Are all Disney resort perks fair?

[Tonka's Skipper]

Very simple really....................we pay to stay on property and therefore get the extra perks.............nothing unfair with that!

AKK

 

[Luckybee]

Off-topic, but can you go further into this? We're considering going to Uni for just one day. It's kind of annoying, we'd have to buy park-to-park. Thinking of not getting Front of the Line, since we mainly want to see the Harry Potter stuff, and the line pass doesn't work there right? What are other drawbacks of just going for a day vs staying onsite?

The main things are early entry and express pass (priority seating at restaurants too but really you wont notice that) If you are going just for the HP stuff, and you are not staying onsite, and buying park to park may I suggest starting at whatever park does not have early entry. In other words do the opposite of what an onsite would do. If you truly are only doing HP then you "may" not need ep at all. but keep in mind though that is good for "some " of the HP stuff just not Gringott's and Forbidden Journey. Also keep in mind that many go to U thinking they'll only be doing HP then discovering they want to do more.
One thing that I love about express pass is that unless you are going at a very high crowd time you don't need to make a decision about it in advance. Let's say you get to the park and decide okay we want to do more than just the 2 HP things and the lines are long. You can then go and purchase EP. If cost is a factor then you do the lines. You aren't married to either option in advance.

 

[Luckybee]

Did you know that there are actually nice resorts in clean areas outside of the Disney complex? Wow.

Guess I missed the metro stop, and the slum areas on past stays from my window in my Ritz suites
This trip we're doing the Waldorf, then on to Lakeshore Reserve (same property as the Ritz). I wonder if I'll see all of that from there ?

 

[Luckybee]

I get more of a second class citizen vibe from Disney than I do Universal. I get three FP+ but I can't book when others can, I can't get dining packages, I can't take part in some special events, I can't go to EMH and so on. Disney won't even let me buy my way into getting the same fastpass treatment. When I go to Universal, I can stay at a low cost offsite hotel and buy Express passes IF I need them and still come out ahead in my opinion.

I agree with this. I'd rather spend my money on the Express Pass than a throwaway room

 

[momof2n2]

I agree with this. I'd rather spend my money on the Express Pass than a throwaway room

USF would make more sense financially, but Uni has nothing for my family. So WDW with throwaway is our option.

 

[Luckybee]

USF would make more sense financially, but Uni has nothing for my family. So WDW with throwaway is our option.

Oh don't misunderstand me...we'll do throwaways too....I'm just saying that if I was picking one or the other.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I agree with this. I'd rather spend my money on the Express Pass than a throwaway room

Express Pass is great but with four people times the high-crowd price....ouch!

 

[grecorj]

I get more of a second class citizen vibe from Disney than I do Universal. I get three FP+ but I can't book when others can, I can't get dining packages, I can't take part in some special events, I can't go to EMH and so on. Disney won't even let me buy my way into getting the same fastpass treatment. When I go to Universal, I can stay at a low cost offsite hotel and buy Express passes IF I need them and still come out ahead in my opinion.

I know what you're trying to say, but the fact of the matter is Disney most certainly does let you "buy your way" into all the onsite perks. Pay for an onsite room. In that respect there is little difference between buying an Express Pass at Uni or paying for an onsite room at Dis. And as some have pointed out, a value resort room at Dis comes with the same perks as deluxe and may be equal to what you'd pay for an offsite room.

What you are arguing is "value". Getting a bigger offsite room that is less expensive than a Dis deluxe -- if you could "buy your way into" something similar to the EP at Uni then you'd spend less $$ overall. What's the expression-- "Have your cake and eat it too?"

So it has nothing to do with fair -- everyone has equal opportunity to book onsite. It is about making choices -- do I want the perks or do I want a bigger room for less $$ but fewer perks? Whatever your choice, it is indeed "fair" since no one has a Constitutional right to the same vacation. And I respect everyone's choice.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

If anything, I think onsite guests don't get ENOUGH perks. Look at how Universal does it. Not all of their onsite resorts offer the same perks. Spend more, get more. I'd like to see disney deluxe resorts offer more perks.

 

[cakebaker]

Guess I missed the metro stop, and the slum areas on past stays from my window in my Ritz suites
This trip we're doing the Waldorf, then on to Lakeshore Reserve (same property as the Ritz). I wonder if I'll see all of that from there ?

While there are many lovely places to stay for a WDW vacation, there are also many not so nice along with a lot of junky tourist traps and orange cones that I'd have to look at in between. I want the magic 24/7. Walt discovered his mistake after building DL and thankfully bought a lot of property to preserve that bubble as much as possible. I can snap back to reality after vacation, I don't want to do it on a daily basis.

But to each their own- WDW offers everyone the choice of enjoying all the perks they offer. One simply has to decide if they want to buy it or not.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

I get more of a second class citizen vibe from Disney than I do Universal. I get three FP+ but I can't book when others can, I can't get dining packages, I can't take part in some special events, I can't go to EMH and so on. Disney won't even let me buy my way into getting the same fastpass treatment. When I go to Universal, I can stay at a low cost offsite hotel and buy Express passes IF I need them and still come out ahead in my opinion.

I've never been to Universal, but have looked into it a little bit. I thought I had understood this, but now I'm not sure. Isn't there a difference between the FOTL access you get by staying in their hotel and the one you can buy and stay off site? I thought the onsite one was unlimited for most rides and the offsite one was only once per ride. Am I wrong on that? That would seem like a HUGE 'second class citizen' thing to me!

And what special events can you not participate in at Disney? The others I understand, but I'm trying to think of a special event that's not open to everyone!

 

[cakebaker]

Thankfully, there's a forum for all things Universal..

http://www.disboards.com/forums/universal-studios-islands-of-adventure-forums.30/

 

[goofy4tink]

I've never been to Universal, but have looked into it a little bit. I thought I had understood this, but now I'm not sure. Isn't there a difference between the FOTL access you get by staying in their hotel and the one you can buy and stay off site? I thought the onsite one was unlimited for most rides and the offsite one was only once per ride. Am I wrong on that? That would seem like a HUGE 'second class citizen' thing to me!

And what special events can you not participate in at Disney? The others I understand, but I'm trying to think of a special event that's not open to everyone!

You can now buy one of two different Express Passes...one is one ride only, the other is unlimited rides. But, the unlimited one is fairly expensive. For what you spend, if your group is big enough, you could just stay in a room there and get it free!

Okay.....Universal/IoA is not the same as WDW. WDW has soooooo many more resort guests. If they tried to do an Express Pass type thing, it would be quicker to go through the standby line!!! So, I just don't get it when people say 'well, US does it, I don't see why WDW can't do it.'.

Second class citizens? Please. If you choose to stay off-site, that's your choice. You should have booked off-site fully realizing what you could get, and what you couldn't get, at WDW, as a perk. Personally? I don't think Disney does enough for it's on-site guests...especially those with APs or that own DVC. But, I have a feeling that Disney figures they already have that money in their pockets..they don't need to entice those people back to WDW. Sadly though, I'm hearing of more and more DVC owners that aren't renewing APs due to the skyrocketing costs, and they may go to WDW but they are staying in the resort and doing other things, not going to the WDW parks. And that's too bad.

I truly don't think that those staying off-site are getting all that much less. Yes, they have to pay for parking. Not a surprise though. Someone has to. FP+? Okay, you have to wait until 30 days out vs 60 days. It's only a few things that they won't get...and they can always use the standby line for those if it's that important to them. EMHs? Not such a big deal, especially at night. Anyone can stay in the parks. Hang out at Epcot in WS and you can do just about anything you want. There just aren't that many attractions that you would miss. You can wander in the park as long as you want. And for some people that's all they want to do. Once on-site, anyone can use any form of Disney transportation they want, to go anywhere.

And if you decide to make a last minute trip to WDW and stay off-site, you really can't get upset with Disney because all the big attraction FPs are gone.

Is it worth it to stay on-site? I have always stayed on-site. I love not having to drive anywhere. I would stay on-site even if I didn't get some of those perks. It's called Walt Disney World Resort for a reason....it's an all in one resort. It all falls under that one heading. After all, we don't say we're going to MK for our vacation, do we? You stay at the resort (as a whole) you get some 'special' perks.

Oh, and that whole value vs deluxe perks issue? To the best of my knowledge, Walt Disney (the man) wanted every single person that stayed on-site to feel the same as everyone else once they got to a park. He didn't want different colored room keys (other than concierge level). A resort gets specific amenities based on the level resort it is...but they all get the same perks when it comes to the parks. That's why I have such a hard time thinking that the time could come when those staying deluxe get to choose more FPs than those staying in a value. Goes against everything Disney wanted to have happen. But, we all know how that goes nowadays.

 

[patty57]

WDW is a very large corporation, which is in the business of making profits. Of course they want to attract offsite guests to their parks, but they also really want to attract onsite guests to stay in their resorts. They offer (what I consider) a few minimal perks to stay onsite. The concept of "fair" really doesn't enter into it. If you know that you will get FP+ at 60 days onsite, and 30 days offsite, and you choose to stay offsite, why is this an issue?

 

[Disney Dynamite]

Personally, I don't view it as a fair vs. not fair situation. It's more like a business proposition from Disney. If you're willing to invest more money with Disney and agree to be a captive audience by staying onsite on the front end, they give you a higher return on your investment. An offsite guest could still spend more overall, but Disney rewards the onsite guest for committing their money up front.

For us, it's not so much about the perks as it is being in the Disney bubble and drinking the Disney Kool-Aid for a week. We love being picked up by Disney at the airport and never leaving the property. My husband travels frequently for work and accumulates tons of hotel points. We could stay at the Ritz-Carlton for free (and save more money!) but choose to pay to stay onsite because that's our preference. For us, it has nothing to do with the perks. I don't think they perks of staying onsite are that enticing, but maybe that's just me....

 

[JZCubed]

I hope this isn't a controversial topic as I don't mean it to be. I'd just like to hear other's opinions on the subject. And I haven't seen a topic like this posted recently but I apologize if it's been covered in the past.

I'm planning my family's first ever trip to Disney next year. Thanks to a lot of research and the great people on this message board, I feel like I'm in a really good place to plan a great trip for my family. One thing that has confused me in my research though, is some of the park perks that onsite people get over people staying offsite. I decided pretty early on that an offsite resort would work better for my family and that meant giving up some perks that I didn't feel were necessarily fair. The two that I'm referring to most are the advantage of booking early ADRs and FPs.

It's just my opinion that anything having to do with attractions or dining inside the parks should be a level playing field for all ticket holders, regardless of your choice of lodging. I understand that the onsite perks are to encourage people to stay on Disney property but if I pay the same ticket price as an onsite person, shouldn't I have the same opportunity to book FP and park ADRs? I know I'm giving up part of the Disney experience by staying offsite and that's a choice I've made but now I'm also at a disadvantage for a system that Disney has made necessary as a part of the planning process.

I know my concerns won't change the way things are done and that's fine. I just want to hear opinions from other offsite people as well as onsite guests. And again, I don't want my post to ruffle any feathers. No matter where we stay, I'm planning for wonderful time.

You've answered your own question in the title - Perks are for people staying at Disney Resorts.

In other words, we are all treated equally, unless you receive the Perks of staying on-site.

 

[Luckybee]

I've never been to Universal, but have looked into it a little bit. I thought I had understood this, but now I'm not sure. Isn't there a difference between the FOTL access you get by staying in their hotel and the one you can buy and stay off site? I thought the onsite one was unlimited for most rides and the offsite one was only once per ride. Am I wrong on that? That would seem like a HUGE 'second class citizen' thing to me!

And what special events can you not participate in at Disney? The others I understand, but I'm trying to think of a special event that's not open to everyone!

Goofy already answered part of your question but let me add that even with the regular express pass (not the unlimited one) it is still worth checking out the room prices depending on the size of your group and your booking source. Let me give you an example. We have an Amex card that allows us to book through the Amex fine hotels program of which Loews Portofino is a member. We wanted 2 days at Universal on our last trip. Its just dh and I and EP would have cost us $ 69 ea for 2 days so a total of $280. Cost of the room all in including parking, tax etc was about $320. But with Amex FH we also got breakfast, $100 food and beverage credit and 4pm checkout so for the extra $40 we had a $100 credit for dinner/lunch and brekkie, and had use of our room until 4 the next day when we went back to our other accommodation. We actually spent less by taking a room.

 

[Alesia]

I know what you're trying to say, but the fact of the matter is Disney most certainly does let you "buy your way" into all the onsite perks. Pay for an onsite room. In that respect there is little difference between buying an Express Pass at Uni or paying for an onsite room at Dis. And as some have pointed out, a value resort room at Dis comes with the same perks as deluxe and may be equal to what you'd pay for an offsite room.

What you are arguing is "value". Getting a bigger offsite room that is less expensive than a Dis deluxe -- if you could "buy your way into" something similar to the EP at Uni then you'd spend less $$ overall. What's the expression-- "Have your cake and eat it too?"

So it has nothing to do with fair -- everyone has equal opportunity to book onsite. It is about making choices -- do I want the perks or do I want a bigger room for less $$ but fewer perks? Whatever your choice, it is indeed "fair" since no one has a Constitutional right to the same vacation. And I respect everyone's choice.

I agree. It's just like everything else in life. There's a reason that not everyone drives a Ferrari.

 

[atilley01]

I guess my original logic was that the perks for staying inside a Disney resort remain inside the resort and once you get to the parks every ticket holder is on a level playing field. I get what you guys are saying about the resorts and the parks being under the umbrella of Disney and therefore the perks can extend into the parks so I can see how my original argument may not hold water in everyone's eyes.

Thank you to the people who are able to have a discussion of differing opinions in a way that is respectful.

 

[momof2n2]

I guess my original logic was that the perks for staying inside a Disney resort remain inside the resort and once you get to the parks every ticket holder is on a level playing field. I get what you guys are saying about the resorts and the parks being under the umbrella of Disney and therefore the perks can extend into the parks so I can admit that my original argument doesn't really hold water.

Thank you to the people who are able to have a discussion of differing opinions in a way that is respectful.

As I see it the only perk is the 30 days more for FP selection.

Without hoppers EMH is moot. They always create "park to avoid."

ADR + 10 never affected our ressies.

Parking fee is minimal.

Public transportation is definitely <shudder> NMSAA.

But ... Those additional 30 days was my breaking point. If we can't get A & E and SDMT at our 60 days out we'll cancel our room only.