Checking AP4 rates while at DL?

[BurnsideMommy]

We leave on Tuesday, and will check into the DLH on Wednesday evening for 5 nights. We're still on the fence about upgrading to AP's or not.

Is it possible to sit down with the Vacation planning folks in the DLH and see what dates they have available for the Christmas season (we'd love the first week of December when it's not so crowded) for either DLH or GCH. I know this will not be easy, but if we can't even get one booked I won't upgrade to AP. (I know we may have to call back daily trying to get the rest of the dates). Should I just start calling now and see what they've got? Don't they need a CC to hold the reservation?

I want to find a cheap plane ride there (nothing from PDX to LA area). There's 4 people that need seats, and then we'd have to use the DE bus to get there. Compared to $350 gas and $80 x 2 hotels on the trip up & down, it's not really economical to fly. However I-5 roads in December outta suck in SoOR.

I'm torn on whether or not to get the AP or not. I need to figure this out before our last day in the park obviously - which is a week from Sunday.

How likely is it that I'll end up getting good AP4 rates this close out?

 

[MKKplus2]

Wouldn't it be economical to upgrade to an AP (for at least one of you) to get AP4 rates for this upcoming DLH visit? Or was it booked as a package? From what I've read you can book AP4 rates even without the AP in hand but you'll need it when checking in but could purchase it at the hotel. When I made reservations I did need to give them a CC# but you have 72 hours prior to arrival to cancel without penalty. Might be worth calling now to see if they have any available and decide later?

 

[CoolPool]

Agree with MKKplus2; at least one of you should get an AP. Consider the difference in price to be like buying an option. You pay that additional money now toward saving on a potential vacation later. If the tickets are part of a package, one (or more) tickets can be upgraded during your stay this trip. And the AP4 discounts are huge so the AP will pay for itself even if you only manage to get one night at those rates.

Also a booking under an AP4 / hotel only rate does not require a deposit. So call now and see if you can get your dates under the discount. If in the end you can't go, then you just cancel 72 hours in advance and there is no harm/no foul.

Take concrete steps to eliminate uncertainty but leaving the option open to make a change later. I mean, even if the Dec trip doesn't work out; you'll still eligible for discounts with the AP for a later trip.

Adding later: my AP rate this weekend to stay at PP with a upper floor/theme park view is $149/nite++. The rack rate is $255/nite++.

 

[NVDisMom]

If you know you will be back in a year definitely upgrade to AP's. You'll save money in the long run. As for making AP$ ressies, do so now, no more lolly gagging for you. lol You do not need your AP until you check in and you only provide a cc# at the time of reservation, they do not charge anything against it. So you have nothing to lose.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm with the others. Call now, see if they have anything, book if they do, then upgrade while you're there.

I know I'm 2 kids less than you, and we can still fit into one sedan-type taxi, but I wonder if maybe hiring a towncar service would be more economical than taking DE for all of you? When we were going to fly, I was thinking of DE, but then noticed that other ways of getting from the airport were less expensive, including a cab (we were coming from SNA).

I was about to suggest Amtrak, but that would be even more expensive AND would take quite a bit of time. I do love the train, but maybe not for Disney trips.

Our decision to upgrade was made because we do plan on visiting at least twice in the next year, and even just to get one-day passes for each of us added to our 5-day passes for this trip would have put us OVER the AP total cost. So even without a special rate the decision was obvious for us.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[BurnsideMommy]

Wow! Thanks everyone! This board is so helpful.

We've already booked & paid for our package through AAA. I'm guessing we can't change any of that now to get the AP4 discount for our trip next week?

I'm going to call in the morning and see what they've got for December. We were thinking of going in December cause we love DL @ Christmas and the kids have never been at that time of year. We were also thinking of a spring trip or next fall trip. We'd like to get 2 more trips out of AP's if we did that.

I think it probably would be cheaper to take a taxi, but we have the FAA approved harness things - the ones that fit into a little bag, so we use those instead of car seats on the plane. By taking a town car or taxi or anything other than the bus, we'd have to bring our 3 huge britax car seats. That'd stink. We wouldn't need to rent a car since we stay onsite and don't leave until it's time to go home LOL.

Another thing - we were thinking of staying an extra night in Disney this trip. Even though we've booked for 5 nights at the DLH through our AAA package, if we could reserve a room through the AP4 rate (for a 6th night), and we upgrade our park hoppers to AP's while we're there - are we going to have to switch rooms, or can they keep us in the same room? It'd be too much of a pain in the rear to switch... Would they be able to do that for us? It sounds messy.

Thanks again.

 

[NVDisMom]

Its definitely worth trying on the 6th nite. More often than not Disney will go out of their way to accomodate you.

I would still check into a town car, they can probably provide you with car seats. For a fee of coarse. But it will be quicker (no other stops along the way) and probably more comfortable for everyone. Plus I'm a worry wart, I'd prefer the little ones be in car seats, especially on So Cal freeways!

 

[MKKplus2]

We've already booked & paid for our package through AAA. I'm guessing we can't change any of that now to get the AP4 discount for our trip next week?

I never booked a package thru AAA and this is also the first time I ever had an AP, but I believe that you cannot get the AP4 discount for this upcoming trip next week since everything is already paid for. But look on the bright side...you're going to Disneyland next week and it's already paid for

 

[bumbershoot]

I would imagine the only people who would know if you could keep the same room would be the CMs at the front desk. It's possible the AP4 discount is for certain rooms, and if those certain rooms are different from the room you have booked with your package...who knows?

I thought about doing that, since the realization that you could book even before getting your AP only hit me AFTER paying for our costco package in full (and this first time I want the little perks from the package like the pin and lanyard and etc, LOL), otherwise I would have thought about finding out if my dates and hotel qualified, and how much the total would have been.

But then, after our 4 days at PP, we have HoJo booked, so obviously I don't think changing hotels (or rooms) is that much of a pain. Again, I think that's the *only one kid so far* thing.

 

[BurnsideMommy]

Thanks for the ideas. Does anyone know of any town car services that provide car seats or have that option? I too would feel safer with them in car seats! It freaks me out otherwise, but short of lugging 3 huge car seats I wasn't sure what to do.

I'm going to call today (after we sign our closing papers on our new lot! yaay!) and see if VP or the DLH can tell me anything about switching rooms or not. I figure I'll try to reserve a room at the AP4 rate now (if they have one), and then I have until our 2nd night there to cancel it before they charge me - so by that time if the folks on the phone can't help me, maybe the front desk can.

If we only had one kiddo I definately wouldn't think twice about switching rooms - we've done that with one kiddo. However with 3, I have to be very, very organized so we don't loose stuff, or or room turns into a disaster (we're on vacation it' supposed to be relaxing and clean LOL). I unpack everything into the drawers, all the kids clothes are in ziplock baggies for each day - labeled. I have a hanging sweater organizer for the closet to put their clothes in, all our toilettries go in the over the door shoe holder, etc. It would be horrible with 3 kids to switch rooms just for one night. My kids are 5 & 3 (active boys LOL) and almost 16 months - I like to make things as easy as possible.

I have a huge list for the VP people now when I call. Anyone know what time they're open till? I have to go to the title company to sign papers at 1, and then a final exam at 3, so the earliest I could call would be 5pm PST.

 

[DizMe]

One possibility for your 2 older kids might be to get an inexpensive booster. They have them at K-Mart this week for $10. They're the backless type and relatively easy to bring along (we had to bring 2 to Hawaii this summer). Then maybe you could just rent one carseat for the baby?