[tinkerbell]

DH and I just finished talking about how when we stayed at Deluxe resorts, we spent more on meals and disney merchandise, making those stays the most expensive, not because of the resort stay but because of spending on everything else. Staying at the moderates we spend about average and staying at the values we have spent less on meals and extra's
Is it a sublime plan of Disney *grin* .. that by staying at a deluxe resort you are more likely to go deluxe in the parks with meals and purchases?
I just wondered if maybe we were the odd ones ..because I know I have often read people post how not spending as much on the room allows for spending more on meals and merchandise.Yet we do the very opposite.

[sandanv1]

Our trips are usually weekends so I really don't see a difference for us. We always use AP, so tickets are a once a year cost. We always do 2 nice dinners, usually Ohana & Boma, and 1 big breakfast. I always buy at least 3 pins, but other than that souviners are minimal. I predict we will spend no more than $400. for our 2 night weekend the end of this month, that includes everything.

[wdwspider]

Last trip we purposely stayed at All-Stars just so we could go all out at Deluxe restaurants. We ate at so many places that we want to do the opposite next trip and only eat Counter Service. :laugh

So I don't know. It's hard for us fanatics to give you a general guest answer since most of us do better than average, more planning than normal, twice as much in the know vacations to Disney.

I know the hotels usually cater their food offerings based on the type of resort you are staying at, so I am sure you are on to something that makes sense. Guest with less money tend to spend less on food and souvenirs or vice versa.

[vet51]

I usually set a budget and know how much I can and will spend in the parks and resorts, so we pretty much spend the same amount no matter which resort we're at. I think we spend the most on meals when we visit Disney because I generally have the resort and package paid for before we arrive. I know this sounds foolish but it makes paying for theme park meals a little easier. Also eating at the different resturants is part of the experience and not to be missed. We don't seem to buy many souveniers in the parks but there are a few resort items floating around the house. The nicest is a throw my daughter bought for me as an Xmas gift from the Wilderness Lodge, it was a real surprise.

[tinkerbell]

Originally posted by WDWspider
Last trip we purposely stayed at All-Stars just so we could go all out at Deluxe restaurants. We ate at so many places that we want to do the opposite next trip and only eat Counter Service. :laugh

that is what we said was the reason we stayed at the value resorts, but with out thinking about it I realized that the times we spent at the Value resorts over all we unintentionally spent less.
when we stayed at AKL in 2002, we only had 2 meals at the restaurants there ..but we had at least 2 nice meals each day in the parks.
I think we are just odd ..that because we are staying at a value resort ..even though we have the money ..the idea that we are staying at a value resort causes us (mainly me since I am the spender) to spend less. maybe this doesnt make sense because I am not explaining it right.

[wdwspider]

Ohhhh... so you are saying that the resort you stayed at subconsciously determined where you ate in the parks. :bandit

Interesting! I have not experienced this. :hmmm

[tinkerbell]

Originally posted by WDWspider
Ohhhh... so you are saying that the resort you stayed at subconsciously determined where you ate in the parks. :bandit

Interesting! I have not experienced this. :hmmm

yes!!! thats it ..and what we spent on disney stuff too !! Its like well we are *someone* at the Deluxe so we spend in the parks like it ..but we dont feel like anything special when we stay at the value ..and spend in that manner ..and at the moderates ..our spending and meals are very average :)

[jmouse]

Hmmm, that is an interesting concept, tinkerbell. On our longer trips, we resort hop, staying at more than one resort, and oftentimes, more than one category. I don't think our spending habits changed when we changed resorts. But I think we would spend less when staying at a value resort, if only because we take advantage of the food court, which in turn, allows us to spend less on meals. The deluxe resorts don't offer food courts, per se, so we tend to eat at sit-down restaurants more.

Following this line of thinking, shouldn't I be eating in when staying at the DVC villas with a full kitchen? Somehow this doesn't happen. Instead, we find ourselves enjoying more of the nicer, sit-down restaurants in the resorts and parks. Between the grocery bills and sit-down restaurants bills, I think the savings I have from not having a hotel bill goes right back to Disney's Food & Beverage department! :D

[TINA]

I've only stayed at deluxe hotels and with the next trip I'm hoping to get a discount for the AKL. If we can't get a good discount then well be at Pop Century. I take $50.00 a day per person. With that we do one good meal a day. I find thats plenty left over for a light breakfast or dinner.

[tinkerbell]

TINA, it must be nice staying at only deluxe, but you mentioned you might have to stay at Pop Century if you dont get a discount on AKL .. well I will never forget the first year we stayed at the All Stars ..it was the year after we stayed at the Poly ..and we were soo unhappy about the All Stars ..nothing was wrong with the All Stars ..it was just such a huge change from the Poly or even the moderates we had stayed in. I now love the value resorts for what they are .. a place we have to go to sleep


jmouse I wonder how I would be if I stayed at different levels of resorts during one stay .. would I spend like no tomorrow at the deluxe ..then move to a value and become a tightwad .. lol its really been interesting finding this out about ourselves (DH and I) and you have a good point, that there is no real "food court" at the Deluxe resorts so more sit down meals in the parks makes up for that.

I think some of you misunderstood though ... this line of thought is not about budget ..lol I dont really budget money for each day like so many of you do .. I have tried and failed too often ..
its about your mental state of mind depending on luxury, moderate or value. and from our history .. deluxe resort stay means, we spend more money in the parks, ( like we have a money tree growing out back) ..if we stay at a moderate we spend what we feel is average, in the parks ..but .. the 2 times we have stayed at the value resorts in the past .. we spent less in the parks.
now here is another thing that crossed my mind about the spending when we stay in a deluxe resort .. there is more room ..so is that why I buy more merchandise ? less room in a value ..the two times we have stayed in a value I didnt do it on purpose but my spending was limited to reasonable items like new t-shirts, and other clothing, instead of everything that catches my fancy.

[NikkiLUVSMickey]

I bring $50 per day for food for myself, which is always more than enough, and I usually bring about $250 spending money. We don't like to eat a lot of huge meals since we're wandering around all day, so we usually eat a small breakfast (bagel or muffin and coffee) and a counter service lunch and dinner. We only do a PS meal once or twice a trip. This year we're doing 50s Prime Time for dinner.

My one exception to the light breakfast rule is when we eat at Boatwright's in POR; I LOVE the Crescent City Toast! :o

Last year my mom and I decided to get one of those handmade ice cream cookie sandwiches at the Main Street Bakery. It was HUGE! We ate that for dinner and didn't bother with anything else! It was delicious! :p

[tinkerbell]

Originally posted by NikkiLUVSMickey
I bring $50 per day for food for myself, which is always more than enough, and I usually bring about $250 spending money.

I predict we will spend no more than $400. for our 2 night weekend the end of this month, that includes everything.

I take $50.00 a day per person

based on those .. we spend way too much even when we stay at a value resort !
mmm If I could get this family to eat and buy less ..maybe we could go more often ??

[iluvwdw]

I try not to budget myself when I am on vacation at all. If I want something, I am going to buy it. If I am hungry, we will see what we are in the mood for and we will go eat it. I LOVE going to great restaurants on vacation and I want the whole experience to be memorable for me and hubby (of course my son and even my brother, when he comes with us!) So we tend to splurge on our vacation. This is especially true since we stay in our timeshare (usually) and we don't have to spend money for our hotel stay, we spend that money elsewhere. However, I do have to say, that I stayed at the Poly in December and boy do I feel SPOILED! I am going to use my timeshare to go other places throughout the year, and I am going to splurge to stay on Disney property once a year...at a Deluxe Resort. We had the time of our lives...:)

[crystalrp]

Even though the deluxe resorts don't have "food courts' per se, they do have the fast food places. Last time we went we got upgraded to WL. We ate at the fast food place, roaring forks, about once a day, and we all really enjoyed the food. We don't usually eat sit down for dinner, but for lunch when it is a bit cheaper. If we eat a big sit down lunch, then we can just grab counter service or Roaring forks again for dinner. DH and I often shared meals, not because we had to, but there was just so much food. This next trip we plan on having a grocery stop on the way so we can grab a quick something in the room for breakfast. Again, not so much because of the money aspect, but just to save time. We don't usually get alot of souvenirs because we just have so much STUFF at home, and also because of limited packing space. We don't deprive ourselves by any means. If there is something we want, then we get it. But maybe because of all the planning I do beforehand, we really don't seem to spend that much money.

[tinkerbell]

Originally posted by crystalrp
This next trip we plan on having a grocery stop on the way so we can grab a quick something in the room for breakfast. Again, not so much because of the money aspect, but just to save time.

we have done that a lot .. specially when the girls were little and getting them ready was a major job..then they got older and mmmm something happen ..the kids that I use to want to sleep late ..sleep too late and have to be drug out of bed. so stuff in the room is always a big time saver.. but then I have gone down to the food courts in the mornings and brought back everyone breakfast too..

We don't usually get alot of souvenirs because we just have so much STUFF at home, and also because of limited packing space. We don't deprive ourselves by any means. If there is something we want, then we get it. But maybe because of all the planning I do beforehand, we really don't seem to spend that much money.

I dont have enough stuff at home!! but bringing more home is one of my favorite things about driving to WDW instead of flying. of course you have to sometimes duck when you open the hatch or the side door of the van to avoid being hit with something that has been crammed in :)