General question - perception/reality of "Deluxe" pricing

[ww52]

I know there are deals to be had if one works at it, but generally speaking, what is the real price of a deluxe room (basic - sleeps 4 or maybe 5)?

We're planning a trip a LONG time from now (7 years) where we want to treat our three adult children to rooms - so it will be 4 rooms in total - at a deluxe. The choices are GF, BC (or YC) or AKL.

I intend to get some feel for price increase rates as well (certainly above inflation I'm sure). Then I want to take today's price - project it 7 years from now - multiply by 4 rooms and 5 or 6 nights - to know what I have to invest and the return I need to make this happen.

My starting point is $500 a night including tax. Too low?

Again, I know I can get deals - but for 4 rooms close together that might be challenging.

Thoughts?

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

I’d get a Poly bungalow or a CC cabin.

 

[Hopefully]

I know there are deals to be had if one works at it, but generally speaking, what is the real price of a deluxe room (basic - sleeps 4 or maybe 5)?

We're planning a trip a LONG time from now (7 years) where we want to treat our three adult children to rooms - so it will be 4 rooms in total - at a deluxe. The choices are GF, BC (or YC) or AKL.

I intend to get some feel for price increase rates as well (certainly above inflation I'm sure). Then I want to take today's price - project it 7 years from now - multiply by 4 rooms and 5 or 6 nights - to know what I have to invest and the return I need to make this happen.

My starting point is $500 a night including tax. Too low?

Again, I know I can get deals - but for 4 rooms close together that might be challenging.

Thoughts?

$500/ room or $500 for 4 rooms? It is closer per room there for 4 rooms
Instead of guessing here go online or call and price a room.
I think trying to project 7 years in the future is a wild guess.

 

[ww52]

I’d get a Poly bungalow or a CC cabin.

I'm not familiar with that - I assume larger suite like spaces with multiple bedrooms? And what is a CC cabin?

 

[Mousefan mom]

You can do a deluxe below $500 per night--not sure what it will be like in 7 years...but we enjoy staying at Poly along the monorail, but as the kids get older, our favorites are now the Epcot area resorts. We love being able to walk to Epcot or DHS (and keep in mind they are adding that new skyliner). The BC and YC have lower rates than the monorail deluxe resorts--and that lovely storm a long bay pool is as good as any waterpark! Unlike the monorail resorts the pools are not as crowded over here and very peaceful. Adult vacations we prefer Boardwalk. It has a truly peaceful vibe where you can "get away" from the crowds and its very romantic. If you have elementary age kids on this trip they would probably prefer the BC and YC pools to Boardwalk--its a clown pool and my kids find clowns to be creepy/scary.

 

[ww52]

$500/ room

Yes - per room.

I thought of calling to get prices as if we were doing this next year - and I may well do that. Actually, I thought of working through a travel agency like "Dreams" - bu tI kind of hate to ask them to do any work on this when it's so far out

(BTW - 7 years is a significant anniversary for my wife and I; we roamed GF this last trip and it triggered wonderful memories form our stays there when the kids were little. Though we have similar memories from BC from our stays there. We've been S/D people since then once the kids got older and we need two rooms.)

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

I agree with PP about predicting prices in seven years. You can stay at AKL right now (standard room with a discount) for under $500 no problem.
BC standard rooms seem to be around the $450 mark from what I’ve seen.
GF is the most expensive. Not sure what a standard room is there right now but I’m guessing it’s probably about $560 night with no discount.

 

[ww52]

You can do a deluxe below $500 per night-

We'd be going in July likely (teachers and grandchildren - 'skipping school' is not an option). And yes - we're actually leaning toward YC/BC due to the pools and being so close to half the parks.

And of course predicting prices in 7 years will be challenging - but without a doubt they will be higher. I'm a statistician with a practical bent - one of the things I often say is "all estimates are wrong". But not useless - far from it.

Off the top of my (balding) head, I'm figuring $1000 per night in 7 years. $500 a night doubled in 7 years.

Combo rooms / suites etc might be cheaper - but I like the idea of each family having their own space. We have 4 grandkids now - likely more than that in 7 years. Ages will be 11 through 7 in 7 years for the 4 - and then possibly one or two (or 3 or 4...??) more younger than that by then.

 

[BK2014]

I would:
1) Do some research and get an idea of how much resort rack rates increase on an annual basis on average.
2) Look at the current rack rates for one night, and pick the most expensive one out of your list of potential deluxe resorts and in the most expensive season.
3) Apply the average annual rate increase to the current rack rate over the next 7 years.
4) Take that amount and multiply it by the number nights and then by the number of rooms that you are going to need/want.

If you can save that much, then any discounts or a cheaper resort or season should leave you with a surplus. Obviously this doesn't take into account where ticket prices or food prices will be in 7 years.

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

I'm not familiar with that - I assume larger suite like spaces with multiple bedrooms? And what is a CC cabin?

The bungalows at Poly and the cabins at Copper Creek (wilderness lodge) are like having your own little mini house. They’re not attached the the main resort buildings.

 

[ww52]

I would:
1) Do some research and get an idea of how much resort rack rates increase on an annual basis on average.
2) Look at the current rack rates for one night, and pick the most expensive one out of your list of potential deluxe resorts and in the most expensive season.
3) Apply the average annual rate increase to the current rack rate over the next 7 years.
4) Take that amount and multiply it by the number nights and then by the number of rooms that you are going to need/want.

Exactly my approach and that got me started at $500 a night including taxes and then $1000 per night assuming a 10% increase. Ouch. Hoping my $500 a night was way off. Probably not.

I read "with discounts". Such as...?

Obviously once this approaches I'll need to work with a travel agent (probably Dreams). All the possibilities are out there - but I don't have the desire to work real hard on finding them all.

 

[Marionnette]

Exactly my approach and that got me started at $500 a night including taxes and then $1000 per night assuming a 10% increase. Ouch. Hoping my $500 a night was way off. Probably not.

I read "with discounts". Such as...?

Obviously once this approaches I'll need to work with a travel agent (probably Dreams). All the possibilities are out there - but I don't have the desire to work real hard on finding them all.

Discounts would include promotions like room-only and package deals for the general public, Florida resident rates, discounts for annual passholders and military salute rates.

Mouse savers.com has 2019 rack rates for all resorts listed on their website. https://www.mousesavers.com/2019-disney-world-room-rates-season-dates/
For the cheapest room at GF in July 2019, you're looking at a rack rate of $681/night when taxes are factored in.

Renting a few DVC villas might be a more affordable option for your family. Two-bedroom villas sleep up to 9 people, have full kitchens and an in-room washer & dryer. There are some caveats that you will need to read up on when it comes to renting DVC, but you have lots of time to do the research. The cabins at Copper Creek and the Poly bungalows are both part of DVC.

 

[AngieInOH]

Yes - per room.

I thought of calling to get prices as if we were doing this next year - and I may well do that. Actually, I thought of working through a travel agency like "Dreams" - bu tI kind of hate to ask them to do any work on this when it's so far out

Please don't bother a TA with this, rates are easily accessible on the Disney website and other online sites.

 

[ww52]

Discounts would include promotions like room-only and package deals for the general public, Florida resident rates, discounts for annual passholders and military salute rates.

Mouse savers.com has 2019 rack rates for all resorts listed on their website. https://www.mousesavers.com/2019-disney-world-room-rates-season-dates/
For the cheapest room at GF in July 2019, you're looking at a rack rate of $681/night when taxes are factored in.

Renting a few DVC villas might be a more affordable option for your family. Two-bedroom villas sleep up to 9 people, have full kitchens and an in-room washer & dryer. There are some caveats that you will need to read up on when it comes to renting DVC, but you have lots of time to do the research. The cabins at Copper Creek and the Poly bungalows are both part of DVC.

Thanks much for the suggestions!

Please don't bother a TA with this, rates are easily accessible on the Disney website and other online sites.

Yes - that was my thought as well - as I said. However, I will certainly use a TA once we get somewhat reasonably close to the time to reserve. I work two jobs ("day job" and I teach evenings at a local university) and don't have a lot of free time to research deals. Ideally I'd like to know "what would this cost if we did it in 2019" - but as I said and you reiterated, it's really wasting their time since I'm not going to book this for another 6 years or so.

ETA - we are also planning a trip in 2022 also - and my two sons are planning to go with their families in 2020.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

To get an idea all you would have to do is go look on the Disney World website.

 

[J'aime Paris]

Please don't bother a TA with this, rates are easily accessible on the Disney website and other online sites.

How is this bothering a TA? Isn't helping potential customers essentially the job?

We rent out our gulf front properties. People contact me all the time for questions about anything and everything. Sometimes they book our condo, sometimes they don't. It's never a bother...it's what I signed up for!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

How is this bothering a TA? Isn't helping potential customers essentially the job?

We rent out our gulf front properties. People contact me all the time for questions about anything and everything. Sometimes they book our condo, sometimes they don't. It's never a bother...it's what I signed up for!

I'm sure the questions you receive are quite specific.
I don't think its a TA's job to answer general room rate questions when all the person has to do is go to disneyworld.com and whoa all the info they seek is there.

 

[DLgal]

Your estimate of $1000/night for a room 7 years from now is probably off. Prices have increased, on average, just around 5% per year. Note that July is currently considered Disney's "Value 2" season, so the second cheapest time of year to visit. Using $500/night is a good starting point for today's prices. Projected out, that's around $700/night in 7 years. And, honestly, you will more than likely find some kind of discount, as they are still plentiful in the summer months. We just stayed CL at the BC in a Deluxe Room for under $500/night using a discount. A standard room would have been about $300.

I would use $750/night as your savings goal. For a trip that large, I would also recommend the YC/BC. They run much cheaper than the MK monorail resorts and are so much fun in the summer.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I'd get two 2-bedroom suites at Bay Lake Towers, renting DVC points. For Christmas week--probably the most expensive time of year--they average under $1000 a night right now, so even 7 years out if you go during a cheaper time the increase might not be too bad.

With grandchildren at those ages (future toddlers-11 years), Magic Kingdom will probably still be the park with the biggest draw, and being able to walk there is invaluable. The monorail goes right there and can be fun for kids, but no need to fight the crowds at the end of a park day, and it's easy to pop back for mid-day naps. Plus, with two villas you'd not only have four bedrooms but the common living spaces as well, which is nice for congregating other than in one family's bedroom, especially while children nap. Also, kitchens come in very handy, especially with small children. It would be nice at the end of a park day to sit out on one of the balconies with your family, enjoying a drink and some snacks (courtesy of a well-stocked kitchen), looking out over Bay Lake or Magic Kingdom, maybe while the little ones sleep.

With as much advance planning time as you have (7 years!!!) you should have no trouble getting a reservation to rent points. I'd do it way more often but my trips are too impromptu and points are often not available last minute.

I've put some thought into this because this is also my plan someday (although MUCH further in the future--I don't even want to think about what prices will be by then). My children are growing up with Disney, and I'm looking forward to taking them and their future spouses and children there someday to relive old memories and make new ones.

 

[Marionnette]

Your estimate of $1000/night for a room 7 years from now is probably off. Prices have increased, on average, just around 5% per year. Note that July is currently considered Disney's "Value 2" season, so the second cheapest time of year to visit. Using $500/night is a good starting point for today's prices. Projected out, that's around $700/night in 7 years. And, honestly, you will more than likely find some kind of discount, as they are still plentiful in the summer months. We just stayed CL at the BC in a Deluxe Room for under $500/night using a discount. A standard room would have been about $300.

I would use $750/night as your savings goal. For a trip that large, I would also recommend the YC/BC. They run much cheaper than the MK monorail resorts and are so much fun in the summer.

No, July 2019, with the exception of 4th of July week, is "Summer 2" season at AKL, YC/BC and GF (the resorts that the OP listed). Value 2 season includes the last week of August and part of September (excluding Labor Day weekend).