I just can't see paying almost double to stay on site…WDW yes…DL no

[soma151]

Lots of very wealthy people refuse to spend more money than they have to on anything.
After all, that's how they got to be rich in the first place!

LOL…That is so true, most of my rich friends (and i have a few) are the last to get the check, the last to buy a round, dress as if they are poor, drive Toyota's or Subaru, live in 1800sqft homes, the last to spend money frivolously, it is the reason they have lots of money. But the first to give to a good cause, the first to help with the new homeless shelter, the first to get new band equipment for school, the first to help at church & food bank, the first to give and help raise money for things needed in town. They understand they have been lucky at making money(for some of us its really easy) but also understand money is to help others. We all sleep with our eye closed as long as we are warm and safe its good to go for me. But i love reading all these view points. We just started coming back to Disney because we now have grandchildren. (but i did come on my 50th birthday just me and wife) But its not a place we pick to go 10 times year, we like the outdoors a little more, not that we don't love big cities its just that LA is just not one of them we have visited a lot? After we have moved to the Northwest (yes i am from Calif.) we don't even visit San Fran that much any more. Denver, Seattle, B.C. are all just so new and fresh, we seem to go there more now a days, this is not to put down any one ( i see how devoted all you are to Walt) just trying to answer some questions asked? If the mods want to remove this they can its all been said i guess, thank you all for you honest and heart felt opinion.

 

[NancyIL]

I choose to stay offsite, not because of a shortage of money, but because of an unwillingness to spend hundreds of dollars per night for a place to sleep. The Disneyland resorts are quite expensive, but some of the motels on Harbor Drive are also way overpriced, in my opinion. Someone mentioned the Fairfield Inn on Harbor Drive. We stayed there in 1998 for $40/night - shortly after it joined the Marriott family. However, I won't pay the AAA rate of $179/night in early December for a high rise-motel! Instead, I booked the new Homewood Suites near the Convention Center @ $107/night (AAA). If I were on a tight budget, I'd use Priceline, as I have in the past.

 

[Canadian Harmony]

I think we all just love going to DLR and having fun. That's what counts.

 

[dsny1mom]

I am one that

I would have to completely disagree with you, lots of us can afford to stay on site and choose not too. The Disney bubble is just that a bubble and sales pitch. One time in line i talked with a guy that said " Hell my Disney vacation is all put on my card, we stop spending when its full " My Disney vacation is all payed for in full one month after getting the bill. I know lots of people go into debt to go to Disney and take years to pay it off. And thats fine for them if they want to do that. I live debt free and would never go on Vacation any place if i had to go into debt to do it. I think a lot of Pass holders are way to wrapped up in Disney. But living in L.A. must be a really good place to live with all those people living there its just not for me. I have never heard of any one going to a Hotel for Vacation? I guess it may happen but most go to a PLACE and stay at a hotel.

If the "Disney Bubble" is no more than a sales pitch to you then is DL no more than just another theme/amusement park to you? If that's what it is to you that's great. but to others it is much more than just a theme park with cool rides and shows. When others are there it is magic and we want to be in the magic the entire time we are there!!!!

If people want to stay on site and pay 4X's what others pay for a hotel room I just don't get what the big deal is!!!!

It's almost like some that stay off site are trying to make those that do stay on site seem like spend thrifts, gullible or living beyond their means!!!!! Yet, I don't see those that stay on site implying those that stay off site are cheap, have lower standards, or can't afford to stay on site. This shouldn't be about taking sides!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone spends their money the way the want to. I have a Great Niece that goes to every Cubs game, I would not enjoy that so I don't do that! Her Dad has a box at the United Center and goes to every Hawks home game, I turned down the offer to sit in the box for game 6 of the Stanley Cup final. I don't question their desire to spend their money on these things nor do I make comments that I think they are spending foolishly, living beyond their means or make any other jab.

No doubt there are plenty that can afford to stay on site but choose not to. Just like there are plenty who do stay on site that do not go into debt to do so!!!

Vacations or trips of any kind are very personal. One poster said they would rather stay in cheaper room and spend those savings on character meals. Others stay on and off site dependent on their circumstances at the time. I only stay on site. Then you have others that only stay club level and visit Disney Parks with a VIP guide. None of these are wrong but rather right for each of those individuals!

dsny1mom

 

[Superblonde]

For us - since we're coming from the East Coast and are only in DL for 3 days - we were hoping to pay $350/night. Well all the DL hotels were $500+ so it wasn't worth it to us. We always stay on site in WDW but the range is much greater to fit anyone and everyones budget there... we would have loved to stay on site at DL but it just wasn't worth in compared to the $120 (including breakfast with a Disney view) at the Hilton. I would have happily paid more the stay on site - just not THAT much more.

 

[5forMickey]

For us - since we're coming from the East Coast and are only in DL for 3 days - we were hoping to pay $350/night. Well all the DL hotels were $500+ so it wasn't worth it to us. We always stay on site in WDW but the range is much greater to fit anyone and everyones budget there... we would have loved to stay on site at DL but it just wasn't worth in compared to the $120 (including breakfast with a Disney view) at the Hilton. I would have happily paid more the stay on site - just not THAT much more.

Again, for us, we won't go if we can't get a room onsite. Just not how I want to spend my trip, I'll wait until the have availability. However, if I ever did decide to go and stay offsite the Hilton would be one I would choose. We actually have stayed there before and it is a nice Hotel. I would not stay at the offsites close on Harbor - just not someplace I would be comfortable. I would choose to be a little further from the gate but a nicer Hotel like the Hilton is - even if I had to use ART (which I HATE)! I think you will be happy with the Hilton

 

[soma151]

If the "Disney Bubble" is no more than a sales pitch to you then is DL no more than just another theme/amusement park to you? If that's what it is to you that's great. but to others it is much more than just a theme park with cool rides and shows. When others are there it is magic and we want to be in the magic the entire time we are there!!!!

If people want to stay on site and pay 4X's what others pay for a hotel room I just don't get what the big deal is!!!!

It's almost like some that stay off site are trying to make those that do stay on site seem like spend thrifts, gullible or living beyond their means!!!!! Yet, I don't see those that stay on site implying those that stay off site are cheap, have lower standards, or can't afford to stay on site. This shouldn't be about taking sides!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone spends their money the way the want to. I have a Great Niece that goes to every Cubs game, I would not enjoy that so I don't do that! Her Dad has a box at the United Center and goes to every Hawks home game, I turned down the offer to sit in the box for game 6 of the Stanley Cup final. I don't question their desire to spend their money on these things nor do I make comments that I think they are spending foolishly, living beyond their means or make any other jab.

No doubt there are plenty that can afford to stay on site but choose not to. Just like there are plenty who do stay on site that do not go into debt to do so!!!

Vacations or trips of any kind are very personal. One poster said they would rather stay in cheaper room and spend those savings on character meals. Others stay on and off site dependent on their circumstances at the time. I only stay on site. Then you have others that only stay club level and visit Disney Parks with a VIP guide. None of these are wrong but rather right for each of those individuals!

dsny1mom

Again i repeat I DO NOT MEAN TO OFFEND but if you ask? Yes i see it as just another amusement park, I stop drinking the Kool aid from these companies years ago, i am old enough to remember when all these coperations didn't own every thing. It seems the most upset people on this post are those justifying staying on site. It was never my intent to bust any ones bubble or say i am right and you are wrong. I love to study people and how they are and what makes them do what they do. I am the kind of guy that has to know WHY this person does things this way or that way. ITS JUST ME, I never meant to ruffle any feathers or push any ones buttons and if i have i am truly sorry. But with that said it seems funny to me why people would defend this so much? Like most of you said..Its you're money and you're vaction do what you want to do. But those saying this is not a sales pitch…lol…i retired at 48 from building and selling TIME SHARE all over Central America..And i can tell you this is a sales pitch 101 we used it all the time and its being used on you. They charge this and get away with it because they sale you on SIZZLE not value. Its done to peeps every day because it works. So you can tell you're self NO ITS NOT ME THEY ARE SELLING, But its peeps just like you they are selling it too. TIME SAHRE IS THE WORST real-estate investment any one person can invest in. And the people that buy time share are never people with money..Its people that pay things on time…Get it...TIME SHARE. And i am willing to bet lots of people that spend all that money to stay at a Disney on site hotel get home with a big after party hang over and say? My God what did we just do? And spend the next 6 months to year paying for it? If this was not the case people would not react like a lot of you have?…No need to answer any of this, we got our room you all have been very helpful, but time to get off the internet and rejoin the real world.

 

[MommyJKM]

And i am willing to bet lots of people that spend all that money to stay at a Disney on site hotel get home with a big after party hang over and say? My God what did we just do? And spend the next 6 months to year paying for it? If this was not the case people would not react like a lot of you have?…No need to answer any of this, we got our room you all have been very helpful, but time to get off the internet and rejoin the real world.

Well we don't. We happily stay at GCH and get home and say "What a wonderful trip and experience". Sometimes people just spend money on things they want to do happily.
If you can't afford it don't do it. But those that can shouldn't be looked at as "suckers" - we just choose to spend our money that way.

 

[dsny1mom]

Again i repeat I DO NOT MEAN TO OFFEND but if you ask? Yes i see it as just another amusement park, I stop drinking the Kool aid from these companies years ago, i am old enough to remember when all these coperations didn't own every thing. It seems the most upset people on this post are those justifying staying on site. It was never my intent to bust any ones bubble or say i am right and you are wrong. I love to study people and how they are and what makes them do what they do. I am the kind of guy that has to know WHY this person does things this way or that way. ITS JUST ME, I never meant to ruffle any feathers or push any ones buttons and if i have i am truly sorry. But with that said it seems funny to me why people would defend this so much? Like most of you said..Its you're money and you're vaction do what you want to do. But those saying this is not a sales pitch…lol…i retired at 48 from building and selling TIME SHARE all over Central America..And i can tell you this is a sales pitch 101 we used it all the time and its being used on you. They charge this and get away with it because they sale you on SIZZLE not value. Its done to peeps every day because it works. So you can tell you're self NO ITS NOT ME THEY ARE SELLING, But its peeps just like you they are selling it too. TIME SAHRE IS THE WORST real-estate investment any one person can invest in. And the people that buy time share are never people with money..Its people that pay things on time…Get it...TIME SHARE. And i am willing to bet lots of people that spend all that money to stay at a Disney on site hotel get home with a big after party hang over and say? My God what did we just do? And spend the next 6 months to year paying for it? If this was not the case people would not react like a lot of you have?…No need to answer any of this, we got our room you all have been very helpful, but time to get off the internet and rejoin the real world.

Not surprised DL is nothing more than amusement park to you. That's ok many people see DL that way.
What does surprise me is the inability to understand that some people find value in staying onsite and they have not been buffaloed or sold a bill of goods to feel that way.

No one has sold me anything. In fact I have passed on DVC because I am not a fan of time shares but am happy for all that have purchased the Disney time share known as DVC.

You keep bringing this conversation back to people staying on site and having to use credit to pay for it. Not sure why you believe this. MANY people can afford to stay on site without going into debt to do so!!!!

I can't speak for others (although several have also said this) but "I" do not finance my DL trips. I really didn't want to take this direction but you have left me no alternative as you keep bringing this back to finances. I can afford to stay on site (we average 21 days at DLH a year), we are Premium Annual Pass Holders (who live 2000 miles away from DLR)we eat at every single sit down restaurant we enjoy each visit (we eat 3 meals a day at DLR) and buy what we want (hope to pick up the Bulova Diamond Anniversary watch when I arrive) and pay for them upfront and not have to charge one single thing!!!! Apologies to anyone that perceives this as bragging. Not bragging at all just trying to get the point across!!!

Not everyone finds value in the same things. Maui is pretty but a real bore to me and I find little value in going there. Vegas is not for me and I have zero desire to travel outside of the USA. So I go to DLR every chance I get because for me that is where I get the experience and value I want!!

dsny1mom

 

[nolenbelledavis]

We stayed at HoJos and then the next year I got a discount on orbitz, so we decided to stay at GCH and just see if it was worth it for us. We were ruined. We have 4 young kids and it was a total experience changer for our family. When we were 10 feet from our hotel it was easy to pop back in to the room to take a nap, or rest and swim, and then go back to the park later in the day. When we had to walk to/from Hojos it just didn't happen. We were there the entire day. I think it's different for 2 adults traveling alone, but if you have young kids and you're in and out of the hotel all day, it's a huge treat to be right there. We stayed in a one bedroom suite when we went this past May and instead of watching World of Color from the park, we watched it from our balcony. We could see the parade from our room. We also will pay our bill in full at the end of this month, so there is no concern about being in debt for 6 months over the trip. I normally would never choose a hotel room that costs as much, but it really enhanced our experience. As a side note, we've only stayed off property at WDW, my aunt has a time share that she's let us use when we've gone and we can't turn down free and it was wonderful having 2 rooms and a kitchen. But once we're at WDW, we commit for the full day, we don't ever go back to the room, I figure we just shouldn't stay on property and we won't know what we're missing!

 

[5forMickey]

You keep bringing this conversation back to people staying on site and having to use credit to pay for it. Not sure why you believe this. MANY people can afford to stay on site without going into debt to do so!!!!

I can't speak for others (although several have also said this) but "I" do not finance my DL trips. I really didn't want to take this direction but you have left me no alternative as you keep bringing this back to finances. I can afford to stay on site (we average 21 days at DLH a year), we are Premium Annual Pass Holders (who live 2000 miles away from DLR)we eat at every single sit down restaurant we enjoy each visit (we eat 3 meals a day at DLR) and buy what we want (hope to pick up the Bulova Diamond Anniversary watch when I arrive) and pay for them upfront and not have to charge one single thing!!!! Apologies to anyone that perceives this as bragging. Not bragging at all just trying to get the point across!!!
dsny1mom

Thanks for finally going there because I have been holding it in also!!! I'm going to add that not only do I like to stay on site but that I only wanna stay in the 2 room suite club level. We also eat and buy what we want and do not carry balances on our cards. I'm not sure why we are apologizing or trying to be PC for liking or being able to afford what we want in life............maybe 48 years of selling timeshares wasn't really that lucrative? I don't really think the Hotel is that expensive but maybe that is because I don't really pay attention to the costs of Lodging anywhere -- it's just not really that big of an issue to us. And apparently it isn't that big of an issue for many or the resorts wouldn't be so full all of the time.

I'm going to go back to soma151's original post and doubt that you normally stay at 4 and 5 star resorts and are desiring to stay at a 2 star motel on Harbor, people don't usually go backwards by choice. There is nothing wrong with those motels but someone who routinely stays at a 4 star would not be comfortable there. I don't think any of this was ever about you trying to understand why people thought the onsite Hotels were worth it or not, I think it was more about trying to make yourself feel better because you weren't going to be staying there.

We weren't always fortunate enough to not worry about how much we spent on vacation. But hard work and good choices made it so money isn't our first concern. I do know what it is like to have to budget for vacations and am grateful that it isn't an issue now. We had many happy vacations when we were counting pennies but I couldn't go back to vacationing that way now. During those lean years, never did I act so resentful of others as you have. Why are you so bothered that some would pay double? You actually don't sound like someone trying to "study" -- you sound very resentful!

 

[DizMe]

Edited to say nothing.

 

[FryingPansWhoKnew]

I stop drinking the Kool aid from these companies years ago

I think the problem is that this seems like condescension, like you know something the rest don't. Your posts contain a lot of arrogance and assumptions that you are smarter than everyone else. Maybe just remove statements like this from your posts (they really add nothing of value anyway) and people won't get the wrong idea.

Any hotel I go to, there are people who stay in the standard room and people who stay in the penthouse. It's no great mystery to me why either makes the choice that they do so I'm always puzzled when this topic comes up.

 

[bookgirl]

And so begins the descent..........

 

[dsny1mom]

Thanks for finally going there because I have been holding it in also!!! I'm going to add that not only do I like to stay on site but that I only wanna stay in the 2 room suite club level. We also eat and buy what we want and do not carry balances on our cards. I'm not sure why we are apologizing or trying to be PC for liking or being able to afford what we want in life............maybe 48 years of selling timeshares wasn't really that lucrative? I don't really think the Hotel is that expensive but maybe that is because I don't really pay attention to the costs of Lodging anywhere -- it's just not really that big of an issue to us. And apparently it isn't that big of an issue for many or the resorts wouldn't be so full all of the time.

I'm going to go back to soma151's original post and doubt that you normally stay at 4 and 5 star resorts and are desiring to stay at a 2 star motel on Harbor, people don't usually go backwards by choice. There is nothing wrong with those motels but someone who routinely stays at a 4 star would not be comfortable there. I don't think any of this was ever about you trying to understand why people thought the onsite Hotels were worth it or not, I think it was more about trying to make yourself feel better because you weren't going to be staying there.

We weren't always fortunate enough to not worry about how much we spent on vacation. But hard work and good choices made it so money isn't our first concern. I do know what it is like to have to budget for vacations and am grateful that it isn't an issue now. We had many happy vacations when we were counting pennies but I couldn't go back to vacationing that way now. During those lean years, never did I act so resentful of others as you have. Why are you so bothered that some would pay double? You actually don't sound like someone trying to "study" -- you sound very resentful!

Don't get me started on suites and club level. lol We only did a suite one trip out of our 3 trips last year and haven't done club level in way too long! Sadly when they combined the three DLR lounges for scheduling the cast members all of the DLH concierge cast members left, and it sort of lost its luster for us as we had really gotten close to all of them. Some we still spend time with when we are in So Cal. I believe the only CM left from the "good old days" is Glendana, she works food and beverage in the lounge.

Now all this talk has me wanting to stay club again! Hmmmm..... perhaps our Oct trip will be the best to add club as the park will close early on week nights.

Back on topic: DLH is not all that expensive in the grand scheme of things! When I travel to Boston and Vermont on business the hotels I stay in are very close to DLH prices and they don't have a theme park attached to them!

dsny1mom

 

[FryingPansWhoKnew]

And so begins the descent..........

It's usually around page 4 when someone says something out of line so we're right on track again.

 

[calilou]

Again i repeat I DO NOT MEAN TO OFFEND but if you ask? Yes i see it as just another amusement park, I stop drinking the Kool aid from these companies years ago, i am old enough to remember when all these coperations didn't own every thing. It seems the most upset people on this post are those justifying staying on site. It was never my intent to bust any ones bubble or say i am right and you are wrong. I love to study people and how they are and what makes them do what they do. I am the kind of guy that has to know WHY this person does things this way or that way. ITS JUST ME, I never meant to ruffle any feathers or push any ones buttons and if i have i am truly sorry. But with that said it seems funny to me why people would defend this so much? Like most of you said..Its you're money and you're vaction do what you want to do. But those saying this is not a sales pitch…lol…i retired at 48 from building and selling TIME SHARE all over Central America..And i can tell you this is a sales pitch 101 we used it all the time and its being used on you. They charge this and get away with it because they sale you on SIZZLE not value. Its done to peeps every day because it works. So you can tell you're self NO ITS NOT ME THEY ARE SELLING, But its peeps just like you they are selling it too. TIME SAHRE IS THE WORST real-estate investment any one person can invest in. And the people that buy time share are never people with money..Its people that pay things on time…Get it...TIME SHARE. And i am willing to bet lots of people that spend all that money to stay at a Disney on site hotel get home with a big after party hang over and say? My God what did we just do? And spend the next 6 months to year paying for it? If this was not the case people would not react like a lot of you have?…No need to answer any of this, we got our room you all have been very helpful, but time to get off the internet and rejoin the real world.

The only one here who seems offended and has their feathers ruffled is you! I guess because you can't change others' minds so that they feel the same as you? Focus on yourself and your unproductive need to stereotype and insult others' viewpoints to try to get your point across. It never works. It's okay that we all have different priorities and make choices that fit our needs best. No one here has insulted your choice to stay offsite or tried to talk you into choosing otherwise. I challenge you to go back and re-read your posts to see if you can say the same.

 

[Gisele]

Hm.....and before ya know it, the dueling banjo boys are back....reckon they be stayin a while..... how I do declare I like them boys!

 

[Sherry E]

And so begins the descent..........

I was hoping that people would get the hint -- since I have been posting right in the thread -- to not "descend" and to not "go there."

Please guys -- this is an interesting discussion but, if something irritates you, take the high road. Don't go there. Don't lash out. You just end up making things difficult for us -- the mods -- and for yourselves on the board. If someone reports a post and I don't delete it, I cannot guarantee that another mod or a webmaster won't delete it. There are times when I am willing to wait something out and see if it fizzles on its own or turns back around, but other people may delete the posts if they feel they have reached a boiling point.

So, really, for everyone's sake... just rein it in.

 

[Sweetpea2011]

Here's a perspective from someone who only gets to Disney once every few years (our last trip to DL was 7 years ago!)...

We simply can't afford to stay onsite and in fact, we are actually renting a condo with friends that is about 15 min walk from the parks. Why? It's more reasonable and we can cook to help offset the cost of being there. Do I begrudge those who stay onsite? Not at all. Hey, if I could afford to spend that much money to stay there and still do all the fun things that a Disney vacation offers, you bet I'd be staying there!! But it's just not an option for us. And honestly I'm just happy to be going at all. I met a mom at work a year or so ago who was so very excited because they had saved up enough money to fly down to California with their kids for a 4 day trip to Disney. They have very little money, so this trip was huge for them. This is our 3rd trip to DL with our girls, and I know for her it could very well be the only trip they take. I feel very lucky just to be going, no matter where I stay!