Let me "rack" your collective brains!!

[VickiVM]

With the apparent success of the Fairytale Package, the impending demise of Disney Club and no guarantees of future room only codes, how will this affect your WDW "habit"??

I know the question of "would you still go to WDW if there were no discount codes" has been posted before. But I'm now beginning to think that in the future the only cost difference in on-site resort rates will be the seasonal differences and I may have to pay (gulp)...rack rates. So I pose this question to you all again:

Would you pay rack rate to stay at your favorite WDW resort??

Now, I don't want to start a debate about the business or marketing practices of WDW. I just want to know if you'd ever be inclined to pay rack rates again...like it once was so very long ago.

I'll go first. I travel a long way to find some "magic", and I want it morning, noon and night. So, yes, I would pay rack rate, but perhaps at Values or maybe Mods during value season only.

 

[weluvdizknee]

We travel far for the Disney Magic also, and I'm with you as far as having the Disney 24/hr experience. But we too would only support the value resorts or downtown disney hotels. To us, even the value resorts are better than off-propery.

Which would mean less revenue from our pockets for Disney. Why. because when we stay at the deluxe resorts, we spend deluxe money while we're there on dining, rentals, shopping, shows, etc. It's very easy to get caught up in the extra excitement that the deluxe resorts offer.

But if Disney is happy to settle with our value budget, then so be it. I know that if I get a room discount at a deluxe resort, I'll spend the savings there anyway. But if I stay at a value resort, then I'm more likely to venture off property, and find a different excitement to spend my money on. The thrills aren't quit as big at the value resorts.

I think it's very disappointing that Disney is willing to offer all of us less thrills for our money.

 

[AspiringCindy]

As a result of Disney not putting out Room only codes and the demise of the Disney Club, we are seriously considering purchasing DVC.

 

[sherry8253]

Hi - IMHO Disney rooms are overpriced. I have stayed at several 5* resorts such as the Inn at Pebble Beach, the Lodge at Spanish Bay, the Plaza in NYC, etc. and there is no Disney resort that can compare in service, room, etc. After staying at places like these as much as I love Disney, I would never pay the same amount which is Disney's rack rate at their luxury resorts to stay in a room on Disney property when I could spend the same amount and stay at a true 5* resort. If Disney does away with the codes and discounts, then I would still visit Disney but would stay off property.

 

[becka]

I would still go and I would still stay on-site but I would probably downgrade my resort choices rather than cut short my trip because my trips are short enough as it is now. I would rather pay rack rate at the All Stars (which we really enjoyed) than stay off-site but then again I am a Disney resort snob!

 

[jeannej]

I would never pay rack room rates for a Disney Hotel. While I like staying on property, the hotels are way over priced for the amenities offered. I would just stay off site at a suite hotel.

jeannej

 

[Disneymoon04]

Yes. Wouldn't be any different for me anyway, I've never really been able to take advantage of any special deals.

 

[CamColt]

I would still stay onsite, but I wouldnt be able to go as often as we have been the past few years since Ive found out about these deals.
While paying rack rate we went for our honeymoon in 95, then again in 98, then 00.
Since finding these boards and learing the ins and outs we have gone in 01, 02(3 night cruise 1 night WDW), 02 again(just WDW), and plan to go 8/03, 12/03, and hopefully 7/04(finish off APS).
If we end up having to pay full price again, we will probably only be able to go once every 2-3 years again.

 

[schwaa]

I voted to downgrade or shorten trip. I'm not keen on shortening my trip. If I want to go for 7 days, that how long I will go no matter where I sleep.

I really wouldn't want to pay $99 to stay at the All Stars, although $77 is not bad. I guess I would pay rack rates in Value season for the All Stars and maybe the moderates if I had enough in the budget.

All that being said, I would probably stay at the Howard Johnson Maingate East or do priceline for $25 or $30 a night.

It would cost $1042.72 for 2 adults to stay at a moderate for 7 nights in the Value season. $603.68 for an All Stars.

The HOJO would cost $305.76 for 7 nights at $39 a night. Priceline would come out less.

Now that I look at the prices, I'm sure I would not pay that much to stay at a moderate unless I had made a lot of money that year or won the lotto (then I would stay at a deluxe). I would seriously have to think if Extra Magic Hour and Charging Privileges are worth $300 more to stay at All Stars than Off Site.

I guess this all depends on who you are. To some people $300 is not a lot of money. To others it is a lot of money. For 2 adults, $300 could be your meal budget.

Sorry so long.

 

[BethC1952]

I need my Disney fix. I'm not paying for just the room, but for all the magic that goes with a WDW vacation. It's just not the same when you stay off site, which I would never do again. Of course, I stay at the mods and values already, so I can't downgrade my resort very much (and yes, I've also camped in a tent at FW so that I could afford to stay onsite).

I budget for rack rate, and celebrate when I can get a discount!

Beth

 

[PamNC]

I would not stop going to WDW but I would either have to:

1) shorten my trip (we usually go Deluxe)

2) stay at a moderate rather than Deluxe

3) not go as often

These would be my only 3 options as I WILL NOT pay rack rate for a Deluxe. Or maybe I should say I won't pack rate rate for a Deluxe and stay as long as we usually do (7 nights) or as often as we go (2x per year). So, by doing this Disney isn't going to be getting as much of our money as they have been for the past 9 years. We spend a lot of money at the resort with dining, bike rentals, shopping, etc. I'm very upset about the prospect of no more room codes, and even the AP discounts seem lame and scarce.

I'm thinking about DVC but haven't decided for sure. I've ordered the video and hubby and I have already gotten the spiel at WDW 2 years ago. We've been on the fence for awhile about this.

PamNC

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by BethC1952
I budget for rack rate, and celebrate when I can get a discount!Beth

I also voted yes. When I plan my trip I don't expect to get a discount, I plan on paying rack rate. If I get a discount great.


I know before I start planning that I'm not willing to pay more than $200 a night for a room. I know that I'm not willing to stay off site no matter how cheap it will be.

I don't take my son out of school for vacations, so that means I can only go during the summer or school breaks.

I look at the school schedule, pick a date, then pick an on site resort. (All Stars) Whatever rate is listed for my dates, is the rate I use to make my budget. If I get a discount later great, if not great.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Becka, that's a great picture of your son, I love the hat.

 

[A1A1]

I never pay full price for anything.......

 

[schwaa]

Now that I think about it, does anyone pay rack rate for most hotels outside of disneyworld? I think most people find better deals on any hotel than the rack rate.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Hey, DW and I (DS graduated U of Mich - we're empty nesters) have the discretionary $$$ to spend as we wish; and our usual wish is to leave reality behind. Our two choices - Las Vegas (nicer resort/casinos) and WDW (onsite deluxe). We like to live below our means (smaller condo w/smaller payment, we don't go out for $100 dinners at cheffy restaurants, DW doesn't have 100 pairs of shoes, never buy new cars, etc.) so that we can afford the things that are important - and give value - to us. I was ready to pay full price for Polynesian LV Concierge; a romantical week with my wife with the full Tropical Disney Magic - priceless!

I believe that it all depends on an individual's perceived value. Some of you think that the Disney rack rate is too high, and would never go unless there's a discount. Well, I'd never pay $25 for a Caesar Salad, $30 dollars for a bottle of wine and $57 for a filet, just because Wolfgang Puck's name is on the door! To each his/her own.

One side question: are we sure that the 'standard price' of a Disney resort is really the 'rack rate'? I always thought that the rack rate was some really high number that never gets used and is only there for some back-office reasons. I went to a Comfort Inn, and their standard price - as quoted in AAA Tour book - was $79 for the time of year we were there. However, on the back of the door was a 'room price' card that said $499!!! Has anyone seen such a card on the back of a WDW resort door?

Submitted in the spirit of friendly discussion.

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by becka
I would rather pay rack rate at the All Stars (which we really enjoyed) than stay off-site but then again I am a Disney resort snob!

I agree 100%. I am also a Disney "resort snob" ... and I have stayed off-site plenty.

 

[VickiVM]

One side question: are we sure that the 'standard price' of a Disney resort is really the 'rack rate'? I always thought that the rack rate was some really high number that never gets used and is only there for some back-office reasons. I went to a Comfort Inn, and their standard price - as quoted in AAA Tour book - was $79 for the time of year we were there. However, on the back of the door was a 'room price' card that said $499!!! Has anyone seen such a card on the back of a WDW resort door?

I think for discussion purposes most understand "rack rate" to mean Disney's official published room rates for each season. I've also heard it referred as "standard" rates for other hotels/motels.

The main reason I posted this question is because we just got back from an overnight stay in a small town (25,000 pop.) in So. Texas. It's also a college town. We stayed in a HoJo that misrepresented itself on its website as recently remodeled. The truth of it was that they were still working on one half of the property and we were staying on the other side that hasn't been touched yet. Granted, the lobby looked refurbished, though. It was ugly, dirty, with old, old faded carpet and bedspread with multiple stains. There was a microwave right next to the sink - how safe is that to have the electrical cord literally inches away from the running water of the sink. Anyway, we were only there for a nights sleep and it was $45/night. I could live with it for one night as long as I kept my shoes on. But it had me wondering if I could bring myself to staying off-site if we no longer could get code discounts on room rates. NO...I would have to downgrade our accomodations at WDW and budget our meals and such, but our room accomodations mean a great deal to us and is not an area of our vacation we want to skimp on too much. I've stayed in AllStars and hey, when you factor in amenities such as pools, food court, bus transportation - there is a great value there. And it's clean and safe.

I think this thread, though, goes a long way in communicating to Disney that removing room discounts truly will lower their revenue because so far, from what I'm reading, people who regularly visit spend more money than they save in room discounts. It's the perception that you are saving on accomodations, therefore you feel comfortable in splurging on meals, souvenirs, etc. It's just like our Texas Sales Tax Exemption holiday the first weekend in August. When it started a few years ago, our retail sales skyrocketed for that weekend. Before we had this Tax Free holiday people typically spent a lot of money that weekend since it was just before school starts. However, after the holiday kicked in the perception of their savings (only a mere 7 3/4% here in San Antonio) translated into more money spent than saved.

Just my perspective.

 

[beatlebailey]

i would stay on site but would try to talk my family into staying at the SOG insted of the GF.

 

[Grog]

We would do what it takes (budgeting, etc.) to stay onsite. I used to be a theme park commando before my SO got me to slow down and smell the roses. Now when we go on any trip, the hotel is important. I don't want to stay in some run down dump if I may be wanting to relax in the middle of the day, as opposed to using it only for sleeping and showering.