Pricing a suite for a school project About This Page:

[HeatherD]

Hello! My daughter has a school assignment to "spend" $1,000,000 this week and she has to make a poster of what she'd buy (within $40). She mentioned taking a cruise in the Walt Disney Suite, but those prices are not available online (that I've ever found). Can you either direct me to where I can procure it or perhaps give me the pricing (not exact, obviously, but close)? I would think a 7 day Eastern or Western and perhaps one of the European itinerary, to give her a selection...

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide!

[OffKilter_Lynn]

What a cool assignment! I've dreamt about that, too! Unfortunately, suite pricing isn't available online. We have to call DCL each and every time, even just for availability inquiries let alone quotes.

The 'cruise rates' section in the PassPorter guide is a good frame of reference. There is a huge range in the high to low pricing so you can look at it as worse-case / best-case scenario.

The pricing is rather accurate, too. We have a 1-bedroom suite booked for a 3-night cruise in January, which is the low end of the range. Using the PassPorter typical rates as a guide, you would estimate $2,500 for the first two guests and I have 2 kids ages 16 and 10 which would be another $500 for a total of $3,000. Our price? $3,106 so it's pretty darn close! (And yes, it is that ridiculously expensive for a 3-night cruise but it's my DD's 16th birthday!)

A 7-night cruise in the summer would cost over $10,000 for 2 adults and add $2,200 each for the 3rd and 4th guest. Special itineraries command even higher prices. For the Eastbound Panama Canal cruise (15-nights), it cost a family of 4 over $22,000!

Happy shopping!

[HeatherD]

Thank you, so much! We are also going to try to figure out what it would cost to buy out Disneyland for a night (a la Michael Jackson). And if there's anything left over, we figure she can either get one of the big suites at Palms (the basketball court or bowling alley ones), buy a vacation home (Anaheim or Orlando or the beach) or maybe pay for 4 years of college at an Ivy League school....

She's come up with so many better things than I did. All I could think of was a one-way trip to see family (coach, no less) and some small things...

Anyway, thanks again for the assistance.

[OffKilter_Lynn]

My pleasure! And may I suggest she consider the Atlantis Bridge Suite for a few nights? At a mere $25,000 PER NIGHT, it tops Forbes list as the World's Most Expensive Hotel room.

The World's Most Expensive Hotel Rooms - Forbes.com

[HeatherD]

Originally Posted by OffKilter_Lynn

My pleasure! And may I suggest she consider the Atlantis Bridge Suite for a few nights? At a mere $25,000 PER NIGHT, it tops Forbes list as the World's Most Expensive Hotel room.

The World's Most Expensive Hotel Rooms - Forbes.com

Oooooh! Thanks for the link. That's some fancy digs, there! And, for an 8 year old...her reaction was "it has a kitchen?!" So, I think, if she puts it on her list, it will be toward the bottom (good girl!).

[dmpyron]

Originally Posted by HeatherD

Thank you, so much! We are also going to try to figure out what it would cost to buy out Disneyland for a night (a la Michael Jackson). .

I was actually on a conference committee that did that about 10 years ago. Four hours at Disneyland mid week during the fall was $780,000. Since we had about 10,000 conference attendees, it wasn't "too bad" (yeah, right ).

Originally Posted by HeatherD

And if there's anything left over, we figure she can either get one of the big suites at Palms (the basketball court or bowling alley ones), buy a vacation home (Anaheim or Orlando or the beach) or maybe pay for 4 years of college at an Ivy League school....

She's come up with so many better things than I did. All I could think of was a one-way trip to see family (coach, no less) and some small things...

Anyway, thanks again for the assistance.

She has how much? A million? (known in gambler's parlance as "one extra large"). I'm afraid that won't get you into much of a house in the Anaheim area. Orlando has gotten more affordable. Ivy League college? Should cover it.

I understand you can get a used Lear 51L for about $700K right now.

Since I'm spending other people's money, I'm having fun, too.

Remember the Richard Prior movie "Brewster's Millions"?

[HeatherD]

Remember the Richard Prior movie "Brewster's Millions"?

Yup! Not a fan of Richard Pryor, but it was fun to watch and remember fondly (without having to watch it again, that is!). It was on cable a few weeks ago and DH stopped on it. I looked at him and asked, "Really?"

She has how much? A million?

Yes, she has a million and has to be within $40 either way. We looked at airplanes, but I researched something else (not Lear, though I can't remember what) and saw prices that were too much. What we came up with, so far, is:
DCL in WD Suite
Kingpin Suite at Palms (with party) for $15,900!
4 years at Harvard (zoology program) for $140,000
A house near the beach in Newport Beach (in the $300s, pretty good deal)
DIP (Dolphin Interaction Program) at SeaWorld
Bentley Continental
Canon Digital camera for $7000
Butler for one year for $80,000
Grand Cruise of Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia (several months long)
Set of Big Berthas for her dad
She currently has $2001 left, so we are going to price a WDW stay (minus airfare) to see if we can get her there...with clothes being purchased to round out any leftover money.

I was actually on a conference committee that did that about 10 years ago. Four hours at Disneyland mid week during the fall was $780,000.

DH went to a conference who bought out Universal in Florida in October - just for the evening, I believe. I'll have to mention this to DD to see if she wants to rearrange things on her list....

[dmpyron]

This is always fun. Sometimes we play this game when the lottery gets over about $50M.

Originally Posted by HeatherD

We looked at airplanes, but I researched something else (not Lear, though I can't remember what) and saw prices that were too much. What we came up with, so far, is:
DCL in WD Suite
Kingpin Suite at Palms (with party) for $15,900!
4 years at Harvard (zoology program) for $140,000
A house near the beach in Newport Beach (in the $300s, pretty good deal)
DIP (Dolphin Interaction Program) at SeaWorld
Bentley Continental

May I recommend a Bugatti Veyron? Oops, that's 800,000 pounds sterling. Two of which have been totaled in the UK.

Originally Posted by HeatherD

Canon Digital camera for $7000

Somewhere I saw a REALLY nice Sony HD camera for about $10K.

Originally Posted by HeatherD

Butler for one year for $80,000
Grand Cruise of Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia (several months long)
Set of Big Berthas for her dad
She currently has $2001 left, so we are going to price a WDW stay (minus airfare) to see if we can get her there...with clothes being purchased to round out any leftover money.

[HeatherD]

Just to wrap this up and not leave it hanging, I'll post what DD did for her project. Her grand total was $999,999.50 and we never even considered giving "the rest to charity" when she was within a certain amount (like some others did).

She got:
Walt Disney Suite for 6 people at $20,000 (est. based on PP listed prices)
Birthday party at American Girl Place - $520
Party in the Kingpin Suite at The Palms (bowling alley in the hotel room) - $15,900
4 year tuition to Harvard - $140,000
Vacation home in Newport Beach - $385,000
DIP (dolphin program at Sea World) - $680
Bentley - $213,000
Canon EOS IDs Mark III - $8,000
Butler - $80,000
Grand Cruise of Australia, New Zealand in a suite - $134,000
Big Bertha Irons for Dad - $899
5 nights at WDW with free dining (just prior to our already scheduled cruise on Oct 3) - $1,927
2 dresses from JC Penney - $65
Earrings from Claire's - $8.50

If we'd had more than a couple of nights to work on it, I would've loved to have added different things. I really wanted to figure out a night at Disneyland, but figured your figures, Dillon, being 10 years old, would be too outdated to use and current numbers would be over $1 mil. But, man, I really want to win Megabucks now (we don't have the lottery here)! I'd do nothing but cruise when the kids were out of school (and maybe even when they're in!).

Thanks so much for the input and assistance, Lynn and Dillon!

[OffKilter_Lynn]

Nice list! Now when she gets the million, will you let me book the Walt Disney suite for you? I'd sure love that commission!

[HeatherD]

Originally Posted by OffKilter_Lynn

Nice list! Now when she gets the million, will you let me book the Walt Disney suite for you? I'd sure love that commission!

Yes. The day we can afford the Walt Disney suite, I'll contact you! You don't mind a call in the middle of the night do you? 'Cause it'll be in my dreams that I can afford it!!!

[dmpyron]

Megamillions is currently at $17M. $10.8M estimated cash value. $7.1M after taxes (also subtract whatever your state steals, Texas doesn't have an income tax). I'd take it.

Here's a goodie. The Superfecta on Saturday at the Kentucky Derby paid $511,000 to 5 winners. $20 ticket.

Ah, keep dreaming.

[seamour]

aw what a great list, your kids are really cute btw, love the pic in your siggy. And the earrings from Claires at the bottom of the list, too funny ! LOL.

[Aubree's Travel]

What a fun project. I loved your line about not giving the rest to charity. That was hilarious. Kids are way too cute.