Feeling sick over paying full price

[Brandilovesdisney]

Where is the Disney-themed house? Do you have a website or contact information about the house? I need to start looking at options if Disney does away with discounts, especially free dining.

 

[TGaines107]

Be glad you're a family of three. We go each year myself, my wife and three little girls. They rarely offer packages for a family of five. Sometimes, at the right time of year, we can score Port Orleans with free dining but still pay a lot more than you did/are. Whats more, my oldest is now considered an adult! I look at it this way though, life is for the living, everyone has to work for something and there will always people who pay more or less. In the end, its kinda hard to put a price on making memories but I certainly feel you!

 

[mckinna]

We are looking at the last week of March 2012. (I know it costs more to go at that time, but with one child who will be in college and one in high school, that's the only time we can go as a family.)

We've priced POR with park hopper tickets and airfare, but we could cruise (which is our other favorite vacation) in a suite for the same price, and food would be included. But, my oldest daughter wants to do Disney again before she starts college.

My question- how do you find out pin codes? I've looked into the AP discount, but I can't see very much of a savings at all. I know it would be greater if we didn't do park hopper and eliminated the water parks, but we're not willing to do that. If we're going to pay that much to go to Disney, we want the full experience.

I know there is an AAA discount, and I'll check into that as well. We've done the dining plan free in the past, and I'm not willing to pay for it this time. We can eat on our own cheaper. I know that some discounts may come out closer to time for my trip, but I'm just searching for any cost savings that I can get.

 

[rt2dz]

Pin Codes are emailed or snail mailed to you, and are specifically for a particular individual. It's just luck as to whether you get them or not.

Disney themed houses can be found in all sorts of places. VRBO has quite a few. You just have to go through the pictures. You can also find them easily at Story Time Rentals and HERE. Both these places are proven reliable and honest (through my research and soon to be experience), but there are really lots of them if you're willing to look.

 

[dclfun]

Well, I'm a person who would never, EVER stay off-site. I've done that and although a house or "suite" sounds nice, the furnishings and ambience weren't Disney. Their free shuttles meant I had to stand in a parking lot for a LONG time waiting for that transportation and be there on their schedule, not when I wanted to go to/from my resort room. For some though, I'm sure it's great- it's just not for us. As to people being spoiled on free dining...I'd think this factors in to management decisions to make it offered less often- to wean people off something they feel is imperative vs. just a nice perk. They can offer other discounts, and I feel there will still be some types of discounts offered that will still entice people to stay on-site. For us it's about convenience and knowing that if we have challenges there will be someone at WDW to help us. We joined DVC 15 years ago as we were then a family of 6 ( kids now grown) and the only option for us at that time was two rooms or Ft. Wilderness- we have those points and still book cash nights. With no discounts at all and paying FP I'd still stay onsite- I'd just have to budget to afford it and for me would it be worth it...yes!---Kathy

 

[msachs88]

I would look into Disney youth open enrollment. I know they have a session at the end of October...not sure if it is filled yet. You can do a room only and get the tickets through them and save a ton (on tickets)...you would have to pay out of pocket for dining though.

 

[dhardawa]

We've been staying onsite since 2003 and I have never paid rack rate. EVER. And I won't. I love WDW, but what they charge is outrageous. IMO, the values aren't any better than a Motel 8. No way I'd pay that for a Motel 8. I've stayed in true 5 star places for a lot less than what I pay for a deluxe.

I've received a lot of pins this year, but they all black out our travel week--Thanksgiving. I considered changing dates, but with DH's new job, vacation days aren't what they were and I wanted to use those elsewhere. Thanksgiving is 2 days of vacation, our trip would require 6 days any other time. Plus, DS is not longer in elementary school and I don't have a feel for his intermediate school to decide if I want to pull him out yet, and especially with his problems in math last year because his teacher the year before decided not to teach math. I want to make sure he is fully caught up. but anyhow...

With ticket prices going up... Kids hitting Disney Adult status... The lack of a discount... Limited choices being a family of 6 (even with one under 3)... We're going to try and stay offsite this year. We had a free trip back in 2008 at Thanksgiving that was offsite, and it was closer to the parks than the values or mods. Our cost was going to almost double prior to our last trip, but by switching nothing but staying offsite, the costs are cutting closer to half our normal costs. We're going to have a Disney-themed, 4 bedroom house with a private pool within 10 minute drive to Disney.

We'll see if we ever go back. Even with discounts.

I totally agree. I won't go without a discount and typically the AAA discount isn't enough. The prices for rooms are outrageous (I would NEVER pay $500 a night for any room anywhere) and they keep raising everything every year. They are priced like this because it allows them to offer so many discounts and people will stay because they fell like they're getting a good deal. If I don't have a discount, I'll vacation somewhere else because I will not pay their inflated prices. End of story.

 

[rt2dz]

It's not even so much about "cost" as it is about "value." I just no longer see value in what I pay for at WDW resorts. In 2004 we paid $80 per night (with a discount) for a savannah view room at AKL. Now, with a discount (which there aren't any for my dates) it's $129 for a standard (parking lot) view and I'd need two rooms.

The problem with Disney's resorts are they don't offer the same service (and I love Disney, but let's be honest...) as other hotels do at the same price point. I'd get suites for less than what I pay for a Deluxe room, and access to free internet services (and a business center so I could print for free if I needed to).

What a value offers in the way of size, layout of the resort and amenities, I can get elsewhere for around $40 per night, sometimes less.

We'll have to see how we feel about staying offsite this next trip. If we feel we missed any "magic" or the loss of any of the perks (the only one we really use being EMH).

 

[k5thbeatle]

I've long ago resigned myself to the fact that a Disney "deluxe" hotel, just purely speaking from a perspective of room quality and hotel amenities, is barely equivalent to a nicer Holiday Inn. But when you add in the theming and the location...well there you go and hence, here we come again. Fortunately we haven't paid rack rate in some years but I always plan that we will be and take it as a bonus when we don't.

 

[rt2dz]

I've long ago resigned myself to the fact that a Disney "deluxe" hotel, just purely speaking from a perspective of room quality and hotel amenities, is barely equivalent to a nicer Holiday Inn. But when you add in the theming and the location...well there you go and hence, here we come again. Fortunately we haven't paid rack rate in some years but I always plan that we will be and take it as a bonus when we don't.

That's why we always stayed too! The theming and the location. BUT, the price point is getting ridiculous. And when you're looking at two rooms because you're a family of 6, it's beyond ridiculous.

There are so many nice neighborhoods (some with complete resort amenities and shuttles if you want it) that are closer than value resorts or mods, and condos/townhomes/houses that are themed in Disney (or Universal, or general Florida--depending what you want), we're going to try it. OR traditional hotel rooms if that is what you want.

It's not like you HAVE to cook, or eat offsite if you don't want to. And I don't think driving is that big of a deal--we do it anyhow. The only thing I'm worried about is EMH. I let me kids sleep in (they are so much more pleasant if I don't wake them in the morning), so we usually miss AM EMH. We do use some PM EMH though!

We might end up hating it. IDK. But I'm giving it a try!

 

[Bethislucy]

I'm with you. I'm having a hard time with 1100 for the DP I know we can eat cheaper than that. I don't even have to have free dinning just a % of the room would be nice. I think by Monday I'm going to take my DP off and hope for the best.

 

[Amy&Dan]

My hubby & I have been married almost 8 years; we go to WDW every year and always paid full price. You've been lucky, you had to know that sooner or later you'd be paying full price. What if they do away with all the discounts completely, does that mean you would never go then?

May I ask why you always pay full price? We have been going every year since 2004 and have paid full price once and that was when we added two nights onto our trip last minute and the discounts were gone. Even going Easter week and Christmas week, I got discounts.

I guess "luck" is relative. Sure people are lucky to have gotten discounts in the past, lucky to go to Disney at all, but its tough when you are used to discounts to suddenly not have them or have to sweat blood, sweat and tears to get them. Its tough to see the user that posted above you is going the same time you are but is paying over $1000 less.

When you have a family that includes kids that pay adult prices, airfare for four or more people not having a discount can very well mean not going at all. I won't be pitching a fit and not going, I just won't be able to afford to go if I have to pay full price.

And after six and half years of discounts (some have been enjoying discounts for decades), I did not assume at all I would have go back to paying full price. Frankly, I know very few people on the disboards who pay full price for a Disney vacation. It took me about two days of being a disboard member to figure out there was a whole beautiful world out there of not paying full price. Bottom line, they can do away with discounts, but then they had better price their rooms more affordably or I don't see Disney continuing to fill their rooms.

 

[nyrfan00]

I would absolutely feel sick paying full price...that's why I NEVER intend to do it.

Ever.