Hotel prices around Disney parks rising

All valid, but it doesn't change my point. As a consumer, we can compare and should. Can we argue that the category of consumers I'm talking about is too small to care about? Yes, but there's still a line somewhere. When Kinzel left, and there were CRT TVs and 15-year-old mattresses, the line was pretty obvious. Now, maybe not.

Pretty sure we have established we can argue anything.

People gotta sleep.

Just checked the price of a room at the Contemporary for October of next year, and ... even when you know how expensive it's going to be, you're still shocked at how expensive it is.

If looking at any comp point. Forget room prices. It's the dining that needs to be considered.. Disney hotels have great options to appropriately address the scale of each resort which offer diversified type dining and menu experiences.

Breakers has Perkins (not open for dinner). Tomo (which I can't talk sh-t about cause I've never been but feels pretty niche: Who wants to sit in front of a sizzling hibatchi after being in under the sun queue lines all day) and ...TGIFridays.

The kitchen for the two cool spaces (Surf and Sand bars) appear suppported by the above.

Forget the amusement park. You would think as a waterside resort that is a fairly isolated location that doesn't have an amusement open past 8 pm would offer some kind of decent dinner option for its 600 plus rooms.

How long are those leases... Time for CP to blow out the spaces and put in some decent options. (Or even stopgap fix, leave Melt open after hours) CF proved recently they can level-up in house dining experiences too.

Makes me miss the not good pizza from the Breakwater cafe.

There's also Famous Dave's if you hop on the shuttle and they have a partnership with Dominos. Make fun that all you want but my group all looked forward to ordering Dominos last time I was there with them. I don't get it either.

I think we all assume that franchises would be lining up to lease space at a seasonal resort in Sandusky, OH. Even Melt in the pre-pandemic years has had problems staffing the restaurant. I file all of this under wishful thinking.

eightdotthree- That Domino’s is outrageously overpriced. We ordered a pizza from there after CoasterMania 2016. Large pepperoni pizza, cookie/brownie, 2 liter Coca-Cola delivered to Sandcastle Suites cost $48. That’s a $20 order at home.

“That's the curse/blessing of Hotel Breakers; once you make the leap to staying on-point it's damn near impossible to think about going back.”

This is so so true. Same holds for Lighthouse Point vs other campgrounds… I was perfectly happy at Camp Sandusky, 15-ish minutes away from the Causeway entrance. But then we sprang for Lighthouse Point in 2018 for HalloWeekends and that was the end of being perfectly happy with Camp Sandusky. Is LP a great campground? No, not even close. But the location makes up for a LOT of shortcomings.

It's all about the location. You're staying in the park.

About that dining; I guess it does say something that our normal routine when we are at Breakers is for me to make the short drive down the causeway to Thirsty Pony while the ladies of the house are at the beach. We tried Tomo once, and probably won't again. We usually get take-out from Fridays at least once...not so sure what's so terrible about that as an option.

The cottages at LP are just amazing for us. Done at the park and you have your own grill.

And the park is open until 10 now.

I think Cedar Point knows its customer base and what they want. Disney does to.

When I make the 6 to 9-month out, multi-thousand dollar investment in a Disney trip I expect better dining options at my resort (and I need it because I don't have my car to drive to Thirsty Pony!). I'm a hostage in the resort for 7 days. If I'm flying half-way across the country I expect a resort with a few more perks.

If I'm driving 2 hours to hit up Cedar Point for a week or just a few days, Hotel Breakers and/or Lighthouse Point is perfect. The location (plus the overall quality of the facilities) are worth the price. If I want something else more food options are 15 minutes down the road and I have a car.

The dining needs of your average Disney guest are inherently different than the dining needs of your average Cedar Point guest. That doesn't mean there isn't always room for improvement.

ShaneDenmark said:
We ordered a pizza from there after CoasterMania 2016. Large pepperoni pizza, cookie/brownie, 2 liter Coca-Cola delivered…

And a side of ranch.

The cottages at LP are just amazing for us. Done at the park and you have your own grill.

We bought a camp stove during our "Lighthouse Point with younger kids" period. Very useful for pancakes and bacon in the morning!

OhioStater said:

If I'm flying half-way across the country I expect a resort with a few more perks.

Same which is why I still haven't stayed at Breakers when I fly across the country to visit Cedar Point for a few days. I do wish the resort had more offerings and some higher quality rooms but I guess I might not be the demographic they are aiming at. This is why I usually stay at a hotel in Cleveland while I am visiting Lake Erie.

See, I'm not the only one. I realize that out-of-state travelers are probably not a huge demo for CP, but still. Also, executives don't want to live in Sandusky. 😉

I wonder if the renovated Sawmill Resort (when it's done) could be something geared towards people flying in wanting a more upscale experience. Assuming you are flying into CLE, it's right on the way to the park and just a beat from the causeway. Not on point but would beat a drive from a hotel in Cleveland.

No idea if these will be the dining options when it opens next season, but I'm guessing the dining at a world-class golf course might beat Perkins.

When I was a kid, I recall that Sawmill had a solid reputation, and I stayed there once when I was maybe 10. It had fallen into disrepair to some degree, right? They bought it for a steal, so it seems like an opportunity. I'd be down for staying at a good "spa resort hotel" there, because nothing comes quite close to that in the area right now.

Stayed at Sawmill through some discount /Hotwire deal in 2018. Old carpet, beds, furnishings, etc. Bathroom might have had a half arsed renovation within the past 5 years, but everything else was old. Damp and dark was the theme. It is supposed to be a “resort” but the tennis courts were crumbling and indoor pool was in poor shape. Rack rate was around $250ish think we payed $100 and that was hardly worth the value. I Have a feeling the old owners took the profits but never reinvested.

Food was a half step above Perkins/Friday’s , but that’s low bar to clear. Those in the link above were the restaurants back then. Golf course pub had decent burgers. Salmon Run was your typical “upscale casual” American Grill rated 3.5 on Yelp. Best bet was just to go to Berardis down the street. Hopefully they improve it, but House Ran CP food is pretty iffy. Maybe a more casual Bay Harbor?

It is a huge sprawling complex with potential. The golf course is top notch and the property itself is beautiful.

RCMAC said:

ShaneDenmark said:
We ordered a pizza from there after CoasterMania 2016. Large pepperoni pizza, cookie/brownie, 2 liter Coca-Cola delivered…

And a side of ranch.

No ranch, Tom…

ShaneDenmark said:

... 2 liter Coca-Cola delivered to Sandcastle Suites...