Disney World Is Charging $1,000 For A Murphy Bed Studio?

Disney World Resorts have opened a new resort and the standard view studio is so small that it features a Murphy bed rather than a standard bed and it runs $1,000 per night. 

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Disney Vacation Club’s Polynesian Island Tower

Disney has just completed and opened a new hotel as an expansion to its Polynesian village, within eyesight of Magic Kingdom the new Island Tower. Polynesian Village has evolved over the years to include overwater bungalows, hotel rooms, integration with the monorail system, and remains one of the Deluxe resorts with premium rooms on Disney World property with close access to the parks.

The new Disney Polynesian Island Tower adds modern rooms and amenities to complement the popular resort with an all-new variety of options for rooms and suites:

“Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows offers an array of room options that celebrate the islands by exploring the natural elements of earth, water and sky:

• Duo Studios – Perfect for 2 Guests, these Studios offer an outdoor patio and kitchenette, plus vibrant artwork inspired by both Moana and the sky element.

• Deluxe Studios – These earth-themed rooms that sleep up to 4 majestically showcase the flora and fauna of the islands, and offer an outdoor patio and kitchenette with a dishwasher.

• 1-Bedroom Villas – Discover beautiful water-inspired artwork in Villas that sleep up to 5 and feature an outdoor patio, full kitchen, spacious living area, 2 bathrooms and a washer and dryer.

• 2-Bedroom Villas – In addition to everything the 1-Bedroom Villas offer, these Villas—themed to both water and earth—have a third luxurious bathroom and sleep up to 9.

• NEW! 2-Bedroom Penthouse Villas – These Villas—which also celebrate water and earth—sleep up to 8 and feature all the amenities of the other Villas, plus extraordinary views of Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom park, as well as Disney’s Oak Trail and Magnolia Golf Courses.” – Disney World Resort

While a (2) Bedroom Villa pricing near $1,000/night is probably reasonable during peak periods, and certainly a (2) Bedroom Penthouse Villa, this is where the pricing starts for a Duo Studios. But the Duo appears to stand for dual purpose room with a couch occupying main room which can be replaced by a Murphy bed for sleeping.

On Instagram, the same channel had a more concise review of this room and outlined additional struggles besides the Murphy bed. For example, this rate was not for a resort view, but rather one of an under construction parking lot. The vanity is outside the bathroom and the bathroom shares a wall with the kitchenette. It’s an unpleasant, awkward proposition. The room is also only fit for two people meaning that at minimum, many will have to pay even more for a room that sufficiently supports the entire family.

As Another Super Premium Hotel Failed, Will This One Succeed?

The Grand Floridian and The Polynesian have long been “deluxe” or premium properties for Disney World Resort in Orlando. The Grandma Floridian has long needed an update and I have found the Four Seasons Orlando to be more affordable while offering many of the same resort benefits – and, of course, being a Four Seasons.

Disney last tried to pull the wool over visitors’ eyes at a truly unique property, the StarCruiser, themed for Star Wars. That property tried to charge near these prices but offered an immersive experience directly connected to Hollywood Studios, and more importantly, to Galaxy’s Edge. It closed last year due to limited demand. The months prior, I pointed out that Disney, instead of lowering prices for the absurdly high, but likely amazing experience, reduced capacity by 50% (half the number of “cruises” offered.) That plan didn’t work, it turned out it might have been the price point after all.

While the StarCruiser was a completely new concept, families were clearly struggling to justify the price point. Perhaps that’s not the only reason it failed, but I doubt it helped. The Duo Studio is so low value for such a high price, I can’t imagine they will be able to hold the rates – even if they are masked behind the Disney Vacation Club point system of timeshares.

Alternatives

Guests that are looking for properties adjacent to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando will find many options for which they can enjoy many of the same perks but get a far better stay experience. Some of those hotels offering a better experience accept points as they are members of chains like Marriott, Hilton, and others. Here’s a list of Disney Good Neighbor properties from WDW Magazine that won’t charge you $1,000/night for half a room.

Conclusion

Disney’s latest hotel is a “deluxe” option and while the property is new, well-located, and modern it’s wildly overpriced. For the first year, guests will probably pay it (though the secondary market already shows some softening.) But Disney guests deserve better for their money and I hope management finds it as challenging to sell as families will find it challenging to afford.

What do you think? 

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