Booking week before - expensive?

[cfielder]

If we decided to take a trip a week before or even days before- are prices astronomical to get in last minute? I'm guessing we'd only see a difference in hotel price and airfare? Anyone that has decided to do a last minute trip-please advise! Thanks!

 

[prncess674]

Airfare will more than likely be out of this world unless you just so happened upon a weekend special. You should sign up all the major airlines email lists. United has been running some good specials lately. You are more likely to find a special at major airports with plenty of flights.

 

[kwhite1022]

Ironically I just had dealt with this situation this week. Hubby and I decided to take a quick trip to Vegas, and I was amazed at how expensive the airfare was. The rooms were great, but man nonstop flights were out of my league.

Good luck to you.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Your onsite hotel price will be rack rate unless you have an AP or AAA membership. Even then, discounted resort rooms will be limited to what is available.

Sometimes you can get a last-minute room-only discount code for the general public. They ususally require a minimum of 5-days advance booking.

Tickets can be obtained for a discounted price from either online ticket discounters or authorized agents at their B&M storefront in Orlando. Tickets can be purchased right up to the day you visit WDW.

But like everyone else stated, airfare is going to rock you. Last minute trips are usually more easily affordable if you chosse to drive.

 

[PHXscuba]

We ended up in just this situation last September. We had a vacation all planned to go to the FL Keys but Hurricane Ike was coming through.

So, FOUR days before we were scheduled to leave, we switched it all up and went to WDW! US Airways allowed us to ditch our South Florida flights because of the hurricane and gave us full credit for the $ we'd paid. We tried many flight combos and ended up flying into Jacksonville and driving down. We flew back out of Orlando.

When this all started looming about 6 days before we left, I called AAA to check on packages and any savings, but the agents really balked and said they couldn't do it on such short notice, saying they couldn't even get all the documents shipped in time. So I ended up doing it direct through Disney.

By the time we booked, there were no Value resorts left, so we ended up at CBR (we could also have stayed at the Dolphin for similar price but I didn't understand how that all worked). I'm sure we could have gotten a slightly better deal for tickets, but again, we couldn't get anything mailed out because it was so close.

We had to take our trip that particular week because we had the babysitter arranged and our business was having renovation work done then. We had no ADRs and couldn't find any place to do an on-the-spot walk-in. I read the UOG on the plane. We still had a great time, but it's not how I would recommend doing it.

PHXscuba

p.s. For a total OCD trip planner like me (on her first visit to WDW in 20 years) this was very stressful. But I did learn I could have a great time without months of research!

 

[uva185]

I have done a lot of last minute travel. Sometimes there are last minute deals on airfare. Sometimes airlines release "eFares" on Tuesday or Wednesday for the upcoming weekend. I would also look at packages on Travelocity, Expedia, etc. Once I needed last minute airfare (1 day advance purchase). The fare from the airline was $1,400 per ticket but if I booked a package through Travelocity that included a rental car the cost was $360 per person for the same flights (including the rental car). I booked the package and didn't even bother to pickup the rental car.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

During our 2006 trip we were supposed to stay at a Value on our arrival night. I decided that I would call 7 days before (the latest you can cancel a room only reservation with no penalty at WDW) and see what I could get at a moderate. I figured if nothing else I could leave it the way it was. I ended up speaking to a very nice CM who got me a room at CSR for $99 (we were on the phone for awhile and she told me to hold on and she would see what she could do). Less than what I was spending for a night at a Value! (It was Thanksgiving weekend). So I booked that and cancelled the night at the Value.

Airfare will be expensive. I thought that airlines would want to give heavy discounts at the last minute to make sure every seat on the plane was full. That's not the case. Quite the opposite in fact.

 

[dimimi]

My sister just booked her trip. She had the airfare a couple weeks ago...under $250 from Boston to MCO. She booked through expedia for her rental car and Dolphin for a lot cheaper than the Dolphin rates. After she booked they were down $200 2 days later. I think she got good rates.