Why is DL more expensive the WDW

[TwingleMum]

WDW is very limited in what they offer for families larger than 4 people (outside of the DVC resorts).

Hi Vanvmom~ I just wanted to mention that All Stars has new family suites that accomidate larger families and are more reasonable priced maybe you could try them?? I stayed at the Dolphin and I really disliked it I felt it had no Disney magic or feel. I could have been in Newark. I like the DIsney theming at my resort and yes I know its not Disney owned. I gave it a try to experience something different and to each their own. I'd rather stay at a real Disney resort.

 

[SamIAm21]

I totally understand why prices are more expensive at DLR, but you can offset that by staying offsite at a Good Neighbor Resort. It's perfectly acceptable to stay at a nearby hotel on Harbour Blvd because each of them is just a short drive or even a short walk to the main gates of DLR. I stayed at the HoJo last year and it was a very nice visit. The pool and staff were extremely friendly. The room was spotless and very homey, comfortable. The pool was adequate, but not heated. It was early June, so it was still a bit chilly in the evenings. The cost difference was really huge between HoJo and the Disneyland Hotel. The Best Western Park Place Inn is so close to the main entrance of DL that it's actually closer than the Disneyland Hotel. There is a Hilton and a Crowne Plaza within a 1/2 - 1 mile of DL/DCA. More deluxe accomodations can be found very nearby. The shuttle service (Anaheim Resort Transit) www.rideart.org is very convenient and inexpensive.

I was always a WDW only type person, but I was absolutely stunned last year by DL. I just got an immediate sense of the magic and the majority of the attractions were original Disney attractions. It felt a little less hectic and strolling the park didn't seem like a monumental feat. I could get from Critter Country to Tomorrowland in just a few minutes (depending on crowds of course). I am now a total DLR fan.

WDW is an immersive experience. You are in the magic from the moment you step on the Magical Express bus. So, I was worried that by staying at the HoJo and just walking to and from the park each day, it wouldn't seem as magical, but what I really found is that the minute I hit the plaza between the two parks, the city atmosphere outside the gates just slipped away. Once inside the park, Anaheim really just seemed to disappear. You were within "castle walls" and I found that to be even more magical. That a whole city can just evaporate in your mind the whole time you are in the park is amazing.

One resource I used to determine my stay was www.tripadvisor.com. The people that post there seem brutally honest at time and most of the comments for the HoJo were great. Not to mention having Mimi's Cafe right next door!! Great food, decent prices!!

 

[ZipaDeeDooDah]

I also always notice way more "deals" for WDW, than for DL...for instance the Free Dining that was offered in the fall was only at WDW as far as I know.

 

[Vanvmom]

Hi Vanvmom~ I just wanted to mention that All Stars has new family suites that accomidate larger families and are more reasonable priced maybe you could try them?? I stayed at the Dolphin and I really disliked it I felt it had no Disney magic or feel. I could have been in Newark. I like the DIsney theming at my resort and yes I know its not Disney owned. I gave it a try to experience something different and to each their own. I'd rather stay at a real Disney resort.

I agree that the "magic" was missing from the Dolphin. It was a very nice hotel, but not Disney. We felt that way when we stayed at the Paradise Pier at DL (only the gift shop made it seem Disney- even the character meal there was an ordinary restaurant with a handful of characters walking around). For WDW, we picked the Dolphin because it offered the extended hours benefit and since we would only be there 3 days we wanted to maximize our time. We are DCL addicts, and wanted the kids to experience how WDW was different from DL. We were not able to locate photos of the All Star suites, as well as the fact that DH does extensive business travel and is accustomed to nice rooms, and was not sure that he would be comfortable at the All Star (esp. since we would be going there directly from DCL) without having seen what they look like. We were able to get a resort view room wtih a balcony at Dolphin for $225 (with the discount) and that was less than 2 rooms at some of the other hotels we considered.

I've learned through the years to ask people who've stayed at hotels before I book them as I don't always agree with the star ratings. Some 4 and 5 star resorts I've been to were very disappointing (from the room quality to the customer service).

 

[FreshTressa]

In general, florida is cheaper than WDL....that would be for any type of vacation.

I agree, you get more bang for your buck at WDW....but that doesn't mean DL isn't worth it

 

[SamIAm21]

I agree that the "magic" was missing from the Dolphin. It was a very nice hotel, but not Disney. We felt that way when we stayed at the Paradise Pier at DL (only the gift shop made it seem Disney- even the character meal there was an ordinary restaurant with a handful of characters walking around). For WDW, we picked the Dolphin because it offered the extended hours benefit and since we would only be there 3 days we wanted to maximize our time. We are DCL addicts, and wanted the kids to experience how WDW was different from DL. We were not able to locate photos of the All Star suites, as well as the fact that DH does extensive business travel and is accustomed to nice rooms, and was not sure that he would be comfortable at the All Star (esp. since we would be going there directly from DCL) without having seen what they look like. We were able to get a resort view room wtih a balcony at Dolphin for $225 (with the discount) and that was less than 2 rooms at some of the other hotels we considered.

I've learned through the years to ask people who've stayed at hotels before I book them as I don't always agree with the star ratings. Some 4 and 5 star resorts I've been to were very disappointing (from the room quality to the customer service).

Here's a thread regarding the Allstar Family Suites. They look darn swanky to me!!!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1072409&referrerid=&highlight=family+suites

 

[Amy&Dan]

I've stayed at Good Neighbor hotels that I preferred to the Paradise Pier.

WDW seems to cater to the DVC members much more so than they do to the non DVC park visitor. For a non DVC member (family of 5), a trip to DL is cheaper (not counting airfare) than a WDW vacation (tickets are cheaper, and hotel is cheaper if you stay at a Good Neighbor hotel). I found it hard to find a non DVC hotel at WDW that allowed 5 per room that was moderate in price (even the 40% off teacher rate that Swan & Dolphin offered was more expensive than the place we stay at DL. DVC members have more transportation options, and more "non-character" dining options than the non DVC members do. Or at the very least, WDW is very limited in what they offer for families larger than 4 people (outside of the DVC resorts).

You are right in that WDW doesn't cater to families of five. It really stinks. But I do want to add that in DVC resorts the only units that will take a family of five are the two bedrooms. Studios and one bedrooms will only sleep four unless the fifth person is under the age of three. And those two bedrooms are very steep in points. So even DVC doesn't cater to larger families and it ends up costing way more than it should. Sometimes your cheapest option for staying onsite at WDW with a larger family is to get two rooms at a value or moderate. That is generally cheaper than one room at a Deluxe. As someone else said right now at WDW your best bet for a larger family is the All Stars Music Family Suites which sleep six and have two bathrooms. And I hear all the other values are adding those suites as well. I cannot imagine why in CA you can have five in a room vs. WDW rooms (except for Deluxes and a few rooms in the Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside). Must be a diffrence in fire codes. As for Disneyland not catering to DVC members, true they don't as much as WDW does mainly because they don't have a DVC resort yet. But they do have a DVC presence much more than they used to. Thankfully, points came way down for the 50th and have thus far stayed that way. Now you see the DVC kiosks at Disneyland and the cast members actually know what DVC is and how to give your discounts which they used to not. Good thing since I love to go to Disneyland and use my points. But I would not advise anyone to buy into DVC solely for stays at Disneyland until they build a DVC add on or resort at Disneyland. Until that happens, DVC point values at Disneyland are very subject to change and not necessarily in a good way. If you use DVC points at Disneyland right now you are using more points in a far more restrictive manner as you are going outside your DVC resort points base.

As for the quality at the All Stars, I have stayed at all of them including All Star Music (not in a Family Suite) and find them just fine and quite comfortable and of good quality. Size wise even the standard rooms are larger than most of the cabins on DCL. But of course thats just my opinion based upon my family. Each person is different! But one thing about it, its easier to swallow a few complaints when you are paying around $100 a night or even less than when you are shelling out the big bucks for one of the Disneyland Resort onsite properties. Which I also happen to love (all three of them) but which are so high in price they had better be good!

 

[drakethib]

Okay JRDISNEYCLAN... you sure told me I'm wrong!

I know Swan & Dolphin are not Disney Resort. My family are Starwood Preferred Guests. They are the only non-resort hotel on property to offer the resort perk of Early and Late entry. They are also the only "moderately priced" hotel to offer rooms for 5 people that we could find in the Passporter. Yes, Swan and Dolphin are 5 star, but like those executives you mentioned, you would not find me staying at Ramada Inn or Park Vue. The quality of my room at Dolphin IN NO WAY exceeded the quality of my room at the Candy Cane Inn. Plus Candy Cane Inn provided free breakfast, refridgerator, parking, and a hotel shuttle. Even the quality of service at Candy Cane Inn exceeded the quality we received at the Paradise Pier Resort Hotel at DL (for half the room cost). I've stayed at the Fairfield Inn (in a non-suite room), and the room was very small compared to the Candy Cane, plus housekeeping services were not available during Thanksgiving or the day after.

Our non park hopper park tickets for 3 days at WDW cost much more than our 5 day DL park hopper tickets ($192/person at WDW vs. $179/person at DL). The number of parks really would not be a cost factor here as I paid for 3 parks at WDW, and 2 parks at DL. There is also the fact that unused days on a WDW Magic Your Way ticket can be used at DL parks, but unused days on a DL ticket can not be used at WDW.

Regarding my quote about the trip being cheaper to which you refuted quoting ownership and other costs... please note that I started that sentence with "for NON-DVC Owners."

As for transportation options... I was not stating that I could not get transportation to the DVC resorts. Not sure why I would choose to go to one if I wasn't staying there though.

I believe the OP's initial concern was that DL does not cater enough to DVC members (no DVC resorts at DL compared to many at WDW). I believe I stated that WDW seems to cater well to DVC members. That was the feeling we got when we were at WDW, as well as when we were planning our trip. So... as non DVC members, and a family of 5, we felt many more options would have been available to us if we were DVC members than we had as non DVC members (those added benefits and options might be why Disney sells so many DVC memberships).

Mea Culpa, I got the name of the WDW hotel most like the GCH wrong, but your issues with my post seem much deeper than that per your comment: "More accurate information is readily available on many other threads within this site regarding trip planning to DL or WDW." You are not talking to a Disney newbie here, and your comments about the accuracy of my real life experiences is uncalled for. Our trip to WDW was more expensive for 3 days than our 5 day trips to DL are.

I think I'll go back to the cruise thread where people aren't so quick to be rude or mean...

Please don't be offended as I don't think he meant to be rude.

I don't think I said that DL or WDW caters to DVC members because I really don't think they do. JMHO

I just feel that DL is much more expensive and I feel I could get more bang for m back at WDW. There always seems to be some kind of package at WDW and not so much at DL. Again, maybe I am off base.

Thanks again for your input

 

[Amy&Dan]

Please don't be offended as I don't think he meant to be rude.

I don't think I said that DL or WDW caters to DVC members because I really don't think they do. JMHO

I just feel that DL is much more expensive and I feel I could get more bang for m back at WDW. There always seems to be some kind of package at WDW and not so much at DL. Again, maybe I am off base.

Thanks again for your input

I don't think you are off base. Food is more at Disneyland and if you want to stay ONSITE then yes, DL will be more, because as others have said, there is only one level of resorts: Deluxe. And as you say, no free dining ever offered, that is a huge savings. In fact even when you are paying for it, the DDP at WDW is a great deal and no such dining package exists at Disneyland. Disneyland resort hotels also don't offer the good AP discounts on rooms that WDW resorts do. They don't have to, with the local base of attenders who help to sell out the hotels with their relatively small amount of rooms, they don't need to. Too bad, I once got a $49 per nite rate at Pop Century, granted its a value level resort, but what a deal that was! Disneyland does offer in the off seasons "everyone plays at the kids price" tickets, where all park hopper tickets are priced at the under 10 years level. But that savings though welcome, is not the huge savings of free dining or deep onsite room discounts.

 

[drag n' fly]

Food is definitely more at DL than WDW for the exact same thing. We always went to DL and never WDW because of the cost of flights. However this time we were able to get a flight deal to Orlando for the same cost to LAX so it pays to shop around. We are staying at Port Orleans Riverside because it is the only mod that holds a family of five. It was that or a deluxe which is a huge waste of cash IMO and the values (suites or split rooms) are not our cup of tea. Staying offsite at Hojo at DL also makes it more economical. We are going back to DL in November and staying at Hojo.

 

[JRDisneyClan]

But I do want to add that in DVC resorts the only units that will take a family of five are the two bedrooms. Studios and one bedrooms will only sleep four unless the fifth person is under the age of three.

I'm not sure how old your kids are or what camp you fall in regarding the stated occupancy vs. allowed occupancy, but my understanding is that 5 are allowed in a 1BR, but no additional bedding or linens will be provided. That still leaves space & comfort issues, but for families with younger kids, it's passable for some time until it gets too crowded.

Back to the OT...I've never looked at individual prices between the two, but I'm not sure that there's a huge difference in food prices within the parks at DL or WDW. Burgers, fries, sandwiches & regular fast food park faire seem to be offered at the same Disney premium prices in either place. With the difference in resort sizes & layout (DLR condensed vs. WDW sprawling), it's much easier to eat off-property at DLR without giving up an extraordinary amount of park time which can save quite a bit of money. Some feel it's not worth the time, but IMO if you plan your day accordingly & don't need to maximize every second within the park, it's worthwhile. Food choices at WDW, though, are much greater than DL which ultimately give you more choices & opportunities to find exactly what you want at the price you want to pay. There are so many more CS options at WDW, like White Water Snacks at GC/DCA, where you can get a reasonably priced sandwich or salad.

Since DL is so much smaller than WDW (< 2 sq. mi. vs. almost 50 sq. mi.), it lends itself to shorter trips & people that can't get away for longer periods of time to make WDW worthwhile (in their estimation) can frequent DL with more regularity than WDW. Between that, the fact that DL is the original & was Walt's and people partial to DL, demand is high enough year-round that promotions such as Free Dining, room discounts & the like aren't needed at DL. WDW is so much bigger that it requires more people to be there to be operating efficiently.

Disney folk-aside, Southern California attracts people who go to DL as another thing to do whereas people go to LBV (Orlando) to go to WDW or Universal. The latter would require more marketing dollars to bring people to the area & keeps deals readily available, choices plenty & costs down.

 

[Tasmen]

For us, it's almost always going to be offsite at DL and onsite for WDW. Part of the reason DL costs more (especially food wise) is the location definitely. The cost of living in CA is higher therefore folks are paid a higher wage.

Higher wages = high cost of food/services.

I've never felt like I was missing out on the magic staying offsite when visting DL. I would definitely feel a loss of the magic if I stayed offsite while visiting WDW.

 

[HydroGuy]

As someone else said right now at WDW your best bet for a larger family is the All Stars Music Family Suites which sleep six and have two bathrooms. And I hear all the other values are adding those suites as well.

I just wanted to throw in an additional comment here for everyone's info . We are a family of six, and the other option we found at WDW was the cabins at Ft. Wilderness. These worked out well for us, as they are roughly comparable to what the All-Stars offer. That is, they sleep six and have a full kitchen.

 

[PattiPB]

It is impossible to make a blanket statement about DL being more expensive, IMO. In order to make an "apples to apples" comparison, we need to break it down.

Take out airfare. That drives up the cost for both coasts.

Hotel. If you want to stay onsite, DL is ALWAYS more expensive than WDW---even in the deluxe category in my experience. I can stay on Harbor for about the price of Value resorts, but the quality (upkeep, really) is far superior at WDW. Example: 12/06 - ASMu $53 AAA rate. 1/07 - Desert Inn and Suites $59 rate.

Food. At DL I can go offsite in minutes and get pizza/subs at near-home amounts. At WDW we stay onsite and have (usually) more expensive options. However, for "theme" or higher quality dining, WDW wins out (excluding my personal fave Blue Bayou!!).

Parking. DME has turned us into 100% onsite people. Not having to rent a car is huge for us. Visiting SoCal, I'd bet virtually all visitors rent a car---there's another added cost.

DVC issue. As many here know, I'm sitting high on the DVC fence confused3 ). I think the points they charge for DLR hotels are way out of line considering the unbelievable accommodations at WDW, and I'm afraid even if we get a West Coast DVC the point allocation will be outrageous. It's simply a supply/demand land issue. Completely MHO, YMMV!!! That's why I think a DVC regular would find DL so expensive---you simply can't match what you receive at WDW for the points.

Wow---I should get some real work done, I'm babbling. What was the question again!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[Shakthi]

Welcome to California. I used to live in the midwest before and after relocating I realized everything here is unexplicably more costly. It's just the way it is.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I'm not sure how old your kids are or what camp you fall in regarding the stated occupancy vs. allowed occupancy, but my understanding is that 5 are allowed in a 1BR, but no additional bedding or linens will be provided. That still leaves space & comfort issues, but for families with younger kids, it's passable for some time until it gets too crowded.

When I purchased my 400 points in February of 2005, I was told by my DVC agent that one bedroom units will hold only four. If there is a 5th person, they aren't supposed to be there, won't receive a room key with their name on it and therefore won't be eligible to be part of any DDP or EMH. In my DVC Vacation Planning Guide it plainly states that studios and one bedrooms sleep UP TO 4. I only have two kids but my DVC salesman had three and remarked what a bummer it is that once his two year old got older they would have to move up to a 2 bedroom.

 

[drag n' fly]

When I purchased my 400 points in February of 2005, I was told by my DVC agent that one bedroom units will hold only four. If there is a 5th person, they aren't supposed to be there, won't receive a room key with their name on it and therefore won't be eligible to be part of any DDP or EMH. In my DVC Vacation Planning Guide it plainly states that studios and one bedrooms sleep UP TO 4. I only have two kids but my DVC salesman had three and remarked what a bummer it is that once his two year old got older they would have to move up to a 2 bedroom.

You are correct they do only hold 4. You could fit more but they really enforce the fire codes down there.

 

[Amy&Dan]

You are correct they do only hold 4. You could fit more but they really enforce the fire codes down there.

Yes the do. They also enforce everyone having a room key for EMH, something they used to not do until the realized that was yet another way to cut down on too many people in one room/unit.