Incredible, just incredible.....

[brianjdu4]

The per-night room rates on most of the resorts are staggering! How can I keep paying these ever increasing room rates? Going on a Disney vacation is getting tougher. Any room "specials" coming out in the future? Very disappointing.

[MNNHFLTX]

I don't remember ever staying onsite and paying the rack rate. Really, the name of the game is to keep an eye out for discounts and book them as soon as you see them. When are you looking to go? Discounts for late fall travel (into December) may be released at any time now.

If you think the room rates are bad at Disney World, you should see what they are at the resorts in Disneyland Paris. For a family of four (from the US), with one child less than 7 and one child older than 7, you can expect to pay upwards of $1700/night for the top tier Disneyland Hotel, $620/night for the "value" hotels, like Cheyenne and Santa Fe. This does include tickets and breakfast as part of the package, but still mind boggling. :eek:

[minnie04]

Well due to our family size (5) we now choose Resorts off property. I know there are a lot of perks to staying on property, but we have found so many nice affordable resorts outside that it makes going so much easier on the pocket. Kids are older too and they don’t really care to share a double bed when they can have their own rooms. We stay close enough to still feel all the magic. :mickey:

The only time we stay on property is when we have one less person going DD21 or DH stay home. Then we wait for a deal and stay on property.:D

[greengeen]

Dvc!

[Arielfan98]

I've always stayed at ASM. Definitely stay at one of the value resorts (not Art of Animation) during the off seasons. You can check the Disney site for the hotel pricing on certain days of the months. And on certain months the Dining Plan is free. Not sure how large your family is but I've always found staying on property is cheaper because of the free transportation and free dining plan. If the free dining plan is not available when you go I recommend either the CS plan or paying as you go which can be cheaper than the dining plan itself.

[DizneyFreak2002]

The per-night room rates on most of the resorts are staggering! How can I keep paying these ever increasing room rates? Going on a Disney vacation is getting tougher. Any room "specials" coming out in the future? Very disappointing.
Easy... Stay offsite like many are now doing, and visit other areas in central Florida.. There is a huge world of fun, excitement, and plenty of entertainment offerings worth the price, other than Disney...

[GAN]

Dvc!

Yes -have you considered renting DVC points as an alternative to high room rates and staying off-site? I will say, as a DVC owner I love hearing about higher room rates ....translates to higher rental rates(which are still a huge bargain vs. standard/discounted room rates). It's about time in my opinion -anything below $10/point is ridiculous.

[brownie]

Check the threads stickied at the top of this forum for the current offers. Using Magical Journeys is also a great way to have someone in your corner looking for deals for you.

If you're able, go in the off-season when room rates are cheaper. Stay at a value resort or moderate resort.

We've always managed to get some sort of discount applied to our trips. If you're flexible about when you go, you can probably manage to pay less than the rack rate.

[BrerGnat]

There are usually offers to be had. I haven't paid rack rate since 1998 (and that was rack rate at a Value Resort, which was like $69/night).

Since then, I've used discounts and it's been very affordable. In fact, we are headed to Wilderness Lodge in two weeks and our total after taxes is $219 per night. Not bad at all.

Just be patient and be willing to book last minute. That's how we roll. ;)

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

The per-night room rates on most of the resorts are staggering! How can I keep paying these ever increasing room rates? Going on a Disney vacation is getting tougher. Any room "specials" coming out in the future? Very disappointing.

I used to think the same thing, but I think for moderates and values, they really are not all that far out of the norm, especially considering their location and other perks that are assigned to on property guests. We just spent one night at a Holiday Inn Suites in a sleeply little town of 5000 in Iowa and after taxes it was nearly $150 p/night. POR, where we stayed in 2010 (family of 5) we paid rack rate (got free dining) which I think was $180-200 per night depending on the night.

I agree on the Deluxes, unfortunately our budget doesn't allow us to cross that $300+ per night threshhold, but the value/moderate rates don't seem too out of line, at least not based on what I've been paying recently at hotels in general.

I often catch myself saying, wow, we just spent $150 at Holiday Inn, could have almost gotten a night at Disney for that amount.

If you have AAA, then you are almost guaranteed to get some kind of discount off of rack rates, even if Disney itself isn't running any specials.

There is always a trade-off, the non-monetary value you get by staying on Disney property weighed against the savings by staying off property. Or the value of free dining if you can get it by being on property. You have to look at the entire package, not always just the final price.

[DVC2004]

This is wy we joined DVC. While I know this is not an option for everyone or that everyone wants, but it was the right choice for us. Ours is paid and now we vacation on just the dues. My dues of $875 per year, depening on how I used them, get me a studio at Aulani /Hawaii for 6 nights. Comes out to about $145 per night. Or, two 5 night trips in a studio at OKW in one year, comes out to $87.50 per night paid for those rooms. The reason we joined is so we could enure our family would not be priced out of future vacations and that our children would be able to do the same with their families down the line. The cash cost of those rooms is astronomical. We just got back from 6 nights in an Ocean View studio at Aulani. The cash price of that room was over $600 per night. I can tell you quite honestly, we would not be able to afford a vacation like that if we had to pay for our accomodations. I pay my dues monthly so I only pay about $70 dollars per month. Of course you still have to pay air, food, park tickets etc but it's definitely more affordable than paying for all that plus your room.

If you are going to continue to vacation and especially at Disney, may be worth to take a look.

[PetefromRI]

I have to agree with everyone here as far as DVC goes.I'm not an owner (yet?)but we rent points and get a deluxe DVC for less than the cost of a moderate.It's just my wife and I so we get a studio and it's really working out for us.I do miss working with Denise at Magical Journey's but the room rates are really getting crazy so this works for us.

[gottaluvtink]

We actually find Disney to be one of the most reasonable vacation values we can find. I always go off peak and stay at value resorts with the free dining. Four people, 8 days, room, park tickets, and dining for under $2000. I can't get that at a local lake and by the time you pay for all your activities and food, you have spent way more. I guess if you only stay at deluxe resorts, than yes, it is expensive, but we are park people and all we need is a bed. I can go every year by staying at the values and going off peak.

[Opus X]

I have always received and used a discount at a WDW resort.
As for the price. Its a moot point. We love Disney.
If I have to...i'll work overtime to be able to afford it.
But we stay at a value if we have to...or a Mod.
It all depends on how much monies we have allocated.
We also don't use parkhoppers...that saves more money for the park or resort.
But in any case..I have never paid rack rate.
P.S. check hotel prices in Vegas of late....or NYC WDW/DLR is a bargain!!

[disneynarula]

I agree...
We moved to Germany in 2010 and always include a trip to Disney in our trips back to the states we take every few years.

Since we were going for two weeks we decided we could not afford two weeks at a Disney Resort. We rented a condo at Windsor Hills for less than $75 per night. It was clean and very close to the MK. They had a huge pool and it was amazing. Even with a discount you could not get two rooms at a value for that price.

We spent the following week at AoA. What a mistake. The beds at AoA were uncomfortable and the linens were terrible and itchy. The pool and the food court were crowded.

I am working on a budget for our next trip. We can stay at the condo, buy ten day passes with the Water Parks and more options. We plan on using ten days at the parks and four days at the water parks for a total of 14 days. Even with a car rental it's cheaper than one week at a value resort.

I also priced out a three week stay with an annual pass purchase, staying off property. It was only $500 more for three weeks vs. one week on property in a family suite or a cabin at Ft. Wilderness.

I don't buy into the fact that it is "less magical" to stay off property. There isn't anything magical about overpaying for a room that is about the same quality as a motel six but with Mickey shampoo.

I would possibly stay on property if I was one my own or only needed a standard room but for now it's off property for us.

[GoBlueLacheta]

I think Disney is a little different in that the free flowing traffic allows you to explore and enjoy all of the deluxe properties without staying there. You can enjoy their restaurants, recreational offerings, and just the structures themselves sometimes like WL, GF, AKL etc.

At the end of the day, your room is just a place to shower, nap, and sleep. I think the value and moderate offerings aren't terrible and you are immersed a bit in the World if that is something that is "must" do.

[Gauis2001]

We used to stay OP all the time but as the children got older and now adults, for a family of 7 it's cost prohibitive to stay OP. We've found some really nice 3BR units in the Ditka and Orange Lake resorts that are 10 minutes away from the parks. Yea, I'd like to wake up, go out on my balcony and see all the cool stuff but we can stay as a family in 1 unit for less cost than a single room at a moderate resort. Since we're all AP holders, and we spend 30 days a year in the parks, it's impractical to stay on property needing as much space and beds as we do. The savings of staying off property allows us the freedom to eat at the nicer restaurants the world has to offer. I guess it's a matter of tradeoffs....

[Mousemates]

The savings of staying off property allows us the freedom to eat at the nicer restaurants the world has to offer.

nice point...something to consider.

[MouseHouser]

After a day at the parks, I find it deflating to leave the Disney bubble and jump on the highway. That said, for us, we simply can't justify the high rates of staying onsite, at least not for an entire week or more. And value resorts don't do it for us. We typically rent a condo nearby, which is incredibly reasonable in Orlando by comparison.

But a nice compromise is to spend 2 or 3 nights at a moderate toward the end of the trip, especially when we can get free dining. It's something to really look forward to, since we continue to find Disney premises magical.

I could see staying in a deluxe for a week it that were our only vacation of the year, but we like to travel often and keep the expenses reasonable. That's how WE roll.

[FaithTrustPixieDust]

Some friends of mine decided to take the plunge and do their first Disney Cruise . . .primarily because it turned out to be CHEAPER than staying the same # of days on property for their family of 4!

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Some friends of mine decided to take the plunge and do their first Disney Cruise . . .primarily because it turned out to be CHEAPER than staying the same # of days on property for their family of 4!

Wow, I kind of find that hard to believe. I've never done a Disney Cruise but have done Royal Caribbean and I know Disney is much more expensive. I doubt they are comparing apples to apples, cruising tends to have a lot of add-ons, taxes and excursions that are probably not factored into the comparison. Considering a family of 4 could book a room, even at rack rate, at a moderate for under $1500, seems hard to believe a cruise is cheaper. Take into consideration free dining or 30% room discount and it seems unlikely, unless they are comparing it to the Poly or GF.

[BrerGnat]

Wow, I kind of find that hard to believe. I've never done a Disney Cruise but have done Royal Caribbean and I know Disney is much more expensive. I doubt they are comparing apples to apples, cruising tends to have a lot of add-ons, taxes and excursions that are probably not factored into the comparison. Considering a family of 4 could book a room, even at rack rate, at a moderate for under $1500, seems hard to believe a cruise is cheaper. Take into consideration free dining or 30% room discount and it seems unlikely, unless they are comparing it to the Poly or GF.

It's very possible. Remember cruises include food and entertainment. 3rd and 4th passengers in thr same cabin pay roughly half of what the first two pay. DCL also has tiered pricing for kids. Infants pay almost nothing, kids 3-8 pay a bit more, 9-17 a bit more, etc. I can go on a 4 night cruise with my two kids for less than a 4 day, 4 night trip to WDW in a Deluxe hotel (because the DCL cabins are closest in comparison to Deluxe rooms). Its actually a significant savings to cruise.

Now, a 7 night Fantasy Eastern Carribean Cruise? WAY more than a week at WDW, but only if you have to go during a peak sailing season.

[Dulcee]

After a day at the parks, I find it deflating to leave the Disney bubble and jump on the highway.

This. I like to arrive and just be there. Personally I don't find the prices of the values and moderates out of line with other resort hotel areas.

[Opus X]

This. I like to arrive and just be there. Personally I don't find the prices of the values and moderates out of line with other resort hotel areas.
Agreed...The values and moderates ARE NOT out of line with off property at all.
As a matter of fact...when you include parking and resort fees...off property often, is MORE.
And lets face it....A WDW vacation isn't a WDW vacation when you stay of property, Its just not the same.

[disneynarula]

I think the cruise being less expensive also depends on how many children you have and what kind of resort you were planning on staying in.

We have three (soon to be four) children. We have to get two staterooms while cruising. A seven night cruise is not even close to being cheaper than a stay at Disney World. We almost always stay in value resorts and typically go during free dining so our food is included. Our last trip, including my MIL was around $3,000. I really doubt we could do a seven night cruise for that. Believe me, I have been pricing Disney Cruises for us for a long time.

But if you only have two children and can stay in one stateroom and usually stay at deluxe resorts a cruise is probably less expensive.

However, I agree with the OP. They are charging way too much for their value rooms.

[TheVBs]

Agreed...The values and moderates ARE NOT out of line with off property at all.
As a matter of fact...when you include parking and resort fees...off property often, is MORE.
And lets face it....A WDW vacation isn't a WDW vacation when you stay of property, Its just not the same.

I have to agree with this. The prices on the values and mods are reasonable, especially when you add in the extra costs and hassle of staying off site. Plus, we consider being immersed in the magic part of the package and well worth it. :mickey:

Now the prices on the deluxe hotels..... holy cow! I realize there are plenty of opportunities to get discounts, but those rack rates are eyebrow raisers. That kind of price tag ought to include something spectacular - like airline tickets.

[Terra]

nice point...something to consider.

I recommend it as well.
As much as I love Disney, and live really close. When we do our vacations, typically we stay off site so we can spend more IN the parks [mainly fun stuff for my boys].

We did stay on property about 1.5 years ago, however we did not pay rack rate either. I had a friend working there at the time who got us the Friends/Family Discount. We ended up paying $350 total for 4 nights at POP. And LOVED it.

I refuse to pay $100-$110 for a value resort. We are "saving now" for an on property vacation again at the Values. My boys are earning "change" and it goes into a change jar and I told them they could use the money once it's full, for that. But I'll be looking for deals still! :)

[tink'72]

Dvc!

Agreed!:number1:

[baldburke]

When we add it all up the price of a week at Disney for a moderate or value resort isn't any more than a week at the beach on the ocean block. It isn't quite what it used to be but the value is still good for what you pay.

[disneynarula]

DVC does not make the room cost less for your average visitor, only a true Disney die hard who never wants to vacation anywhere else. I am not saying that it's wrong to want to do that. People's vacations are their business.

Speaking for myself and my family, there is no way that we can save money on a room by buying into DVC.

We go every three years and always stay at a moderate or a value. What we pay is probably close to the cost of three years of DVC dues. That includes our food and park tickets (not included with DVC) We also pay for the entire vacation upfront, only using the Disney Visa for the convienience and the rewards dollars.

We can also decide where we want to go on vacation every year and not worry about getting our money's worth of future vacations that we have payed for and not yet taken.

I know we don't represent the vaction styles of most the people on these boards but I don't think that the sticker shock the OP experienced would be eased by a DVC purchase.

[DisneyDadfromPittsburgh]

Thank you........someone finally said it out loud!

[Tiggerlovr9000]

I have stayed on site one time and it was for safety reasons. It was just myself and my two dds who were a lot younger then. I just didn't want to drive off property in an area I didn't know with them. We had a great time at all star music. We just used it for a bed and shower. But now that we are older I like more amenities then a value resort. Also there is a lot of walking with all the the resorts. You do enough of that in the parks. The resorts are just to spread out for us. So we will continue to stay off-site.