In my never-ending quest to plan the perfect Disney vacation...
...I called yest. and spoke with a CM about my 2009 trip, asking about the value seasons again. He indicated, as someone had before, that it was thus and so, but that the "powers that be" might have some other times in mind. This is not the way it's done for WDW, and makes it harder to "break the code" for good deals at DL! My plan right now is just to book in early Oct. and hope that the price can be adjusted for the DLH. Otherwise, we'll end up staying the first couple of days in a nearby good neighbor hotel such as Hojo (which I know nothing about except that it gets a lot of mention here).
Granny, are you planning your trip for NEXT October, or this upcoming one in 2008? I assumed that you meant you were going this year, but you just said 2009. Or were you only going this year
if you could get a deal?
Anyway, as helpful as Disney CMs are, we do find that different ones tell us different things, so I wonder who their "powers that be" are and what other times they have in mind for a value season. Basically, when it boils down to it, there are NO "value" hotels at
Disneyland. All you can do is hope for a random special deal to come along and pounce on it, or get an AP, which offers dscount rates at the hotels. It is all expensive, which is why so many of our members on this board stay at Good Neighbor/off-property hotels and have a perfectly wonderful time anyway at a much better price. Maybe, if we had AS MANY Disney hotels to choose from at the DLR as there are to choose from at WDW, there would be more of a range from true 'value' to moderate to luxury, like WDW has.
I don't think they will adjust a DLH rate to the PIN # rate UNLESS you get the PIN # offer after you have booked a room, or if you get very lucky and they want to 'Dream' you. From what I have been told repeatedly by the Reservations people, for this upcoming October, both the PPH AND the DLH are booked up as far as the rooms associated with that specific code/offer. I THOUGHT that there may be more rooms available at the regular 'off-peak' season rates, but apparently those rooms were booked too, as of this past Monday. BUT, people cancel and change their dates all the time, so you just have to keep calling back and seeing if anything has opened up. Are you opposed to staying at the DLH at the regular 'off-peak' rate, which is substantially lower than the 'peak season rate'? You could also stay at PPH (slightly cheaper than the DLH and a little newer) and just wander over to the DLH grounds a lot so you can get the full experience!!
Anyway, good luck in your quest! I totally understand the need to get the best deal possible (I am a comparison shopper and bargain hunter at heart) in these extremely hard economic times, BUT I also understand the preference to want to stay in one of the Disney hotels instead of the off-site ones. Even though the off-site hotels are great, from what everyone here says, you do feel like you are 'in the middle of the magic' being at one of the actual Disney hotels. It kind of extends the whole Disney experience.
...and have picked up awesome tips from everyone. Thanks!
