Disney Thinks I can't add?

[Sacha_L]

So booked Disneyland for Christmas. Because I'm OCD I priced the exact same hotel through the hotels website (BW raffles). Here is what Disney charged me $6182.00 for 7 adults and 1 child.

Meal plan for 8 $2068
ART family plan tickets $48
5 day hoppers x8 $2300
Hotel 5 nights $1768

Now the hotel is what got me wondering $353 a night for a suite at Best Western? I know it's Christmas and I am pepared to pay for it but... The BW website quoted me $581 less than Disney. That's a lot of churro's

So I called Disney and got a CM who tried to tell me that they can't tell how much everything is in a package. I said well the tickets are x, meal plan is x ect...he refused to even consider that I might know what each part of my trip cost. This just blew my mind! Should I just call back and try to get another CM? Has anyone else had something like this happen?

 

[sonnyjane]

A few things....

First of all, it is almost ALWAYS more expensive to book a package through Disney than it is to book things separately, so I usually recommend not getting a package.

Second of all, did the BW website include tax? Was the quote for the suite? Are you sure it was for BW Raffles when you looked on the Disney site?

Third of all, we NEVER EVER EVER recommend getting the dining plan at Disneyland. It saves you absolutely no money and could actually end up costing you, since you don't get change back. It is not like WDW's dining plan, you just get vouchers for dollar amounts (for example, $40, $15 and $5 vouchers) that you use at restaurants. If you buy something that is $13 and pay for it with the $15 voucher, you'll lose the $2 since you don't get change back.

If you can, I'd cancel the package and get rid of the dining plan.

 

[Sacha_L]

I did double check that I was booking the exact same room type and tax so that was not it. We are doing this trip as an extended family group and one person is paying for the whole thing...so it was his idea to do the dining plan so that there is one total cost paid up-front . I also am booking all the TS meals so we will be using the $ amt allowed to the max most of the time. It just really surprised me that the CM would act like that when it is very obvious what costs what

 

[HydroGuy]

Packages are usually more experience but SJ is right - you need to run the calculation all the way to the end because Disney usually includes tax in the package price but not the individual prices. And the tax is big - like 15% because it includes the tourist tax for Anaheim.

 

[NStramler]

Also.. go to your Auto Club Office and have them give you a quote. When we did Disney World I priced everything on the Disney site, printed it and took it to the Auto Club office.. they booked the exact thing I had printed and saved me a lot of money!!! I was there while she called Disney and booked it... look around, you will save money by not booking it through Disney!

 

[Sacha_L]

Thanks guys!! I will try your suggestions

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i was the only one who stood up for the meal plan till this last year. Ya take that off. just get tickets Disney or getaway today.com ) and book hotel by your self call back cancel the trip with Disney and save money. put money for food on a gift card and what you don't use then use for stuff to buy in park.

sorry i just cant justify the meal plan any more did it three times but its better to put it on gift card

 

[JacksGirlz]

I agree with PP that the Disneyland dining plan is not a good deal. If you spend less than the meal voucher you do not get change, so you lose your money.

 

[MagicMomma1]

I'm not an expert but the above posts seem to bear me out... In all the reading I've done, it always advises AGAINST booking a package thru DLR as it's more expensive than doing it yourself. There aren't any deals or discounts, you're paying a premium for the "convenience". Hardyharhar.

 

[bumbershoot]

A package is a package. It's not x+y+z = whatever. They don't *care* about the addition, because it's simply a package deal. We did a package once because of the convenience of just doing it; it was our first real trip and it was worth the knowledge for me. And we got the little intangibles like the (useless) special seating at Aladdin and Crush, Mickey's ToonTown Morning Madness, etc.

We ultimately could have done better if we'd gone with an AP rate, but the AP rate came out late in the game and I just didn't *want* to change at that point.

If you want to switch to a la carte, then cancel the package and book a la carte.

it was his idea to do the dining plan so that there is one total cost paid up-front

But it won't be one total cost paid up-front. If the price of your meals is more than the voucher, you pay more. If the price of your meals is less, you get no change. It's NOT a savings at all. He would do better to simply buy a bunch of Disney GiftCards ahead of time and pass them out, or one big one if he's paying all the time. It's not worth it. And yay, even Jade has come around to that side, yay Jade!

 

[mama2dutchies]

so what does the package get you? a character call?

staying on site gets you EE with your keys right? that isn't dependent on the tickets?

 

[disneymayz]

If you or the person paying for it all likes te idea of have that big amount paid for already then get a gift card and only use it for food. That way there is no chance you lose money.

 

[momsquad]

Well, unfortunately I'm one that's going to throw a wrench into this monkey.

If there is ever anything in the travel world that can be counted on as being consistent - it is that NOTHING is ever consistent!

I am one that always compares the package deals with direct booking. Granted dates/hotel selection/# of people always affect the variables - however for my upcoming trip I saved $141 with the package vs direct booking. AND I get the extra perks with the package.

If you have the time, always compare. If you don't have the time, find a good travel consultant that does the comparison for you.

 

[HydroGuy]

so what does the package get you? a character call?

staying on site gets you EE with your keys right? that isn't dependent on the tickets?

Packages at DLR can be for onsite or offsite Good Neighbors. No character calls or anything like that at GNs.

Staying onsite does get you EMH. It does not depend on the tickets. Youc an book onsite as part of a package or as piecemeal.

 

[mama2dutchies]

Packages at DLR can be for onsite or offsite Good Neighbors. No character calls or anything like that at GNs.

Staying onsite does get you EMH. It does not depend on the tickets. Youc an book onsite as part of a package or as piecemeal.

Thank you.. we've done both offsite and on, and I for the life of me couldn't remember what the package got me..

the only thing I could see listed was the character call.. and $300 savings..

 

[scrapshappen]

Well, unfortunately I'm one that's going to throw a wrench into this monkey.

If there is ever anything in the travel world that can be counted on as being consistent - it is that NOTHING is ever consistent!

I am one that always compares the package deals with direct booking. Granted dates/hotel selection/# of people always affect the variables - however for my upcoming trip I saved $141 with the package vs direct booking. AND I get the extra perks with the package.

If you have the time, always compare. If you don't have the time, find a good travel consultant that does the comparison for you.

I completely agree. I've gotten better deals booking it as a package sometimes. But I always add it up and figure it out individually before I book to see what truly is the best deal. I happen to like the perks that come with the package too. The last two times it has been through Costco, but I've booked through AAA and GAT before too. And we've done it a la carte before too when that was the better deal.

 

[Malcon10t]

Here is part of it. The hotel sells the room to WDTC at a specific rate. Not necessarily their BEST rate. Sometimes the rates at the hotel go up, but WDTC has a lock on their rate. So, sometimes, you can get a better rate by pricing them out separately, other times, not so much. WDTC isn't trying to rip you off. They purchased the room at this specific rate, that is what they are charging. I have found I can usually get better rates than WDTC using my AAA. But not always. And if they have a lot of rooms left, going directly to the hotel can be much cheaper, but if they are close to sold out, adn WDTC still holds rooms, it will be cheaper through WDTC.

 

[holcomb-mania]

Third of all, we NEVER EVER EVER recommend getting the dining plan at Disneyland. It saves you absolutely no money and could actually end up costing you, since you don't get change back. It is not like WDW's dining plan, you just get vouchers for dollar amounts (for example, $40, $15 and $5 vouchers) that you use at restaurants. If you buy something that is $13 and pay for it with the $15 voucher, you'll lose the $2 since you don't get change back.

Thanks for that heads up. I normally don't get Dining Plans anyway (as a DVC member), but that seals the deal for our June 2013 trip! It's almost as if they're offering it, but TRYING to get people NOT to buy it.

I haven't checked for an update recently, but is the Disney Rewards card accepted at many places? I'm trying to build up a chunk on that thing for tours, meals, etc.

 

[sonnyjane]

Thanks for that heads up. I normally don't get Dining Plans anyway (as a DVC member), but that seals the deal for our June 2013 trip! It's almost as if they're offering it, but TRYING to get people NOT to buy it.

Well the problem is they don't explain it on the website the way I just did in this thread! They just say "4 day meal plan" or whatnot, so people that have been to WDW or to other theme parks that have dining plans assume that a 4 day meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks for four days, and it couldn't be more from the truth at Disneyland! It's really quite sneaky.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

so what does the package get you? a character call?

staying on site gets you EE with your keys right? that isn't dependent on the tickets?

yep..that and TTMM so you are paying probably $300 or more for those 2 things...and the messed up thing is that you use to be able to get the character call for free except for a few select states...but i think now that its offered in a pkg its not free anymore