Deep Discounts may be no more

[wtccheermom]

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/bu...g-disney-says-discounts-will-end-by-2011.html

 

[WDW1st-timers]

Wow thanks for the intersting artical. Atleast I got my December free dining pin before that possibly went out the door. You never know how disney is going to play their end on things.

 

[wtccheermom]

Your welcome!!! Some of the responses people posted under the article are just bizarre. we are going summer 2011 with or without a room discount but without it we will be staying at a moderate and probably knocking it down from 10 nights to 8 but that’s OK just glad to be going back!!!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

This consumer is not "looking past" discounts. If I HAD to travel during peak times I might fork out rack rate, but I choose to travel during off-peak times when discounts are offered. No way would I pay the outrageous rack rates they want for hotel rooms.

 

[carol-lamb]

I have been to WDW many times always staying on property. Today I booked our Summer vacation and will be staying at a deluxe resort (Poly) for the first time. The only reason I booked was because of the 40% discount beginning on Aug. 15th. I can tell you that I would never stay deluxe if not for the discount.

 

[wtccheermom]

I have been to WDW many times always staying on property. Today I booked our Summer vacation and will be staying at a deluxe resort (Poly) for the first time. The only reason I booked was because of the 40% discount beginning on Aug. 15th. I can tell you that I would never stay deluxe if not for the discount.

Same thing here for us!!! The discount will definitely decide on whether we stay at a moderate or deluxe next year. You know I am not sure that even if money were no option I would ever pay rack room rates for a deluxe the thought of paying 400 for a hotel room makes me cringe.

 

[carol-lamb]

Same thing here for us!!! The discount will definitely decide on whether we stay at a moderate or deluxe next year. You know I am not sure that even if money were no option I would ever pay rack room rates for a deluxe the thought of paying 400 for a hotel room makes me cringe.

I'm the same way. I'm not saying money is no object for us, but we can afford to stay deluxe, discount or not, but I don't think I could ever pay that much for a room either. I'm already starting to second guess my choice to stay at the Poly. For only $50 more than what I'm paying to stay at the Polynesian, I could stay at CBR (my favorite moderate) and get free dining, plus three 2-day passes! But I know this will most likely be the only time I will stay at a deluxe so I'm trying not to think about it. I am tempted to change my reservation to club level though. That would really make it a deluxe experience! Just don't know if it's worth it as we usually eat our meals in the parks. It would cost about $500 more for us to stay club level. This is when I wish I wasn't so practical.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have been traveling to WDW since '99...making several trips a year in most cases. The only trip I have paid rack rate for was the first one...I just didn't know any better. Disney has always offered some kind of discounts throughout the years...but, certainly not like the ones we have seen in the past 2 years or so.
I think they may still offer the type deal where you book 4 nights and get three 'free' extra nights. But, I think we will see free dining change significantly and I don't think we will see nearly as many 'across the board' pin discounts.

Many people were able to book resorts that they wouldn't normally stay at because of the various discounted offers. Now, if those offers go away, some may have to go back to the moderate resorts, or the values. But, that doesn't mean you can't go to WDW.

I'm really hoping that when Disney does open the new Animation Inn, they will price it decently. I hope they make it cost a bit less to book one of those family suites than to book two rooms at a regular resort. That's what larger families need. If families can book a decently priced place, onsite, then they will keep returning to WDW.

 

[abaldacci]

I think it's bunk when people don't show they will offer a discount. WDW always has offered up discounts for slow times!!!!!

 

[Gary M]

The last few times I have been to WDW it seemed like a very high % of the guests were European. With the Euro declining, it will be more expensive to visit the USA and I would assume fewer coming to WDW. It would seem the crowds will be smaller or Disney will offer more discounts than they now expect to. I'm not sure how the pound is doing vs. the dollar.

 

[Craigdarroch]

Yeah.... we'll see.

 

[DISNEY1975]

The last few times I have been to WDW it seemed like a very high % of the guests were European. With the Euro declining, it will be more expensive to visit the USA and I would assume fewer coming to WDW. It would seem the crowds will be smaller or Disney will offer more discounts than they now expect to. I'm not sure how the pound is doing vs. the dollar.

Europeans get different discounts than us US residents. You should check out the Disney UK website and see the deals (then again, dont, you'll be sick knowing they pay about 1/2 what we do).

The last few times I have been there, the resorts I stayed in were filled with Americans, mostly from the south (at least south of me!!)...super nice people! I remember laughing at my son (17 at the time!)..we were in the elevator and he was standing next to the buttons asking people what number they wanted him to press. One woman, who had a very very very heavy southern accent, said "Ten" Almost like "Tea - Ehn". He looked at her and said "What?" She repeated it and again, he said "What" She repeated it and he just stood there with the funniest look on his face! Finally, my mother, other son and I, all at the same time, said "TEN". I had to apologize to the woman and I told her he doesnt get out of the house often! It was all I could do to keep from laughing before the doors opened to my floor!

 

[B-Ride]

We have been going to Disney since 2002 and we have never had to book a trip without some kind of discount.

The first couple of years the discount wasn't that great because of the time we travelled but it was there. Our last 5 trips have been in August with Free Dining, the first 3 pre-recession.

Bottom line, if Disney can't fill their resorts at slower times like hurricane season they will still need to discount.

 

[bookwormde]

Deep discounts were offered before the down turn, just not as many and more targeted (APs, slower times etc) so there will still be discounts.

bookwormde

 

[larryz]

I'm not holding my breath. Iger would be a lot more believable if I hadn't just read all those posts by people who are trying to decide which offer to take -- the 20/30/40 percent discount or the free dining...

 

[ShellyLynn3630]

I think there will always be some type of discount during the harder months to fill such as September, October.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

If they discontinue the discounts, we will still visit WDW but we'll stay offsite in a condo and spend much less time and $$ in the parks. Free dining is what got us to stay onsite for the first time after many, many visits staying offsite. We booked bounceback last year so we still have the regular DDP even though we're staying at POP. Now that it's been changed to the QSDP for the values and requires a 2 day park ticket, the same exact trip will cost us $832 more than last year. Already I've warned my family that this is our last year onsite because I just don't feel the value is there anymore. Of course, I realize free dining wasn't really free but I felt overall like it was a decent value for our family. Now, not so much. We'll see how it all works out.

 

[TeresaWen]

We have always gotten AP discounts. A few years back the discount was usually 30%. Now we have been getting between 40% - 45%. Nice! Without the discount, I cound not justify staying at the resort we perfer - $400 per night and up for the beach club. While the hotel is great and the pool wonderful, the rooms are small and showing their age. And during our last trip, NO CHAIRS in the room! We had to watch TV on the bed! For less than $300 a night I can get an all inclusive in Mexico with a ocean front suite and a space on the beach reserved for us. The choice for us in the spring is not a lesser room in Disney or a shorter vacaton, it is Disney or somewhere else.

When we go with our room discount we spend a lot of money on food, drinks, and gifts. I think Disney knows this.

We also like to go in October for food and wine. If we can not get a room discount at the beach clup we will try the swan - they usually have passholder discounts as deep as 50%. Not as nice a hotel but during the F&W festival, we don't spend that much time at the resort.

While I understand that Disney does not owe us discounts, I for one would be sad to see room only discounts go completely.

Teresa

 

[amyy]

I hadn't heard about this so thank goodness for the DIS. We are going for almost 2 weeks this summer and thought about canceling 1/2 and going somewhere else since we have gotten into the habit of going to Disney every year. Actually we have gone a few times the past year. I am getting pressure to go to other vacation spots so I think I will keep this trip as we can't afford to be going at full price. I really can't imagine staying off Disney but it seems like there are a lot of nice hotels for a lot less.

 

[wtccheermom]

I hadn't heard about this so thank goodness for the DIS. We are going for almost 2 weeks this summer and thought about canceling 1/2 and going somewhere else since we have gotten into the habit of going to Disney every year. Actually we have gone a few times the past year. I am getting pressure to go to other vacation spots so I think I will keep this trip as we can't afford to be going at full price. I really can't imagine staying off Disney but it seems like there are a lot of nice hotels for a lot less.

I am with you on that. There tons of fabulous hotels and vacation resorts off Disney property that with the military rate are often cheaper than what rack room at a moderate cost but I just cannot bring myself to stay anywhere but Disney when I am vacationing there. My husband said I have a sick obsession !!