affordable ways to book a deluxe resort

[rosiebean]

May I ask, when you say you use Orbitz and get the Disney discount plus Orbitz - how? Do they price match Disney's current offer? Thanks!

I'm not the poster you asked, but when I stacked a deluxe discount with an Orbitz 15% off one, I got the same price as WDW's offer. The prices on Orbitz went down to match the WDW discounts (fall in my case) as soon as they were released.

I've saved on deluxe resorts by: 1) renting DVC points, 2) stacking WDW discounts with an Orbitz discount, 3) using a WDW pin code sent via mail, and 4) using a TA. I've stayed deluxe seven out of eight recent hotel stays (counting the one in August at GF in this number), and only once for a two night stay at Poly did I pay rack rate.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

May I ask, when you say you use Orbitz and get the Disney discount plus Orbitz - how? Do they price match Disney's current offer? Thanks!

They often do price match- but not always. You have to check the rates offered at Disney and compare them with the ones offered on Orbitz. Many times, you can find the lowest Disney discounted rates on Orbitz. For example, if Disney is offering a 20% discount on the resort you want and the rate with the discount is $300 a night on Disney's site, then you can often find a rate of $300 for that resort on Orbitz. But not always. Sometimes Orbitz might have a different rate. Just be sure to cross check. When I got my discount using Orbitz, I had already booked through Disney with their discount, so I knew exactly how much I was going to spend through Disney. Orbitz saved me quite a bit over the price I had originally booked. I think when I booked I had an extra 5% off because I was a passholder, but Orbitz was offering an extra 15-20% off (can't remember which one it was), so that was better than the passholder discount.

It is complicated how travel agents (Orbitz is like an online travel agent) work, but they do manage to get better rates than booking directly through Disney sometimes.

 

[mrsap]

Thank you both so much!

 

[toodycat]

I'm a teacher who stays deluxe. We usually visit in August because that is when our anniversary is. You definitely get the biggest bang for your $$$ during that time of year. This year, we are staying at AKL in August for under $300/night. We've gotten similarly good prices at WL, Poly and GF in August. If your school gives you Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, off, and it falls on a Monday Tuesday or Thursday Friday in September or October, you can make a nice, reasonably priced long weekend out of it, assuming, of course, that your family does not celebrate Rosh Hashanah. The weather is cooler than August at that time of year, the parks are not so crowded and it coincides with Food & Wine Fest.

 

[Eastern]

I agree with booking through a TA who specializes in Disney. They get group rates, and I just learned that I can get park tickets cheaper through the TA than through UT (you probably can't upgrade them though). Check all sources before booking.

Another thing: CR Garden Wing tends to be the cheapest of the monorail hotels. I know you want Poly, but CR is fun and convenient.

Epcot hotels: these vary in price depending on when you book. I have had BC, YC, and BWI all come up as the cheapest at different times. Remember to compare them all each time.

 

[Eastern]

If your school gives you Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, off, and it falls on a Monday Tuesday or Thursday Friday in September or October, you can make a nice, reasonably priced long weekend out of it, assuming, of course, that your family does not celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

We are going during the September holiday weekend 21-25 and room availability is very limited. Plane fares from EWR to MCO are also higher than expected. If I went the week before or after I could get much cheaper air.

 

[Monykalyn]

• You will often need to pay in full up front, versus the $200/first night's stay deposit on a booking with Disney.

• Any changes, special room requests or adding the dining plan have to be done through the owner. Dining plans must be paid in full at the time that they are added to the reservation because that's the way that DVC works.

Not all rental companies-the one I am using for August required deposit, then PIF 45 days to travel. I also had option of adding DDP up til 30 days prior to check-in. Did my own online check-in for room requests. But it definitely is less flexible than booking directly with Disney and definitely something that needs to be taken into account. I purchased the cancellation policy for "just in case" scenarios. I also booked less than 6 months out and had a decent selection of resorts, but August appears to be a slower DVC time.

Check Orbitz. They usually will book your rate at whatever Disney is giving for a discount, PLUS there is usually an Orbitz code that you can add to take an additional 15% off the room charge.

an you split your stay? This is how we make Disney vacations a bit more affordable. We'll spend 4 nights at Pop Century while we visit AK, HS, and Epcot. Then we move to the CR for 3 nights to have a pool/resort day and then visit MK. The south/garden wing of the CR is considerably more affordable than the tower, although when our budget permits, we stay in the tower in a TPV room. WL is also more affordable and is MK-area but is not on the monorail. We haven't stayed there before but have heard the boat isn't much more inconvenient than the monorail (have to wait for both, sometimes the monorail stops on the tracks, etc) and can be fun. Our kids really want to stay there!

i too am a teacher who prefers deluxe resorts. My best rates have come from stacking the disney discount with an Orbitz coupon code (the specific code did not have a $150 max discount). I also earned so many orbucks on the reservation that it almost completely paid for the hotel we stopped at on the drive down.

Yep did this in 2015-Orbitz code, combined with Disney 25% for mod, 35% for deluxe (oh-and through ebates for a bit more cash back) allowed us a week stay onsite-I think we averaged ~$250/night at BC, and <$150/night at CBR, split stay. Averaging $220/nt at SSR this august (studio).
The thing with Orbitz is you can rack up Orbucks to be put to use to pay for the resorts. I actually have the Orbitz CC and can acquire "Orbucks" that way so that is like an extra "discount".

 

[beccasmom]

We have to visit around the school schedule as well. We are now DVC members, but also have the Chase Disney Visa and I notice they seem to have package deals available on occasion (free dining package beginning in late August , for example). I don't know if there would be substantial savings there. And, as you mentioned, Mousesavers does a great job posting all the current available discounts and packages.

 

[msjprincess]

Or even late August. Teachers are back to work weeks before the kids have their first day. Late May thru July are the most likely dates that the OP would be able to travel in the summer.

Wow, really? Teachers around here go back to work one or 2 days before school starts. We don't start until after Labor day.

 

[ljmclin]

I'm in agreement with booking through a TA for busy times. My family has never used a TA for our Disney trips, but we have always gone during non peak times. Now tht I can't take my kids out of school anymore (high school and middle school now) we have to go in August this year. I booked through a TA and saved $1000 off the same package I had booked through Disney. I booked almost a year out and we are staying at the Poly.

 

[MillauFr]

I'm not the poster you asked, but when I stacked a deluxe discount with an Orbitz 15% off one, I got the same price as WDW's offer. The prices on Orbitz went down to match the WDW discounts (fall in my case) as soon as they were released.

I've saved on deluxe resorts by: 1) renting DVC points, 2) stacking WDW discounts with an Orbitz discount, 3) using a WDW pin code sent via mail, and 4) using a TA. I've stayed deluxe seven out of eight recent hotel stays (counting the one in August at GF in this number), and only once for a two night stay at Poly did I pay rack rate.

Do you use the TA that offers the big late August discounts? 50-60% off of rack rates? How does the price compare to DVC points?

 

[Marionnette]

Wow, really? Teachers around here go back to work one or 2 days before school starts. We don't start until after Labor day.

Classes do not begin until after Labor Day here, either. But the teachers are in the classrooms at least two weeks before the start of the school year. Ours prepare their classrooms (bulletin boards, arranging the desks the way they would like them, making sure there's enough desks and books for each child on their roster) and do in-services regarding any new policy changes or teaching directives. They meet with their grade partners to go over changes for the coming year. They set up their email accounts or clear our any unfinished business from existing accounts. For the younger grades, there are a number of things prepared for each individual child from name cards down to their cubby assignment. There are "sneak-a-peek" nights for the kids to see their new classroom and meet their new teacher(s).

 

[msjprincess]

Classes do not begin until after Labor Day here, either. But the teachers are in the classrooms at least two weeks before the start of the school year. Ours prepare their classrooms (bulletin boards, arranging the desks the way they would like them, making sure there's enough desks and books for each child on their roster) and do in-services regarding any new policy changes or teaching directives. They meet with their grade partners to go over changes for the coming year. They set up their email accounts or clear our any unfinished business from existing accounts. For the younger grades, there are a number of things prepared for each individual child from name cards down to their cubby assignment. There are "sneak-a-peek" nights for the kids to see their new classroom and meet their new teacher(s).

I have several teachers in my family. They only have one or two mandatory dates before school begins. They do go in one or 2 other days to get classrooms ready etc...but they're able to do that any time so it doesn't interfere with vacations at the end of August. We always go on big family vacations in the 3rd or 4th week of August.

 

[therapistalexandra]

I'm guessing 2 teachers are not going to be able to take time off in September.

They *might* be able to swing it if they work summer school. That's what DH does and then no one cares if he is taking time off at the start of new school year, because he worked the whole academic year and then summer.....hope that makes sense!!

 

[twoplustwins]

I'm a teacher. I have to report for inservice one week before classes start. At another school in town, the teachers have to report two weeks before classes start. I guess it's all up to the district.

 

[Gracie09]

I have several teachers in my family. They only have one or two mandatory dates before school begins. They do go in one or 2 other days to get classrooms ready etc...but they're able to do that any time so it doesn't interfere with vacations at the end of August. We always go on big family vacations in the 3rd or 4th week of August.

This. My sister -a teacher- is going for ten days at the end august. She will go in a day or two before to set up her classroom but not for weeks in advance. She also does special ed so will review ieps etc over the summer

 

[ArielDreams]

This. My sister -a teacher- is going for ten days at the end august. She will go in a day or two before to set up her classroom but not for weeks in advance. She also does special ed so will review ieps etc over the summer

I am a teacher and get home from Disney on 9/3 (Sunday), Labor Day is Monday, my 1st required day is Tuesday and the kids come Wednesday - kind of lucky more is not required!

Anyway, to actually respond to the question - we will be doing deluxe for the 1st time this year with a split stay (4 nights Pop free dining, room only discount AKL 3 nights). I was shocked at how low the AKL rates were! So, go as late in August as possible!

We've also had luck going April break (for us that is always the 3rd week of April). The farther away our break week is from Easter, the better the rates.