Any reason to do package vs. room only?

[MomtoGKC]

We are just starting to plan a family trip. I live in FL and always do room only reservations then usually get season passes. The rest of my family are coming from out of state- is there a benefit to doing a package instead of doing room only then getting tickets somewhere else? I'm guessing one reason people do it is to pay off the trip slowly?

Thanks!

 

[minnie mum]

The only real reason is to have a dining plan. And if you buy your tickets as part of a package, and then you have to cancel or shorten your trip, you aren't stuck with tickets you've already bought.

Oh, and you can pay off a RO reservation in small prepayments in advance of your check in if you want to.

 

[cart-mom]

I had a package with free dining booked and then booked airfare which was cheaper flying in one day earlier. It was the start of the promotion so I had to book a RO reservation. The CM asked me if I was using my Disney Visa to which I replied yes. He did some clicking and asked me if I wanted to book my RO as a package for just a penny more which would give me more time to pay off that charge but also the other benefits of a package like free mini golf, dq vouchers, etc. And then I ended up adding an additional day to my 7day MYW tickets so we could do a park when we arrive and it was just an additional $31.95 for the three of us. Deals CAN be found at WDW.

 

[siskaren]

The only real reason is to have a dining plan. And if you buy your tickets as part of a package, and then you have to cancel or shorten your trip, you aren't stuck with tickets you've already bought.

Oh, and you can pay off a RO reservation in small prepayments in advance of your check in if you want to.

It also allows you to pay off both your tickets and room over time. If you do RO and buy your tickets separately, you would be able to make payments on the room, but would have to pay for the tickets all at once. (Well, if you have more than one person going, you can buy the tickets one at a time to spread out the cost, but since I always go solo, this isn't an option for me.)

 

[thisismyusername]

The main reasons for having a package:

1. Smaller reservation deposit if staying in a room that costs $200 or more a night. With a package, a $200 deposit is all that's required. With a RO reservation, the first night's cost is required, so if you are staying in a room that costs $200 or more, the initial deposit would be less.
2. Ability to add Disney trip insurance.
3. Ability to add dining plan.
4. Extras: Vouchers for mini golf, Disney Quest, luggage tags, etc.
5. The cost of your tickets is locked in at the time of reservation.

Main reasons for staying RO:

1. Entire cost of room not required until check in. With a package, the entire cost must be paid off 45 days before you travel. (In 2016, this is changing to 30 days.)
2. The change/cancelation policy is much more generous with RO reservations. With RO reservations, there is no penalty for changes--just availability concerns. And you have up to 5 days before you travel to cancel and receive a full refund. If you cancel less than 5 days before you travel, you will lose your first night's deposit.

With a package, any changes made 45 days (2016, 30 days) prior to departure may incur a change fee if the total reservation cost is less (they usually waive it for reservations that cost more). If you cancel your reservation 45 days (2016, 30 days) before arrival, you will lose your deposit. If you cancel 1 day prior to arrival, you will lose the entire payment.

 

[MomtoGKC]

Thank you!! We are going with room only!

 

[tcherjen]

We live in Florida too. We always do room only.

 

[Harambe]

I've always done room only, and then bought tickets elsewhere, but after reading what you have to do the first time you go to a park with your "outsider" tickets to get then connected to the Magic Bands, I think I am going to do the room and tickets with Disney. Totally lazy on my part, but I don't want to go to guest relations at the park, buy the bands, then go to a kiosk to do more "connecting". I don't know - there is probably a lot I am not getting with these Magic Bands, but it just looks a lot simpler to get then at the time we book, then get everything loaded up through My Plan or whatever it's called. We don't do DDP, though, so it would just be the room and tickets.

 

[Oathkeeper13]

I think it all depends on how you feel about the dining plan. I'm a big fan of being on a dining plan. I pay up front for all of the meals and then I don't worry about what I order. In terms of budget you can probably eat for cheaper if you don't go on the meal plan, but you have to pay attention to how you eat and what you order.

 

[22Tink]

I had already booked a room only, and planned to get our tickets much closer to trip time. When FD came out I had to switch it to a package to get the discount. That was the only reason I did a package. I'm glad I did though because I love how everything gets automatically linked in MDE and I don't have to try to do it manually. For a first timer with MDE, it's been great for me! I'll probably continue to do packages in the future.

 

[siskaren]

I've always done room only, and then bought tickets elsewhere, but after reading what you have to do the first time you go to a park with your "outsider" tickets to get then connected to the Magic Bands, I think I am going to do the room and tickets with Disney. Totally lazy on my part, but I don't want to go to guest relations at the park, buy the bands, then go to a kiosk to do more "connecting". I don't know - there is probably a lot I am not getting with these Magic Bands, but it just looks a lot simpler to get then at the time we book, then get everything loaded up through My Plan or whatever it's called. We don't do DDP, though, so it would just be the room and tickets.

Where are you getting this from? First of all, you don't need to buy Magic Bands if you're staying on property, and even if you're not staying on property, Magic Bands are not needed at all - you just use the plastic tickets. Second, tickets from Undercover Tourist (or any other legitimate reseller) are not "outsider" tickets; they're exactly the same as tickets you buy directly from Disney. Also, there's nothing "on" a Magic Band, they're just a way to access the information on your My Disney Experience (MDE) account. All you have to do when you get the Magic Bands is enter a code that's on the back side of them into your MDE account and you're good to go.

 

[mousefan73]

With a package everyone has to have the same number of park tix days/type. If one person doesn't need park hopper or water park option or less days, this with a package not possible. For us my mom was not doing a water park and 2 less days. Why pay over 100 more for something she doesn't need. RO let's each person do their own park ticket.

 

[raddisneyfan]

The only reason I've ever done a package is that I have a Disney Visa that gives me 6 months at 0% when you book a package as opposed to RO. The real advantage to RO is the ability to cancel your room at the last minute--but you're still stuck with any tickets you would have purchased if not part of a package. Again, with the package, if you cancelled under the 45 day, or 30 day starting next year, you would be responsible for the $200 deposit which includes everything in the package. It's all up to you now. Just my 2 cents (at 0%--HA!); take them for what they're worth!

 

[pooh2001]

If we rent a dvc studio
We plan to "cook" some of our own meals
So the meal plan would not be in our favor

Yes we would buy discounted tickets from undercover
Do you still get to choose your magic band color ?

 

[Harambe]

Where are you getting this from? First of all, you don't need to buy Magic Bands if you're staying on property, and even if you're not staying on property, Magic Bands are not needed at all - you just use the plastic tickets. Second, tickets from Undercover Tourist (or any other legitimate reseller) are not "outsider" tickets; they're exactly the same as tickets you buy directly from Disney. Also, there's nothing "on" a Magic Band, they're just a way to access the information on your My Disney Experience (MDE) account. All you have to do when you get the Magic Bands is enter a code that's on the back side of them into your MDE account and you're good to go.

My niece told me that she had E-Tickets, and she had to go to Guest Relations at a park to change them over to Physical tickets, then had to go to a kiosk and have someone help her link the tickets - one at a time for each member of her family! - to her account, and only then could she start to do Fastpass+. Is that not right? Again, I apologize since I don't have experience with the whole My Disney Experience (I still use a flip phone, for cryin' out loud!). I think I will have to go on the Disney site and read all the info. Like I said, we've always bought tickets outside of Disney (and I was not making any kind of slam for using the term outsider so no quotes needed), and used AAA discount for room only if we didn't get a PIN. Now, no AAA discount any more and a whole new learning curve with MDE.

I TOLD my hubby that not going to Disney every year like we used to (before the kids went to money-sucking college), would result in a new "newbie" state - LOL!

 

[Harambe]

UPDATE: I called the place we always buy tickets from in FL (it is not Undercover Tourist) and they explained the whole MDE/Magic Bands thing to me. I can indeed still buy ticket from them and "link" them online to my Disney account, etc., and then do the Fastpass+ before leaving home. That makes me feel better now that I understand a bit more about the new process. Apparently, my niece had old tickets she was trying to use up or something. I should have known better than to listen to anyone but the folks here on the Disboards!