Disney High-Rollers: The Suite Life
Walt Disney World resort hotels are already pretty great. They come with the legendary customer service of Disney Cast Members, and excellent theming by Disney's Imagineers. And some do come at a hefty price tag. But we are talking about the most luxurious of luxurious in this post. We're talking the most exclusive and unique rooms money can (and can't!) buy.
Walt Disney World has hosted anything from musical legends to nearly every president of the United States since its opening, so you can imagine the average accommodations might not quite cut it. Here are the most exclusive and expensive suites at Walt Disney World resorts, followed by a fun bit of trivia.
The Cinderella Castle Suite
Even if you know nothing else about staying in Walt Disney World, you might be aware that there is a suite inside the Cinderella Castle. One of the most frequent questions guests ask is "How much is it to stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite?". There is a very interesting examination of the fair market value of the suite over at Disney Tourist Blog, so we are not going to re-invent the mathematical acrobatics that went into figuring that out!
We are, however, going to dispel any notions that it is something you can pay enough for. In most cases, you cannot buy a stay in that suite. The suite, situated INSIDE the Magic Kingdom at the top of the Cinderella Castle, is fit for royalty, and yet even royalty cannot purchase a night in the suite. It was originally crafted to be part of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration, which began October 1, 2006 (and is our favorite all-time Disney "celebration" theme). The idea was a guest family would randomly win a stay at the suite each night. Therefore, it was a gift.
The suite now is used for charitable purposes like Make a Wish, and most nights of the year, it is left unoccupied. There may be rare occasions (charity auctions) where it is possible to "buy" the suite, but don't expect this to be something you can book just by waving some bills at the reservation desk.... at least you can't book it to sleep in.
What you can sometimes do, if you simply must lay eyes upon this royal space, is pay extra to tour it. With the current 50th anniversary VIP Tour, you may tour the castle suite, but this tour experience comes at a hefty cost: The entire tour is $6,500! We'll have more details on this very special tour and other VIP tours in a future High-Rollers post.
Presidential and VP Suites
Presidential suites, or something very similar, can be found at most Walt Disney World luxury resorts. The average price per night for a stay in these suites is $2,000, and can go up to $2,600, such as at the Contemporary Resort.
These suites are really a combination of rooms. Some come with more frequent mousekeeping (2x/day) and other perks. Below are some videos of presidential suites.
The Yellowstone Suite at the Wilderness Lodge:
The Presidential Suite at the Contemporary Resort:
The Princess Suite at the Polynesian Village Resort:
Royal Palm Club 2-Bedroom Suite at the Grand Floridian
We talked about club-level rooms in our previous High-Rollers article. The Grand Floridian, interestingly, has 2 club levels, the Royal Palm Club being the most elite of these. A 2 bedroom suite in the Royal Palm Club runs about $2,000/ night and provides access to the upper-level club amenities at the Grand Floridian.
Villas
Although villas come in all shapes and sizes and are typically reserved as DVC properties, regular guests can also book a villa when and if there is availability. Here are two of the most luxurious villas:
The Bora Bora Bungalows at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
One of many DVC villas on property, the Bora Bora bungalows offer a unique over water design beyond your typical DVC villa. Each bungalow can sleep up to 8 people, sits on a pier on the Seven Seas Lagoon, with excellent views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks, and runs $2,700-$5,000 per night. To add an extra touch of authenticity, each has its own private deck with its own private plunge pool.
Copper Creek Cabin Villas at the Wilderness Lodge Resort
Copper Creek Cabins are the DVC add-on to the Wilderness Lodge Resort, and one of these cabin types, the Cascade cabin, features 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a giant living area, and a private screened-in porch with a private hot tub. Staying here will set you back about $2,000 per night.
The Treehouses at Saratoga Springs Resort
Falling somewhere between a villa and a grand villa, are the unique treehouses at Saratoga Springs Resort. If you've ever taken a boat down the Sassagoula River from Port Orleans to Disney Springs, you will have seen these sitting along the river in a heavily forested area. They've been there for as long as we can remember, but they deserve a place in our list for their sheer uniqueness. These are private villas, with parking underneath, and then a stairway to your second-level living area among the trees. They have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, a combined living/dining area, and a large porch. They can sleep up to 9 and will set you back about $900-$1800/night.
Grand Villas
What's the difference between a villa and a grand villa? A grand villa has 3 bedrooms, at least 3 bathrooms, a full-sized living area and kitchen, and typically a private balcony. Basically, we're looking at one additional bedroom, at least 1 additional bathroom, and more space in general. These are also DVC properties but can be booked by regular guests if and when there is availability. They can sleep 12 people and will run you between $2,500-$3,000 per night.
Time for Trivia!
We promised at the beginning of this article that we had some special trivia for you and mentioned that Disney Resorts have been frequented by presidents and musical legends alike. While Disney can't disclose where exactly celebrities have stayed, those who look closely can sometimes figure it out based on pictures of historic events.
Question 1: Richard Nixon gave a famous press conference on Disney property. What line from his speech became infamous?
Answer: The line is "I am not a crook". While embroiled in the Watergate scandal, Nixon traveled from his vacation home in Florida to Disney's Contemporary resort on November 17, 1973, where, in the Ballroom of the Americas, he delivered a press conference to 400-some people. It was during the Q&A portion of this press conference that he delivered the infamous "I am not a crook" line.
Question 2: Richard Nixon has plenty of interesting history with Disney. Another story involves a kidnapping. What happened?
Answer: Walt Disney is claimed to have accidentally "kidnapped" Nixon, though "kidnapping" is something of a stretch. When Nixon was Vice President, he was at Disneyland Resort to dedicate the brand new monorail. While waiting for ceremonies to begin, the weather was hot, to Walt invited the Nixon family inside the cab. Since they were in there anyway, they decided to go for a ride, so off went the monorail, Nixon and family inside, leaving the Secret Service behind. The Secret Service were none too happy.
Question 3: Ok, back to rooms at Disney Resorts! John Lennon signed the papers that dissolved the Beatles on Walt Disney property. He was staying there vacationing with his kids, who loved to swim. Where were the papers signed?
Answer: Lennon was staying at the Polynesian Village resort, and based on pictures, it can be deduced that he was specifically in a ground floor corner room of the Samoa longhouse with a view of the Seven Seas lagoon and the Cinderella Castle beyond. Lennon had not attended a meeting with the other Beatles on December 19, 1974 in New York that was meant to be where the papers were signed because "the stars weren't right". So the paperwork was brought to him by an Apple records lawyer on December 29th. It is said he gazed for a moment at the Seven Seas Lagoon before signing, and quipped "take out your camera" to his lawyer who was with him.
Interestingly, there is not a special Nixon suite or Lennon suite at Walt Disney World. We can reason the ground-floor room in the Samoa longhouse can be booked by anyone as a preferred view room, given the view of the castle beyond. While it might seem some history is lost, this seems very on brand for Disney, separating itself once again from the realities of the world.
While writing this article about expensive rooms, we couldn't help but wonder whether we'd splurge for an expensive suite, or if we'd rather stay where Lennon stayed. What do you think? Would you spend $2,000 for a presidential suite for a night? Would you pay $12,000 to walk through the Cinderella Castle suite? Tell us over on our Facebook page where you can follow us to see when new articles are posted each week. Until next time...
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