Booking Resort Through Another Website

[Potterholic85]

Hello all! I do sincerely apologize if this type of thread has all ready been posted/discussed, but I scanned the first page of threads and didn't see anything on this particular topic.

I am hypothetically planning a trip to Disney World for December of 2014 (a bit far out yet, I know, but I'm too hypothetically excited about it not to plan!). I'll be going with my best friend and her younger sister. My best friend and I have been to DW several times in the past, but her younger sister has never been. She'll be 23 when we go, and I'm looking forward to seeing an adult's first time reaction to everything.

Here's the thing. None of us are incredible wealthy. We need to find a way to make this a very inexpensive vacation. Booking a resort through the Disney website, while convenient, will be a bit more expensive. As I was doing my research, I saw that I could book the resort (Pop Century) on Expedia.com for a $90 less than the Disney website.

This this big long preamble leads to this question: Has anyone ever booked a Disney resort through another website, such as Expedia.com or Hotwire.com? If so, how was your experience? Do you feel you got the same customer service as you would have received by booking through Disney? Do you think your room was a bit shoddier?

Thanks for reading this incredibly long post! Happy answering!!

 

[trishadono]

Hello all! I do sincerely apologize if this type of thread has all ready been posted/discussed, but I scanned the first page of threads and didn't see anything on this particular topic.

I am hypothetically planning a trip to Disney World for December of 2014 (a bit far out yet, I know, but I'm too hypothetically excited about it not to plan!). I'll be going with my best friend and her younger sister. My best friend and I have been to DW several times in the past, but her younger sister has never been. She'll be 23 when we go, and I'm looking forward to seeing an adult's first time reaction to everything.

Here's the thing. None of us are incredible wealthy. We need to find a way to make this a very inexpensive vacation. Booking a resort through the Disney website, while convenient, will be a bit more expensive. As I was doing my research, I saw that I could book the resort (Pop Century) on Expedia.com for a $90 less than the Disney website.

This this big long preamble leads to this question: Has anyone ever booked a Disney resort through another website, such as Expedia.com or Hotwire.com? If so, how was your experience? Do you feel you got the same customer service as you would have received by booking through Disney? Do you think your room was a bit shoddier?

Thanks for reading this incredibly long post! Happy answering!!

I have booked 40+trips directly with disney but last April found it cheaper on orbitz and didn't have any problems.

You have a good chance of getting a discount with disney it is just too far in advance.

You can book Expedia now then cancel if disney or others go cheaper. Check rate with all taxes included. Some times it is not actually cheaper.

 

[Potterholic85]

I have booked 40+trips directly with disney but last April found it cheaper on orbitz and didn't have any problems.

You have a good chance of getting a discount with disney it is just too far in advance.

You can book Expedia now then cancel if disney or others go cheaper. Check rate with all taxes included. Some times it is not actually cheaper.

Oh, yes, you're absolutely right. It's far too early to book anything. Right now I'm just trying to get prices together in hopes that this hypothetical trip becomes a for-real trip.

 

[winterwhite]

I have never booked disney, through disney. Their rack rates and their weird discount packages make it totally not worth it. Their rates are completely insane.

I've never had a problem and I think we have used travelocity, expedia, and orbitz. The rack rate at pop century is like $120/nt on the weekends which is ridiculous. I think we paid something like $61 when we stayed there last time. Disney is never going to give you 50% off. At a value you can MAYBE hope for 20%.

The rack rate for our POR room this next trip is $182 and we paid $137 plus taxes (not included in the rack rate, either). That's 25% off, again more than disney is offering on a RO discount right now. They're offering 20% off SOME moderates and we don't want any of the others so are not flexible in what hotel we choose.

I don't do the hassle of disney booking in order to pay more, but that's me. Never had a problem and have gotten some great room locations so I think the whole "you get a junky room if you don't book through disney" thing is bunk and paranoia.

 

[Potterholic85]

I have never booked disney, through disney. Their rack rates and their weird discount packages make it totally not worth it. Their rates are completely insane.

I've never had a problem and I think we have used travelocity, expedia, and orbitz. The rack rate at pop century is like $120/nt on the weekends which is ridiculous. I think we paid something like $61 when we stayed there last time. Disney is never going to give you 50% off. At a value you can MAYBE hope for 20%.

The rack rate for our POR room this next trip is $182 and we paid $137 plus taxes (not included in the rack rate, either). That's 25% off, again more than disney is offering on a RO discount right now. They're offering 20% off SOME moderates and we don't want any of the others so are not flexible in what hotel we choose.

I don't do the hassle of disney booking in order to pay more, but that's me. Never had a problem and have gotten some great room locations so I think the whole "you get a junky room if you don't book through disney" thing is bunk and paranoia.

Okay, great! Out of curiosity... what's a rack rate?

 

[Tege]

Okay, great! Out of curiosity... what's a rack rate?

Rack rate is the undiscounted rate that the hotel charges per night.

 

[Marionnette]

Hello all! I do sincerely apologize if this type of thread has all ready been posted/discussed, but I scanned the first page of threads and didn't see anything on this particular topic.

I am hypothetically planning a trip to Disney World for December of 2014 (a bit far out yet, I know, but I'm too hypothetically excited about it not to plan!). I'll be going with my best friend and her younger sister. My best friend and I have been to DW several times in the past, but her younger sister has never been. She'll be 23 when we go, and I'm looking forward to seeing an adult's first time reaction to everything.

Here's the thing. None of us are incredible wealthy. We need to find a way to make this a very inexpensive vacation. Booking a resort through the Disney website, while convenient, will be a bit more expensive. As I was doing my research, I saw that I could book the resort (Pop Century) on Expedia.com for a $90 less than the Disney website.

This this big long preamble leads to this question: Has anyone ever booked a Disney resort through another website, such as Expedia.com or Hotwire.com? If so, how was your experience? Do you feel you got the same customer service as you would have received by booking through Disney? Do you think your room was a bit shoddier?

Thanks for reading this incredibly long post! Happy answering!!

I booked on USAirwaysVacations a couple of times. The first time was because they had a pricing glitch which they honored (yes, I brought it to their attention and offered to cancel if need be). The other time was when Disney was offering pay-for-4-nights-get-7 and they didn't have the resort I wanted for the full 7 nights.

Both times went smoothly. Both times I only had my confirmation paperwork which was sent by email (no cute luggage tags, no Planet Hollywood vouchers, etc.). And both times, I checked in without incident.

Personally, I prefer to have complete control of my reservations, so I don't use online booking agencies often. But it's just because of my personal preferences and not because of any negative experiences.

 

[Potterholic85]

Rack rate is the undiscounted rate that the hotel charges per night.

Gotcha! Man, all these new terms to learn.

 

[laceyinwonderland]

I booked on USAirwaysVacations a couple of times. The first time was because they had a pricing glitch which they honored (yes, I brought it to their attention and offered to cancel if need be). The other time was when Disney was offering pay-for-4-nights-get-7 and they didn't have the resort I wanted for the full 7 nights.

Both times went smoothly. Both times I only had my confirmation paperwork which was sent by email (no cute luggage tags, no Planet Hollywood vouchers, etc.). And both times, I checked in without incident.

Personally, I prefer to have complete control of my reservations, so I don't use online booking agencies often. But it's just because of my personal preferences and not because of any negative experiences.

So you can not do online check in or room requests if you book with an outside website?

 

[1000HappyWishes]

So you can not do online check in or room requests if you book with an outside website?

I doubt that you would be able to.

 

[winterwhite]

I doubt that you would be able to.

You can do online check in. I can see my travelocity reservation on MyDisneyExperience like any other disney hotel. The only one you can't do this with is Swan/Dolphin.

 

[laceyinwonderland]

You can do online check in. I can see my travelocity reservation on MyDisneyExperience like any other disney hotel. The only one you can't do this with is Swan/Dolphin.

Awesome!!! thanks for the info! I need to check MDE and see if its there!

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, I'll let you all know when I get back from WDW in November. I have never booked my stays with anyone other than Disney. But, I just checked Expedia to see what it would cost for our stay in November. Disney lists Pop for average of $130 a night, Expedia was $98. So, I booked with Expedia. I was booked elsewhere but would have needed transport from the airport, so even though I had a great rate at that hotel, it is costing me a bit less to stay at Pop, with DME. And it's a host resort for the runners...a win win for me.

 

[winterwhite]

Awesome!!! thanks for the info! I need to check MDE and see if its there!

you'll have to add it, but you can get the disney conf. # from the 3rd party itinerary (probably have to pull it up on the website-- it takes a couple days for them to confirm with disney) and then add it to MDE.

 

[mumzie2three]

you'll have to add it, but you can get the disney conf. # from the 3rd party itinerary (probably have to pull it up on the website-- it takes a couple days for them to confirm with disney) and then add it to MDE.

It works immediately. Just booked yesterday with Travelocity for Poly and entered that ressie as soon as I had the confirmation # (in the email from Travelocity). Did the same thing today after booking Yacht Club. Worked instantly.
Only wish I could link my tickets to MDE. Don't seem to have the right number on the voucher for that.

 

[laceyinwonderland]

I just tried to add my one night room only at AOA to MDE, but expedia didn't give me a confirmation number, they gave me an itinerary number. I tried using that, and it didn't work. Maybe after a few days expedia will give me a confirmation number. Anyone else ever have that happen?

 

[goofy4tink]

I couldn't link mine either. I was able to book DME with the itinerary number, but not get it linked to MDE! Not sure why. Oh well.

 

[fla4fun]

So you can not do online check in or room requests if you book with an outside website?

I have booked through Expedia a few times, and there is a box to type in any special room requests when you make the reservation. I've entered things like "upper floor" or "close transportation" and received what I asked for.

I have also done online check in with my Expedia bookings. It takes two or three business days for the Disney confirmation number to appear in your Expedia itinerary. When it does, I go to the Disney website and bring it up under My Reservations. Once it shows there, then I can do online check in just as if I'd booked through Disney.

 

[laceyinwonderland]

I have booked through Expedia a few times, and there is a box to type in any special room requests when you make the reservation. I've entered things like "upper floor" or "close transportation" and received what I asked for.

I have also done online check in with my Expedia bookings. It takes two or three business days for the Disney confirmation number to appear in your Expedia itinerary. When it does, I go to the Disney website and bring it up under My Reservations. Once it shows there, then I can do online check in just as if I'd booked through Disney.

Sweet!!!! I guess Im being impatient! I didn't see any box to make requests, but it will be okay! Our only request is ground floor, and even that wont break my heart if we don't get it! Thanks for the help!!

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

I have never booked disney, through disney. Their rack rates and their weird discount packages make it totally not worth it. Their rates are completely insane.

I've never had a problem and I think we have used travelocity, expedia, and orbitz. The rack rate at pop century is like $120/nt on the weekends which is ridiculous. I think we paid something like $61 when we stayed there last time. Disney is never going to give you 50% off. At a value you can MAYBE hope for 20%.

The rack rate for our POR room this next trip is $182 and we paid $137 plus taxes (not included in the rack rate, either). That's 25% off, again more than disney is offering on a RO discount right now. They're offering 20% off SOME moderates and we don't want any of the others so are not flexible in what hotel we choose.

I don't do the hassle of disney booking in order to pay more, but that's me. Never had a problem and have gotten some great room locations so I think the whole "you get a junky room if you don't book through disney" thing is bunk and paranoia.

Can you share with me what site you do book through? Thanks