No word yet on how much extra these upgrades will cost, over the current price of "regular" rooms in these hotels.
So that's what Disney is doing. Now let's take a look at the why.
Background: When Disney World opened its first two hotels in the early 1970s - the Contemporary and the Polynesian - they both targeted the same upper middle-class audience. (Disney World and Disneyland weren't the type of places where the rich frolicked back then. They were decidedly middle-class destinations.) But as a generation of American grew up with Disney theme parks, and income disparity widened, Disney began building hotels for wealthier visitors - the Grand Floridian, the Yacht and Beach Clubs, the Wilderness Lodge among them. And Disney also expanded into the middle class market it had left for off-property motels, building the All-Star Resorts, among others. Where Disney once had two hotels, now it had three tiers - Value, Moderate and Deluxe.
Disney's built dozens of hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort, and at some point it no longer makes sense to add overall room capacity to serve an increasingly divergent set of family incomes. (See the previous link for data showing that America's income disparity continues to grow.) So Disney's choosing to add new price points to its hotel offerings by upgrading some rooms, instead. With three tiers of hotels, along with multiple classes of rooms within each, Disney can make the most money from visitors ranging from middle-class, upper-middle-class, almost-wealthy and loaded all the way up to Lady Gaga rich.
So are these rooms a smart choice for you? Remember, if there's any ticket and reservation advice I can give you, it's that you don't vacation like you are richer than you are. Respect your budget. If these new themed rooms are within your budget and they appeal to you, go for it. You should get as much joy as you can from your vacation.
But if they appeal to you, and aren't in your budget, well, don't overlook other steps you can take to enjoy the appeal you want. For less than the upgrade cost of a royal room, you can buy a Disney princess doll before your trip, hide it in the luggage, then place it on your daughter's bed before she enters the hotel room. She'l be delighted with her "princess" bed, and can keep the doll as after the trip. Or I can drive my Prius up to an All-Star Resort room, bring in my reusable stainless steel water bottle and yoga mat, and experience a hotel visit where I am conserving energy, conserving the waste of plastic, conserving my health, and conserving about $400 bucks a night. Health and wellness, indeed.
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The rooms are ridiculously priced. It is pricing me out of the market. I consider myself slightly north of the median middle class, but I always look for a deal as if I'm still a starving student. Yet once you leave your room, you enjoy the parks like anyone else, which is why I wonder why Disney doesn't cater enough to the upper middle and rich classes in the parks. They should consider separate queue areas for the high spenders. Or special dining areas for the discriminating dieters. Or nice plush seats in a separate seating section with no one to block your view from the show.
The worst thing is the transportation system. They must consider middle area between a taxi and a bus. I would pay more if I can go from my room to the hotel quickly. They should have a personalized van service, or maybe a personalize limo service for the super wealthy.
For myself, I'll stay off-site. Thank you for not serving my needs Disney.
BTW, DVC, if you can swing it, is probably the best deal on hotels. The trick is making sure you try and go once a year!
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