DVC!!!!!!!!!! :dance3: :woohoo:

[Tink-n-Belle]

I was just thinking that when I looked at the Rack Rates!!! Thank goodness for DVC!!!

I guess paying my latest add on won't be so painful when I think of all the money I'll be saving for the next 50 years!!!!

[BrentR]

Put us in the "Thankful we own DVC" column too. We are so thankful that we just added 100 AKV points. After looking into the costs of a WDW trip for a family of 4 we decided to purchase last year. Took our first trip this Nov and decided then (actually we were thinking about it for a long time) to add on. Decided on AKV over BLT because of price and increased point requirements at BLT. However I am jealous of all you BLT owners and hope we can get a ressie there some day as we really like the looks of the resort.

[athenna]

I almost choked when I saw the rack rates this morning:scared1:
If I didn't have DVC, I'd probably never get to go again:sad2:

[Tiger926]

I just said the same thing to my hubby - can you imagine over $140.00/night plus tax for a value room. Yikes!

So glad we have DVC!!! Tiger :)

[Tozzie]

What I paid for a Savannah View room in June was one of the deciding factors for me when I purchased DVC, for Sun-Thur cost almost $2000. With my developer points and a 100 point add on in two years, this year and next I will have 6 vacations on points two of them concierge level. DVC is great.

[CarolA]

I am CONTINUALLY amazed at the success Disney has at selling a subpar product (their hotels) for a PREMIUM price. And then they have folks in hystericas over "deals" that MIGHT bring the rate to what the rack rate for the quality SHOULD be.

Sadly, Disney hotels do NOT measure up to the standards one would expect for the rates they charge. Now as a stockholder I don't blame them, but I do wonder how they get away with it!

[keishashadow]

while i sure think buying DVC was a great idea:thumbsup2 and i appreciate the whole value part vs 'rack rates' @ the Deluxes; I wonder if anybody ever pays rack rate @ WDW;) (based on reading the different pin code/sale code/pkg deals offered-think the current offer buy 4, get up to 3 free).

cynic in me is familiar with sales practice of inflating the cost of product, then drastically cutting it to appear as though the buyer is getting 'a deal', jmho

[ScubaD]

And as the rack rates continue to increase the payoff of our "investment" gets closer. We are so glad to have purchased into the DVC, but now we "have" to go to Disney. What a way to go.

[dallastxcpa]

I have to agree! I am so gald we have our DVC. :cool1: We are taking a couples trip in May :lovestruc and due to using all our points this year for a Hilton Head trip in June, and even with an AP rate, we will have to down grade our hotel accomodations. :sad2:

[dburg30]

while i sure think buying DVC was a great idea:thumbsup2 and i appreciate the whole value part vs 'rack rates' @ the Deluxes; I wonder if anybody ever pays rack rate @ WDW;) (based on reading the different pin code/sale code/pkg deals offered-think the current offer buy 4, get up to 3 free).

cynic in me is familiar with sales practice of inflating the cost of product, then drastically cutting it to appear as though the buyer is getting 'a deal', jmho

I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure there are times that they get rack rate in the good times. Holidays of course, and during the summer I'm sure they get almost full price, again, in good times. Rack rate for mods is like 149 during the week in value season? I paid 89 - 99 / night a few weeks ago. So that's a discount off the value rates.

I am CONTINUALLY amazed at the success Disney has at selling a subpar product (their hotels) for a PREMIUM price. And then they have folks in hystericas over "deals" that MIGHT bring the rate to what the rack rate for the quality SHOULD be.

Sadly, Disney hotels do NOT measure up to the standards one would expect for the rates they charge. Now as a stockholder I don't blame them, but I do wonder how they get away with it!

You really wonder how they do it? I would guess there are a LARGE number of people that goto WDW that really dont do a lot of investigating on the net for places like this. They hear the ads and think how great of a deal it sounds like (and there are deals to be had). And I've stayed in a couple of different disney resorts, and I really didnt find them 'subpar' they are much better then some of the motels I've stayed at in North Carolina, Gettysburg and a few other places, and some of those were as expensive, and the ones that were 'cheap' OMG, they were overpriced at that point.

And the real estate mantra of 'Location, Location, Location' rings true here also. You pay more for proximity IMO. I know you travel a lot, you dont see those $40/night hotels getting $150 - $200 / night when they are in demand?

[Buckeye Fan]

I just said the same thing to my hubby - can you imagine over $140.00/night plus tax for a value room. Yikes!

So glad we have DVC!!! Tiger :)

Yes! :scared1:

Because of our travel plans, I booked 2 nights at Pop for spring break. Since airline prices are SO high this year, it looks like we'll be driving (15 - 16 hour drive). We won't get in until really late on Friday night, so I sure didn't want to pay premium points just to sleep. That led me to my second thought of..."Since we're already at Pop, why wouldn't we just stay 1 more night and avoid paying a bundle of points because it is a Saturday?" So, $300 later (tax included), we have reservations at Pop. That saved us a total of 110 points.

As for joining DVC, I just wished we had done it sooner. We threw a lot of money away staying at both values and DVC resorts over the last several years. :headache: Glad we finally took the plunge, though! :thumbsup2

[BostonDisneyKid]

It's been years since I looked rack rates and after doing so this morning, all I can say is WOW, THANK YOU DVC!

[RLRDA]

I priced out our rooms we are planning to get for next Christmas...
It came to 16525.00 :scared1:

I guess my DVC is paying for itself in one trip...:thumbsup2

Wow, is that crazy or what? Are there actually cash paying customers who spend that on a Christmas trip to WDW?? :confused3

[DVC Grammy]

while i sure think buying DVC was a great idea:thumbsup2 and i appreciate the whole value part vs 'rack rates' @ the Deluxes; I wonder if anybody ever pays rack rate @ WDW;) (based on reading the different pin code/sale code/pkg deals offered-think the current offer buy 4, get up to 3 free).

cynic in me is familiar with sales practice of inflating the cost of product, then drastically cutting it to appear as though the buyer is getting 'a deal', jmho

A few years ago, at the BW bus stop, my late DH and I got into a conversation with a man staying at the BWI with his family (wife and 2 young children). For ONE week, he was paying about $6000 :scared1: (tickets included, but no meal plan or air fares)! He booked through a travel agent, and seemed okay with the cost. We told him about DVC (since he thought they'd return at least annually), and instead of going to the parks, he and his family took the "Tour" :laughing: We didn't see him again during our trip, but we're fairly certain that we made a "convert" :thumbsup2 .

[Anal Annie]

The rising rack rates are exactly why we decided to purchase our DVC membership 2 years ago this month!:woohoo: We priced out a trip at a moderate resort and nearly fell out as it was as much as what we'd paid for a deluxe a couple of years before. We knew we'd be booking values before long and :scared1: didn't like THAT thought!

We are VERY grateful for our DVC...it will allow us to vacation regardless of the economy. Perhaps not as often as we'd like with the higher airfares, but at least once a year.

[hellerjw]

Add us to the "grateful for our DVC" list as well. We have gotten on a 2BR kick the last few trips and I don't know if we can go back to a smaller unit now. We just did an add-on in September so we could afford our 2BR habit.

Can you imagine spending over $1000/night for a 2BR and then being hit with a $125/night tax on top of that :scared1:

The ever increasing rack rates, and particularly the 12.5% accomodations tax, was one of the main reasons we joined DVC. That 12.5% tax doesn't get figured into a lot of the rate comparisons people do but it was what pushed us over the fence to purchase DVC.

[jfinke]

I am CONTINUALLY amazed at the success Disney has at selling a subpar product (their hotels) for a PREMIUM price. And then they have folks in hystericas over "deals" that MIGHT bring the rate to what the rack rate for the quality SHOULD be.

Sadly, Disney hotels do NOT measure up to the standards one would expect for the rates they charge. Now as a stockholder I don't blame them, but I do wonder how they get away with it!

Two words:

Captured audience.

[ransom]

Two words:

Captured audience.

And pixie dust! Can't forget the pixie dust! ;)

[ILIKEWDW]

We paid for 8 nights, two rooms, last september on Gran Floridian (Concierge Club) more than $16,500. :scared1: No meals included, no transportation, just for the stay.

And for our DVC (meaning vacation for 50 years) we paid just 10,000 more than our past one and only stay.

What a deal!!!! :dance3: :banana:

[CarolA]

Two words:

Captured audience.

NO!


LOL!

Captured would imply no other options. There are TONS of other options.

And as for "Pixie Dust" Well... maybe for you. But the feeling of "RIPPED OFF" for me pretty much overcame any "Pixie Dust"

You can normally stay at the Swan/Dolphin for DRAMATICALLY less then a Disney "Deluxe" and get something closer to a real deluxe. Just checked rack rate on both Swan and BWI for a random date in January. Swan $256. BWI $335:rotfl2: :rotfl2:

You can stay at great hotels off property that are not dramatically worse in terms of commute then the moderates and/or values and may in some cases actually have BETTER commutes. Yes, you need a car. However, considering the savings the car and room are often much less then a room alone on Disney and you get more...

Let's compare the Disney value to the bottom of the Marriott line in Lake Buena Vista.

Hairdryer in Room... Disney On Request. Fairfield. Automatic
Fridge in Room.... Disney $10 a day. Farifield FREE
Food Court.... Disney Disney brands. Fairfield. Several well known vendors
Transportation to parks. Both offer. Disneys is better.
Inside Corridors. Disney.... :rotfl2: Fairfield Yes
Microwave Disney Not avaialble Fairfield Free
Charge for extra adult over 2. Disney $10 Fairfield Free
Rewards Program for staying often Disney:lmao: Fairfield. I am staying for a week in Portugal free at a Marriott using my rewards!!!!!!;)
Front Desk Staff (maybe that's "pixie dust") I have checked into both. No real difference.
Theming. Disney wins hands down.
Bed Size. Disney two doubles, King... extra charge Fairfield. Two queens, or King at no extra charge.
Internet Disney $9.95 a day. Fairfield FREE!

So you have to realize with Disney you are paying extra for "theme" and MAYBE location. Sure locations good IF you have a MK or Epcot Deluxe, but after that.... it's debatable!


There's nothing stoppoing folks from staying off property. We aren't "captured". Personally I think a lot of folks who stay on Disney property really have a very limited exposure to other hotels and just "assume" that's the way things are. My friends in-laws who are true "Luxury" travelers spent ONE night at a Disney Deluxe. Packed up and moved to the the Ritz. They knew what they normally get for those prices and thought that "pretty" wasn't really enough to make up for the so so room quality and service!

[BWV Dreamin]

NO!


LOL!

Captured would imply no other options. There are TONS of other options.

And as for "Pixie Dust" Well... maybe for you. But the feeling of "RIPPED OFF" for me pretty much overcame any "Pixie Dust"

You can normally stay at the Swan/Dolphin for DRAMATICALLY less then a Disney "Deluxe" and get something closer to a real deluxe. Just checked rack rate on both Swan and BWI for a random date in January. Swan $256. BWI $335:rotfl2: :rotfl2:

You can stay at great hotels off property that are not dramatically worse in terms of commute then the moderates and/or values and may in some cases actually have BETTER commutes. Yes, you need a car. However, considering the savings the car and room are often much less then a room alone on Disney and you get more...

Let's compare the Disney value to the bottom of the Marriott line in Lake Buena Vista.

Hairdryer in Room... Disney On Request. Fairfield. Automatic
Fridge in Room.... Disney $10 a day. Farifield FREE
Food Court.... Disney Disney brands. Fairfield. Several well known vendors
Transportation to parks. Both offer. Disneys is better.
Inside Corridors. Disney.... :rotfl2: Fairfield Yes
Microwave Disney Not avaialble Fairfield Free
Charge for extra adult over 2. Disney $10 Fairfield Free
Rewards Program for staying often Disney:lmao: Fairfield. I am staying for a week in Portugal free at a Marriott using my rewards!!!!!!;)
Front Desk Staff (maybe that's "pixie dust") I have checked into both. No real difference.
Theming. Disney wins hands down.
Bed Size. Disney two doubles, King... extra charge Fairfield. Two queens, or King at no extra charge.
Internet Disney $9.95 a day. Fairfield FREE!

So you have to realize with Disney you are paying extra for "theme" and MAYBE location. Sure locations good IF you have a MK or Epcot Deluxe, but after that.... it's debatable!


There's nothing stoppoing folks from staying off property. We aren't "captured". Personally I think a lot of folks who stay on Disney property really have a very limited exposure to other hotels and just "assume" that's the way things are. My friends in-laws who are true "Luxury" travelers spent ONE night at a Disney Deluxe. Packed up and moved to the the Ritz. They knew what they normally get for those prices and thought that "pretty" wasn't really enough to make up for the so so room quality and service!
There she goes....keep'in it real!!:rotfl: :rotfl2:

[ransom]

NO!


LOL!

Captured would imply no other options. There are TONS of other options.

And as for "Pixie Dust" Well... maybe for you. But the feeling of "RIPPED OFF" for me pretty much overcame any "Pixie Dust"

You can normally stay at the Swan/Dolphin for DRAMATICALLY less then a Disney "Deluxe" and get something closer to a real deluxe. Just checked rack rate on both Swan and BWI for a random date in January. Swan $256. BWI $335:rotfl2: :rotfl2:

You can stay at great hotels off property that are not dramatically worse in terms of commute then the moderates and/or values and may in some cases actually have BETTER commutes. Yes, you need a car. However, considering the savings the car and room are often much less then a room alone on Disney and you get more...

Let's compare the Disney value to the bottom of the Marriott line in Lake Buena Vista.

Hairdryer in Room... Disney On Request. Fairfield. Automatic
Fridge in Room.... Disney $10 a day. Farifield FREE
Food Court.... Disney Disney brands. Fairfield. Several well known vendors
Transportation to parks. Both offer. Disneys is better.
Inside Corridors. Disney.... :rotfl2: Fairfield Yes
Microwave Disney Not avaialble Fairfield Free
Charge for extra adult over 2. Disney $10 Fairfield Free
Rewards Program for staying often Disney:lmao: Fairfield. I am staying for a week in Portugal free at a Marriott using my rewards!!!!!!;)
Front Desk Staff (maybe that's "pixie dust") I have checked into both. No real difference.
Theming. Disney wins hands down.
Bed Size. Disney two doubles, King... extra charge Fairfield. Two queens, or King at no extra charge.
Internet Disney $9.95 a day. Fairfield FREE!

So you have to realize with Disney you are paying extra for "theme" and MAYBE location. Sure locations good IF you have a MK or Epcot Deluxe, but after that.... it's debatable!


There's nothing stoppoing folks from staying off property. We aren't "captured". Personally I think a lot of folks who stay on Disney property really have a very limited exposure to other hotels and just "assume" that's the way things are. My friends in-laws who are true "Luxury" travelers spent ONE night at a Disney Deluxe. Packed up and moved to the the Ritz. They knew what they normally get for those prices and thought that "pretty" wasn't really enough to make up for the so so room quality and service!

Thank goodness there's plenty of choices for everyone!

(BTW, the "Pixie Dust" comment was meant to be taken with a wink and a nudge.)

[jfinke]

That is still a captured audience, IMHO.

If you want to stay onsite, you are staying in a WDW hotel. Granted, the S&D are onsite. But, they only participate in some of programs as do the DTD hotels. No DDP for any of those guests. ME for S&D. If you are military you can stay at SoG, but I don't think you get any benefits from there.

I have stayed at Courtyard Marriotts that are nicer than WDW's moderates. Plus, more perks (outside of being at Epcot's doorstep).

I am not saying that there aren't other options. But, you can make the same argument as to why food is so expensive at WDW. You can always leave the park, drive away, eat at a cheaper restaurant, drive back.

If I don't want to eat an airport, I can always leave and then come back in through security. :rotfl2:

Another choice is to not go to WDW at all, but now it is really hyperbole.

I will be interested to see how the new third party luxury hotel integrates into the system. Time has shown that competition breeds innovation.

[CarolA]

.

I will be interested to see how the new third party luxury hotel integrates into the system. Time has shown that competition breeds innovation.


My hope is that the Four Seasons steals those guest paying for "Deluxe" and getting Marriott 3 star :rotfl2: Maybe that will force Disney to start living up to thier pricing.

And this always amazes me. It's Disney so we expect LESS??????:confused3 But don't we expect MORE from Disney? Don't we pay MORE for Disney then for Six Flags because it's a superior product? Didn't a lot of us pay MORE for DVC because we thought it was a better product then "Westwood" or some other Timeshare? However, we may MORE for an inferior product with the hotels? And people RACE to pay it...:rotfl2: As a shareholder I am pleased but as a consumer...:confused3

[Brian Noble]

Sadly, Disney hotels do NOT measure up to the standards one would expect for the rates they charge. Now as a stockholder I don't blame them, but I do wonder how they get away with it!
Disney is a marketing machine. They are excellent at selling you the value proposition of the seamless experience and the perks, and has developed an audience that considers those fair value in exchange for the prices they pay.

If you haven't seen the Planning DVD recently, watch it, putting yourself in the shoes of someone who's never been to WDW. At the end of that DVD, the average person would assume that their vacation would be ruined if they didn't stay in a Disney-owned resort.

Disney is by no means the worst offender. Cedar Point's "flagship" resort, Hotel Breakers, costs about $300 a night in season, give or take. The advantage to those rooms: you are steps away from one of the gates to the park. But, it's a dump, comparable to an older Holiday Inn. It would be lucky to pull down $109 a night if it were located anywhere else in Sandusky.

[snowbunny]

Rack is like "suggested retail price" - hardly anyone actually pays that.
The cynic in me says pushing up rack rates helps Disney sell its highly profitable timeshares.

[dburg30]

Disney is a marketing machine. They are excellent at selling you the value proposition of the seamless experience and the perks, and has developed an audience that considers those fair value in exchange for the prices they pay.

If you haven't seen the Planning DVD recently, watch it, putting yourself in the shoes of someone who's never been to WDW. At the end of that DVD, the average person would assume that their vacation would be ruined if they didn't stay in a Disney-owned resort.

Disney is by no means the worst offender. Cedar Point's "flagship" resort, Hotel Breakers, costs about $300 a night in season, give or take. The advantage to those rooms: you are steps away from one of the gates to the park. But, it's a dump, comparable to an older Holiday Inn. It would be lucky to pull down $109 a night if it were located anywhere else in Sandusky.

And, dont you get 'EMH' if you stay at the breakers? I've never stayed there, so I dont know. Looking back at going to cedar point and king's island, while there is no doubt they are much more 'thrilling' if you look at the time you stand in line at those places.. goodness, what a rip off.

[dburg30]

Rack is like "suggested retail price" - hardly anyone actually pays that.
The cynic in me says pushing up rack rates helps Disney sell its highly profitable timeshares.

Probably some truth to that also :)

[Brian Noble]

And, dont you get 'EMH' if you stay at the breakers?
You do, and that does have some value if you must visit in peak summer weekends.

if you look at the time you stand in line at those places.. goodness, what a rip off.
Just as with Disney, once you get to know how crowds ebb and flow in these parks, it's pretty easy to have a great day with minimal standing around in lines.

[dburg30]

Just as with Disney, once you get to know how crowds ebb and flow in these parks, it's pretty easy to have a great day with minimal standing around in lines.
I never figured that out then :) Granted I really didnt go THAT often.

[keishashadow]

A few years ago, at the BW bus stop, my late DH and I got into a conversation with a man staying at the BWI with his family (wife and 2 young children). For ONE week, he was paying about $6000 :scared1: (tickets included, but no meal plan or air fares)! He booked through a travel agent, and seemed okay with the cost. We told him about DVC (since he thought they'd return at least annually), and instead of going to the parks, he and his family took the "Tour" :laughing: We didn't see him again during our trip, but we're fairly certain that we made a "convert" :thumbsup2 .

i have a friend who will only stay concierge:snooty: says she doesn't make a single ADR & it's handled once they arrive, never disappointed as to what is selected for them:confused: .

i cannot imagine leaving planning up to a 3rd party (1/2 the fun imo;) ); yet i guess it's a niche that Disney has covered:confused3

while she's only able to afford to visit once every couple of years, she's satisfied with the experience & has no interest in any talk of DVC:upsidedow different strokes i guess

[starbox]

So you have to realize with Disney you are paying extra for "theme" and MAYBE location. Sure locations good IF you have a MK or Epcot Deluxe, but after that.... it's debatable!


There's nothing stoppoing folks from staying off property. We aren't "captured". Personally I think a lot of folks who stay on Disney property really have a very limited exposure to other hotels and just "assume" that's the way things are. My friends in-laws who are true "Luxury" travelers spent ONE night at a Disney Deluxe. Packed up and moved to the the Ritz. They knew what they normally get for those prices and thought that "pretty" wasn't really enough to make up for the so so room quality and service!

You know, I see both sides. ITA with you - Disney is not 5-star (or even 4 star) in terms of the rooms, and I do think that, for a lot of people, a Disney resort is the only "resort' they've stayed in and so they assume that it's worth the $$$$.

And yet - there is something about Disney. Maybe the theme - but more so, I think, feeling immersed in the "magic". We stayed at the Swan, and beds were better but, I don't know - something was missing.

Then again, we stayed at the Orlando Peabody and were very impressed. It was much nicer than the BWV room we checked into afterwards in terms of room size/beds/linens/ameneities - but BW just has that "magic"......

Personally, we've found a happy medium between paying for luxury off-site accommodations and saying on Disney property with DVC. I actually like being off-property at a resort sometimes, but I'm always happy to come "home".

[permavac]

...Theming. Disney wins hands down...

...So you have to realize with Disney you are paying extra for "theme" and MAYBE location...


You said it! I guess I can shine some light on this particular issue for you. I have to say that I honestly LOVE Pop Century! Call it theming, call it pixie dust but I have no desire to stay off property - even if it was for $20 per night at the Ritz. There's just something magical about being carted around to where you want to go by someone else with the theming carrying over from where you were to where you're going... It just feels so "HERE".

Yes - I would love a fridge and a microwave and a slew of other nice-to-haves but the Disney Values give me the bare minimum that I need and I guess I'm willing to settle for it, even if I pay a little more. By-the-way, we have always had a hairdryer in every value room we've been in at Disney.



...Personally I think a lot of folks who stay on Disney property really have a very limited exposure to other hotels and just "assume" that's the way things are. My friends in-laws who are true "Luxury" travelers spent ONE night at a Disney Deluxe. Packed up and moved to the the Ritz...

Just to give an example beyond your friends, my DH and I could be called world travelers. We've stayed in many luxury hotels and plenty of non-luxury (i.e. dumps) ones so I can't say I like the Disney Values because I haven't been any place nicer. Maybe my DH and I are a bit of an aberration though. I am a clean-freak and I am pretty skeeved out staying just about any place other than my own home. I do a pretty rigorous search of the room to clean and inspect and plenty of the 4-star properties I have been to have been just as dirty as the 2-stars (oh the horror stories I could tell! :scared: ). I guess maybe that gives me a different perspective. When I check into a room, I see a used bed and four walls - whether the bed is decked out in taffeta and lace or a tacky bedspread with 20-thread count sheets, it's still used ;) Yes - makes one wonder why I travel at all :laughing: Once I get over the gross factor, it's out of my head and I relax and have a ball.

To your point, I certainly wouldn't mind paying less to stay at the Values (but to be fair, I have only paid "rack" rates once so usually our stays are CHEAP and at times include free dining). Anyway, that's my reasoning for not only staying at the Values but actually loving them too. We just bought into DVC (not a lot of points yet) and plan on adding on but we still plan on staying at Values and Moderates when the good "deals" come up to mix things up. Just my two cents.

[Tink-n-Belle]

It's Disney so we expect LESS??????:confused3 But don't we expect MORE from Disney? Don't we pay MORE for Disney then for Six Flags because it's a superior product? Didn't a lot of us pay MORE for DVC because we thought it was a better product then "Westwood" or some other Timeshare? However, we may MORE for an inferior product with the hotels? And people RACE to pay it...:rotfl2: As a shareholder I am pleased but as a consumer...:confused3

I paid more for DVC because I can't walk home from Epcot if I own at the Westwood or other time share. I guess the appeal to me is to own at Disney because Disney is just special to me. The same with me having to own at BLT and being a founding member. My 1st real experience with Disney was on the monorail going through the Contemporary and its has stayed with me all these years. I have no interest in owning at a Marriott or Westwood, I don't even want to trade out, but That MOUSE gets me everytime. LOL:love:

[deerh]

Originally Posted by CarolA View Post
It's Disney so we expect LESS?????? But don't we expect MORE from Disney? Don't we pay MORE for Disney then for Six Flags because it's a superior product? Didn't a lot of us pay MORE for DVC because we thought it was a better product then "Westwood" or some other Timeshare? However, we may MORE for an inferior product with the hotels? And people RACE to pay it... As a shareholder I am pleased but as a consumer...

Well, for me I think BWV (where I own) is quite nice, and at least a 4 star as far as AAA is concerned. I think that 'rack rates' as others have said are MSRP, and not the norm for people paying that price. If you are unhappy as a consumer of dvc, then SELL!!!
It also depends on what you are saying is "deluxe".. Are you saying pop is? The answer is no, it is not, but you have to compare apples to apples. Comparing Westin to BWV, maybe so, but a Holiday Inn to BWV?? I don't think so..


deerh

[CarolA]

Well, for me I think BWV (where I own) is quite nice, and at least a 4 star as far as AAA is concerned. I think that 'rack rates' as others have said are MSRP, and not the norm for people paying that price. If you are unhappy as a consumer of dvc, then SELL!!!
It also depends on what you are saying is "deluxe".. Are you saying pop is? The answer is no, it is not, but you have to compare apples to apples. Comparing Westin to BWV, maybe so, but a Holiday Inn to BWV?? I don't think so..


deerh


1. I never spoke about DVC. I said that the unrealistic Disney pricing was one of the reasons I own DVC. My average night cost is much more in the real world range for the quality I receive!

2. Those rack rates at the Swan/Dolphin are also "MSRP" So the discounts are not exactly bringing Disney into reality.

3. It's INTERESTING that the ONLY rating agency that gives Disney 4 stars is one that get a LOT of it's business from Disney...... True independent agencies give the Disney Deluxe's three stars. Same as the Birmingham Marriott. (And I have stayed A LOT at that Marriott, it's nice, but it's not a deluxe resort either LOL!)

I compare the Disney resorts to their real world counterparts. That's why I compared the All Stars to a Fairfield Inn. I would compare a Disney "deluxe" to a Ritz or the Peabody. Pricing very comparable. Sadly :( Disney would come out on the short end of the comparision except for location... theme's actually something these hotels have.... I mean the Peabody does have LIVE ducks parading in the lobby!;) Hotels like the Gaylord have a good theme!

As I said, what I fail to understand is why folks feel the need to "defend" Disney for providing less. :confused3 If they started to provide the same quality theme park product as Six Flags would we defend them then?:confused3

[ransom]

And yet - there is something about Disney. Maybe the theme - but more so, I think, feeling immersed in the "magic". We stayed at the Swan, and beds were better but, I don't know - something was missing.


I can tell you that for DW, a normal hotel doesn't say "Vacation" as emphatically as a Disney themed hotel. She doesn't want to stay in a hotel that looks like she's staying somewhere in the course of her job! That's why the Contemporary doesn't appeal to her, by the way. Yeah, it's got a monorail running through it, but it looks too standard-issue to her in many ways.

So, for her, her surroundings are more important than top level service while at Disney. They meet or exceed her minimums otherwise, so she'd rather enjoy the feeling the visual and audio environment gives her.

Me? I'm just happy to be in WDW!

[snowbunny]

I would compare a Disney "deluxe" to a Ritz or the Peabody. Pricing very comparable. Sadly :( Disney would come out on the short end of the comparision except for location...

That's so true. I even came up with a better rate at the Ritz Carleton one time, but ended up staying deluxe on site for the location convenience! Ugh :scared:
And as you said earlier, don't even think about loyalty rewards for repeat $$$$ stays on cash at Disney!

[DVC Jen]

wow! it would cost us nearly 4K just for the room -before taxes -and it wouldn't include free laundry, or the kitchenette (we stay in studios) for our upcoming june trip.


I can not say it enough LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE DVC!

Ok I just went off and crunched some numbers. When we bought into DVC we were not able to pay for it all at once - we financed. Well we are nearly done with the payments. Even with the interests we have had to pay on the loan we have clearly come out ahead.

I will use our upcoming June trip as an example. I took the nightly cost for a courtyard view, bunk bed room (which is what we would want if we did not have DVC) at the Wilderness Lodge (our home resort) for 10 nights in June of 09. Added the cost along with the 12.5% tax rate and came up with $4162.50. Then I went and added our montly payment and dues together that we have paid for the past year on DVC - and they total $2407.44. We are 2 years away from paying our DVC loan off completely and even with the interest we have had to pay - we have MORE than gotten our moneys worth out of it.

The numbers simply do not lie.

[starbox]

I would compare a Disney "deluxe" to a Ritz or the Peabody. Pricing very comparable. Sadly :( Disney would come out on the short end of the comparision except for location... theme's actually something these hotels have.... I mean the Peabody does have LIVE ducks parading in the lobby!;)

Other things the Peabody has (and this was not club level):
Spa-quality bathrobes and real fluffy showermats (not a skimpy towel you lay on the floor).
Enormous tile bathrooms with flat screen TVs in them.
Daily bottled water in the room, little duck-shaped soaps.
Turn-down service.
Luxury bedding/linens.

[TravelingJen24]

I would say a major lacking in terms of dis rooms compared to a Ritz, is not necessarily the room, but the conc. level rooms. When we stayed at the Ritz in Ca. the conc. level included all alcohol and so much food you couldn't believe. We didn't even have to eat out if we didn't want. They had their own children's club and a candy wall that children could pick from all day. I really wish dis would update their conc. level especially in Ca. They charge you an additional 175. at the GC and you only get continential breakfast. What we paid for the Ritz was less then at the GC. Silly us though, after two days there we were off to dis, using our points over Thanksgiving:eek: for five days. I think we are just addicted to the magic.:wizard: