Originally Posted By MPierce >> I never pretended NOT to be a sucker. I am. However, I am paying the lowest possible price... Regular 4-park AP, which is the price that matches the precarious level of quality at WDW and also the ones that I'd guess... does NOT include hidden "Tragical Express" fees, as suggested by bobbelee. << unfortunately I do not make it to WDW enough to justify the expense of an AP. Saving money is always a wise thing to do. >> Well... that's CA to you. You won't find free parking anywhere. Much less cheap hotels within walking distance to DLR. << This is not really a fair comparison because it was forty years ago. We use to stay at the Caravan Inn, I believe that was the name. It was directly across from DL parking lot. Not an easy walk but doable. It was reasonable enough that a couple of guys on military pay could afford it. I'm sure it's long gone now.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I am so crashing in your LA pad sometime soon!!!>> If I'm in town, you're always welcome ... of course, I will call you a freeloader and demand some FF mileage at the front door ;-)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Anaheim Hilton Suites is over 3 miles from DL. Do they offer transport to the resorts?>> I am sure they do. I didn't need it as I had a car. <<The Hilton Convention Center charges for parking.I think we were discussing Disney free/ resort privileges.>> My point was only that you can stay at very nice hotels in Anaheim/Garden Grove/Orange for between $38-55 a night, which blows away even the dicounted rates for WDW value resorts. That's all.
Originally Posted By TrueBeliever >>I never pretended NOT to be a sucker. I am. However, I am paying the lowest possible price... Regular 4-park AP, which is the price that matches the precarious level of quality at WDW and also the ones that I'd guess... does NOT include hidden "Tragical Express" fees, as suggested by bobbelee.<< I think I'm every bit the cynic you are, but here's where you're just plain wrong ... DME is a huge money maker for Disney. They don't need to charge guests for it because it brings them boatloads of money. I'll get back to that in a minute. I was one of the first DME users back in May 2005. I priced out 4 different weeks for potential vacations, before and after May 5, 2005. All 4 weeks were the same price, even though 2 of them included DME and 2 didn't. Riddle me that. Anyway, the entire concept of DME is to prevent people from spending money on outside transportation (thus more money to spend within WDW) AND to strand them within WDW so there's no easy and convenient way to spend money at outside restaurants, shops and other entertainment venues. DME creates for Disney a truly captive audience. If you take DME versus a rental car or car service or whatever, you've got at least $120 more in your pocket than you otherwise would. Disney knows that the bulk of that $120 or so will be spent on Disney goods and services and won't remain in your wallet or bank account. They also know that if you don't have a rental car you aren't likely to go eat at Denny's or someplace else, so they capture ALL of your meal dollars instead of some or most of those dollars. ALso, there are people who will decide to stay at, say, a Disney Value resort instead of an off-site hotel because when they factor in the cost of transportation they figure that the DIsney Value resort price is close enough that they'll finally take the plunge and stay on-site for once. So they get a higher resort occupancy rate out of DME, too. It's tragically naive to say that they have to pass the cost along to customers. DME truly pays for itself. Also, I'll bet you've never used DME. It's great.Used it twice ... VERY fast, VERY convenient, NO WAY a car service or rental car would've gotten me to my resort faster. NO WAY. Have there ever been individual problems? SURE! Just like there have been individual problems with car service drivers not showing up, huge intolerable waits at rental car counters, daily thunderstorms causing huge delays at baggage claim (I'm already at my resort while other people on my flight are still waiting for their bags at lovely OIA), and so on. To me, the best part of a WDW vacation is not driving for a week. I have to drive every other day of my life, and for once I like leaving it to someone else. And 2 years ago Disney made that option even cheaper for me. BRAVO!
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 <<<I was one of the first DME users back in May 2005. I priced out 4 different weeks for potential vacations, before and after May 5, 2005. All 4 weeks were the same price, even though 2 of them included DME and 2 didn't. Riddle me that.>>> I can't argue with that. So am I to think that the bus/ferry/monorail free transport isn't somehow figured into the price of rooms or tickets? Overhead has to be made up somehow, somewhere.
Originally Posted By GrumpysWife >>Also, I'll bet you've never used DME. It's great.Used it twice ... VERY fast, VERY convenient, NO WAY a car service or rental car would've gotten me to my resort faster. NO WAY.<< When we visited WDW last February, 2 people in our party rented a car and the other 9 took DME. We (the DME'rs) arrived about 10 minutes earlier than the Hertz gold customer -- I really liked Magical Express, but we had not planned on leaving the resort at all.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<DME truly pays for itself.>> Of course it does ... it keeps guests captive on property and spending every penny on the Mouse. How can that not be a great business plan?
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< If you have meds or anything you know you'll need quick in FL, have that in your carryon. >>> DME or not, you should never put meds in checked luggage. There's always a chance that your checked bag will get lost or delayed.
Originally Posted By Mr X >>>And if so.. when why you people continue to be suckers and keep visiting WDW?<<< How many times a year do you visit WDW, TDLFAN? How much money have you spent on Florida resident passes, hard-ticket events, food, and merchandise over the past 20 years? Seems a little strange that you would call other visitors "suckers".
Originally Posted By Mr X >>I'd guess... does NOT include hidden "Tragical Express" fees<< Don't be so sure. They figure out the price of everything, how much profit they want, and then price EVERYTHING accordingly.
Originally Posted By TongaToast I think the ME is a great addition, you're in the Disney mode the minute you get in line. And maybe my memory is warped, but the ride seems much shorter than it used to in cabs to/from the airport- did those sneaky cabbies take the long way? NB- I booked a trip through my parents DVC membership and did not get the luggage tickets delivered to my apartment, and so had to carry bags to the ME, not a big deal but just in case someone else is booking from an address that isn't their mailing address. On a creepy note, the last time I was in line an older CM was IMO inappropriately whispering "princess" to a roughly 4 year old girl, repeatedly, and trying to force her to take stickers from him, while kind of ignoring everyone else standing in line. My boyfriend and I were horrified, and not to go on a tangent, but has this sort of thing ever been a problem at Disney? I imagine they'd pursue action immediately if the alarm were sounded for this. Actually on second thought, I don't want to know, I'd rather take my kids there someday and live in blissful ignorance!
Originally Posted By DAR <<did those sneaky cabbies take the long way?>> Ever been to Vegas? The only way is the long way for the cabbies.
Originally Posted By Buzz Lite-Snack Convenient for us and for Disney. Keeps our dollars in Disney's coffers. Not a problem for me since Disney gives me the money in the first place. Seriously, the only problem has been our luggage arriving a bit later than we'd like. But it's been there by the time we've come back from our first night's excursion.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 As long as you are dressed for the park while you're flying, it's great. We always arrive before check-in time, but never had to wait for a room, so just leave our carry-on stuff in the room. Hope I don't regret saying "always" and "never."
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb I usually bring a carry-on with jammies, toiletries, a change of clothes and a swim suit. Of course I'm always a little paranoid about the airline loosing my luggage so I do this on all trips, not just the WDW trips with DME.
Originally Posted By mickeymad DME is one of the reasons we can affors to go as far as WDW rather than just go to DL. The cost of transfers and disney transport coming off our budget is a hige saving. On another note we will be using DME for the first time in December and will arrive at 11.30pm. At that time of night will it take a long time for us to get our bags?? T thought I will pack some overnight things so we don't need our bags until the morning but I am not sure how we will go with toiletries. What are you allowed to take on US planes??? We can't take tooth paste or anything liquid, not even kids felt markers.
