Value Resort for larger families?

[disneyfanfamily]

Am I the only one who feels that Disney should offer larger families a better deal on hotel rooms? If you have a mom and dad and more than 2 kids, you automatically have to go to a moderate (POR) or a deluxe resort. Or you have to purchase 2 rooms at the value. If you have a larger family, you already have to pay for more tickets, more food, more seats in a plane, a larger vehicle to rent (if renting a car) and more souveniers. We are a family of 5, me, DH, DS (10), DS (8) , DD( 4). I am an at-home-mom, so we have to be careful how we spend money. Yes, we could stay off site, but then you lose some of the "magic". We love the values because of the theming, etc., but cannot afford 2 rooms. So now we are going to stay at POR in July (which I am very disappointed about). Does anyone else feel this way? Or am I wrong?

 

[Debs5angels]

I know exactly what you mean, We are a family of 7, 2 adults and 5 kids. If we want to stay onsite we have to get 2 rooms in a value resort. Which we don't mind the value resort because we also love the theming. We would love to stay at the Contemporary but could never be able to afford it. Being Disney is a family place I wish they would offer a larger room at a decent price for families. So no you are not alone in you feelings about this!!

 

[winniedapooh]

We are a family of 7 too, 2 adults and 5 kids. We tried 2 rooms at the WL once and never again! It was way too tight for us but, we also stay for 10 days. We rent a house offsite which works out well for us. I do wish they would make somthing larger for bigger families though. Can't afford points or another 2 room stay. BTW my kids are all very tall-6'4" etc. which contributes to the lack of space! Deb your girls are beautiful-we have 2 girls and 3 boys.

 

[disneyfanfamily]

5 kids! I can't imagine how expensive Disney would be with 5 kids. It would be nice if they sent codes to those people who have been to WDW in the past, with more than 2 kids in their party, for a discount on 2 value resort rooms. Or even a discount on a deluxe for an acceptable amount. I personally would love the Poly, but will probably never be able to afford it. We can barely afford POR!

And by the way - your girls are beautiful!

 

[ducklite]

But why should Disney subsidize your choice of having a large family?

Why not ask the car rental place to give you a minivan for the same price as a subcompact because you have a big family. Or ask the airline to give you seven tickets for the same price as four.

Why should a large family get a better deal on a hotel room? I think that a couple should get a better deal, after all they ar ejust two people, less towels, less space on the buses, etc. (I'm just kidding, but trying to make a point.)

And I can almost guarantee that my husband spend the same amount on souveniers and food in a day that you do. We just spend it differently.

Anne

 

[Debs5angels]

Thanks so much for the compliments! Giving codes sounds like a good idea.

winniedapooh,

How old are your kids?

 

[ducklite]

Rather than codes which discriminate based on family makeup, I think they'd be better off with a Frequent Guest program. For every dollar you spend at WDW, you accumulate "points" which can be used for payment of anything from food to tickets to rooms to souvies.

Very similar to the Disney Visa program, but you only accrue points at WDW, and it doesn't matter how you pay.

That way EVERYONE can benefit.

Anne

 

[kajohn]

I'm a family of 5 when we travel, I have two boys with my husband and he has a son from a previous marriage. Because my step-son isn't with us all the time, I know what it is like being both a family of 4 and a family of 5.

Our society is built around a family of 4, most hotel rooms not just disney are for 4. Tables at restaurants are much much easier to get when there are 4 rather than 5. I have a mini van rather than a car to seat all 5 of us more comfortably etc. etc.

We chose to be a family of 5, so we have to deal with it, not expect others to help us out by giving us discounts for being a larger family.

Anytime I have friends thinking about having their 3rd child I tell them the facts about adding that 3rd child. It is a personal decision everyone has to make, but it is their choice, and by making that choice, there are consequences, and one of them is being much more expensive to travel.

 

[rriley25]

Rather than codes which discriminate based on family makeup, I think they'd be better off with a Frequent Guest program. For every dollar you spend at WDW, you accumulate "points" which can be used for payment of anything from food to tickets to rooms to souvies.

Anne

I love this idea! Of course Disney may not, but they should study this possibility.

To the OP...I also believe Disney hotels should be more family friendly. All Disney rooms should be able to accommodate 5.

 

[ducklite]

We chose to be a family of 5, so we have to deal with it, not expect others to help us out by giving us discounts for being a larger family.

Anytime I have friends thinking about having their 3rd child I tell them the facts about adding that 3rd child. It is a personal decision everyone has to make, but it is their choice, and by making that choice, there are consequences, and one of them is being much more expensive to travel.

You hit the nail on the head!

My sister has four children (one added a couple days ago ). She and her husband bought a Hilton on Wheels--a 40' motor home complete with washer and dryer so they can take family vacations and not have to worry about hotel rooms.

I was one of seven children. My parents chose to have...well, a large family, although maybe not quite that large LOL! At any rate, I NEVER heard the "entitlement" mentality come out of them, that because they had a large family they should get special discounts or deals on anything.

Anne

 

[disneyfanfamily]

I know that we made the choice to have 3 kids. I would NOT want to ever change it. They are all blessings. However, Disney is a family business. I think it would be great if they could at least offer 1 or 2 other options for a family of 5+ at least at the moderate price besides POR. My understanding is that it is the only hotel to accomodate 5 people unless you go up to a deluxe.

Other discounts are offered for certain groups such as Florida residents, military families (and believe me, I believe they deserve every discount they get! We owe them our freedom!), AAA members etc.

I guess I thought that a family discount would be nice for those who have more than 2 kids (for room only). It would make Disney more affordable. However, it looks like I am in the minority.

 

[taximomfor4]

I have 4 kids (fafmily of 6). I will go out on a limb and say that OP probably didn't intend that larger families get a DISCOUNT on rooms, just that some options would be nice at a family destination. We booked 2 rooms at Value. Next time, we will really scrimp and get 2 rooms NOT at a value. (Long story.) I suppose maybe what the OP desires is something like Amerisuites where it's one room, but has the possibility of sleeping 6 with the pullout couch included. Since the Moderates and Deluxes have different size rooms available for different prices, maybe the OP wanted that same option at Values. It would be sort of nice...we like the bare bones of the Values, the cheesy theming, no restaurants, no water slide, etc. But if we want a bigger room (not connecting ones), we have to also pay for the additional amenities of a mod/deluxe resort. Yes, we chose this. Yes, we would still choose this family size again. Just trying to see the point the OP might have intended to make. That a bigger room with less amenities would be cheaper than a bigger room WITH the additional amenities.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I know that we made the choice to have 3 kids. I would NOT want to ever change it. They are all blessings. However, Disney is a family business. I think it would be great if they could at least offer 1 or 2 other options for a family of 5+ at least at the moderate price besides POR. My understanding is that it is the only hotel to accomodate 5 people unless you go up to a deluxe.

Other discounts are offered for certain groups such as Florida residents, military families (and believe me, I believe they deserve every discount they get! We owe them our freedom!), AAA members etc.

I guess I thought that a family discount would be nice for those who have more than 2 kids (for room only). It would make Disney more affordable. However, it looks like I am in the minority.

If you do that, then you have to offer discounts to other families as well. What about the single mom that saves and saves to take her child(or children) to WDW? Shouldn't she get a discount on her room? Why should one family get a discount and not the other?

 

[NotUrsula]

However, Disney is a family business.

No, it really isn't. It is a multinational conglomerate that is publicly traded and must answer to its shareholders. The Disney parks exist to make money and foster brand awareness; Roy O. Disney knew that from the beginning, which is the only reason he let his brilliantly creative but often spectacularly impractical brother talk him into creating them in first place.

What WDW Resorts is in the business of selling is ambience and convenience. Price point is not a major factor in their resort design decisions. MYW notwithstanding, the reality is that they let the off-site hotels take care of guests whose primary choice factor is price. The values were not really built to accomodate families in any case: they were built to accomodate youth group bookings like bands and sports teams (it's no accident that the first two were themed on sports and music.) The values have turned out to be very profitable, so they have built more of them; but their primary clientele is still groups. The older people get, the more they want space and a little luxury, and WDW is well aware of that. Since the age at which the avg American has children is rising, they rightly have determined that the nuclear family party is usually going to be willing to pay more to get nicer surroundings for Mom & Dad. Their concession to the "value large family" market is Fort Wilderness, and I personally am amazed that they have not gotten rid of everything but the RV options there; the cabins just cannot be all that profitable, given how much space each one occupies.

Think about the practicalities of supply and demand. A larger volume of smaller rooms is more flexible in terms of accomodating guests, especially at the value level. If they set aside a building or two to be built only with larger rooms, then they run the risk of having them sit empty when there are not enough large parties who want them and are willing to pay for them. Two adjoining smaller rooms can accomodate one large party *OR* two small parties; it is a much more flexible configuration. Now if WDW wanted to, they could give a percentage discount to guests who pay for multiple rooms on one account, but a 10% discount on two rooms still means you are paying 80% more than you would have paid for one.

Disney is just not going to build family hostels. They had the chance to do that in France, where hostelling is a normal type of affordable family vacation option. They didn't do it. Outside the campground concept, guests insist on a certain level of sophistication in a WDW Resort, and that sophistication costs too much to fit the hostelling model.

 

[ducklite]

However, Disney is a family business.

Actually they spend a lot more money marketing to meeting planners/conventions, Fairytale weddings/honeymoons, and empty nesters than they spend marketing to families. Families are going to come no matter what, and Disney knows it. The others are bigger cash cows and the business must be cultivated.

Disney makes a lot more per head on convention/meeting guests than even a large family.

Anne

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

I believe I read a rumour recently on these boards that they may develop the other half of Pop Century into kidsuites......we'll see!

 

[ducklite]

Yes, there is a rumour out there that they might make some of the rooms one double and a set of bunkbeds--which I think is a good idea. The occupancy rate would stay the same.

Anne

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I wonder, since the CBR rooms are larger if they could put in trundle beds to accomodate familes of 5 so they would have a choice of POR or CBR. I don't think there is anything wrong with POR so I wouldn't feel discriminated against if I couldn't afford a deluxe. THere are also the Ft. Wilderness cabins which accomodate 6. If you are willing to go off-site I know the new Nick Hotel (HIFS) can accomodate 7. I have seven children. Luckily the older ones are either in college and would rather go on vacation with their friends, or married. But for years I had four children to travel with and had to either get two rooms or when the younger one was 3 and under 1 deluxe. Now we have the choice of a deluxe or POR. I made the decision to have the kids and I don't expect Disney to give me a discount!

 

[Acklander]

The problem is that in order for them to be able to sell the values at such a low rate, one of the things they cut back on is room size. You have to have so many square feet per person, so legally, the values can only fit 4 guests. If they wanted to make the value resorts more "large family" friendly, they would have built all the rooms larger, creating less rooms for the resort, which will then increase the price per room. Next thing you know, you don't have a value resort - but a moderate resort. It's the same thing when people comment that the values should have a coffee maker, or a spa, or one of the other ammenities - I'd be thrilled if the values had high speed internet access, as that's the biggest inconvience for me when I stay there. It would be great if the values had exactly what was needed for our specific family at a rock bottom price, but instead it was built based on what the masses requested most which was a way to stay at Disney on a budget price.

 

[allie5]

This has been a bug bear of mine for awhile now.

Disney (IMHO) REALLY need an affordable option for larger families, or simply families with teens who dont wish to share with parents, OR families with very young children who need to go to bed before the adults...its a HUGE market!

I think they would do really well with a value/moderate "Family Suites" resort (similiar to the new Nick Hotel which was the Holiday Inn Family Suites).

The "possible" kidsuites at Pop is a start, but I firmly believe that a stand alone resort would be a better bet in the long term. I understand the points about "larger rooms / more land/ more construction costs" but the potential is simply enormous. Disney have a huge sector of the "family" market that they cannot cater for. Unless you are A. a small family or B. a archetypal mom, dad and 2.5 kids nuclear family you simply cannot stay AFFORDABLY on WDW property.

A large chunk of the visitor make up at WDW are guests from the UK / Europe who tend to come for long periods...usually 2 weeks or more. This means booking 2 rooms, even at value, is a very expensive option. Disney offer no alternatives (with the exception of the FW cabins I guess, but I dont count that as a resort hotel). Renting a 1 bed DVC unit for a week would cost around $2000, again, not exactly affordable!

Because of this, we have always stayed offsite in the past, as I can get much better accomodation, 10 minutes from the parks. Having said that, if there HAD have been a "Family Suites" hotel onsite, we would have been first in line! As my kids are now that little bit older, I am trying the onsite, "all of us in one room" experience this year....cant say the idea is filling me with joy right now, but Im ready for the "Magic" .