Deluxe Hotel Prices

[GrumpySue]

The prices at the deluxe hotels have gotten ridiculous over the past few years. We are currently booked at the Yacht Club in a Lagoon View Room for 12 nights at an AP 30% off rate. The total with discount (room only) is $4,501.00.

Just for kicks I went to the Waldorf Astoria Orlando website (this hotel is on Disney proerty) and put in the same days to see what it costs. Well, I can stay at the waldorf in a SUITE with a balcony with a Disney View for $3,588.75. I have stayed here before too and it is a spectacular hotel.

Savings $912.25. Really ???

Now I know we are paying for location and convenience, and I LOVE the Yacht Club so we will probably stay there anyway. But I am seriously starting to wonder if it is worth it.
(sad)

[BrerGnat]

What is not worth it, IMO, is the Lagoon View up charge. It is the same price to book a standard view Club Level room than a non club level Lagoon View. I don't understand that.

[AgentC]

What is not worth it, IMO, is the Lagoon View up charge. It is the same price to book a standard view Club Level room than a non club level Lagoon View. I don't understand that.

I agree. I usually do Garden view at the Yacht Club and most times have a lovely view. I am not big on paying for views.

[Lodger]

The prices are insane. I've stayed at the Beach Club and loved the location. It was great being able to walk to Epcot. Even better was being able to walk back to the hotel after Illuminations as the rest of the park visitors exited in the opposite direction.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I guess I kind of look at this as sort of an asked and answered kind of argument, as in my mind by definition (and my budget) deluxes by default are not worth it. Kind of like arguing, have Mercedes gotten too expensive, when most of us are driving Fords or Chevys.

I've tried on our last two visits, and am doing so again, to justify staying at one of the Epcot resorts vs. POR-AB (we have some limitations due to family size - 5). Being and accountant, I naturally have a spreadsheet outlining 8-10 different options, ranging from free dining analysis to room discount analysis to straight up rack rates.

I'm looking at a 10 night stay, and if I'm comparing rack rates, it would cost me almost $2500 more to stay at BC and $3000 more to stay at the Poly over POR-AB. In the world I live in, there is absolutely no way its worth it, based on the merits, to pay that much more. There is no way you get $2500 of extra value. Its worth it because some people can afford that luxury, and I certainly don't begrudge that, I wish I could do it.

That's why in my mind the argument is already lost, by definition the cost isn't worth it, but if you can afford a Disney Deluxe, this isn't an argument I see very often. Its such a financial leap from Disney Moderate to Disney Deluxe that I figure most staying at the deluxes have already come to terms with the "is it worth it" and opt for the luxury and convenience.

If there is no free dining and decent room discounts come out for the deluxes (30-40%) then there is a good chance we will throw caution and money into the wind and try our first deluxe.

[KODABEAR]

:knit::old: We're retired. Our adult children have been giving us Disney gift cards for the holidays. They want to use them for something special during our trips. So we have been able to upgrade to delux from moderate the past few years. ( With the help of Karen at MJ). It's the only way we could stay at the Beach Club, & Contemporary.

[joonyer]

Yes, I would say that the deluxe prices have gotten out of hand, at least for middle class families. You either have to have enough wealth to not care how much it costs, or be willing to go into great debt to pay for a "deluxe" WDW vacation .

For instance, for $4,500, (cost of the 12 day stay at YC mentioned in the OP) I could pay my mortgage payment, a car payment, my utilities and the insurance payment . . . . . . FOR 3 MONTHS!

There's no way I would consider paying that kind of money for 12 days in any hotel, anywhere. Not for our family. I know, that's why Disney offers the Value resorts, for families like mine. Still, I have to think the Deluxe pricing has gone crazy. I guess if the market will bear it, we can't fault Disney for upping the prices.

[stephicakes]

We always stay Deluxe now... why?? We can do so by renting DVC points for a great savings on villas :thumbsup:

[mydisneygirls]

There is no way I could justify paying $4500 for just the room (unless I hit the lottery). I'm paying less than that for 8 days, including tickets and dining at the Wilderness Lodge. Did you look into what renting points at the YC would be? Being from Massachusetts, thankfully I don't have the desire to stay at either YC or BC because it doesn't accurately reflect Cape Cod.

I absolutely agree that the prices of not only the hotel but everything at Disney is getting outrageous.

[Terra]

Yes, I would say that the deluxe prices have gotten out of hand, at least for middle class families. You either have to have enough wealth to not care how much it costs, or be willing to go into great debt to pay for a "deluxe" WDW vacation .

For instance, for $4,500, (cost of the 12 day stay at YC mentioned in the OP) I could pay my mortgage payment, a car payment, my utilities and the insurance payment . . . . . . FOR 3 MONTHS!

There's no way I would consider paying that kind of money for 12 days in any hotel, anywhere. Not for our family. I know, that's why Disney offers the Value resorts, for families like mine. Still, I have to think the Deluxe pricing has gone crazy. I guess if the market will bear it, we can't fault Disney for upping the prices.
Yes exactly to this.
I can't imagine paying that for it. However, if I were extremely wealthy or had the chance of a lifetime, I absolutely would stay at least once. My son who has ASD, is fascinated with the Contemporary. I would love to give him a couple of nights there as a surprise one day.

The structure, engineering of it, the dynamics of it are just an obsession for him [because of the ASD].

But being middle class, anything above $100 a night [and that is pushing it!] is wasteful [in my own personal opinion. I'd rather have the extra money for In-Park, dining, letting the boys pick toys, t-shirts, etc.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

We always stay Deluxe now... why?? We can do so by renting DVC points for a great savings on villas :thumbsup:

This really only applies if you are comparing full rack rates to full rack rates.

I've got so many lodging scenarios laid out on a spreadsheet right now, Scrooge McDuck would be envious.

For our 10 night stay, renting pts at OKW @ $14 a point would be about $1200 cheaper then staying at the BC (at full rack rates). However, if I can get a 30% room discount then the BC is cheaper then OKW using rented points by about $150.

If no discounts are available, then yes, renting points is the best opportunity to get into a deluxe at great savings, but only if discounts are not available.

[1DisneyNut]

The prices at the deluxe hotels have gotten ridiculous over the past few years. We are currently booked at the Yacht Club in a Lagoon View Room for 12 nights at an AP 30% off rate. The total with discount (room only) is $4,501.00.

Just for kicks I went to the Waldorf Astoria Orlando website (this hotel is on Disney proerty) and put in the same days to see what it costs. Well, I can stay at the waldorf in a SUITE with a balcony with a Disney View for $3,588.75. I have stayed here before too and it is a spectacular hotel.

Savings $912.25. Really ???

Now I know we are paying for location and convenience, and I LOVE the Yacht Club so we will probably stay there anyway. But I am seriously starting to wonder if it is worth it.
(sad)

It is ridiculous for sure. What is even worse is you are comparing a 30% off rate at WDW to the standard rate at the Waldorf for a Suite and it is that much less. I have a corporate discount at Waldorf (as well as any Hilton brand) that will usually get at least another 20% off that rate. Plus the Waldorf is a very nice actual "Deluxe" resort.

[stephicakes]

This really only applies if you are comparing full rack rates to full rack rates.

I've got so many lodging scenarios laid out on a spreadsheet right now, Scrooge McDuck would be envious.

For our 10 night stay, renting pts at OKW @ $14 a point would be about $1200 cheaper then staying at the BC (at full rack rates). However, if I can get a 30% room discount then the BC is cheaper then OKW using rented points by about $150.

If no discounts are available, then yes, renting points is the best opportunity to get into a deluxe at great savings, but only if discounts are not available.

Ok, I see your point and I am sure you did your research! ... but going rate per point is about $12.50 a point for the current season. I guess you have to ask yourself, 'which season do I prefer' because as you know, number of points needed for stay are dependent on season. We try to stay flexible. We don't go through the "big guys" to rent points, we go through an individual whom we have a great relationship with (we can split our total cost into two payments). Sometimes we can find points for $9 a point - we did that the time we stayed at OKW (2 bdrm villa).

Oh, and if you rent points you are considered DVC and get that perk for 10% off merchandise, etc.
It seems to work for us and we enjoy the deluxe resorts :thumbsup:

steph :)

[JerseyDad]

......WDW "deluxe" resort rooms are "deluxe" ...only because WDW says so. If you compare price per sf. of room at a real 'deluxe' hotel ...there is NO comparison ...WDW loses hands down.

....as mentioned ...for WDW deluxe room prices ...you can normally get a suite at a top notch hotel ...if ...you need a suite.

....I don't want to hear that I'm 'paying for location' when it comes to the deluxe resort rooms. You are booking a room with a bed or two ...four walls, a roof, and shower & toilet facilities.

....the only 'deluxe' amenity of the WDW resorts 'deluxe' room is the price.

....kinda' reminds me of the first time I went to Atlantic City with my 'wife to be'. We gambled ...won some money, it was after midnight, and didn't want to drive all the way back to Staten Island. We decided to get a room in a casino hotel ...and the girl at the desk asked, "Do you want a room with an ocean view? ....it's only $200 more".

....I said to her, "It's pushing 1am ....how much of the ocean will I really get to see"?


....we took the room that looked out over the lovely A.C. landscape ...in the same pitch blackness that enveloped the ocean side of the hotel.

....my mama learned me well!!

[Sylvia]

I have favorite deluxe resorts that I always visit on my WDW vacations, but other than a few years ago when I stayed at CR (back in the days when SoG was expanding and the North Garden Wing at the CR was the temporary SoG), I'm quite happy staying at one of my favorite moderate or value resorts. One day, I may decide to splurge, and may book a stay at AKL, but for now, when I'm in the mood to stay at a deluxe, I will stay at SoG.

[moe513]

For my family of five we refer to all squeeze into a deluxe room that get two moderate rooms. It is almost the same price. My kids are too big for the alligator bayou rooms.

[Middle of the Map]

I think the word "deluxe" is being overused by Disney. I've stayed at two different deluxe Disney properties, and I can still hear the folks next door and people walking in the hallways. And don't even mention the toilet flushes and shower noise in the morning. It's a room with beds, walls, bathroom, etc. Nice if you can afford it, but not necessary to have a good time.

[AndrewJackson]

We always stay Deluxe now... why?? We can do so by renting DVC points for a great savings on villas :thumbsup:

We've done this as well. It is a great deal. We have stayed at VWL twice, SSR, OKW, and BCV. Due to the fact that our family is getting bigger and older (we have 2 kids in college and a 9 yr old) we can't fit in the DVC studio anymore. We are renting a cabin at FW instead this year.

However, if we were able to rent points for a DVC studio, we would. Currently, with the 30% discount at the moderates, renting a DVC studio at AKL, BWV, SSR, OKW, and VWL for $14 a point is cheaper. BCV is about $150 more for the week, and BLT is about $250 more for the week.

So, for less or about the same as a 30% discounted moderate, you can stay at a DVC villa with all the deluxe amenities. And, this is at $14 a point - which is the high end of rental prices. A little shopping can save you another $100-$200 for the week.

[eandrsmom]

We used to stay at the Deluxe resorts years ago. As our family grew, we needed two rooms. That being said, there was a time that deluxe resorts were expensive, but not outrageous. I could usually get a good discount with an AP. That isn't the case anymore. The base price for the rooms is so high, that even a 30% discount doesn't really help. The last few visits, we've stayed offsite, and were very pleased with the accommodations and value. Typically, we found the rooms to be much nicer than any of the deluxe rooms at Disney at a fraction of the cost.

[Bruegge]

Staying at GF for the first time in June.

DW and I love resort hotels... full service... resort hotels. Fine dining (we are foodies)

We love having more than one or two dining "choices" without leaving the grounds.. We also love the option of full room service.

With that being said... Is GF Poly or Cont. Restaurants available to the people staying there for last minute/same day reservations? I think not....

ADR's are made for my June trip... many are at GF, but what if I decide we want to go to Narcossee's again on one of the nights we didn't book 6 months ago...

What if The girls DW, DD15 and DD10 decide they want a sit down breakfast at grand Floridian café to start their day rather than a quick "food court" breakfast? THAT MORNING!!!


When you are paying $368.00/night (that's with a 40% discount no less) you should have that option. I don't want to tell them "we can't do that" When we are staying at one of the "Best" Hotels on site.

Do you know what I mean????

I bet the Waldorf wouldn't do that.

I guess what I'm saying is that this aspect of our vacation still takes away some of the "deluxe-ness" of the resort for me.

I'm still very much looking forward to our stay but I have some concerns... ok fears... I hate to overplan or underplan but I really want this to go off without a hitch..

[TheVBs]

The rates at the deluxe hotels are what we like to call "eyebrow raisers". I'm sure they're great hotels to stay at and if someone feels it's worth the extra money to stay there, more power to them. But, we can't find any justification for the extra costs. I do think Disney is a bit out of control on their rates for these locations. For that amount of money, I would expect A LOT more than they're offering.

[Aurora]

Fourteen years ago we got a discounted Club Level room at the Poly for $169 a night. Yes, you read that right. That same room would cost about $450 a night now, with a 30% discount. The prices are outrageous, but they can charge them because people will pay them.

JerseyDad, I disagree with you about the value of location. If you put the Poly somewhere off the monorail and without boat service to the parks, the room rates would plummet, and they'd be the same rooms. People like to stay at monorail hotels or the Epcot resorts because of their proximity and convenience to the parks, and that is an intrinsic amenity. If they put the All-Star hotels on the monorail line, they could double the price, and people would pay it.

[JerseyDad]

Fourteen years ago we got a discounted Club Level room at the Poly for $169 a night. Yes, you read that right. That same room would cost about $450 a night now, with a 30% discount. The prices are outrageous, but they can charge them because people will pay them.

JerseyDad, I disagree with you about the value of location. If you put the Poly somewhere off the monorail and without boat service to the parks, the room rates would plummet, and they'd be the same rooms. People like to stay at monorail hotels or the Epcot resorts because of their proximity and convenience to the parks, and that is an intrinsic amenity. If they put the All-Star hotels on the monorail line, they could double the price, and people would pay it.

.....personally, I wouldn't care if the monorail ran thru the room at a value ...no one is paying $250/night for a room that is smaller than what you might get at a Red Roof Inn.

....let WDW keep boosting room rates ...particularly at the deluxe resorts ...and see what the results are. They have problems filling rooms now ...hence the enticements of staying on site with the whole MDE+/FP+ system. At some point ...the hospitality market will tolerate only so much implied "magic" as a justification for a room rate ...and then prospective guests will come to their senses and look elsewhere.

....it's not only "all about the bottom line" for WDW because they are a business. Guests do not have bottomless wallets ...and more and more ...they are consulting their bank statements before making vacation plans.

[1DisneyNut]

....let WDW keep boosting room rates ...particularly at the deluxe resorts ...and see what the results are. They have problems filling rooms now ...hence the enticements of staying on site with the whole MDE+/FP+ system. At some point ...the hospitality market will tolerate only so much implied "magic" as a justification for a room rate ...and then prospective guests will come to their senses and look elsewhere.


It is fairly evident they are having problems filling rooms at present rates. They have to run promotional discounts almost year round now. With the exception of Holidays, you can get at least a 30% discount on rates for pretty much any time of the year as long as you watch and book in advance.

[BrerGnat]

Disney has run discounts for over a decade because there is an upper limit to what the majority of people are willing to pay. Those upper limits vary, of course, and that is why you see bigger discounts on the deluxe resorts.

We stay Deluxe most of the time, but only due to the 40% discount we get. Rack Rate? Forget it. Never happening. Disney knows their prices are too high, but "discounts" are a clever way of making people think they are getting a deal and this translates to a more positive overall experience. Many retailers do the same thing...artificially inflate "everyday" prices and then run "sales". Kohl's entire strategy is based on this phenomenon, as is Toys R Us.

[AgentC]

Never happening. Disney knows their prices are too high, but "discounts" are a clever way of making people think they are getting a deal and this translates to a more positive overall experience. Many retailers do the same thing...artificially inflate "everyday" prices and then run "sales". Kohl's entire strategy is based on this phenomenon, as is Toys R Us.

Yep. Look what happened to JC Penney. They tried to lower prices overall and do away with constant sales and coupons. Customers hated it and business suffered. Actually suffered is probably not a strong enough word! Tanked might be better.

People like to feel like they are getting a deal even when they aren't. :)

[SurferStitch]

We just booked a water view room at the Yacht Club for October over the weekend. I could get a AAA rate, but no AP discounts were available. We went with YC water view because it was just $92 more for 9 nights (total) than the garden view Beach Club room we were looking at. Plus, it was the only room offering a discount there.

There were no standard or garden view rooms available at all at Yacht Club for our dates, and no standard rooms available at Beach Club. There was a AAA room rate at the Boardwalk for a standard room as well, and I could have gotten a decent price on a BC Villa studio, but it looked really old and not that nice (IMHO).

So, they aren't always having a hard time filling rooms. Especially at Epcot resorts during F&W.

Yes, it's expensive... ridiculously expensive compared to 10 years ago... what isn't? But, we've been doing relatively cheap trips for the past 5 years or so... almost exclusively value resorts (with one moderate in there). We love the deluxe resorts (Poly and GF are faves), and love the atmosphere at them. We really love to relax and spend more time at the deluxe resorts, and find we spend almost no time at the values and mods other than sleeping and changing our clothes. So, when you look at the extra time spent at the deluxes, I don't feel we are wasting that more $ on the room... we are actually getting more out of it and the resort itself.

We used to only stay deluxe, but that had to change. Just couldn't swing it once or twice a year. So now, a deluxe is a treat that we plan to truly enjoy. I can't wait to walk out the back entrance/exit and walk to the YC, enjoy a drink at the Ale and Compass, walk over to the Boardwalk for dinner, and watch Illuminations from our resort.

Expensive? Oh yes. Worth it? Oh yes!! For us, on this next trip, it's worth it. Sometimes you just gotta live.

[1DisneyNut]

Kohl's entire strategy is based on this phenomenon, as is Toys R Us.

Kohl's and Toys R Us both have been struggling for several years now. Kohl's is one of the retailers expected to end up in bankruptcy. Maybe not in the next year or two but in the not too distant future. Toys R Us has been floundering and finding ways to get by and is expected to continue in this fashion for the near future but is likely to eventually fail as well. Analyst's contribute their problems to continuous sales and discounts which the customers have come to expect and when they attempt to raise prices, customers stop shopping and hold out for sales.

Since this comparison has been made between Kohl's, Toys R Us and WDW, are we to expect the same result for WDW in the near future?

This was the point I was trying to make with my previous post. The difference is, WDW hasn't hit that tipping point yet where they alienate customers and they will only buy at steep discounts with no pricing increase year over year. I expect them to find the tipping point in the near future.

[Tiggerlovr9000]

We have only stayed at the value resorts. My main complaint with the wdw motels is the walking. The resorts are so big and hard to get around. One time we walked through the the poly and totally got lost. We couldn't find a sign or anything telling us where to go. I love deluxe motels and have paid the high dollar prices for the deluxe treatment. We just don't think wdw offers what we consider deluxe. I love wdw but the room we stay in is very low on our list of priorities, because we are hardly in it.

[brownie]

Disney has run discounts for over a decade because there is an upper limit to what the majority of people are willing to pay. Those upper limits vary, of course, and that is why you see bigger discounts on the deluxe resorts.

We stay Deluxe most of the time, but only due to the 40% discount we get. Rack Rate? Forget it. Never happening. Disney knows their prices are too high, but "discounts" are a clever way of making people think they are getting a deal and this translates to a more positive overall experience. Many retailers do the same thing...artificially inflate "everyday" prices and then run "sales". Kohl's entire strategy is based on this phenomenon, as is Toys R Us.


Yep. Look what happened to JC Penney. They tried to lower prices overall and do away with constant sales and coupons. Customers hated it and business suffered. Actually suffered is probably not a strong enough word! Tanked might be better.

People like to feel like they are getting a deal even when they aren't. :)

And look at the automakers, they haven't been able to do away with incentives. Once it becomes expected, it's hard to get get rid of. Disney wouldn't be offering discounts if they weren't making money. Even retailers sell some items at a loss to get people to buy other items at a much higher margin.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

We stay Deluxe most of the time, but only due to the 40% discount we get. Rack Rate? Forget it. Never happening. Disney knows their prices are too high, but "discounts" are a clever way of making people think they are getting a deal and this translates to a more positive overall experience. Many retailers do the same thing...artificially inflate "everyday" prices and then run "sales". Kohl's entire strategy is based on this phenomenon, as is Toys R Us.

I was going to use this same analogy. Two most common comments I make to a co-worker are "kohls are having a sale" and "got my 30% coupon". Even colleges are starting to try roll back from the Kohls philosophy of pricing tuition. Instead of charging $40,000 a year and then giving everyone a $20,000 scholarship, they've reduced tuition to "real" levels.

I'm assuming the number crunchers at Disney and the Marketing wizards have figured out that its much better to price a Deluxe room at $450 a night and give someone a 35% discount, instead of pricing it closer to its true price of $300 a night and offering the rare add'l discount.

I'm guessing that in general the discounts haven't changed that much in the last decade or so, but its the free dining offerings and the like that Disney was forced to offer starting around 2007 that they haven't been able to ween people off of.

[Mitzie]

We like to stay at Dlx resorts and often do but not for 12 nights! That is how we afford them. This coming trip we are booked standard CL at YC but only for 4 nights..the last two are at POR because the rate moves to rake prices. As my signature shows we have often split stays between Dlx and Mod. to save. We are not power park people and we do spend time at the resort so we like to give ourselves short treat. I am supper excited to be heading back to POR..haven't been in awhile and it is my favorite Mod.

[DonaldDuckUSA]

Everything is relative. If I am pulling in a six-figure salary and my spouse is too, sure...it works. But for me, right now, its just not worth it.

It also depends on the resort. I'm unimpressed by Moderate resorts. For me, staying on site is not worth it unless I can be in a really unique resort (AK Lodge, Contemp). We thought all the stuff on the boardwalk was nice, but nothing special.

Honestly, we'd rather get APs than stay on site once. And yeah, we've seriously considered those options. At the end of the day, Disney is about the parks for us. That's where we want to put our play-money.

[Terra]

Us as well. Especially having to buy 2 child APs and and Adult AP.

Which is why mainly I stay off site at Budget hotels just so we can do more mini trips and have fun as a family :)

[Bruegge]

Us as well. Especially having to buy 2 child APs and and Adult AP.

Which is why mainly I stay off site at Budget hotels just so we can do more mini trips and have fun as a family :)

I truly envy you "locals" that can buy an AP, look at the Friday morning newspaper weather section (while having a fresh squessed OJ just picked from your tree out back...ok I exaggerate..sry.) and say.. It's going to be 72 degrees partly cloudy, let's go to Epcot tonight/tomorrow...

No Stress, No 6 month ADR's, No Weather worries.. No worrying about picking the right hotel, Did I pick the right restaurant?? What if I miss something... I better re-check my plans.

AND Not Worrying about screwing up a $7200.00 vacation plan (before food and park purchases) that you have been waiting to do for 7 years.

Let me stress.... envy not anger...LOL

I guess that's why we are all here reading these discussions...

[Aurora]

There is another factor here: the DVC resorts. Every time another person buys into DVC, that is a paid hotel reservation lost, since the most likely DVC buyer is someone who has stayed onsite over and over again. I wouldn't be surprised if the DVC market has taken a chunk out of the regular resort room pool.

[BrerGnat]

The other thing is the idea of "worth". If Disney lowered their hotel prices, it would be admitting that they agree they are not worth more. Pricing is very psychological. Disney wants to be top dog in Orlando. Having overpriced hotels maintains their "image" as the best vacation resort in the area.

[JerseyDad]

The other thing is the idea of "worth". If Disney lowered their hotel prices, it would be admitting that they agree they are not worth more. Pricing is very psychological. Disney wants to be top dog in Orlando. Having overpriced hotels maintains their "image" as the best vacation resort in the area.


.....well ...that being said .....they very well may become the Orlando vacation spot with the best 'image' ...and the highest top-tier resort vacancy rate. A very nice place to be ...if you like ghost-town-like peace and quiet.

....companies across numerous industry categories have had to cut prices to keep a share of their respective market niches. Just because "we are Disney" ...does not make them immune to very basic economic rules.

....just a thought: In good times ...people with money (mostly) do not economize. They go with the flow ...they pay the prices that venues demand ...and they go their merry way. As times get "less good" ...people seem to educate themselves a bit more to see what their money is buying. As an example ...food product manufacturers took to downsizing their product containers rather than just saying, "Hey!! That 1/2 gallon of ice cream costs us more to make now"!! So ...they now sell you 1.5 quarts ....for 1.5 times the original cost. They figured the consumer wouldn't notice the "false bottom" of the ice cream container ...and they were wrong. People notice when they are being 'shorted' a PINT of ice cream (I think that still equates to 2 cups ...if I remember my 3rd grade math lessons?)

....as evidenced on this and many other WDW and travel related 'boards" ...people are noticing negative things ..and also noticing the increased costs. It is only a matter of time before the 'traveling consumer' starts to make $$ related decisions as to where they stay. (if they have not already started doing so ...based on reports of lower occupancy at the deluxe resorts)

...people will start to notice that the cost of their 5 day stay at a deluxe ...used to buy them 7 days.

[RavsRuleDisney!]

My personal take is what are you going to the World for? If it is to spend some quantity time at your resort of choice - deluxe or otherwise - during your length of stay then I say go that extra mile ($$) to get the most bang for that resort buck.

If you are a couple/family that is active and plan to be 'on the go' a great deal of the trip hitting the theme parks, water parks, DD, etc. etc. and don't really settle back to your resort until days end, then dishing out 4-5k makes no sense to me. In that scenario even if you are particularly fond of a $$$$ resort, say the POLY, it doesn't mean you can't experience and enjoy it. Head over and walk the grounds, hit the Luau, rent some Mickey boats, maybe dinner at Ohana's and a Backscatcher at the Tambu bar....hey, the POLY at a fraction of the cost!!

Hey, it's obviously personal choice (and finances) and as we HAVE stayed at the POLY and WL and BC which ain't cheap and are all beautiful resorts IMO/BTW - we have spoiled ourselves at this point. Bottom line....the Mouse doesn't come cheap no matter how you slice him so you spend where you want to spend and go ENJOY!! :mickey::mickey: