General question - perception/reality of "Deluxe" pricing

[ww52]

DLgal - thanks; VERY helpful and it's the practical advice based on experience I was looking for.

Discounts are a bit of an intentional mystery - and that holds true for just about anything, not just Disney. If I could ask, where did you find the discount for the club level at BC? $300 a night for BC in the summer? That sounds fantastic to me.

This is exactly why I'd want to use a TA - I'm usually too busy to hunt down discounts - but even if I did, how would I know if I missed anything?

And regarding BC - I suspect that's what we'll do but it's a long way off. We stayed there twic when the kids were little and have great memories (I'm in my home office, and there are several pictures of them at Stormalong Bay I'm looking at right now.)

 

[Hopefully]

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.

But neither the Cabins nor theBungaloes offer the privacy for 4 different families that OP stated he wanted. And they are VERY EXPENSIVE

 

[ww52]

I'd get two 2-bedroom suites at Bay Lake Towers, renting DVC points

Well, that's one I had not thought of. And a great suggestion at that.

Yes - 7 years away is a long time - but I'm still coming off the feeling from our vacation (we had an "after party" yesterday to watch video - including a real tear jerker our daughter put together. No fair! She does that for a living for syndicated talk shows - one of which you'd certainly recognize. So she knows how to tug the heart strings!)

Anyway - I think this is a good time to make notes on what to consider - and I know I can always count on the wonderful people on the DIS to add to those notes.

 

[Miffy]

I think doubling your current estimate is too low. I'd triple it. The prices at WDW resorts have gone up a lot in the last 7 years and with SWGE opening, I'd expect the prices at the Boardwalk properties to go even higher.

 

[ww52]

But neither the Cabins nor theBungaloes offer the privacy for 4 different families that OP stated he wanted. And they are VERY EXPENSIVE

Yes - that's correct. Not what we'd want - but I certain'y appreciate the suggestion!

 

[Marionnette]

But neither the Cabins nor theBungaloes offer the privacy for 4 different families that OP stated he wanted. And they are VERY EXPENSIVE

And they are only 2 bedrooms. They sleep up to 8 people + one child under the age of 3. Probably not ideal for the OP's situation. Two-bedroom lock-offs would give private areas to two families. They take fewer points and would be easier to rent.

 

[ww52]

I think doubling your current estimate is too low. I'd triple it.

Tripling in 7 years would be a 17% a year increase. Hey - I don't even think Disney room increases will go that high.

(Now park tickets are another story.)

 

[DLgal]

DLgal - thanks; VERY helpful and it's the practical advice based on experience I was looking for.

Discounts are a bit of an intentional mystery - and that holds true for just about anything, not just Disney. If I could ask, where did you find the discount for the club level at BC? $300 a night for BC in the summer? That sounds fantastic to me.

This is exactly why I'd want to use a TA - I'm usually too busy to hunt down discounts - but even if I did, how would I know if I missed anything?

And regarding BC - I suspect that's what we'll do but it's a long way off. We stayed there twic when the kids were little and have great memories (I'm in my home office, and there are several pictures of them at Stormalong Bay I'm looking at right now.)

We use the military discount, which is very generous (35-40%), but they did have a summer discount that was around 25% off, if I recall correctly, for the same dates as our trip this year. There are also AP discounts, so you might consider buying one AP to book the rooms under. There are also some travel agencies that book blocks of rooms at a significant discount. I was recently quoted under $300/night at the Grand Floridian for late August.

I'd be wary of renting DVC points for such a big trip. It will be a big outlay of money with some risk involved and it's not easy to modify or cancel those types of reservations. With so many people going, I wouldn't take that gamble, personally. Plus, little things like daily housekeeping will be lost and do you all really want to be washing towels and taking out your own trash on such a special vacation?

 

[DLgal]

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).

My mistake. Still is one of the lowest priced times of year.

 

[AngiTN]

We have seen rooms at the YC for about $300/night, each, for this summer.
I'd think $500 is on the high side for certain, even 7 years from now. Unless Disney stops all discounts, which I'd be shocked to see.

 

[AngiTN]

DLgal - thanks; VERY helpful and it's the practical advice based on experience I was looking for.

Discounts are a bit of an intentional mystery - and that holds true for just about anything, not just Disney. If I could ask, where did you find the discount for the club level at BC? $300 a night for BC in the summer? That sounds fantastic to me.

This is exactly why I'd want to use a TA - I'm usually too busy to hunt down discounts - but even if I did, how would I know if I missed anything?

And regarding BC - I suspect that's what we'll do but it's a long way off. We stayed there twic when the kids were little and have great memories (I'm in my home office, and there are several pictures of them at Stormalong Bay I'm looking at right now.)

There is no hunting down of discounts. Unless you consider going on to Disney's website, entering your dates and hitting search hunting down discounts. They are very easy to find and don't take any effort. Common misconception I guess. Since some of my local friends think the same thing. But it's super easy. And not a secret stash of rooms or anything.

 

[AngiTN]

But neither the Cabins nor theBungaloes offer the privacy for 4 different families that OP stated he wanted. And they are VERY EXPENSIVE

The Treehouse may be a good option. And they are not expensive at all. Though admittedly I forget off the top of my head how many they sleep

 

[AngiTN]

We use the military discount, which is very generous (35-40%), but they did have a summer discount that was around 25% off, if I recall correctly, for the same dates as our trip this year. There are also AP discounts, so you might consider buying one AP to book the rooms under. There are also some travel agencies that book blocks of rooms at a significant discount. I was recently quoted under $300/night at the Grand Floridian for late August.

We don't use military discounts and can still find the YC and BC rooms for less than $300 (even without using our AP discount)

 

[Sparkly]

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.

I agree. Bay Lake Tower is amazing, stayed there last September and loved walking to Magic Kingdom.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

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

I'd say this is the easiest for a 7 year crystal ball experience for sure.

 

[Hopefully]

The Treehouse may be a good option. And they are not expensive at all. Though admittedly I forget off the top of my head how many they sleep

The Treehouse is 3 BRs, not he 4 the OP wants. And one of them is bunk beds, not good for adults

 

[ww52]

We use the military discount, which is very generous (35-40%),

Yes - very generous. And VERY well deserved!

 

[gillep]

We have seen rooms at the YC for about $300/night, each, for this summer.
I'd think $500 is on the high side for certain, even 7 years from now. Unless Disney stops all discounts, which I'd be shocked to see.

We got our YC room for $316 per night this July using the AP discount, the BC rooms were all over $350 per night when we were looking, so if the pp is considering BC be sure to check the YC too, the past couple years we have found much better deals at the YC than the BC for the times that we have looked.

 

[AngiTN]

We got our YC room for $316 per night this July using the AP discount, the BC rooms were all over $350 per night when we were looking, so if the pp is considering BC be sure to check the YC too, the past couple years we have found much better deals at the YC than the BC for the times that we have looked.

Yeah, I agree, YC has been cheaper than BC for several years. Which I love since YC has had a much more recent remodel.

 

[AngiTN]

The Treehouse is 3 BRs, not he 4 the OP wants. And one of them is bunk beds, not good for adults

Well, guess it depends on how young they are, or young at heart, LOL