Anyone NOT going this winter because the discount isn't "good enough"?

[Lollipop's Mom]

We are going, but instead of mod or deluxe, we have to stay in a Value. With the Canadian dollar, 8 nights play/dine/stay costs me about $2800 canadian, plus flights (with the exchange as well) and then anything else is a lot more. I think we did 10 days at preferred CBR about 18 months ago on free dining for $2300 US -I think - Id have to look. To upgrade into a mod it would cost me about another $1000 cdn - and to me, if I am paying nearly 4 grand I want to stay in AKL! So we shall slum it and do pop century (which I actually dont mind - and kidding about slumming it - just happy we can even go!).

 

[lustergirl]

Still going for a quick getaway in the end of January. Just consider the savings that I got an added bonus.

 

[jamescanuck2001]

waiting for better deal, like free dining, or 20% stacked Orbitz discount and do a split stay to accrue the full $150 for both reservations. If nothing comes up, father in-law has a spare bedroom at his palm beach condo.

 

[PirateSAM]

I'm actually extending my stay this year. Not thrilled with the higher prices, lower discounts, and everything under construction though.
But I really need to get a break from winter by the time the holidays are over! LOL

 

[boufa]

I actually extended my stay, in prep for the SPD discount. I thought last year it required a 5 night stay, and our initial plan was for 4 nights. The once the discount was released it turned out to be a 3 night minimum. Well, we had already made our plans, so I left it at 5 nights.

Discounts cannot be counted on, and they are being phased out. From the sounds of things, and some of the AP price increases, they are using rates to manage the crowds. Manipulating people into different times of the year, and pushing some people out of the parks via price. Remember if the price goes up 10% and the attendance drops 5% they still made more money.

 

[Ofinn]

I quit going 3 years ago due to discounts not being good enough. No regrets lots of other places to go.

 

[DisOrBust]

Nope not going. The january rates are nuts. Pricing it out it was more expensive then July was. The weather is just to iffy and I only could justify it with a good discount. We have been there so many times and now there is just nothing new anymore and I can stay in Key West for less.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Try Orbitz. If they have a code you may be able to get 10 to 20% off on top of the Disney discount.

With January there are going to be minimal discounts associated with the marathon and MLK weekend. Some other discounts are not as good as they used to be. Disney's filling the rooms without offering deeper ones.

 

[HopperFan]

Both winter trips last year, jumped ship and stayed offsite for WAY less and was very happy. A December week in a two bedroom at WBC and a stay at an Embassy Suites to avoid the BTG at POP I dealt with last two January's. I returned to onsite first week of March. 2016 rates ...... the lack of availability for discounts lately .... having a hard time convincing myself to book onsite. By now I've usually got a couple trips on the books, but nothing at the moment. Sad. Am sure I'll finally book in January but highly doubt it will be onsite.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I totally understand folks who say that the value just isn't there for them right now with all of the work being done and the price increases. What I don't understand is folks who would love to go to WDW if they got a great discount but won't go for a lesser discount. That is, unless the discount is necessary for one to be able to afford a WDW vacation (which I would totally get - been there).

If you still love WDW, the discounts have still been pretty solid - especially if you book through Orbitz. We got almost 40% off our CBR vacation in January. We got free dining on our vacation in September. We also have a trip booked in April with a 20% discount and hoping to improve on that but will gladly take it given the time of year. The deals are out there - if you want to go.

If you don't want to go for these discounts, what would it take?

 

[fla4fun]

I totally understand folks who say that the value just isn't there for them right now with all of the work being done and the price increases. What I don't understand is folks who would love to go to WDW if they got a great discount but won't go for a lesser discount. That is, unless the discount is necessary for one to be able to afford a WDW vacation (which I would totally get - been there).

If you still love WDW, the discounts have still been pretty solid - especially if you book through Orbitz. We got almost 40% off our CBR vacation in January. We got free dining on our vacation in September. We also have a trip booked in April with a 20% discount and hoping to improve on that but will gladly take it given the time of year. The deals are out there - if you want to go.

If you don't want to go for these discounts, what would it take?

I think your first comment says it all - the discount needs to be low enough that the consumer feels they are getting adequate value for their money. For many people, even 30-40% off of the current rack rate doesn't bring the price low enough to be in line with the value people feel they are getting for that money. Some people don't like booking through third parties like Orbitz or Expedia, because they want total control over their reservation even if it means giving up part of the discount, and at the same time, without that extra discount they don't feel the Disney resorts are worth it right now.


For me, I have a set vacation budget I need to work within, and six weeks of vacation time I have to use or lose. So I have to juggle one against the other and find a way to make it all work. If that means staying value or mod instead of deluxe because the discounted price of a deluxe doesn't fit in the budget, then that's what I have to do. I might love staying deluxe, and wish I could stay deluxe, and wish the discount for the deluxes was better - but it is what it is. I can have just as enjoyable vacation at POP or AoA as I can at Poly or BC. I used to spend approximately 40 nights per year in deluxe and DVC rooms - now it's split about half deluxe/DVC and half value/moderate. If the discounts continue to go down, it may be all value/moderate - or even all value. And if worse comes to worse, I just stay at home and do day trips with my AP. Would I be disappointed if there weren't discounts deep enough to afford staying on property? Sure.

 

[vinotinto]

Kids have a 4-day break in Feb (Presidents Day). Since we just went 4 days in Oct, I'll only go back if I find a great deal. I've been looking and none of the discounts for WDW or DCL for mid Feb are "good enough."

Will either stay put or go to Caribbean or go skiing. We're doing a big one week ski trip in April and a big sightweeing two week trip in June, so the budget for Feb is minimal.

 

[Runnergal]

We are going but staying offsite at the Waldorf. Got a great rate for a suite during princess half marathon weekend. I absolutely need a break from the cold in February. We won't do the parks every day so it is fine. Even though we can technically fit all six of us into one deluxe room onsite since my youngest is not yet three, we have done it before and it is not fun, especially when we are paying top dollar for the privilege.

 

[jake20]

We used to go every year in November.. either beginning, middle, or end when my son was not in school. But now it seems that hotel rates have skyrocketed since just a few years ago.. and availability is almost nothing in Nov now.
Its really crazy... Moderates are like deluxe prices now, and deluxe are like celeb VIP price range now.

Back in like 2009-2012 I used to get 40% off PIN codes every year. This made it affordable to stay in the cabins, which we love... but now the absolute cheapest price is around $245.
Saratoga Springs is almost $700/night for the weekend of 11/6.. and Grand Floridian is almost $800.. Thats insane.

 

[hawgwilld]

Jeeze
I'd jump on $245.00 a night for a cabin. Where can you find that price?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I think this has been said before but continue to check the Disney site if your desired resort or room category wasn't available. We had booked POR (stayed there last year too) on the SPD deal because Caribbean Beach was $273 more expensive. This morning I checked (I check every day!) and CBR water view rooms opened up for our dates for the SPD deal and now for $2.24 more TOTAL we can see a new resort. Check often if you're not in the exact room you want!!

 

[Disneytam]

We have a trip planning for Feb. but these prices are just nuts! I just renewed our AP's but I don't think we will be doing it again. I keep a book on our past Disney trips and I am just shocked over the price increases over a short period of time. I get since we are staying deluxe club level we are buying the experience and not just the room but the value is just not there for the price. Examples (all of these prices with tax included) Feb. 2014 BWI CL $382 per night Sept. 2014 BWI CL $415.81 per night Feb. 2015 BWI CL $478.98 and Feb. 2016 BWI CL $620.17 per night. These rooms are all standard club level and all prices are for AP discounts except for our upcoming trip witch is a general public room only discount. I called on the day the AP discounts were released but was told that they didn't have any available for BWI CL. They had plenty of rooms just nothing with an AP discount for it.

For another comparison we stayed at the GF main building CL in Oct. 1997 the AP rate was $397 a night. At that time they didn't have different prices for views and we were lucky enough to get theme park view. This year my husband really wanted to stay at a monorail resort for a couple of nights and the Poly didn't have any discounts. With the AP discount the GF main building CL theme park view is $1,033.20 per night!!! That's with a discount at one of the quieter times of the year. We spend a lot of time at the resorts and now that the kids are grown up's we like to relax at the deluxe resorts but these prices are crazy. I think it is really sad that Disney has no problem boosting AP tickets by $100 a ticket but doesn't make me feel like they appreciate my loyalty. Except for when I tried to book rooms with the AP and the cast member gave me this whole spiel on how the AP members are the backbone of Disney and how much they appreciate our business. I told her that I thought they had a really strange way of showing it! I did tell her that I knew it wasn't her fault but that she could pass it on that I didn't feel the Disney love.