Best time to book deluxe w/ FL resident rates?

[D-ko]

Hello everyone!!

Next year my husband and I will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary and we want to do it in style at the Beach Club resort (just 2 nights, 3 days). As a Florida resident, what is my best chance to get a good rate and how should I go about it? I put away $20 a week for our trips and pay it off little by little. I just paid off this years anniversary trip today. All our resort stays are based off the FL resident emails I receive .. I have a stay at the end of this month for $49 a night at POP, another trip to POP at the end of Nov ($54 a night) and our 14th anniversary trip in mid-December (CBR $104). If it's not an email pin code or FL resident special, I don't know how to go about it.

Consequently, earlier this month we got free tickets to MNSSHP with a two night value resort stay ($82 a night). I received a pin code via email for that.

For this year's 14th anniversary, I took the FL resident special for the moderates for $104 a night, bought 2 tickets to Mickey's Christmas shindig (ouch - premium night) and we currently have Epcot annual passes.

I don't usually see these discounts for the deluxe resorts so how should I go about this? I know the price of the deluxe resorts are going to stab me in the cheap, so I want to make the best out of it. This will be our first stay together in a deluxe and my 2nd stay ever (I stayed at the Contemporary tower back in 1982 for $90 a night!! no reservation! hahaha)

Any help/suggestions are appreciated! This is a big deal to us so I want to get a head start planning and saving.

... And just because .. here is a pic of us at MNSSHP earlier this month (in Adventureland) (our best experience at the MK ever .. we're hooked!)

 

[DisneyWisher]

Besides emails you should check out Disney's site and click on Fl residents. Even though they advertise values or Mod they usually include discounts for Deluxe. I would say the best month used to be Sept, also January is too. Once upon a time I got Poly GVC for $300 a night (Sept 2004), WL $119 a night (Aug 2003), AKL $129 a night (April 2006), and CR garden wing ($139 the saturday after thanksgiving 2004). Seems lately though its harder to get Deluxe resorts. I know in the past few years they offer specials for Floridians in Summer. Now and days we stay value, just more bang for my buck. The value season for Deluxe is different than Mods and Values.

 

[Seahunt]

I agree with DisneyWisher

When there is a FL Res special (or even any special) it seems like they always advertise the Values or Mods, then have fine print toward the bottom of the ad that says "Ask about other resorts". When you call and ask (or check the FL Res section of the website and choose a Deluxe) you can usually get a FL Res rate on a Deluxe also, if it's available. So don't give up if they just advertise Values - call and find out first!

For example, on the FL Res room only special going on right now, they advertise the current special for Values, Mods, and Deluxe Villas (doesn't mention Deluxes):

Great Fall Getaway Rates at Select Disney Value Resorts!
Great Fall Getaway Rates on Select Disney Moderate Resorts!
Great Fall Getaway Rates on Select Deluxe Villa Resorts!

Then down further they have "Ask about great offers in other Resort hotels through December 23, 2008".

Even though they don't mention Deluxes, when I priced the AKL for December 15 for one night it also came up on FL Res special for $165 (standard room):

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Check In December 15, 2008
Check Out December 16, 2008
Staying for 1 night, 2 days
Adults 2 Children 0
Room Type Standard View
Tickets None
Package Room Only
Special Rate Oct - Dec Florida Resident Room Only
Date Rate per Night
Mon, Dec 15 $ 165.00

So my advice is just keep watching for deals here on the DIS, on the mousesavers website, emails, etc.

When you are at your next Disney resort, call extension 8844 from your resort room and ask if there are any Bounceback offers going on for a return stay.

Check Deluxes even if the ad is for some other category.

And when you do get an offer, book ASAP!

Good luck! Happy Anniversary!

 

[D-ko]

I agree with DisneyWisher

When there is a FL Res special (or even any special) it seems like they always advertise the Values or Mods, then have fine print toward the bottom of the ad that says "Ask about other resorts". When you call and ask (or check the FL Res section of the website and choose a Deluxe) you can usually get a FL Res rate on a Deluxe also, if it's available. So don't give up if they just advertise Values - call and find out first!

For example, on the FL Res room only special going on right now, they advertise the current special for Values, Mods, and Deluxe Villas (doesn't mention Deluxes):

Great Fall Getaway Rates at Select Disney Value Resorts!
Great Fall Getaway Rates on Select Disney Moderate Resorts!
Great Fall Getaway Rates on Select Deluxe Villa Resorts!

Then down further they have "Ask about great offers in other Resort hotels through December 23, 2008".

Even though they don't mention Deluxes, when I priced the AKL for December 15 for one night it also came up on FL Res special for $165 (standard room):

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Check In December 15, 2008
Check Out December 16, 2008
Staying for 1 night, 2 days
Adults 2 Children 0
Room Type Standard View
Tickets None
Package Room Only
Special Rate Oct - Dec Florida Resident Room Only
Date Rate per Night
Mon, Dec 15 $ 165.00

So my advice is just keep watching for deals here on the DIS, on the mousesavers website, emails, etc.

When you are at your next Disney resort, call extension 8844 from your resort room and ask if there are any Bounceback offers going on for a return stay.

Check Deluxes even if the ad is for some other category.

And when you do get an offer, book ASAP!

Good luck! Happy Anniversary!

ah, thank you both .. great ideas ... $165 a night would be a dream!!! The rack rate was something like $300+ which kills me, but I was willing to pay for this particular celebration of ours (I'm hoping for a free upgrade hahaha)

Alrighty, I'll keep my eyes peeled and call and ask ... I don't know why I assumed they woudln't discount the deluxe rooms .. hopefully we can get a good rate .. we want Boardwalk and no other will do ... well, time to start planning!! thank you!!!

 

[girli565]

I signed up for FL resident rates, and I get no emails. Am I doing something wrong? I would love to get free MNSSHP tix for free with hotel stays. I never saw that.

How do you do it?

 

[D-ko]

I signed up for FL resident rates, and I get no emails. Am I doing something wrong? I would love to get free MNSSHP tix for free with hotel stays. I never saw that.

How do you do it?

You know, I'm not sure why I got that email. It's from Disney Destinations. I have the same login account as anyone else on the disney websites. I have NEVER gotten anything that good before and hopefully that will not be the last. It seemed to be a personalized pin code (long one!). I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that we've had maybe 6 hotel stays this year? My parents live in Miami and we live in Orlando and they visit us every 3 months, plus our "fake vacation" stays and we always use the avaliable to everyone FL resident rates and go off season. I was floored when I got that email and was wishing for one for MVMCP but alas that didn't come but I bought tickets anyway (their marketing campaign worked!). I got 2 nights, with 2 admission tickets for $165 + tax? crazy.

I think it's random. I wish I could tell you.

 

[disneyfan55]

Just to let you know, some of the rates for the GP (codes on WDW site) end up costing less than AP rates (no weekends on the Values now) are currently. I checked for some of the Nov/Dec dates and got a better deal with just the GP code for WL. Go to Mousesavers.com for current codes as well as past history to see what is offered and has been offered in the past.

Also, if you are a Disney Visa holder, the FD might work out better than the FL resident discount. It was better for us with our AP rate of 54/night in ASMu that we changed to the FD. It ended up costing us about 193 for the two of us for 6 nights and we got all our food Free. We would have spent at least that much on food and not have eaten in as many TS places even with the DDE card we have. Just a thought. (You will have to purchase a 1 day pass, but it's good forever and can be used for an AP or longer regular ticket anytime in the future)

 

[DisneyWisher]

Another thing to add. Look at the dates offered carefully. We are going 12/13 and according to the written part 12/13 had a Fl rate but when you looked at the calendar it shows it did not have a discounted rate. Somehow I ended up at GP code and they did have a discount for that night(now they don't). So I called CRO. I was told that the website had a glitch and that I could get the discount if I switched from Music to Sports. I did. Sure its only $24 dollars but it'll help pay for our new first night of 12/12 (staying offsite).

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

DH & I have managed to get either Florida Resident's Rates or AP rates that were great for us in January, April & September this year. We just watched the disboards & allears.net. We went to WL in April for $165+ tax for courtyard view & in September AKL for $145+tax. It was great. Just got a Fla. Res. rate for POP on 12/6 which surprised me. I kept searching the Disney website for room availability & one finally popped up. We wanted to do Deluxe for our anniversary in September so AKL was perfect for us & so was the rate.

 

[Poohbear123]

You know, I'm not sure why I got that email. It's from Disney Destinations. I have the same login account as anyone else on the disney websites. I have NEVER gotten anything that good before and hopefully that will not be the last. It seemed to be a personalized pin code (long one!). I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that we've had maybe 6 hotel stays this year? My parents live in Miami and we live in Orlando and they visit us every 3 months, plus our "fake vacation" stays and we always use the avaliable to everyone FL resident rates and go off season. I was floored when I got that email and was wishing for one for MVMCP but alas that didn't come but I bought tickets anyway (their marketing campaign worked!). I got 2 nights, with 2 admission tickets for $165 + tax? crazy.

I think it's random. I wish I could tell you.

I got that SAME PIN CODE..... but it was in my DD's Name! Apparantly she used my email last year, and cancelled her trip, but her name is ON my email acct... I could NOT use it under MY name, that sucked! She is not going to WDW, as she cancelled the last time, so no sense telling her about it.