Crazy Prices for Deluxe Hotels

[nw6675]

We just booked a somewhat last minute, but Disney standards, trip for early May. There are still rooms at the 25% discount, but the rooms we wanted at YC, Poly, or GF were only at rack rate. The heart wants what the heart wants, so we went ahead and booked. I will just keep stalking for something comparable at a better price, but not feeling lucky.

 

[Jess Lopez]

I can't believe people pay $800+ per night for a Disney hotel.

I priced the Poly for a standard room during a "green" time on the Disney travel calendars. It was $802 per night for a standard Poly room. Like....what? I stayed there a few years ago for in the $500's (and that was a splurge)...but $800?!? Get out of town, Disney.

I went for a value Disney resort because they are more cheaper than deluxe Disney resorts

 

[lsutigers03]

Renting DVC points is the only way I would stay in a deluxe resort. My FIL has a friend who rents us her points for $10 per point so it's an even better deal. Even if you go through a website it's still much cheaper than Disney prices.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Wow Does she know what those points are worth?
Hope you buy her a Dooney Burke for a Thank you gift !

I just read Post # 48 . I salute and respect your response
Good people in this world !

 

[RoseGold]

Renting DVC points is the only way I would stay in a deluxe resort. My FIL has a friend who rents us her points for $10 per point so it's an even better deal. Even if you go through a website it's still much cheaper than Disney prices.

This is a serious discount. I'd say $15 is a fair friends and family rate. If she doesn't know the value of the points, then I wouldn't take the points at that rate.

 

[Eastern]

Pushing it as far as they can try.

I think that even at the deluxe level, a std view booker is a different customer than a water view/TPV customer. I think they could raise water view/TPV even more and people would still pay it.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Disney prices are expensive all around, compared to non-Disney resorts in Orlando and elsewhere.

But there are a lot of people with a lot of money in this world. It doesn't surprise me that they're willing to pay even rack rates at these places. Despite its faults, WDW is really a place unlike any other, and there isn't really a cheaper alternative. For many, WDW is a one-time, trip of a lifetime, core-memory-for-the-kids kind of thing. And people who have the money are happy to blow the cash to stay at the top-tier resorts in order to make it the best it can be. Also, there are plenty of people who might not technically have the money for it but are willing to rack up the debt to make it happen.

Many years ago we took advantage of a a great bounce back offer to stay at a deluxe resort at a discount *with* a free dining plan. I will say it completely spoiled us and we have only stayed at deluxe resorts since then - BUT that is only because we started renting DVC points. Deluxe would be out of range for us otherwise, and I say that as someone who 1) truly values a nice resort and is generally willing to pay more to get more, and 2) as someone whose household now has enough expendable income to afford annual vacations at this point (definitely not always the case for my family, this is a relatively new development).

Quite honestly, we might be skipping Disney entirely if it weren't for the ability to rent DVC points. Normal deluxe rates are too high for us, but for various reasons (no balconies, no elevators, etc) most of the moderates/values are less than ideal for us. For the prices you pay for even moderate/value resorts, I'd have a hard time dealing with lugging my double stroller plus two kids up two flights of stairs at the end of a park day, when I know I could stay off-site at a resort that offers more convenience, for less. At that point it's a question of whether we would want to go and stay off-site (which would probably bum us out bc we like the Disney bubble) or just spending our money elsewhere.

 

[lsutigers03]

This is a serious discount. I'd say $15 is a fair friends and family rate. If she doesn't know the value of the points, then I wouldn't take the points at that rate.

She is well aware of the value. My FIL is a contractor and has saved her a lot of money with work she has needed done on her house. Renting us the points at basically her maintenance fees is her way of thanking him.

 

[RamblingMad]

Deluxe have been ridiculously priced for a long time. And most aren’t deluxe compared to hotels I have visited elsewhere.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I think that even at the deluxe level, a std view booker is a different customer than a water view/TPV customer. I think they could raise water view/TPV even more and people would still pay it.

We vary where we stay and the room view based on the type of deal we get, availability, and budget.

My stays have varied to just about everything. I once got an Orlando hotel room for FREE. (not points, just free.) I don't think I'll ever beat that deal! Other times I've had the castle/Epcot fireworks view at the deluxe hotels.

We have stayed at just about all the WDW hotels, and countless offsite places, except a few of the DVC hotels and Ft. Wilderness. Our offsite rooms have also run the full range from sweet suites to low-budget motels.

So I'm going to disagree a bit on that point. Orlando hotel prices fluctuate a great deal. The Swan/Dolphin are a good example. Rates for a basic room FREQUENTLY fluctuate by over $500/night. If my choices are $200 Swan or $900 Bwk, I'll choose the Swan. If both the Swan and Bwk are $700+, then I'll happily stay in Flamingo Crossings for $150 (w/breakfast).

It pays to shop around.

I do think may people book rooms based on emotion. Like when they think AKL, they imagine seeing giraffes from their balcony. Nothing less will do.

 

[snowwite]

We vary where we stay and the room view based on the type of deal we get, availability, and budget.

My stays have varied to just about everything. I once got an Orlando hotel room for FREE. (not points, just free.) I don't think I'll ever beat that deal! Other times I've had the castle/Epcot fireworks view at the deluxe hotels.

We have stayed at just about all the WDW hotels, and countless offsite places, except a few of the DVC hotels and Ft. Wilderness. Our offsite rooms have also run the full range from sweet suites to low-budget motels.

So I'm going to disagree a bit on that point. Orlando hotel prices fluctuate a great deal. The Swan/Dolphin are a good example. Rates for a basic room FREQUENTLY fluctuate by over $500/night. If my choices are $200 Swan or $900 Bwk, I'll choose the Swan. If both the Swan and Bwk are $700+, then I'll happily stay in Flamingo Crossings for $150 (w/breakfast).

It pays to shop around.

I do think may people book rooms based on emotion. Like when they think AKL, they imagine seeing giraffes from their balcony. Nothing less will do.

Same here. What I used to do is stay at a cheap hotel for a few days then move to some place like AKL for the last few days.one time we paid for one of the few AKL rooms overlooking the driveway and bus stop. It was like $200 a night at the time. We got to our room 222 and it was right in front of a giraffe feeding station. I went back to the desk sure I was going to be charged but was told it was some Disney magic! I wonder if they ever still do that. It was pretty cool!
We used to stay on site when DD was a CM because she got a 40% discount. But now we stay off site. I like having a whole house.

 

[Eastern]

We vary where we stay and the room view based on the type of deal we get, availability, and budget.

My stays have varied to just about everything. I once got an Orlando hotel room for FREE. (not points, just free.) I don't think I'll ever beat that deal! Other times I've had the castle/Epcot fireworks view at the deluxe hotels.

We have stayed at just about all the WDW hotels, and countless offsite places, except a few of the DVC hotels and Ft. Wilderness. Our offsite rooms have also run the full range from sweet suites to low-budget motels.

So I'm going to disagree a bit on that point. Orlando hotel prices fluctuate a great deal. The Swan/Dolphin are a good example. Rates for a basic room FREQUENTLY fluctuate by over $500/night. If my choices are $200 Swan or $900 Bwk, I'll choose the Swan. If both the Swan and Bwk are $700+, then I'll happily stay in Flamingo Crossings for $150 (w/breakfast).

Not talking about special deals or offsite rooms. Just reading the CL (basically deluxe) forum, there are some people who always book water view, or TPV view, or suite/deluxe room category. That is a certain customer. I usually stay deluxe, but I never book more than GV. I just don't. I am not that customer.

Those who will pay for their room category regardless are not budget board customers.

 

[BaybeeYoda]

This is a serious discount. I'd say $15 is a fair friends and family rate. If she doesn't know the value of the points, then I wouldn't take the points at that rate.

For family I do $10 (my maint fees are $8.53). For friends I do btwn $12-15 depending on the room (std studio bwv is $15).

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Not talking about special deals or offsite rooms. Just reading the CL (basically deluxe) forum, there are some people who always book water view, or TPV view, or suite/deluxe room category. That is a certain customer. I usually stay deluxe, but I never book more than GV. I just don't. I am not that customer.

Those who will pay for their room category regardless are not budget board customers.

I think we're talking past each other.

To be clear, I'm very familiar with the CL thread. I regularly post in the CL thread. I have stayed in all the WDW CL's multiple times and all 3 Universal CL's.

Some people book the same hotel and room category every visit, but just as many vary where they stay, including the two most prolific posters in that thread. Your generalization is not accurate.

CL is convenient. Eating breakfast in a CL lounge is faster than eating in a food court, and the food quality is in some ways better. (In other ways it is the same.) A Chobani yogurt is a Chobani yogurt. The CL's serve platters of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables every day, so that in itself is a plus for anyone who needs to eat produce every day.

The CL's are also a haven for people with food allergies and other special dietary needs. The CL staff take great care of people with food allergies. They will provide a person with food that is allergen-free and not cross contaminated. For anyone with a serious food allergy, it is tremendously helpful and convenient.

Avoiding anaphylactic shock is considerably more fun than a trip to the ER. CL is a bargain compared to that alternative!

 

[Traveling on cc points]

This is why our last couple of trips we have stayed offsite. The value is just not there for me anymore to stay on site. Don't get me wrong I love being in the "bubble" but found as we have gotten older the bubble is losing its luster. We are going again in October and booked a 4 bedroom 4 bath house with pool and hot tub for less than $1500.00 for the week. Only 15 minutes from parks. So by the time we spilt cost with our friends and oldest son and his wife its less than 500 a couple. With that deal we don't feel bad "splurging" on preferred parking at the parks.

You may want to look into getting an ap for 1 person. You would get included regular parking and a discount on table service meals for 6 people could make up the cost.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I just checked and they still offer a Nurse Discount rate as well as one for First Responders. It’s 30% off. Since they are now under Marriott you can also use Bonvoy points. It’s code y7n.

They also have WDW AP rate but it is not easy to find.
I had to call and encourage the rep to keep looking cause I knew it was there…
I now have 2 Queen Swan with balcony and rollaway for 12/30 and 12/31 2023 495 plus tax & fees per night
Happy New Year can’t get here soon enough.

 

[kathy884]

IMHO Disney Deluxe prices have been crazy expensive for years. I think the value and moderates are really expensive too, especially when comparisons to offsite are made. There are lots of people who aren't overly budget sensitive too. I'm not one of them, though.

Now at least for deluxe there are some significant perks besides location / theming with just deluxe getting some evening extra magic hours. With the crowds these days that's a great perk. And I think the 30 minute rope drop advantage is a nice perk for all the onsite Disney and Disney Springs hotels. And go for it for sure if it's worth it to you or you find a deal that's worth it to you.

I have to say the rare times I stayed Disney Deluxe (conferences where DH's company was paying for four nights and we just paid for one extra night at the convention rate), I did really enjoy the experience. On my own dime though and I am usually traveling with a large group, I tend to rent offsite timeshare condos (lots of great deals on those in Orlando).

 

[_19disnA]

Not talking about special deals or offsite rooms. Just reading the CL (basically deluxe) forum, there are some people who always book water view, or TPV view, or suite/deluxe room category. That is a certain customer. I usually stay deluxe, but I never book more than GV. I just don't. I am not that customer.

I also think you tend to get a lot of people on here who like to brag about how much they supposedly spent on their Disney vacation. This is the internet after all and whether what they post is true or not is really anybody's guess. Often those posts end up sounding like a version of 'can you top this?' where each successive poster tries to out-brag the prior one........LOL.

We have been to Disney several times over the years and stayed both onsite and at nearby hotels. Liked them all for various reasons. The recent Disney prices seems excessive for what your get and we now go less often. Lots of other places we like to go are far less money and seem like a much better value for our vacation dollars. When we last stayed at Contemporary a couple of years ago as I recall club level was something like $200/day extra. Not worth it for us to sit in an area with some fancier furniture and eat a few 'free' snacks/beverages but to each their own.

 

[focusondisney]

Those who will pay for their room category regardless are not budget board customers.

I don’t agree with this. I stay CL almost every trip. I read & post on the budget board. Because I choose to stay CL doesn’t mean I don’t watch my spending or appreciate saving money. It just means I choose to spend my money differently.

 

[Eastern]

I don’t agree with this. I stay CL almost every trip. I read & post on the budget board. Because I choose to stay CL doesn’t mean I don’t watch my spending or appreciate saving money. It just means I choose to spend my money differently.

Lots of people are like you, but there is a certain, small subset of customers who book the most expensive rooms and will always do that, regardless of price.

ok, that is not you. I didn't say it was.