Anyone know when the next "good deal" will be?

[lattemomof3]

We are looking @ flying in on Dec. 5th, doing Legoland on Sun., Dec. 6th, then staying @ DLR from the 7th to the 11th. There are no pricebreaks for that time currently - does anyone think the "get 2 more days & nights free" or some such offer will be posted soon? Last trip in 2004 there was "kids fly free" That saved a bundle!

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

I've been looking for the same information. We will be there around the same time as you! (December 9-13th) From what I've been hearing, there might be new deals being posted after the current promotion ends. I'm not clear on whether the "end" refers to August 11th (which is the last day to book) or September 26th (which is the last day to stay).

 

[MariposaSinAlas]

Visiting the DL boards for the first time and was, too, wondering about the next promotion. I'm planning our first Disneyland trip for early October and am really hoping something good is offered after the booking window for 5/3 ends in August!

 

[MyMonkies]

Not sure but we're looking for some good ticket deals for that time too. We'll be there the same time as you.....Our whole trip in 12/7-11!

 

[Sherry E]

Keep in mind that the "good deals" are not guaranteed. We may not see anymore good deals for a few months or even for the rest of this year. DLR has had a lot of good deals all through this year so far (the get 5 nights for the price of 3, get 5 day Hoppers for the price of 3, the Summer Fun pass 3-day Hopper for $99, the get-in-free-on-your-birthday deal, the 2Fer tickets, various PIN code offers for the DLR hotels, etc.), and now that we are rapidly approaching the Halloweentime season (expected to be very busy) and the ever-popular holiday season, they may not offer more deals. Last year, there were some great AP rates for the DLR hotels that came out for December - the peak of the holiday season - but they didn't come out until closer to December and that was because DLR was way down in bookings for the 3 hotels at the regular rack rates. They needed to attract guests, so they suddenly put out some great December AP rates, and also circulated a PIN offer that expired in mid-December. But even then, there was still lots of availability at all 3 hotels all the way up until Christmas, which is very unusual for such a busy time. Most likely everyone was staying off-site.

This year, the get 5 nights for 3 deal requires that your travel dates begin by September 26, correct? And travel has to be completed by October 30, I think. The Summer Fun Pass 3-day Hopper requires that the first day of travel begins by August 23, but the next two days on that Hopper don't expire until 45 days after that, which could take it all the way to October 7, if that is how you wanted to break it up. I currently have 3 different PIN codes or online discount offers for the DLR hotels, and they all expire in the last couple of days of September. And, the AP hotel calendar currently does not show any "good deals" for October or November. It shows rates reflecting an AP 10% discount, but it doesn't show the great AP rates that AP holders have become accustomed to.

I personally think that DLR is holding out on issuing any other hotel offers for Fall or the holidays until they see what kinds of bookings they get at the regular, everyday rack rates. If they don't get the bookings they anticipate by a certain date, they will probably start issuing really good AP rates and possibly some other PIN offers. But they may not. I am sure they took a financial hit this year by issuing all of those great discounts, but now they need to make up for it somehow and start making a bigger profit. Halloween and the holidays are almost a sure thing for bringing in masses of people, so that is where DLR can make a lot of its money back.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

We've finally made reservations at one of the Good Neighbor hotels. This strikes me as being a little cheesy (and not in a good Mickey Mouse kind of cheese way) to cancel reservations with a good neighbor to then book on site at the last minute. But I'm guessing this happens? I read in a previous thread that someone had actually booked two separate hotel reservations...I think in the hopes of ending up with a better deal at one or the other. At this point, as much as I love to stay on-site, I love the thought of saving money on our lodging so we can spend more on Goofy's Kitchen, Ariel's Grotto, Bippity Boppity Boutique, etc. On the other hand, if DLH's rates were to drop to a more reasonable (for me, read less than $180 a night) rate, it would be hard not to go for it. And that seems just mean to the good neighbor hotel with which I'm already booked.

 

[Sherry E]

We've finally made reservations at one of the Good Neighbor hotels. This strikes me as being a little cheesy (and not in a good Mickey Mouse kind of cheese way) to cancel reservations with a good neighbor to then book on site at the last minute. But I'm guessing this happens? I read in a previous thread that someone had actually booked two separate hotel reservations...I think in the hopes of ending up with a better deal at one or the other. At this point, as much as I love to stay on-site, I love the thought of saving money on our lodging so we can spend more on Goofy's Kitchen, Ariel's Grotto, Bippity Boppity Boutique, etc. On the other hand, if DLH's rates were to drop to a more reasonable (for me, read less than $180 a night) rate, it would be hard not to go for it. And that seems just mean to the good neighbor hotel with which I'm already booked.

I think probably some people do hold reservations at two different places in hopes that some good DLR rates will appear, though with the DLR hotels you have to put one night's deposit down up front if you book room-only, so it does cost to do that. $180 or less would be a typipcal AP rate for the DLH that would be considered great. Last year in November and December, there were rates like that available on the AP hotel calendar. But again, their regular rack rate bookings (for the general public) were down, so they needed to get people in the hotels. This year, it may be different. October is still showing on the AP calendar as $221 all month long for the PPH, and that is just not reasonable at all (compared to the September rates). But it looks as if there is still lots of availabililty. Here we are, about to move into the second week of August. I would assume that if there was a master plan to release some great AP rates for the hotels in October, they would start to do it very soon, so people can plan. But I still think DLR is waiting as long as they can to see who will book at the regular rates before they offer more discounts when this year has already been full of discounts.

The Good Neighbor hotels are reaping the benefits of the DLR hotels being so expensive, and more people are staying offsite. I think some of the Good Neighbor hotels even take AP discounts now. DLR is not doing itself any favors by keeping the hotel rates so high, but because Halloweentime and Christmastime are so popular at DLR, they know people will be coming.