Sticker shock

[Peaceful]

Hello all. Having lived within a 2-hour drive of Disney World for over ten years, I kept a Florida resident annual pass. We moved several hours further away and for the last five years, I have not visited the park. Once again, we live nearby and I am counting the minutes until I can go for a girls trip to Disney (my husband is not as big a fan as I am, but will go sometimes).

In looking at prices for the hotels, I am seriously in shock. There is a dramatic increase in rates since I last checked five or more years ago. My goodness. We often stayed at the Wilderness and AKL, but I can't see those within my budget ever again. Even the value resorts are crazy priced by comparison. I know, I know, it's still the Happiest Place on Earth, but I think I will have to lower my expectations and stay in the Downtown Disney area now. Sigh..it was good while it lasted.

That being said, I do have enough Starwoods points for a free night at the Swan or Dolphin, so that is where we will stay for our return grand tour of my happy place.

Living so close is a treat not everyone else has, so I temper my disappointment with gratitude for that. :cloud9:

Enjoy everyone!

[Tekneek]

There are a lot of others looking at similar circumstances. The dramatic increase at WDW has outpaced inflation and virtually everything else over the past several years.

[cer]

Welcome to Intercot!

:rocks:

Glad you are here! :mickey:

[1DisneyNut]

Yeah, the increases have been ridiculous. For the accommodations we prefer, the rate is in excess of $500 per night plus tax and even at that the rooms themselves are still pretty much your run of the mill hotel rooms.

We started staying at offsite resorts a few years ago and have been very well pleased with our experiences.

[brownie]

:welcome:

Peaceful, welcome to INTERCOT!

It can be expensive. If you're flexible in when you go and where you stay, you can reduce some of the cost. Try working with Magical Journeys, an INTERCOT sponsor. They'll work to get you the best deal and if a discount becomes available after you book, they'll work to have it applied to your reservation.

[Peaceful]

Thanks very much for the welcome! I will check out your recommendation for Magical Journeys.

[VacationDisney]

Magical Journeys is the best. We have been using them for years now & I would never go back to doing the reservations by myself. They are so very well informed about what is going on it's scary.....LOL


Have a great vacation.

P.S. 33 years ago we made reservations at the Poly & it was $65.00 a night and I thought THAT was crazy.....looking back that wasn't bad at all:cloud9: They say it's all relevant!

[disneynarula]

You could also look into renting a condo off property. You lose some perks but they are less expensive and you usually have more room.

I agree that the prices are out of control for what is basically a run of the mill hotel room.