Probably a dumb question...

[KJal1]

...but if WDW had record levels of attendance the week prior to and the week after Easter why in the world did they offer Disney Club discounts??? I am by no means complaining!! I bought the DC card just hoping it would work to get us a discount at CBR which I had already booked at rack rate during peak season. I called the DC # and asked if there were discounts available for CBR during our stay and out of curiosity asked about AKL and we got savannah view for $210+tax/night which I thought is a GREAT rate, I wouldn't pay it again but it's still really good. Anyway if they knew that this was peak season and wouldn't have a problem booking the rooms why were there discounts when there haven't been any during peak times in the past?? We also got a discount for ASMo for the end of August and I understand why they give the discounts then but why during peak attendance times? Any opinions?

 

[BrianD]

I think they do it as a "perk" for being in the Disney Club. Disney Club provides resort discounts throughout the entire year. The only blackout dates for Disney Club discounts is Christmas through New Years. Keep in mind, though, that the discount during peak season is only 10% off of an already very high peak season rate.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Keep in mind too that just because DC discounts (or codes or any other discount) are offered during a specific period doesn't mean you are going to get one. The number of rooms available for any discount or code that Disney releases is capacity controlled. As soon as that number of reservations is reached there are no more discounts.

Another thing to factor in is that not all resorts offer the same number of rooms for the discount. You can find wide swings in the number of rooms available. Example: CSR may have 300 rooms available with discount while CR only has 50.

So just because the literature may say that a discount is offered, it may not really be available since the allotment of rooms with discount have already been booked.

 

[KJal1]

I thought they never offered DC discounts during Spring Break period before, even though it is peak season. Also, the discount we got ($210/night) is more than 35% off the rack rate ($340/night) for savannah view in peak season. It seems that of the Deluxe resorts AKL offers the best discounts anyway. I would love to be able to get the same discount at the Poly. However, for what we actually use the resort for, to sleep and swim, we'll probably stick with getting the 20% off ASMo. Now if we could only get 35%+ off the AS in value season we'd be there for a month!!

 

[cindyfan]

Here is why I think AKL offers the best discounts:

1. They are still new and want people to try it and become "repeat guests"
2. Even though it is a delux...it doesn't have all the amenities that the other deluxes have...such as being nearer the parks or on the monorail, or even bike paths or a lake for boating.
3. It is stuck way out there....so far from any park except AK.
4. same size rooms as moderates.

So I think alot of people view it as a semi-deluxe or an upgraded moderate.
I think Wilderness Lodge is in this catagory too. Except it is closer to MK and has the boat to get there.

Alot of people are willing to pay for the extras that the other deluxes have, but may not be willing to pay so much just to look at animals.

 

[rlyrehc]

EEEKKKKKKKEEEE!!!! I was ripped off!! I stayed at AKL and with the DC rate I paid $355 during spring break and I called back incesently (SP?) looking for a better price. I checked mousesavers and everything. Oh, I feel sick...I pride myself on getting the best D prices. This is going to send me to bed for days!!! Oh well, I guess I need to get over it. Next time I will specifically post my price and ask if any of you got better rates. (I will not tell my husband about this though! )

 

[KJal1]

I think it was just pure luck we got the rate we did, when we did. I was actually suspicious about only paying what we did. I thought there may be a mistake and we'd be stuck in one of the standard rooms by the bus stop. But we got a great room right on the zebra trail with bunk beds. I think that a lot of people thought the DC didn't offer discounts during Spring Break (I don't think they have in the past) so they didn't bother asking. I called the DC 800 # to get the rate we did, I did not call CRO. Don't feel bad though we paid 110/night at the AS's in May of '01, I now know we could have gotten a much better rate. I just booked ASMo for the last weekend (well, really thursday thru monday) of August for a surprise end of summer trip for DS and got a non-preferred room for $67/night including tax. I'll probably change to moderate though if I can get one for under $100/night. Even though DS is dying to stay in the Mighty Ducks section of ASMo (I don't have a clue why though). We've tried the value (ASMo '01) and deluxe resorts (AKL '02 and Poly., '89 w/parents) now I'd like to try a moderate and see what gives us the most for our money. So far the AS are winning!!

 

[DMRick]

So far the AS are winning!!

I know they really won for us last September, when we paid $49 (w/o tax last of August begining of September, and then $59 in January. We are trying a moderate next month for the first time.

 

[SuzyQue]

Disney Club provides resort discounts throughout the entire year.

This year that's true but not last year. Last year the only resorts that were offered a DC discount the whole year (except Christmas to New Years) were the Deluxe/Home Away from Home Resorts. For the Moderates and Value Resorts, DC discounts were not offered during Regular & Peak seasons. ~~