Being Penalized

[njfamilyof6]

Does anyone else feel like they are being penalized for having a large family. Being a family of 6, we are limited as to which resorts we can stay at and of course they are the most expensive resorts. Then when you try and book two rooms at a value ( 1 adult and 2 kids in each) they charge you for double occupancy anyway. We have an offer for kids stay, play and eat for free, but we are charged $2000 per room for a value resort in may. Even though the offer says $775 per adult on the pin code. but when you call they say it is $775per adult based on double occupancy so you really are not saving anything.. Enough of my venting.

 

[ToddyLu]

Are you doing the 4/3 plan?? It has dates in May that are available? I was just thinking that it might save you money.

 

[ToddyLu]

My brother and his wife have 5 children and I am always on the lookout for threads that discuss traveling with more than 4 children. DH and I do not have children. I am sorry it has been difficult for you to locate rooms. Would a suite at the All Star resorts be able to fill your needs??

 

[shelemm]

Whenever we have traveled with extended family, we try to locate a rental home or apartment to have a base camp. Hotel rooms just don't cut it anymore. They get very expensive and no longer have the services we really need. Plus we are definitely budget travelers so are always looking for the least expensive ways to go on vacation.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Does anyone else feel like they are being penalized for having a large family. Being a family of 6, we are limited as to which resorts we can stay at and of course they are the most expensive resorts. Then when you try and book two rooms at a value ( 1 adult and 2 kids in each) they charge you for double occupancy anyway. We have an offer for kids stay, play and eat for free, but we are charged $2000 per room for a value resort in may. Even though the offer says $775 per adult on the pin code. but when you call they say it is $775per adult based on double occupancy so you really are not saving anything.. Enough of my venting.

I'm not sure what you mean by penalized? We are a family of 6 and we always book two connecting rooms at a value and have never been charged with double occupancy - I'm not even sure what that is.

Staying on-site with two connecting rooms at a value is the most economical choice for us. We just won't go without the dining plan anymore. There is just no way I could feed my kids for $10.00 per day in WDW without the DDP. It just saves us a fortune. When I booked our upcoming December trip in June the total for 7 of us (we are also taking my MIL) for 9 nights at All-Star-Movies with 8 day hopper passes and the basic dining plan was about $4,800.00 - that was with no discounts. I applied the fall 40% off discount that came out for the general public in August and that took our total down to about $4,200.00, which I thought was pretty good. Then, I got the free dining offer through our Disney Visa for our December dates, so I applied the free dining code, in place of the fall 40% off code, and that took our total down to about $3,100.00. So for just a little over $3,000.00 7 of us are going to Disney and staying on property with free dining for 9 days.

 

[Schmeck]

I'm not sure what the OP means either by feeling penalized - you pay for a room, 4-5 people can stay in it, and they charge extra if you have more than two adults in it. Doesn't matter if you have just one person in the room or two adults and 3 kids and one baby, it always costs the same amount. That's not just for larger families, it's the same for everyone.

We tend to go to WDW with extended family, so there are sometimes 5 of us, or even 18 of us! No matter what size family we have, we know what we have to pay for a room.

Having children is expensive, that's for sure. Have you looked into staying offsite?

 

[homeschoolmomof4]

I think I understand what you're saying. You got a pin code for a special offer, except it isn't so special when you have a larger family. The deal is set up for those with families of 4 or less. Did you call back and talk to a different CM? Sometimes the CM's mess up the special offers a bit. Could you use the special offer on 1 room only amd have 1 adult and 3 kids on that room reservation and 1 adult and 1 child on a separate room reservation? It would still save you some money, but probably not as much as you would like. If you can't get the pin code offer to work out in your favor, see if you can get the 4/3 offer in May. We're using that offer in January at Pop for our family of 6 and it seems like it's decent deal.

 

[Matt'sMom]

I'm not getting it either. In what way is anyone being penalized?

Rack room cost is the same for any guest(s)... from one adult, to an adult couple with three children/juniors. The only extra charge is if there are more than two adults per room. There is no discount for having less than two adults in a room (this is routine--DH is a frequent solo traveler for work). If you use a code for reduced room rate or free dining or whatever, that still applies across the board to each room or occupant in that room.

As far as having to reserve more than one room, or a suite, to accomidate larger families/parties... that is what happens whenever anyone travels with a larger group. When one chooses to have a larger family, one knows (or should know) in advance that the costs for most everything will increase per person. It costs more to feed and accomidate six people than it does for two or three. That is not a penalty imposed by WDW... it is just normal life.

 

[bicker]

I also am disturbed by the use of the word "penalized". Does that mean that Target penalizes larger families because they charge more for six pieces of clothing instead of just three or four?

I think it is important to recognize that each hotel room is a financial opportunity for a hotel, so patrons that need two rooms are withdrawing from inventory the opportunity to rent the second hotel room. Also, hotels have to draw the line somewhere, with regard to how large to make each room, and of course, the more expensive rooms rightfully should be larger than less expensive rooms.

So hotel stays being more expensive for larger families isn't a penalty any more so than Target charging more for more clothing.

 

[KEHCharleston]

Might I suggest that you check the DVC Rent Board on this site.
This year we did not plan in time to be able to rent points, however, I have done this in the past and enjoyed a considerable savings, the convenience of staying on Disney Property, kitchen and lots of room. I believe Old Key West requires fewer points than most of the others. That is where we stayed and it was terrific. -- Note there is a huge difference in the points required for weekend vs. weekday stays.

This year we are staying at Port Orleans. I know that some rooms are equipped for 5. If you have an infant, and bring something he/she could sleep in, perhaps that would work? Does anyone know. Also check the Resort Board on this site.

And do recheck with Disney - there may have been a misunderstanding. I was unaware that they require double occupancy to determine rates (except with cruise of course)

Luck to you.

 

[Lynne M]

I don't get the 'penalized' usage, either - big familes cost more, anywhere you go. It's like saying Honda penalizes you because your family won't fit in a Civic, they're making you buy a big expensive minivan instead.

Virtually all hotels charge more for rooms that sleep 6, or require you to get a second room.

 

[goofyernmost]

I also am disturbed by the use of the word "penalized". Does that mean that Target penalizes larger families because they charge more for six pieces of clothing instead of just three or four?

I think it is important to recognize that each hotel room is a financial opportunity for a hotel, so patrons that need two rooms are withdrawing from inventory the opportunity to rent the second hotel room. Also, hotels have to draw the line somewhere, with regard to how large to make each room, and of course, the more expensive rooms rightfully should be larger than less expensive rooms.

So hotel stays being more expensive for larger families isn't a penalty any more so than Target charging more for more clothing.

That was my thought. Penalized for a large family, no, but the cost of having a large family certainly is more than for someone with a small family. To say penalize is saying that you think that you should get a better rate because your family is large. The problem with that is that someone will have to pay the difference, they would be the one penalized for your large family.

Another thing is that if you can't fall under one of Disney's usually skimpy "deals", there are other options. You can rent an entire villa off site with separate room for everyone, separate bathrooms for almost everyone for a little over $2500.00 per week. So basically you are paying for the choices you make.

 

[Allison]

No, I do not feel penalized.

Any packages I have seen, Disney or not, are quoted based on double-occupancy or some other kind of stated occupancy (2 adults, 1 junior and 1 child). They are spreading the cost of the room based on the estimated people in the room. You are not being penalized you are simply paying for the cost of the room. So, how are you not saving if your kids are free? What would the cost be without this offer since you will not being paying for food or tickets for your kids?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I think Disney is very, very fair when it comes to their packages.

Granted, we have a different family situation.....we have just ONE child......but in many cases, when we get a "package" deal at a hotel here in Canada (which would include such things as room fees, breakfast and attraction tickets), prices are based on a family of four. No price adjustment down when we are minus one person.

So its very refreshing that you can get a custom package at Disney for the exact amount of people who are going, and there's no assumption made on your family size.

 

[Kit'smommy]

This exact subject came up on the family board recently. I don't understand why larger families feel that they should only have to pay for one room. If you have more children, lodging, eating, etc is going to cost more. This isn't a penalty.

Most hotels base occupancy on 4 people.

 

[gymjenn2]

i am a single mom and when i travel i pay the same price for hotel rooms for two adults even though it is just me and my three year old daughter. no discount for just one adult and one child. almost everywhere you go hotels are based on two adults and two children. anything more is a charge and no discount for anything less.

 

[carmiedog]

Penalized? No, not really. But I do wish there were more options - especially in the mod category. Our next trip will be the first one since dd turned 3 making us an "official" family of 5. I hate being restricted by our choices, especially since she is so small and all 5 of us will sleep in 2 beds, anyway. I think I would feel better paying for 2 rooms if we had 6 or more in our family. 5 - not so much. And I'm sure when our kids are all a bit bigger we'll appreciate the extra space. But for now it's a bummer.

 

[eliza61]

Does anyone else feel like they are being penalized for having a large family. Being a family of 6, we are limited as to which resorts we can stay at and of course they are the most expensive resorts. Then when you try and book two rooms at a value ( 1 adult and 2 kids in each) they charge you for double occupancy anyway. We have an offer for kids stay, play and eat for free, but we are charged $2000 per room for a value resort in may. Even though the offer says $775 per adult on the pin code. but when you call they say it is $775per adult based on double occupancy so you really are not saving anything.. Enough of my venting.

Not being penalized. It's the nature of the beast EVERY WHERE. Room rates are based on double occupancy.

 

[d1gitman]

maybe the OP feels penalized because getting a suite at WDW is pricey. offsite for large families can definitely be a cheaper option by a long shot.

as far as i know, getting connecting rooms at a Value or a Cabin at Fort Wilderness are the most affordable options for a party of 6. The suites at AS Music seem to be a waste in my opinion.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Disney offers a number of options at the value range for larger families .. These include:

- Two rooms at a value that are adjacent or connecting
- All Star Family Suites that accommodate 6 people
- Choices in the moderate group of hotels that accommodate 5 people
- The Fort Wilderness Cabins .. again 6 people

The cabins start at around $270 a night. So, ten nights at the cabins would be $2700 and your park tickets and dining options on top of that.

All that said, threads about resorts and options are best kept on the resorts board and as such I'll be moving this one there.

Thanks,

Knox