Why??

WINTER

DIS Veteran
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Jul 14, 2000
Messages
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Why are the Disney hotels sooo expensive? I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in WDW last summer for wayyy less!
 
Why are the Disney hotels sooo expensive? I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in WDW last summer for wayyy less!

My guess? Supply and demand. There are fewer hotels so there are fewer rooms up for grabs.
 
Why are the Disney hotels sooo expensive? I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in WDW last summer for wayyy less!

That's why many choose to stay at offsite hotels. There are many cheaper places that are within easy walking distance (5-15 min).
 
Supply and demand is correct. WDW has 24 hotels with upwards of 30,000 rooms. DLR has 3. DLR demand continues to increase, while supply does not.
 

The three Disneyland resorts offer something you can't find at WDW at any resort. The ability to NEVER have to take a bus, tram, shuttle, monorail, taxi or boat to get to/from your resort and any park or Downtown Disney. At DLR everything is in close walking distance.

The closest to that would be Contemporary where its an easy walk to MK. Or perhaps the Boardwalk hotels to/from DHS or EP. No matter where you stay at WDW, its going to take you 30-60 minutes or more to get from your resort to a park or DTD or from one park to another.

There are non-Disney hotels in walking distance but they don't compare. Mostly motels although they are decent quality. All the other 3 and 4 star resorts are too far to walk and thus must take a shuttle or drive yourself.
 
Part of the reason is the same as why houses are sooo much more expensive in Southern California than in Orlando.
 
The three Disneyland resorts offer something you can't find at WDW at any resort. The ability to NEVER have to take a bus, tram, shuttle, monorail, taxi or boat to get to/from your resort and any park or Downtown Disney.

THIS. YES.

I much prefer DL to WDW, and this is a big reason. I love being able to walk to the park at my own pace in the morning and to hop back and forth to my hotel room without any fuss, and NOT having to wait for a shuttle when I'm tired at the end of a long day. It's worth more to me.

Now, if those things don't matter to you, then there are LOTS of off-site hotels near DL that are much cheaper. Some of them are quite nice, but all are futher away.
 
THIS. YES.

I much prefer DL to WDW, and this is a big reason. I love being able to walk to the park at my own pace in the morning and to hop back and forth to my hotel room without any fuss, and NOT having to wait for a shuttle when I'm tired at the end of a long day. It's worth more to me.

Now, if those things don't matter to you, then there are LOTS of off-site hotels near DL that are much cheaper. Some of them are quite nice, but all are futher away.

Not all off-site hotels are farther away, some are closer or the same distance. Anything from the HoJo to the CCI/AP are about the same, unless you're staying at the GCH. The GCH is the absolute closest you can be, especially with the special entrance into DCA. :)
 
Not all off-site hotels are farther away, some are closer or the same distance. Anything from the HoJo to the CCI/AP are about the same, unless you're staying at the GCH. The GCH is the absolute closest you can be, especially with the special entrance into DCA. :)

You're right, of course. I was thinking more of the MUCH cheaper hotels, and not the nicer ones that are basically across the street.

Also, I always stay at GCH, so my sense of distance is thrown all out of whack!
 
It also depends on which hotels you compare. Our stay at GCH was way cheaper than our stay at the Poly. (both during the off season)
 













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