Beaches Turks and Caicos instead of Disney?

[riu girl]

I have been looking at going to the Caribbean or Mexico this winter vs. Florida and have found that packages out of BUF run a lot cheaper then Toronto.

Maybe check out flying out of BUF .

 

[Rileygirl]

ok- we wanted to do a Beaches vacation at Turks and Caicos, but the flights are a killer! 10 grand for 5 of us out of toronto, and about 7 grand out of detroit. What am I doing wrong? Where do you find the deals for fligths? Or what travel agent do you use?

 

[Luv2trav]

ok- we wanted to do a Beaches vacation at Turks and Caicos, but the flights are a killer! 10 grand for 5 of us out of toronto, and about 7 grand out of detroit. What am I doing wrong? Where do you find the deals for fligths? Or what travel agent do you use?

It's about 500.00 pp out of Cleveland...

 

[mtmbyck]

Rileygrl, you need to do a package - don't try to do flight and accomodations separately.

I ended up booking direct with Beaches as they can do the upgrades (they say they will upgrade me to the itallian village) and my week Jan 2-9 with flight our of Toronto on WestJet direct was $6200 taxes included. I could have used my aeroplan points and gone aircanada Jan 3-10 for $5700. We are 2 adults and 2 children (ages 10 and 13 at time of travel - beaches give child rates to age 15).

Aircanada and Beaches were the best pricing for sure. Everything else (Travelocity, redtag, expedia) justy booked you on the AirCanada Vacation package. Also, packages are only for a week. If you try to do 10 days you will really pay extra as you will be booking air an accomodations searately.

SO I'M BOOKED!!! So excited! Like the true Disney mom, I am planning whic of the 16 restaurants we want to do, gathering information on themed nights, making a list of what we can't miss - I love the planning stage!!

 

[Rileygirl]

Thanks so much for your help! We will try and do it next year - my problem was trying to book them seperately I guess!

 

[princess pooh]

I hope you tell us all about it when you get back! I'd love to go but I'm wondering if we should wait until DS is a bit older.

 

[mtmbyck]

I will be glad to report on it in January when I return. I am not sure there is a bad time to take kids - they have free child care even for babies!! What a treat that would have been when mine were little.

Just an FYI to those wavering on the idea....the vacation I booked 2 weeks ago is now $1000 more for the exact same vacation! I guess price goes up as the resort gets booked.

Of course, for those headed to WDW - that's a fantastic vacation also!

 

[disneymath]

We were "thisclose" to booking a Beaches T&C vacation for the end of June/beginning of July 2010. The price was right (about what we pay, including flights, for our WDW vacations - only this was all-inclusive). What stopped us was actually the flight times. Because it is off season, Air Canada only flies in from Toronto once a week arriving at 9PM on Saturdays ... that means the only AC flight out to Toronto is at 10PM on Saturdays, meaning you arrive at YYZ at 2AM! Then you get to deal with Canadian customs, getting your baggage etc. And Toronto isn't even home for us, so that means a night in a hotel and flying out again the next day. Since we would have a three year old and twin one-year olds with us, that was a deal breaker. If AC changes their flights, however, ...

 

[mtmbyck]

Disneymath, did you try booking through Beaches directly? Agree I didn't like the AC times and dates either (they are Sunday to Sunday and there is that late return flight) but Beahces must have a deal with WestJet. WestJet flies to Turks twice a week when I am going - Saturdays an Wednesdays and flight times are great. Arrive in Turks by 1pm on Saturday and leave Turks at 2pm so home just after dinner.

WestJet doesn't have Beaches vacations (shame) but Beaches did offer WesJet flights! Also, by booking direct with Beaches, she told me we have avery good chance of being upgraded to the Italian Village! If he rooms are free we will be upgraded!

 

[disneymath]

Disneymath, did you try booking through Beaches directly? Agree I didn't like the AC times and dates either (they are Sunday to Sunday and there is that late return flight) but Beahces must have a deal with WestJet. WestJet flies to Turks twice a week when I am going - Saturdays an Wednesdays and flight times are great. Arrive in Turks by 1pm on Saturday and leave Turks at 2pm so home just after dinner.

WestJet doesn't have Beaches vacations (shame) but Beaches did offer WesJet flights! Also, by booking direct with Beaches, she told me we have avery good chance of being upgraded to the Italian Village! If he rooms are free we will be upgraded!

Thanks for the advice mtmbyck ... our problem is where we live (Northern Ontario) the only airline that can get us to Toronto (8 hour car drive each way) is Air Canada. The flights are "reasonable" if we connect to another AC flight in TO (about $100 each way) but crazy ($400-500 each way) if we just fly to TO then switch to another airline for the T&C flight. Air Canada Vacations is our only option financially.

 

[disneyred]

Aircanada and Beaches were the best pricing for sure.

QUOTE]

when you say this do you do it online.?

 

[mtmbyck]

I booked online but I had the chat lady on telling me what to do. I also like the fact that I only had to pay for flight and a $400 deposit on the accommodation so I am not out of pocket for the whole amount right away (AC wanted full payment). Either of these are your 2 least expensive choices for sure.

Disneymath - it would be tougher travelling from the North. We are lucky to be only an hour north of Pearson.

 

[mollyseven]

You know now I am going to check that out for march break also. I have already priced out march break for us and for 7 nights at Polynesian in a Gardenview room, with basic park passes and basic dining it's 6258.00 USD and that isn't including our flights!!
We really wanted 10 nights but that's 8562 plus flights!!
that's just crazy if you ask me, so instead of doing the same moderates we always do we might just go somewhere else this year.
thanks for the info, I am off to beaches website for info

 

[calgarygary]

You know now I am going to check that out for march break also. I have already priced out march break for us and for 7 nights at Polynesian in a Gardenview room, with basic park passes and basic dining it's 6258.00 USD and that isn't including our flights!!
We really wanted 10 nights but that's 8562 plus flights!!
that's just crazy if you ask me, so instead of doing the same moderates we always do we might just go somewhere else this year.
thanks for the info, I am off to beaches website for info

If you really want to try something different, cruising has been very inexpensive this year and with some huge new ships coming, the smaller ships will be offering better and better deals. I love WDW & Universal but the deals I have gotten in the past few years is keeping us from coming back to Orlando.

 

[mtmbyck]

Keep in mind that the prices I was quoting were for January - I am guessing March will be more. But agreed, if you are already at 6K without food or beverages and here is a vacation that is costing me 6K with 16 restaurants, unlimited drinks and snacks, water sports, boating, and includes alltips and gratuities (but we will bring a bit extra along for this).

I agree with the cruise coment but as mentioned, it's a big price to pay if you are like I was on it! Everyone said "big ship, can't feel the movement.....well I was on one of the biggest and you CAN feel it moving! But hubby loved the cruise...BUT NO FREE DRINKS REMEMBER!

Love vacation planning!