How on earth can anyone afford a deluxe?

[DisneyBride'03]

And your grammar is just as good, if not better, than if you attended college and/or a law school Kudos to you!

 

[kimnkel]

I prefer the mods because I think they are the best overall value. (Note: "Value" is a subjective thing; what represents value to me may not represent value to another person--and that's fine.) I still go during value season, shop codes and plan accordingly.

If I were really interested in staying in a "deluxe" hotel I would stay off property and get much more in terms of the amenities and services we all tend to think of when we start paying 600 bucks a night--but to me a Disney vacation is not about being pampered and lounging around. It's about doing and seeing and immersing myself in the Disney experience, and that means staying on property. So it's mods for me.

I have stayed at the GF once, and to me it just wasn't worth the $$$. Being on the monorail was very nice, however--just not worth that much to me. Besides, there were too many lawyers sitting around in the lobby. LOL. Just kidding.

Sorta.

Anyway. Thank goodness Disney offers a range of options so we can all decide what works best for each of us.

 

[micmacmissy]

Figures that this OP would be from a lawyer.

....I think that's a judgmental, rude, and unnecessary comment.

No more judgmental than making a broad, rude comment about lawyers!!!

--Missy
(Proud Army wife of a deployed American soldier....serving in Iraq as a JAG Corps lawyer!!!!!!)

 

[jess20k]

We usually stay at a mod. POFQ in my opinion is just as nice as most of the deluxes. We have stayed at the Contemporary and the Beach Club. But, we spaced out those over a few years, to save up for them. We have been able to go more frequently if we stay in a mod.

For 2008 we are staying at the WL, which I have toured before, but never stayed at. I can't wait. WL and AKL are deluxes, and are the best priced ones in that catagory. The std view are pretty reasonable. Even though the room size is smaller compared to the other deluxe properties, they are both fantastic resorts!

 

[boomhauer]

The total (not including taxes) of $4929 is for a standard, theme park view room with two queens at the Poly. No concierge, no suite.

With all due respect, don't go for a theme park view. Go for a standard view. That alone will save you over $1,500. And as others have said, go at a different time of year. You're figuring literally more than DOUBLE what it would cost to go in off season with a standard view room. You could stay at the Polynesian. You're just not comparing apples to apples.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Lets all play nice

** I always book the least expensive view** You will save lots of $$, you will stay in your resort of choice if its deluxe, and you may even get lucky with an upgrade.

 

[kimnkel]

Thanks to all our troops serving our country, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Lets all play nice

** I always book the least expensive view** You will save lots of $$, you will stay in your resort of choice if its deluxe, and you may even get lucky with an upgrade.

Good strategy. for one,even though we personally spend a fair bit of time in the room, the view is the least thing we look for. I mean unless you absolutely MUST be able to see the fireworks from your balcony, the view is not that important. although I do tend to stay away from poolside rooms, just cuz of the noise

we always got lucky when staying at the Hale Koa(Honolulu) or The New Sanno(Tokyo).. booked the cheapest room, and always got upgraded at least one category. While I am not sure what kind of category we booked for SoG last month, I was MOST pleased by my room and it's location. So much so that I intend to ask for the same room or as close to it the next time we go back, and normally, I am content to just get a room period.

 

[daisyduck123]

I am just wondering how everyone affords this...

Three little letters.....DVC!!


And since we can go more than once a year now....Annual Passes are a great value (we're spending a total of about 25 nights in WDW during 2007).

 

[LMEJ]

I have a good job and make good money and could technically afford a deluxe at rack rate, but I wouldn't choose to spend my money that way. We often choose to stay at value resorts. This upcoming trip is a "splurge" because we have 3 small kids and wanted a monorail resort, but our entire week (value season) at the Contemporary, plus park tickets, plus dining plan is only $3800. I still think that is a lot of money, but not close to the $5,000 room only the OP mentioned.

 

[ldo]

I can justify a moderate over a Value--for me, the hot tub, slides at pool, nicer eating areas justify it and the price is not that much more ($199 vs. $129)--plus the walls at Value were too thin for me to get a decent night's sleep. And I could see Disney villas for the space, esp. if taking a larger family and saving $ by cooking---but I just couldn't pay rack rate for a deluxe.
Everyone makes their own personal finance decisions. What IS nice is that Disney gives EVERYONE the ability to decide what is right for them--from the $82 Value to the $500+ concierge--I applaud them for that.

 

[GinnyFavers]

I'm just sad that our beloved Ft. Wilderness Cabins are now booked so much that Disney isn't offering many if any discounts on them these days, and certainly not when schools are out... which is the only time we can go, now that our son is in upper elementary grades.

We used to pay around $175 a night, with tax, with an AP discount, off season. Now we're looking at over $300 a night, and we just can't afford it.

We're seriously looking into buying a little camper so we can afford to stay there again.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Is there room at FW for them to put up more cabins??? THose are such a great value I think! I had one booked many many years ago with the ex and we had to cancel... Your idea of a small camper is great!! Alot of times if you buy something end of season (Oct) for the Midwest anyway, you can get a good deal.
We have a trailer in a seasonal campground...I call it my mini WL!! lol

Good luck in camper shopping, its so much fun!!!!

 

[remfaerie]

When I win the lottery I can justify it! LOL.
Some people have more money at their diposal, and a $10,000 vacation to them is like a $100 weekend away to us.
I have been working a 2nd job just to do 10 days at the Pop Century! I would love to stay at the GF or Poly, but its not in the cards for us! As a single working mom I am just so darn proud of myself for pulling together the $3500 needed for our dream trip!

And you should be darn proud! That's a very selfless thing, your child/children are lucky!

 

[kileybeth]

I think maybe we all forgot to say Welcome to the Disboards! I see you are relatively new around here. don't mind us, you picked kind of a hot topic to come in on though! We all spend our money as we choose and it is such a personal matter lots of times it illicits lots of emotional responses!

The deluxes at Disney are not about the room for sure. The rooms are fine, but it has more to do with the overall resort and location and other amenities. We each have our favorites. Once you can get over comparing it to any other hotel and start looking at comparing it to locations and resorts, it starts to look a lot more reasonable.

My only piece of advice would be to let the room view go in favor of concierge if you are willing to spend on luxury. Nice perks there. and as others have already said, codes and different time of year is helpful too.

Please do come back and ask all your questions though, the Disser's do have the answers to help you plan a great trip.

and my final word of advice? please do not ask (try to just read about it and stay out of the fray!) about refillable mugs or pool hopping. you just don't want to know.

PS. just returned from POLY 7 nights, DDP(free) 8 day MYWpasses, airfare, spending money, <$4000 for family of 6.

 

[kimberh]

To OP, If you go in March you are going to have very long lines for every thing! I would recommend Apr or May. This is a good time for Value at Disney and the weather and lines are great. March is Spring Break this year. Good luck with your decision... Disney doesn't offer discounts during Spring Break, they don't have to. They will fill up.

If this has already been said, Sorry, I did not read all 8 pages, just skimmed.

 

[septbaby]

To OP, If you go in March you are going to have very long lines for every thing! I would recommend Apr or May. This is a good time for Value at Disney and the weather and lines are great. March is Spring Break this year. Good luck with your decision... Disney doesn't offer discounts during Spring Break, they don't have to. They will fill up.

If this has already been said, Sorry, I did not read all 8 pages, just skimmed.

April can have spring breaks as well! PP is from the south, but up north some schools are out in April.

 

[septbaby]

"I got good grades, went to a top college and law school, worked very hard for many years and now work a job where I get paid a lot of money. That is how I afford deluxes year after year."

Figures that this OP would be from a lawyer.

For those of you who have felt the need to say it's because you work hard or did well in school and that's why you can afford to stay deluxe....I think that's a judgmental, rude, and unnecessary comment. There are a TON of people on this board who work hard and did well in school and still can't afford a deluxe room at $640++ a night. Or can afford it, but don't see the value in it.

You don't think your comment about lawyers is judgmental? You've gotten tremendous response to your question. Many people have taken the time to answer your question, provide insight, advice while welcoming you to DIS. Please keep that in mind here, people are actually trying to help you, with candor, and aren't looking to be knocked in the process.

I just completed my first on site stay at Disney and am very grateful for the advice and tips I picked up on these boards. I'm planning my next trip and we are happy to be able to stay Deluxe this time. I hope you are able to use these boards to make your trip just as magical!

 

[Booknut]

Welcome to the Disboards!

I do understand where you're coming from, I also think the deluxes are way too expensive (and I went to law school too! ). If i'm honest, I don't really see the big deal with some of them, the Polynesian is nice but its not worth the money you have to pay to stay there, not to us anyway (and we're all different so don't freak out on me!!!). It would be cheaper for me to go to Fiji for a week (even from England) than stay at the Polynesian for a week.

But if you want to try a deluxe without making that huge financial plunge, maybe you could rent a few points from someone and stay at a DVC like Beach Club Villas or Villas at Wilderness Lodge, you'll get to stay in a studio room for under $150 a night usually mid-week (sometimes less) and then you can gauge whether deluxe really is worth it to you.

Maybe one day we'll splurge and get a DVC membership but until then there is no way we'd pay deluxe prices, too many other great things we can spend our money on and frankly the moderates are so nice anyway that we love staying there!

 

[Sleepy]

While I am not sure what kind of category we booked for SoG last month, I was MOST pleased by my room and it's location. So much so that I intend to ask for the same room or as close to it the next time we go back, and normally, I am content to just get a room period.

There are only 2 room catagories you can book. There is the standard room which is any room anywhere within the hotel. THen, there is the poolside view, which is any ground floor room which faces one of the pools (guaranteed).

Don't give them any ideas. LOng time ago you could request poolside ground floor at no extra cost. Now they charge. I'm waiting for them to seriously start dividing catagories-poolview, poolview ground floor, garden view, golf course view, etc.