Sticker shock!!

[Bete]

If you are flexible about the time, you can do all right in 2008 for pricing. I did comparisons myself and it just depends when you go. Also, I think there will be sales through 2008. This is already evident with some comeback deals being offered, right now. I don't think I would rush to make ressies. Also, you can change the ressie within a certain window of time to get a better deal, anyway. I'm older and we have almost stayed everywhere at Disney through the years including concierge. I think you can cut costs and not go for the top of the line. It's a choice you make; therefore, you pay. Disney commands what they command for their pricing. Economics prevails! If it doesn't work for them next year they will make adjustments.

I do think if you like concierge, DVC may not be for you. You don't get the same service that way. Also, I personally don't think any DVC compares to the Grand Floridian. The amenities at this resort with water sports, etc. are hard to beat. Now, if you don't do the extras; maybe, you can adjust to a different mode like DVC. I know I will get comments, here to prove me wrong about DVC. We checked into DVC once and I personally don't think it's worth it and we looked into it 5 years ago. Everyone is different.

It's obvious Disney has an audience or they couldn't charge what they do during premium times, etc. Again, you make a choice on how you want to spend for vacation.

I decided to take a trip this year at the last minute; because, I will wait it out in 2008 to see how it will all pan out. I'll get my fix now. I did do a promo this year; so, it convinced me to go now.

 

[disneyfan55]

We also booked during the last week of the free dining offer. We leave tomorrow for a week stay beginning on Sat. We really did this trip on the cheap. We are staying at a Value Resort, really the first time for us. (We did stay at the All Star Music with our kids band. They played in all the parks and Disney Village.). It really wasn't that bad. We are only paying 591 pp for the week with park hoppers and we did think this was great. All the food too. Everyone does do Disney a little differently. Some want a once in a life time thing and will spend thousands for a week or two. Some want to be able to afford to go every year, sometimes more that once per year. We have always tried to get the best rooms for the most inexpensive price. We did have Annual Passes and that really helped get some great rates on rooms. We also did many cross country trips in addition to Disney Vacations. That's how we visited Disneyland - basically the midpoint in 2 of the cross country trips.

 

[goodferry]

Why would your choice of accomodations (ie concierge) affect your right to vent about the across the board price increase at Disney resorts? If you earn a lot of money does that mean you don't get to complain about taxes? That's ridiculous.
The op did not say that she wouldn't go because of the increase, just that it's frustrating. We too have considered DVC, but for the most part we are Poly people too and I think we would miss it.

 

[Lives4Disney]

I remember the offers for DVC's Old Key West sitting on the TV at the CR for a few years during our stays. It didn't interest us back then & still does not because - I think like what you' mentioned Woody is - we like SERVICE (concierge ) on vacations. Also, I think about the service, cleanliness and maintenance of the parks & resorts that have dropped over the years. I would not want to be committed to Disney at this point. We have been LONG TIME, very frequent guests and things have gone down at WDW. It's not that we are looking for it. I want to close my eyes to it, actually, but it is sometimes too obvious. We still enjoy going, but it is definitely not the same place it was years ago.

And, I agree you should be allowed to have sticker shock at all levels of resorts....I am not shocked by a $200 or $400 rooms that PPs mentioned or even $600 price tag/nt....what gets me is the $990/nt for standard RPC room at GF. We all have different breaking points. When I priced out our spring break GF stay it came to almost $10K and IMO that is nuts for what you get - the same thing you get at the GF RPC for $550/nt in August.

Lives4Disney

 

[BCV23]

I do think if you like concierge, DVC may not be for you. You don't get the same service that way. Also, I personally don't think any DVC compares to the Grand Floridian. The amenities at this resort with water sports, etc. are hard to beat. Now, if you don't do the extras; maybe, you can adjust to a different mode like DVC. I know I will get comments, here to prove me wrong about DVC. We checked into DVC once and I personally don't think it's worth it and we looked into it 5 years ago. Everyone is different.

Bete, we enjoy concierge but also love our DVC. We often combine a 3 or 4 night club level at the Polynesian or GF with a 5 night BCV stay. Y&BC offer water sports, has a fantastic pool, etc. so we don't feel as if we're downgrading in any way.

There is not daily housekeeping unless you pay a reasonable extra fee. But we do';t miss that at all. We make the beds and we're done. I also absolutely love having a washer/dryer and going home with all clean clothes. I never would have thought I would do laundry on vacation but it is so easy. We use the washer as the hamper and I run one small load a day. Much less to pack. I also love the jacuzzi tub, real wine glasses, a full refrig for beverages.

As for Disney level of service, I think the big change was many years ago when the resort grew so large. We still find most CMs great.

But I absolutely agree that everyone is different and DVC is not for everyone.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Sorry to be off topic...but thanks BCV23 for the washer/hamper tip!

 

[theostwalts]

Bete, we enjoy concierge but also love our DVC. We often combine a 3 or 4 night club level at the Polynesian or GF with a 5 night BCV stay. Y&BC offer water sports, has a fantastic pool, etc. so we don't feel as if we're downgrading in any way.

There is not daily housekeeping unless you pay a reasonable extra fee. But we do';t miss that at all. We make the beds and we're done. I also absolutely love having a washer/dryer and going home with all clean clothes. I never would have thought I would do laundry on vacation but it is so easy. We use the washer as the hamper and I run one small load a day. Much less to pack. I also love the jacuzzi tub, real wine glasses, a full refrig for beverages.

As for Disney level of service, I think the big change was many years ago when the resort grew so large. We still find most CMs great.

But I absolutely agree that everyone is different and DVC is not for everyone.

We are considering DVC as well and this has been one of our concerns as well. We have stayed concierge level at the CR and GF and the service was one of the things that made our stays so great. However, with 3 children some other concierge perks that we like are the lounge (gives everyone a place to sit and relax while others are getting ready) and preplanning services. DVC would meet those expectations as well. With a 1 or 2 bedroom we would have the extra space to sit around and the kitchen could be used for a quick breakfast or snack. I have also heard that Member Services will help with preplanning.

Our hold up at this point is the fact that we have loved being on the monorail loop and with the rumors of CR DVC we do not want to buy in until we see what the new construction actually is at the CR.

We are going on a DCL vacation this year and I have tried to price a 2008 vacation for the week after Thanksgiving. I could find no concierge rooms at the Poly or RPC, so it looks like they are still getting booked regardless of the price.

 

[WoodysRoundup]

We are considering DVC as well and this has been one of our concerns as well. We have stayed concierge level at the CR and GF and the service was one of the things that made our stays so great. However, with 3 children some other concierge perks that we like are the lounge (gives everyone a place to sit and relax while others are getting ready) and preplanning services. DVC would meet those expectations as well. With a 1 or 2 bedroom we would have the extra space to sit around and the kitchen could be used for a quick breakfast or snack. I have also heard that Member Services will help with preplanning.

Our hold up at this point is the fact that we have loved being on the monorail loop and with the rumors of CR DVC we do not want to buy in until we see what the new construction actually is at the CR.

We are going on a DCL vacation this year and I have tried to price a 2008 vacation for the week after Thanksgiving. I could find no concierge rooms at the Poly or RPC, so it looks like they are still getting booked regardless of the price.

WOW! That is exactly where we're at at this moment. I grew up with being on the monorail loop and I too am afraid of missing that! This is what I think we're going to do.....buy about 5 nights worth of points for AKL, and then finish our trip with one or two nights at the Poly. With the yearly rewards I get w/ the Disney visa (plus the incentive they have now if you join DVC) 2 nights at the Poly will be PAID FOR....concierge too! In subsequent years, I can borrow for 2 more before the points "run out". By that time I hope CRV will be announced!!! If not, we'll either decide to buy more points w/ DVC or just split our stays (and pay any difference) to give us a taste of being on the loop! We feel this will work for us. Thanks also to BCV23 for helping make our decision!

 

[jakenjess]

We stayed concierge once at the Poly and LOVED it! However, now that we're DVC, I am completely hooked on the 1 BR with a separate room for us and the full kitchen and washer/dryer. I don't do a lot of cooking on vacation, but it's so easy to grab a quick breakfast in the room and come back for a snack later in the day. Also my DS is very picky, so if he doesn't like where we eat I know I can always get him something else at the room later or before we go. It's wonderful having two TVs, and when we have friends and family vacationing at the same time we have a nice gathering space in the living area.

 

[Pakey]

We are considering DVC as well and this has been one of our concerns as well. We have stayed concierge level at the CR and GF and the service was one of the things that made our stays so great. However, with 3 children some other concierge perks that we like are the lounge (gives everyone a place to sit and relax while others are getting ready) and preplanning services. DVC would meet those expectations as well. With a 1 or 2 bedroom we would have the extra space to sit around and the kitchen could be used for a quick breakfast or snack. I have also heard that Member Services will help with preplanning.

Our hold up at this point is the fact that we have loved being on the monorail loop and with the rumors of CR DVC we do not want to buy in until we see what the new construction actually is at the CR.

We are going on a DCL vacation this year and I have tried to price a 2008 vacation for the week after Thanksgiving. I could find no concierge rooms at the Poly or RPC, so it looks like they are still getting booked regardless of the price.

We are DVC members who had to "convert" from monorail concierge. It was the best move for us. As our children got older, MK became the least favorite park and the privacy that a separate bedroom condo offers was very important. Now that the children are over 21, they prefer to spend their time at World Showcase or Pleasure Island and they have no interest in staying at the resorts by MK. When DH and I go alone, we still prefer monorail concierge but when we go as a family with our 3 grown sons and their spouses/girlfriends, the DVC resorts are wonderful. Also, you don't have to stay at your home resort. We own at BCV and SSR but have also stayed at OKW. We have the flexibility on room sizes, depending on how many go with us and we have room to play cards in the evenings, everyone eats breakfast at their own leisure, etc. Our family size is now 8 adults, 2 children and I can't imagine paying for these annual trips if we had to pay for hotel rooms. I do not think that DVC is for everyone but it certainly provides an option to keep room costs from increasing over the years.

 

[theostwalts]

WOW! That is exactly where we're at at this moment. I grew up with being on the monorail loop and I too am afraid of missing that! This is what I think we're going to do.....buy about 5 nights worth of points for AKL, and then finish our trip with one or two nights at the Poly. With the yearly rewards I get w/ the Disney visa (plus the incentive they have now if you join DVC) 2 nights at the Poly will be PAID FOR....concierge too! In subsequent years, I can borrow for 2 more before the points "run out". By that time I hope CRV will be announced!!! If not, we'll either decide to buy more points w/ DVC or just split our stays (and pay any difference) to give us a taste of being on the loop! We feel this will work for us. Thanks also to BCV23 for helping make our decision!

Great minds must think alike!! We have considered purchasing AKV and using those points toward some shorter visits or future cruises if we like our up coming cruise. We like to go to WDW in the fall and it looks like that is actually a busy time for DVC, so the 11 month window for CRV would be important for that time. But we could bank and borrow and not run out for a while if we also included some cash concierge nights. I am hoping that if CRV does come through, they will do some kind of concierge level like AKV.

We are DVC members who had to "convert" from monorail concierge. It was the best move for us. As our children got older, MK became the least favorite park and the privacy that a separate bedroom condo offers was very important. Now that the children are over 21, they prefer to spend their time at World Showcase or Pleasure Island and they have no interest in staying at the resorts by MK. When DH and I go alone, we still prefer monorail concierge but when we go as a family with our 3 grown sons and their spouses/girlfriends, the DVC resorts are wonderful. Also, you don't have to stay at your home resort. We own at BCV and SSR but have also stayed at OKW. We have the flexibility on room sizes, depending on how many go with us and we have room to play cards in the evenings, everyone eats breakfast at their own leisure, etc. Our family size is now 8 adults, 2 children and I can't imagine paying for these annual trips if we had to pay for hotel rooms. I do not think that DVC is for everyone but it certainly provides an option to keep room costs from increasing over the years.

The future options with DVC really interest us as well. Our oldest dd is 16 and our other 2 are 10 and 8. So the MK area has been our favorite so far. (OK, I am 38 and it is my favorite area, but that is a whole other story ) Having flexability on room sizes would be great, not only for now but the future as well. On our last vacation we stayed at POR on our arrival night, and moved to the GF on our package's first day. We enjoyed our night at POR, but really missed the monorail. But your point is well taken; that might not be the case in the future. With 3 dds, I would eventually like to have 3 contracts so they could benifit from them in the future as well.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

I am UN suscribing to this! You DVC owner!!!!

 

[DisneyBride'03]

 

[WoodysRoundup]

I am UN suscribing to this! You DVC owner!!!!

You're cracking me up!.....Consider US "unsubscribed"!

Hey, just noticed - we're in Chgo. too!

 

[chickenskin]

Since this was originally a thread about the increase in cost I just went on Disney's res. site and put in our trip info. but did it for 2008. The difference is only $63 more for the whole package, is that really a lot of money? Maybe I missed something in the thread but that's not really that significant to me overall, I was expecting something like $300 more. I guess it's all relative.

 

[marivaid]

We were asked to join our in-laws in Ocean City, Maryland next year for their annual trip. I started pricing the rooms this year just to get an idea for what it would cost. WOW! Prices sure do keep going up every year there. It's just amazing that they would charge that much just to see the ocean from your room.

Point is - it's not just Disney World.

Totally agree. I thought Disney was bad - then I started hotel hunting for our NYC trip. The best we found was a room with 2 twin beds, maximum occupancy 2. $240 a night on weekdays and - get this -$300 a night on Friday and Saturday!!! Plus tax, of course. We're paying $185/night at AKL in October with an AP rate, and $199/night rack rate for CSR at Christmas.

I don't expect any kind of "service" at the NYC hotel. Bet they won't even help us take our luggage upstairs. And they sure don't provide free transportation to/from the airport.

 

[WoodysRoundup]

Since this was originally a thread about the increase in cost I just went on Disney's res. site and put in our trip info. but did it for 2008. The difference is only $63 more for the whole package, is that really a lot of money? Maybe I missed something in the thread but that's not really that significant to me overall, I was expecting something like $300 more. I guess it's all relative.

Every booking is different. You increase wasn't bad, ours was.

 

[WoodysRoundup]

Totally agree. I thought Disney was bad - then I started hotel hunting for our NYC trip. The best we found was a room with 2 twin beds, maximum occupancy 2. $240 a night on weekdays and - get this -$300 a night on Friday and Saturday!!! Plus tax, of course. We're paying $185/night at AKL in October with an AP rate, and $199/night rack rate for CSR at Christmas.

I don't expect any kind of "service" at the NYC hotel. Bet they won't even help us take our luggage upstairs. And they sure don't provide free transportation to/from the airport.

I was talking about the club level in our own situation. Being from a big city, I'm quite familiar with high hotel costs. I pay them myself! However, like LIVES4DISNEY stated, $900- a night for RPC is ridiculous.....the room and "service" do not match the cost. I don't care how much money we save for our trip....that is way off for me.

In regard to service at WDW......I think there is still GREAT service there. However, I too think it's gone down from what it was before. The last two times we went, we saw some pretty disgusting bathrooms in the parks. (I'm not talking stalls, entire bathrooms). In the 70's, 80's, and 90's, we never saw that. Even the tables at quick service restaurants were always clean. Now we always clean them ourselves. Slipping service worries me while they're STILL raising resort prices so much.

We did just join DVC this week b/c we'll always love WDW. After running the #'s, for our family, it WILL save us $ through the years. Interesting points on this thread.....

 

[goodferry]

I think some of the price differences are associated with the billing change. For us, we go in December, we always get there before holiday season starts, while it is still value season, and are there a couple days into holiday season. Next year we will pay the value season rates until holiday season starts and then we will be paying the ridiculous holiday season rates, that's a substantial price increase.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

yoohoo..me again

You know, your home resort offers Concierge.....and you will have that 11 mth booking advantage! I am calling back today to see if I can get it, it was available when I booked, but thought DD10 was hooked on the Savanna View...concierge was OPEN...ugh....and concierge at AKV cannot guarantee a SV....so now she wants to do that special Sunrise Safari!! Wish me luck!
Just think of how MUCH more you will enjoy your next stay!!! NO sticker shock!!!! lol