Booking Land/Sea package vs. Booking separately

[Suzanne033]

I don't understand when everybody says that booking separately is the best deal. Here is our scenario:

Booking Land/Sea package through DCL: $4,614.00

Booking Separately:

Beach Club: $209.00
Airfare: $786.00
Cruise (for same category): $3,387.00
Insurance: $247.00
Transfers: $207.00
Total: $4,829.00

I even looked at discount travel services for these prices and I was still $215.00 over the package price.

How is everybody doing this and getting a deal?

 

[wintermom]

Many time the package is the best deal.
This is my third Land/Sea trip and each time I try to price it
seperatly and each time the package beats it by several
hundred $$$$. I don't like some of the restrictions they put
on you with a package but it often is a better deal. If you want
different levels, like a delux resort stay but an inside cabin on
the boat the package does not work well but lol that never my
problem , I always think this year I'll go a little cheeper and then
I change my mind and stick with a cat 6 on the boat and delux
resort!!! You can however get you own insurance cheeper
check out insuremytrip.com. I always book my airfare and transfers serperatly too, but I have always had free airfare with
points, we have done the towncar transfer and rented a car,
this year we are going with another family so we are getting a
limo!

Wintermom

 

[felixdacat]

The general rule of thumb is that if you're traveling off peak, booking the Land & Sea separately should save you money. If you're traveling peak the the package is either better or the same. You can also save money by having the ability to avoid the delux resorts but still get a verandah cabin (or vice versa).
You do have more flexability booking separately. Especially if you drive to Florida.
One question, I did not think that the Land/Sea package included airfare, are you sure about your quotes?

 

[aunt2brant]

I booked the cruise through a TA and the rooms on my own and saved a bundle. Here is how:

(keep in mind that this if for the week after thanksgiving for 2 adults)
Cruise: $1400 (cat. 9)
Rooms: $129 (3 nights at Pop, best friend's little sis is a cm and is staying with us. Plus we are going during the 'off season' and the rates are low)
Tickets: $150 (I have some time left on my ph and we are going to buy two 1 day passes)

We are just happy to be going on a disney cruise and dw...even if it means staying 'value' all the way....in our opinion, being on the bottom of the boat is better than not being on the boat at all!!!

 

[SueEllen]

felixdacat is correct--

If you are booking during peak season at the resorts, it is almost always going to be less expensive to book the land/sea package.

If you are going to WDW during value season then you will likely do better booking them separately.

It also depends on how far in advance you book the land/sea and the early booking discount. I have seen a difference of almost $4,000 in booking a land/sea cruise and booking separately for the deluxe resorts (the land/sea being over $4K less for a client) It all depends on the season and the rates.

I like the fact that with the land/sea you only have to check in one time at the resort, and not again at the port.

Sue Ellen

 

[ImMarcik]

I found mine was a lot cheaper to book the Land/Sea package.

 

[ericamanda01]

I think it all depends on when you go. We went off season and saved a couple hundred dollars. When are you going?

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

I booked land/sea for value season and saved $ with the package (not using Disney Air). We are staying cat 7/Polynesian. I compared booking separately verses booking the package, but with the park passes included with the package, it was cheaper for us to book the land/sea package. If we would have booked separately choosing a moderate resort, it would have probably been cheaper to book separately, but we wanted to stay at the Polynesian again, so I didn't bother to calculate the savings using a mod resort. And something tells me I don't want to know.

The best advice is to comparison shop because it's obvious booking land/sea separately is not always cheaper.

Tink