Disney resorts on Expedia..

[SonicGuy]

I am really confused. Booked some rooms at AKL in early December using AP rate ($159). Was on Expedia looking at airfare and saw rooms at ASM for $59, WL for $250, POR for $109, CSR for $99, etc. These are no where near the room-only rates available on website, even with AP rates. Why is this? Is there a downside for booking these rooms? There has to be a catch.

 

[jemgumby]

Did you check for any "hidden fees" because those can really add up and come out to sometimes even more $$$! Just wondering....

 

[SonicGuy]

Didnt see any - they actually are not even charging their normal booking fee

 

[Smile4Me]

they might be able to offer a lower rate just to get them filled for disney...better to have full rooms, even at a lower rate, than have them go empty!

 

[Luv2Roam]

They are fine as long as all you wish is a room only. No DDP or anything can be included.
Also any modifications, etc, go through them. So if there are any questions, changes, problems, etc, it is all by Expedia policy and through them.
Those seem to be the only issues some have.

 

[Jennifer823]

I just priced a Ft. Wilderness cabin at the special FL resident rate of $395/night at the Disney site.. checked Expedia and it's $220, no fees. Wow..

 

[su_A_ve]

you still need to actually try to book it to know for sure it's available. It's possible that it is, but not until the rez process starts that the system will check for availability.

Similarly it happens with AAA rooms done online. It'll say there's availability at first, but not until you actually try to do a rez that it will confirm there's a room.

These cheap rates are based on the general availbility codes which as we all know are limited and most times not available.

 

[Jennifer823]

OK, follow-up here. I was quoted a total price on the Disney website for a Ft. Wilderness cabin at $1,603 - room only - for 12/18-22. Went to Expedia and booked the same Ft. Wilderness cabin for the same days for a total price of $965. It went through, worked fine, it's booked. Expedia is having a "no fee" special this week as well.

 

[mygr8kdz]

OK, follow-up here. I was quoted a total price on the Disney website for a Ft. Wilderness cabin at $1,603 - room only - for 12/18-22. Went to Expedia and booked the same Ft. Wilderness cabin for the same days for a total price of $965. It went through, worked fine, it's booked. Expedia is having a "no fee" special this week as well.

I got the exact same price from Disney with the Oct-Dec room only code.

 

[mygr8kdz]

I am really confused. Booked some rooms at AKL in early December using AP rate ($159). Was on Expedia looking at airfare and saw rooms at ASM for $59, WL for $250, POR for $109, CSR for $99, etc. These are no where near the room-only rates available on website, even with AP rates. Why is this? Is there a downside for booking these rooms? There has to be a catch.

The availability is very limited, but those prices are indeed available on selected dates with the room-only code. With the AP rates, even less - know a few folks who have $54 at Pop the week of 12/14.

 

[Sammyjo]

With the Oct-Dec room only code the price on the Disney website for a Ft. Wilderness cabin for 12/18-22 is $965 too. It's just that you do not take the right way on de Disney website.

The right way is :

- Tickets & Reservations (top)

- Special offers (left)

- Great Rates on Disney Value Resorts this Fall! (Booking Code NYB)

- Get started (bottom)

- enter your date of begin and end (12/18 to 12/22)

- continue

- click on tab View by location (top)

- choose in the menu The cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

- Check availability

and the result is $956!

 

[mbanks21]

Thats funny. YOu can get the same price through disney vs a 3rd party supplier that you cant make any changes and Im sure has cancellation fees

 

[Jennifer823]

With the Oct-Dec room only code the price on the Disney website for a Ft. Wilderness cabin for 12/18-22 is $965 too. It's just that you do not take the right way on de Disney website.

The right way is :

- Tickets & Reservations (top)

- Special offers (left)

- Great Rates on Disney Value Resorts this Fall! (Booking Code NYB)

- Get started (bottom)

- enter your date of begin and end (12/18 to 12/22)

- continue

- click on tab View by location (top)

- choose in the menu The cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

- Check availability

and the result is $956!

They sure make it easy! LOL I went through the FL resident offers. Thanks, though, I'll write that down so next time I can try that (with a current code.) I'm fine booking it through Expedia, I didn't have to jump through hoops to find the best rate. I've used them once before in the past for a Disney room and had no problems. I've cancelled things through them too, a few times (I just took one person off a cruise in December) and have not had any cancellation fees.

 

[loveshak22]

If you book through a 3rd party, can you then go and add the DDP and tickets through Disney or no?

 

[mbanks21]

absolutely NOT. Disney will have no record of you until the day of check in. This is a room only res

 

[Jennifer823]

I wanted to say something about the difference between booking a room only and booking a Magic Your Way package. We did the Magic Your Way the first time we went to Disney - we got the room and the tickets together. I really like how Disney does it - we were sent a whole package of stuff in the mail, including luggage tags. It made it special, and we used the tags to surprise the kids that we were going.

The next time we went, we booked room only - because we were going to buy APs from AAA. We didn't get any of the extra stuff in the mail. We actually didn't get anything from Disney, only the printout of our confirmation number when we booked the room on the Disney site. It was a little disappointing not to have the stuff to look at before our trip.

I'd say if you can find a good rate on the Disney site - then go ahead and do that, get the MYW package, it's more special that way.

 

[ElizabethB]

Glad to hear someone gets excited about the luggage tags! I just throw them away.

 

[JanineandMike]

With the Oct-Dec room only code the price on the Disney website for a Ft. Wilderness cabin for 12/18-22 is $965 too. It's just that you do not take the right way on de Disney website.

The right way is :

- Tickets & Reservations (top)

- Special offers (left)

- Great Rates on Disney Value Resorts this Fall! (Booking Code NYB)

- Get started (bottom)

- enter your date of begin and end (12/18 to 12/22)

- continue

- click on tab View by location (top)

- choose in the menu The cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

- Check availability

and the result is $956!

or you could just go to the disney world main page and use the link on the bottom of the page "don't miss these great fall room rates", they have a number of offers and you may have to scroll through, but its right on the main page and brings you the right way.

 

[summerrluvv]

Comes up the same price for me for Sports in November. $89

 

[rt2dz]

I just wanted to add a quick explanation.

Expedia (and similar sites) book a block of rooms off from Disney at a discount. They’re locked into paying for these rooms if they sell the reservation to someone else or not. What has probably happened is that Expedia didn’t sell these rooms and are trying not to get stuck with them. So now they’re (Expedia) selling them off at their costs. Amazingly (note sarcasm) the discounted price Disney sells the rooms to 3rd party retailers for are the same cost that Disney will later discount the rooms themselves to if they have problems booking rooms to capacity.

Disney doesn’t lose. And a consumer/guest will win if they miss the code deadline from Disney and Expedia didn’t sell their reservations to someone else. Expedia wouldn't be offering these great deals if they sold the reservations. And Disney wouldn't be "matching" the discount if they booked rooms to capacity.

Am I being clear enough?