Are all Disney resort perks fair?

[momof2n2]

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

Yup. A Ferrari won't carry 8 pax. ❤

 

[UncleMike101]

It's like being a stockholder in a company.
Does the person with more stock get more return on their investment?
Of course.
If you make a larger investment, you get a better return.
When you book an onsite stay at Disney they give you a better return on your investment than those who invest elsewhere.
Why should someone who invests in a Holiday Inn, or a Hilton property, get the same return on their investment at Disney as the person who made their investment in Disney?
It's a simple economic move on the part of Disney to reward those who make an additional investment in their vacation with the Disney Company.

 

[smiths02]

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.

My plan is to stay onsite this trip, upgrade to Annual Pass and stay offsite a week earlier in 2016.
So I agree, 180+10 is no big deal. Most ADRs just aren't *that* hard to get. (Plus we are eating at BOG lunch this go around, so we don't have to do it again)
Parking fee will be free with AP
We drive down so Magical Express is not needed, and it looks like it is better to drive to every park except MK anyhow.
EMH...agreed, I'll just plan my park days better, and we only use the morning ones sometimes now (evenings are too late for us anyway)

The difference in FP+ might be an issue for me. But again, we are doing SDMT and A&E this year, so we can skip next year. Are there any other FP+ that are really that difficult at 30 days?

ETA: We got a room discount this year. We still paid about $3000 for 8 nights in a 1 bedroom 2 bathroom suite (no real kitchen)
I could stay in a 4 bedroom/3 bathroom town home off-site for around $1000.

I don't think getting to ride SDMT or meet A&E is asking too much for giving Disney 2000 bucks over what the accommodations themselves are really worth.

 

[atilley01]

But isn't staying onsite and paying that much also a choice? Just like we can't complain about not getting the perks when we stay offsite, can people complain that there aren't enough perks for the high price tag when you do stay onsite?

 

[Planogirl]

Again, it's all perception. While I talk about vibes, I would also add that I see nothing wrong with Disney or Universal offering perks if they wish to. Neither company is better or worse about it from the other IMO. Disney just offers more of them which tilts the balance to them a bit in my view.

 

[Luckybee]

Yup. A Ferrari won't carry 8 pax. ❤

I like the way you think...lol

 

[patty57]

But isn't staying onsite and paying that much also a choice? Just like we can't complain about not getting the perks when we stay offsite, can people complain that there aren't enough perks for the high price tag when you do stay onsite?

You're right...it is a choice to stay onsite, but just like you were complaining about not getting perks offsite, onsiters might want to complain about not getting enough perks to stay at a WDW resort. Sometimes people just like to complain.

 

[atilley01]

You're right...it is a choice to stay onsite, but just like you were complaining about not getting perks offsite, onsiters might want to complain about not getting enough perks to stay at a WDW resort. Sometimes people just like to complain.

So true. I think we're all guilty of it.

 

[Alesia]

But isn't staying onsite and paying that much also a choice? Just like we can't complain about not getting the perks when we stay offsite, can people complain that there aren't enough perks for the high price tag when you do stay onsite?

Everything in life is a balance of cost and benefit. You just have to prioritize what's important to you, as an individual. For some people, staying onsite is worth the extra cost. Others would rather stay offsite. Both choices have unique advantages and drawbacks and it's up to each person to decide what works best for them. It's not about being "fair."

And as far as complaining, I'm not sure there will ever be a cure for that. Some people are just complainers.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Yes it's fair.

 

[Becky925]

Just my own two cents: I think of it like a restaurant. On the menu is a steak for 25 dollars and a hamburger for 10. It's our choice what to spend, what to order, but if I order the steak, I sure would feel bad about my choice if someone at the table next to me ordered and paid for the hamburger but got the steak anyway. Same with hotels, if I stay off site I get a bigger room for arguably half the money, but I pay for what I consider the steak. The perks as it were, might not be huge, but they're big enough to keep me at Disney, if I saw someone staying in a better room for half the price that I'm paying, getting everything the same, I might think twice about staying at a Disney hotel.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I've tried to plan a trip to Universal several times now and it always fell through, so I've never been to Universal Studios yet. With that said, I'm now convinced I'll stay onsite if I do just for the FOTL access. The look of the hotels certainly doesn't hurt either . We have an offsite townhouse, but the FOTL looks too good to pass up. Onsite it is!

 

[Alesia]

Just my own two cents: I think of it like a restaurant. On the menu is a steak for 25 dollars and a hamburger for 10. It's our choice what to spend, what to order, but if I order the steak, I sure would feel bad about my choice if someone at the table next to me ordered and paid for the hamburger but got the steak anyway. Same with hotels, if I stay off site I get a bigger room for arguably half the money, but I pay for what I consider the steak. The perks as it were, might not be huge, but they're big enough to keep me at Disney, if I saw someone staying in a better room for half the price that I'm paying, getting everything the same, I might think twice about staying at a Disney hotel.

And, more importantly, if you ordered the hamburger you wouldn't sulk because the guy at the next table ordered the steak.

 

[DougEMG]

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.

I agree, the front of the line perk for staying at a deluxe resort at Universal is way better than any of the perks that Disney provides. Now I understand why Disney can't offer that perk, but I could certainly go for extra FP+ based on where you are staying. I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't happen one day assuming they ever get their IT systems working properly.

 

[DougEMG]

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.

Another way that perks span across different divisions of Disney is that people that have a Disney VISA card have had earlier access to book the free dining plan. Given the limited number of rooms that were offered with free dining this year, I would think that would be a very big perk for some people.

 

[patty57]

Just my own two cents: I think of it like a restaurant. On the menu is a steak for 25 dollars and a hamburger for 10. It's our choice what to spend, what to order, but if I order the steak, I sure would feel bad about my choice if someone at the table next to me ordered and paid for the hamburger but got the steak anyway. Same with hotels, if I stay off site I get a bigger room for arguably half the money, but I pay for what I consider the steak. The perks as it were, might not be huge, but they're big enough to keep me at Disney, if I saw someone staying in a better room for half the price that I'm paying, getting everything the same, I might think twice about staying at a Disney hotel.

Really like this. I've become a big Swan/Dolphin fan after years of BC & BW. The price is better, and I love the resorts. I don't get DME, MBs, or the 180+10 for ADRs, but I'm paying less. If I book at the Swan/Dolphin, I know this going in...I'm going to miss out on a few perks. I have to decide if it's worth it to me or not (and I'll tell you it usually is), but I don't book it and then feel cheated by not getting what I already knew I wouldn't get.

 

[Disney Sheri]

Honestly, I think people staying on-site should get even more perks. It's your choice to stay on or off site. We stayed off-site one time and that was enough for us. We save more money so we can stay on-site and enjoy our vacation even more. We can't afford staying Deluxe but Moderate and Value are both very reasonable. We will never stay off site again.

With that said, it is your choice to stay on or off. So I think the extra perks for staying on site are absolutely fair.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Cheers to staying on site!!!!!

 

[georgina]

Another way that perks span across different divisions of Disney is that people that have a Disney VISA card have had earlier access to book the free dining plan. Given the limited number of rooms that were offered with free dining this year, I would think that would be a very big perk for some people.

Not this year, they released free dining to everyone at once.

My next trip I am staying at Pop with a BB rate of $91 a night (tax included). I am getting the same park perks as those staying deluxe, with less transportation options and hotel amenities. I would potentially pay more for a higher category of hotel if the perks were tiered to your hotel category. If the perks were lessened, I would probably stay offsite. So those perks definitely keep me onsite.

 

[atilley01]

I'm definitely not arguing that staying at the resorts shouldn't earn you extra perks. Obviously if they're charging you that much for a room they should offer you something extra to entice you to stay. I guess the question is what perks the onsite people should get in the parks over the offsite. Disney says early FP and ADR's are fair so that is the definitive answer.