Disney Discounts...the complexity & the frustration

[SouthFayetteFan]

I'm seeing numerous posts about frustration over the discounts released today. I'm honestly frustrated myself (despite the fact that I'm already booked on a different discount and wasn't even using today's discounts).

I've been tracking Disney Discounts for a decade (if you're interested in this year's Stay Play Dine calculation thread check it out: https://www.disboards.com/threads/stay-play-dine-2018-calculation-thread.3638155/) and today just really left me frustrated for everybody. This thread is to recap some of the reasons for my frustration - feel free to vent here too!

First off...The Complexity:
Today Disney has released the following discounts:
1) Disney Visa Cardmember Room Offer - really just a room only discount, and for most resorts is really the same discount as the "gift of magic" however for 9 specific resorts they offer a deeper room only discount for using your Visa Card. Oh and by the way the availability on the Visa discount is DIFFERENT than all the other discounts
2) Play, Stay, Dine Package Offer (we like to call it StayPlay&Dine around here or SPD since that what it was called in its first year). This discount is basically a discount on dining (see my thread posted above) but rather than just come out and say that they hide behind this strange name and mystical savings percentages. AND the availability for this is different than the other discounts.
3) Kid Size Play, Stay, Dine Package Offer...now you may be thinking oh this is a better price than the regular Play Stay and Dine...IT'S NOT! It's just the same discount as Play Stay and Dine EXCEPT they only put 2 days of tickets in there to show a lower package cost on the initial screen. WHO ARE THEY TRYING TO FOOL? Anybody can change the ticket parameters, If I wanted 2 days of tickets I'll pick 2 days...and if I want 8 I'll pick 8, but don't try to convince me that selecting less ticket days is some NEW option where I can save more money...Its always existed!
4) Gift of Magic Room Offer...It's a room only discount. What the heck is Gift of Magic and why must we call it that?? Call it a Room only Discount! AND again you guessed it...different availability than the other discounts
5) Family Gift of Magic Room Package...Another Room only discount but it requires tickets. Again, What the heck is Family Gift of Magic?? If I don't have a family can I still use it? I priced it out as a solo traveler...It seemed like it would let me book it. ALSO - I'm not even sure it saves you any money for Gift of Magic Room Offer...it just includes tickets, which I could add-on myself at anytime...

And then on top of this they put these weird phrases that say "Save up to $500" but it's really based on the EXACT family parameters they've selected, 2 adults a 12 year old and a 7 year old staying 4 nights and 5 days with a 3 day park hopper ticket...GUESS WHAT...you can save more than $500 if you're family and situation is different...you can save less also. These "example savings" mean nothing - tell me how the deal works! I can calculate 25% off my room, I can calculate 40% off the dining plan...I'm SMART!

Oh and add to that the cluster___ that was the release this morning...Computers down, long hold times, not online...now it is online...no it's not working...yes it is...bad CM info on the phone (some were outright lies!)...BLECH!

SECOND...THE FRUSTRATION....
Hmmm...the first point sounded kind of like frustration...but here we go anyway...

So you've picked which of these 5 incredibly complex and confusing options you want (not even sure if it's the best option but they've worn you down and you're just ready to hand over your $5,000)...and you go to pick a resort and they make you select things like CLUB LEVEL, PIRATE WATER VIEW, KING SUITE, etc...Room options that nobody really intended to pay for...and possibly are more expensive than just paying rack rate for the standard room that you really wanted. The availability on these discounts is really terrible this year...it's worse than last year, and it was bad last year.

And let's talk about price increases:

Here is an example of the StayPlayDine deal over the last 4 years.

Our example family is 2 adults, a child age 7 and a child age 1 (free). They are staying 6 nights in a standard room at CBR at the end of Jan/early Feb with 7 day base tickets and the regular Disney dining plan.

In 2015 under the SPD deal they would have paid (all approximate):
Rom: $1,057
Tickets: $1,014
Dining: $376
TOTAL: $2,447

In 2016 under the SPD deal they would have paid (all approximate):
Room: $1,122
Tickets: $1,049
Dining: $458
TOTAL: $2,629

In 2017 under the SPD deal they will pay (all approximate):
Room: $1,151
Tickets: $1,161
Dining: $524
TOTAL: $2,836

In 2018 under the SPD deal they will pay (all approximate):
Room: $1,172
Tickets: $1,293
Dining: $583
TOTAL: $3,048

So with the price increases on rooms, tickets & dining, combined with the lesser discount amounts...the example family pays $212 more in 2018 (vs. '17) and $207 more in 2017 (vs. '16). Over the 3 years analyzed the same exact discounted package goes up $601 which is approximately a 7.6% increase annually.

Same exact vacation...$601 more. I get that there's inflation and such...but 7.6% annually??!? When families are seeing 2% pay increases and costs all around them rise, this is really tough to continue to afford. AND this example is a family with 2 adults, a 7 year old and an infant. How about those with 2, 3, & 4 kids...and kids that are over 10 that need adult meals...

******************
In summary...I'm frustrated for all of us. Why must Disney make this so complex? The deals all basically overlap. It seems they try to make it so confusing that you can't possibly figure out the best option for your family. And then the marketing people get in there and make it even more confusing.

Am I still going to Disney in January...YES. Will I continue to go...YES! They have me...I'm hooked, but I'm still frustrated. I wish you all luck, I know some of you have found hidden gems and great savings and I'm so happy for you! To the others who haven't, keep looking...as if it wasn't complex enough already, the availability will now change daily for the next 2 months

Sincerely,

SouthFayetteFan
Self Proclaimed Disney Discount Guru

 

[Moomduck1]

I agree completely!!! I spent such a long time trying to figure out which deal was better. I'm still not sure I chose the right one. On top of that, whenever I go to check prices, the website APPEARS to have standard rooms available, but when I click on them, they aren't available and I can only see the higher rates. It's extremely frustrating. I was trying to book rooms for my husband and myself, and his sister and her husband. It was so difficult to get 2 rooms, with a discount, at the same resort! I've never seen it like this before.

 

[cruise cruise cruise]

Visa offer- do you know which 9 resorts the offer applies?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Visa offer- do you know which 9 resorts the offer applies?

Oh wait...you mean you think Disney should make that information visible? That would directly contradict their policy on Conplexity!!


Ok, ok...I'll tell you...Music, Sports, CBR, CSR, AKL, GF, Yacht, Old Key, Saratoga. I think the discounts at these resorts are 10% more than the Wonderfully Named "Gift of Magic"...and only on weeknights on the first 4 listed...(I'm sensing more complexity again).

 

[Ericandus]

I feel this pain DEEP in my pockets! I booked Jan 1-9 @CSR in a Jr suite way back in February because I knew those rooms were so limited. Been sitting on a full price package costing over $10,000 for the 5 of us (all considered Disney adults...) since then and hoping for a discount. NONE of these apply to our reservation. Not SPD, not Disney Visa, not gift of magic, NOTHING. Granted I am prepared to pay full price because that's what we wanted and budgeted for, but seriously? NO discount at all? and 2 different CMs tried ANY resort that had 2 bathrooms (other than ASMu, the kids are just too big for those tiny fold out beds now) and there is NO availability. Really? Just ugh.

 

[Miffy]

Is there a way to book the Visa discount online? I can't even find it on the WDW site. Thank you!

ETA: Ah. Never mind. I went to Mousesavers. I see that I have to call. So I'm going to! Will report back with Complex Results!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Is there a way to book the Visa discount online? I can't even find it on the WDW site. Thank you!

ETA: Ah. Never mind. I went to Mousesavers. I see that I have to call. So I'm going to! Will report back with Complex Results!

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/visa-room-booking/

 

[melanielll]

Here was my frustration this morning (or my series of frustrations)...

I could get a discount on one type of room...but the room would have cost more than what I had already booked at rack rate before this year's price increase happened.

I could get a different room with a discount... it worked out to a savings of $5 less per day... on a room at The Contemporary... which was over $500 a night... For this discount, I would have had to make three reservations because I am arriving before the discount begins and staying through a few nights when no discount was available and they couldn't find a way to get "the system" to give me a discount if I was arriving before the deal started and staying when it wasn't available (this has NEVER been a problem before). The plus side of this would have been boxes and boxes of Magicbands arriving at my house.

I could have upgraded to a suite...which was over $1100 a night...hahahahaha...and gotten a discount (the over $1100 was with the discount).

So.. rack rate booked back in January is the winner. Geez...

 

[Elle23]

Why release a discount that has hardly any availability? I don't get it.

I am beyond frustrated with how things went down this time. Not happy at all.

 

[Amii]

I think they are making it so complicated so the average Disney World traveler will book their vacation with a special and not know exactly how much of a discount they are getting. Here people spend a lot of time breaking everything down but I don't think the average Disney traveler spends as much time doing it.

In many instances it seems to be an upsell campaign instead of just a discount.

I did call a few times and got CMs who had no idea what was going on and were telling me what I wanted. I know what I wanted and it wasn't what they were telling me I wanted.

I couldn't get a discount today and I am kind of bummed. We were supposed to go the last week of August with the exclusive discount and we were going to be there for the first MNSSHP. My son's doctor said he couldn't be in the August heat and humidity. We tried to get time in November or December when we could go but there were no rooms. We were looking forward to all of the Christmas stuff. The only other week we can go is the last week in January. The parks close early and there there isn't much going on plus we'll have to pay rack rate. There is the Festival of the Arts but that isn't much of a draw for us.

None of that is Disney's fault but I'm bummed nonetheless.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Is there a way to book the Visa discount online? I can't even find it on the WDW site. Thank you!

ETA: Ah. Never mind. I went to Mousesavers. I see that I have to call. So I'm going to! Will report back with Complex Results!

Did you see the link I posted? You can see visa deals online from there.

 

[csmom]

When the system came up this morning and I got through, the CM I talked to told me the only discount was Play, Stay and Dine. I specifically asked if there was a room only discount or a different discount for Disney Visa. She said no to both. She then went on to quote me a price for SPD at Pop Century which was rack rate with no discount on tickets or dining, and I knew this because I had calculated this all ahead of time. I told her that wasn't a discounted price and she tried several times to tell me it was. She then said it was because there wasn't availability for the discount at Pop and priced All Star Sports for me, and that price did include the discount. If I hadn't priced it all out ahead of time, I never would have known the price she was quoting me as discounted wasn't discounted at all. I ended up going on line myself and booking All Star Sports with a room only discount (which she had told me didn't exist). Thanks to the thread on Jan/Feb discounts I found out there was a bigger discount available for Disney Visa (which she told me there wasn't) and called later to switch to that.

 

[Amii]

Why release a discount that has hardly any availability? I don't get it.

I am beyond frustrated with how things went down this time. Not happy at all.

I think there are a lot of people who aren't happy but many still booked or kept their rack rate rooms or upgraded to more expensive rooms. Mission accomplished for Disney.

 

[Miffy]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/visa-room-booking/

Thank you so much! I just got off the phone with them--I was calling before I saw your post--and here's an example of the discount.

March 4-11, 2018 (7 nights), 2 adults, SSR Deluxe Studio (room only):
Gift of Magic: $2,389.52 (includes tax)
Gift of Magic Visa (if that's what it's called!): $2,070.93 (includes tax)

Quite an impressive difference. The woman I spoke with (she was wonderful, btw) also checked GF (nothing available), AKL (only a 2-bedroom villa available, so I stopped her right there), and YC ($2,729.78 for the same 7 nights).

She also said that she thought the AP discount was likely to be less than the Disney Visa discount, because the Disney Visa discount is 35% off the resorts she checked for me and the AP discount is usually only 30%, if that.

HTH someone else down the thread!

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

We're currently booked rack rate at Pop. No discounted rooms available for our dates at POP but we are tempted to switch to to AKL (I see a discounted room online for our dates). I'm not sure I have the patience to call right now, lol. Can I book the AKL online and then cancel the Pop reservation online (it's a package with tix). I'm not sure if the system will allow us to have two reservations, although it would only be momentary until we know the AKL is confirmed.

 

[Miffy]

SouthFayetteFan: Thank you so much! I ended up booking online. Interestingly, the total for the 7 nights is almost the same as it was this past March (2017). I guess the discount I had for that wasn't as much.

 

[krr126]

We didn't benefit from these deals either, ended up keeping our existing reservation with no discounts. Bummer but hey, we are still going!

Anyone know if based on past years, if there will be any other discounts offered as we get closer? Dining plan, Memory Maker discounts (beyond the $30 discount for buying pre-trip)?

 

[FelisLachesis]

Why release a discount that has hardly any availability? I don't get it.

I am beyond frustrated with how things went down this time. Not happy at all.

I wouldn't be surprised if marketing said to at least offer it, just to say they can.

It's like car dealerships and their commercials "GET A NEW 2018 CAR FOR ONLY $199 A MONTH!" And they only offered two.

 

[Moomduck1]

Is there a reason that Jan 11 is so hard to book with a discount? I can find discounts before the 11th and after the 11th. But as soon as I try to include the 11th, forget it. It's a Thursday so I'm not quite sure why it's so popular.

 

[earfulofmagic]

When the system came up this morning and I got through, the CM I talked to told me the only discount was Play, Stay and Dine. I specifically asked if there was a room only discount or a different discount for Disney Visa. She said no to both. She then went on to quote me a price for SPD at Pop Century which was rack rate with no discount on tickets or dining, and I knew this because I had calculated this all ahead of time. I told her that wasn't a discounted price and she tried several times to tell me it was. She then said it was because there wasn't availability for the discount at Pop and priced All Star Sports for me, and that price did include the discount. If I hadn't priced it all out ahead of time, I never would have known the price she was quoting me as discounted wasn't discounted at all. I ended up going on line myself and booking All Star Sports with a room only discount (which she had told me didn't exist). Thanks to the thread on Jan/Feb discounts I found out there was a bigger discount available for Disney Visa (which she told me there wasn't) and called later to switch to that.

Wow. That CM is either incompetent, or their upselling practices are as shady as an oak tree.

I'm glad you did not fall for it and were able to get an actual discount.