Does anyone actually pay rack rate for deluxe resorts?

[Butterflygirl35]

I am planning our first trip and wondering where you all get your discounts from? I am not sure where to book or who to book with to get the best price?

I booked Grand Floridian through Angela with Magical Vacations Travel for labor day weekend for $159 a night.. They have great agency exclusives...

Also, since I live in FL I always book bounce back before I leave and cancel if something better comes along (like the above)

Good luck!

 

[ols386]

I have a couple of times, and both times it was a big OUCH.

Usually I go when I have a Pin Code.

 

[Ego831]

We go every year for the Food and Wine festival and the main reason we always stay at the Boardwalk is the convinience of walking right into Paris or the UK in Epcot...

The last thing I want to do first in the day or at the end of the day when I am exhausted (or full...hahaha) is wait for a bus....so for that reason we pay the premium to stay there - the location.

As far as the rooms and resort themselves - they really aren't anything spectacular. We have gone there half a dozen times and we have never even been able to get a king size bed - we end up with two queens...now with kids...I guess that won't be as important....

But back to Boardwalk - it is all about the convinience for us....we can even take a break during the day and easily walk back to the room or go to our pool if we want. Trying to do that when you are staying at the Animal Kingdom (which trully does have beautiful rooms and hotel) would not be possible....

Hope that helps!

I travel a lot and have stayed in some very expensive hotels but Disney's rates seem outrageous. We have never stayed onsite but I was looking into the possibility of doing so for F&W. The cheapest room at the Beach Club was $490 a night!

Now, I can afford it but just can't seem to justify spending that much. Am I missing something? Its not the Four Seasons (or something simular) so I'm trying to figure out why someone would pay that much for a hotel room.

 

[Butterflygirl35]

I have also rented points to save $$$

In January of 2012 I had rented last minute points through TimeShare Store and paid $358 for 4 nights in OKW... No maid service since DVC but for the price I paid.. No complaints as the room was great - much better than staying Value at the same price.

 

[Butterflygirl35]

We go every year for the Food and Wine festival and the main reason we always stay at the Boardwalk is the convinience of walking right into Paris or the UK in Epcot...

The last thing I want to do first in the day or at the end of the day when I am exhausted (or full...hahaha) is wait for a bus....so for that reason we pay the premium to stay there - the location.

As far as the rooms and resort themselves - they really aren't anything spectacular. We have gone there half a dozen times and we have never even been able to get a king size bed - we end up with two queens...now with kids...I guess that won't be as important....

But back to Boardwalk - it is all about the convinience for us....we can even take a break during the day and easily walk back to the room or go to our pool if we want. Trying to do that when you are staying at the Animal Kingdom (which trully does have beautiful rooms and hotel) would not be possible....

Hope that helps!

Why not rent DVC points? It comes out MUCH cheaper... Just no maid service..

 

[ErinsMommy]

Unfortunately looks like we will actually be paying rack rate for our CR stay. We never stay Deluxe but we're celebrating DH's 50th birthday and the CR has always been his "lifelong dream" (He's so milking that point with me I'm about to tell him we're going without him and he'll have to wait until his next "big" birthday which will be 100. )

Bonus is if I go on past offers, we miss out on FD by 3 days -- so yeah I'm screwed as we already booked our flights.

 

[eliza61]

I travel a lot and have stayed in some very expensive hotels but Disney's rates seem outrageous. We have never stayed onsite but I was looking into the possibility of doing so for F&W. The cheapest room at the Beach Club was $490 a night!

Now, I can afford it but just can't seem to justify spending that much. Am I missing something? Its not the Four Seasons (or something simular) so I'm trying to figure out why someone would pay that much for a hotel room.

They are outrageous but they are market driven. People pay that much to stay on site.

Now, I will never ever pay disney prices for the sub par quality. Especially now that there is a Waldorf Astoria right next door.

Supposedly a four season is being built near disney, not sure if this rumor was confirmed or not but I thought I heard that. I hope it's true.

 

[fadingjamie]

We might have to pay rack rates for our honeymoon next July... which is why we're currently only planning on 2 nights there then transferring to CSR. I think I got a PIN in the mail that had 5% off Poly which I just laughed at.. ridiculous.

 

[Ego831]

Thanks Butterflygirl,

How does that work? I have heard there are Vacation Club rooms at the Boardwalk (I think I have even seen them when I walk through the garden portion of the resort) but how does that work?

Am I actually buying/using someone else's vacation club rental?

Why not rent DVC points? It comes out MUCH cheaper... Just no maid service..

 

[Butterflygirl35]

Yes but I would do it through a reputable company.

The Timeshare Store charges less than David's and has really great service.

I used them twice... But boardwalk fills up fast so you need to book in advance..The biggest downfall is paying in advance and no changes / refunds

 

[buzznina]

I will go a step further, I would not pay Disney's rack rate for any level of resort (unless free dining). Been going for 8 straight years and have not paid rack prices.

 

[we3travellers]

Yes, we paid rack for AKL in 2010, but it was during a promo in which we got a gift card for $750. I thought that was a pretty good deal. Especially since AKL is the lowest priced of the deluxe resorts. This year it is a mod, CSR, with a 20% discount. Can't go during FD, so I'll take the mediocre discount!

 

[pigletto]

No, I will never pay rack rate for a deluxe. EVER. Like some others, I have stayed in many wonderful hotels, that cost less.
In fact, I was looking to stay right near (not on) the parade route in NYC on Thanksgiving Day and could stay for less. Its nuts.
Any of the Fairmont resorts destroy Disney deluxe in every category.. but they cost less.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the Disney Deluxes but they don't make or break my vacation to the point that I will pay rack rate for them.
However, I do understand that everyone has their own sense of what is "worth it" and I don't fault people for paying full price for the Poly etc. It just wouldn't sit right with me and I know I'd leave mad at myself that I could have taken 2 vacations for the cost of one.

 

[Sue M]

No..I decide when I want to go and where I want to stay and I book the trip. When I used to go in September, sometimes there was free dining but if I missed it, no problem.

I don't drink, don't smoke and buy most everything else on sale. So, I have no issue treating myself on vacation. The most I've paid was $680 per night for a Club Level lagoon view room at the Poly. Expensive yes, but it was awesome. My sister and I still talk about how cool that room was- we could sit out on the balcony and watch Wishes every night, drinks in hand and feet up.

I don't have tons of flexibility with my schedule, so if I just book what I want and what I can afford at the time.

I can understand booking when & where you want, but I look to see if there is a room discount available :good vibes Free dining never works for us when we stay at a deluxe, the % off room is always better. I'd never not bother looking to see if a discount was avail. And Aug/Sept always has room discounts avail. We go then a lot, love the low crowds!

 

[mickeynut1]

Our first onsite stay we paid rack rate at a mod (CBR, 2002), but we have not paid rack rate since that time. With that said, we love the deluxe resorts and can't stay anything else and have always gotten some sort of discount. But if Disney did away with discounts, we would still go and stay deluxe. We might have to shorten our trip by a night or two, but we would pay rack rate if we had to.

 

[chimo2u]

I can understand booking when & where you want, but I look to see if there is a room discount available :good vibes Free dining never works for us when we stay at a deluxe, the % off room is always better. I'd never not bother looking to see if a discount was avail. And Aug/Sept always has room discounts avail. We go then a lot, love the low crowds!

Funny enough, this wasn't true for us this Yr! even POLY with the 30% room discount didn't save us as much as the FD discount.....4 adults= a $1600 discount , which was our best discount this Yr!

 

[luvthemouse71]

I can understand booking when & where you want, but I look to see if there is a room discount available :good vibes Free dining never works for us when we stay at a deluxe, the % off room is always better. I'd never not bother looking to see if a discount was avail. And Aug/Sept always has room discounts avail. We go then a lot, love the low crowds!

I would bother looking for a discount if I were going to stay at the Swan or Dolphin, I think they have a nurse discount? I'm not against discounts, I admit, I'm lazy.. If one were magically to appear I'd use it.

We've branched out and gone in May the past two trips..and just missed free dining. I've given up on paying for the dining plan, I just don't think it works for me anymore...

 

[Mousemommy1]

We usually stay value or moderate as the price of those resorts is more in our comfort level....we just got back, however, from a 10 night stay at WL Club Level, but we only did it because we had the 40% off military discount. Our rates were $273/night weekday and $288/night weekend...and I absolutely think those rates were worth every penny...we had a fabulous time!!! That being said, would we pay full price....nope. You can see in my sig that our next trip will only be back to WL with a good discount...otherwise POR here we come!!!!