Are all Disney resort perks fair?

[itchin2go]

MONEY TALKS BS WALKS! THAT SUMS THIS POST UP!

 

[cakebaker]

See above quote for response

No, really I didn't.

Regardless - we think Deluxe resorts provide excellent service. You don't. Luckily I don't have to stay where you like and vice versa.

 

[Luckybee]

Maybe he means Disney should be more expensive

 

[Luckybee]

No, really I didn't.

Regardless - we think Deluxe resorts provide excellent service. You don't. Luckily I don't have to stay where you like and vice versa.

Maybe it wasnt what you intended but yes you did !

Want to take a poll ? (kidding )

You're right about having different tastes in properties. And perhaps the DD do provide "excellent service" . They just don't provide the type of service that I want from a luxury property

 

[Goofy'slady]

For me as a single mum who just so happens to have a fear of driving (seriously, I've never held a license a day in my life) Disney is the perfect vacation for me and my girls for many reasons and some of those reasons or perks are why I don't mind paying to stay onsite. I love the fact that Disney picks us up from the airport and takes us directly to our resort, that way I don't have to budget for a cab or shuttle. I love that once we're there we can just hop on all sorts of transportation that will take us ANYWHERE on property that we want to go.

Now the other perks that have nothing to do with driving are awesome as well. My girls love the refillable resort mugs, they love the many pools at our resort - we stay a mod so there is both a main pool and several quiet pools to choose from. They love that if we choose to we can either get in the park earlier or stay later and ride the rides without all of the crowds. To be honest we were there last in 2013 before FP+ was wide spread, they were still in the testing phase and so this year we'll be experiencing it ourselves for the first time so I can't comment on that just yet. However, I think once I get over the stress of actually getting the FP's when our 60 day window opens we'll be just fine. This isn't our first family trip to WDW and we know we'll be back we won't die if we don't get the coveted A&E FP (ok, my youngest might but we'll deal with that IF it happens). The idea that we get the opportunity to get a chance to get them before offsite guest is actually kinda cool - sorry

We use to stay off property when I was still a married woman and we did the whole rental of private homes w/pools and everything. Loved the prices and convenience of somethings but once we took the plunge in 2007 with our first stay we haven't stayed off property since. I also haven't been to US since 2002 and that was before my youngest was born and that trip was enough for me to say that I would never give US another one of my dollars ever again. Even with the addition of the world of HP. I mean it looks cool and all but it's not my cup of tea and thankfully my kids aren't into HP at all so nothing about US appeals to them.

I personally feel like the perks that onsite guest receive is totally fair. We pay more so we should get more. That's like when you pay for VIP tickets at a concert and you get to go back stage or do an advance meet and greet with the band. If I didn't pay the extra fee - I shouldn't expect to stand next to Maroon 5 and tell Adam Levine how hot he is - I'll have to wait for him to hit the stage and scream it out like every other woman who loves him.

 

[momof2n2]

MONEY TALKS BS WALKS! THAT SUMS THIS POST UP!

You think people don't stay on-site because they lack the finances?

 

[eliza61]

Have not read all the replies, whew 11 pages... I'm sure someone has said this so my apologies. anyhoo, op "perks" are not supposed to be fair. they're perks. Usually a "perk" is a reward for something. Hotels, airline, restaurants. you meet a certain criteria and you get the perk. My hairdresser gives a 25% discount to her repeat clients, you go 4 weeks out of 6 you get the perk.

 

[eliza61]

I will. Stay onsite. It's better than watching the people at the Metro stop waiting to get on the city bus across from your motel throw cigarette butts on the ground or watch the sandwich board guy on the corner hawking sea world discounts. When you stay on site at Disney you get a clean, professional, magically enclosed world where the ravages of the real world depravation are absent. That's what I pay for and the price is more than fair.

If I wanted to see the dirty gas stations and trash strewn streets on my drive to the Disney parks I'd stay off site. Ok then, Carry on.

OMG where the heck do you stay offsite where all that is going on!!! Lol and sorry have you seen some of the room conditions?? moldy showers at the Boardwalk, cigarettes butts on the balcony at the contemporary.
Sorry I've been on some crappy Disney rooms and DTD has been ugly many a day.

Lol. take a walk over to the absolutely gorgeous Waldorf Astoria Orlando then come back

 

[SupplySide]

You think people don't stay on-site because they lack the finances?

I have no idea what that poster was insinuating but it did arouse my curiosity. So I checked the website and if a family checked into the Grand Floridian on the last day of Free Dining and stayed over Christmas week, the cheapest room offered was a Lagoon view at an average of $765 a night.

I can't say I've ever paid that much for a hotel room in my entire life, regardless of whether I could afford it or not. Somebody will, though, and I'd think they should be entitled to all sorts of perks.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I think any perk offered by an on-site hotel is fair. They have to justify their higher rates somehow so in reality people who stay on-site are paying for those perks.

I also know they are presented as such but I don't consider the buses, monorails, and boats to be a resort perk since anyone can use them. Especially if you have park-hopper tickets or annual passes, so I think it's really erroneous to present the transportation system as some sort of on-site perk. And if I ever come across a 400 degree car I hope I have a Papa Murphy's pizza with me because that would make a perfect pizza oven.

When it's a 2 minute walk from your resort room to the monorail to get you to MK it is a perk.

I did say in a previous post that the transportation as a whole isn't a perk since anyone can use it.

Free parking is another perk.

 

[cakebaker]

I have no idea what that poster was insinuating but it did arouse my curiosity. So I checked the website and if a family checked into the Grand Floridian on the last day of Free Dining and stayed over Christmas week, the cheapest room offered was a Lagoon view at an average of $765 a night.

That would be the worst possible discount to apply. Free dining requires paying rack rate. The general or AP discounts save a great deal more.
Also, Christmas week is one of the most expensive times to stay. And lastly, the GF is one of, if not THE most expensive Deluxe. All in all, you couldn't choose a set or circumstances where the rates would be higher.

Value Season with at 35% discount at Wilderness Lodge would probably net you the lowest rate.

 

[SmithSmith]

Yes....!!!

Sadly not successfully but the funny thing is Ive broken a shoe twice on trips and both times at the pool. Both times at high end hotels and both times had pool people offer to help. The other time was a four seasons and it was a pool guy. This time was a lifeguard at Portofino

I thought that story sounded familiar.

Not sure how I feel about the lifeguard who would rather cobble than lifeguard...

 

[jcjen519]

We always stay onsite and prefer club level. We pay quite a bit of money to disney for that and I think there should be more perks then there are. I certainly feel the existing ones are perfectly fair. Of course I can understand why some prefer to stay off site, although that's not our choice. When you stay offsite you go into it with the knowledge that there are certain pluses and minuses. It makes sense for Disney to offer perks that off site hotels can't in an attempt to tip the scales in their favor.

 

[cakebaker]

You think people don't stay on-site because they lack the finances?

I think a great many people don't stay on site due to cost, yes. I read posts here all the time saying that exact thing. If you choose value resorts, with discounts then cost is much lower. I fully understand not wanting to stay at values, and I understand the desire for certain amenities that only come with a Deluxe or DVC villa. Not everyone can afford those and I'm sure there are many people, while they would love to stay on site, cannot afford to pay what it costs to get those choices.

 

[momof2n2]

I have no idea what that poster was insinuating but it did arouse my curiosity. So I checked the website and if a family checked into the Grand Floridian on the last day of Free Dining and stayed over Christmas week, the cheapest room offered was a Lagoon view at an average of $765 a night.

I can't say I've ever paid that much for a hotel room in my entire life, regardless of whether I could afford it or not. Somebody will, though, and I'd think they should be entitled to all sorts of perks.

If I were paying $765/night they'd best offer me more than a bus and a few more hours in the park. And honestly, I'd need WAY more than 30 days earlier FP.

That's why its not just about money.

 

[Luckybee]

OMG where the heck do you stay offsite where all that is going on!!! Lol and sorry have you seen some of the room conditions?? moldy showers at the Boardwalk, cigarettes butts on the balcony at the contemporary.
Sorry I've been on some crappy Disney rooms and DTD has been ugly many a day.

Lol. take a walk over to the absolutely gorgeous Waldorf Astoria Orlando then come back

That's where we're staying for our first few nights instead of on Property. We were impressed last time and this time we have a beautiful 2 room suite booked for less than we were paying for a garden room at the Poly when we were going to stay there with friends.
Then we're moving over to Grande Lakes(where the Ritz, the JW, and Lakeshore Reserve are) where we have Lakeshore reserve booked for a week .

 

[Luckybee]

We always stay onsite and prefer club level. We pay quite a bit of money to disney for that and I think there should be more perks then there are. I certainly feel the existing ones are perfectly fair. Of course I can understand why some prefer to stay off site, although that's not our choice. When you stay offsite you go into it with the knowledge that there are certain pluses and minuses. It makes sense for Disney to offer perks that off site hotels can't in an attempt to tip the scales in their favor.

I agree with you because as another poster said, who would stay onsite at Disney prices if not for those perks .

 

[LaurenT]

I think a great many people don't stay on site due to cost, yes. I read posts here all the time saying that exact thing. If you choose value resorts, with discounts then cost is much lower. I fully understand not wanting to stay at values, and I understand the desire for certain amenities that only come with a Deluxe or DVC villa. Not everyone can afford those and I'm sure there are many people, while they would love to stay on site, cannot afford to pay what it costs to get those choices.

It's probably more complex than that. If a family of five is traveling, it makes a lot more sense to stay in a 3 bedroom condo for $100/night than pay for a suite or two rooms onsite. There are values for less money than the three bedroom condo, but when you take into account the price AND the space, off site is clearly a better deal, and the bigger your group, the more likely that you'll get priced out of staying onsite. We use our DVC in the summer, but I travel with a friend with our daughters in winter and it's much more comfortable to stay in my offsite timeshare.....

 

[Luckybee]

If I were paying $765/night they'd best offer me more than a bus and a few more hours in the park. And honestly, I'd need WAY more than 30 days earlier FP.

That's why its not just about money.

For us it is about value for the $. Ive said it before, we've stayed in properties where we've spent much more than that on a per night basis but I have expectations when Im paying those prices and quite frankly Disney does not meet those expectations. Not even close.

 

[cakebaker]

It's probably more complex than that. If a family of five is traveling, it makes a lot more sense to stay in a 3 bedroom condo for $100/night than pay for a suite or two rooms onsite. There are values for less money than the three bedroom condo, but when you take into account the price AND the space, off site is clearly a better deal, and the bigger your group, the more likely that you'll get priced out of staying onsite. We use our DVC in the summer, but I travel with a friend with our daughters in winter and it's much more comfortable to stay in my offsite timeshare.....

I'm sure it is- but I'm also sure there are people who want to go to Disney, need extra room or a kitchen ( again to save money) and would like to stay on site. But...the cost to them is prohibitive. There are dozens of reasons why people choose what they choose.