Outrageous pricing

[DisneyHardin]

We are not rich. I’m a teacher and my husband is a police officer, but 5 nights a year in a Disney Deluxe Resort is an important vacation for us, so we have that as part of our budget. We’ve never paid $700/night for a room though. Generally in the $3-500 price range. As soon as we get home each year, I book for the next year and figure out exactly how much I need to put away per month to pay for it.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I think that the original question in my post was not communicated properly or just not understood in the way that I meant it.

I know that the $2000 pricing I have is good, I was more curious about the $700 a night AK or other rooms and how people afford that ontop of tickets and dining (oop or ddp).

I'm successful in my job and make just shy of 6 figures but I still couldn't afford $700 a night. It just seems unreal.

Most people in a Deluxe don’t pay rack rate ($799+) a night. We wait for deals or you can book through David’s and rent points. If you rent points you can get into a deluxe for about 1/2 of booking at rack rate.

 

[Hikergirl]

I am booking my vacation for my daughter and myself staying at all star movies with the ddp and tickets for 4 days we are looking at like 2000 not including flights. How do people afford to spend 700$ a night to stay at one of the nicer resorts! Is there a secret I'm missing out on?

Just as there are people who can't afford $700 a night, there are people who can.
There are many professions out there that pay very well, some families have 2 spouses working professions that pay very well and can take vacations that regularly cost that much. Some people save up for years to be able to splurge on that kind of luxury once in their lifetime. Some people live below their means enough so that if they want to take a vacation and pay that much per night they can.
Some people (like probably most) never pay that much for a night at a resort because it is possible to find a cheaper rate.
There really isn't anything to miss, fact is some people have more money than others and they spend it, usually on the finer things in life like extremely expensive resort vacations.

Dh and I used were able to stay at the deluxe resorts with a family of 5 because we choose a time of year that enabled us to get an amazing deal.
Last time we went was for our anniversary so just the two of us. We splurged but still managed to stay deluxe for around $240 a night for a studio.
There are ways to make it cost what you can afford.

 

[Samantha Morgan]

I think that the original question in my post was not communicated properly or just not understood in the way that I meant it.

I know that the $2000 pricing I have is good, I was more curious about the $700 a night AK or other rooms and how people afford that ontop of tickets and dining (oop or ddp).

I'm successful in my job and make just shy of 6 figures but I still couldn't afford $700 a night. It just seems unreal.

Even if someone has a good salary, if they have other high cost of living expenses then they have less disposable income to spend in extras.

So it’s just a balance of money coming in and going out.

Some people like to splurge.

Some people probably spend above their means every now and again.

We have a good income, and a fairly low cost of living in our area. I *could* afford $700/night but choose not to. I still like to stretch my Dollar. We stayed at Caribbean Beach and next time at Coronado. I don’t plan on spending a lot of time in the room, so I can’t justify spending more than my own mortgage payment on a room nightly.

We are staying for 3 nights, 2 park days, no dining plan. Room and tickets were around $1100, and I’m figuring another $400 or so for food.

 

[lovewdwfun]

Well the simple answer is that some people make more money than others! I am DVC, but our income is $200K a year. I bought my house and cars when it was more like $100K a year. My raises go into retirement savings and Disney!

Really, you could ask the Same question about anything - how does someone afford a million dollar house? How can they send their kids to Harvard? I specifically chose my profession based on the income potential. I chose to live in a low cost of living area and I don’t spend money on alcohol, cars, etc. But I do love the Grand Floridian!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

My parents earn about AU$2000 in a day .Sometimes more. They are doctors but not surgeons. Yes literally. More without tax. They are doctors. I am sorry that it has not fallen your way. They literally earn what I earn in a week in one day. Disney World at the Four Seasons was the cheapest hotel we stayed at. During our three week East Coast Vacation. I am not saying this to boast.Life can be horrible.

The thing is that the market determines pricing. Disney has a lot of resorts in Orlando. But its not the only supplier. Literally they have saturated the market. 7Ps from marketing come to mind
But I am sick of these questions. I see them all the time. I hate these attacks I guess.

Most Luxury Properties are more expensive then that even in Asia!

But you are boasting. It wasn't necessary. No one is attacking anyone. You need to read again.

Because I am sick of this question. Sick of it! Its like my parents should be ashamed of themselves. Everytime I see this question. Its like my parents are being judged for their decisions.
I have seen this question verbatim over 5 times in 2018 -2019. I am so so sick of it.
How would you like it if I asked you about your finances all the time?
I felt this question also needed to be answered.

No one freaking even mentioned your parents! Find someplace else to troll. The question was asked how people afford the expensive rooms, not about their finances directly.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Our secret is that we "invested" in DVC 10 years ago just for the purpose of having one nice vacation a year. With both of us working, we would save enough to buy more points, never borrowed or payments , always pay in full whatever we purchase. I am also an avid reader of Disney Gift Card Deals and sock away GC deals all year. We travel at the lower cost off times for better prices. It's just being a smarter shopper/investor that saves us money to do the vacation we want once a year.

 

[DLgal]

My secret is never pay rack rate and never buy a Disney "package" and especially never buy the dining plan!

I have never come close to $700/night at a Deluxe. Last year, we stayed at the Tower Club level of the Contemporary for about $589/night, including taxes, followed by the Beach Club in a Deluxe room for just around $539/night. Both were club level, so we had the added bonus of included food and drinks, which substantially lowered our OOP food costs. Over 10 days, our family of 4 only spent $800 on food.

There are always room only discounts to be found. That's the best way to go.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There is no secret to how people spend 700 a night other than earning it. Thats the secret.

No..people don't just do everything with income they 'earn'.

People do it with gift cards (Disney or Visa or Mastercard or whatever) obtained through a variety of ways such as purchasing with a discounted price or percent off or getting through reward programs or people giving it to them as a gift, they do it with reward points or money earned from Credit Cards, they do it by paying with Credit Cards or by not doing this or doing that and funneling the costs there, etc.

With all due respect based on your previous posts on hotels though honestly you may just be an outlier in terms of desires, experiences, etc.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Honestly? I think people just have different priorities and wants and needs and that can shift and change as stages of life changes too.

How people stay where the costs are higher is up to them. There's a variety of ways to do it.

 

[1911]

I could afford it but I am far to practical (read...CHEAP) to do it. There is no earthly reason in my mind to spend that kind of money on a place to sleep and store our stuff. that's just who I am,I understand why others do it and sometimes wish I could get that kind of enjoyment from the experience.

 

[Allison]

I know that the $2000 pricing I have is good, I was more curious about the $700 a night AK or other rooms and how people afford that ontop of tickets and dining (oop or ddp).

Just like every day life, it is about:
A wide, wide range in the amount of money people make.
People prioritize spending based on their interests.
People save and make a trip like that once in a blue moon.

There is no secret to how people afford it anymore than there is a secret about how people afford a million dollar home, or a vacation home, or a really expensive car. They come up with the money in some way whether it is a high income, frugal living, saving or prioritizing where your dollars go.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I would never pay $700 a night for any hotel.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We are DVC members with 1400 points at a variety of resorts. We go to aulani once a year and stay in a one bedroom ocean view for two weeks.
We would never pay the 1200 to 1500 that room would normally cost but it seems painless with dvc. We go to DW in March for two weeks and stay in a one bedroom either st old key west or boardwalk or wilderness. Again we would never pay the typical rate for a one bedroom which is close to 700 or 800 a night or more.

But The points are all paid for and while our maintenance fees are close to $10,000 a year, just one of these trips pays for itself. At least that’s how I have to look at it.

 

[Samantha Morgan]

There are a couple of ways to significantly reduce the cost of rooms, food, and tickets.

Rooms
I would never pay “rack rate” for a Deluxe resort. Thanks to this thread, I have been able to book deluxe rooms at up to 65% off. You mentioned AKLodge for $700/night. How does $165/night for AKLodge sound?!!! Value resorts can also be found for as little as $45/night. Availability varies depending on travel dates. And it’s not for the faint of heart due to the fact that the lowest priced Express Deals are non refundable and the hotel is revealed only after you’ve paid for it.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/priceline-express-deals.3598657/

If Priceline isn’t your cup of tea, there are some travel agencies that offer fairly good room and/or package discounts. I find this depends heavily on travel dates as well. You didn’t mention your travel dates. Labor Day deals, for example, can be found if you look for them.

Food
I find that the dining plans offer a savings only in the rarest of circumstances. For children 10 and older, the plans are far too expensive IMO. Instead, we “collect” Disney GCs at a discounted rate and use those to pay for food out of pocket. GCs can also be used to buy park tickets.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/


Also, buying an Annual Pass for at least one member of your family can sometimes translate into savings as well. Of course, the up-front cost of the AP is considerably more than a 4-day ticket, but the future savings an AP offers can add up to a net discount in the end.

•If you plan to have a car, the free theme park parking will save you $25/day.

•If you plan to buy Memory Maker anyway, it’s free with an AP. That’s a savings of $169.

•10% discount on merchandise and most Table Service restaurants for AP holders. The dining discount applies to the total bill for everyone’s meal at the table. Not just the AP holder.

•If booking an opaque Express Deal on Priceline seems too risky for you, AP holders also get discounts on rooms at Disney resorts. The savings aren’t always the best deal Disney is offering and they can vary depending on your travel dates.

We do the Priceline Express deals most of the time for our weekend trips. In the 10-ish years we’ve been doing it we’ve only been dissatisfied maybe 2 or 3 times. I’m not sure I’d try it at Disney though. For places we visit often we’ve gotten actually pretty good at figuring out which hotel it actually is before we book. LOL

 

[SteveH]

@Jedi Crim I guess for our family it's a combination of (a) saving money for the vacation, we booked for 2020 and will be paying it off well before we go (b) timing of the vacation, to try to find off-peak prices (c) watching our other expenses; sharing meals, bringing in our own snacks and beverages and not paying the high prices for a character meal/buffets (d) not feeling like we need to buy all the Disney branded shirts and trinkets.

Sites like this can really help you to learn the in's and out's of saving money and still getting the full Disney experience.

 

[BostonEd]

How can they send their kids to Harvard?

If you get into Harvard, you don't have to worry about paying for it. They have one of the most generous financial aid policies out there.

 

[MEM]

Some do it by not going very often. We did it by buy8ng DVC

Same here. Even when you figure in the monthly maintenance fees its still a good deal.

 

[dakotix]

I am booking my vacation for my daughter and myself staying at all star movies with the ddp and tickets for 4 days we are looking at like 2000 not including flights. How do people afford to spend 700$ a night to stay at one of the nicer resorts! Is there a secret I'm missing out on?

That's a fair price. That's why we do longer trips. It's obviously more money but the park tickets go down in cost the more days you buy. We're staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge (first deluxe resort) for 10 days with the dining plan. Two adults and 1 child under 10. When we first booked it cost about $7000. But after we applied the discount that was released we ended up saving $2,000 off of that. For flights we are flying free. How did we do that you ask? I opened a Chase Sapphire preferred card. If you spend $4000 they give you 60,000 points which you can transfer to your Southwest account and purchase flights with points. So we paid part of our trip with that card and then used the points for flights

 

[MrsPete]

How do people afford to spend 700$ a night to stay at one of the nicer resorts! Is there a secret I'm missing out on?

People use different paths:

- Some earn high salaries.
- Some work a second job /seasonal job to pay for travel.
- Some live frugally so they can afford to travel.
- Some vacation infrequently so they can really splurge when they do travel.
- Some purposefully have a small family so they can afford to travel.
- Some have help from family.
- Some travel off-season to get better rates.
- Some find discounts.
- Some put it all on credit cards.
- Some drive instead of flying.
- Some eat in the room to save.
- Some vacation instead of saving for their future.

This list doesn't even start to scratch the surface. So many answers.