Booking your own trip

[home brewer]

In the Thread: Top 10 Tips, many people indicated that you should book your own trip instead of buying a package.

I'm planning a trip for the beginning of September. I've looked at all of the online travel sites (travelocity, expedia, hotel.com, etc) and I've talked to AAA and Dreams Unlimited. It seems that the price for the rooms is the same everywhere. AAA did a little better on the package than some of the others but it wasn't significant. All the packages that include room and park admission are basically the same price.

I also looked at doing my own deal by getting room quotes from the travel sites and adding the park admission from AAA or Ticket Mania. There really wasn't a big difference in cost of buying a package or booking seperately.

If the price is the same whether I book the package or book hotel from Expedia and tickets from Ticket Mania, why not book the package? Am I missing something or not looking at the right places for the best prices?

Thanks

 

[kjs1976]

One advantage of booking everything seperately is that if a public resort code comes out or if you are sent a postcard or e-mail with a personal PIN to get a discount, then you can modify your reservation and get the cheaper price. Also, tickets are cheaper if you get them through mapleleaftickets.com or ticketmania.com, granted maybe only 4-5 bucks per ticket, but this can add up.

Do what saves you the most...package or not. Just be aware that it isn't always possible to change or modify with a package...depending on the travel agency.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

First of all, there's the possibility of booking a room at a discount using a code. There are no codes currently available that go beyond April 16, 2005, so no one, including DU, will be able to quote you anything lower than rack rate right now.

Secondly, when you book a package, you have to put $200 down as a deposit. When you book a room-only ressie, you put down the equivalent of one night's stay. Unless you're staying in a deluxe resort, the room-only deposit is going to be less out of your pocket initially.

Thirdly, final payment on a package is due 45 days prior to arrival with various penalties for cancellations after the 45-day mark. A room-only ressie does not have to be paid in full until you arrive at check in. And if you need to cancel, you have until 6 days prior to your arrival date with absolutely no penalty to pay. If you cancel inside of that 5-day period, you can make another ressie for any date in the future and apply the $$ you paid as a deposit to that ressie.