December 2008 Code Watch

[PrincessSuzanne]

We are booked at the GF for the same time! I was fortunate to get a 20% pin earlier in the year for this week. Unfortunately, with Pop week, Mousefest and parade taping, the GF doesn't show any availabilty that week at all anymore, so I doubt any type of code will work there if released. (AP, Visa, General public). It appears to be sold out!

That doesn't mean some won't be released. Last year before the August codes came out, I wanted WL, but there was no availability, but I was patient and checked daily and finally found a room with a great rate. Never give up hope.

AP rates can be added to already booked ressies, so I am not worrying.

Suzanne

 

[tiellady]

I was lucky enough to get an airline rate for GF but I cannot get any type of dining plan with that discount. If I can an AP room rate then I can get the Dining plan (Totally thrilled, here) I am so excited they finally added the dining plan to AP room rates. I'll change resorts if necessary but I really like being on the monorail so hopefully I wont have too. This is the first time I'm staying at GF....really looking forward to it...especially with the holiday decorations and live music. We usually stay at the Contemp but are ready for a change.

 

[danielle916]

all the pin codes ended 12/13 that I have seen... that isn't to say that a general public code or AP rate won't come out for that week though...

i sure hope so!!!
i'll call back in 2wks again to give it a try...thanks
i feel very optimistic

 

[tiellady]

What are pin codes? Are they discounts offered to AP holders? I have never received any emails/postcards for discounts in all the years I have been going to Disney.

 

[networktek]

do you have to give them the code over the phone or when you call they already have the code programed in
thank you

 

[Cinderumbrella]

What are pin codes? Are they discounts offered to AP holders? I have never received any emails/postcards for discounts in all the years I have been going to Disney.

Pin codes are special offers that are household specific. Most people who get them seem to be INFREQUENT vistors, but not all. The majority's of this years appeared to be triggerd by ordering the planning DVD.

do you have to give them the code over the phone or when you call they already have the code programed in
thank you

Usually you need to give it (especially the first few days of a new promo as the CM's are learning the codes too). At the very minimum you need to tell them the name of the promo you are trying to use. Once the codes are released, they will be posted here on this thread, or a new thread will start listing them. Remember that the code letters change depending on the ressie. There is one for room only, one for MYW, one for MYW with DDP, one for MYW with DxDDP etc. Plus the Disney Visa codes are different letters than the general public codes...

If it is a pin code, it may be in the system tied to your name, but I had to give mine since it arrived in my maiden name at my parent's house and needed to be added to my current info.

 

[heartsy77]

I am sure this has been asked before; however, what is the typical code for early DEC I have looked at mousesavers under history and it wasn't clear. We are booked @ POP; if we got a code does anyone have any idea how much it would be for ? Would it include a free upgrade for water park and more? I really want to see Cirque while we are their; if we get a good enough code we could use extra $$$ towards it!?? We are paid in full so it we would be extra money back anyway. Thanks.

 

[ksgilley]

Hope this is a good place to post this. We were hoping to go to Disney the first or second week of Dec because we understood the crowds to be light. However, we were having trouble getting availability in any of the deluxe hotels standard rooms. The third week of Dec appears to have a lot of availability but I understand this is usually a more crowded week. I went ahead and booked 12/13 - 12/20. Will this be crowded compared to say mid-May?

Thanks

 

[Cottager]

Hope this is a good place to post this. We were hoping to go to Disney the first or second week of Dec because we understood the crowds to be light. However, we were having trouble getting availability in any of the deluxe hotels standard rooms. The third week of Dec appears to have a lot of availability but I understand this is usually a more crowded week. I went ahead and booked 12/13 - 12/20. Will this be crowded compared to say mid-May?

Thanks

There were a number of incentives offered this year for what has traditionally been a slower period during the first couple of weeks in December. This year appears to be somewhat different due to the following factors:

1. Value Season ends on December 18, therefore, rates are at their lowest providing a great incentive on it's own.
2. PIN's offering discounts up to 40% were sent out in late winter/early spring this year covering the first 2 weeks of December until Dec. 13.
3. Bounceback offers were offered providing up to 40% off room rates again for the first 2 weeks in December ending December 13.

As you mentioned, room availability seems to be scarce during the first 2 weeks in December, therefore, one would assume that the resorts are quite full now.

As for your booking, you may have noticed that your daily rates are lower from the 13th to the 18th and higher for the remaining dates. You're paying a little more but you may end up having smaller crowds. We were there just before Christmas last year and the parks were fairly light.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I am sure this has been asked before; however, what is the typical code for early DEC I have looked at mousesavers under history and it wasn't clear. We are booked @ POP; if we got a code does anyone have any idea how much it would be for ? Would it include a free upgrade for water park and more? I really want to see Cirque while we are their; if we get a good enough code we could use extra $$$ towards it!?? We are paid in full so it we would be extra money back anyway. Thanks.

I think it is about $15 off per night at the values at that time. The park hopper/water pass upgrade usually happens in January, and not in conjunction with a room special.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

There's really no way those of us outside Disney can predict what the promos/codes will be for this December. My family is going 12/11-14 and I've had a heck of a time finding a concierge room with a view I wanted, ended up going to a DVC room

However, I kinda suspect availablity may loosen up a bit as we get closer to December. Some people who got that 40% off code will book, just in case and because it was use it or lose it by early in 2008 - and then decide not to make the trip after all as their dates get closer. I saw some of that last year. The promos this year will depend on what bookings look like.

There is an interesting article about Disney on Forbes.com:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/24/disney-dow-theory-pf-ii-in_rm_0724soapbox_inl.html?partner=email

Notably: "In the past, Disney's parks have tended to suffer more toward the end of recessions, as families put off travel until their finances looked better. The company expects a slowdown in park growth over the next year." That could translate into some good deals.

Park attendance has still been strong to this point, well through 3/08 anyway. They point that out in the article.

 

[disneyfan2]

However, we were having trouble getting availability in any of the deluxe hotels standard rooms. The third week of Dec appears to have a lot of availability but I understand this is usually a more crowded week. I went ahead and booked 12/13 - 12/20. Will this be crowded compared to say mid-May?

Thanks

I think this week should be good. It will probably get busy towards the end of the week but the first part til the 19th should be lower crowds. We are booked the 2nd week of Dec and wanted to add nights in the Values and they are all booked too... So we either are going to switch to week 3 or go late Jan.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I am sure this has been asked before; however, what is the typical code for early DEC I have looked at mousesavers under history and it wasn't clear. We are booked @ POP; if we got a code does anyone have any idea how much it would be for ? Would it include a free upgrade for water park and more? I really want to see Cirque while we are their; if we get a good enough code we could use extra $$$ towards it!?? We are paid in full so it we would be extra money back anyway. Thanks.

For most of the year, the discount at the Values has been $13 off per night, Moderates $50/night, and DVC's were like $119/night. They aren't usually a percentage, just a flat rate. The last 2 codes didn't seem to include the Deluxe resorts, so I am glad we switched to a Moderate before it got full.

Hope this is a good place to post this. We were hoping to go to Disney the first or second week of Dec because we understood the crowds to be light. However, we were having trouble getting availability in any of the deluxe hotels standard rooms. The third week of Dec appears to have a lot of availability but I understand this is usually a more crowded week. I went ahead and booked 12/13 - 12/20. Will this be crowded compared to say mid-May?

Thanks

Don't go giving away my secret The third week of December seems to becoming a less crowded time to go, I guess because everyone hears that the first 2 weeks are ideal. We went Dec 19-23, 2007 and there were no crowds, except for Saturday night at MK and Sunday morning as we were checking out, the Christmas crowds were coming in. We went Dec 3-10, 2006 and it seemed a little crowded to me. We have not been in May, but we have been 3 times during the second week of June and it isn't crowded to us then and Dec 2007 seemed less crowded than June 2006 and June 2007. We went Dec 3-10, 2006 and I thought it was more crowded than I had read it would be, especially in the evening when the Pop Warner kids were in the park.

Suzanne

 

[GailT]

I called after supper hopping the AP rates come out for the week of Christmas, they didn't yet but , I'll keep trying I am bound to get it if they are going to do that, well I hope anyways

 

[angey77]

Don't go giving away my secret The third week of December seems to becoming a less crowded time to go, I guess because everyone hears that the first 2 weeks are ideal. We went Dec 19-23, 2007 and there were no crowds, except for Saturday night at MK and Sunday morning as we were checking out, the Christmas crowds were coming in.

Wow! Were we at the same Walt Disney World? I was there at the same time (Dec. 14-21) and the crowds were bad in the second half of our trip (at least compared to what I was used to from vacationing in December for the past five years). In fact, we all swore off going the week before Christmas ever again (hey, that's six-eight less in the crowds for you from here on out!).
We figured more and more people were getting brave about taking their kids out of school a week early for the holidays. A few people in our party arrived about three days before us and said they basically walked on to everything. I wish!
This year, we're going 12/5-12/12. We know it's during Pop, but really, we don't find the crowds to be that bad during that time. Then again, we didn't expect crowds last time around either. Fingers crossed!

 

[ms_missy66]

We've been during the Pop Warner Superbowl before and crowds weren't that bad, but they were more than I had expected. I didn't realize this event was the same time every year and realized it after booking this year's trip. :-( I have my fingers seriously crossed it's okay. I'm half tempted to reschedule for the week prior, but I'm a little nervous some leftover Thanksgiving crowd will be there. *shrug* We'll see...

 

[debbs0723]

Hello all. I'm subscribing to this thread. I've been on the CSR thread for days. I know so many of you are booked or want to book WL but I actually just moved my reservation from there to CSR because I'd rather just play with the extra $900 WL was going to cost me. Anyway I'm currently booked through a TA and she has been very helpful but i've now discovered that I can book through AAA and save about $200 extra as well. I'm not sure what to do because I don't want to screw over my current TA but it is still $200.

I'm just wondering how it works with the AAA discount. When and if codes or extra savings are released in mid august does my AAA Travel Agent apply those savings?

Thanks so much.

Debbie

 

[MEK]

Hello all. I'm subscribing to this thread. I've been on the CSR thread for days. I know so many of you are booked or want to book WL but I actually just moved my reservation from there to CSR because I'd rather just play with the extra $900 WL was going to cost me. Anyway I'm currently booked through a TA and she has been very helpful but i've now discovered that I can book through AAA and save about $200 extra as well. I'm not sure what to do because I don't want to screw over my current TA but it is still $200.

I'm just wondering how it works with the AAA discount. When and if codes or extra savings are released in mid august does my AAA Travel Agent apply those savings?

Thanks so much.

Debbie

You should provide your new quote to your old agent. Some AAA agents are much better than others. I would not feel bad about changing agents and rebooking the trip. You are in this to save money.

A good AAA agent will apply discounts as they appear. A bad one probably won't.

 

[chell]

Hello all. I'm subscribing to this thread. I've been on the CSR thread for days. I know so many of you are booked or want to book WL but I actually just moved my reservation from there to CSR because I'd rather just play with the extra $900 WL was going to cost me. Anyway I'm currently booked through a TA and she has been very helpful but i've now discovered that I can book through AAA and save about $200 extra as well. I'm not sure what to do because I don't want to screw over my current TA but it is still $200.

I'm just wondering how it works with the AAA discount. When and if codes or extra savings are released in mid august does my AAA Travel Agent apply those savings?

Thanks so much.

Debbie

Have you asked your new TA about it? Could they book the AAA for you?

 

[ttester9612]

I just called to add the dining plan to my Dec trip. The agent checked to see if there were any special rates yet, unfortunately, there were done. She told me it's still to early for the Dec codes but to keep checking back. Which I will..