Would you Pay Rack Rate?

[ClareH37]

In the UK we don't usually qualify for pins, although for the last couple of years, and again in 2012, we do receive very good discounts for OKW/SSR, but I enjoy staying at the deluxes and they are not discounted. When the £/$ rate has been more favourable I have taken advantage of any US discounts but even a good discount with the current rate of exchange does not make any discount so attractive or good value.

I have however got free dining with my package (through the UK) but the actual resort itself is not discounted, I am therefore paying rack rate for the resort itself this trip although the free dining obviously makes things easier for me, but it is still very expensive.

Transatlantic airfares are increasingly expensive and due to the deluxe resort rates I have already decided to give 2012 a miss. When it comes down it I will pay rack rate (as I'm doing this year) for the resort I really wish to stay at but my trips will not happen every year.

 

[Mamiamjo]

Since buying DVC, we only stay there. But, if WDW did away with discounts, there would be more rooms left unused and they would have to lower what is considered rack rates (except maybe during peak season)

 

[Splashboat]

We have used 40% off pins for the last 2 years. Now that we have stayed in a 1 bedroom villa, I do not think I would want to stay in a studio again. I can't imagine paying rack rate for a villa. If we don't get a decent discount we will stay off site next winter (which will also give us an opportunity to do some "non-Disney" things for a change if we rent a car).

 

[JenSop]

I think we would stick to just doing DVC stays if there were no discounts. We occasionally add on days with cash before or after the DVC portion of our stay. But if everything was always rack rate, I guess we wouldn't be adding those extra days and would just stick with what we could do with our DVC points. (Or rent points from someone else.)

 

[Jareds_mommy]

If Disney decided to eliminate all discounts (AP, FD, room only, etc.), would you still pay rack rates to stay onsite? Would you downgrade your resort/room choice or would nothing change except the price of your vacation?

Bottom line, are the resorts worth Disney's price to you?

We do 2x 2week vacations a year, and I set a budget of what we will spend for the year, lately with the discounts at disney world and disney cruises have been giving up best bang for our buck, so we have been doing those.
We don't care where we go as long as its warm. SO if disney no longer gave up the best bang then we would change locations, before disney cuba and dimnican republic were giving us the best bang, we could go 2 weeks for 4 of us at a 5 star all inclusive with air for under $6000 right now 2 weeks at disney for 4 with free dining at a mod and air is coming in at about that.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Actually, most of the time I pay rack rate. I book what I can afford, make the deposit and then just pay off as I go. I don't have the time to worry about pin codes and such. Last year, I did call back and get the free dining applied to my reservation, but that's as far as I go.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well I picked other

The Swan and Dolphin with a govt. discount is what we have used in the past

Also if we could we would cash in dh frequent flier miles for a room, even if it was with no discount. We are doing this in 3 weeks and are staying 3 nights at the Grand Floridian and 3 nights at the Beach Club for free. The miles transferred were at the full Disney rack rate I think.

In December 2 of our days at the Poly were at rack rate since we booked so last minute for that part of the trip. I was so not happy with a bad view, no balcony etc. It made enjoying it at that price really hard.

 

[kaffinito]

I voted "other"

I do pay rack rate if I want to go during Spring Break or Christmas. but I downgrade resort levels.

But I wouldn't if it were value season or just regular season. I just wouldn't go.

 

[MsPeggySue911]

I am paying rack rate. I have no discounts, PINS or free dining for my upcoming trip to Disney. Staying at POR full price.

 

[AJA]

We would down grade to value and probably do a split stay with off site. We usually stay 10 days in Orlando so we have lots of "down time" from the parks. If we didn't have a discount we would do our first 5 nights on property (probably at POP) go gang busters in the park for five days, then, switch to a nice hotel off property and enjoy some down time and their amenities with half days at the parks.

 

[sunshineNJ]

We only do deluxe with a pin code or free dining. If there was neither we would stay at a moderate. We stayed at CBR last Aug with free dining for 9 nights. It was great. I think the moderates are beautiful. We are staying @ BC for the first time this summer ( free dining) because we want to try storma long Bay

 

[bytheblood]

Other - I am a DVC Member.

 

[NYEmomma]

Nothing would change for us. We'd still do the same vacation that we would do if we got a discount. We're paying the rack rate for our vacation this October because no discounts have covered our dates.

When we plan for a vacation, we plan because that's where we want to go/what we want to do, and we have saved the money in years prior to be able to take the vacation.

Trust me, it's not like we take extravagant vacations, but with DH's salary and our normal expenses, vacations are luxuries we can only afford every few years. And I most certainly do not think the prices on Disney's resorts are at all reasonable... I think they're way over-priced for what you're getting. But the magic of Disney is worth every penny of that extra cost *for us* and if we weren't able to go to WDW and stay on-site in the resort we wanted (moderates... some day I'd love to do a deluxe!!!) then we'll wait another year or two until we CAN afford doing Disney the way we like to.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Many years ago before all of these room discounts existed, we'd use our AAA card for a discount.

I'd call, tell them I'm an AAA member and book my room. sure it was a tiny discount but it was a discount.

Now if they eliminated all discounts, we'd go off site and rent a condo. We are actually discussing doing this for our next family trip anyways because we need more beds. If that happens it will be a very different feeling trip.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I voted "other." It would probably drive us to purchase DVC. With our Florida resident or military rates or AP rates, we stay in the resorts reasonably and it would take many years to overcome the cost of the DVC contract. If we couldn't get those discounts, we'd seriously consider buying DVC.

 

[Sue M]

Nothing would change for us. We'd still do the same vacation that we would do if we got a discount. We're paying the rack rate for our vacation this October because no discounts have covered our dates.

When we plan for a vacation, we plan because that's where we want to go/what we want to do, and we have saved the money in years prior to be able to take the vacation.

Trust me, it's not like we take extravagant vacations, but with DH's salary and our normal expenses, vacations are luxuries we can only afford every few years. And I most certainly do not think the prices on Disney's resorts are at all reasonable... I think they're way over-priced for what you're getting. But the magic of Disney is worth every penny of that extra cost *for us* and if we weren't able to go to WDW and stay on-site in the resort we wanted (moderates... some day I'd love to do a deluxe!!!) then we'll wait another year or two until we CAN afford doing Disney the way we like to.

http://www.mousesavers.com/historicalwdwdiscounts.html#2010 There may be discounts out for Oct, but it's to early yet.

 

[Sue M]

Actually, most of the time I pay rack rate. I book what I can afford, make the deposit and then just pay off as I go. I don't have the time to worry about pin codes and such. Last year, I did call back and get the free dining applied to my reservation, but that's as far as I go.

Wow, so if a 40% discount came out for WL, you wouldn't bother with it?

 

[NYEmomma]

http://www.mousesavers.com/historicalwdwdiscounts.html#2010 There may be discounts out for Oct, but it's to early yet.

You better believe I am stalking every rumor and rumor of a rumor like a madwoman!! I just emailed my mom on Friday about the May 2nd GP FD offering and told her we just had to keep biding our time... I figure we'll get SOMETHING whether it be FD or % discount sometime this summer (though we're checking in on Sun. of the Columbus Day weekend).

I'm not sweating it yet. I'd love a discount, it would make the trip so much more affordable for our whole family and we could put the money I've been putting away to something fun like a new patio set or doing some home improvement projects.

But we're going either way. A discount is the icing on the cake... the cake is still tasty regardless and I'd devour it even w/o the icing. But the icing's pretty yummy too.

 

[DaniB]

Too bad you didn't make the second choice two different choices instead.

Now that so many people have voted, it would be interesting to see how many would stay off-site compared to how many would downgrade/change resorts.

 

[TiggersBuddy]

I picked 'other'. We usually rent DVC points which works out better for us than any PIN code or % discount, AAA, Gov't rate, Free Dining promo, etc.