Do Authorized Disney Vacation Planners really have the best deals?

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

I've been away for a couple days. My wife gave birth to our second son, Nicholas Alexander, at 10:41 PM EST on August 31st.

Nicholas weighed in at 7 lbs 5 ozs. I'm happy to report they're both healthy and doing very well. It was a smooth and relatively easy delivery. No drama! Mom and baby should be out of the hospital either Friday or Saturday.

Nicholas now joins his older brother, Sebastian, as the newest Disney fans of the household (whether they know it yet or not!)

Give me a couple days to get back on here to read the rest of the replies. Thanks all for the excellent advice! I'm now REALLY motivated to get started on this DIsney planning! But priorities first: gotta steam clean the nrusery carpets before they get back.

I'll get some pictures on here once I get them on Photobucket.

 

[Dismom55]

Congrats on the new baby, glad that mother and son are doing fine.

 

[nurse.darcy]

Okay so just doing some checking online to see what is out there. . .

The current room only discount for your dates would be:

AKL standard view room: $861 (tax included)
AKL Standard view Studio: $932 (tax included)

WLV Standard view Studio: $918 (tax included)
WL Standard view room: $689 (tax included)

I was not aware how generous the discount is for a standard room at Wilderness Lodge. I might have to book that just because. . .lol.

Okay, so if you decided to do the WL Standard View room, plus 4 day base tickets and the regular Disney Dining Plan the total cost is $1,552.90.

The same package at the WL in a standard view room, with 5 day base and free dining is $1,654.60. Or approximately $100 more (pays for the extra day of base tickets). The price for this same package at AKL is the same for the standard view.

With either package you would have enough money for gas and souveniers along the way, be staying in a deluxe hotel and have the time of your life. With the ages of your children I would lean toward WL just because of the close proximity with the Magic Kingdom and the magic there for the little one. . .

PS, I looked this information up on the Disneyworld website. No travel agent, just little ole me looking it up.

WL is a deluxe hotel and has boat transportation to Magic Kingdom and bus transportation everywhere else. I have had good luck catching busses there and the boat is just awesome. I have never stayed at this resort but it definitely looks fun. I have eaten at Whispering Canyon Cafe and really enjoyed the food and fun. I have a friend who eats at Artist's Point every time he goes there. The food court is small but has some really good choices.

 

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

I know this is a bit off topic on my own thread, but this is my new little guy! I gotta show him off! Just sharing some pics...I'll get back to Disney Planning once I settle the boys down.

 

[ccgirl]

Congratulations! What better way to celebrate than with a trip to Disney world. Your wife is beautiful BTW. Your older son looks so happy to meet his little brother. Congratulations again!

 

[nurse.darcy]

I know this is a bit off topic on my own thread, but this is my new little guy! I gotta show him off! Just sharing some pics...I'll get back to Disney Planning once I settle the boys down.

Oh my god. Congratulations on the birth of your second child. And HOW IS IT that your wife looks absolutely fabulous shortly after giving birth? Huh? Women worldwide want to know.

 

[Dismom55]

What a beautiful family.

I do go to the Disney website, about once a week to look for specials, and of course new things. I would never totally rely on a TA to find the specials for me. I do enjoy the hunt!

 

[MHSweb79]

OK, I'm a sap for a proud papa- LOVE the pictures. Congrats to you all!

I can highly recommend Port Orleans French Quarter. It's not high-energy at all- the grounds are quite peaceful and lovely. No matter how booked it is it never seems crowded. Many times we feel like we're the only ones staying there (unless we're in the food court at 8am...) The resort is small so there's never a long walk from the bus to your room. The serpent pool is really cool and my DD loved the slide when she was younger. There's also a free (and relaxing) boat ride to Downtown Disney, which is another nice feature.

We did a split stay at POFQ and the Poly last year, and we liked POFQ better. For less than half the price!!!!

The only drawback is that there's no full-service restaurant. The food court is quite large, though, and we always find it enough. It's a quick trip to POR or DD if you want some table-service meals nearby.

 

[LilGMom]

Your little boys are absolutely adorable!!! And your wife does not look like she just gave birth.

I can answer questions about any of the moderates and about half of the deluxes.

 

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

You could go January 28 - February 1st, stay at Pop Century in a Preferred room, 5 day base tickets (no hoppers) with free quick service dining for only $968.20

Or go the same dates and stay at Coronado Springs in a Preferred room, 5 day base tickets, with free dining for $1357.60 (standard room is ~$112 less)

Port Orleans French Quarter in a standard room is $1222.60 for the same dates, 5 day base tickets, free dining.

Any of the above options should leave you with enough gas money as well as money for souveniors. Each dining plan comes with snack credits as well

*Note: in order to get the above pricing you must click on the Speical Offers button located at the bottom of the page. If you just plug in your dates and search you will not see any of the discounted pricing. I only searched for the free dining promo, but I believe the % off promo will also work with these dates.

Most importantly have fun planning your trip and even more fun at the World with your family!!!

Excellent recommendations! Thank you for the research!

I must ask: is there a significant difference between room size across the resorts? I definitely want to make sure there's enough room for a Pack n' Play crib (possible two, depending on how well Sebastian masters sleeping in a big-boy bed).

I'm glad to see that it appears we can easily stay within our $2k budget. Of those resorts you mentioned, which would you stay at?

And I completely agree about having fun planning! This might sound weird, but I ALMOST don't want the date to get here too fast just so I can have fun building up the anticipation!

 

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

all great examples plus you can take that 5 day ticket and UPGRADE it to any of the many FL AP/seasonal passes. They take the cost you already paid and you just pay the difference to upgrade and then take more day/weekend trips to WDW.

Interesting on the upgrade. How long after can I take advantage of this upgrade?

 

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

Oh man!!! These two pretty much said what I was going to. I really love the Epcot area so I would really look at the Swan and Dolphin. I used a travel agent once and I loved it. I just didn't have the time to investigate everything and constantly watch for discounts and they did it for me (Small World Vacations). The thing with getting a "better" deal on your own is simply untrue as long as you have a good travel agent. Another thing you could to is look at Travelocity and Expedia. They had some incredible deals last month. If you have the time to do the research go ahead and research/book yourself. If you would rather someone do all the work for you...go with a Disney Authorized travel agency. I, personally, had bad luck with AAA. I was telling them about the discounts. Try one that does just Disney like the two you mentioned. I wouldn't do too many table service meals but I would definitely do a character breakfast. I love those! Make your reservations soon if you want to do that. Fell free to ask more questions. Good luck and have fun! It is VERY possible to keep your budget under $2,000.

My wife and I also really enjoy Epcot. If we looked at the Swan and Dolphin, what would be the biggest disadvantages of staying there? I know they aren't part of the Disney-owned resorts, so we won't be able to get all the perks. Also, how do these resorts compare with Disney-owned?

With Small World Vacations, were there any discounts after you booked with them that were passed on to you?

Many thanks for the info on using agents. I really do enjoy the process of planning and budgeting, but if a TA can beat my numbers, then I'm all for it. It's not fair that the TA gets all the fun of planning!

 

[Sebby'sCollegeFund]

I guess I am the odd one out as I do use a Travel Agent, one of the authorized ones of course. I do my own research, check the rack prices for everything and know if Disney history has offered any discounts during the time I want to go. Then I go ahead and let my TA book my reservation. I keep up with any discounts going on, and keep in contact with my TA, if I qualify or need changes, my TA takes care of it all. She also does all my ADR's and I have never been disappointed yet. We even had a conflict with getting a Fantasmic Dinner pkg and MNNSHP tickets, she got things switched and I had no worries or frustrations. Basically I could do all the work and have all the fun at Disney, but I figure why, I end up having all the fun while my TA does all the work. She also gives a small incentive for booking with her.

Each person does things their own way and this way has worked for me for several trips now. I have heard horror stories and am glad I found a trusted TA.

Lastly, enjoy your trip, no matter which way you go, you and family will have a blast and some great family memories.

Actually, what you say makes total sense. If I use a Disney Planner, then I would be nervous that there might be discounts and deals out there. Not the end of the world, but I would be annoyed knowing there was a way to save money (yeah, I'm a coupon-clipper and someone who does the grocery shopping at multiple stores depending on sales).

Ya know, I think I'll take a very similar approach as you. I will do my own leg work and research but still go with a TA. I'm sure any good deals I find can be applied by the TA (please, anyone, correct me if I'm wrong about this). In the end, I'll feel good because I had, in a sense, someone double-checking my work, and, just as importantly, I'm giving my business to a TA.

 

[Dismom55]

One other thing I found out about using the TA, if you get eager to book your own room or pkg at a Disney Resort, you can then switch it all to your selected TA. For our last trip, when booking day arrived my TA was in WDW with her continued education, I had not contacted her in advance about my selected dates, so I booked my room. Once I talked with her upon her return, we got the ressies switched so she could act upon them. I ended up getting both free dining and a pin code applied to my package both of which my TA got for me when they were offered.

I think I posted this before, but here goes: We had a conflict with our MNSSHP tickets and Fantasmic pkg, my TA managed to get things arranged so we could do both plus CRT. This was last yeat when Fantasmic dates were only being published one month before you got there and we had already purchased MNSSHP tickets.

Another great thing the TA's do is they get your Disney documents, ensure everything is there and then send it out to you. In my case having the documents come to my house, well makes me nervous, so my TA sends them to my mothers house, she is home all day so it is safer. I then can easily swing by my mothers house to pickup my pkg.

I know I can do all these things myself, but I like knowing I have the TA on my side.

 

[stitch34]

Congrats on the new addition!

I would suggest doing it yourself through the special offers part of the site.... and if you want something nicer than a value, would suggest Wilderness Lodge or for a moderate Port Orleans French Quarter - beautiful resort, and not too big, easy to get around there.

 

[losttree]

It really looks like you are getting some great advice so far. My family has been down each of the last 3 years. Our daughter is now 4 and on her first trip was nearly 2. My son was 8 months on his first trip last year and was 22 months for his trip this year. Our spread is a bit wider than yours but similar. The first 2 trips we stayed at Pop which we all loved. Our last trip we stayed at the Poly and that is what I would recommend to you for the following reasons:

1. The rooms are really big by Disney standards. You would have room for 1 crib or a crib and a pack an play if needed.

2. You have easy access to the monorail to the MK and EP. I realize you'll have your own car, but you'll definitely have either a large stroller or two strollers on your trip. From the Poly, you can load the kids up in the room and wheel the strollers right onto the Monorail to the two major parks.

3. There are great dining options in the resort including a character breakfast at 'Ohana, which we thought was better than Chef Mickey's. At least for my family with our son on this last trip, buffets were a hassle, because we each had to care for and get plates for a child while getting our own food and trying not to miss the characters. At 'Ohana (and at Garden Grill in Epcot for dinner) they bring the food to your table family style.

If you booked this from Jan 31 - Feb 2 with the 40% off promo, the room would run you $1053 and you'd need to spend another $500 or so for park tickets.

That would leave you about $400 for food and souvenirs. I'd lean against booking the dining plan because you'll probably want flexibility with your kids and I think you would save more money with the room discount. We've had good and bad experiences in TS with our kids, largely dependant on how tired they are and how slow the place is. As parents, we have fun eating CS in the worlds as much as we do at TS, since our kids seem to be happier.

I've gone with a TA and without and lean towards without, especially if you book the 40% off discount rate now as I wouldn't expect a much better deal to come out anyway and if it does, the news will be all over.

Hope you find this helpful.

 

[ccgirl]

My wife and I also really enjoy Epcot. If we looked at the Swan and Dolphin, what would be the biggest disadvantages of staying there? I know they aren't part of the Disney-owned resorts, so we won't be able to get all the perks. Also, how do these resorts compare with Disney-owned?

With Small World Vacations, were there any discounts after you booked with them that were passed on to you?

Many thanks for the info on using agents. I really do enjoy the process of planning and budgeting, but if a TA can beat my numbers, then I'm all for it. It's not fair that the TA gets all the fun of planning!

You cannot get the magical express but since you have your own car you don't need it. You do have the option to use the extended magic hours. There is also no dining plan there. They do offer good discounts and you can walk to Epcot and MGM and would only have to drive to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

These are their current discounts:
Military
•50% off food and beverage (non-alcoholic) in the Swan and Dolphin’s world-class restaurants and lounges or 10% off food and beverage (non-alcoholic) in Todd English’s bluezoo, Shula’s Steak House or Il Mulino New York Trattoria

•Room rates starting as low as $139*

•Second guest room for family and friends starting at only $119*

Call 1-888-828-8850 and ask for rate code: TROOPS
Teacher
In appreciation for all that you do, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort would like to offer you a very special room rate for your next vacation to the most magical place in the world...the Walt Disney World® Resort! Rates for teachers and all school support staff start at just $139.00* per room, per night!

Call 1-888-828-8850 and ask for rate code: TEACH
Florida Resident
For Florida residents and families, stay 2 nights with rates starting at $149* per night and get the third night FREE!

PLUS, book a second room for 2 nights starting at only $119* per night and get the third night FREE!

Also, receive a coupon book worth $100’s of dollars off a variety of resort services and merchandise.

Call 1-888-828-8850 and ask for rate code: FLAFREE

Must be booked by August 15, 2010.
Valid for stays through September 30, 2010.
**I know this doesn't extend to your dates but it might get released again.

AAA discount
15% off best rate and complimentary breakfast each morning of your stay.


They have wonderful food options including character meals.

So....with the $135 rate you are looking at approx. $675 for 5 nights (+tax).

Florida rate tix
4 Day Play Pass** MYW Base $178.92
5 Day MYW Base $214.07
Seasonal Pass for Florida residents is $253

Personally, I think the Swan/Dolphin are nicer. But, that's just my opinion. As far as Small World vacations, they didn't get me any discount I could not get on my own. They just really watched and did all the work for me. For example, switched me to free dining when it came out. They also made my dining reservations for me.

Good luck with your decision

 

[fla4fun]

Actually, what you say makes total sense. If I use a Disney Planner, then I would be nervous that there might be discounts and deals out there. Not the end of the world, but I would be annoyed knowing there was a way to save money (yeah, I'm a coupon-clipper and someone who does the grocery shopping at multiple stores depending on sales).

Ya know, I think I'll take a very similar approach as you. I will do my own leg work and research but still go with a TA. I'm sure any good deals I find can be applied by the TA (please, anyone, correct me if I'm wrong about this). In the end, I'll feel good because I had, in a sense, someone double-checking my work, and, just as importantly, I'm giving my business to a TA.

Yes, if you find a discount, contact your TA right away. Sometimes I've come across new AP discounts first, sometimes they have, but as soon as I notify them, they are on the hunt for a better deal for me.

 

[SarahD]

My two cents...We LOVE Pop Century. We have stayed at Port Orleans and I found it boring. Pop Century is a visual assault of all things Disney and that's what we want when we're there. Who doesn't want to walk up a flight of stairs inside a giant yo-yo??? Don't worry...there are elevators for the stroller. We have stayed there for the past two trips (2010 & 2009) with our now 11 year old and almost 8 year old. We take a twin air mattress, which is out of the way and doesn't need to be moved to get around the room, for our oldest since he's about as big as me already! Our daughter bops back and forth each night as to whether she's sleeping with Mommy or Daddy. I recommend paying for the preferred locations - SO convenient for running to the food court. Buses are very easy and stroller friendly. We're planning another trip for late 2011 - thought about trying another hotel and came back to Pop. We love it so much that it's not worth spending the extra money. Check out www.allearsnet.com for tons of pics of every hotel - you'll be sold on Pop!

 

[freecia]

My wife and I also really enjoy Epcot. If we looked at the Swan and Dolphin, what would be the biggest disadvantages of staying there? I know they aren't part of the Disney-owned resorts, so we won't be able to get all the perks.

There's a nightly parking fee for both self park and valet. Plus if you were to drive to another further away park instead of taking the shuttle, you'd need to pay Disney for the parking as well. Disney resort guests park at their hotels for free and have complimentary parking at the parks as well. Handy if you need to just *go* because a little one has had enough.