Price of room at the Polynesian in 1980??

[Deemarch]

Does anyone out there remember what the cost was per night? I am having a discussion with my mom and I say that it was around $90 per night. She says it was much less.

So I'm calling all of the "older" crowd, like myself, to give me an answer.

TIA

 

[geokeim]

I believe more in the neighborhood of $59-$69.
(which was still a lot of $ in 1980)

 

[Deemarch]

Really? Hey, I was married with my own kids but I don't remember. All I know is that it was alot of money and I stayed there 3 separate times for 7 - 8 nights each time. And now, I can't bring myself to spend the money they charge today...And I can afford to pay it!!!??? I am a DVC owner, but DH always says that he'd love to stay at the Poly someday. (he was not my DH back then

So I was thinking that it had to be much more than the prices you mentioned. Guess I've gotten cheap in my old age.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I thought it cost around 59.00 t0 79.00 dollars per night in 1971. In 1980 it was probably about 100.00 per night.

 

[Deemarch]

I used to be even more anal than I am now and I am surprised that I don't still have the bill!!

 

[pepe of ohio]

It all started for us in 1977, our first trip, we stayed at the CR, 75 bucks a night, back then that was big money, believe the Poly was the same or a few bucks more. We'd stay 5-7 nights, only had the one park but the Contemporary Resort had the biggest and best gameroom for years, small threater in the back, best homemade corn fritters, snack bar and up stairs the sit down restarant Pueblo Room was fantastic, the lounge was the Monorail Club, great place for a beer, there was Coconino Cove and the Outer Rim, oh those were the days. Our children grew up there, so many trips, hitting 41 this fall but we have outgrown the love for CR and now make our home at WL, but the memories from the CR will live with us forever, especially the 75 dollar a night price, remember the ticket books, A_B_C_D tickets?

 

[sdzman]

We loved the gameroom and the movie theatre @ the Contemporary. The games were the newest and this was right around Atari time. The theatre used to play movies like Pete's Dragoon, Flubber and Mary Poppins.

 

[eliza61]

I don't remember the Poly but I remember my parents complaining because the CR was $89.00 bucks a night. I remember them saying how people could not afford to pay those prices. (sounds familiar)

 

[huntconn]

....Contemporary Resort had the biggest and best gameroom for years, small threater in the back

WOW! That brings back memories! I used to love the CR gameroom. As a kid in the late 70's it was like walking into a dream. I didn't know which way to turn or which game to try first. I had never seen an arcade of that magnitude. It had all the latest games. I also remember the small theater in the back showing Disney films (of course!). I miss that arcade even today when we visit WDW.

 

[kdepot]

WOW! That brings back memories! I used to love the CR gameroom. As a kid in the late 70's it was like walking into a dream. I didn't know which way to turn or which game to try first. I had never seen an arcade of that magnitude. It had all the latest games. I also remember the small theater in the back showing Disney films (of course!). I miss that arcade even today when we visit WDW.

I remember around 1988 it was huge! And then the convension facilities took that away.
I remember my kids bowling on the 2 portable alleys the had 10 or so years ago!

 

[GinCar]

I don't know about the Poly, but my Dad loves to tell a story about CR. On one of our early 80's trips he thought it would be fun to stay there for a night. When he inquired at the front desk they quoted him $100.00. The money was not in the budget!!
We laugh about it now because last year we all stayed at the WL and he never knew exactly how much he paid a night. He would be shocked. h

 

[sotoalf]

Fun thread.

My family first stayed at the Polynesian in 1987, during which we got a Florida resident's discount: $99 a night. Rooms started at about $120 a night. if so, then room rates held firm throughout the eighties (inflation was low then).

 

[Missus Toad]

We loved the gameroom and the movie theatre @ the Contemporary. The games were the newest and this was right around Atari time. The theatre used to play movies like Pete's Dragoon, Flubber and Mary Poppins.

Love that-- some of my favorite memories are from when my folks would give me and my sister some pocket money and let us monorail over to the CR from the Poly for a movie and arcade games. We felt oh so grown and independent.

 

[I wanna go back]

I was just a kid when our family stayed at the Poly 3 different times in the late 70's and early 80's. I don't know how much it cost per night, but I remember that my parents chose the Poly over the CR each time because it was the cheaper of the two! .... how times have changed ....

 

[wdw4us2]

I couldn't find prices back to 1980, but these were the prices for all the resorts in 1982 according to the Birnbaum Guide:

1982 Birnbaum Prices (No seasons)

Contemporary
-Garden Wing: $75-$85
-Tower: $95
-Suites: $170 and $190 Garden; $240 and $395 Tower

Polynesian
-Garden: $75
-Pool: $85
-Lagoon: $95
-Suites: $180-$275

Golf Resort
-Woodland: $75
-Pool/Golf Course: $85
-Suites: $170

Club Lake Villas
-One Bedroom: $85
-One Bed Suite: $140
-Two Bed Suite: $280

Fairway Villas: $120

Vacation Villas
-One Bedroom: $100
-Two Bedroom: $120

Treehouse Villas: $120

Ft. Wilderness
- Fleetwood Trailers: $75

 

[sotoalf]

Speaking of Birnbaum, I miss the days when the guide wasn't official. The introductions to the Polynesian and Contemporary were refreshingly critical (and thoughtfully written).

 

[Minnie&Nana]

We paid $79 a ngt inc tx for a Garden View room in March of 1982

We were in the former Ohau (Tokelau) and it was wonderful. We had one of the few rooms with double sinks outside the bathroom.

Great memories!

 

[Needzavacation]

I have the confirmation from our stay at the Polynesian during Christmas week of 19982 -- $85/night! Put a "5" in front of that, and you've got this year's rate!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

I remember when the price went up that year! We stayed at CR the summer of '82, but back to the Poly the summer of '83...and we stayed there every summer until 1988 when the CBR opened and we wanted to try the brand new resort.

It was a bit of an adjustment, being used to the way Poly CMs cared for guests. CBR seemed to have lots of new CM's who did not have enough correct information. We missed the Poly, but enjoyed our CBR stay so much that we returned 3 times. Then on to Dolphin, which was also new.

When we returned to the Poly it was $175 a ngt before tax, and our next stay it was up to $300 - our first stay at the BC in 1996 we pd an industry discount rate of 50% off the normal $300 per ngt. As we watched all the families at BC it was hard to imagine how so many could afford $300 a ngt plus. We still wonder the same thing!

Back then we did receive occasional postcards offering discounts, but the dates never applied to our yearly summer visit. We never even considered going for another visit in between - how things have changed!!

 

[sotoalf]

The world of the Disney resorts seemed smaller then -- due, I suppose, to the fact that there were only five resorts.

Anyone ever stay at the Golf Resort/Disney Inn?