DLR Vacation Package – What am I missing?

[piperdown]

We’re planning our 1st DLR trip for June 2012, and I’m in the beginning of my planning process. I would really love to stay at the Disneyland Hotel, but not sure it’s going to fit into my budget.

My question is this. I priced a DLR vacation package for 5 nights (Jun 17-22) at the Disneyland Hotel (standard view, no dining plan) with 4-day park hopper tickets (3 adults), and the priced quoted was $3,083.00.

I then checked the prices for booking hotel and purchasing tickets separately. The hotel cost using the same dates and room level was $2,000.00. The price for a 4-day park hopper at disneyland.com is $234.00. So, my total cost booking separately is $2,702.00 ($234 x 3 + $2,000).

What am I missing? Why is there an almost $400 difference? What do you get with the vacation package that you don’t when purchasing separately?

 

[DizMe]

You have just discovered why many of us DISers book our vacations separately! Sometimes you can save with a package (check Costco), but usually you will find it cheaper to book it yourself separately. That gives you the added benefit of paying for it as you like, either as you go or when you checkout, and not having to worry about cancellation fees for the vacation itself.

There are some things to consider, though. Are you driving? Sometimes you can get a package that includes parking at both hotel and DLR (AAA, for instance). Do you want things like souvenir pins and lanyards, priority seating for Aladdin and Turtle Talk, Toon Town early entry? I don't care a thing about those so they aren't worth it to me, but if it's your first trip you might want those things. Do you have a larger group? Costco includes a free character meal with their packages but you can also use the vouchers for dining almost anywhere in the resort, with the value of the character voucher given to you when you dine. You don't get change back but you can use the vouchers in any combination (don't have to use them all at once and it doesn't matter whether you use a child for an adult or vice versa). We got a lot of mileage out of our character meal vouchers in Oct. We didn't do a character meal but got $79 for each adult and I think it was $59 for each child. With 2 adults and 3 kids, that gave us over $300 of dining credit. You can also put the vouchers towards the tip.

Also, be sure to consider the taxes you will pay when booking on your own. Most of the packages include taxes but when booking on your own, most of the room rates etc. you see initially do not, so it's good to make sure you are doing a true comparison.

 

[ChloroFiend]

We ran into this last night actually..

Are you positive that its the exact same room? When we did our comparison, we didn't notice (at first) that the cheapest view available in a package was Resort/Pool view, where booking the hotel by itself had Standard view as the first option.

We asked a CM in the online chat thing and were told that they allocate a certain number of rooms to packages and not all room types are always available.

Aside from that, you got me.

 

[cari12]

I noticed this too when I was researching for our 2009 trip. I emailed them and asked what the price difference was and got no response. So I went on Expedia and they had great pricing and I booked hotel and tickets and there was no add on fee for booking them together! I will probably do the same for our trip this year.

 

[skiingfast]

That often happens which is why you want to price each to see what works out.
If you book either through Disney you get the perks.

It's not like WDW at all. The Dining Plan is not the same and worth only a tiny bit of consideration.

 

[DianaSparrow]

For the hotel only price of $2000 you need to add the tax of $340 - for a total of $2340. Package prices do include tax. But it will still be less to book separately. We always do!

 

[piperdown]

For the hotel only price of $2000 you need to add the tax of $340 - for a total of $2340. Package prices do include tax. But it will still be less to book separately. We always do!

Thanks!! I knew there had to be something I was missing with such a large price difference!

 

[DSNY4ever]

Double check that it didn't switch the dates on you, it has done that to me and switched the dates to the current date rather than the dates you selected.

 

[boltfan]

That's interesting. I heard that you should check packages versus booking separately so I ran both sets of numbers for the GC in August 2012. The numbers came out exactly the same. Wonder why yours is so different?

 

[Colo Nana]

I got my package for may @ expedia staying 1.5 miles from dlr, air & car for 800, I always use expedia...for two adults one toddler

 

[Geemo]

Another thing to watch on packages, is the travel insurance.

We've booked several ways over the years.

AAA's travel arrangement / package was a good price. But didn't go well when traveling. The air portion was all screwed up, the hotel in SanDiego didn't match up to the rating we were told. It was a nightmare trip. AAA has been good for everything else they offer though.

We now use WDTC most of the time. You do have to watch the prices. When I have booked packages and the prices went down, all I have had to do is call and request an adjustment. This has never been a problem. They never resist, they're always happy to help.

I do agree about checking package prices vs hotel & tickets separate.

The main thing to keep in mind, even though you have booked a trip, watch for special to pop up. If they do then make another call and save a few bucks to spend in the parks.

 

[MouseyDaddy]

Sometimes you can save with a package (check Costco), but usually you will find it cheaper to book it yourself separately.

I was surprised by the prices on Costco's travel site. You don't need a Costco Membership to compare prices. CostcoTraveldotcom (I guess I can't post links yet - I'm new)

 

[HydroGuy]

Another vote to book separately. If you look at park entrance tickets, there are generally two prices. One is the advance purchase price, and then there is a gate price which is higher. It seems that the packages always charge the higher gate price for tickets - even if purchased in advance.

 

[mommamonster]

You have just discovered why many of us DISers book our vacations separately! Sometimes you can save with a package (check Costco), but usually you will find it cheaper to book it yourself separately. That gives you the added benefit of paying for it as you like, either as you go or when you checkout, and not having to worry about cancellation fees for the vacation itself.

There are some things to consider, though. Are you driving? Sometimes you can get a package that includes parking at both hotel and DLR (AAA, for instance). Do you want things like souvenir pins and lanyards, priority seating for Aladdin and Turtle Talk, Toon Town early entry? I don't care a thing about those so they aren't worth it to me, but if it's your first trip you might want those things. Do you have a larger group? Costco includes a free character meal with their packages but you can also use the vouchers for dining almost anywhere in the resort, with the value of the character voucher given to you when you dine. You don't get change back but you can use the vouchers in any combination (don't have to use them all at once and it doesn't matter whether you use a child for an adult or vice versa). We got a lot of mileage out of our character meal vouchers in Oct. We didn't do a character meal but got $79 for each adult and I think it was $59 for each child. With 2 adults and 3 kids, that gave us over $300 of dining credit. You can also put the vouchers towards the tip.

Also, be sure to consider the taxes you will pay when booking on your own. Most of the packages include taxes but when booking on your own, most of the room rates etc. you see initially do not, so it's good to make sure you are doing a true comparison.

First of all, Hi Neighbor! I see you live in my neck of the woods How did the priority seating work with your Costco package, do you just get some sort of pass that allows you to be seated before the public for say, Aladdin? Also, I hope you don't mind me asking where you used your dining vouchers. I wonder if they can be applied to a Blue Bayou meal. My husband and I really want to go there during our trip.

 

[skiingfast]

F How did the priority seating work with your Costco package, do you just get some sort of pass that allows you to be seated before the public for say, Aladdin? Also, I hope you don't mind me asking where you used your dining vouchers. I wonder if they can be applied to a Blue Bayou meal. My husband and I really want to go there during our trip.

Yes that is how the priority seating works. You get a booklet with tickets inside for Aladdin, Animation Academy, Muppets 3D, and Tough to be a Bug.

Yes the dining plan vouchers can be applied at any of the Disney owned restaraunts that are in the parks and hotels.

 

[mommamonster]

Yes that is how the priority seating works. You get a booklet with tickets inside for Aladdin, Animation Academy, Muppets 3D, and Tough to be a Bug.

Thanks for the info! This is great news, I really want to see the Muppets 3D and I bet my kiddos will want to see any and all of the shows

 

[DizMe]

First of all, Hi Neighbor! I see you live in my neck of the woods How did the priority seating work with your Costco package, do you just get some sort of pass that allows you to be seated before the public for say, Aladdin? Also, I hope you don't mind me asking where you used your dining vouchers. I wonder if they can be applied to a Blue Bayou meal. My husband and I really want to go there during our trip.

Oh, cool! We ARE neighbors!!

We used our vouchers at Cafe Orleans, Storyteller's, and...dang it, I can't remember. I know we had some left on the last day and used it to help pay for our lunch at the big eating place across from the Silly Symphony Swings--they have everything from BBQ to salads to sandwiches to pizza. Anyway, the vouchers really went far when we used them that way instead of all at once on a character meal. I do love the character meals but my kids are now older and we were there for the Halloween party so we didn't really need to do one. Oh, but I have to say that we used some of the vouchers at Storyteller's for breakfast and even though we didn't go with the character meal, we still got all of the interaction with characters but at a lot less cost without the buffet!

At the time of our trip, it was cheaper to go with a Costco package than to book separately ourselves. The meal allowance alone was a big savings for us. I went again in Jan and it was quite a bit more to get a package, so you really have to check each time to see which way to go. As I said, with a larger family/group the Costco package with "free" character meal can add a lot of savings since every member of the party gets a voucher.

skiingfast already answered your preferred seating questions

 

[Rhonna]

Sometimes you can get a package that includes parking at both hotel and DLR (AAA, for instance).

A AAA package gives you free parking at the DL HOTEL? Even after the recent change where they charge a separate fee for hotel parking and discontinued the "resort fee"?

I wonder if this would be worth it for us. I still have the feeling pricing out things separately will be cheaper than a package - even if we do have to pay hotel parking rates.

 

[DizMe]

A AAA package gives you free parking at the DL HOTEL? Even after the recent change where they charge a separate fee for hotel parking and discontinued the "resort fee"?

I wonder if this would be worth it for us. I still have the feeling pricing out things separately will be cheaper than a package - even if we do have to pay hotel parking rates.

Oh, you know what...I'm not sure about that. It *used* to cover the resort fee, but now that it's a separate parking fee I really don't know. Sorry--I maybe misspoke on that one.

 

[limace]

We had a really good experience going through getawaytoday travel for our package last time, FWIW. Good service, great rates.