Disney Room Discount Idea!

[Ned Land]

My idea is to discount rooms at WDW in a similar fashion to the way the new tickets are discounted. My plan would go something like this:

Stay 1, 2, or 3 nights = Pay rack rate
Stay 4, 5, or 6 nights = 12.5% discount
Stay 7, 8, or 9 nights = 25% discount
Stay 10 nights + = 37.5% discount

With this plan, Disney could cut costs on half of their service center employees who answer calls all day from folks inquiring about codes. There would never be any stress or confusion about the cost of the trip. People would extend their trips.

The only problem I see is that people who take short visits might look elsewhere outside of WDW for lodging because they know they are paying full price.

Any thoughts?

 

[safetymom]

Why should Disney offer discounts if they don't have to? It isn't a given that there will always be a discount. With the growing number of tourists to Orlando the resorts are enjoying record bookings so I don't think you will see the discounts of the past several years.

 

[Ned Land]

Safetymom,

Are you thinking that my plan would cost them money? They would make big money on the short stays and entice people to extend their stay. I agree that travel is up, but this idea is similar to Magic Your Way Tickets. Customers are rewarded for a longer stay. Otherwise my 10 day MYW ticket that I am buying in September would cost me over $600 (over $60 x 10 days). Instead I am paying around $200.

I don't think that people are entitled to discounts. However, there has to be a better way than this code nonsense if they do continue to offer deals.

 

[Brian Noble]

Wild guess: the MYW tickets are deeply discounted for long stays, magical express is free, and EMHs are extended because the profit margin on the hotels is better than it is for the parks. In effect, the long-stay MYW tickets plus longer park days for resorts guests are a loss-leader for the resorts.

Given the discounts for the resorts late spring/early summer are both more restrictive (no general codes as of yet) and less generous (higher prices than spring/summers past) I'd say it was working.

 

[safetymom]

I don't think they have to offer room discounts because tourism is up. As the other poster mentioned they get you with the free transportation and the better deal on the ticket. They have to make some money somewhere.

I don't think they care either if someone rents the room for 10 days or 3 days as long as their occupancy rates are high. They aren't out to reward the customer, they are in the business to make money.

 

[cjsmith]

My idea is to discount rooms at WDW in a similar fashion to the way the new tickets are discounted. My plan would go something like this:

Stay 1, 2, or 3 nights = Pay rack rate
Stay 4, 5, or 6 nights = 12.5% discount
Stay 7, 8, or 9 nights = 25% discount
Stay 10 nights + = 37.5% discount

With this plan, Disney could cut costs on half of their service center employees who answer calls all day from folks inquiring about codes. There would never be any stress or confusion about the cost of the trip. People would extend their trips.

The only problem I see is that people who take short visits might look elsewhere outside of WDW for lodging because they know they are paying full price.

Any thoughts?

But for those people who live in Florida it would never work as most of us don't spend 10 nights at Disney. I go for 2-3 nights per trip but will stay about 25 nights per year total so it would totally suck for me. Frankly it would be great if Disney started rewarding those of us who do spend so much time there, let alone my stay is always at the same resort!

 

[disneyworldgirl]

My idea is to discount rooms at WDW in a similar fashion to the way the new tickets are discounted. My plan would go something like this:

Stay 1, 2, or 3 nights = Pay rack rate
Stay 4, 5, or 6 nights = 12.5% discount
Stay 7, 8, or 9 nights = 25% discount
Stay 10 nights + = 37.5% discount

With this plan, Disney could cut costs on half of their service center employees who answer calls all day from folks inquiring about codes. There would never be any stress or confusion about the cost of the trip. People would extend their trips.

The only problem I see is that people who take short visits might look elsewhere outside of WDW for lodging because they know they are paying full price.

Any thoughts?

I, for one, think you might be on to something here. I don't know if I'd go that deep with the discounts, but I think it would be a good incentive for people to book longer stays. I'll be purchasing an AP later on for a 13-day trip that my DB and I will be taking next year, and there's no guarantee that the hotels we're planning to book will have AP discounts. While I understand that the resorts are in the business of making money, I'd like to hold onto some of it for the rest of my trip!

Also, if people can save a little more on WDW resorts, not only might they be more likely to stay inside the World, they might also spend a little more in the shops and at the parks. I say it's worth a try.

My suggestion for discount rates is:
Stay 1-3 nights: Rack rate
Stay 4-6 nights: 5% off
Stay 7-9 nights: 8% off
Stay 10+ nights: 10% off

 

[CarolA]

I can see the long stay discounts, but I think you are probably a little high for Disney LOL!

 

[verchad]

Longer stays at better prices, more money to spend on food, drinks, souveniers. I never thought they'd do anything like the packages they are offering now, but they did, who knows what they will try next for marketing.

 

[CleveRocks]

Wild guess: the MYW tickets are deeply discounted for long stays, magical express is free, and EMHs are extended because the profit margin on the hotels is better than it is for the parks. In effect, the long-stay MYW tickets plus longer park days for resorts guests are a loss-leader for the resorts.

Given the discounts for the resorts late spring/early summer are both more restrictive (no general codes as of yet) and less generous (higher prices than spring/summers past) I'd say it was working.

EXACTLY!!! You extend your stay a night or 2 because the extra days' park tickets are nearly free, but meanwhile you're spending $100-$200 MORE for each night of lodging, plus your extra money on meals, snacks, and souvenirs for those extra days and nights. As someone else posted, Disney isn't rewarding customers, it's improving its own profit margin. Nothing wrong with making a profit; if you providfe a good product and people like it more than your competitors' products, you deserve the rewards. And this is coming from a bleeding-heart liberal!

-- Eric