PRICES are killing me, anyone else feeling it too?

[CaptSmee]

I would imagine Easter week would be very expensive & crowded time to go, but I know what you are saying. Unless some great offer comes along my Wilderness Lodge rate for the end of Sept. is about $20 a night more than the past few years.

[Magic Smiles]

I think that with this economy and loss of jobs that disney would Lower their prices not raise them!
We started cruising. We did a 7 night cruise to bermuda last year for a family of 4 with a outside cabin on NCL and paid only 2200. April of 2009 (vacation week) we did a NCL cruise to St thomas, tortola and Dominican Republic and their private island for only $1900 for an inside cabin for 4 people.
We are finding Cruising is a much better deal and alot of fun.

If Disney were to lower their prices with this economy that would probably mean layoffs for the employees of Disney. Then we would all be complaining even more about the service at Disney. Inflation is a fact of life even though we don't enjoy the paying , we do all want raises which drives the prices up.

We also have started cruising. In fact we just got back last Sunday from a 7 night South Caribbean cruise, but comparing an outside or inside cabin on a cruise ship to a Disney Resort does not even come close. We have stayed in both a suite and a balcony room on our cruises. The suite was amazing but was definitely in the same price range as a Disney Vacation for 1 week if not more expensive, so was the balcony room. You also have to pay for all your excursions on the islands which add up quickly.
We are headed to WDW 2 May for 16 nights at the POFQ and are paying less for that room than we paid for our suite for 7 nights on the cruise.

[Harriet]

I agree with you I am glad I went last year as that was proably my last trip at this point. I can no longer afford DISNEY. Not only are the rooms rates sky high so are airfares,gas food and ticket prices. My next vacaation should there be one will be HOME.

[luvdiznee]

We may start looking into cruising as well. We are going on a 4 day to the Bahamas next month, getting our feet wet again, so to speak. We cut some days off from Disney to do this. Wanted to do a Disney cruise again, but the comparison to RCCL, well there was none.

Can't wait to try that Oasis of the Seas, one day.

[Jillirose]

Try the Dolphin. Deluxe accommodations, at a better price and great location. We just got back and loved it.

[AndrewJackson]

You might (and I stress might) do better trying to rent some DVC points. I went in on the member website and just threw in some guideline dates (4/23 - 4/30) for a Magic Kingdom view studio at Bay Lake Tower. It would be 241 points which on rental would probably cost you about $2,650. That comes to around $380 a night.

This is what we are doing. We are not staying Easter week, but rather a few weeks earlier. We rented points, and are staying at Saratoga Springs for 6 nights for $900 total - no tax. The rack rate was $2,700 through Central reservations. At one point, they were running a special rate of 30% off - it still would have been around $1900.

Renting DVC points is a great deal! We have done this for 5 or 6 vacations. If you shop around, you can get the room at 67% off of the rack rate, or even 50% off of the discounted rate.

[Fastpasssteve]

I would suggest staying at Old Key West Resort. It has lovely accommodations, is a much larger resort, and will be less crowded during that particular window of time.

Anyone can stay at a Disney Vacation Club Resort, assuming they have room. You might be pleasantly surprised.

I also love the Saratoga Springs Resort. So lovely, lots of space. Consider.

[Ian]

I'm starting to wonder if there is another motive to having such high prices at the deluxes. Like maybe Disney wants to encourage people to book the moderates (higher profit margin?).

It could be a supply and demand issue.

It really is a supply and demand issue. Believe it or not, the deluxe resorts fill up very quickly. They're far and away the most desirable resorts on property and there are thousands of people out there will to pay high prices to stay in them.

Typically if you look for a reservation during a busier time period, you're not going to find much availability at the deluxes. That's why they command the high prices.

[DryCreek]

We also have started cruising. In fact we just got back last Sunday from a 7 night South Caribbean cruise, but comparing an outside or inside cabin on a cruise ship to a Disney Resort does not even come close. We have stayed in both a suite and a balcony room on our cruises. The suite was amazing but was definitely in the same price range as a Disney Vacation for 1 week if not more expensive, so was the balcony room. You also have to pay for all your excursions on the islands which add up quickly.
We are headed to WDW 2 May for 16 nights at the POFQ and are paying less for that room than we paid for our suite for 7 nights on the cruise.

I am an avid (rabid?) Disney fan. I have been since I was stationed in Orlando back in 1980 and 1981.
Last year my wife insisted that we do something different - she wanted to go on a cruise. I shopped and came up with an excellent package. It was a 5 day Western Caribbean departing from Galveston Texas. We chose Carnival and "sailed" on the Ecstasy. The total cost for this vacation was just over $900 total. That figure includes the round trip driving fuel from Central Texas, parking, pre-trip hotel stay and all cruise related costs. We booked an inside room and made our own adventures at the ports of call.
My take? The food was on par with the best TS restaurants we frequent on the DP. The entertainment? Well, bless their hearts...it was horrible. Their stage shows were around the same quality of the ones we are "treated" to at Six Flags Over Texas - actually not as good, on second thought. We were pretty bored during the sea days. We are not the lay around and sun kinda' folks. We can lay around our pool here at home - and for less money too! Thankfully, I think that no future cruises are in our vacation plans.
This year? The wife wants to go and explore New Mexico. We will be hauling the camper out to Albuquerque and then fanning out from there.
I have put my foot down - 2012 is the year for the epic "Return To WDW"! for us.
Let's face it folks - you can't get any easier planning than an all-inclusive stay at "The World". I do all, and I do mean ALL of our vacation planning. I have to figure out stops along the way (when hauling the camper), parking, flights, hotels, meal and fuel stops, etc. The mouse may charge more, but he sure does make it easier on me. Drive to DFW, park at the remote lot, and then DME to funville! Now that we have decided TS fits our roll-with-the-flow vacation lifestyle, I don't even sweat ADR's any more.
You get what you pay for. It really is that simple (at least for vacations).

[thejens]

I love WDW, but yes, the economy is having an impact on us. Last year we did stay at a mod for the first time, POFQ, and were pleasantly surprised. We really liked it. This year we are doing a 7 night cruise and getting a big savings. I want to go back to WDW someday, but it is tough to justify the expense when there are other, less expensive and very nice, options.