Changed my ressie 5 times - here's my savings

[CuteKatCar]

I am obsessed with what I have saved since placing my ressie back in 8/02. Our trip is May 30 to June 7, 2003. I'd like to share it with all of you.

8/24/02
Booked 4 nights CBR with 15% off AAA discount: $543.00
Booked 4 nights Poly with 10% off AAA Discount: $1372.00

Total: $1915.00

Saved $249.00 off rack rate


2/17/03 changed ressie to Code AXA discount:
3 nights CBR with AXA = $348.00
5 nights Poly with AXA = $1416.00

Total: $1764.00

Now saved another $151.00 off last ressie and changed to one more night at deluxe (and still saved)


Now thinking - with great codes let's move entire trip up to MONORAIL resorts
2/18 changed ressie with code AXA
4 nights Cont. = $776.00
4 nights Poly = $1133.00

Total $1909. Now, have saved only $20.00 since original AAA discount, but NOW WE ARE AT DELUXE FOR ENTIRE TRIP.
Doing a happy dance.

3/15 New code came out..........(it's not on ressie)
4 nights Cont. = $731.00
4 nights Poly = $1088.00

Total: $1819. Saved $100.00 from original ressie. Doing ok


4/24 AP rates came out
4 nights Cont = $665.00
4 nights Poly = $888.00

Total $1553.00, add'l cost of AP $66.00, water park $26.00

Total savings from original ressie: $270.00


Here's the kicker: If I had booked these two resorts (Cont. and Poly at rack rates), it would have cost $2,698.00 vs. $1,553.00 that I am paying. An absolute ludicrous amount!!! And a difference of $1,145.00.
I am doing a happy, happy dance.



Anna

 

[BethR]

Sounds like you are a real DIS Budgeteer, Anna!

Good for you!!!

 

[patsal]

Great Job! I hope to do so well for my big 4-0 Birthday celebrateion in a few years!

 

[frannn]

Let's hope I can do as well in Oct...

 

[CuteKatCar]

Keep watching these boards..........the savings just keep coming............

A great big hug of thanks to everyone on these boards for all your help...I would never have done it without this website.

Anna

 

[Pink Flamingo]

WOW - that's awesome! I agree with you - these boards & the wonderful people on them are the best! I booked a trip at Dixie Landings in 1998 with a local travel agent (didn't know about the DIS then ). In 2002, thanks to the DIS & DISers I booked a trip at the Polynesian for one more day than our original trip & it only cost me a little over $100 more than my first trip. I did use Dreams Unlimited for the 2002 trip for my own piece of mind, so I'll give them a little plug too. Hopefully I'll do as well for my June 2004 trip.

Have a wonderful trip - you don't have long to wait now!

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by CuteKatCar
I am obsessed with what I have saved since placing my ressie back in 8/02. Our trip is May 30 to June 7, 2003. I'd like to share it with all of you.

If I had booked these two resorts (Cont. and Poly at rack rates), it would have cost $2,698.00 vs. $1,553.00 that I am paying. An absolute ludicrous amount!!! And a difference of $1,145.00.
I am doing a happy, happy dance.

Anna

Anna,
That's a good reminder to anyone traveling anywhere, not just Disney, to keep checking rates after you make a reservation. I constantly do this and almost every time, I end up finding a lower rate sometime after the original reservation. I took my wife to NYC last summer for our anniversary and I rebooked the room 4 times due to rate drops. I ended up saving about $70 just on the 1 nite stay.

All that said, of course, I can't help but mention that for what you are paying to stay onsite for 8 nites, you could stay in a decent 1-bedroom suite offsite for nearly a month. Personally, we'd rather take the offsite hotel and just go visit the Contemp and Poly and have lots of extra money to spend on other things, like another trip to WDW.

Have a great trip.

Steve