2 quotes, 2 very different prices - Help?

[Jellifer]

I want to book a 14 day holiday to WDW from 11/18/14 to 12/02/14.

I'm flying from the UK, 2 adults no kids. Hoping to stay at CBR, use DME, and I was sorta hoping I'd catch free dining but I was told by a travel agent here in the UK that free dining for UK visitors is done this year so I'd have to go through a US travel agent.

So I got my base quote from Disney direct, using their UK website I could get flights, hotel and tickets (14 day UK pass) for £2850 ($4760). The website said this was with a "up to" 30% room discount plus a $150 gift card.

I then emailed mouse savers and they quoted me $4900 for hotel and 10 day MYW ticket with hoppers but no WPF&M. Flights for this time would be £1050 ($1750), the email said that a discount had been applied which I'd forfeit if I wanted to get free dining added later making my total $5200 plus the flights which just seems so much compared to my UK prices plus I'm losing 4 days in the parks and missing out on the water parks and disney quest.

Is this really the best offer I can get or have I had an agent on an off day? Just seems weird that it's cheaper to go direct through Disney.

 

[aaarcher86]

I want to book a 14 day holiday to WDW from 11/18/14 to 12/02/14. I'm flying from the UK, 2 adults no kids. Hoping to stay at CBR, use DME, and I was sorta hoping I'd catch free dining but I was told by a travel agent here in the UK that free dining for UK visitors is done this year so I'd have to go through a US travel agent. So I got my base quote from Disney direct, using their UK website I could get flights, hotel and tickets (14 day UK pass) for £2850 ($4760). The website said this was with a "up to" 30% room discount plus a $150 gift card. I then emailed mouse savers and they quoted me $4900 for hotel and 10 day MYW ticket with hoppers but no WPF&M. Flights for this time would be £1050 ($1750), the email said that a discount had been applied which I'd forfeit if I wanted to get free dining added later making my total $5200 plus the flights which just seems so much compared to my UK prices plus I'm losing 4 days in the parks and missing out on the water parks and disney quest. Is this really the best offer I can get or have I had an agent on an off day? Just seems weird that it's cheaper to go direct through Disney.

The US has very different deals than the UK, so imagine it's accurate. The US doesn't have any discounts out for those dates yet, so you're getting a rack rate price. We also do not have a 14 day ticket.

Your arrival date is the day after Thanksgiving, so it's unlikely FD would be out for your check in date. You'd also have to buy a separate 4 day ticket to get 14 days which I assume is much more pricey than your UK 14 day ticket.

 

[Jellifer]

I though thanksgiving was the week later?

Also the TA said there was a discount so what would that be on if not the room rate?

 

[vicki_c]

US travel agents usually have the same pricing as Disney direct, unless they are offering something special. But generally, they have the same prices. I assume you got a quote from Small world Travel, they are listed on the Mousesavers site, but Mousesavers itself is not a TA. From all I've heard, Small World travel knows their Disney stuff extensively, so I'm fairly confident they are giving you the best deal they have at the the time.

Your arrival date more than a week before Thanksgiving, so a discount is possible. I don't know what may be available for those dates myself.

But in any case, UK often get great deals from Disney, so I would go with that.

 

[deedeetoo]

Also, do you know the details of the flights they quoted you? One may be sending you non-stop and the other may be having you change planes three times.

 

[smitch425]

The US has very different deals than the UK, so imagine it's accurate. The US doesn't have any discounts out for those dates yet, so you're getting a rack rate price. We also do not have a 14 day ticket.

Your arrival date is the day after Thanksgiving, so it's unlikely FD would be out for your check in date. You'd also have to buy a separate 4 day ticket to get 14 days which I assume is much more pricey than your UK 14 day ticket.

Thanksgiving is always the 4th Thursday in November. This year it is Nov. 27.

 

[Jellifer]

The Disney quote included a flight with 1 transfer, small world wouldn't quote me for flights so I looked at sky scanner for the same flights as Disney.

 

[aaarcher86]

I though thanksgiving was the week later? Also the TA said there was a discount so what would that be on if not the room rate?

M fault. I read that as 11/28 not 18!

 

[smitch425]

M fault. I read that as 11/28 not 18!

Now THAT makes sense.

It's surprising how many people think Thanksgiving is the last Thursday in November, instead of the 4th Thursday. DS's birthday (Nov. 22) was on Thanksgiving Day a couple of years ago, and many people were surprised when he would tell them that because they thought it was too early in the month. Of course, he started telling people about it on his 5th birthday, 3 years early! Anytime the subject of birthdays came up, he would say, "When I'm 8, my birthday will be on Thanksgiving. The actual day."

 

[Jellifer]

I had to google it so I was sure I was flying in before Thanksgiving.

I did use small world, I followed a link from mouse savers!

I think I need to have a play with a proxy server and try get some quotes from Disney US direct. Room only the UK price for CBR on our dates is £1224.

The dining plan was more for convenience than anything else but it would be good to have a discount if I can find one.