Best Value: Package vs Room Only

[CodeGoddess]

We have not been to Disney since the ticket + room packages were created. I think I might be confused on how these work as no matter how I calculate it the package is much more expensive.

For the 3rd week of Feb:
Room Only + Ticket: 271.17 per nights
Package: 365 per night

Am I missing some key benefits of the package? Does the package work out to be a better deal because you can add the DDP or is that also not a good value?

 

[Alesia]

You can only add the DDP to a package, but the DDP is often more expensive than just paying out of pocket.

Sometimes Disney runs package promos that are a decent deal.

 

[siskaren]

I'm curious as to how you came up with those figures. I priced a 6 night room-only stay at POR for the third week of February at $1554.76. Then I checked the price of a package with 7 day base tickets and came up with $1912.93. Then I checked the price of 7 day base tickets from Disney (as opposed to say, Undercover Tourist) and came up with a price of $356.78, with tax. So adding the room only cost to the cost of the tickets purchased separately came to $1911.54, which is only $1.39 less than the package, although of course you can get some savings by buying tickets from Undercover Tourist instead. Are you sure that first figure is for a room and tickets, or is it just for the room?

ETA: I got my figures based on one person and buying tickets directly from Disney, but I guess I can see how you would get that big a price difference if you're talking 3 or 4 people and buying tickets from Undercover Tourist. However, I'm confused about your comment about not having gone since packages were introduced. I've been going since 1993 and have always purchased a package.

 

[minnie mum]

There should be little or no difference between a room only plus tickets purchased separately, and a package.

Make sure you're comparing apples to apples- that you select the same resort and room category and number of nights, the same type of ticket and number of days, and make sure that add ons like DDP, Memory maker, or trip insurance aren't accidentally included. Sometimes the website will switch to a default setting when going from one quote to another.

 

[CodeGoddess]

I'm curious as to how you came up with those figures. I priced a 6 night room-only stay at POR for the third week of February at $1554.76.

The prices are for CBR. The 6 night package is 2190 or 365 per night. Room only is 218 + $54 per day for a one park ticket. I did forget to figure in the second ticket for my husband so it would really be 326 per night. So not as bad as I thought but still a $40 per night difference. I'm not seeing any perks that would be worth $40 per night for just a room and tickets.

Also we started going to Disney in 1984. The last time I went was 2002. While did a total of 17 trips, I'm guessing that my dad found the most affordable way so he stuck with what he knew. Probably why we never looked at packages when they came out. lol <3

 

[siskaren]

The prices are for CBR. The 6 night package is 2190 or 365 per night. Room only is 218 + $54 per day for a one park ticket. I did forget to figure in the second ticket for my husband so it would really be 326 per night. So not as bad as I thought but still a $40 per night difference. I'm not seeing any perks that would be worth $40 per night for just a room and tickets.

Where are you finding rooms at CBR for $218 a night after taxes? The cheapest I'm seeing for the third week of February (which I'm defining as 2/14-2/20) is $220 a night before taxes, which means it's $247.50 after taxes, which is $1485 for 6 nights. 2 7-day base tickets are $713.56 after tax (and you would actually only save $20 by buying them from UT), but the thing is, you can't divide the cost of 7-day tickets by 7 and add that to the cost per night of a 6 night stay and say that that's what you'd be paying per night for room-only + tickets. You would have to divide both the cost of the room and the cost of the tickets by 6 to determine how much you're paying per night. I still don't see how you're coming up with more than a couple dollars difference between a package and buying room and tickets separately.

 

[CodeGoddess]

Lol wow this is getting away from my original question.

What I am looking to find out is if there are perks to booking a package that we don't get booking room only? Or is the only perk you get the convince of booking?

 

[elaine amj]

You get some coupons. 2 tix to Disney Quest, 2 minigolf, some money off at Planet Hollywood, some tokens for the arcade and some other discount coupons.

 

[Mrs D]

unless you are staying a single night, I would price out your entire length of stay including total number of tickets needed. Then compare the room only for length of stay plus tickets versus the package.
It should only be a small difference between the two, if any.
2016 package Magical extras have changed versus 2015. In my mind, the main benefit of the package is ease of use.

 

[minnie mum]

Again, I don't know how you're coming up with a significant difference in the cost of your trip.

I priced out CBR Feb 14-20, standard room, 6 nights, 7 day base tickets, 2 adults.

RO + tickets- $1485.03+$713.56= $2198.59

Package- $2201.36

A difference of $3

The only extras now with a package are a couple of souvenir luggage tags, vouchers for mini golf, a discount at Splitsville, and a discount at the water sports centre at CR. Any of these are only of value if you have a use for them

 

[CodeGoddess]

2016 package Magical extras have changed versus 2015. In my mind, the main benefit of the package is ease of use.

Thank you so much! That was what I wanted to verify. I think we are going to book separate so that we only purchase tickets for days we actually plan to go to the parks and save some $$ for dining out.

 

[Alesia]

Thank you so much! That was what I wanted to verify. I think we are going to book separate so that we only purchase tickets for days we actually plan to go to the parks and save some $$ for dining out.

FYI: even with a package, you can just buy the number of ticket days you want. You don't have to buy tickets for every day of your trip.

 

[CodeGoddess]

FYI: even with a package, you can just buy the number of ticket days you want. You don't have to buy tickets for every day of your trip.

Oh! Now that does make a difference in planning. When I get the pricing on the disneyworld.disney.go site I don't see an option or pricing for a varying number of tickets. How do you get prices for that?

ETA: *DERP* Didn't think to actually select the package to see the options. *face palm*

 

[CodeGoddess]

When I look on the details for the package I see this:

• Includes a base ticket valid for one theme park per day for the number of nights of your stay plus one.

That is why I thought it required a ticket for every day you were there.

 

[elaine amj]

I agree the Disney website isn't always the most clear. It's a bit of a pain since you have to go through all the steps to get an actual real price.

 

[Hootch]

There is an advantage, in my opinion, on cancellation between room only and package deals. For room only reservations you can cancel up until six days before check in without penalty. For package deals the cancellation period without penalty is much longer. It has been 46 days but will be reduced to 31 days early in 2016. After that there is a $200 penalty. Additionally, packages must currently be paid 45 days in advance going to 30 days in early 2016.

There are some options such as dining or special offers that require a package.

 

[Accident]

I price it every way possible everytime we book. You never know which way it'll go in your favor.

As someone who has gone both individual tickets + a combo package. There are some things that are easier to take care of with a combined offer. For example, park tickets that you might want to extend to more days, sometimes the hotel can't do it if it's not part of the hotel package and you must use a customer service location at the parks or downtown. Usually that's not a big deal but 1 night we needed to add 1 more day for a tour in the morning and we did a mad dash to the only park that still had customer service to fix it since the tour was before we could fix this in the morning.