2014 Sticker Shock

[Gator]

I was just checking rates as I WAS considering a trip to WDW in mid Novmeber of 2014. With a family of 5, we're needing Riverside to fit us all. I was looking at a site that had 2013 prices, and then found a site with next year's prices. I was shocked! Sun-Thur prices went up $27/night and weekend prices went up $35/night! On the typical 9 night trip we like to make, that's an extra $300 (with tax) for the trip. I understand rates go up, but a 15%+ increase?!?! Give me a break. Can you say "Buh-bye, Disney World".

Anyone know what's with the massive increase?

[vicster]

They probably have to recover the millions they've spend on magic bands and fast pass+ - someone's got to pay for it. May alter my vacation plans also.

[VWL Mom]

Not sure what sites you're looking at but one in particular says their 2013 rates did not include tax but the 2014 rates include tax. While I wouldn't doubt there will be an increase, the way they are listed on each site could skew the numbers. For ex: the mid week mid Nov rate for POR standard was $176 plus 12.5% tax would be $198. The 2014 rate (tax included) is $203.

[JerseyDad]

I was just checking rates as I WAS considering a trip to WDW in mid Novmeber of 2014. With a family of 5, we're needing Riverside to fit us all. I was looking at a site that had 2013 prices, and then found a site with next year's prices. I was shocked! Sun-Thur prices went up $27/night and weekend prices went up $35/night! On the typical 9 night trip we like to make, that's an extra $300 (with tax) for the trip. I understand rates go up, but a 15%+ increase?!?! Give me a break. Can you say "Buh-bye, Disney World".

Anyone know what's with the massive increase?

.....they probably need to build 10,000 more new rooms in the resorts. That way they can alter FP+ even more ...and give only One Per Trip!

They probably have to recover the millions they've spend on magic bands and fast pass+ - someone's got to pay for it. May alter my vacation plans also.

....don't forget paying for 25,000 new fridges!!

[waymickey]

Staying on site just became more important, since for now, only on site guests get the magic band. This for some is very important and are willing to pay the extra $$$.

It will change how I go to Disney and has changed my plans for the past two trips. I try to get a discount and use it at a resort where I will get the most savings. We spend less in the park too. next year we are looking at just going to WDW for 3 days and spending the rest of vacation at the beach.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I was just checking rates as I WAS considering a trip to WDW in mid Novmeber of 2014. With a family of 5, we're needing Riverside to fit us all. I was looking at a site that had 2013 prices, and then found a site with next year's prices. I was shocked! Sun-Thur prices went up $27/night and weekend prices went up $35/night! On the typical 9 night trip we like to make, that's an extra $300 (with tax) for the trip. I understand rates go up, but a 15%+ increase?!?! Give me a break. Can you say "Buh-bye, Disney World".

Anyone know what's with the massive increase?

If you were looking at the same site I just was, be careful. When looking at the 2014 rates there is a big bold disclaimer that says, the 2013 rates DO NOT include sales tax, while the 2014 rates DO include tax. Since the average tax rate is around 12.5%, then the annual increase is only about 2.5%, much more reasonable.

I just spent $150 a night at a Holiday Inn Express in a sleepy little town in Iowa, so $50 more for about the same accommodations, albeit one in WDW, doesn't seem to unreasonable (in comparison).

I would do a little more checking, I think your sticker shock while valid in general, is based on comparing apples and oranges.

[Christine]

This is when I love my DVC the most. I can't stand to see $$ per night totals!!

[Goes4FastPass]

This is when I love my DVC the most. I can't stand to see $$ per night totals!!

DVC members have their cost per night locked in... and no matter what crazy thing the Disney Company does with FPs or wristbands or admissions costs or food costs or ANYthing but room cost, the DVC members are locked in.

[BigRedDad]

After our last trip, we decided to plan our WDW trips for maximum cost savings. We will buy Annual Passes, stay off site, and drive down. There are nicer hotels (interior corridors) for half the price of Value Resorts. Between the hotel and flight savings, it will be $1000 - $1500 less per trip.

All resorts are open to the public. If we want to visit, we just hop in the car and go. Travel time by car is faster than the buses and there is no waiting for a bus.

[Katzateer]

I booked a room while at WDW the first week of December for May (my solo Flower show trip). The rate at Music was not any higher than the rates for 2013.

I would consider Vistana resort off site. You can get larger rooms and it is very close to DTD. We have stayed there several times and it is an easy drive. You could park at DTD and take the buses around WDW if you don't want to drive to the parks.

Hope you find a good rate!

[1DisneyNut]

After our last trip, we decided to plan our WDW trips for maximum cost savings. We will buy Annual Passes, stay off site, and drive down. There are nicer hotels (interior corridors) for half the price of Value Resorts. Between the hotel and flight savings, it will be $1000 - $1500 less per trip.

All resorts are open to the public. If we want to visit, we just hop in the car and go. Travel time by car is faster than the buses and there is no waiting for a bus.

This is exactly what we have been doing the past few years. You can stay at really nice Hilton's, Wyndham's, Embassy Suites, etc for less than the rate at the values. We also find driving to be faster than the buses.

[Kerry823]

I am a crazy Disney lover (as you can see bt my signature) but I am really starting to feel like I have reached the point where I am no longer willing to lay the prices at Disneyworld. the introduction of MM+ which has now made my vacation like a job. I don't want to plan every minute detail 180 days before I leave my house, I dont want to be assigned rides in a group especially when some are those I don't care to ride, I am tired of being nickel and dimed for new technology that has not enhanced my experience. I am no longer willing to pay for park hopping when I am forced into one park with random spread ofttimes by the magic bands, I am not willing to pay top dollar for a drink cup that has a magic chip that limits my use, and I am no longer willing to pay for a food whose quality significantly declined between our trip last March and this past October. Please DIsney, if you are listening, put the money back into the parks and new attractions. Your decisions for the new technology and nickel and diming guests has reached a point of no return. I am no longer willing to stay onsite at a overpriced room that has seen better days with less attention paid to cleanliness. For me, it is a sad day that I say these things. Yes,I realize Disney is a business, but alienating loyal return guests is not a great idea. We were planning to return in March but I am working on my family to go elsewhere. The quality of customer service has lessened and I think that is a direct result of the inter working of the organization overall. People are just not happy and their frustration shows through.

[The Dad]

Kerry 823 said: I am really starting to feel like I have reached the point where I am no longer willing to lay the prices at Disneyworld. The introduction of MM+ which has now made my vacation like a job. I don't want to plan every minute detail 180 days before I leave my house, I am tired of being nickel and dimed for new technology that has not enhanced my experience. Please DIsney, if you are listening, put the money back into the parks and new attractions. Yes,I realize Disney is a business, but alienating loyal return guests is not a great idea.

Well said.....these are excellent talking points that I agree with wholeheartedly! We enjoyed our visit this December, but I doubt that my family will be going back for quite some time. The problem is that the "newbies" have no concept of the way things used to be as compared to the "veterans" who have seen the magic gradually decline over time. It's time to stop the goofiness! (no pun intended).
Brian
_____________________________
Love all, trust a few, do harm to none.

[spoiledraf]

Well said.....these are excellent talking points that I agree with wholeheartedly! We enjoyed our visit this December, but I doubt that my family will be going back for quite some time. The problem is that the "newbies" have no concept of the way things used to be as compared to the "veterans" who have seen the magic gradually decline over time. It's time to stop the goofiness! (no pun intended).
Brian
_____________________________
Love all, trust a few, do harm to none.

The Magic truly has faded. The crowds continue to grow so the prices will continue to rise. As long as Disney can rest on it's laurels and continue to increase attendance, the prices will continue to challenge our budgets. I think we will take one more trip with our grandkids and likely slow way down. For us retired folks, the FP+ has it's advantages as we like to rise late and have breakfast, it certainly has it's drawbacks. Gonna have to look at our next trip carefully. and those planning to stay off site may not be aware of the Fast Pass changes. Good Luck with that.

[marlyn]

I'm not sure what you are used to paying for hotels, but I don't find the cost of the resorts that expensive. At least not the value or moderate ones. I paid $140/night for a very basic Best Western hotel in Anchorage, Ak. Spent over $300 in Frankfurt, Germany, spent $120 in Seattle, $130 in Vancouver.....and these are not fancy hotels by any stretch. My $110 or less at a value resort at WDW seems like a good deal. I've paid as little as $80/night in the past at ASMovies.
Also....a Motel 6 in anchorage, AK in a not so nice part of town was about $100. None of those hotels paid to get me to and from airport, nor did they provide me with free transport around the city.

[1DisneyNut]

I'm not sure what you are used to paying for hotels, but I don't find the cost of the resorts that expensive. At least not the value or moderate ones. I paid $140/night for a very basic Best Western hotel in Anchorage, Ak. Spent over $300 in Frankfurt, Germany, spent $120 in Seattle, $130 in Vancouver.....and these are not fancy hotels by any stretch. My $110 or less at a value resort at WDW seems like a good deal. I've paid as little as $80/night in the past at ASMovies.
Also....a Motel 6 in anchorage, AK in a not so nice part of town was about $100. None of those hotels paid to get me to and from airport, nor did they provide me with free transport around the city.

You are using Anchorage, AK and Germany for comparison? Everything in Alaska is at least double the price in the lower 48.

In Orlando and most of the Southeastern US, a hotel that is comparable to the value resorts such as Motel 6, comfort inn, best western, days inn, etc. on average go for around $39 to $59 per night depending upon the season. During low season, you can actually get many of them for as low as $29 to $39 per night. I was just looking around the other night and noticed the Days Inn beach front in Panama City Beach was $42 per night right now on through New Years for example. I have seen those types of hotels for that price range during summer peak season in Orlando.

The question becomes, is having a free bus that you wait 30 minutes or more for and ends up taking you 45 minutes to get to the park, worth 3 times the price? For many the answer is no. This is why people say they are overpriced.

For me and many others it is more about the price of the "deluxe" resorts since I despise the values and don't stay there. I stay in places like Westin, Waldorf Astoria (which the Orlando location is extremely nice), Hiltons and sometimes Embassy Suites. All of these have free shuttles to and from the park if you want to utilize them although we usually drive because we can drive to, park and be at the gates in usually 20 minutes (less than the time we spend waiting for a bus onsite). Many of them also have free full breakfast and some even have free cocktails in the evening. I usually get these places for under $350 per night for the nicest ones and as low as $89 per night for embassy suites. For comparable accommodations onsite, the top tier are usually $550 to $650 per night and something comparable to an embassy suites is $189 to $229 per night. Then I have to spend $40 to $50 per day for breakfast for our family and stand in line for 30 minutes. Then if we want a few drinks in the evening, throw another $30 to $40 on there. So to put it into perspective, what I can get at embassy suites for between $89 and $129 per night, I end up spending a total of around $250 to $300 or so per night onsite. Been there and done that dozens of times. lol

Another thing many people do is rent a house from companies like the site sponsor All Star Vacation Homes. I know people that rented 5 bedroom houses within a few miles of WDW for around $600 for an entire week before. That included a screened in swimming pool and a game room with video games and a pool table.

It all comes down to your perspective and also whether you drive down and have a car or if you fly. Having/not having a car on hand comes into play but even still, you can rent a car for far less than the additional cost of staying onsite. We used to think we got a great value staying onsite but as they kept raising prices while at the same time cutting amenities such as number of and frequency of buses and also increased onsite food pricing while reducing selections to make it cheaper for the dining plan to operate, it reached a tipping point for us to where the value just simply wasn't there anymore.

[marlyn]

Coming from Canada makes a difference I guess. If I paid $50 for a hotel in Vancouver, I would need to bring my own sheets, carry pepper spray and sleep with one eye open lol

[finaldynasty]

I just pulled out my reservation confirmation from 2010 and did a search as far as pricing....I paid $3931 for Deluxe Dining, 6 day Park Hopper at POR in '10 for 2 adults and 3 kids- 9, 7, 3...The 2013 price with 2 adults and 3 children for the same time a year, summer children ages 12, 10, 7 at POR with Disney Dining is $4790. Even with Deluxe dining that is about $1100 more than 3 years ago. My DW and I accepted that because we know our oldest to are considered jrs now and tickets and hotel rates have gone up a bit..I don't agree with the price increases, but I am not sure it has gone up as much as it might seem...We are considering a trip to Universal and Busch, but realize that our hearts are with the Mouse...

[BigRedDad]

I'm not sure what you are used to paying for hotels,

I compare the price of the resort for what I can get an offsite hotel for. The Negotiator site allows you to get incredible deals on hotels. The auction site allows options for getting places like the Wyndham Bonnet Creek for $700 for a week (2 bedrooms and family room).

I am now planning my trips like my parents went on cruises. Determine when you are going, keep an eye out for the lowest rates. If no huge deal comes out about 2 weeks out, book a room. On our last trip down, we were at Sea World. We were at the Renaissance Inn for ~$65 per night. This hotel was as nice as any Disney Deluxe for 80% off.

[Lillabelle00]

We just got back from a 10 day trip. I noticed that the parks were the dirtiest I've ever seen them. I didn't let that ruin my trip but it was obvious. I have never liked the food as it is terrible! We pay top dollar for standards that are lowered every year. It's sad!!