End of October debate - paying rack rate, getting more nights

[Raya]

We've always dreamed of doing a Halloween trip on Halloween, but the hotel cost is so much cheaper we always switch to September. This year, though, we're finally going to cross that Halloween trip off our bucket list! I managed to get a standard view room at WL, thinking our trip would be 5 days. We've now decided to expand to 7 days. There are no standard rooms available so the cost of those last two days is almost double the other nights.

If you needed two more nights on a very popular week (10/29) what would your strategy be? Book a second higher cost room reservation for those 2 nights now and hope you can switch between now and then? Switch hotels? Do standard view rooms regularly pop up at the monorail resorts or are they gone forever the morning booking opens up? Is there a service that can alert me when the rooms open like the services for dining reservations?

How can I get over having zero discounts? Rack rate is too high for the hotel we usually stay at (YC/BC) so we switched to WL. But even then the rates are higher than our usual rate. October discounts haven't been offered since 2019, I doubt there are any hidden discounts I'm missing. (Do they still send out PIN number discounts?) Argh. It's in our budget, I just need to get my head around it. And advice for dealing with that? I need to stop myself from thinking that we could stay for two weeks at the same price if we went earlier.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The first thing I do is to look for discounts to open up. I think that Disney will release general public discounts for October this year, at least I hope they do.

There are a relatively small number of standard view rooms at WL compared to the other categories, and they can be hard to get. I just keep looking, though, because you never know.

We are currently booked at the Beach Club for late October and if Disney doesn't release a discount then we are switching to Port Orleans Riverside. We really like POR, and it is a lot cheaper than a deluxe.

 

[patty57]

I have a BLT studio booked for Oct. 29th, and wanted to add the 30th & 31st. I booked those nights at the Dolphin with an AP discount. Just under $600 for the two nights, including resort fee and taxes. I will have to pay for parking though. Swan & Dolphin have dynamic pricing, so I don't know if the price is the same now.
Also, the nights I booked were the least expensive. Toward the end of that week, the prices are quite a bit higher.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

I would not count on much for Oct. as you have stated there have not been discounts for the past few years. They just don't have to with Food & Wine and the Halloween parties. Not to mention Columbus day and Deluxe late night hours. Take what you can get and afford for your last nights and keep checking especially towards the end of summer. People always cancel and some will still move their dates to September with the discount that came out not to long ago.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We've always dreamed of doing a Halloween trip on Halloween, but the hotel cost is so much cheaper we always switch to September. This year, though, we're finally going to cross that Halloween trip off our bucket list! I managed to get a standard view room at WL, thinking our trip would be 5 days. We've now decided to expand to 7 days. There are no standard rooms available so the cost of those last two days is almost double the other nights.

If you needed two more nights on a very popular week (10/29) what would your strategy be? Book a second higher cost room reservation for those 2 nights now and hope you can switch between now and then? Switch hotels? Do standard view rooms regularly pop up at the monorail resorts or are they gone forever the morning booking opens up? Is there a service that can alert me when the rooms open like the services for dining reservations?

How can I get over having zero discounts? Rack rate is too high for the hotel we usually stay at (YC/BC) so we switched to WL. But even then the rates are higher than our usual rate. October discounts haven't been offered since 2019, I doubt there are any hidden discounts I'm missing. (Do they still send out PIN number discounts?) Argh. It's in our budget, I just need to get my head around it. And advice for dealing with that? I need to stop myself from thinking that we could stay for two weeks at the same price if we went earlier.

I'm not aware of any room alert service outside of just checking often. If I were you, I really wouldn't plan on switching as I wouldn't want to end my trip going to a less amenitized/cheaper resort, I'd prefer to end my vacation at the nicest spot. If you are firm on adding the two nights, I'd just book at rack rate and call it done or stick with your original 5 days and leave it be.

You can go the other route and book cheaper on the front end if anything is open, and book the last few nights at WL to save $. I wouldn't hang your hat on discounts but the tide is turning and there are a lot more discounts this year than last and Disney has indicated they anticipate crowds lowering but Oct is peak. I would just book something since it's a busy travel time and not be locked out of a room at all. I am not a huge fan of split stays but I know a ton of people do it to save money on the hotel.

 

[Skippyboo]

When are your extra days? I would drop down to a lower tier resort for the extra days. I did Sunday to Friday at AKL and then switch to All Stars Movie for Saturday night this May instead of spending an extra 400 for one night.

 

[Marthasor]

We've always dreamed of doing a Halloween trip on Halloween, but the hotel cost is so much cheaper we always switch to September. This year, though, we're finally going to cross that Halloween trip off our bucket list! I managed to get a standard view room at WL, thinking our trip would be 5 days. We've now decided to expand to 7 days. There are no standard rooms available so the cost of those last two days is almost double the other nights.

If you needed two more nights on a very popular week (10/29) what would your strategy be? Book a second higher cost room reservation for those 2 nights now and hope you can switch between now and then? Switch hotels? Do standard view rooms regularly pop up at the monorail resorts or are they gone forever the morning booking opens up? Is there a service that can alert me when the rooms open like the services for dining reservations?

How can I get over having zero discounts? Rack rate is too high for the hotel we usually stay at (YC/BC) so we switched to WL. But even then the rates are higher than our usual rate. October discounts haven't been offered since 2019, I doubt there are any hidden discounts I'm missing. (Do they still send out PIN number discounts?) Argh. It's in our budget, I just need to get my head around it. And advice for dealing with that? I need to stop myself from thinking that we could stay for two weeks at the same price if we went earlier.

I would see which resorts have rooms at a lower cost and just book something else for the extra two nights. WL rates have gone through the roof and, IMHO, it's just not worth it - yes, the resort is gorgeous, but the rooms are small and the transportation options (except for the boat) aren't great. If you are used to staying at YC/BC, perhaps price out the Swan? It's our go-to when WDW EP resort rates are too high for us. We also really like the CSR Tower (it's the deluxe of the mods, IMHO). If your heart is set on WL, you could always keep checking to see if a standard opens up.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I would book another resort probably Swolphin, if they have availability, to change it up a bit to EP Area. Key would be a Disney hotel or Swolphin as they do luggage transfer, I hate moving my bags myself.

I would book something refundable. Disney is quite discount happy this summer, I wouldn’t be surprised if they drop something.

 

[wegotodisney]

How can I get over having zero discounts? Rack rate is too high for the hotel we usually stay at (YC/BC) so we switched to WL. But even then the rates are higher than our usual rate. October discounts haven't been offered since 2019, I doubt there are any hidden discounts I'm missing. (Do they still send out PIN number discounts?) Argh. It's in our budget, I just need to get my head around it. And advice for dealing with that? I need to stop myself from thinking that we could stay for two weeks at the same price if we went earlier.

This wouldn't be my answer if you hadn't said that it's in your budget. I've come to realize that constantly seeking the best deal sucks the joy out of things. I plan what I want without regard for a discount or a sale. If it lines up with an opportunity for a lower price, great, that's a bonus! Limiting myself to the cheaper option cuts into my enjoyment. So instead, I choose to see the discount when it's available as a plus, rather than seeing the full price as a negative. It's just a matter of how you choose to view it. Go when you really want to go! Have a great time! This is why you have a budget in the first place. Use it!

 

[Disneylover99]

I personally don’t like 2 night split stays so I would probably change resorts. Find somewhere that can accommodate all 7 nights. I’d consider moving down to a standard at a moderate. It’s much cheaper.