Does the new package replace resort codes?

[Leigh123]

Happy New Year everyone, does anyone know if the new packages are going to forever eliminate the resort codes we are all so fond of? thanks in advance.

 

[Penny12]

The situation with future codes is unknown. My personal speculation is that we'll see fewer and few discounts and less availability even when they do exist...not down to the new packages but because the travel industry and WDW has pretty much recovered from the post 9/11 slump. Supply and demand, and all that - with resorts now actually selling out again, why continue to discount? There is no doubting that the last couple of years we have been spoilt silly with discounts - so much so that we've pretty much come to take them for granted.

I've also noticed in the last 6 months or so what seems to me to be a good deal more people receiving 'postcard' discounts, so it may be that they'll choose to control their marketing more that way.

 

[Taratink]

Have the codes been around for a long time or since 9/11. This is our first trip using a code. I guess this may be our last deluxe hotel stay. It is over as quickily as it has begun. Oh well....
Tara

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Have the codes been around for a long time or since 9/11. This is our first trip using a code. I guess this may be our last deluxe hotel stay. It is over as quickily as it has begun. Oh well....
Tara

The codes were around way before 9/11 but they offered less rooms. So it was harder to get. You had to act fast when they came out or you would chance not getting the lower rate.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

For how many years have people here been using the codes?
This past Nov was the first we used it since we had only heard about them about a year ago.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I've only been to WDW twice; August 2001 and April 2004. I was able to use a code for both trips.

I'm hoping for a package code for our April trip. If I get one, we'll stay at POFQ, if not, we'll return to Pop Century.

 

[Penny12]

As A Mickeyfan said, codes did exist before 9/11... but they were generally offered only during the slower times of year (recently they've been offered throughout the entire year bar a couple of very small blackout periods) - definitely not so abundent.

I don't think codes will disappear altogether, I'm just saying that the way it's going (to my eyes anyhow) that they won't be offered so often, and when they are, there will be less availability than what we've previously enjoyed.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

I really think that Disney will be hyping up the new MYW packages and tickets for a while and that they will be consintrating on that. If anything, You might see some kind of MYW package discount instead of room only discounts for a while. Disney has been marketing these packages as more affordable then ever before and they have alot riding on people buying them. If customers see that they aren't any cheaper than the dream maker ones where, they will question the change and vacation else where.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I will say that when I asked a travel agent at AAA about the packages she said there would be discounts on them through them. I'll have to wait and see but I thought that was interesting since I hadn't heard or seen anything else about any discounts on the packages.

 

[Ilovestitch]

Well IMO the codes aren't totally a thing of the past if they just released AP rates through April. That's 1/3 of the new year that already has AP codes.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

MrsJ Henry,

That is interesting. A 10-20% AAA discount (based on AAA room only discount info) on a $2500 package would save $250-$500. As a AAA member myself this would be a very nice extra bonus. AAA still has the old dream maker package info on there site so I wonder when they are switching that over.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

Yes they told me they could not give me any real info until after Jan 2. AAA offices are closed on Sunday but I'm going to stop in sometime next week. I don't know if it will be up on their site tomorrow or not. I'll have to check also.

 

[armomof3lvsdisney]

I hope I can get the new package with the current code I'm using for my room. Probally not likley, but I can still hope.

 

[Cinderella37]

We had deeper discounts prior to 9/11 for our July trips. I remember in 1999 or 2000, the discounts for July came out in February and we saved almost 40% on our concierge room at the GF.

 

[cobbler]

While I totally see them offering fewer discounts and less availibility due to the new packages and the traveling picking up, I can also see it backfire on them as well.

We all have been used to getting a discount - I haven't paid rack rate for a vacation yet - and the fewer they offer I can see people not going as much and they won't be filling up the rooms.

Kind of a catch-22.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

Yes it is a Catch-22. One one hand they want to get people to by the new packages, but on the other hand, they don't want to start losing there loyal customers either. It should be interesting to see what direction they go in.

 

[EEyorelover22]

There will be plenty of people going and booking packages that don't know anything about codes. I have lots of people who know me and I always offer to help them save money and they still book a package through a TA and pay rack rate and never ask for help. I guess most people find me too overwhelming, but don't feel comfortable asking me to give up my time. I think the point about AP rates being released for 05 is a good sign. I think they will continue AP rates for the people who travel more than once a year...that type of ticket is the best deal. I wonder the future of general public room only codes though.

I wish the new package with dining would discount the rooms a bit (even 10%) and it would be a great deal, but I suppose that's how WDW is going to make their money.

I figure though with the new tickets I will save over $800 so that's great for us. If the discounts on rooms are not as large it will be a wash really for us and probably for lots of people. Using the rates we had last year, I was hoping to save 1460 on our room...if I take off the 800 I'll save on tickets, that leaves 660 which is 66/day more this year if I have to pay rack rate at AKL. I don't have to have much of a savings on my room to pay the same I did last June with the decrease in ticket prices for us.