Article on 4th Night Free Promotions

[bouncy54]

Our local newsroom did a story on "4th Night Free" hotel promotions.

I found it interesting. If interested, click on the link below. There's also a video on the subject.


http://www.komotv.com/news/9341076.html

 

[moniquem]

I booked through Costco a few months ago, and then the 4thNF came out afterwards and I called up and got that promotion, and saved $200. Works for me!

 

[Anater]

We decided to do a package through Disney because we wanted the TTMM, PS and the other stuff that comes with the Disney package. This is the only package I've purchased for a vacation because 99% of the time you can price everything out and it comes out cheaper. I'm positive that we are paying more than if we had priced it out, but since we wanted the tickets (that come only with a package) we bought the package. Overall we're happy with our plan, and it's nice knowing that if anything (reservations, etc) gets miscommunicated I can call WDTC during our vacation.

 

[bumbershoot]

I booked through costco (which uses WDTC and I got MTTMM, Preferred Seating to a show at DCA, etc...when you call to pay or change things, you're talking to WDTC in Anaheim, even though they answer the phone branding themselves as Costco/Disney), and originally booked the PP for 3 nights. Would have been x dollars. Then I did some changes, added Dining Plan, got rid of Dining Plan, switched to the Carousel....THEN they came out with 4th night free, and it the EXACT same price as it was in February for three days.

We switched to 4th night free at PP, and of course it's more expensive b/c we went from Carousel to PP, but it's the SAME price that it was in February.

 

[annieb727]

That article is interesting...though not always true.

Here's my AWESOME deal - booked third night free - but did three separate ressies (middle one in dh's name), so for nine nights total - we paid $430 and some change for Castle Inn & Suites. From their website for those same nine nights, it would have been $869 and some change...more than DOUBLE what we paid!! I think we got a GREAT deal! Yes, we may have to check out and back in twice, but for the price...it's TOTALLY worth it!

 

[DizMe]

Interesting! I booked through AAA in May, planning on getting the 4th night free if/when the promotion came out. When it did, and I called on the morning the promo began, my particular weekend in Oct. was unavailable and has remained so. Even if it *had* been available, though, the rate I was given in May paying for 4 full nights was less than the 4th Night Free deal. I've since checked every single type of promo I can find, including AP rates, and have found my weekend to be promo-resistant. Oh well-- at least I have reservations! The one thing I wish I'd done was to upgrade to a suite for $400 more (total). I saw it on the website and couldn't decide whether or not to do it. By the time I decided to do it the next day, it was no longer available.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

We went in Oct 2005 and booked our pacakge via AAA for 4 nights at GCH in Feb 2005. When the 4th night freee promo came out in june/july, we had them change our reservations and we ended up saving around $300. This was before aaa instituted the $25 fee for changing packages. We were happy saving the money.

 

[EnnEss]

The rates on hotels in disney areas are fairly static and its pretty transparent. Their fourth night free promo is just that, fourth night free.

 

[DizMe]

The rates on hotels in disney areas are fairly static and its pretty transparent. Their fourth night free promo is just that, fourth night free.

True, but if you've gotten rates through a different promo, as in our case, they might actually be the same or better than the '4th night free' deal, even though technically you are paying for 4 nights.

We had planned (and checked in advance with AAA to make sure we could do it) to switch over to 4th night free once it came out, but it really didn't save anything (plus it wasn't available for our nights). I've heard of many, however, who saved $300-500 by switching. I guess we booked early enough that we got good rates to begin with.