Resort rates are kinda ridiculous

[BostonEd]

Good Neighbor hotels are included for what we were talking about : early entry.

Participating Hotels
Early theme park entry is a benefit for registered Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels, which include:

• Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
• Waldorf Astoria Orlando
• B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista
• DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
• Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
• Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
• Holiday Inn Orlando
• Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
• Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
• Four Seasons Resort Orlando

Good Neighbor hotels include a LOT more hotels than are listed here.

 

[Newliskeardfamily]

I just want to confirm what I’m seeing when I look at rates for anytime around March through July ‘22. It seems like everything at all levels is at least 50% higher than it was pre-covid.

Deluxe is especially outrageous. Beach/Yacht and Boardwalk all well over $800 for a standard room. I understand these may be discounted at a later date but it still seems crazy to me. even at the value level Pop is like $260.

Disney is still packing them in so I kind of get it but no matter how much money I have at some point it just seems insulting.

I don’t intend this as another “Disney has priced out the middle class” thread but specifically about the extremely steep and sudden rise of hotel rates now and in the near future.

Any insights on if this is the new normal? Or is Disney just trying to get the most out of the people who went stir crazy over the last year?

I think that they see a huge pent up vacation market. When everyone takes that one vacation that they have been saving up for during these two years, it will be interesting to see what happens to prices.

 

[Nabas]

Might be worth buying DVC if you enjoy returning to CL at AKL frequently. Club Level starts around 20 points per night. Points rent for ~$20 a point so $400 and up a night but… really only owners get a chance at availability. These are very high demand rooms for DVC.

For a spoof I joked with DH about a 6 night stay AKV Studio from Dec 3-9 2022 with Club Level access for $1,200 complete including all taxes, fees, parking and up to 4 adults. Alternating nights with a Club Level & Value AKV studio gives continuous access to CL since it’s offered on both check in and check out days, but you’d need to move rooms every day. Those 7 days/6 nights would cost 97 points. Ownership is about $12 per point/year between dues and buy-in. So… less than $1200 for 4 people staying at AK all week and using the lounge Not very convenient but that price is right! I dare somebody to try it lol.

We have been DVC members and have carefully tracked costs and points used across our contracts.

We purchased AKV in 2013 for $60 per point. Adding together the original purchase price, closing costs, and Maintenance Fees, and then dividing them by the number of points that we have used, we have paid $13.69 per point to date.

Annual Maintenance Fees are only going to increase. No one who buys at today's direct or resale price is ever going to come close to paying $12 per point.

 

[Heather07438]

We have been DVC members and have carefully tracked costs and points used across our contracts.

We purchased AKV in 2013 for $60 per point. Adding together the original purchase price, closing costs, and Maintenance Fees, and then dividing them by the number of points that we have used, we have paid $13.69 per point to date.

Annual Maintenance Fees are only going to increase. No one who buys at today's direct or resale price is ever going to come close to paying $12 per point.

That must include interest. If you paid $60/pt and had 44 years left on contract your buy in was less than $1.40 per point/year. Dues are around $8/point. Closing costs cannot bridge that gap.

 

[Nabas]

That must include interest. If you paid $60/pt and had 44 years left on contract your buy in was less than $1.40 per point/year. Dues are around $8/point. Closing costs cannot bridge that gap.

No interest, we paid cash.

AKV Maintenance Fee (MF) in 2021 is $8.0728.

AKV ends in 2057, 36 years.

To date, AKV MF have increased by an average of 3.25% per year. Assuming that average continues, the MF will be $24.73 per point in 36 years. Heck, by 2034, MF alone will be more than $12 per point.

No one who buys today is going to end up paying anything close to $12 per point over the life of the contract.

 

[Heather07438]

No interest, we paid cash.

AKV Maintenance Fee (MF) in 2021 is $8.0728.

AKV ends in 2057, 36 years.

To date, AKV MF have increased by an average of 3.25% per year. Assuming that average continues, the MF will be $24.73 per point in 36 years. Heck, by 2034, MF alone will be more than $12 per point.

No one who buys today is going to end up paying anything close to $12 per point over the life of the contract.

44 years was how many years were left on the contract bought in 2013.

I was just goofing around with the original post. In no way did I think it would cause people to run out and buy AKV so they can book an alternating Value and CL trip. It was a joke.

 

[Heather07438]

Those are the hardest to book room categories in all of DVC. I would never recommend purchasing AKV with the expectation of consistently booking those rooms, especially using the "every other night" approach that you suggest. It's an unrealistic expectation.

I didn’t recommend it with that expectation. I ended that paragraph with ‘these are very high demand rooms’.

The following paragraph had spoof and joke within the first few words.

 

[purpliequeen]

I work in the hospitality industry. My company owns and/or manages hotels. Our leisure destinations have been very, very successful in drive-to / resort destinations. Ritz-Carlton Lake Oconee 2 hrs outside of ATL is doing $500+ rates right now. Pre-COVID they got $389 for the year. Our hotels in leisure destinations have beaten historical room rates. Urban hotels (like in Portland, OR; NYC; and SF) have not. Rates are super low; very low occupancy; and in many cases, still downright closed! It's a very interesting time. What you all are seeing here at WDW is no surprise.

And as many previous posters mentioned, we are a captive, domestic audience. A lot of folks who are hesitant to travel (like my familly) felt safe traveling to WDW in early May after we got vaccinated. I felt very, very safe in WDW (particularly on Disney property); however, there are other destinations that we are outright avoiding right now. We are also OK with spending $$$ domestically considering we have vacation budgets that would have been spent traveling internationally ... it's just reallocating where we are spending. But man, once those int'l borders open & it's safe to travel internationally again, we're outta here! Gotta get me some real Italian pizza!

 

[morganms22]

We have stayed in deluxe resorts the last several times we went to Disney, but this coming November we are staying at an All Star. I just cannot justify the price anymore especially without some sort of discount. We stayed at Beach Club Villas last year right after they re-opened and the pricing was just as outrageous then as it is this year. After that trip I really felt like it was no longer worth it to us.

 

[DCLMP]

If people don't book prices will come down. It's like everything else if you comply you can't complain about the outcome.

 

[goofy4prez]

I agree, the prices are pathetically beyond belief. But there are so many gullible, Disney apologists who just line up, bend over and take a solid whack on the back side, cry out in pain and use the line that a very young Kevin Bacon said in the movie Animal House; "Thank you sir, may I have another." I am guilty as charged. I have an 8 night stay in February at the YC with a water view room for three adults for the bargain price of $9300. I used to pay that with the dining plan and CL. I keep saying I'm done, but like an out of control addiction I keep forking over the bucks. Can't blame Disney when there are others like me who will keep on paying and paying and paying and paying.

 

[DCLMP]

I agree, the prices are pathetically beyond belief. But there are so many gullible, Disney apologists who just line up, bend over and take a solid whack on the back side, cry out in pain and use the line that a very young Kevin Bacon said in the movie Animal House; "Thank you sir, may I have another." I am guilty as charged. I have an 8 night stay in February at the YC with a water view room for three adults for the bargain price of $9300. I used to pay that with the dining plan and CL. I keep saying I'm done, but like an out of control addiction I keep forking over the bucks. Can't blame Disney when there are others like me who will keep on paying and paying and paying and paying.

I think you need to find a 12 step program.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I guess I just took a 1/2 Step since I sold 200 originalpoints at BRV (VWL) …. I still have BLT.
I thought it would break my heart but resale takes forever .Glad that’s over with. I plan to alternate because Universal is so much more fun for the holidays. And even want to plan stays at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando for holiday visits. I love Disney but they don’t love me I guess.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

I know that the Swan & Dolphin will be getting the 30 minute early entry, but will the partner hotels at Disney Springs also be getting that perk??

I’ve been checking out the S&D as an alternative. They are no better than WDW resorts, and in some cases more expensive. The days of those being about 60-70% the price of comparable WDW resorts seem to be over, sadly.
[They were north of $700 for mid-March 2022 and in the low $400’s later this fall]

 

[GatorChris]

I'll join in! Misery loves company. We just cancelled our summer trip due to freaking stupid Covid the day before our flights. At least with that there was a 2-day-free-tickets, which saved us hundreds. Now we have to go before January to not waste our Southwest airlines. And wouldn't you know it, the 50th has everything booked solid, which drives prices up even more. Middle of December: POR costs $325/night. I remember not so long ago when I wouldn't pay that for GF or Poly. Back on our last trip in Dec 2012, that same room cost $175/night. Nearly a 100% increase. If not for the fact that I'd lose a $1800 investment in plane tickets, I'd cancel.

Disney is really taking it to us. Who can we blame? The investors and the executive board who are protecting them. And probably the massive amount of stimulus cash that has artificially inflated the luxury/vacation market.

 

[SL6827]

Good Neighbor hotels include a LOT more hotels than are listed here.

Which ones?

 

[RamblingMad]

What's the current perk that is supporting the current price point? Or is it the lack of hotel rooms available?

 

[purpliequeen]

)

What's the current perk that is supporting the current price point? Or is it the lack of hotel rooms available?

1) Innate domestic demand - many folks don't feel comfortable (or can't) travel abroad/internationally; thus, spend is limited to domestic locaitons. This spend tends to be higher (as int'l flights, etc. are higher).
2) Lack of hotel rooms -even at Disney, not all resorts were or are fully opened to pre-COVID levels. (Examplese - Polynesian Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo (the non-DVC portion), etc.) So you have more demand (see point #1) with less hotel rooms to choose from.

 

[BostonEd]

Which ones?

Here: https://www.wdwgoodneighborhotels.com/browse-hotels/

None of these are on @Heather07438's list. I stand by original assessment:

Good Neighbor hotels get almost no benefits.

 

[Heather07438]

Here: https://www.wdwgoodneighborhotels.com/browse-hotels/

None of these are on @Heather07438's list. I stand by original assessment:

Thank you. We were asking what the others were after you said there was more. The list and link I posted were directly from WDW site. It said there were 'others' but couldn't find them.