Disney lodging is no longer price competitive

[NJMan66]

I love WDW more than any other place to vacation; but have they priced themselves out (too high) for those of us who want luxury at a reasonable price?

Sure disney is offering some great vacation options if you want to stay at a Value Resort or travel during times when kids are in school, but what if you want to stay at a Moderate or Delux or travel when the school calendar permits?

When comparing, today, the cost of 7 nights at the cheapest Disney Delux ( e.g Wilderness Lodge, Woods View) versus what they are now offering at 4 star, Universal's Royal Pacifc Resort, it would cost me $1,200 more to stay at Disney! Plus at the Royal Pacific you get free breakfast and afternoon drinks by staying on the club floor.

WL Cost - $2,829 for a basic room
RPC - $1,625 for a club room

I could not belive this and instantly called my travel agent, cancelled disney and booked the Royal Pacific. Even with a rental car I still save more than $800 for the week.

Honestly I am shocked and amazed how Universal can do this but WDW has not begun to offer deals on their moderate and Delux properties. Having stayed at other Universal Properties before, they are just as amazing as a Disney Delux. Sure you have to drive to the parks, but is that worth $1,200 for the week? (actually factoring the money I will now save on breakfast this turns out to be more than $1,600in savings for a family of 4 for the week)

Maybe WDW still has more demand than supply. I just feel if they do not do something sooner than later to respond to changes in people's spending habits, by reducing their prices or offfering more deals, more folks like me will stay elsewhere.

[Goes4FastPass]

Disney deluxes are very expensive for what they are - very standard hotel rooms. I can't imagine what WDW would charge for something even like the rooms at a Hyatt Place location.

Clearly, WDW deluxe pricing is about location, location, location.

[brian2000boston]

what time of year is this pricing for, does it factor in any discounts or park tickets?

[jpH/keD]

I totally hear you!! BUT we stayed at the Value resorts and the busses are not something I plan to experience again!!! I will have to have a shorter trip but stay at a MONORAIL hotel.
Nothing else can convince me otherwise!

Oh and we will have to skip AK since the monorail does not go there! I will take the boat to DHS!

Disney does not seem to be suffering from the same economy as we are!! Good luck!

[Goes4FastPass]

...! I will take the boat to DHS!...

I hope Peter Pan is piloting that boat if you're staying at a monorail resort!

[Ropachs]

Supply and demand...

[ValenciaCalling]

I love how Universal just takes all of Disney's ideas and tries to market them as there own. There wouldn't even be a Royal Pacific if it wasn't for The Polynesian. I truly believe the quality of Disney is worth paying more.

[BrerGnat]

When are you going? I would just hang on if I were you if it's past the dates of the 4/3 deal Disney is currently offering. I have a VERY good feeling that NO ONE will pay rack rate for their WDW hotel rooms this year...

So far, this year, they have essentially offered EVERYONE a chance at 40% off rack rates, either via the 4/3 deal, PIN codes, AP rates, the Armed Forces Salute, etc. They will keep the steep discounts coming, I assure you.

I can actually be fairly certain that if you called up the reservations line and told the CM that you are cancelling your reservation to rebook at at UNIVERSAL property, a discount would "magically" appear in your name...

It's just very early to see discounts for the summer season at this point in the year. Wait a couple months and they will pop up.

[buzznwoodysmom]

We've never stayed at any of the Universal Resorts, but a good friend of mine has stayed at all 3. Her family has also stayed at a good number of Disney resorts (mainly deluxe). She says hands down all 3 universal resorts are much better than any of the Disney resorts. They like to spoil themselves on vacation and she claims that Universal resorts offer far more than any of the disney resorts. They normally visit for 2 weeks. They used to visit Universal first then spend the end of their vacation in WDW. Now they do WDW first because it ended up being a huge letdown when they went from their universal resort to their disney resort.

[Goes4FastPass]

I have stayed at all 3 Universal Orlando resorts - Portofino and Hard Rock are both "deluxer" than Royal Pacific.

This is a WDW fan site so saying anything pro-Universal turns people into Whispering Canyon CMs.

It's as simple as this: As long as people are willing to pay extra extra extra to stay in what WDW calls deluxe rooms you can't blame WDW for selling them what they will buy.

I don't hear many people who have stayed at WDW deluxe say they weren't happy with what they got.

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

I don't stay at the Disney Resorts for the monatary value. I stay there because of the convience of location. At the end of the day, I want nothing more than to hop a bus and go directly to my room. I don't want to hop a tram, find my car, and then drive out of the park with hundreds of others to my hotel off site.

[WishingStar2006]

Plus, when you stay on site it is a total immersion (sp?) vacation...you leave the real world behind once you get on the Magical Express bus...I tell my friends who question my obsession (how can you go so many times...isn't it just the same thing, different day) that it is like a cruise in port...you're pampered, treated like a princess (or prince), the food is great, there are pools and beaches and beautiful gardens and HAPPY PEOPLE EVERWHERE...boy, I just convinced myself!!! Good thing I only have 53 days left in my count down~

[Tbelle1976]

I hope Peter Pan is piloting that boat if you're staying at a monorail resort!

[Seasonscraps]

Disney deluxes are very expensive for what they are - very standard hotel rooms. I can't imagine what WDW would charge for something even like the rooms at a Hyatt Place location.

Clearly, WDW deluxe pricing is about location, location, location.

i always felt the same way. I have stayed at much nicer hotels for the same or less then Disney charges for a deluxe room.

[BrerGnat]

I don't stay at the Disney Resorts for the monatary value. I stay there because of the convience of location. At the end of the day, I want nothing more than to hop a bus and go directly to my room. I don't want to hop a tram, find my car, and then drive out of the park with hundreds of others to my hotel off site.

I could not have said this better myself.

And, really, I can stay in a "luxury" hotel near my home anytime I want, for less than Disney, if I want to. When I go to WDW, I want to stay in a "Disney" hotel. I can't get that kind of immersive theme and attention to detail over here (okay, well, I can get it at Disneyland Resort, but that's not what I mean).

And yes, I actually DO pay to stay at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, even though my home is 15 min from Disneyland. Sure, there are other more "luxurious" hotels around here, but sometimes, there is just something about a Disney "escape" that cannot be quantified, and that you cannot compare to another hotel, even in the same hotel class.

Call me a fool if you will, and add me to the list.

[thumperbug]

I've never stayed at a Value resort but based on the long bus lines I see for them no matter what park, what time of day or time of year, I would not opt to stay there. I am spoiled by being a DVC member and have stayed at quite a few deluxe resorts (see signature) but when plan my trip and decide where I want to stay, I do look at convenience of transporation.

We did stay at CBR in Feb 08 and while it was fine, I would not put it on my "first choice" list.

Every one has a fav. For us it is the WL for many things but mostly ease to MK.

Depending on time of year you go does depend on pricing. It is pricer when schools have vacations..esp for the Northeast but it does seem that Disney is making efforts to get folks in.

[SamG]

My parents moved to Poinciena (sp?) a couple years ago... so we don't need to pay ANYTHING for lodging. We did that summer '07. A 45 minute drive (I know you're closer at Universal) to the parks and a 45 minute drive back with three kids + fighting traffic + parking + all day in the park = MAJOR STRESS.

We just got back from a trip and we spent three nights with my parents, then moved to the Poly for five. Total Immersion & transportation was worth the cost.

[Hammer]

I want to pose this question to all of you who stay for the "immersion" factor. Why should luxury have to be sacrificed for theming on the deluxe level? I can't think of any reason why. It is one of the things which disappoints me with Disney "Deluxe" hotels. They seem to be starting to fix that on some level, especially at the Contemporary, but not at the level I think it should be commiserate with the price charged for rooms.

It is definitely the reason they no longer call it "Concierge" level and is now Club level. People who booked that level of accommodations expected concierge service as they would receive at any other deluxe hotel, which Disney did not provide. So, in response to the complaints, they had to re-brand that level of rooms.

[Polynesian Dweller]

It always amazes me how people criticze Disney but in doing so conveniently forget the extras you get being a resort guest.

At the Poly for instance you get:
1. Electric Water Pageant every night (at least two drivers, a chase boat with 2 people that helps set the line, and upkeep of the floats, something your hotel fee helps pay for)
2. Resort monorail (we subsidze that too by helping pay for the drivers and station attendants plus upkeep from our room fees)
3. Resort launches (drivers and boats here too)
4. Extra Magic Hours (for resort people only and Disney has to get the money from some place, hmm, maybe you room fee)
5. Free parking at all theme parks
6. Disney bus system (primarily for resort people and Disney has to get the revenue for that some where)

Look, our room fees cover all that stuff which is primarily for our entertainment and convenience, not the people who don't stay on the grounds and pay only the theme park entrance fees. Disney has to have revenue for that stuff we get and that primarily comes from room fees. Theme park entrance fees alone would not cover that.

So, your room cost pays for an a lot more than just the appointments in your room and you do get a lot a value that is very easy to overlook.

[NJMan66]

BrerGnat, I'm going 2/11-2/18.

Polynesian Dweller, having had the best vacation of my life at the Poly in September 2007, I agree this hotel is amazing and offers so much more than the average hotel; even a universal hotel (except the Portofino - which even topped my stay at AKL). But the $1,200 difference I displayed before compared a club room at the Royal Pacific versus a "standard room only" at the Wilderness lodge. Having just checked the disney website, the cost for a club room at the Wilderness Lodge is $3,892. That's $2,200+ more than the Royal Pacifc. At the Beach Club a commensurate room is $4,500 + for the week.

I agree you do get more for the $$ at a WDW; but the price differential is so huge its only a matter of time until educated, non DVC consumers will begin to flee to other options.