Am I totally loosing my mind??

[ilovecraigandcooper]

Last night I did some pricing. I looked up room only prices. And then separate ticket prices. (And added them together for my total). Then I turned around and looked up the same thing as a "package" (room and ticket only). I made sure everything was the same (amount of days, hoppers, no meal plan) and the packages are coming out HIGHER than if I booked room only and added tickets. Is it always like this?? Why would a package be higher than buying room and ticket seperarely? Shouldn't it be at least the same? I feel dumb, Is there something simple I'm not seeing here as whybits different?

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

Sorry, this was a question about tickets to the parks so I would have thought this was the correct forum (more so than resorts...)...

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Did you price room and tickets all the way to having tax added?

If your difference is in the 12% range, you skipped tax.

 

[calablovedisney]

I stopped booking packages about 3 trips ago when I discovered this. I have saved by booking rooms through Orbitz, getting the Disney discount and current Orbit discount using their code (usually 15%), and ordering tickets through Undercover tourist. It has always priced out less than the packages. Now, if I were to ever get free dining that would be a game changer, but now that my kids are adults on the dining plan we find it is better for us to pay oop.

 

[klmall]

This is another way Disney makes money. Some people prefer a package even at a higher rate just so they don't have to buy tickets separately etc. And remember too that many people aren't aware that authorized ticket resellers such as Undercover Tourist can save them $20 or whatever per ticket. They may not even know that Disney (and others) run promotional discounts on rooms at various times. The packages may also include items such as luggage tags, free/reduced round of miniature golf etc. that may or might not mean anything to you. I'm amazed that some people travel to WDW time after time and always pay rack rates or higher or buy a package with things they will never have time to use.

We have been to WDW 12 times as a family and have never paid rack rates. And we bought a Disney package only once and that was many years ago. It was a MVMCP package no longer offered that included reduced room prices; one TS meal and tickets to the party. I carefully added up each package component and saved at least $100 on our 4 night stay.

If you own a copy of the "Unofficial Guide to WDW" there is an excellent section covering this whole topic (and many others). And I'm sure there are many other similar write-ups on the net.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

Don't feel dumb. I went through the same thing many many years ago. I booked a package maybe twice - now we only book room only and add tickets when we are not annual pass holders. Also room only reservations you can cancel up to 5 days before for a full refund. Go with the room only.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Free dining bounce backs require packages so it would be an option for us.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Don't feel dumb. I went through the same thing many many years ago. I booked a package maybe twice - now we only book room only and add tickets when we are not annual pass holders. Also room only reservations you can cancel up to 5 days before for a full refund. Go with the room only.

This ^^^

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

Thanks guys!!! It made no sense to me (and had never occurred to me) that the package would be more so I'm glad to hear I'm not crazy lol

 

[izzylovesmickey]

The only time we book a package is when we book through a TA that gets convention rates and has discount tickets to go with the room. Then the package is a great deal. But if we book through Disney directly we alway do room only and add tickets separately.