I love the DTD (Hotel Plaza Blvd) properties. We have stayed at all of them at least half a dozen times a piece. You can say resort fee, no resort fee, etc. etc. The bottom line is the final price. One property can be $130 with no resort fee. Another property can be $100 per night with a $30 resort fee. Bottom line. Still $130 per night. What does it matter how it gets to that total? Bottom line total is still what you pay, regardless of how that total is figured.
If you want to stay at [Insert property here] because it has no "resort fee" listed, that of course is your business. Total bill is still the bottom line.
I remember when the Wyndham LBV was the Dutch hotel (forget the name right now) then went to the Grosvenor Resort, then Regal Sun and now Wyndham LBV. Then when the B Resort was the Royal Plaza.
These properties may not be "overly Disney" though they have better rooms than the "economy (or whatever) resorts" at Disney do, to me. When we would holiday at Disney before we lived here, we always stayed at one of these DTD properties and never once had a bad experience. Yes. Things happen beyond the properties control -- Though they fixed it or compensated us each time. This could have happened at ANY resort anywhere in the Disney resort.
Anywho ... I highly recommend all or any of these properties to stay at when visiting Disney.
The point is the total bill should be the advertised rate. If you are going to add a resort fee to every room then just add it upfront in the price of the room. It's non-optional. Instead resorts are misleading you (on purpose) into thinking your nightly rate is much lower than it actually is. So if someone is looking for a room in a specific budget they will waste time looking at some resorts or if they miss the fine print totally be hit with charges at check in.
Example - Hilton:
- You go to their website. On the left it clearly states their parking charges. No mention of resort fee.
- Go to Hotel Policies, clearly states parking but no mention of resort fee.
- Attempt to book room. At top of page in tiny print is there will be a resort fee but doesn't say how much.
- I'm focused on the rooms I want to book.
- Price of $99 is printed very oversized while above the room rate in tiny print is $24 per night plus tax. Easily missed.
- Unless I click Room Details I don't see the extra charge spelled out with my room charge.
Bottom line this $99 room is really $123 = the true cost of this room is 25% more than advertised, plus $15 parking. (And $99 is a great rate for there, usually more)
More hotels are doing this as a way to mislead guests of their nightly rates. I suggest everyone check the fine print everywhere anymore.
DTD hotels are a good value if you get a great rate, plan to spend a lot of time at DTD or you have no car/plan to use shuttles (have one of the best shuttle systems). Otherwise you can do much better only a couple of minutes away.
AND one plus of Disney hotels is the rate they offer is the rate you pay, no parking fees, no resort fees, not even airport/hotel transfer fees.
