Call me a dufus. . .room only vs package

[nurse.darcy]

Okay, so you can all laugh at me if you want. I have been working on booking my package through the disneyworld website when SUDDENLY it dawns on me that I can save a ton of money booking separately. Let me just segway to let you know I never purchase dining. Why? even with the changes, I STILL cannot eat this much food so it usually goes to waste. We never have dessert at every meal, and most of the time my son (15) and I share our meal. The dining plan just doesn't work for us. . .we do, however, make ADRs.

Anyway, here is an example of my "minimum" savings if I book separately:

Contemporary Resort MK View, 8 nights: 2584.00 room only with AAA discount (assumed to be 20%, haven't called yet, its 5 in the morning).
9 day Park hoppers with water park: 680.38

Grand total: $3,264.38

CR Package with same tix: $3,904.17

Total savings booking separately: $639.79

This is just the assumed 20% discount with AAA at a deluxe resort. WHY do I still insist on looking up packages instead of going with separate components. . .

 

[RMulieri]

Booking separately seems to be working in your favor..go with it.I had to book a pkg though( wanted dining plan)...

 

[jcb]

I've always believed booking separately saved money for me even without a AAA discount. The extras that come with the package deal (a photo etc.) just never have seemed worth it. My last two trips were booked separately (tickets and rooms, that is) and I liked the flexibiliity it provided. My schedule changes sometimes at the last minute so the later cancellation period avoids problems. And so far, I've never heard of Disney "selling out" of park hopper tickets so I wait to buy these until shortly before departure.

Maybe the dining plan makes the difference for some but it is not for me either.

But like you, I keep looking at the package deals. My laptop has numerous spreadsheets I've prepared over the years to compare the cost of package v. booking separately.

 

[nurse.darcy]

I've always believed booking separately saved money for me even without a AAA discount. The extras that come with the package deal (a photo etc.) just never have seemed worth it. My last two trips were booked separately (tickets and rooms, that is) and I liked the flexibiliity it provided. My schedule changes sometimes at the last minute so the later cancellation period avoids problems. And so far, I've never heard of Disney "selling out" of park hopper tickets so I wait to buy these until shortly before departure.

Maybe the dining plan makes the difference for some but it is not for me either.

But like you, I keep looking at the package deals. My laptop has numerous spreadsheets I've prepared over the years to compare the cost of package v. booking separately.

It is absolutely hysterical how much time I have spent looking at package deals. This AAA rate is minimal but it is definitely better than nothing and since I don't buy dining, its so worth it just to get it. Also, I have a Disney store around the corner from me and they sell the WDW tix there and they are hard plastic and make nice souveniers. The price is the same as purchasing online so I have always preferred to have them in hand at the moment of purchase.

 

[jcb]

It's funny, the one thing my DD16 said about not booking a package was that she missed getting the disney luggage tag. $639 buys a very nice luggage tag.

 

[kristenrice]

9 day Park hoppers with water park: 680.38

Although they aren't the "nice plastic cards", you could save even more by purchasing 10-day PH with WPM from UndercoverTourist for $654 (sales tax AND delivery to you home included). You'd probably waste a day, but it would still save you $25.

We are taking a 5 night trip and we'll have only 4 1/2 days in the parks. I've found that buying the 6-day PH from UCT is cheaper than buying 5-Day PH from Disney. It figures that UCT doesn't sell 5 or 9 day passes.

 

[nurse.darcy]

Thanks for the info Kristen. . .

 

[wdhinn89]

I don't think the AAA discount is 20% on a Deluxe resort.

 

[sherry8253]

AAA discount at deluxe during value season is 15%. We are paying $3907 for 8 nights AAA discount Bay Lake view. MK wasn't available even at rack rate. Let us know if you score a AAA discount on MK view room at CR. Good luck!!!!!

 

[CoolPool]

What rack rate are you using for Theme Park View? The best I can find is $410 + tax.

 

[wdhinn89]

AAA discount at deluxe during value season is 15%. We are paying $3907 for 8 nights AAA discount Bay Lake view. MK wasn't available even at rack rate. Let us know if you score a AAA discount on MK view room at CR. Good luck!!!!!

We are going Oct 8-13th . With the AAA discount, Bay Lake View was $2176.90 and MK view room was $2354.05. Both were available. We are going regular season and I believe the discount is 10%. We booked it with WDW. We are thinking of stopping into the AAA site to see how much the package with tickets and hoppers would be to compare the savings. I heard the package still is only the discount on the room portion only. If that winds up being true, I rather just keep the room only with WDW and buy the tickets at the Disney Store.

 

[sherry8253]

I think the MK view is worth the difference in price. I hope you enjoy your trip wdhinn. It is great you got MK view with AAA discount!!

 

[grumpalina]

i'll be a dufus with you!!!! i automatically look at packages! we're still leaning towards the dining plan b/c we're not taking a long trip & want to do storybook princess lunch or dinner so we will prob do a package this trip. but i really need to work on thinking outside of that box!

 

[Jchance]

As amazing as it sounds, I haven't thought about not uding the package...I will have to look into that, I am in a similer situation as it will be just me and my dd. I do have a question...If you purchase a room and get the park hopper tickets seperate, do they still put the tickets on your "keys to the world"? (the room key)

 

[wdhinn89]

I think the MK view is worth the difference in price. I hope you enjoy your trip wdhinn. It is great you got MK view with AAA discount!!

We actually took the Bayview. We are water view people. I didn't think it was worth the extra money just for the castle view even though I heard the view was amazing of the castle.

Just realized the kids are off on Sept 30 & Oct 1, so I was thinking of maybe switching to Sept 26-Oct 1 because it would be Value season and a I believe a 15% discount with AAA but there are no rooms available on-line at all at the CR. I wonder why. It would definitely make the stay alot cheaper. No LV at GF either. I thought that was a slow time of year

 

[Hoosier Mom]

I thought about calling AAA for a quote on a WDW vacation. But doesn't it cost to join AAA? So would this cancel out the 15% savings?

We're hoping to do 5 days park hopper and hopefully stay at WL maybe in Jan 2009.

 

[tinawv]

We got the package plan this year because I was able to use the 40% off room code with it. It was still $200 more when I compared it with booking the rooms and tickets separately, but getting the Magical Express service balances it out because we don't have to rent a car or pay for transportation to and from the airport.

 

[Lemming_of_the_BDA]

We got the package plan this year because I was able to use the 40% off room code with it. It was still $200 more when I compared it with booking the rooms and tickets separately, but getting the Magical Express service balances it out because we don't have to rent a car or pay for transportation to and from the airport.

I think you can still use Magical Express as long as you're at a Disney Resort, it doesn't have to be booked through a package.

 

[nurse.darcy]

Okay some notes:

AAA is 15% off, not 20% sorry for misleading. . .
If you call ME ahead of time you can still get the yellow luggage tags in the mail. . .
and ME is available to ANYONE booked at a Disney resort, regardless of how booked. . .

Hope I answered some questions. . .

Oh, and yes, I got the MK view at 15% off for my dates 8/21 to 8/28. The rack rate is 410. . . .so the discount is WELL worth it. . .

 

[jcb]

As amazing as it sounds, I haven't thought about not uding the package...I will have to look into that, I am in a similer situation as it will be just me and my dd. I do have a question...If you purchase a room and get the park hopper tickets seperate, do they still put the tickets on your "keys to the world"? (the room key)

Each time I have booked separately (no package) the park ticket is separate from the room key. The cards are identical, you just get two of them.

On another topic, if you do any traveling at all, the AAA membership typically pays for itself in hotel discounts.