Calling all travel agents and experts!

[Disneyfanfour]

Okay, so I've booked a really inexpensive STAY at WDW, but flights from our city are running about $400 for our trip in August. Yikes! How much longer should I wait to book our tickets for 7 persons? I keep hoping the prices will go down, but I don't want to wait too long and miss getting us all on the same flight!

Any advice? And how low can a minivan rental go? right now it fluctuates between $500-600. Will it go lower, do you think?

Oh, btw, our dates are the last week in August, but before Labor Day.

So, there you have it. Never had to ask about this before, so have at it.

Thank you in advance, too.

 

[APB513]

Okay, so I've booked a really inexpensive STAY at WDW, but flights from our city are running about $400 for our trip in August. Yikes! How much longer should I wait to book our tickets for 7 persons? I keep hoping the prices will go down, but I don't want to wait too long and miss getting us all on the same flight!

Any advice? And how low can a minivan rental go? right now it fluctuates between $500-600. Will it go lower, do you think?

Oh, btw, our dates are the last week in August, but before Labor Day.

So, there you have it. Never had to ask about this before, so have at it.

Thank you in advance, too.

First, congrats on booking your WDW trip!

Secondly, I am a new travel agent and I am still learning the best time to book airfare so I can't give you any advice on when you should buy your tickets. I'm sure someone else will respond.

Regarding the rental car, I would suggest that you reserve a minivan at the lowest price you can currently find. Then I would sign up for emails from the company. They usually send emails announcing any upcoming discounts that you can apply to your reservation.

I would also keep checking the Transportation board for news of August discounts.

 

[stephgles]

I have actually read in recent weeks that 4-8 weeks prior to your flight is the best time to get good deals. Looking over my past several years of flying down, I normally book about 6-8 weeks and for a family of 3, have paid an average of 700 round trip.

 

[plutolovr]

Check prices for airfare on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, these are usually the lowest fare days and then they go up more toward the weekends.

Also, sign up for National's Emerald Club ($50) you can book a intermediate size car and take any car from the Emerald Aisle. We were able to get mini-vans in Orlando using the aisle with just paying for intermediate. It's a chance you take. You can also, as a back-up book a mini-van with a different car rental company like Alamo, if you see what you want on the Aisle you can just cancel you Alamo ressie, if you don't see what you want, cancel the National ressie and take the mini-van from Alamo.

 

[Aliceacc]

If you're flying in, and staying on site, you can skip the minivan and use Disney's Magical Express.

We've never had a car down there; we use Disney transportation the whole time.

 

[seashoreCM]

You might book just a few tickets at a time. Perhaps if you book three tickets you might get them at a lower price. Then pay the $400. for each of the last four tickets (total of 7).

IOf you try to book all 7 then the system quotes you the price for the most expensive category (booking class; bucket) you have to draw seats from and applies that to all 7.

You may get lower prices if you both do your booking and do your flying on Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

[Disneyfanfour]

If you're flying in, and staying on site, you can skip the minivan and use Disney's Magical Express.

We've never had a car down there; we use Disney transportation the whole time.

Thanks, we are staying a few days at POR and using Disney Express and transport buses. Then we're at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, which has transport, but doesn't start running until 8am. The Parks open @ 9am, so that's way too late in order to get there early. Thus, the need for a minivan.

But thank you for the tip.

 

[Disneyfanfour]

You might book just a few tickets at a time. Perhaps if you book three tickets you might get them at a lower price. Then pay the $400. for each of the last four tickets (total of 7).

IOf you try to book all 7 then the system quotes you the price for the most expensive category (booking class; bucket) you have to draw seats from and applies that to all 7.

You may get lower prices if you both do your booking and do your flying on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thanks for the suggestion. The $400 is the price when I search for one ticket, so I'm still stuck there. And the prices aren't hardly moving even on Tuesdays and Wednesdays! Man, I may have to bite the bullet and pay this horrendous price and I don't want to!!! There, I've thrown my fit.

 

[sam_gordon]

Also, sign up for National's Emerald Club ($50) you can book a intermediate size car and take any car from the Emerald Aisle.

Emerald Club is free. At least I didn't pay anything for the service when I used it in May.

 

[plutolovr]

Emerald Club is free. At least I didn't pay anything for the service when I used it in May.

That's good to know. When I joined many years ago there was a $50 fee to do so. It was just a one-time fee, not a per rental fee. I also know my husband joined for free due to having an AMEX platinum card.

 

[candy0730]

It is $50 to join the Emerald Club unless you find a discount. If you use the link found in the Mousesavers website it is free.

 

[blitzkrieg048]

I always find waiting longer is better, i get my best deals 1-3 weeks before we leave. It's nerve racking to the first time renter but worth it. I find rental codes off mousesavers.com and always book thru National who has last minute deals...i also get a minivan.