New spring discounts: enough to entice people?

[alex9179]

I got a pin code and it's not in the budget still. But even if the rates were lower and the discounts very good, I would have to get an AMAZING deal since there is so much construction going on. Since MGM/whatever-you-want-to-call-it-these-days is under so much construction, it doesn't seem worth it to me to go to that park at all. I think many people feel this way so the crowds that are usually spread amongst 4 parks are now crammed into 3 parks. So unless the price is very VERY low, I cannot justify a trip now knowing that the theme park experience is likely to be 75%, at best.

But the rides aren't closed and only LMA and Backlot Tour are gone. Construction at DHS hasn't changed much in the way of attractions.

 

[kjgy]

I am not happy with discounts. I booked yesterday for second week in May 2017. 5 night at BCV. Only need a 4 day pass had to get 5 day pass with special. Unfortunately we cannot be flexible with our timeframe.
Two years ago we went the same week and paid almost $1000 less. I am hoping after the New Year another another deal will come out.
Love Disney but cost way too much to go there.

 

[canyoncam]

Another disappointed DISer here. I was hoping for CBR but only pirate rooms available. Which my friend would be extatic about but if I stay I want the standard room. I was prepared to pay rack rate only because I expect this to be my last trip for a few years and I have many Disney reward dollars. I love POR and that comes in $9 per night cheaper with the discount than CBR rack. I have rented DVC points at Poly for my last four nights so may just go with POP in the end.

 

[TeamBlack]

We were considering June, but no.
I'll consider upgrading from standard room for FD, but not for 1 QS meal.
We'll see what happens this Fall.

 

[TJA]

I remember when deals were released these boards used to be hopping with excitement! It's so sad that the resorts rates are so high now and discounts so low.....seems to be the new trend.

 

[StrwLady]

No great deals for my dates!! Part of the problem I'm seeing is the rack rates/full prices are just way too high now, and the discount percentages are lower than normal. Combine those 2 facts and that equals some not-so-great resort rates.

I am currently booked with a PIN offer, Easter week, for 30% off AKL CL. Was hoping to change to GF CL (RPC), but the discount would have to be insanely high to get the cost down to under $1,000 a night. Crazy!! So far the entire GF is bookable in every room category for my dates so that should tell Disney something??

Still holding out hope for AP discounts or Orbitz/Expedia deals...

I was shell shocked when I was looking at the POR. We normally stay at the pop but I was thinking about a moderate for the last week of our trip as we are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. Needing an accessible room with a roll in shower the pool of rooms are limited for me. I'm not sure what view the room I was looking at but it was $311 rack rate! In the past it always seemed the moderates were $400 more than the pop for a week or so. If I was calculating right it was about $1k more. I just can't justify that in my mind.

Looking forward to the AP rates too. Right now we have 2 reservations (me and the kid for 10 nights then hubby joins us for 9 more) one at the Pop and one at the Sports. Both in the best room category for me. I'm gonna keep checking and hopefully I can change the Sports to the Pop also.

 

[StrwLady]

I'd say, we picked the perfect time to buy DVC because the discounts get worse every year. These are not great at all.

I was such a young fool back in the early 2000's. I remember one trip they were working the hard sell on DVC and the cost was $8k. At that time in our lives we could have afforded to buy into DVC but we never dreamed the Disney bug would take hold that strongly. Now having a 19 year old I can't figure out where all our money has gone to. Lol

 

[StrwLady]

The big decision now is it worth paying $1,000 for QS for a family of 5 for 5 nights: DD14, DD12, DS7 plus mom & dad.

I don't know when's the last time you went to Disney or if you would plan to share meals, but I noticed this past June, at many QS spots, the portions have gotten smaller. It's still decent portions for 1 person but a lot less to share. I was shocked at the Pop food court to see them weigh fries before putting them on the plate. Now mind you I'm sure it cut down on food waste, I never finish everything, but it's gonna put a kink in food sharers plans. So if that part of your dining style it may help you to decide on QS plan or not.

Have fun planning.

 

[wdw4rfam]

I was such a young fool back in the early 2000's. I remember one trip they were working the hard sell on DVC and the cost was $8k. At that time in our lives we could have afforded to buy into DVC but we never dreamed the Disney bug would take hold that strongly. Now having a 19 year old I can't figure out where all our money has gone to. Lol

Same here. We debated it back in 2002, and for a few years after. At the time we kept thinking we didn't know if we wanted to commit to every year trips and the price tag seemed so high. Plus when they gave us the projected costs of what room prices would go up to we didn't believe it. Not to mention we were perfectly happy staying in values then. Now, we love deluxes, and seeing how the prices have increased over the past 16 years, realized we'd be priced out in another few years. So we just bought resale and got a wonderful deal but we paid more than we would have back in 2002, and then we would have had all the benefits of buying direct. ( not a big deal- but still). I have a 19 year old too ( for a couple more weeks- then she'll be 20), but still have a 14 and 8 yo too. We've gone every single year so it kills me to think the money I'd have saved if I just bought then.

 

[DisneyGuy]

My spring discount came out back in October which was 25% off for the Boardwalk Inn - I'm still paying $400.00 a night. The new discounts just released also included my dates - same thing - I mean, even the Grand Floridian "discounted" is over $600.00 a night for an outer building/garden view. I remember seeing those rooms for under $400.00 last year but I guess it depends on what time of year you go as well. When the rack rates keep increasing the 25% off discount is basically nothing.

 

[anomamatt]

It was enough to entice me to add a short pre-cruise trip in May, but I'm hopeful the AP discounts will be better and I'll add a day...

 

[crc76]

I guess that I am in the minority. I was originally booked at AoA with a little mermaid room (which I knew would not be discounted, and I was ok with that), and was able to get a water view room (cheapest room type available, the others were pirate rooms or preferred) at CBR for about the same price. My family is pretty excited about the upgrade! We would not have spent the extra $56 a night to stay at a moderate, not when we are going for 10 days.

 

[JJsmama]

Same here. We debated it back in 2002, and for a few years after. At the time we kept thinking we didn't know if we wanted to commit to every year trips and the price tag seemed so high. Plus when they gave us the projected costs of what room prices would go up to we didn't believe it. Not to mention we were perfectly happy staying in values then. Now, we love deluxes, and seeing how the prices have increased over the past 16 years, realized we'd be priced out in another few years. So we just bought resale and got a wonderful deal but we paid more than we would have back in 2002, and then we would have had all the benefits of buying direct. ( not a big deal- but still). I have a 19 year old too ( for a couple more weeks- then she'll be 20), but still have a 14 and 8 yo too. We've gone every single year so it kills me to think the money I'd have saved if I just bought then.

I don't know. Even with the not so great 'deals', I am still not won over to the DVC side because of the dues. I seriously considered it a few years ago, and priced out enough for family of 5 to go for a week during summer. The dues alone were about the same as a week in a deluxe resort, so I couldn't see the value. Maybe if we could go off peak season but with 3 kids in school, that is not realistic for us.

 

[JJsmama]

This will be our first trip in 4 years. I'm only doing it for my youngest kid. Yeah prices have gone up a lot since we were there last. We started cruising 5 years ago and found it to be a much more relaxing affordable vacation then visiting theme parks. We got a pretty good deal on our 1 week Beach club stay in May, but it's still costing more then our 10 day med cruise over the Summer. In 2018 we'll head back to Europe on another cruise. I would love to visit WDW every year, but the cost has just gotten too high for a theme park vacation. WDW is fun, but if the cost keeps me from visiting places on my bucket list...just not worth it.

Maybe I should let you book my cruises. Is this DCL? DCL has always been twice (at least) our WDW trips when I have sailed and when i have price checked to book again.

 

[ArielSRL]

All I can say is I'm glad I rented points this year. And it was a friend I rented from so I'm getting an incredible deal for a studio at WL for 8 nights. We went the exact same week last year (7 nights as opposed to the 8 we are doing this year). We had originally booked a 1 bedroom at WL at 35% off with the Disney Visa discount but Mom (I went with my mom, dad, and two boys as DH had to work) wanted either SSR or OKW bc she wanted to park closer to the room. So we switche to the 30% public discount at SSR. It took about a month to show up there though and OKW never showed up. Weird. Regardless, I think the discounts this year aren't very good at all and it makes me worried that attendance will be up.

I will be interested to see if a Visa discount is ever released for the time frame and what the AP rate is, as well. Also wondering if they open up any more room categories on the current promotion.

 

[robinb]

I don't know. Even with the not so great 'deals', I am still not won over to the DVC side because of the dues. I seriously considered it a few years ago, and priced out enough for family of 5 to go for a week during summer. The dues alone were about the same as a week in a deluxe resort, so I couldn't see the value. Maybe if we could go off peak season but with 3 kids in school, that is not realistic for us.

You probably looked at 2-bedroom villas a few years ago. Many DVC studios and 1-bedrooms now offer beds for 5 people. A bed, a fold out couch and a fold out day bed. It might be worth looking at renting DVC points.

 

[JJsmama]

You probably looked at 2-bedroom villas a few years ago. Many DVC studios and 1-bedrooms now offer beds for 5 people. A bed, a fold out couch and a fold out day bed. It might be worth looking at renting DVC points.

Very possibly. Hmmm....

 

[JohnDaleswife]

I just book pretty much with my "certain" travel agency that almost always has a set of dates I can work with, then pay them with discounted Disney Gift Cards. But these Spring discounts that Disney has released are pathetic.

 

[wdw4rfam]

I don't know. Even with the not so great 'deals', I am still not won over to the DVC side because of the dues. I seriously considered it a few years ago, and priced out enough for family of 5 to go for a week during summer. The dues alone were about the same as a week in a deluxe resort, so I couldn't see the value. Maybe if we could go off peak season but with 3 kids in school, that is not realistic for us.

I don't know how you are figuring that. We just paid our dues at closing for 2017. It was $1250 for 200 points. We are staying at the poly for spring break for 7 nights. That would cost me close to $3500(rack rate). Trust me for years I couldn't get the numbers to work for us when we were used to moderates. But once we got hooked on deluxe, it was a no brainer. Especially seeing how deluxe prices have doubled in 10 years. At that rate we'd be priced out in just a few years ( lets face it, deluxes are already almost higher than I can do) Just now kicking myself for not doing it back in 2002 when we did the tour. I totally laughed at the guy when he said deluxes would be $400-500 in 10 years. So I mainly did it now to ensure we could still afford it 10 years from now.

 

[cruiser21]

Maybe I should let you book my cruises. Is this DCL? DCL has always been twice (at least) our WDW trips when I have sailed and when i have price checked to book again.

We are a family of four so that helps. We sail offseason. We just sailed on the Wonder out of Galveston. It was around 3,500 for the 4 of us in an oceanview room. My upcoming week in May at the Beach club is 3k and that's just for two of us, and doesn't include food. Our 10 day Med cruise this Summer was around 3k, but it wasn't on DCL. I like other cruise lines besides Disney so I look for the best deals, best ships, best itinerary's. I love to travel to new destinations, and I've learned how to do it on a budget.

I for one am really glad we didn't buy into DVC. We thought about it 6 years ago, but then we got tired of WDW. Seeing the real Norwegian Fjords Summer 2015 was so much better than visiting Norway in Epcot. I think the DVC fees, and tickets would not be something I would want to keep up with every year.