Why the big jump?

[KAT1811]

I wanted to do this thread as my 500th post but I got so wrapped up in the YO100Q I completely missed it!!! I LOVE the YO100Q!!! Oh well, on we go!

I was wondering if anyone else ever wondered why there was such large steps in the resort pricing matrix? I based the following quotes on a family of four (2 adults & 2 children ages 5 & 8) spending 10 nights at WDW; the package includes hotel and park passes only, not the dining plan. These prices are for the value season.

Grand Floridian (lagoon view) - $6080.64

Polynesian (garden view) - $4888.24

Beach Club / Yacht Club (standard view) - $4730.64

Contemporary (garden wing/garden view) - $4618.24

Saratoga Springs (studio) - $4325.64

Wilderness Lodge / Animal Kingdom Lodge(standard view) - $3605.64

All Moderate Resorts (standard view) - $2818.24

All Value Resorts(standard room) - $2113.44

I know that many people on here love the Polynesian and some of the other "deluxe" resorts but why the big jump in pricing? There is about a $700. difference between the value resorts and the moderates and then again another approx. $800. jump to the lower deluxe hotels (AKL & WL) but then it goes way up.

I just don't get it. I've heard a lot of people say that park proximity is a big draw but no one hotel is close to all the parks. Sure if you're at one of the monerail hotels the Magic Kingdom is close by but even to get to Epcot it is a longer commute hopping monerails at the TTC and the other parks are just as difficult to get to as any of the other resorts.

I love all of the WDW hotels and there are still many I have not stayed at. I did stay at the Beach Club and while I did enjoy myself I just didn't feel that it warranted the $2000.00 extra. Maybe I'm alone out here but I wish they would even out their matrix. Why the big jump from moderate to deluxe? I just don't see what the big differance is. I think there is just as much differance going from value to moderate.

What do all of you think? For those of you who do stay deluxe what makes you do it?

[King Triton]

Kat -- sorry I made you miss your "landmark" post with the Yo100Q. I'm glad you're enjoying it and I appreciate your comments.

Anyway, it looks like there's about 3 levels of deluxes -- "value deluxes", which would be WL and AKL, then "moderate deluxes", which would be the rest of them except for GF, then "super deluxe", which is GF only.

The fact of the matter is Disney has carefully calculated all of this out so that they get the occupancy they want at each resort. People are willing to pay it, or they'd have to adjust the rates. I agree with you that the extra $2000 from a moderate to what I called a "moderate deluxe" is not worth it, but to many it is. Also keep in mind that a lot of people stay at Disney that don't do the research that you would do and just take whatever their travel agent presents to them, which may be a Beach Club or better. Those agents are going to get a much better commission by placing their client at Beach Club instead of All-Star Music.

Although I'm all for staying in a nice place, at Disney I don't tend to spend a lot of time at the resort, so I don't need "super luxury", but I can see where some might or have the disposable income to do so.

[baby minnie's mommy]

If you compare a standard (parking lot) room at a moderate to a garden view at a deluxe you will of course get a bigger price difference. Then comparing it all to a lagoon view at GF is going to be a huge jump because that is a top-o-the-line view there. You should compare standard to standard and garden to garden. Then the pricier deluxes have lagoon views, which can't equally be compared to the lower resorts. Remember too that rooms with a lagoon view have views of the fireworks & the electrical water pageant.

You'll get differing opinions on where to stay, because we all want something different out of our vacation. DH and I live close to WDW so have been to the parks frequently. Therefore, we LOVE the deluxes because the hotel is a big part of our vacation. We used to always stay at POR/FQ till we tried a deluxe. Here are a few things that pull us to the deluxes:

-bigger beds

-nicer/bigger bathrooms

-awesome pools

-monorail/boat access for the ones that offer it

-Main buildings are more "impressive."

-The castmembers really get into the act of the resort's theme.

-Our last two visits they've had castmembers in the deluxe lobby that approached us and made us feel very welcome, and payed special attention to our daughter.

-The AK Lodge may not have special park transportation, but the animals are a wonderful amenity, especially for our daughter. And the main lodge is awesome!

-We like to just relax knowing that all the amenities are right in our room or close by. (That's a big factor in our personal vacation choices.)

Another note: If you are from Africa you may not feel on vacation if at AK Lodge, or from the rustic country and staying at W. Lodge, etc. On the other hand, you may feel more at home, so like I said it's what you want from your vacation.

[NJMan66]

I just lost a long post response because I hit the wrong button on my keyboard. Oh well,

What I had said, in summary, is:

1) Supply versus demand determines price.
2) First time visitors want to be in a hotel on a monorail.
3) Most first time visitors want deluxe and will spend the $$ to stay in a deluxe.
4) Many people that I have talked to say that the moderate and value hotels on Disney property offer them less than staying in a nicer property "off campus." Therefore, to fill their room, Disney has kept these prices low. It's all about perception of quality versus cost.

[Figment78]

Personally for me, convenience + atmosphere + memories are the reasons I love staying at the Polynesian. You can actually walk right to the TTC from the Poly so there is no need to switch monorails to get to Epcot. And walking a path lit by tiki torches is an added bonus. At the Contemporary, you can walk right over to the Magic Kingdom. Both of these reasons makes them very compelling options for me to choose when we take small children. Right now though, we typically stay at the Wilderness Lodge b/c of the price (the "value deluxe" if you will) and it still has great location and atmosphere. I think people probably feel the same way about the Beach/Yacht Clubs with the proximity to Epcot and the pool "complex."

I believe that for many people though, it's just a personal preference. A feeling... For example, I grew up staying at the Poly, and stayed at the Wilderness Lodge for my honeymoon, so they will always have special memories attached to them. However, I have been to/explored all the hotels on property and feel that they are all extremely well designed and make for great accomodations that live up to people's Disney expectations!

Everyone has their own set of reasons why they choose one hotel over another, for any particular visit. I'm just so glad Disney has so many options to make all our various dreams come true without leaving the "magic."

[pshokie]

What made me do it.....hmmmmm....This may be long...

Well, this was our first real Disney vacation. All others were day trips (HS band trips, VT bowl games, etc.). So we chose the Poly for its reputation as a "convenient hotel". It was the monorail and its proximity to MK that sold us. That plus it looked really cool!

After staying there, I do have to say there is a "magic" to staying where you can see MK. I cannot describe it, but I simply do not feel the same way about MGM or AK. Ecpot has a little of it, but no where near MK. But that is just me/us.

We actually took the DVC tour of SSR, and it felt "removed", for lack of a better word. Mind you, we did like the resort, it was just "removed". I know some/lots will disagree, but what I am trying to capture is a "feeling", and I think I am failing miserably at that.

Another example, and why we will stay there again, is what we experienced as the real convenience. Everyone talks about how being close to Epcot is great especialy for dining. Well at the Poly, you are one 8 minute Monorail ride away from Epcot. From there, you are essentially the same distance to all of the resturants as those coming in the "the back door" at the International Gateway. So all of our dining encompased every place we could Monorail & walk to. And that is a lot of restaurants.

In attempt to wrap this up....Lastly I will say that travelling with small kids, the Poly made all the differnce with ragards to mid-day naps. Even from MGM. We did the H&V breakfast at MGM, then did the standard tot-shows. By lunch we were done, and the kids were fading fast. What did we do? Something I never thought we would do, we became a 3-Parks-in-one-day family. We took the Ferry boat from MGM to Epcot, simply because we would not have to wake the kids and collapse the stollers. Then we stopped in Paris for an adult snack, and proceeded at a liesurely pace towards to front of Epcot (taking in sights as we went). We got on the Monorail, again with out disturbing the kids or collapsing strollers, and off to the Poly we went. After resting and recharging, we headed off to MK for dinner.

Silly? Probably. But to us, that was so much easier and less stressful than any bus trip we took while at Disney.

I am not sure if this helped answer the question, but I hope you got something out of it!

[KylesMom]

We've stayed at Values, Moderates, Cabins, Lower-End Deluxe & Deluxe. Our climb from Values started several years ago when A/P rates were at their deepest discounts after 9-1-1 (during summer months), with me telling DH that we may never be able to afford particular resorts again. This is after we'd stayed at two of the three All-Stars. Believe me, it was never our intention to go to Disney every year, and it REALLY was never our intention to stay at a Deluxe every time!

The ambiance of the resorts as a whole, coupled with larger rooms, bigger (and more comfortable) beds, TS restaurant choices and location to the MK - our favorite park - spoiled us forever.

I may have been more right than I imagined. To us, our favorite resort is CR (wing room). It has now surpassed our budgetary limit. The cost differential is just too great to swallow on a 14-night stay. And we have too much "stuff" to switch resorts mid-stay.

Over the years we have changed our vacation touring style greatly, and enjoy hanging out at the hotel when it's grossly hot or the parks are too crowded. WL suits our needs perfectly. Transportation to the MK is quick (resort boat), the on-site restaurant is fabulous, the Queen beds are comfy, the pool is terrific, the staff has been nothing but great AND the lodge is beautiful with a ton of things to see and do. Special things such as viewing Wishes from our hotel room balcony, being the Flag Family for a day and many other things have "hooked" us. I should mention as well that we have a rental car which zips us from park to park in no time, so the only transportation concerns we have is getting to and from the MK in a reasonable amount of time. We don't have to get up at 5 am to make it to early EMH, or 6 am to get to Chef Mickey's by 8.

I truly believe that the dollars involved to hop to the next level of accommodations is pretty fair, especially Moderate to Deluxe.

[Nicki'sMom]

The theme is so important to us while at Disney and on vacation in general wherever we go. I guess that expectation is from being a "Disney" kid growing up and coming for vacation to WDW. We love being transported to another era or place and we can't wait to stay at WL. Next time it will be POLY because it is a lot easier to get to than Hawaii and the parks are there too!

[Goes4FastPass]

I think it's what "Nightline" would call a "Sign of the Times". There are many people who say with a wave of the hand, "I want the best". I sometimes wonder to what lengths they'll go to have it. Credit card debt is at an all time high.

When this topic comes up the conclusion always is, "to each his own".

I have a friend who is truely wealthy. He goes to WDW every year and he always books value resorts. He explains, simply, "All of the really important resort guest benefits are available to ALL resort guests."

Can I offer another thought? My wife and I once stayed at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. They have a "canal" that runs though the mall there and I asked my wife if she wanted to ride a gondola. She answered, "If I do, it will be like admitting I'll never get to Venice." We passed on the Las Vegas gondola and a year later we kissed under the Bridge of Sighs riding a gondola in Venice. Is it possible that for some people, visiting Walt Disney World is the biggest most outlandish thing they do so it's particularly important that they do it "deluxe"?

[KAT1811]

I think it's what "Nightline" would call a "Sign of the Times". There are many people who say with a wave of the hand, "I want the best". I sometimes wonder to what lengths they'll go to have it. Credit card debt is at an all time high.

When this topic comes up the conclusion always is, "to each his own".

I have a friend who is truely wealthy. He goes to WDW every year and he always books value resorts. He explains, simply, "All of the really important resort guest benefits are available to ALL resort guests."

Can I offer another thought? My wife and I once stayed at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. They have a "canal" that runs though the mall there and I asked my wife if she wanted to ride a gondola. She answered, "If I do, it will be like admitting I'll never get to Venice." We passed on the Las Vegas gondola and a year later we kissed under the Bridge of Sighs riding a gondola in Venice. Is it possible that for some people, visiting Walt Disney World is the biggest most outlandish thing they do so it's particularly important that they do it "deluxe"?

Very well said.

[MickeyandTink]

Very well said.

We are staying at a value resort because it allows us to use the "savings" for things that are more important to us. DW and I had originally planned to take a trip to Europe or Hawaii for our 5 yr anniverary. DD came along that year, so it became Europe for our 10th anniversary. DS was our present instead, so maybe for 15 or 20.

We will get a taste of those places by visiting and eating at Poly and WS. Instead of spending the money to stay at one of the deluxe resorts for a few days, the difference will just about pay for a weeklong trip to either HI or Europe (if we plan it right). It's like flying first class as opposed to coach. If you have enough money (or credit) AND its important enough that you're willing to give up something else then that's what you spend it on. It's not for us, but that's why you have the variety.

[Jen66]

I realize that we do have a lot of debt as a society, but to lump deluxe resort guests as "untraveled", "Disney is as good as I will ever get' oor "heck, let's just put it on the card" is rather insulting.
First Disney is wonderful no matter where you stay, people just want different experiences. I have stayed in values and would again if it was the only way i could comfortably do Disney (read~without incurring debt), but for us as a family of 4, we just felt cramped and did not care for the long bus lines, not TS, noise, etc. I know some people love them and that is great, that is why any smart resort area has different options available.
I have traveled all over, both on a super tight budget (backpacking around Europe with a train pass, hiking and camping in Honduras, etc. and on much nicer trips in high end hotels), and to be perfectly honest, I like both. Vacation is a choice. Some may think the room rates are ridiculously high and a waste of money, others will find them worth it. It is like a pair of shoes someone pays $100 for, cheap for some, outrageous for others.
I think whatever you choose or need to do is fine. I do not think we should judge others and make snap, overriding statements about any specific groups of people.

[KAT1811]

I realize that we do have a lot of debt as a society, but to lump deluxe resort guests as "untraveled", "Disney is as good as I will ever get' oor "heck, let's just put it on the card" is rather insulting.
First Disney is wonderful no matter where you stay, people just want different experiences. I have stayed in values and would again if it was the only way i could comfortably do Disney (read~without incurring debt), but for us as a family of 4, we just felt cramped and did not care for the long bus lines, not TS, noise, etc. I know some people love them and that is great, that is why any smart resort area has different options available.
I have traveled all over, both on a super tight budget (backpacking around Europe with a train pass, hiking and camping in Honduras, etc. and on much nicer trips in high end hotels), and to be perfectly honest, I like both. Vacation is a choice. Some may think the room rates are ridiculously high and a waste of money, others will find them worth it. It is like a pair of shoes someone pays $100 for, cheap for some, outrageous for others.
I think whatever you choose or need to do is fine. I do not think we should judge others and make snap, overriding statements about any specific groups of people.

Also very well said. I don't think anyone meant to be insulting and I'm sorry you took it that way.

[Clotho]

Also very well said. I don't think anyone meant to be insulting and I'm sorry you took it that way.

Maybe not, but it was still dismissive.

Hubby and I are some of those people who DO plan to spend a lot of time at our resort, so staying at one with a lot of theming and amenities is important to us, and worth the price difference. Also, the convenience of transportation is huge for us as well, since we are not early risers/EMH folks. We tend to get up late and stay out very late, so being at a resort with convenient ways to get to and from it at various hours is vital.

Last time we stayed at Boardwalk so we could walk to Epcot, and because we loved the food and entertainment options at the boardwalk itself. We also intended to spend the most time at Epcot, since we have been to Disneyland many times, and MK wasn't as high a priority as getting in lots of Epcot time. Well worth the money.

This time we are staying at the Polynesian. We didn't feel we got enough "down time" on our last trip (in fact, we both got sick with a flu-like yuck, and we still ran around trying to see everything without breaks, in 90+ degree September weather!). So we prioritized a resort that had the theming and amenities that we most wanted to "come home to" during the day, or stay there all day even--we have one "resort day" planned, where we don't intend to leave at all! Also, we have two dining reservations at the resort for two different nights -- Spirit of Aloha and 'Ohana -- and want to make a point to catch the water pageant one night. We also have dinner one night at GF and one at CR, which are on a shared monorail with our home resort. And we found Epcot to be our favorite park, and wanted to be someplace that still had really easy access to Epcot, which Poly is since it is near the TTC and Epcot monorail line. So it is practical, convenient, and well worth the cost for us.

For the record, when we go to DLR, we have never stayed "on property". The practical conveniences just aren't there like they are at WDW. We stay at the Tropicana or the Best Western across the street. We're not snobby. We just like the conveniences and amenities that we are offered some places, and we will pay less and stay at "lower levels" when it is not worth our dime to do otherwise.

As for the comment about "most outrageous" travels and whatnot...well, Disney IS my vacation spot of choice! It is near the top of my list every year for places I most want to spend my free time. But it didn't stop hubby and I from taking opportunities to visit Hawaii, the UK, Amsterdam, France, and New Zealand in our lifetime so far. We also go to Vegas about every 18 months, just because we love it, not because we are not appreciative of travel elsewhere in the world. Dif'rent strokes et al...

[NJRRK]

Just interjected our reasons for choosing a Deluxe.

As expensive as it is my DW REFUSES to stay in a Value and with DS 13 and DD 16 they can't share a bed so two rooms at a Moderate is more expensive than one at a Deluxe. The Deluxes that we choose have 3 beds.

[KAT1811]

As much as I love to hear everyone's opinions I always get very sorry when people start going back and forth. Everyone has their own opinion and the right to express it. I would like to think that it is our love for WDW that has brought us all together. I don't think anyone here is trying to offend anyone just relaying how they personally feel. I'm sorry I asked the question.

[Willowwind]

For me it's just a personal thing, as well as knowing what my family prefers.

• I prefer deluxe resorts in general when I travel. But then I spent many years in hotel management and tend to be fussier than most.
• I prefer a hotel (indoor hallway) set up, rather than a motel set for security and privacy reasons. We also enjoy using a balcony to relax on.
• Disney is a lot about food to us, and being on the monorail or marina access provides a greater number of options. Especially since we're not food court type of people.
• The larger rooms and daybed are ideal for my family of five without having to get a second room.
• Lastly, it's nostalgic, when I was a child there were no moderate or value resorts. We camped, stayed on the monorail or near the "shopping village" in the hotel plaza. As more resorts were built I simply discovered that I prefer the deluxe choices.

[KAT1811]

For me it's just a personal thing, as well as knowing what my family prefers.

• I prefer deluxe resorts in general when I travel. But then I spent many years in hotel management and tend to be fussier than most.
• I prefer a hotel (indoor hallway) set up, rather than a motel set for security and privacy reasons. We also enjoy using a balcony to relax on.
• Disney is a lot about food to us, and being on the monorail or marina access provides a greater number of options. Especially since we're not food court type of people.
• The larger rooms and daybed are ideal for my family of five without having to get a second room.
• Lastly, it's nostalgic, when I was a child there were no moderate or value resorts. We camped, stayed on the monorail or near the "shopping village" in the hotel plaza. As more resorts were built I simply discovered that I prefer the deluxe choices.

Now that is exactly the type of response I was looking for. Thank you.

[Willowwind]

My pleasure

[Mom2princesses]

*** Deleted ****