I have to admit I'm surprised

[rcraw45425]

I just checked the rack rate for my standard room at YC for April 3-7. With BRP I'm paying $314 a night, which is definitely an increase from same time last year, but the rack is $460 a night That's ridiculous, IMO. I'm really having a hard time justifying the BRP price to myself, last year we had the GF for around $350 a night and had a comp. upgrade to lagoon view too! I don't see how a lot of folks can afford it. We went to WDW 4 times last year on AP discounts, except for Nov. which we lucked up and got the room only discount. This 60 booking window is also bringing me down a little bit too.

 

[siestakeys04]

Well i'm not sure how people afford it either but this is our first family trip to disney and we are going to fork out money to stay at the wilderness lodge. I guess if you want it bad enough we make away to make it happen. If you are second guessing yourself give it a little more thought because i am now second guessing purchasing the meal plan for us so I wish you well.

 

[vicb]

I hear ya but.... I am paying rack rate with AAA discount of only 10% for our trip during peak season late Feb-early March. How do I afford or justify it? We haven't been for 2 years, I have put every possible expense on my Disney Visa card so I have just over 1000 points I'll apply to my resort cost. Yes it is a ton of money but I know it will be worth it to stay at a deluxe on property. We have stayed at BWI twice with great codes and our first trip I paid rack rate in value season at the Poly (before I found the DIS boards!). Our travel dates are dictated by our kids school vacations as I won't take them out for a week anymore (they are 5th and 8th grades). So we really have no choice but to pay for what we want at this point. I did look into the MYW package but would have actually cost me a bit more as I would have given up my AAA room discount. Didn't need the free water park feature as we have one left on our old PHP passes. We have been saving and budgeted for the trip. I didn't buy the dining plan, seemed like way too much eating for us!

This will be our last trip to WDW for the near future so I want to do it up right!

 

[Conkozan]

Rates are definitely up! My take-the FREE bus really is not free. Money for it comes from somewhere, this is where.

 

[hightown]

Prices have really gotten out of hand. And I say this as a WDW nut who got hooked in 1999. We have 14 trips since then

Our first trip was in 1999 and we were at POFQ. Over 10 subsequent trips through the first part of 2004 we upgraded to the deluxe level but with AP codes, have paid for example:
$158 for WL Courtyard
$250 AKL Concierge
$179 BWI Std
$ Fairytale pkg for YC Concierge. W/tickets for 7 nights it was about 2100 for 3.

Now for the latter part of 2004 and 2005 AP discounts have been a flat $ amount off regardless of std, wv or concierge room. With attendance levels up and increased over 2001 levels. This past Easter, peak season, I paid 300 for YC Std w/an AP discount.

I'm just not going to pay that anymore. In November, we were back to POFQ and will just stay moderate from now on. OR off site is looking more and more attractive. I like renting a car now and have gotten better at navigating WDW property and off site. We've had a great time at the universal resorts and in November, paid 179 a night over there.

As long as there is someone standing in line to book rooms at these prices, they will stay up in the stratosphere. I'm stepping down from the clouds. I'm more concerned about my heating bill that just doubled.

Sorry, don't mean to vent or get long winded. But certainly agree about the steep prices and minimal discounts now.

 

[wrldpossibility]

I hear ya but.... I am paying rack rate with AAA discount of only 10% for our trip during peak season late Feb-early March. How do I afford or justify it? We haven't been for 2 years, I have put every possible expense on my Disney Visa card so I have just over 1000 points I'll apply to my resort cost. Yes it is a ton of money but I know it will be worth it to stay at a deluxe on property. We have stayed at BWI twice with great codes and our first trip I paid rack rate in value season at the Poly (before I found the DIS boards!). Our travel dates are dictated by our kids school vacations as I won't take them out for a week anymore (they are 5th and 8th grades). So we really have no choice but to pay for what we want at this point. I did look into the MYW package but would have actually cost me a bit more as I would have given up my AAA room discount. Didn't need the free water park feature as we have one left on our old PHP passes. We have been saving and budgeted for the trip. I didn't buy the dining plan, seemed like way too much eating for us!

This will be our last trip to WDW for the near future so I want to do it up right!

Could you explain what you mean about using your Disney Visa points toward your room? I have a Disney Visa too, and thought I could only use the points to cash in for Disney Dollars before our trip (still helpful). Can I use the points other ways? We have a package, so maybe not?! Thanks!

And to get back on topic, I often wonder, reading these boards, how people afford the deluxes. Not once in a lifetime, but over and over, year after year. If that's you, you're fortunate, to be sure! The room rates are unbelievable. We have seven people to pay for (wait, the baby's free!), so six, and we're going 10 days. Moderate is the most we can splurge for, and I feel lucky to be able to do so!

 

[vicb]

Could you explain what you mean about using your Disney Visa points toward your room? I have a Disney Visa too, and thought I could only use the points to cash in for Disney Dollars before our trip (still helpful). Can I use the points other ways? We have a package, so maybe not?! Thanks!

And to get back on topic, I often wonder, reading these boards, how people afford the deluxes. Not once in a lifetime, but over and over, year after year. If that's you, you're fortunate, to be sure! The room rates are unbelievable. We have seven people to pay for (wait, the baby's free!), so six, and we're going 10 days. Moderate is the most we can splurge for, and I feel lucky to be able to do so!

I don't know how it works with a pkg., I have a room only ressie. Last time we transfered all our Disney reward points onto the reward card prior to leaving home, then at check in we applied those points to our resort bill. They will be used against any charges to your account that week (room rate and food). I only had 400 points that year because we hadn't had the card for very long. This time I have had 2 years to accumulate points. I have put my DD's braces on the card, appliances for the home, travel, monthly utlity bills, car payments etc... Hope that answers your ?

Yes I am lucky to have stayed only at deluxes but we have used codes and we don't go every year. Like I said, this will be our last trip for several years due to cost and just due to our life situation. There are other places we want to travel to beside WDW while our kids are still with us.

 

[magsmom]

Could you explain what you mean about using your Disney Visa points toward your room? I have a Disney Visa too, and thought I could only use the points to cash in for Disney Dollars before our trip (still helpful). Can I use the points other ways? We have a package, so maybe not?! Thanks!

Once you transfer the points to the rewards card you can pay for your room (or anything else for that matter) off of the rewards card once you get to Disney. Don't know how the $ would be paid on a package - I would ask your TA.

 

[rcraw45425]

As the OP I guess what I'm saying is I think the rates are getting out of hand. I am lucky in that financially we are able to afford this without suffering, it's just I guess my question is this: How high will they go before people refuse to pay these prices? I realize that the cost of everything is going up, who'd have thought we'd be paying so much for gasoline, right? I guess the fuel cost for the buses is being passed along to us via higher hotel rates and ticket prices. Last year for the same room category at the YC in February our AP price was $197 plus tax. Granted this was value season, I would just be choking if I WAS paying rack rate this time. Guess the AP is worth it, even if I now have to book 60 days out. Hope they realize that they are losing a lot of last minute busines from we the faithful. Oh yeah, got a mailer yesterday about a medical conference at the GF in August. I could get GF garden view for $194 a night!

 

[DisneyGeek2000]

How high will they go before people refuse to pay these prices?

The rates will continue to rise as long as people continue to pay these prices. If people stop booking the rooms, they will just offer discounts.

Hope they realize that they are losing a lot of last minute busines from we the faithful.

Maybe - they may not need the last minute business, if the rooms are full with people paying rack rate.

 

[mjmcca]

I have APs but hate the BRP. I don't know 60 days in advance if i am able to go to WDW. We have a friend who is a CM and lately we have been getting CM rates for rooms. I don't get to pick the resort but it is a Disney resort at a great rate so I cant complain.

 

[G&J's Mom]

The rates will continue to rise as long as people continue to pay these prices. If people stop booking the rooms, they will just offer discounts.

Maybe - they may not need the last minute business, if the rooms are full with people paying rack rate.

I agree with you. Unfortunately I gave up my AP's and don't have AAA and will be paying rack in June for POP if I have to. On another note, the large amount of discounted AAA rooms "might" affect the direct Disney discounts as well. Just a thought.

Denise

 

[rcraw45425]

I'd just love to see my Best Rate reduced by Disney. Yeah, right

 

[MAKmom]

I just booked the Swan for June 21 - 28th for $174.00 AAA discount today. I just can't bring myself to pay these prices for a deluxe. We really wanted BC/YC this year... and have always used a AP discount. It was a great ride with it but its over. The location is important to us. DH fell in love with EPCOT last year. I was checking out a moderate. It feels really strange doing this. LOL

 

[cstraub]

With Ap's in the last few years we have gotten:


WL woods view $199 (spring break) expedia no AP discount
CR garden view $158 (summer)
AKL Savannah/pool view $132 (summer)
POR $99 (value)
CBR $109 (spring break)
Cabins $179 (holiday)

Resorts are through the roof right now. I checked for various dates (without AP rate) durning Jan and Feb 2006. Everything is priced like it used to be for Spring Break or Holiday! I remember seeing ASM or one of the values for $55 a year or two ago now it's more like 100 and something.

Crazy!!!!

 

[kbrattonwvu]

waht are the abbrivations you are using? i understood the cm, and i thought cast memebers can select the hotel they want. are you saying they cant? thanks

 

[G&J's Mom]

This link should help with the abbreviations.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/abbreviations.htm

Denise

 

[EjandMD]

I have told everyone that this will be one of our last trips for a long time, like 5 years. Prices are through the roof and i think that they will come down again, but right now they can get the money for it. So I'll wait for discounts and then consider going again. Be patient they can't take our money without us giving it to them.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

We just took our last trip for awhile. We started going to Disney three years ago and fell in love everything. This last trip we stayed @ BWV. They were very nice and we love the location but our room was in pretty bad shape for the price we paid (paint peeling in corners, chips out of the mirror etc). We love to stay Deluxe and while we can afford it, to me it becomes a question of value for the money. We are not renewing our AP's in 2006 and we are looking at booking at Beaches or Palace Resorts. We love Disney and of course in a few years we will return. Maybe even next year but, I want to feel like I am really getting a bang for my buck and I just didn't feel that in Dec.

 

[nowellsl]

I'd just love to see my Best Rate reduced by Disney. Yeah, right

Believe it or not, it does happen. They reduced my rate for this month and credited the difference (for my one night deposit) back to my credit card.