January 2014 discount watch!!

[Kristina685]

I hear ya...the waiting game sucks
The worst part is trying to anticipate if there are going to be any deals or not! We are hoping for Free Dining again..but not expecting it since it wasn't offered Jan/Feb this year.

The 3rd or 4th week of January are our Favourite weeks of the year to go! Can't wait!

I've been to WDW twice (and I was only 10 and 14 at the time) and both years we went in August. All I remember is that it was HOT! Now, it's been 14 years since I've been there last but I'm pretty sure FL hasn't cooled off any. I'm really excited to go during this time!

I am on the waiting list of a few TA's for package pricing once it is released. I think I'm going to price it out myself and compare rates with the two TA's and just go with the better one. I think at this point I'm just excited to book! Haha

 

[vacation_junkie]

I've been to WDW twice (and I was only 10 and 14 at the time) and both years we went in August. All I remember is that it was HOT! Now, it's been 14 years since I've been there last but I'm pretty sure FL hasn't cooled off any. I'm really excited to go during this time!

I am on the waiting list of a few TA's for package pricing once it is released. I think I'm going to price it out myself and compare rates with the two TA's and just go with the better one. I think at this point I'm just excited to book! Haha

Generally speaking...Disney dictates the prices that a TA can sell the package for. What Disney sells a package for the TA has to sell the package for. Much like Apple products .
They may offer a bonus incentive on top of your package like a gift card or something....but the packages itself will be the same regardless where you book.

Get a couple quotes...see what they will offer.

We love January ....the crowds are minimal and the weather has been perfect every time.

Its going to be a long few months to wait!!!!!

 

[3cuteDISkids]

Ooh can I join in?! We are going Jan 11-18, unless dh decides to run then we will probably have to be there a day or 2 earlier. This is technically our first family trip, however dh and I decided to go for a little recon mission before we lug our 3 kids there. So we are going in may for 3 days to learn our way around. Staying at POFQ and spending a day at Epcot. That being said, waiting for the prices/discounts into the next calendar year really stinks. My 180 day mark is July 15. I really need to have my resort locked down by then. We are also considering renting points and staying at BLT if there are no discounts. But I really should be booking that now, but I can't cancel that. Such a predicament I have hoping for a BB from our may trip but I don't know if they will be offering anything for 2014. I might just book something and then when discounts come out , either keep it or try to rent dvc if the discount isn't much or nothing. At least I will have a safety net...

Another poster somewhere said they should really cut the dining date down to 90/100 if they aren't going to be releasing discounts until that timeframe. I couldn't agree more! We only picked this week to celebrate ds 2nd bday on the 16th! Might do a late summer girls trip in 2014 and it makes me happy knowing that I will have more info on prices and discounts sooner! Ahhh the stresses of disney planning

 

[disneymami]

I have finally had my dream come true, almost. My school calendar plans to close school Jan 2 and Jan 3, 2014 as part of a long Dec holiday break. I want to finally visit the world under these perfect conditions: no school, no heat, no crowds. Here's my question: I know resort rack rates plummet on Jan 2 but could I expect a sweeter deal with discounts? Are deals offered for early January resorts?

 

[vacation_junkie]

Ooh can I join in?! We are going Jan 11-18, unless dh decides to run then we will probably have to be there a day or 2 earlier. This is technically our first family trip, however dh and I decided to go for a little recon mission before we lug our 3 kids there. So we are going in may for 3 days to learn our way around. Staying at POFQ and spending a day at Epcot. That being said, waiting for the prices/discounts into the next calendar year really stinks. My 180 day mark is July 15. I really need to have my resort locked down by then. We are also considering renting points and staying at BLT if there are no discounts. But I really should be booking that now, but I can't cancel that. Such a predicament I have hoping for a BB from our may trip but I don't know if they will be offering anything for 2014. I might just book something and then when discounts come out , either keep it or try to rent dvc if the discount isn't much or nothing. At least I will have a safety net...

Another poster somewhere said they should really cut the dining date down to 90/100 if they aren't going to be releasing discounts until that timeframe. I couldn't agree more! We only picked this week to celebrate ds 2nd bday on the 16th! Might do a late summer girls trip in 2014 and it makes me happy knowing that I will have more info on prices and discounts sooner! Ahhh the stresses of disney planning

We go the 3rd week or so each January usually...so I know comparing past vacations... should there be free dining we'd have to wait to check in until Sat Jan 25th...the Saturday after MLK weekend.

Keeping that in mind I will make our Dining Reservations at the 180 mark so we can get "our must eat at" places. Just like we usually do. Since we most likley won't have a package booked by then I can't do the 180+10 thing.

Should Free dining not be announced I'll just cancel the ressie's I've made online that we don't want to keep.

No biggie.

We also eat at alot of restaurants that are not in the parks so it doesn't matter which day of the week were there I book these places on. We use to stick to our favourites in each park but then after adventuring outside of the parks we discovered that there are alot of great restaurants at the resorts and DTD!

 

[vacation_junkie]

I have finally had my dream come true, almost. My school calendar plans to close school Jan 2 and Jan 3, 2014 as part of a long Dec holiday break. I want to finally visit the world under these perfect conditions: no school, no heat, no crowds. Here's my question: I know resort rack rates plummet on Jan 2 but could I expect a sweeter deal with discounts? Are deals offered for early January resorts?

First is New Years...followed by the Marathon...then comes MLK weekend!

No real deals til after the MLK weekend.

 

[Trip 2 Disney]

Count me in!! My DD will be turning sweet 16 end of Jan so we will be surprising her with this trip. Thinking about doing a combo trip part WDW & part Disney Cruise. Eagerly awaiting Jan special!

 

[keishashadow]

I need to book two rooms 'somewhere' early January. 1 night on the 11th (marathon weekend) and two on the Thursday and Friday after our 4 night cruise. I had originally booked the cruise the week prior but was shocked to see how high the rates were at Universal onsite hotels on Saturday, 1/4 and moved trip forward a week.

We've been to 'the world' before during marathon, the crowds seemed to thin out the Monday afterwards but started to get busier the Thursday prior imo. Also there over MLK weekend and the actual monday seemed very busy, perhaps locals?

re military question: shades of green (SOG) is likely the hotel you reference. Note that typically they open up reservations to be more inclusive (DD214 holders/honorable discharge). Not sure how fast the hotel books during January. The rates i'm seeing don't seem especially tempting for our purposesbut i'm comparing it to a moderate, really not sure if the hotel is supposed to be comparable to a onsite deluxe.

 

[rachlovestv]

Count me in for January!! I'm running the Dopey for my 33rd birthday, and my parents are coming with me to celebrate! We'll be there Jan 7-13. So far we only have our airline tickets book. I think we'll likely call this week about book a room only, until the packages are released this summer. We're hoping to stay at Boardwalk - my mom's pick.

Thanks for the info about the pins, btw. I always see people on the boards talking about them, but could never figure out what they were or how you got one. I'll follow the advice and cross my fingers! It's not like making trip plans or ordering Disney DVDs is out of character for me anyways. I can tell that free dining will be a stretch, but a room discount would be awesome.

We actually did free dining last November and found it to be way too much food for us. I'm not used to having desserts with every meal, but it somehow seemed like such a waste to not get one when it was included. I think that's a psychological problem on my part. Obviously, we wouldn't turn it down if it was offered again, but the dining plan itself is not something we'd ever purchase. The idea of booking a ts meal for every day, just in case, is a good one, though. We were already planning on going back to Ohana and Yak and Yeti, regardless of our FD status, so maybe I'll pick out a few new places, just for fun.

I love planning! It's what I think about during my long runs!

 

[Lizziejane]

First is New Years...followed by the Marathon...then comes MLK weekend!

No real deals til after the MLK weekend.

I'm not sure about that.... I looked at the January 2013 watch thread and there were tons of people reporting their discounts for early January - including the marathon weekend.

 

[DisneyLover75]

I'm sorry if this question has been asked and answered already, but when are they going to announce the 2014 package prices so we can book online?

 

[Trip 2 Disney]

I'm sorry if this question has been asked and answered already, but when are they going to announce the 2014 package prices so we can book online?

I called yesterday and was told to call around the June-July time frame.

 

[vacation_junkie]

I'm not sure about that.... I looked at the January 2013 watch thread and there were tons of people reporting their discounts for early January - including the marathon weekend.

I was referring to "Free Dining" ...

There was no free dining offered for January 2013.
There was only room discounts.

For 2012 Free Dining started Jan 8th but Marathon week and MLK weekend were blacked out.

In 2011 Free dining started Jan 1st...again Black out periods were Marathon week and MLK weekend.

The past few years we booked our January packages the 2nd week of August online. We usually book the day they are released.

 

[Priorityonecb]

I just booked my room for January 7-14 this afternoon. I booked for POP ($109) but may consider POR if a really good code comes along.

 

[vinotinto]

Joining in! Hubby signed up for the marathon, so we'll probably be there around Jan 4- 12. First time going to the area in the winter. I need discounts, packing advice, discounts, to figure out where we want to stay, discounts, did I mention I need a discount? We'll have to take the kids out of school for 4 days.

 

[gilby]

watching for the end of January first part of Feb. 2014

 

[DisneyDame27]

We are booked at SSR 1/7/14 to 1/17/14.....doesn't look like we'll be able to take advantage of free dining because of the marathon

 

[vacation_junkie]

watching for the end of January first part of Feb. 2014

Us too

 

[Cobern]

Ok this may be in the wrong place so please forgive me. We are here now and DD is in love. DH said to come again this winter. I choseJanuary due to lower crowds/cost. Where can I find information on florida resident discounts from this previous January to compare? We are going to stay at a monorail resort because it will probably be a MK only trip

 

[Ram7730]

I am currently booked for marathon weekend with both my daughters, my wife and my parents. I will be doing the Dopey challenge. We are booked at AOA right now. Does anyone know if there are ever any good discounts on the moderate resorts to bring them down to levels not too high above the value resorts. I'm assuming they don't go that low but figure it doesn't hurt to ask.