down side to booking DL resort reservations through Orbitz?

[asktriplets]

Hi,

We're looking at booking a reservation at PP or DLR. My understanding is that if I book through Orbitz right now, I can get an additional 15% off the price. I can cancel the reservation with 100% money back (within a week or 2 prior to our arrival), if a general public discount comes out I can apply it to my reservation on top of the 15% off, and I still get length-of-stay admission into Early Entry/Magical Mornings.
Is this all correct?
Is there any benefit to booking through Disney? (We're booking room only...no tickets connected).

Thanks,

 

[AngiTN]

Hi,

We're looking at booking a reservation at PP or DLR. My understanding is that if I book through Orbitz right now, I can get an additional 15% off the price. I can cancel the reservation with 100% money back (within a week or 2 prior to our arrival), if a general public discount comes out I can apply it to my reservation on top of the 15% off, and I still get length-of-stay admission into Early Entry/Magical Mornings.
Is this all correct?
Is there any benefit to booking through Disney? (We're booking room only...no tickets connected).

Thanks,

If you book through Disney you do not have to pay in full at the time of booking. You do with Orbtiz.

 

[Lm3js]

Also, if you start your booking on Orbitz through ebates, you'll get some percentage of cash back on top of the 15% off.

 

[helenb]

If you book through Orbitz, you can't add any room requests or other information to your reservations. You will be allocated a room with no preferences listed, and have limited choice for switching when you arrive. Also, sometimes some room types are not available through Orbitz (such as club rooms or the suites at DLH).

That being said, we find these minor inconveniences to be well compensated by 15% off!

 

[AngiTN]

If you book through Orbitz, you can't add any room requests or other information to your reservations. You will be allocated a room with no preferences listed, and have limited choice for switching when you arrive. Also, sometimes some room types are not available through Orbitz (such as club rooms or the suites at DLH).

That being said, we find these minor inconveniences to be well compensated by 15% off!

Most recently they have had both Club and Suites (1 br) at DLH. I had a suite booked last week (I cancelled and switched to Premium) but they did have them.
You can call Orbitz to add room request just like you would with Disney. You ask them to call Disney on your behalf. It works well.

 

[GatorChris]

15% is 15%! Any very small addition you get from calling Disney is swallowed up by $40-60/night savings. It's not like WDW where going through them can get you free dining or big room discounts.

 

[Lauren in NC]

Aw darn, the 15% off deal is only for January to June trips. Do they usually run the deal for fall dates as well?

 

[Angrose]

If you book through Orbitz, you can't add any room requests or other information to your reservations. You will be allocated a room with no preferences listed, and have limited choice for switching when you arrive. Also, sometimes some room types are not available through Orbitz (such as club rooms or the suites at DLH).

That being said, we find these minor inconveniences to be well compensated by 15% off!

Actually, you can call the Disneyland Hotel yourself to make your room requests. We did just that in November. Booked with a discount through Orbitz, then called the hotel directly to make our requests. We only paid for a standard view room, but I requested a high floor with fireworks view and that's exactly what we got!

The current deal may only be available for bookings through June, but Orbitz frequently offers these promo codes. I would sign up for their mailing list so you are notified when another one comes out for your dates.

 

[AngiTN]

15% is 15%! Any very small addition you get from calling Disney is swallowed up by $40-60/night savings. It's not like WDW where going through them can get you free dining or big room discounts.

Best thing is, you can get the Orbitz discount on top of any Disney discount. For instance, if you book for WDW with a date during their current promo you'll get 15% off that promo rate! We did this in December for our stay at WL. As long as you don't want free dining it's typically a better deal.

Aw darn, the 15% off deal is only for January to June trips. Do they usually run the deal for fall dates as well?

Yes, they seem to run just about all the time. I signed up for an Orbitz credit card and get the Rewards dollars to apply to trips too. Between the discount and the reward I made our stay at DLH a bargain.

 

[Gardengirl605]

Just to confirm that you can add your own room requests to
Orbitz reservations, I just did this. I made my reservations through Orbitz, and then emailed Disney Vacation Planning with my room requests using my hotel confirmation code given to me by Orbitz. No problem. Vacation Planning was very helpful, and I was treated just the same as I had been when I reserved a room through AAA/WDT.

 

[pookadoo77]

I just booked a orbitz room yesterday morning. I Used the link through Ebates to get the I think it was 1% cash back currently. Then it applied the extra 15% off the 15% room spring discount (AoA suite). Without taxes/fees it was $280.00 per night avg. I called orbitz that afternoon twice, 1st rep clueless, second rep still a little confused but researched for me and said ressie had to complete and had to wait a few days to get the email with the conf. # in it to link to MDE. Hope it arrives soon, or I will be on the phone again. I did see after I booked, if I had used the Orbitz app on my phone to book it would have given me a extra 2% orbucks. I could not have gotten the ebates that way I do not belive, unless the ebates deal is just contingent on use of the TRAVELHAPPY code. It could be good info for people just interested in orbucks though. Thanks for all the answers here!

 

[pookadoo77]

My booking was for June, leaving on the 15th

 

[AngiTN]

I just booked a orbitz room yesterday morning. I Used the link through Ebates to get the I think it was 1% cash back currently. Then it applied the extra 15% off the 15% room spring discount (AoA suite). Without taxes/fees it was $280.00 per night avg. I called orbitz that afternoon twice, 1st rep clueless, second rep still a little confused but researched for me and said ressie had to complete and had to wait a few days to get the email with the conf. # in it to link to MDE. Hope it arrives soon, or I will be on the phone again. I did see after I booked, if I had used the Orbitz app on my phone to book it would have given me a extra 2% orbucks. I could not have gotten the ebates that way I do not belive, unless the ebates deal is just contingent on use of the TRAVELHAPPY code. It could be good info for people just interested in orbucks though. Thanks for all the answers here!

You can but you also have to book with the ebates app on the phone. I just did it for our DL trip.

The number you need to link to MDE is there. Let me research the instructions on where to find it. I've forgotten but it's posted in a different Orbitz thread.

 

[AngiTN]

Look at your reservation at Orbitz.
Use the following to link it to MDE

Hotel Confirmation Number: XXXXXX (this is numbers and letters)

Below is a screen capture of our trip from last December. I scribbled out our number but you can see where it shows up. That number will link to MDE

 

[pookadoo77]

my email looks a little different, maybe that is the email they are talking about that comes in a few days? Mine has no pic, just orbitz booking number, and hotel conf #, which is only letters. Tried both, neither work

 

[AngiTN]

my email looks a little different, maybe that is the email they are talking about that comes in a few days? Mine has no pic, just orbitz booking number, and hotel conf #, which is only letters. Tried both, neither work

That's not the email. That's by looking at your booking on the Orbitz website.

 

[julesann]

Actually, you can call the Disneyland Hotel yourself to make your room requests. We did just that in November. Booked with a discount through Orbitz, then called the hotel directly to make our requests. We only paid for a standard view room, but I requested a high floor with fireworks view and that's exactly what we got!

The current deal may only be available for bookings through June, but Orbitz frequently offers these promo codes. I would sign up for their mailing list so you are notified when another one comes out for your dates.

I booked through Orbitz and then called the GC directly to make my room requests. We were there this past weekend and I thought it all worked just perfectly--I got a better rate with Orbitz than I could using my AP discount! I found no difference in anything using Orbitz than booking directly.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I booked through Orbitz and then called the GC directly to make my room requests. We were there this past weekend and I thought it all worked just perfectly--I got a better rate with Orbitz than I could using my AP discount! I found no difference in anything using Orbitz than booking directly.

Were you able to contact GC to confirm your requests were received ahead of your visit?

 

[julesann]

I actually didn't make any room requests with Orbitz. I called the GC ahead of my visit and made the request.

 

[pirate_smiles]

So let me get this with right.......

I can book through Orbitz with their discount (15% at the moment). AND THEN...when the discounts come out through Disney, or the Disney Visa Rewards perks (We have Disney Visa), I can add those discounts on top of that??? Just trying to make sure I can stack discounts