That is true. Premier rack rate is mid 300’s. I’ve never stayed at Disney but I’ve read the USF Premier is more deluxe than Disney deluxe. So, even if you figure it is the same quality, it is a huge bargain compared to Disney.
What I predict is that instead of doing a Disney trip with a side visit(s) to USF, people will do USF trips with side visits to Disney because of the on-site hotels.
I’d happily stay at Royal Pacific (USF Premier) even without going to the parks. I fell madly in love with that saltwater pool.
It’s cheaper to stay at one of their deluxes and get the passes included than it is to buy them separately usually - and they are priced like moderates, and with only 2 parks plus a water park you don’t need to stay as long as at WDW. That’s why it works for Universal. We’ve started staying there a night or two.
Just the missus and I did UO back in 2019 and it was awesome. Just needed three days and it was so affordable in comparison.
Family of four for eight nights at Disney? It is a different story and all but a requirement to stay offsite for us. I’ve mentioned this before, but it is cheaper for us to stay 8-nights in a 1,200 at condo at Marriott World Center and get tickets for five-days at the parks for a family of four…about $1,000 cheaper than just getting the cheapest Deluxe via renting DVC points. Add in the tickets and it is $3,500 savings.
If Disney went with an unlimited express pass for staying at their deluxe resort, I’d do it in a second, but the trip would be half as long to offset the crazy pricing.
Wouldn’t $300/person/day price people out of the FP no matter where they stayed?
It’s more than a night’s stay at club level at the WL and almost the same as a 1 BR at AKL.
So if they did include it in the Deluxe resort level it’d be like a BOGO.
We would be priced out if it was $300/person/day OR if it was “free” with a stay at a Deluxe resort.
My point was that the separate UOR Express pass is definitely not in our budget at their daily, per person price point …but because their Premier resorts are affordable and they include the Express Pass, that is in our budget (unlike the WDW comparison).
Well I think if the FP was introduced at that $300/person/day level that some are suggesting (hoping for) - presuming the absence of any reduction for Deluxe - since the whole point is boosting attractions/hour, I think the math would evolve into: does this FP allow me to shorten my stay?
Can I use a 4-night at CR + one day of FP to accomplish more than a 5-night at CR?
(And that math doesn’t even come close to sensible for anything less than Deluxe.
One day FP cannot equal a week at All Stars no matter how slow the buses are.)
But keeping it at the Deluxe level, how many headliners can you nail in one day of park hopping?
Because if you add a second FP day (maybe for HS) then you have to reduce it to a 3-night stay.
And that of course reduces Disney’s profit from shopping and meals.
Seems to me that even for families who typically splurge on Deluxe accommodations, pricing it that high is moving the needle in a direction that doesn’t profit Disney.
That can’t be true. That’s ridiculous even for Disney.
My enforced separation from WDW is actually making me less frantic in my desire to go, not more. And I’m opening my eyes to other options. Pre-COVID I was establishing myself as a twice a year guy. Now? I’m finding it not too hard to picture once every two or three years.
But maybe that’s what Disney wants. Cut the numbers. Make people pay loads more when they do show up.
My vague plans for 2022 involve a split WDW / UOR stay for the same reason. Value at WDW (because what’s the incentive to pay more?) and premier at UOR.
You have to realize that Disney under Chapek doesn’t give a rats arse how you feel about things, as long as there are people willing to pay whatever they decide to charge. Disney is obviously branding itself as a “luxury” company that caters to the rich, and if the commoners can’t afford it, well they can go to Six Flags. People willing to pay the high proces will probably also spend more on food, drink, and souvenirs - and that’s what’s important. It’s no longer the Disney philosophy to make it the best that you can and people will come. It’s now people will come anyway, so lets see how much we can raise the prices and cut offerings.
I read at another forum that some FP+ testings are/were going on at AK today. A park visitor saw people showing FP+ on their phones to the CM. The visitor asked the CM about that and the CM replied they were testing FP+ not DAS…
I really need Disney to release some news about FP+ like right now!!
Not sure if this was intended in response to my comment regarding reading $300/day. To be clear … I wasn’t suggested it or hoping for it … merely relaying that I had read that rumor (which could be entirely false).
I think (and this is not based on anything other than my speculation from Disney’s changes over the past 5 years) … that Disney’s goal it to try to push people financially into shorter stays. For example, if someone has a $5,000 Disney budget, I think Disney wants to figure out how to capture that $5,000 over 4 days instead of 7 days. Disney can accomplish this by offering more premium priced experiences to capture more of that money in a shorter period of time. “You can do everything for $7,500 that you could in the past … but now it is condensed into 4 days instead of a week.”
Adding to my post above, I’m not sure I agree with that. I think Disney is trying to change from being a week+ long “vacation” spot to being a few day “premium experience” spot.
EDIT: I left out the “not” in my first sentence so edited to add the not.
I’m sure they are doing that but if I’m spending £7k on a holiday it sure as sh*t won’t be a week long one. It’s an obscene amount of money for 2 weeks.
I’m kind of in a similar boat, though not quite the same. One of the largest expenses for me is the airfare, plus the time investment of getting across the continent. So if I’m going to go all the way over there, I want to be there long enough to make that worth it.
It wasn’t tooooo far in the past that Disney ads exclaimed a family of 4 could go to WDW for a week for $1500. I remember using those deals. I don’t remember the last family deal, I think it was closer to $3000 now.
Well it’s that too. It’s a 9 hour flight from the UK and for me and DS costs only a couple of hundred quid less than staying at POFQ for 2 weeks. If DH comes too, the flights are more than 50% of our total cost.
And that’s a tough flight, too, especially with the time difference. And arriving in the UK at six in the morning after only a few, poor quality hours of sleep.
And the misery of airports, and international arrivals in particular.
I won’t travel in Economy and I’m not keen on Premium Economy so my flights are a big chunk of change to pay for. Then there’s the hotel at the airport the night before.
I’m really hoping the French are nice to the British when we arrive at their airports on our way to DLP. Travelling is such a grind.
