I Was Excited About This Until . . .

[kbroer]

After watching this board for years and seeing other people post about getting post cards and codes and pin numbers WE FINALLY GOT ONE in the mail yesterday. It is for 20% off of value resorts (making them about $79) and 40% off at the deluxes. Not sure what the discount was at the moderates but they quoted about $139 at the CS for early May. Maybe I'm losing touch with what things cost but I know we went a couple of years ago with an annual pass and got a rate of like $139 at AKL and I'm sure that wasn't more than 40% off. The person at central reservations said that it would be $191 per night and that was for a STANDARD room. A rack rate for a pool view room would be $410. Okay, I am a stay at home mom and my husband makes very decent money but this seems like an awful lot of money to me. Do you all really pay like $5,000 for say ten nights of lodging? That is our enetire vacation budget (and then some). I think the prices of lodging and tickets are getting out of hand. We have gone to Disney for many years but I'm afraid it is just getting beyond our means. It is very sad.

 

[beth_cam]

I cant come up with the numbers you are stating no matter what I do. However I can tell you rack rate for Animal Kingdom Lodge, regular season, standard room (early may) is $265. 40% savings would make it 178ish with tax so while your quote is higher than that, it isnt by much. It is real close to the 189 i'm figuring for a water view room with 40% savings though. The most expensive water view room is in Holiday season for 395. Although if you add tax to the peak season king/bunk bed (?) water view rate you get 405. Delux water view in peak is 415. And Delux waterview in regular season with tax is almost 400. with Were all your quotes for that may time you mentioned? What kind of room were you looking at?

 

[CarolA]

AK has gone up dramatatically. I think the early rates you saw were trying to get folks to stay there. The rates have risen as the place has become more popular.

$410 for pool view seems high. I think I paid around $230 last June for a Savannah view with an AP discount.

Now personally I think that the WDW Deluxe resorts are WAY WAY overpriced and AK was the ONLY one I was willing to continue to pay for because it is unique IMHO. The others.... I will either stay mod, value or off site. Just not worth what they want when you compare the actual quality and service to the "resorts" of the world. I have joined DVC and soon I can stay at the new DVC at AK which means I won't be willing to pay for ANY of the Deluxe resorts.

 

[Marmstrong]

AK has gone up dramatatically. I think the early rates you saw were trying to get folks to stay there. The rates have risen as the place has become more popular.

$410 for pool view seems high. I think I paid around $230 last June for a Savannah view with an AP discount.

.

I don't think we paid much over $225/night in Jan 2006 (value season) for Savannah view, it was part of MYW package so I'm not sure what part was room, don't remember ticket prices last year. I prefer Savannah to pool anyway! If we were going back to AKL this year though, we'd have had to pay more because they're now charging extra for the bunk beds! Last year it was the same price. We have a son and daughter so bunk beds were a definite draw.

This year my dad is sponsoring us for SOG. Before I knew if he was going to do this, I checked prices with AAA discount for our Feb 28-Mar 4 trip. The best I could get was $114/night for VALUE! This is during "regular season" which is same as May...prices are certainly higher in reg season than value!

 

[beth_cam]

February 28 is peak season. rack rate for a standard room at a value hotel in peak seaseon is 119. AAA discount is 15% bringing that to 101.15 or about 114 with tax. In value season not only is the rack rate $82 but you get a 20% aaa discount which would have made the room 73ish..yes there definitely is a big difference between value and peak.

 

[MALE*RN*777]

My opinion is that I don't spend enough time in a room during vacation to worry about what is so great about it. As long as it has what I need, bed, shower/toilet/sink and clean then its good to me. I/We rather spend the money on having fun then on the room.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Yup. Disney went up. So did the price of gasoline... airfare.. food .. Everything is expensive it seems.. or at least more expensive.

I'm not hooked on mods or deluxes -- I'll admit freely I don't choose to spend my money quite that freely.

But if you watch for offers.. and so forth.. you can easily stay at a value or mod in an 'off' season and do so affordably.

The biggest catch with the offers you get in the mail - most times you have to read it carefully and determine what weeks its available. You should then do a little research and determine which of those dates are value, regular or peak season..

Also the CM's don't do a good job of saying "I'm sorry, this isn't providing a discount for you on those dates.."

I looked at other vacation destinations including Key West, Arizona, California and so on. I couldn't put together a vacation with as much to do.. for as little money.. as going to Disney. Go figure.



J

 

[CarolA]

Yup

I looked at other vacation destinations including Key West, Arizona, California and so on. I couldn't put together a vacation with as much to do.. for as little money.. as going to Disney. Go figure.



J

I can. If it wasn't for the airfare I can spend a week in Paris France for less then a week in Disney LOL! (I have done it!)

 

[DisneyBride'03]

wow! Paris..our DisneylandParis?

 

[MelanieC]

Even the value resorts went up! I stay for 16 nights, so even at 109 per night for the POP it was a lot more than I was used to seeing!

 

[ZanyToes]

I agree.. it's EXPENSIVE. We are going at the end of April.. I had EVERY intention of staying in one of the deluxe hotels.. and then I did a reality check While we could afford the deluxe.. it was going to work out about $3,000 MORE for the vacation to do that instead of the deluxe.. As is we got our value resort room, hopper tickets, meal plan and airline tickets for $3,400. with that extra $3,000 we can get lots of stuff, I can buy an extra lens for my camera for the trip, get the girls some cute outfits, and STILL have money left over.. NOT worth the extra cost for us since we won't be in the room much anyway.

 

[beth_cam]

Even the value resorts went up! I stay for 16 nights, so even at 109 per night for the POP it was a lot more than I was used to seeing!

They didnt go up that much although a few dollars does add up over 16 nights.
2006 rates value$79 regular$99 peak$115 holiday$125
2007 rates value$82 regular$99 peak$119 Holiday$129
+the addition of summer season at $109
so the differences were $3,$0, $4, $4 yet the added season does add $10
So for the most part even for 16 nights you are talking $72 or less difference, for you an extra 180. BUT the ticket prices went up too and it all adds up.

 

[CarolA]

wow! Paris..our DisneylandParis?

The city not the park.....(The park is every bit as costly as WDW)

 

[DisneyBride'03]

oui!

 

[CanadianGuy]

I should clarify probably...

I travel with a friend for most of my vacations and we split room the room cost etc.

We're travelling to Disney in 7 days for a 6 night stay at Pop.

My share of the hotel room (half) and my park ticket = 550$

We're renting a car and driving to Florida - my share of the cost of that.. 250$ -- including gas.

So.. besides my meals.. (CS most of the time anyway .. I'm not a big eater to start with) ... I'm going to Florida for 6 nights and 7 days for 800$ for transportation, hotel and park tickets.

Last time I used my room key for EVERYTHING. Meals, trinkets etc. I spent about 200$ US while I was there. This is why the DDP is no bargain for me. DDP for 6 nights is 234$ pre-tax. I ate and bought a few trinkets for 40$ less than that. I don't need to buy any more big ticket souvenirs. I have enough. I bought some ears for a co-workers friend and I also bought a DirecTV satellite receiver for a friend.. But that didn't come out of my pocket.

So 1000$ for EVERYTHING. And this isn't a fluke. I did it last summer for only slightly more.. The difference last year was we didn't have the 40% off the room. So instead of 950~1000 last year it was like 1150 each.

If you can get to Paris (from Portland, Maine) and stay and eat for 7 days for 1000$ please PM me all the details.



J

 

[DisneyBride'03]

oui...me too!

 

[jnorth1007]

I say if you are going to Paris France I'll gladly carry your luggage and cook your meals and heck Ill even wash your clothes if you bring me along. I mean really how cool would Paris be with a personal valet????