Disney Hotel Prices are Out of Control!

[sethschroeder]

Oh come on. If you know anything about Disney and discounts, you would know that discounts have become fewer and fewer over the last 10 years. They are running 4 well advertised promotions right now. And this as they're coming up on the busy holiday season. The rates for Christmas week at the Polynesian are over $1,000 a night. The Wilderness Lodge where people love to stay around Christmas is over $600 a night. Low and behold, 1 promotion after another.

Universal is far from overpriced. Their regular rates would be acceptable to me for what we get. They just happen to treat their AP holders very well.

Sorry but right now there are 2 resort offers for the fall/winter; a Free Dining offer (for a whopping 43 days of the next 126 days), hotel discount (10/15/20% which normally is 20/25/30% historically), and then a new all you can consume ticket for MNSSHP which you need to attend 4 times hahahaha to break even (at an event many will say once again is oversold).

Sorry I am lost on your reasoning when the discounts are worse than past years with higher pricing and with more limitations as well. Seems like they raised prices, gave a worse discount, and are stilling getting the resort capacity they want.

Also you cant have it both ways. Either the discounts mean it's over priced or not. If it means its overpriced that they have "good" discounts then it means Universal is as well since they run good discounts to fill up as well (you have even shown so on other threads). I say "good" because this years discounts for Disney are less % wise than years past which has been pretty stable for years (20/25/30% or Free Dining all fall with few blackouts).

Just hit up MouseSavers historical discount list if you question it: https://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/

 

[dez1978]

No, There is zero comparison to Universal and WDW or DLR. I'll gladly pay more to stay at Disney. IMHO, Pop is as nice as Universal hotels. Its a no comparison non issue. Now, if folks like Universal and would rather go there..good. But, I'll work overtime to always goto WDW or DLR. To me, There is no substitute.
Heck, Kings Island or Cedar Point in Ohio is better than Universal. And with nice hotels.... Universal is just a six flags in a warm climate.

My Harry Potter Nerd heart cannot agree with this lol...

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I'd love to know how everyone is going to Europe for less money...

Well, let me tell you! First, I look for airfare deals ($750 rt Nashville to Paris). Then, we book a house or apartment using a legal management company (not VRBO, air BnB, etc.). Yes, we do make our own breakfast and dinner but grocery shopping is FUN in other countries. Also, the food is so much more fresh and tasty (lack of Monsanto and all). We rent a car, smallest we can get by with for us. We pick out the places we most want to see in the area and visit no more than 2, and mostly just 1, town or village each day. Our trip to France this summer was 12 nights and all in was $8500 for 4 (air, car, 9 nights house [3 bed/2 ba, private pool], 3 hotel nights, attractions). We would have spent less but splurged on 2 of the hotels (1 with an Eiffel Tower view). It takes lots of research and stalking websites but in the end it is so worth it.

Our package for 11 nights at CS with hopper plus tickets and memory maker is $6057. Food and airfare are not included yet and they will come out to more than the $2400 difference.

Now, we enjoy both types of trips but when I think about the value we are getting the Europe trip is definitely the winner.

 

[CastAStone]

Is it me or are the cost of Disney hotel rooms too high. I looked on the Disney website for a room next May and the the All Star Resorts started at $170/night. Compare that to fine hotels just outside WDW which were $60/night. Even when you factor in a rental car and parking you still save $70/night or about $500 in a week! We’ve always stayed on site but I’m nearing a breaking point.

All Star Sports opened in 1994 with prices from $77 to $109 a night, according to the LA Times.

Adjusted for inflation, that’s $137-$189 in 2019 dollars.

 

[Captainkidd76]

Sorry but right now there are 2 resort offers for the fall/winter; a Free Dining offer (for a whopping 43 days of the next 126 days), hotel discount (10/15/20% which normally is 20/25/30% historically), and then a new all you can consume ticket for MNSSHP which you need to attend 4 times hahahaha to break even (at an event many will say once again is oversold).

Sorry I am lost on your reasoning when the discounts are worse than past years with higher pricing and with more limitations as well. Seems like they raised prices, gave a worse discount, and are stilling getting the resort capacity they want.

Also you cant have it both ways. Either the discounts mean it's over priced or not. If it means its overpriced that they have "good" discounts then it means Universal is as well since they run good discounts to fill up as well (you have even shown so on other threads). I say "good" because this years discounts for Disney are less % wise than years past which has been pretty stable for years (20/25/30% or Free Dining all fall with few blackouts).

Just hit up MouseSavers historical discount list if you question it: https://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/

There is the After Noon ticket promotion as well.

Check this video out. Interesting:

 

[Captainkidd76]

And as far as Disney being affordable to the few, that is how it always has been. A trip to WDW has always been a luxury.

Nah, not so. I used to go in the early 2000's with my friends. We'd stay 9 nights for about $1,000, all together.

 

[sethschroeder]

There is the After Noon ticket promotion as well.

Check this video out. Interesting:

Just another very limited use case discount change. I did see that before but thought it was simply a new ticket type like when they used to have MK specific ticket prices.

 

[Captainkidd76]

Just another very limited use case discount change. I did see that before but thought it was simply a new ticket type like when they used to have MK specific ticket prices.

Another odd timing thing is the opening of Star Wars. I really think they're concerned. The early reviews for SWGE are in line with Disneyland - Not good. This is supposed to be their Harry Potter. The fact that there are discounts out there right now means bookings are lower than they'd like. Not what they had expected for the opening of Galaxy's Edge.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Another odd timing thing is the opening of Star Wars. I really think they're concerned. The early reviews for SWGE are in line with Disneyland - Not good. This is supposed to be their Harry Potter. The fact that there are discounts out there right now means bookings are lower than they'd like. Not what they had expected for the opening of Galaxy's Edge.

Yep I’m honestly shocked by all of it. I really didn’t think I would score any kind of discount for Thanksgiving week!!!

 

[MomOTwins]

Well, let me tell you! First, I look for airfare deals ($750 rt Nashville to Paris). Then, we book a house or apartment using a legal management company (not VRBO, air BnB, etc.). Yes, we do make our own breakfast and dinner but grocery shopping is FUN in other countries. Also, the food is so much more fresh and tasty (lack of Monsanto and all). We rent a car, smallest we can get by with for us. We pick out the places we most want to see in the area and visit no more than 2, and mostly just 1, town or village each day. Our trip to France this summer was 12 nights and all in was $8500 for 4 (air, car, 9 nights house [3 bed/2 ba, private pool], 3 hotel nights, attractions). We would have spent less but splurged on 2 of the hotels (1 with an Eiffel Tower view). It takes lots of research and stalking websites but in the end it is so worth it.

Our package for 11 nights at CS with hopper plus tickets and memory maker is $6057. Food and airfare are not included yet and they will come out to more than the $2400 difference.

Now, we enjoy both types of trips but when I think about the value we are getting the Europe trip is definitely the winner.

Okay, but you could go to Disney the exact same way you went to Europe (hd out for cheap airfare, stay at an Airbnb, grocery shop and make your own meals) and pay considerably less than $8,500. So you are comparing apples to oranges. This post is about hotel rates and there is no way you could fly to Europe and stay in hotels for that little.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Another odd timing thing is the opening of Star Wars. I really think they're concerned. The early reviews for SWGE are in line with Disneyland - Not good. This is supposed to be their Harry Potter. The fact that there are discounts out there right now means bookings are lower than they'd like. Not what they had expected for the opening of Galaxy's Edge.

I hope everyone hears what a failure it is and stays away from all of WDW in October.

 

[sethschroeder]

The fact that there are discounts out there right now means bookings are lower than they'd like.

Oh I don't doubt it's below what they want. My thought though is that price doesn't have to do much with it. It's based on some having school starting up, others wanting to avoid the "crowds", and their expectations being too high.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Okay, but you could go to Disney the exact same way you went to Europe (hd out for cheap airfare, stay at an Airbnb, grocery shop and make your own meals) and pay considerably less than $8,500. So you are comparing apples to oranges. This post is about hotel rates and there is no way you could fly to Europe and stay in hotels for that little.

Disney is expensive, no doubt, but I agree that often it’s apples to oranges comparisons. The only variable you can’t really control to lessen the cost is the park tickets, but I think even with all the increases the price per day isn’t that surprising when you look at the cost of other premium entertainment. Note that I didn’t say not expensive, just not surprising. Concerts, pro sports, even the price of a 90 minute movie, those are often priced along the same lines as Disney parks when you consider that even when hours are low you usually get somewhere around 12 hours a day. Not cheap, but I’m still paying less per day than a ticket to my local NHL team.

Part of the reason I feel like I annoy my friends when they ask how much Disney would cost them. I launch into the whole well hotel can range from $100 something to thousands a night depending what you want, then there’s offsite, etc. It’s such a range.

 

[Captainkidd76]

I hope everyone hears what a failure it is and stays away from all of WDW in October.

I think it's too early to call it a failure. If Rise of the Resistance is as good as it's supposed to be, it'll work.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I think it's too early to call it a failure. If Rise of the Resistance is as good as it's supposed to be, it'll work.

I know, I was joking.

 

[scionchigirl]

Nah, not so. I used to go in the early 2000's with my friends. We'd stay 9 nights for about $1,000, all together.

Hmmm, I went on my first trip as a family in 2005 and it was $2800 for 7 days, 6 nights at Pop with the dining plan. It WAS a lot of money back then! Was it $1000 just for you or all 9???

 

[scionchigirl]

Hmmm, I went on my first trip as a family in 2005 and it was $2800 for 7 days, 6 nights at Pop with the dining plan. It WAS a lot of money back then! Was it $1000 just for you or all 9???

Just found an old confirmation email for a 5 night trip to ASMo with free dining for $1900, but I had a pin code AND free QS offer, that was my cheapest trip.

 

[Captainkidd76]

Hmmm, I went on my first trip as a family in 2005 and it was $2800 for 7 days, 6 nights at Pop with the dining plan. It WAS a lot of money back then! Was it $1000 just for you or all 9???

Lol, no just me. But thinking about it, paying for just yourself, especially when you're splitting the cost of a room at All Star Movies, that's very different than paying for your whole family.

 

[DisneyandBeerLover]

I'm coming into this thread late but I agree. Disney prices as a whole are becoming too expensive. We love WDW but it's becoming harder and harder to go anymore. We're at the point where we're getting APs (even though it's almost $1200 EACH!!) and going a bunch next year because we're about to be priced out. Our trips are costing so much more than what we've ever paid in the past. For our last trip (Feb 2019) and our next trip (December 2019), we were unable to use any discounts for when, where and how long we wanted to stay so paying rack rate was brutal especially our 10 nights at WL. It's really too bad because WDW is a huge part of our lives but we're having trouble affording it anymore.

 

[scionchigirl]

Nah, not so. I used to go in the early 2000's with my friends. We'd stay 9 nights for about $1,000, all together.

Lol, I thought you meant for 9!With flights/souvenirs/incidentals we paid $4k for our trip, which we skrimped for as youngish family. Our resources improved and we went 2006,2009,2012 and 2014...plus 2 DL trips.Our kids are young adults now and we are going in November to ASMo, which is costing me MORE than our 2014 trip to WL with free dining. I also got $400 off that trip because the pool was closed and I asked a CM if I could get a discount and yup!!!