Does anyone else feel Deluxes are really out of reach now?

[bubba73]

I have stayed in only deluxe resorts for the past few years. As a youngster my grandmother would take me to the CR and to the park for weekends and it left a lasting impression on me. I feel the magic, I feel her presence and I feel that same warm feeling I did as a kid..... which is something that is fleeting in my line of work. I get discounts on deluxe rooms but lately I have been staying in suites where there are no discounts. I have never felt bad about my expenditures nor have I felt that I paid too much. In fact, as I sat in the Vice Pres suite this past week at AKL with my family and friends talking into the late hours of the night I felt as though there was no price too high! For $2100 a night am I getting the best treatment?? No, I get better in New York or Chicago but........ New York and Chicago arent on Disney property. Nuff said.

I want to congratulate you in your finacial endeavors as it has obviously been very kind to you. Just by looking at the list of where you have been able to stay and how much you have been able to pay to be able to do so, you must have a very important job with a lot of resposibility. The only thing I am going to say is please don't look down at the ones like myself that cannot afford to do so but still love going to the World to visit the House of Mouse. I am not saying that you are doing that so please don't think that. We both go for the same reasons. We just have different paths that we take to get there.

 

[gonga]

By the way, the family accross from me in the Pres Suite were my age (late thirties) and had been there for 20 days and still had another week to go. I calculate they spent about $75,000. The scary part is that the high end suites are often sold out for months in advance...... I have the WL Pres for 5 days over christmas!!

You are so right! I have been trying to get the Magnolia Suite at the GF but it is booked for months and months. Usually the most expensive and the least expensive are booked solid (hotels and cruises). I'll get it someday, for now we always get our favorite room in the GF, honeymoon turret in the main building. It does not have a balcony but the view is unbelieveable you can see the MK fireworks, Illuminations and the lagoon parade! In other hotels when you stay at a certain level you do get much better service and ammenities (personal butlers, private restaurants. star treatment) but they don't have spalsh mountain!

 

[d-hlaw]

I want to congratulate you in your finacial endeavors as it has obviously been very kind to you. Just by looking at the list of where you have been able to stay and how much you have been able to pay to be able to do so, you must have a very important job with a lot of resposibility. The only thing I am going to say is please don't look down at the ones like myself that cannot afford to do so but still love going to the World to visit the House of Mouse. I am not saying that you are doing that so please don't think that. We both go for the same reasons. We just have different paths that we take to get there.

I would never be condescending because you are staying somewhere else... in fact my very nature would be to offer to pay to upgrade you to deluxe so that you could experience some of what I am. Of course then you would become even more addicted and irrational and end up on the verge of financial disaster like me............ well not really but you know what I mean!!!

Our first stay in a Pres Suite was at Wl and it was because we had been in the process of buiding our new house and due to the hurricanes it was behind schedule. We were living in a 1000 sq ft house that didnt have room for a christmas tree and I wanted to make sure that my 3 year old had a tree to have presents under and a memorable christmas. The Pres Suite was the only one available that had a full size tree so I indulged. It has been all down hill from there.....

 

[Alicnwondrln]

thats a wonderful pic of your son

 

[DISUNC]

By the way, the family accross from me in the Pres Suite were my age (late thirties) and had been there for 20 days and still had another week to go. I calculate they spent about $75,000. The scary part is that the high end suites are often sold out for months in advance...... I have the WL Pres for 5 days over christmas!!

YIKES! I am sure that a Corporation (like most other disney suites) is footing the bill.

 

[chyam]

I want to congratulate you in your finacial endeavors as it has obviously been very kind to you. Just by looking at the list of where you have been able to stay and how much you have been able to pay to be able to do so, you must have a very important job with a lot of resposibility. The only thing I am going to say is please don't look down at the ones like myself that cannot afford to do so but still love going to the World to visit the House of Mouse. I am not saying that you are doing that so please don't think that. We both go for the same reasons. We just have different paths that we take to get there.

I agree with you we are all there for the love of the mouse, and I am beginning to think that this thread has turned into a brag fest of who can afford what, but we all work hard for what ever we have and some of us still have as much fun when we stay in a $79.00 room as those who stay in a $1000.00 a night room. I'm not jealous of those that do, some people have had more opportunities than others, it doesn't mean that one works harder than the other.

 

[d-hlaw]

I'll just go ahead and change my signature and not post pics of my trips because I certainly dont want anyone to think I am bragging.

 

[skiwee1]

I think it has to be said that staying at a deluxe on WDW property is also a status thing. Like it or not and most will not admit to it.

I will be staying at POR in August. I have traveled extensively and have stayed at some very nice hotels. The rack rates for what you are getting at the deluxe resorts is outrageous. Its all about status and location and Disney knows this.

Moderates are much better deals all around.

I disagree. I prefer the deluxes for many reasons. We spend as much time at the resort as we do at the parks so we look for better amenities. We utilize room service, love the space in the rooms, the location, the restaurants, the themed pools, and so on. Yes, we have paid rack to stay at the Poly and will continue to do so though we try to get a discount. I don't know how you can say it is a status thing. No one at the parks know where you are staying. It isn't like folks walk around with a big Poly guest or GF guest sticker on their shirts.

 

[mamalle]

we stayed at the swan in Feb prior to our cruise and it wasnt the greatest. I paid close to $250 a night and would of preferred staying at the CSR instead. It all depends on your tastes and what you can afford. for me if Im going to spend that type of money again it will be in the keys for a villa with a couple of rooms, kitchen, pool and the ocean but thats what I compare it too. thats the beauty of disney- they have different resorts and prices for all walks of life to choose from.

 

[Rowlf]

I try not to think about how much we pay per night when we stay at a deluxe. I look at the total cost for the vacation, because you aren't just getting a hotel room, you are getting a whole experience. Between the CMs, the deluxe pools, and the theming, I think WDW has the right to charge more than other deluxe hotels in other cities.

On previous trips before having my DS, I would stay off site and only sleep there. With a toddler? Concierge at a deluxe is WAY worth it for us.

 

[maxaroni]

We have never stayed in a Deluxe in Disney. Would we like to, sure we would. However, we don't feel that it's worth the money, for us. It really has nothing to do with what we can afford or not afford. We choose to not stay there for a variety of reasons. We have stayed on fancier hotels in other places. However, we don't spend lots of time in the room at Disney and can't justify the cost. However, if one feels it's necessary, for them, fine...have a great time. I don't look at the ones staying there in envy but rather as, it's there way to spend their money. There isn't a right or wrong and I'm not liking anyone bragging or looking down on others...I'm not saying anyone is but I do think that it's easy to go down that path. We are all in WDW for the same reason....have a nice vacation with our family.

My neighbors have 3 kids and when they went, they chose CR due to the monorail as the youngest was 2 when they went. They came back saying that, for them, the added expense, did not outweigh what they received for it. To each their own.

Now, getting to the OP's original point, having never stayed at the deluxes and never knowing about all the codes and such, I really can't compare and know whether or not the deluxes are out of reach now. I can say that I'm glad that Disney has 3 levels of rooms to satisfy everyones needs. I don't like when people staying at the mods or value are looked down upon or if they feel they'd love to stay at deluxe but can't afford it, we all have our setpoint as to what we can do and what makes us comfortable. I have a friend that has been to Disney 35x's and goes to the yearly conventions etc. She has stayed in all of the resorts, even the values. She doesn't feel the need to stay at Deluxes all of the time.

I am sorry...I'm now digressing and rambling

 

[tiggersthebest]

I think that after 9/11 vacation dropped drastically and Disney gave great deals that following summer for Deluxes. I stayed at the Poly for really cheap!! I can't afford the rates this summer I am trying POR but am dreading the bussing because of DD1 and all the stuff that goes with a really young one!!!

Mom of two princesses

5 1

1997 Fort Wilderness Campgrounds
1997 Christmas at Coronado
1999 Wilderness Lodge (Daddy Paid )
1999 Fort Wilderness for New Year's
2002 Poly
2003 Carribbean Beach
2005 POR in August!!!
2006 Grand Floridian (special splurge for big family trip!)

 

[Sammie]

I'll just go ahead and change my signature and not post pics of my trips because I certainly dont want anyone to think I am bragging.

I see absolutely no reason for you to do that. Unless you are now ashamed of where you stayed; because in my opinion a few tried to "put you down" because of your ability to afford such. There can be 2 sides to snobbiness and it is not always on the side that is financially well off.

I say leave it and let anyone that it bothers get over it. Not everyone is financially equal, you answered a question that the OP asked, so it should not affect anyone.

I guess according to some we are resort snobs. We have stayed in all the categories at Disney and all the resorts except for Pop Century. Our lifestyle is at the present where we prefer the deluxe and home away from home resorts more and have no intention of booking anything else. This does not mean there is anything wrong with mods or values, we just do not care for them. We enjoyed our stays at all the Disney resorts, we just prefer the deluxe resorts now for many of the reasons that Skiwee mentioned. We spend a lot of time at the resort using the amenties that a deluxe resort offers.

As to the price increases (or actually the reduction of discounts) we adjust accordingly. If for some reason we do not get a discount on a deluxe and can not afford rack rate, we either decrease our stay or skip a year and go every other year. This is a personal choice and should not be viewed by anyone as being snobbish but a preference much like buying a car.

 

[d-hlaw]

I see absolutely no reason for you to do that. Unless you are now ashamed of where you stayed; because in my opinion a few tried to "put you down" because of your ability to afford such. There can be 2 sides to snobbiness and it is not always on the side that is financially well off.

I say leave it and let anyone that it bothers get over it. Not everyone is financially equal, you answered a question that the OP asked, so it should not affect anyone.

I guess according to some we are resort snobs. We have stayed in all the categories at Disney and all the resorts except for Pop Century. Our lifestyle is at the present where we prefer the deluxe and home away from home resorts more and have no intention of booking anything else. This does not mean there is anything wrong with mods or values, we just do not care for them.

As to the price increases we adjust accordingly. If for some reason we do not get a discount on a deluxe and can not afford rack rate, we either decrease our stay or skip a year and go every other year. This is a personal choice and should not be viewed by anyone as being snobbish.

The ironic part is that I posted the pics not for bragging purposes but to share my experience with others..... thanks for the support

 

[vicb]

I am feeling the deluxe cost pain as I plan my upcoming Feb. '06 trip. We stayed at Poly first trip and paid rack rate because we didn't know any better. After finding this board and mousesavers we managed two stays at BWI for 35-40% discounts! But I am not holding out hope for room only codes this year and so far have just the 10% AAA discount. We wanted to stay at YC but only waterview rooms were available with discount so I moved our ressie to BC.

We find the deluxe resorts really add to our over all enjoyment of WDW. We also really like the 2 queen beds, there are four of us staying in one room. Also like the vanity area being separate from the shower/toilet area. We like the closeness to the parks too. We don't feel the need to rent a car when at a deluxe (Epcot or monorail).

Since we can't afford to do WDW in the style we'd like every year, we save up and go every other year. In the off year we do a less expensive vacation. We don't always stay in as expensive a hotel as the disney deluxes are but usually we stay somewhere pretty nice because we enjoy it. Being on vacation is a luxury and we want that feeling. Not everyone feels that way and that is ok!

 

[PolyAddict]

After our May trip to POR AB, I will only book deluxe because this trip was after Poly Concierge and no one was happy.

With that being said, we will go less often.

I guess it is fitting that after I found this board, I never got to use a general code and I bought an AP only to find fewer discounted rooms.

We work hard and WDW is the only real vacations we go on. My DH and I do not go anywhere w/o the kids. So, when we go we want to do it our way. Which means a monorail hotel, preferably Poly.

So if the discounts do not come we will go less often. Probably every 2 or so years.

Michele

 

[canwegosoon]

I'll just go ahead and change my signature and not post pics of my trips because I certainly dont want anyone to think I am bragging.

I didn't get the impression you were bragging, I found your information useful, and it is a cute pic of your son. Put it back.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

d-hlaw
i dont think oyu need to change anything
i loved your trip report and pics
i think its great you can stay in the suite
good for you !!
dont let others make you feel bad

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I really think this is a matter of personal needs and opinions.

For us, we have stayed at a variety of hotels over the years. Now that my boyfriend is the one joining me on all of the trips, we have been looking into a deluxe. We stayed at the Pop in June of last year and POFQ in March for Spring Break. We enjoyed both stays.

But, we have a special love of the deluxe resorts and are dying to stay in one. In order to do so during Christmastime, a time period we have not experienced, we are not going this December but the next. We plan on staying at the Poly and budget a hundred or two each month so we can do this plus get the Premium Plan again. It is working out well and we cannot wait.

Your resort depends on what your needs are. If you plan on spending time at the resort, stay deluxe. If you will only sleep there, go value or moderate.

Similarly, we have experienced rates of over $200 a night on rooms at the Sheraton 20 minutes from here as well as down in Atlantic City. Other hotels and resorts charge even more down there. I really do not think that Disney is going overboard for what they are offering. The deluxe resorts are just that --- deluxe and have all the fixin's. If you want to experience them, you need to save and pay.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Wow...$2100 a night....now that is out of reach....

As far as staying at a Disney deluxe hotel, I suppose it is a matter of perspective...If all you have ever stayed in is a Motel 6 and Disney Deluxe Resorts, you may think you are getting what you paying for. If you have stayed at other 4 or 5 star hotels, you would realize that the Disney experience is way over priced and the rack rates are probably out of the range of your average 9 to Fiver.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying a deluxe or going to whatever hotel suits them. If you have seen the amount of "hotel" snobs on the board, that is what I mean by a status symbol. There are people who would refuse to try a mod or value hotel just because of the "stigma" of actually having to budget a trip. Keeping up with the Joneses and all that.

And if you get discounts and want to stay at WL or some other deluxe....fantastic....but lets not pretend that the rack rates at Disney World deluxe hotels are either comparable with the actual ammenities they are providing or within the reach of your average middle-class family.

I found some comments here a little over the top. I for one am planning on going deluxe on our next trip and have stayed in values, moderates, and equivalents to deluxes both on and off Disney property. Each resort and hotel in the world offers different ammenities and services. To compare Motel 6 with Disney deluxes is absurd.