Tell me why

[maxiesmom]

All things other deluxes also have so why does mk area cost the most?

Maybe you should ask Disney that. I'm just trying to explain that there is more to the reason deluxe resorts cost more than values besides mode of transportation.

But my guess would be you are so close to the flagship park. And have easy access to it, not limited to the monorail.

 

[LSUmiss]

Maybe you should ask Disney that. I'm just trying to explain that there is more to the reason deluxe resorts cost more than values besides mode of transportation.

But my guess would be you are so close to the flagship park. And have easy access to it, not limited to the monorail.

I understand, but my point is that part of what you’re paying for IS also convenience which is proven by the fact that mk resorts cost the most. When the monorail was down one morning it took us over an hr to get to mk from poly! We ended up paying for a Minnie van. We were late for ADRs etc. Family staying at pop got there in 20 min. That’s unacceptable imo. And there is a definite decline in service/convenience/niceness. We have stayed at poly almost exclusively since 2015 & the last 3 trips in a row have gotten worse & worse. We kept making excuses that it was a fluke but now feel it’s the new norm much like OP’s experiences. So, we have just made adjustments & will stay where we see value.

 

[MissionMouse]

OP, buses are not the primary form of transportation from a deluxe as their normally co -located to a park. Walk, boat or monorail become the choice before a bus or just use our rental car that we already have as WDW is only part of our vacation

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I think a lot depends on where your room is at. AoA. We don’t need a suite, so stay little mermaid. We will never stay at AoA again because the walk from bus stop to the room. It’s the longest of anywhere we have stayed, and miserable after all day in the parks. Why subject ourselves when we can do the pop. Even the furthest rooms are half the distance.

 

[Eeyore daily]

I think a lot depends on where your room is at. AoA. We don’t need a suite, so stay little mermaid. We will never stay at AoA again because the walk from bus stop to the room. It’s the longest of anywhere we have stayed, and miserable after all day in the parks. Why subject ourselves when we can do the pop. Even the furthest rooms are half the distance.

That's how I felt when we stayed there! I was so excited but never again. I'd rather pay to stay at a moderate, at least I'll be close to the bus stop then.

 

[ClapYourHands]

All things other deluxes also have so why does mk area cost the most?

ETA: as far as nicer resorts...poly & CR are in need of some major room rehab so it’s not that either.

Economics 101 : supply and demand

When people think "Disney World," they usually think "Magic Kingdom." It's the most visited park, and people doing trips with young children are both more likely to go to MK and more likely to want a park in close proximity for mid-day naps. I would love to be able to stroll back to the Contemporary in the middle of the day. The proximity also allows for such things as watching fireworks from the resort. Most of the time, the monorail is working, and boats are often an option that people enjoy utilizing.

Depending on time of year, you might find Epcot area resorts higher priced than some of the MK area resorts. However, there are more rooms in the Epcot area (especially with the Swolphin included), which means less scarcity, so lower prices. BC/YC combine to have the most rooms of any Deluxe resort.

AKL is, to me, the coolest of all the Disney resorts. There are lots of nice hotels in this country that are not so different from the other deluxe resorts, but nowhere else are you going to see giraffes while you sip your morning coffee on your balcony. That said, AKL is sometimes a bargain, primarily because of distance. People are dependent on buses, and it's a relatively long trip to all the parks other than AK. A lot of people want to be closer to the "action" of WDW, and AKL is more of an oasis set apart. It also has more rooms than any of the MK area resorts; Jambo/Kidani together have the second largest inventory, after BC/YC.

If you're staying at OKW or SSR, you are pretty much dependent on bus transit to all parks, unless you have your own car. Without close proximity to any park, they're less in demand. As for amenities, while they do have TS restaurants, those restaurants do not have the following that the MK and Epcot area restaurants do. You're not going to find character meals there, either. While there is some theming there, it does not compare with the Poly. People visit the monorail resorts just to check out the theming. How many people go resort hopping to OKW and SSR? Not many. OKW and SSR are also geographically more spread out, so you have to travel within the resort before leaving the resort, increasing your travel time and effort. SSR is bigger than any of the monorail resorts, and if you combine OKW and SSR, they have more rooms than GF, Poly, and CR/BLT combined. In some ways, OKW and SSR have more in common with the Moderates than the other Deluxe resorts, and are priced accordingly.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I totally get that. I just think if someone is staying deluxe and spending so much and I’m staying value spending an 1/8 of the amount they should have some sort of perk like not having to walk as far to catch the bus or share with another resort

Except, you think this because you are the person paying the money to stay at a deluxe. You're not the person staying at a value. So, I think writing this from the perspective of someone staying value is a little disingenuous. I'm pretty sure there are lots of people staying at the All Stars who think that since their only transit option is the bus that they should get priority over people who can opt to take a monorail, boat, or skyliner.

I think that if there aren't enough people to fill a deluxe bus, then combining makes sense rather than sending a different bus to each resort, while leaving other guests waiting for another All Star bus to arrive. I say this as someone who has happily shared a single bus for BW, Swolphin, and BC/YC. I still got where I need to go, and I usually got a seat.

Disney wants to move people as efficiently as possible. It's just simple math that there are going to be more people taking the bus to the All Stars and Pop than to the deluxe resorts. Do you realize that Pop alone has more rooms than Poly, GF, and CR/BLT combined? If Disney had 1:1 bus to resort, you'd have huge numbers of people clogging up the bus stops waiting for the Value resort buses while each Deluxe resort bus went half empty. Not a good use of resources. Plus, those staying Deluxe are much more likely to have the money and mindset to take an Uber rather than wait, further reducing the congestion and demand for buses.

 

[maxiesmom]

I understand, but my point is that part of what you’re paying for IS also convenience which is proven by the fact that mk resorts cost the most. When the monorail was down one morning it took us over an hr to get to mk from poly! We ended up paying for a Minnie van. We were late for ADRs etc. Family staying at pop got there in 20 min. That’s unacceptable imo. And there is a definite decline in service/convenience/niceness. We have stayed at poly almost exclusively since 2015 & the last 3 trips in a row have gotten worse & worse. We kept making excuses that it was a fluke but now feel it’s the new norm much like OP’s experiences. So, we have just made adjustments & will stay where we see value.

If you left only an hour to make it to an ADR you didn't leave enough time. Disney recommends allowing 90 minutes. It says that right on their web site.

Again, if you know of a way to keep anything mechanical from ever breaking down, you would be a very wealthy person. It happens. No one likes it, but to say it should never happen is a bit like saying it should never rain on your vacation.

 

[LSUmiss]

If you left only an hour to make it to an ADR you didn't leave enough time. Disney recommends allowing 90 minutes. It says that right on their web site.

Again, if you know of a way to keep anything mechanical from ever breaking down, you would be a very wealthy person. It happens. No one likes it, but to say it should never happen is a bit like saying it should never rain on your vacation.

I understand that & am well aware of the recommendations wdw has for travel time, but at $600 plus/night I expect more. And it should never take 90 min to get to Mk from poly no matter what Disney “recommends” b/c that is just absurd. And that’s an hr after we decided to just take a Minnie van. The lines at Ttc were like something I’ve never seen. The lines for the ferry & the busses met in the middle by the monorails b/c both lines were so long. That would have taken way more than another 30 min. We chose the Minnie van after it took us an hr just to get through security at ttc after walking there from poly. And “it happens” waaaay too often now. If your equipment is breaking down that often then you need to reexamine something. Where else would ppl tolerate paying to go somewhere where something is constantly breaking.

So, like I said many times already, I fixed it for us. We spend 1/2 the money on the resort now. I’m much happier waiting 90 plus min for transportation for 1/2 the price.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I understand that & am well aware of the recommendations wdw has for travel time, but at $600 plus/night I expect more. And it should never take 90 min to get to Mk from poly no matter what Disney “recommends” b/c that is just absurd. And that’s an hr after we decided to just take a Minnie van. The lines at Ttc were like something I’ve never seen. The lines for the ferry & the busses met in the middle by the monorails b/c both lines were so long. That would have taken way more than another 30 min. We chose the Minnie van after it took us an hr just to get through security at ttc after walking there from poly. And “it happens” waaaay too often now. If your equipment is breaking down that often then you need to reexamine something. Where else would ppl tolerate paying to go somewhere where something is constantly breaking.

So, like I said many times already, I fixed it for us. We spend 1/2 the money on the resort now. I’m much happier waiting 90 plus min for transportation for 1/2 the price.

It doesn't typically take 90 min though. This was an unusual situation, and while they could have handled it better, one hiccup on one day wouldn't define my resort choices. Things happen. No one, even Disney can get it perfect every time. If it was a consistent issue, I would feel differently.

 

[LSUmiss]

It doesn't typically take 90 min though. This was an unusual situation, and while they could have handled it better, one hiccup on one day wouldn't define my resort choices. Things happen. No one, even Disney can get it perfect every time. If it was a consistent issue, I would feel differently.

Well it’s been the last 3 trips at poly. And there were other things on this trip. It was actually a terrible experience. The transportation was horrendous every day. We have almost exclusively stayed at poly since 2015 & have seen a steady decline in the last yr and a 1/2.

 

[Disneypro1]

Well it’s been the last 3 trips at poly. And there were other things on this trip. It was actually a terrible experience. The transportation was horrendous every day. We have almost exclusively stayed at poly since 2015 & have seen a steady decline in the last yr and a 1/2.

We stayed st the Contemporary once. Walking is by far the way to get from it to MK. No reason to go any other way. As for the Poly. The Monorail has always been perfect when we visit it. If you are that unimpressed with deluxe transportation. I’d recommend POP. We love the buses. Always easy and no issues.

 

[sndral]

I take back this thread only because I was typing it out of frustration when we got dropped off at bus stop 32 when we got to HS but when we left to go back to the resort the bus stop for poly was actually 6. So I spoke too soon. No idea why we got dropped off somewhere else though.

Your bus to HS was probably scheduled to pick up & go to whatever resort is assigned to stop 32. When I get dropped at a park I always glance at which resort’s stop it is since I’m curious to know where the bus is going next. I’d say being dropped at a stop different from ‘my’ resort’s stop isn’t unusual. Occasionally they stop at unassigned slots - I think those buses are either going directly to another park or maybe on break. I get why they didn’t stop at the Poly stop if they were going elsewhere - think of the disappointed people at stop 6 if they saw a bus pull up but were told they couldn’t get on.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

Why do those that stay at deluxes and spend the most per night have the furthest bus stops at each park and the busses take longer to get there? What are the befefits to the values again? Staying at poly and the busses are horrendous and so far from the parks when getting dropped off. Stayed at art of animation for two nights before poly and the busses were great!
Having a great time and love poly so not pouting too much but some people spend $600 per night or more

I haven't noticed deluxe buses being furthest from the parks at all. Also, when we stayed at AKL, bus service was great.

 

[monica9]

Except, you think this because you are the person paying the money to stay at a deluxe. You're not the person staying at a value. So, I think writing this from the perspective of someone staying value is a little disingenuous. I'm pretty sure there are lots of people staying at the All Stars who think that since their only transit option is the bus that they should get priority over people who can opt to take a monorail, boat, or skyliner.

I think that if there aren't enough people to fill a deluxe bus, then combining makes sense rather than sending a different bus to each resort, while leaving other guests waiting for another All Star bus to arrive. I say this as someone who has happily shared a single bus for BW, Swolphin, and BC/YC. I still got where I need to go, and I usually got a seat.

Disney wants to move people as efficiently as possible. It's just simple math that there are going to be more people taking the bus to the All Stars and Pop than to the deluxe resorts. Do you realize that Pop alone has more rooms than Poly, GF, and CR/BLT combined? If Disney had 1:1 bus to resort, you'd have huge numbers of people clogging up the bus stops waiting for the Value resort buses while each Deluxe resort bus went half empty. Not a good use of resources. Plus, those staying Deluxe are much more likely to have the money and mindset to take an Uber rather than wait, further reducing the congestion and demand for buses.

I’ve stayed at values before. Actually, the 2 nights before our poly vacation we stayed value. But I don’t expect as much because I’m paying a fraction of the cost to stay at Disney.

 

[Jacq7414]

We stayed at WL the last two times we went and haven’t had issues with the buses. We stay there because we like the resort and enjoy the boat ride to MK. It’s worth the money to us

 

[Babsy]

Why do those that stay at deluxes and spend the most per night have the furthest bus stops at each park and the busses take longer to get there? What are the befefits to the values again? Staying at poly and the busses are horrendous and so far from the parks when getting dropped off. Stayed at art of animation for two nights before poly and the busses were great!
Having a great time and love poly so not pouting too much but some people spend $600 per night or more

I have sometimes wondered this sort of thing as well. Yes, I know the actual reasons why (as stated by PP's), but it was hard to swallow waiting an hour and a half for a bus to the MK at the YC when paying g the price to stay CL. Yes, it was a one time experience, but it felt like once too often at the time! LOL! So, I get what you are saying, OP.
Also, we have had the situation where we are dropped off at the furthest bus stop when our actual bus stop is empty and much closer. It is aggravating! Despite the reasons for this happening, it is not at all 'magical' to pass by 'your' allocated nearby stop to be dropped much further from the gate than necessary. If you are paying exorbitant prices, you can feel gypped! When you are paying value prices, it feels more acceptable. Expectations really do have an impact here.

While 'guests' have to realize that this is public transportation and doesn't always go smoothly, Disney does have some obligation to provide reasonable transportation services that are in line with their advertising. Such as working monorails during park hours, for example. When charging the prices that they do, it is reasonable to expect Disney to keep its equipment in good repair and even replaced when necessary.

 

[Disneylover99]

I’ve stayed at values before. Actually, the 2 nights before our poly vacation we stayed value. But I don’t expect as much because I’m paying a fraction of the cost to stay at Disney.

Deluxe resorts have bigger rooms, more amenities and often close proximity to parks. That’s what you’re paying for.

I think people are surprised to find out that certain amenities like bus transportation or food court variety is done better at Values.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have sometimes wondered this sort of thing as well. Yes, I know the actual reasons why (as stated by PP's), but it was hard to swallow waiting an hour and a half for a bus to the MK at the YC when paying g the price to stay CL. Yes, it was a one time experience, but it felt like once too often at the time! LOL! So, I get what you are saying, OP.
Also, we have had the situation where we are dropped off at the furthest bus stop when our actual bus stop is empty and much closer. It is aggravating! Despite the reasons for this happening, it is not at all 'magical' to pass by 'your' allocated nearby stop to be dropped much further from the gate than necessary. If you are paying exorbitant prices, you can feel gypped! When you are paying value prices, it feels more acceptable. Expectations really do have an impact here.

While 'guests' have to realize that this is public transportation and doesn't always go smoothly, Disney does have some obligation to provide reasonable transportation services that are in line with their advertising. Such as working monorails during park hours, for example. When charging the prices that they do, it is reasonable to expect Disney to keep its equipment in good repair and even replaced when necessary.

If one time is one time too many, then you are better of driving. The transportation Disney provides doesn't suit everyone.

 

[maxiesmom]

I haven't noticed deluxe buses being furthest from the parks at all. Also, when we stayed at AKL, bus service was great.

That is because they are not. The value resorts are the ones that have the bus stop farthest away from the park gates.

Sometimes buses are not making a total loop and may drop you off at a stop other than your own. That could mean a bit more of a walk than typical.