Does your geographic location affect hotel choice?

[poppinspenguins]

So I posted a similar question within a thread a few weeks ago...but I was still wondering about it.

Please don't take this question the wrong way...I am truly curious.

I am from the Midwest and the thought of spending 600 a night on a hotel is shocking. For most in the Midwest 2 to 3 nights would exceed a monthly mortgage payment. I'm sure tons of Midwestern folks obviously stay there...but I wonder what the demo break down is.

I don't bemoan those that do...we loved the beach club for out honeymoon and might try to splurge and do it again for 10th anniversary.

But my question is...is a deluxe not that big of a deal when the cost of living is so much higher where you are from? Less sticker shock? I know a studio apt in many parts of the country are a steal for 1500 a month (whereas in my neck of the woods that is a really nice house in a good district and a nice yard lol)...so maybe an awesome hotel room for 600 a night is not a biggie.

Again...not trying to start class warfare or anything here...it just statistically intrigues me...it would love to get my hands on the demo data and analyze it!

 

[rainboots]

We are quite rural Midwest. $600 a night is outrageous to me. But given all of the special rates, I wouldn't pay rack rate for a WDW room. We will be staying at the Poly w/ standard dining for very close to what we would have paid for deluxe dining at POR.

I will say that being from an area that has log cabins everywhere & working in the largest log structure in the Midwest originally made WL less appealing, but the thread on here changed my mind on that. It looks amazing too!

We are normal middle class folks, but for vacation we like to be comfortable and we don't stress over the costs so much. (I am horribly cheap at home, so my splurge is still not extravagant, but I'm not cooking or packing cold lunch either as I may at home).

 

[vicki_c]

I live in the DC Metro area and Disney's prices are still shocking to me. Expected because I've visited a lot, but still shocking. However, a week at the shore near here, in the summer, at a hotel, isn't that different in price. And we find Disney a lot more fun.

 

[poppinspenguins]

I def do not judge anyone who stays deluxe, hope to do again. I just think it would be interesting to know that x pct of those coming from DC (for example) stay here vs x pct from Indiana stay here.

We will obviously never know...but I just am intrigued by it and a bit of a numbers nerd. Even to the point that I wonder if certain geographies get more pin codes (probably)

We have been staying moderate lately and even those are getting out of hand...but it is a bit more enjoyable so we try to swing it most trips since it is a vacation and we want to be relatively comfortable.

 

[Three cats]

I live in Connecticut where the cost of living is very high. That said, I think $600 per night at a deluxe is a fortune and I'd never pay it.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think that could definitely play a role. Around here within driving distance from NYC, hotel rooms at popular destinations (the shore, Lake George) are super pricey during the summer and Disney is not far off in price at all, sometimes cheaper. I still think the rack rates are crazy at the deluxes though and would never pay them without a room discount.

 

[minnie mum]

We will obviously never know for sure, but I think your choice of resort level is more likely tied to your income and your priorities regarding spending within your discretionary budget. As opposed to being tied to geographic locale and local costs of housing. I also think resort choices are often skewed by the resorts theming. I've seen so many posts from (for example) guests from Louisiana who don't want to stay at POR because it's too much like home.

Around here, housing costs are quite modest, compared to some of our cities. Yet we, and most of our friends, usually stay at moderate resorts. Going by housing costs, we would be expected to only opt for values. I think deluxes get ruled out only for their exorbitant prices compared to the amenities they provide. The value just isn't there. We frequently stay at 4 or 5 star hotels or resorts on other vacations, but very seldom see the worth in a Disney deluxe. For us.

 

[Turk February]

I've lived in NYC for my entire adult life and I don't think there's anywhere in the world where $600/night would sound reasonable to a person. I think financial status plays a much larger role than geographic location for this question.

 

[patty57]

I agree with others that financial status is probably a much truer indicator of willingness to pay deluxe prices. However, I think your idea is intriguing.

 

[Sweeney1996]

Well, for us, financial status is not an indicator. We are staying deluxe, but standard view this trip, but paying nowhere near $600 a night. With discount, it is much, much cheaper, and we would never pay $600 a night. We stayed deluxe our last trip, and then mod the one before that, we prefer deluxe.

That said, we go only every 2-3 years, and save for our trips, and this will probably be our last trip with our daughter who is entering high school, as our next vacations will be to see other things in our fine country.

Oh and we live in the panhandle of Florida, so cost of living is not extreme and we are a middle income military family.

 

[dkrauss]

So I posted a similar question within a thread a few weeks ago...but I was still wondering about it.

Please don't take this question the wrong way...I am truly curious.

I am from the Midwest and the thought of spending 600 a night on a hotel is shocking. For most in the Midwest 2 to 3 nights would exceed a monthly mortgage payment. I'm sure tons of Midwestern folks obviously stay there...but I wonder what the demo break down is.

I don't bemoan those that do...we loved the beach club for out honeymoon and might try to splurge and do it again for 10th anniversary.

But my question is...is a deluxe not that big of a deal when the cost of living is so much higher where you are from? Less sticker shock? I know a studio apt in many parts of the country are a steal for 1500 a month (whereas in my neck of the woods that is a really nice house in a good district and a nice yard lol)...so maybe an awesome hotel room for 600 a night is not a biggie.

Again...not trying to start class warfare or anything here...it just statistically intrigues me...it would love to get my hands on the demo data and analyze it!

I'm from NJ about 50 miles south of NYC...........$600/night is extreme even for us easterner's My wife and I have only recently drank the Disney Kool-aid (and I mean that in the nicest way ) We're a bit older with the children all grown and we do prefer the Deluxe resorts for their proximity to the parks, the amenities they offer, and the restaurant choices..............saying that we always look to discount our visits every chance we get. We've never paid rack rate for a Deluxe room (surprisingly our next trip in Dec......we paid rack rate for AoA.......go figure ). We're visiting in January for the WDW Marathon and we've rented DVC points for the BWV's at about a 50% reduction on rack rates. Its so possible to reduce the cost of these rooms..........it just takes some education and some digging. To that point we're actually saving to become Annual Pass holders for Dec 2016 thru Nov 2017. The discount options that will become available when we get those passes will allow us to visit 3, maybe 4 times in that year...........who knows maybe a 5th

I don't believe that cost is a demographic determined by geography..........My wife and I are proof of that!

Doug

 

[Aerinha]

I have only stayed deluxe but have always gotten a sale. Monorail hotels maybe $600 but YC, BC, AKL start in the $400s a sale on them makes it even more affordable. I like to play the deal game and stalk the special offer section. I was going to stay at a mod for my April visit but then my mom decided she was coming and we are splitting a villa which I never could have afforded solo, but sharing makes it cheaper than us each getting our own room.

 

[pigletgirl]

No, we pay for what we can afford! $600/night is outrageous.

 

[poppinspenguins]

Don't get me wrong...I know the rack rate is not the rate...I have only ever paid rate on dining plan visits ( and never in deluxe for that)

The theory just intrigues me.

 

[MimiOfTwo]

No, cost of living where I live is lower than many areas of the country. While I think $600 is outrageous, I'm staying at GF this trip for convenience. I've stayed deluxe several times and at moderate quite a few times. I don't stay value because when I did, it felt chaotic. I want to relax and enjoy vacation.

 

[smiths02]

I agree with others that personal income level is more important than region.
However, I think those of us who can drive may be willing to spend a little more on hotel than those that can't drive? At least that is our situation.
Flying a family of 5 anywhere, even on a good deal is going to add over $1000 to the vacation budget (vs the $300 I budgeted for gasoline and restaurant stops on the way there and back). I posted our vacation budget of $7500 (including every last Mickey bar, souvenir, gasoline, etc) and some people scoffed saying they could go to Paris, etc. But would you be getting 5 people to Paris for 8 nights on that? Now, we stayed value, but we chose a suite vs cramming into one moderate or a value standard room.

I would also say that living in GA (and visiting the mountains in NC all the time) makes Wilderness Lodge, Ft. Wilderness, and POR themes just not really appeal to us

 

[smiths02]

Oh, also living closer and having APs has made us able to take a short, adult trip in Feb. Paying $500 a night for Poly (really hoping for a discount!) is more doable when we can fly for $200 bucks total, won't need a rental car, won't need park tickets, and we are only staying 3 nights.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

I'm in the Midwest. I'd love to stay at a monorail resort, but I just can't stomach the price. I'd rather have a longer stay at a mod than a shorter stay in order to pay for a deluxe resort.

 

[MYD714]

I live in Connecticut where the cost of living is very high. That said, I think $600 per night at a deluxe is a fortune and I'd never pay it.

This is us exactly. We're in CT and we'd never pay that price.

DH and I love to stay deluxe, but we only do it when we find a great deal that makes financial sense for us.

 

[Flynnismine]

I'm from the mid-west also
For me, resort choice is based on the type of trip planned. If it's all about the parks from RD until close then a value or moderate suits my needs just fine. If we plan a more relaxing trip with alot of resort down time everyday for afternoon breaks and swimming, I'll book deluxe or rent DVC points for a villa. Yes, deluxe resort rack rates are completely ludicrous but it's understandable because you're paying more for the convenience of location and overall amenities; bigger rooms with king beds, and a varity of TS restaurant right at the resort. For our trip this October, I rented DVC points at BLT for 7 nights, the total cost was close to what a moderate resort woild have been. DD(6) and I will be spending most of our time at MK, taking afternoon breaks everyday and also going to MNSSHP one night so being able to walk to MK was the most important thing to me on this trip.