How many people will stay off property and/or vacation elsewhere?

[eeyore0062]

AFter staying both on property and off property, I will pay the extra to stay on property, as there is just NO comparison in the full vacation experience.

It is sad that we have become to accustomed to discounts and perks that we EXPECT them. If Disney resorts can operate as they used to at a 95% capacity, then obviously no discounts will be offered. However, if that isn't so, we will see more offers, but perhaps only at off season times. It is a shame that we expect Disney to give away rooms at a 50% cut rate, but wouldn't expect it of a resort, say in the Bahamas!

 

[ArcticWildMan]

Originally posted by eeyore0062
It is a shame that we expect Disney to give away rooms at a 50% cut rate, but wouldn't expect it of a resort, say in the Bahamas!

Resorts in the Bahamas don't charge what Disney does for similar rooms. They are much cheaper for the same level of service. If you pay Disney prices for a luxury resort in the Bahamas, you get true luxury, not just a dolled up wannabe like the Grand Floridian.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Originally posted by ArcticWildMan
They are much cheaper for the same level of service. If you pay Disney prices for a luxury resort in the Bahamas, you get true luxury

Sorry, ArcticWildMan, but that statement seems inaccurate.

Polynesian Resort (from Disney's on-line booking):

Polynesian Concierge Nov 1 - 4, 2003 Two adults $1550 (plus tax)

Includes all Concierge offerings, Disney's Wide World of Sports and all Disney Transportation.


Atlantis, Bahamas (from their website):

Destination Package Imperial - Nov 1 - 4, 2003 Two adults $1858 (plus tax)

Includes private limo to/from airport, Concierge level, $100/adult spa credit, One Atlantis robe/adult.


So for $308 more, you get $200 in Spa treatments, airport transfers and two robes. To me, they seem fairly equivalent - I don't see any additional 'true luxury'. I'm not arguing that Disney charges more than some resorts; they do. But so, it appears, do other resorts - and they offer reasonably equivalent value.

 

[ArcticWildMan]

Originally posted by DrTomorrow
Sorry, ArcticWildMan, but that statement seems inaccurate.

Polynesian Resort (from Disney's on-line booking):

Polynesian Concierge Nov 1 - 4, 2003 Two adults $1550 (plus tax)

Includes all Concierge offerings, Disney's Wide World of Sports and all Disney Transportation.


Atlantis, Bahamas (from their website):

Destination Package Imperial - Nov 1 - 4, 2003 Two adults $1858 (plus tax)

Includes private limo to/from airport, Concierge level, $100/adult spa credit, One Atlantis robe/adult.


So for $308 more, you get $200 in Spa treatments, airport transfers and two robes. To me, they seem fairly equivalent - I don't see any additional 'true luxury'. I'm not arguing that Disney charges more than some resorts; they do. But so, it appears, do other resorts - and they offer reasonably equivalent value.

Look closer...Atlantis blows away anything Disney can offer. You are comparing a Howard Johnsons to a Hilton.

 

[DisneyFan79]

I called Thursday to downgrade our room at the WL. We did have a Courtyard view, but now have a Woodsview. There are no standard rooms available for the 2nd week of December according to the website, otherwise I would have booked it. I do have a DC discount, but I also have an AP. I am hoping that Disney will do something in the next month so I can plan accordingly. The whole reason we are staying at the WL is for the decorations and its warmth. I have already told my party that are going with me, we might be staying at POR or CBR if there are no discounts. I have stayed at the All Stars and don't think we would be comfortable there. This is also my mom's first trip to Disney and I want to make it special. This is my Christmas gift to her. I personally don't think the Disney resorts are worth the rack rates. I have seen other hotels that do a much better job than Disney at half the price. I am still keeping my fingers crossed hoping the discounts will return after the "glitch" is fixed and the FTP gets closer to ending.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Sorry, I must have either been unclear or misunderstood your comments - I was simply comparing accomodations with an eye towards your statement that Disney-level service is much cheaper in the Bahamas. I submitted info from both the Disney web site and a popular Bahamas web site to show that, accomodation-wise, they are comparable.

If that is in error, I welcome a factual correction - I love to learn more. However, even from looking at the Atlantis web site, it seems like both resorts offer an amazing array of options; most, if not all, it would appear, at additional cost. Once again, I fail to see much difference at all in accomodations; at least not a difference of the HoJo - Hilton magnitude.

Again, any factual information will be most appreciated.

 

[ArcticWildMan]

My Mother has been to both (Poly and Atlantis) and she stated that the two can't even compare. Atlantis is yards above the Poly. I was just quoting her reference to the HoJo and Hilton comparison.

I'll trust my Mother's observations over almost anything else (especially a web site comparison).

Your observations may vary by make and model

 

[lulugirl]

We will continue to stay on property, but only at a moderate, we simply can't afford to pay rack rate for a deluxe. We had hoped to stay at a deluxe for our next trip, but we just can't afford to pay more than $200 a night. Like others, we will also consider staying at the Swan or Dolphin.

 

[Forever a Princess]

We have stayed at the WL paying both the rack rate and on other trips the annual pass rate or room only discount rate.

We have the WL booked for December with the AAA rate. Although it would be nice (and I am still hoping) for discounts to come out, I am at this point not expecting them.

We had wanted to prolong our stay for a few more days but adding more days to the WL ressie would put us over budget. What did keep us within budget was making a ressie at the Swan using the AP rate. So now for our December trip we will start our trip at the Swan and then move to the WL.

In a way the Disney AP codes not coming out this August like last year has been a blessing. I have always wanted to try the Swan and now with the AP rates that are being offered currently, here is our chance!!!! I am soooo excited about getting the chance to stay at this resort!!!!! If we like it we can go back using my government employee discount (if this is continued).

We bought the AP because of the discounts that have been offered on the rooms for the past couple of years. It has been nice to go twice a year but once again I do not expect that the codes to come out. The main reason we bought the AP was that it saved us money on park tickets. AP room rates have been a perk.

Maybe this will be a chance for us to travel to other desitnations. We love going to San Diego and DH would love to go here more than once a year. I am itching to go to Ireland.

I just clicked on the link to Atlantis. I have seen adds for this in papers and magazines. This looks way cool!

We'll keep coming back to Disney. If I need my WL "fix" we would pay rack rate.

The way I see staying in the Disney resorts, sometimes we get the Discount other times we don't. Sometimes we have the money to pay rack rate at other times we don't. We've been going with the flow.

A magical day to you all.

Renee

 

[polkadotminnie]

We used the last day of our multi-day tickets this past July. This is the first year we have ever gone to Orlando 3 times. We considered buying AP's for Oct. but due to no resort discounts yet for Oct. we are getting the "Buy 1 year get 1 free "with Universal instead. We have a pool view room booked at the Hard Rock for $135 and FOTL. If we go back down next year for our 10 year anniversary, we will use our Universal AP's and do Discovery Cove or we may just go to sunny Southern California again instead of Orlando. ( Disney moderate and deluxe resorts imho are not worth rack rate. ) If we do go to any Disney park at all, we will be staying at the SWAN/Dolphin. Disney is losing a lot of money from us.

 

[MScott1851]

ArcticWildMan... I am totally agreeing with you about the Hilton/HoJo thing...I love WDW with all my heart, but it is amazing that we have to pay so much for the convenience of the on-site resorts. I know that some people argue about the "pixie dust" and "Disney Magic" being the perk, but it's hard to get warm fuzzies while in a mediocre hotel for mega-bucks!

For example, I was so disappointed last year when my husband didn't want to stay all week at AKL, but instead split our trip between there and Royal Pacific Resort at Universal. However, once we got there, I was in absolute heaven! In my humble opinion, Universal's resorts blow Disney's out of the water...and the RPR was $40 per night cheaper... And when we're travelling to other places beside Orlando, such as Atlantis Paradise Island, our $250-$300 per night will often pay for a fabulous room, dinner, drinks, entertainment, etc.

So stay strong, brother...and think about it this way.. As long as Disney doesn't offer any special offers, we can keep staying at the W Grand Bohemian or the Peabody or somewhere extra nice for the same price or less!!

 

[Eeyore2U]

I'll preface this post by saying the OP doesn't care for me or my views. But I'm going to give them anyway

We will stay on property since we own DVC. If we didn't own DVC we would stay on property, pay rack or get a package. To US, it is worth it. The feeling DW gets when we are there is worth every penny and more.

What this post is talking about is "worth." Is it worth it to stay on property? Those answers are VERY personal. Is it worth it to me to go if a certain water park is closed or a certain ride or any of a million other things that people on these boards complain about? Yes. Is it to you? Might not be.

I've read many posts on this thread and someone pointed out that it's sad that we EXPECT discount codes. I agree. From the time I've spent on these boards I've learned codes are a new phenomena to increase business. Specials and discounts ar at the whim of the place that provides them. In a way I'm glad the Disney may not be offering as many. If the do offer less I just hope they offermore to the onsite guest. I guess it would be like offering the free meal to the person who stays and plays at the casino.

 

[ArcticWildMan]

Originally posted by Eeyore2U
I'll preface this post by saying the OP doesn't care for me or my views. But I'm going to give them anyway

And what exactly does this contribute to the discussion at hand? If you are trying to bait me into another fight with you, you're wasting your time.

I have better things to do than worry about you and your opinions about me or my posts.

Feel free to contribute to the thread. It's a free country.


See ya

 

[Wenlitz]

WE are planning a trip to the world in Sept.04. My father and his wife want to go and see what we have been raving about all these years!! However I would really like to stay on property as we always have, but they are on a tight budget so if there isnt any discounts or not more FTP we will have to stay off site to meet there budget. I was trying to see what kind of discounts are going on for this sept but havent seen any yet. I am still hopeful.

 

[gina2000]

We pretty much decided we weren't going to stay onsite after last trip. To us, Disney magic is all in the lobby and the common areas. The rooms themselves are pretty standard stuff, especially when compared with other resorts in other parts of the world.

Our service has always been great in the Disney resorts we've stayed at (all three price levels) but the amenities just aren't there. We usually spend very little time at the resort when vacationing at Disney but this last time out we did stop to smell the roses....it was nice....but not worth rack.

We'll go back to Disney.....usually once every couple of years is our trend....but we'll probably stay off-site at Universal, off-site at another hotel or at the Swan/Dolphin.

 

[eeyore0062]

I'll preface this post by saying the OP doesn't care for me or my views. But I'm going to give them anyway

LOL, Eeyore2U, maybe he just doesn't like Eeyore, because he doesn't seem to like my opinions, either.

As you pointed out... it is all about "worth" and to me, paying a higher amount to stay onsite at WDW is WORTH it. It may not be to others who may not be as enamoured of WDW. I wouldn't pay rack rate to stay in the mountains or a ski resort, I don't care for that type of vacation, therefore, it is not WORTH it to me! WDW is, and obviously is to others, too. I don't see the point in the OP getting upset because we don't happen to agree with him. If he doesn't like the onsite facilities at WDW, there are plenty of alternatives, but trying to ruin others opinions, is not very Disney-like.

 

[swankybeth]

We're covered for our Sept. trip--we've booked the Fairytale package. But for October we've decided to book the Hotel Royal Plaza for $59/night and rent a car. We figured that would still be cheaper even if codes for WDW resorts came out (we usually stay deluxe/moderate).

 

[bsears]

Do we have any right to expect discounts? of course not. I made my reservations knowing full well that I might be paying the full rate. What annoys me is the idea that had I not invested in an annual pass, I would be getting a better deal.

I think another factor is that service, ammenities, and perks have slowly been chipped away, while the cost keeps going up. In past years we cheerfully forked out our money, knowing full well we could save bundles by staying elsewhere. We did this because Disney somehow managed to make it worth every penny. Yes I knew everything came at a premium price, but they made me feel so good while they smilingly took my money I was willing to participate in the deal.

People would always ask me why I was willing to pay such a high price to stay onsite. To most who asked there was no point in trying to explain. Either you " get " Disney, or you don't. The intangible magic that a Disney vacation always offered, was worth every penny to me.

The "Disney experience" is simply not as magical as it once was. In years past, you would virtually never encounter a rude or unhelpful CM. That is part of what you were paying for. The excellence of the staff. Sadly, now you do. And it detracts from the experience.

So do I have the " right " to expect discounts. No, but I certainly have every intention of saying " sorry, you are no longer worth the price you charge " and taking my money elsewhere.

 

[eeyore0062]

The "Disney experience" is simply not as magical as it once was. In years past, you would virtually never encounter a rude or unhelpful CM. That is part of what you were paying for. The excellence of the staff. Sadly, now you do. And it detracts from the experience.

I am sorry that you feel this way. Have you let the Powers that be at Disney know your feelings? If anything is to be done to improve this, they need to know, and need the specifics of your encounter: what was done or said to make you feel this way, and if possible the name of the castmember and the place where he/she works, as well as the day and time of the encounter. Only in this way can something like this be rectified.

In the many times that we have gone to WDW, I think we have encountered only 2 or 3 castmembers that were not overly pleasant or helpful. Others have bent over backwards to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. I have never been to theme parks, hotels or restaurants where I have had the pleasure of being treated as well.... And we go to MANY theme parks and restaurants, and have stayed in many different hotels and motels!

As I said previously, I am sorry that you feel this way, but let your voice be heard, and it will not only benefit you, but others, as well!

Have a Disney Day

 

[thessaly]

From the time I've spent on these boards I've learned codes are a new phenomena to increase business.

This is a misconception I see very frequently, especially here at DIS.

I think people are confused because the historical data on mousesavers.com only goes back to 2001... That is just how long that particular site has been keeping track. For a much more accurate idea of how long WDW has been offering deep discounts at very predictable times of the year, go to groups.google.com and search the rec.arts.disney.parks newsgroup.

Even during the economic boomtimes of the mid and late 1990s, AP, MKC, and Florida Residents rates were offered very solidly and reliably during the same time periods that people are currently expecting discounts. I know, because I had access to all three during those times. (But you don't have to take my word for it - try google). They are not a post-9/11 invention and they WERE pretty predictable.

I stayed at Port Orleans/DL every September from 1996-2000 and there were always Florida Resident/AP rates that ran about $79. Every year. As I recall, they were usually released about 1-2 months in advance.

I'm not going to get into the "Should we expect discounts" debate, just trying to set the record straight. If anything, the discounts were *more* consistent and reliable pre-9/11.