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Disney has unveiled a brand-new option for Guests booking stays at Walt Disney World Resort hotels aimed at saving Guests money on their Disney World vacations and fostering new friendships between theme park Guests staying on property.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa/Credit: Disney Parks
You may wear your “Disney Adult” status as a banner with bells and whistles, especially since a study by the American Psychiatric Association showed that being a Disney Adult is no longer a symptom of having psychosis.
You might be a more private Disney Adult whose closest friends are the only ones who know how much you love Mickey. Then again, you could be one of those completely closeted Disney Adults–one they’d never suspect is a superfan and frequent flyer at the Disney theme parks. But regardless of how you wear your fandom, one thing is true among diehard fans–they love the characters, the rides, the attractions, and the nighttime shows at the Disney Parks, and they often share that love by telling friends, family members, and fellow members of the same social media groups about the best parts of their visits to the parks in Central Florida.
Credit: Becky Burkett
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But while the thought of a trip to Disney World might be a dream come true for many, the cost of a Disney vacation often presents challenges for those who relish the idea of visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth but aren’t sure how to make it feasible without substantial discounts. And the truth is that Disney World doesn’t offer promo codes like “DISNEYSTAY50” to give Guests an automatic 50% discount on their stays. (But wouldn’t that be nice?)
No Sizeable Competition Means No Sizeable Discounts
Disney World is the most popular vacation destination in the United States, and because the Central Florida Disney Parks remain so far ahead of their competition, Disney has great freedom when it comes to determining pricing for park tickets, food, and accommodations at Disney World Resort Hotels. Occasionally, Disney offers discounted hotel rates, but those promotional savings are usually only available on select dates at select Resort hotels and clearly don’t serve as one-size-fits-all discounts.
Credit: Becky Burkett
In recent years, Disney has come under heavy scrutiny for its frequent price hikes on theme park tickets and other costs associated with a getaway to Disney World. Some have gone so far as to accuse Disney of intentionally creating an elitist experience for Guests so that such a vacation can only be enjoyed by the more affluent sector of the population. And the Disney Company is well aware of that scrutiny.
To that end, Disney World has reportedly unveiled a new cost-saving option for Guests staying on Disney property at any Disney World Resort Hotel, whether it’s a value, moderate, deluxe, or deluxe villa Resort. It’s called RoomShare, and the concept is nothing short of magical.
Credit: Disney Parks/Canva
The nightly rate at a Disney World hotel can range from less than $200 to more than $5,000, depending on the hotel and room type. And Guests who travel with larger families incur additional expenses when they choose to stay at Disney World hotels with rooms that sleep a maximum of four Guests as they must book more than one room, or they have to choose to stay at Resort Hotels with suites, which come with heftier nightly rates.
But with Disney World’s RoomShare option, Guests can choose to share the cost of a Disney World Hotel room with other Guests. According to a recent announcement about Disney’s RoomShare from the satire website MouseTrap News, there are two options for Guests who choose to save money with the new option:
“If you are traveling with another family, this easily lets you split the costs with another family through Disney’s official website. However, if you are traveling alone or with a very small traveling party, you can share a room with random Guests.
Inside the Mickey Mouse Penthouse Suite at Disney Parks/Credit: Disney
“When you book a Disney World Hotel room online, you’ll select how many Guests you have in your party. If you intend to use Disney’s RoomShare option, you’ll then check the RoomShare box. Disney uses an algorithm to match you with other Guests who are also using the new cost-saving option. For example, if you have a party of two Guests and want to spend a night at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, the original cost could be as much as $700 per night. But with Disney’s RoomShare option, you’ll share a room that sleeps four Guests with two other Guests in a separate traveling party. In this example, your nightly rate would be reduced to $350–a savings of 50%.”
Sharing a Room With Strangers–Is This For Real? (Not Likely)
If Disney’s RoomShare option sounds crazy, it’s because the option isn’t an actual offering at Disney World. Rather, it’s a piece of imagination from the writers at MouseTrap News, the Disney Parks-themed site known for its humorous and satirical posts about changes, new attractions, and other goings-on at Disney World.
Credit: Disney Parks/Canva
According to the post that seems to poke fun at the high cost of staying on property at Disney World, Disney’s RoomShare option has also come under scrutiny (and shock and disbelief). After all, some Guests understandably have concerns about sharing a room with total strangers, even if those strangers are also Disney World fans. But other fans point out that the Disney World Hotel RoomShare option is in the same category with offerings like the Single Rider option for attractions in the theme parks, and they justify their affinity for the new option by also pointing out the huge savings that Guests can enjoy–just for sharing the extra bed in their Disney hotel room with other Guests who are looking to save money on their vacations as well.
The RoomShare option is especially popular with Disney World fans who frequently visit the parks alone on solo trips, many of whom see the option as a way of ensuring them a magically frugal hotel stay when they visit the Central Florida Disney Parks. That is, IF it were an actual offering at the parks–and it is not.
We Disney Adults are all about saving money on our Parks visits, but not when the discounts are dependent on sleeping in the same room with total strangers. That’s a hard pass for us too!
