Disney Hotel Prices are Out of Control!

[Ninja Mom]

If you don't belong to Mouse Savers newsletter be sure to sign up. They often have some great discounts at these hotels.

Also consider joining hotel loyalty programs. Doing so will provide access to special rates and other perks, depending on the program.

~NM

 

[snappy]

And there’s always Priceline

 

[writerguyfl]

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.

No. It's not just you. Given the quality of the resorts, the prices are astronomical most of the year. Disney's Value Resorts are motels with some (tacky) architectural flourishes and some oversize pools. Paying $170 for a tiny motel room is crazy...even given the location and free airport transportation.

Compare that to fine hotels just outside WDW which were $60/night.

I visit the Disney World area multiple times each year. (Some work trips; some pleasure trips.) I feel like I know the area and the hotels pretty well. Honestly, aside from one or two shining stars, finding a solid hotel for $60/night is pretty tough.

That said, if you bump that up to $80/night, you'll often have 5 to 10 options from which to choose. Instead of a tiny motel room, you can get brand-name, midscale hotel (usually without a resort fee) for about that price.

I think your overall premise still holds if you can still save $50/night.

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This particular forum is full of people that are very pro Disney Resorts. There's nothing wrong with that...except when they start insisting that you'll have a sub-par vacation unless you stay at a Disney Resort. Often, the people saying those types of statements haven't ever tried staying at a non-Disney Resort. (Or if they did, it was years ago.)

In case you're unfamiliar, there is a separate forum that discusses non-Disney hotels and resorts. The regulars over there are people that do stay at a variety of different places...from motels, to hotels, to condos, and rental houses. If you were to ask your question there, you'll get a very different set of responses.

If you're interested, click on the Orlando Hotels and Attractions link on the main page. Or, click here:

https://www.disboards.com/forums/orlando-hotels-and-attractions.15/

 

[bryanb]

This particular forum is full of people that are very pro Disney Resorts. There's nothing wrong with that...except when they start insisting that you'll have a sub-par vacation unless you stay at a Disney Resort. Often, the people saying those types of statements haven't ever tried staying at a non-Disney Resort. (Or if they did, it was years ago.)

In case you're unfamiliar, there is a separate forum that discusses non-Disney hotels and resorts. The regulars over there are people that do stay at a variety of different places...from motels, to hotels, to condos, and rental houses. If you were to ask your question there, you'll get a very different set of responses.

If you're interested, click on the Orlando Hotels and Attractions link on the main page. Or, click here:

https://www.disboards.com/forums/orlando-hotels-and-attractions.15/

Agree. Disney has done a good job at marketing the “magic” of staying on-site, so some people consider that intangible “Disney bubble” an essential part of the vacation experience. From there, it’s just supply and demand.

Even though Disney has vastly expanded the number of hotel rooms over the past decades, their occupancy rate is extremely high for the industry. The only answer to that is to keep building, and in the meantime, to make sure you’re charging the highest price you can for the rooms you have.

I admit I like to stay on site as well. But I also think that hotels like the Swan/Dolphin are outstanding values for on-site hotels, often at 33%-50% less than Disney Deluxe equivalents. And off-site hotels that are just a few minutes drive from the magic are very smart alternatives. Many of the perks of staying on-site are really just designed to make you spend more money at Disney anyway (as opposed to Disney just being charitable).

 

[Calee]

We stayed last week at a Fairfield inn, 5 minutes from Disney, $62 and.included breakfast. We had a family suite which had a queen bed, bunk beds, and a trundle. I was amazed. We did move to an on site resort as planned for the remainder of our stay, but it has definitely made me think about doing things differently for future stays.

 

[vacationer1954]

Agree. Disney has done a good job at marketing the “magic” of staying on-site, so some people consider that intangible “Disney bubble” an essential part of the vacation experience.

Except it isn't just marketing. We are about to move five miles from Maingate but keeping our DVC membership... why the heck would anyone do that? Because there are benefits of being on-property that are worth the price. Not everyone will see that value, but it is still there and tens hundreds of thousands of other people do.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I wouldn't stay in a 60 dollar a night hotel ANYWHERE in the US. Pretty much guaranteed to be a #*$% hole. Im sure there are exceptions in some places, but still that's way cheap. The modest Marriott Courtyard by my house is regularly $160-170 a night. I consider that to be the normal price of a clean room these days. I think Disney Values are an amazing price for all you get. Sure you can stay off site for similar prices in "better" rooms but you lose are the benefits and Disney charm.

For offsite with benefits(and still on property) I like the Hilton Bonnet Creek.

 

[cakebaker]

There's nothing wrong with that...except when they start insisting that you'll have a sub-par vacation unless you stay at a Disney Resort.

By the same token, those of us who choose to stay on site get told we’re fools for paying what it costs to do so.

 

[Hi Pluto]

Besides the discount hotel sites, check around with some disney-focused travel agents.

 

[k5xs]

I agree that room prices are out of control, especially when you consider all the problems that one encounters when staying at a Disney resort. Dirty rooms, housekeeping that doesn't always come and random, on demand, room invasions are just to name a few.

Discount availability is really drying up, giving Disney the advantage of advertising that they offer discounts, but in reality, offering fewer and fewer or ones that aren't really worth the trouble of using. For example: the free dining promotion has turned into a joke. For certain plans, you didn't even get a refillable mug or a snack with your counter service meal. Really Disney? And you have to pay the full, overinflated rack rate to get one $13.00 counter service meal a day (per person).

There are multiple places to stay outside Disney property that are close, don't have resort fees, parking fees or WIFI fees. Some even offer a free hot breakfast, happy hour and have excellent amenities. All this can be had for prices per night that are much lower than what Disney rips people off for. It literally pays to do your homework and shop around. If you do you'll find that the only thing you are giving up are the Disney high prices for inferior offerings.

~NM

We have stayed at WDW resorts of all levels six or seven times a year for the past thirty years, from Pop and all of the All Stars to concierge level at the Contemporary. Not a single time have we had a “dirty” room. Not once has housekeeping failed to service our room. To my knowledge we’ve never had an “on demand invasion” of our room.

I don’t think Disney offerings are “inferior” at all, but I am happy that some may consider them so. Lower demand helps keep prices in check.

You say Disney “rips people off.” I could not disagree more. People are generally pretty careful with their money. If Disney was truly a ripoff, demand wouldn’t be what it is.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Disney resorts are not worth the price they charge. That being said, I was happy to get a preferred room at Pop for under $200 for this Thanksgiving. It's what we expect traveling during such a busy season. I cannot justify the deluxe rates anymore. We got a Labor Day deal last summer and it was maybe $250 a night for the Contemporary. I wouldn't want to see rack rate there these days.

We stayed at the Drury Inn Gainesville on our way down in July. It was $100 a night and by far the cleanest room I have ever stayed in. It was so quiet, huge room, awesome beds, service was great, free breakfast, no parking fee. It's tough to swallow the WDW prices when you get so much elsewhere.

 

[epcotobsessed]

For us, Uber is a game changer. We used it this past week several times and the wait was never more than 5 minutes, anywhere, and the ride was always under $10 (before tip, sometimes after tip). Adding in the cost of 2-4 Ubers a day (and 4 is really pushing it) to an offsite hotel doesn't begin to reach the price of a comparable Disney hotel. People love staying onsite, and we probably always will as well for at least a few days, but as far as the rooms themselves, the quality and comfort of Disney deluxe hotels are more like value or moderate for any other hotel and with the ease of Uber it makes offsite hotels look a lot more attractive to us.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There's nothing wrong with that...except when they start insisting that you'll have a sub-par vacation unless you stay at a Disney Resort.

It gets even more nitty gritty too--those who stay Value *gasp* you're bound to have a terrible time there

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There is a premium for being on Disney's property (not just Disney-owned hotels). There are different price ranges people are comfortable spending too. People don't all value the same 'benefits' or 'perks' that come with a specific place.

Looking at most of the on-property options, even discounted, are out of our comfort range. That's ok by us I will say I personally believe the price point being charged is, to us that is, unreasonable as a whole on-site. To some there's just no price tag for what they value and that's also ok

 

[saskdw]

I don't stay in $60 per night hotels.

 

[pahoben]

I don't stay in $60 per night hotels.

Just $50/night and under?

 

[fhtpdw20]

Disney subtracted a lot of the magic when they remodeled the resort rooms. They are not themed anymore. Just white hospital sheets cover the beds. YUCK!!!

 

[pahoben]

I wouldn't stay in a 60 dollar a night hotel ANYWHERE in the US. Pretty much guaranteed to be a #*$% hole. Im sure there are exceptions in some places, but still that's way cheap. The modest Marriott Courtyard by my house is regularly $160-170 a night. I consider that to be the normal price of a clean room these days. I think Disney Values are an amazing price for all you get. Sure you can stay off site for similar prices in "better" rooms but you lose are the benefits and Disney charm.

For offsite with benefits(and still on property) I like the Hilton Bonnet Creek.

I just looked at the Hilton Bonnet Creek website and it does appear a good option and worth the $50/night extra compared to Holiday Inn Disney Springs.

 

[HopperFan]

Not $60, but check out Wyndham bonnet creek. Lots of room, clean, resort feel, and good location. And a kitchen to eat in and washer drier so you can bring fewer clothes.

Never paid over $70 a night for the WBC one bedroom, so close since no other fees.

OP ... look at your options for "condo/timeshares" or "houses/townhomes" .... you can get lots for $60-100 a night including kitchen, laundry (means I pack less), pools, hot tubs, slides and some have onsite dining and bars. AND a very short drive to parks. My offsite stays for years got me in bed usually before a Disney resort bus even pulled in to the park depot.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't stay in $60 per night hotels.

I tend to not necessarily go by price at least a strict price like that.

Not $60 per night but you can get Hilton-branded properties for under $80 a night pretty close to Disney's property (also under $90). I'd say Hilton as a brand is pretty well respected.

We stayed at Excalibur in June for $19 per night (then taxes and fees but even then not that much) for 2 of our nights (Thursday and Sunday with Friday and Saturday being a lot higher).

I look at the area itself for my qualifications. In Orlando there are many decently-priced places to stay at. But when I compare that to Jamaica for instance--yeah I probably wouldn't want to risk really low cost places.