First trip to Disney in August

[lucieaspirot]

My husband and I will be staying at Disney with another couple and their daughter in August for 10 days. We wish to rent a two bedrooms villa, either Saratoga or Key West. I have a few questions :
1. which of those two resorts you recommand ?
2. do you usually book the resort directly with Disney or you prefer a travel agent? If it's with Disney, online or phone, what is the payment policy ?
3. can we rent a car on site if we wish to leave the Disney site for grocery or visit Universal ?

Please do not hesitate to add more useful information.

Thanks
Lucie

 

[trivial]

I highly recommend staying at a Villa by renting points from a DVC member (see the DVC rent/trade forum), as this will save you a considerable amount of money. Just be aware that you're dealing with a DVC member, not directly with Disney, but this needn't be a concern (see the FAQ at the top of that forum).

As for Saratoga/Key West... of those two options, I'd choose Key West, as my impression of Saratoga is that it is lacking in various ways (size, decor, dining options). My favorite option is the BoardWalk Villas, due to the decor, location, and atmosphere; it's within walking distance to Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios (but has ferry transportation to both as well).

 

[kmmum]

Hi,

Not sure where to tell you to stay.. but I will say going in Aug for your first trip to Disney.. your crazy!! Its soo hot there... we went this past Aug, and honesty it has put me off of Disney for awhile.. it was just sooo HOT, I mean HOT, We live in Ontario and its hot, but that was really bad. I can say, Disney does a good job at keeping everything you go into cool, but its getting from point A to point B. I know we were back at out Hotel room by 1:30-2 every day and did not go back out until dinner time, thats napping, showering and changing cloths!. You need to plan really well, if you want to make the most of Disney, and the heat you will encounter in Aug!

Good Luck.. Sarah

 

[declansdad]

Congrats on your first trip. I can't help you with your resort but we book through an online Disney travel agent. They are called Dream Come true Vacations and they have been great to work with. If you want more detail you can PM me

As for August, I wouldn't worry about it. We have been there in both July and August (going back this coming August), and we had a great time. Yes it is hot but with some planning it is not a problem.

 

[daver]

I always book online at Disneyworld.com

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw

A couple of good reasons to do so.
1) If a promo appears for the time you are traveling, you can simply call right away and get the promo added, thus reducing your price.

As for payment, you can book with $250.00 down then as long as it is paid off I think 30-45 days prior to departure, pay off as slowly/quickly as you want.
I haven't found any better prices (any more than say 2-3%) It isn't worth the time to find them.

 

[trivial]

Personally, I would never book through Disney directly. If you decide not to book a villa by renting DVC points, I would highly recommend accessing the services of a reputable, Disney-centric travel agency (Dreams Unlimited Travel, Small World Vacations, etc., plus there are several good Canadian ones). They cost nothing, and you will almost definitely save a significant amount of money compared to booking directly with Disney. A good travel agent/agency will keep an eye out for, and automatically apply, any discount codes on your behalf (Disney of course, will not). In addition, booking a package is almost always much more expensive than booking your room separately.

 

[daver]

Also, we rented from Alamo last time we were there, they will send a bus to pick you up and take you back. The car rental spot is on Disney property so not a long drive there.

Since you have already found the DIS, you will be more than aware of any promos that crop up in the period you travel.

Also there is a historical listing of all previous promos since 2004 on mousesavers.com. This may also help you in your quest. I'm sure whichever you choose you will have fun!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I agree that renting points from a DVC member is the most economical way of staying at a DVC resort. I just priced it out for my next trip in July and I can get a standard room at AKL for the same cost as a preferred at POP with a AAA discount.

As to the comments about the summer heat..... we have been there 3 times in July and August and we are now planning to go again in July 08'. Yes, it's really hot but I deal with it by just expecting it. I go there fully excepting that it will be incredibly hot and crowded and by being mentally preparred for it, it never seems that bad.

 

[trivial]

I agree that renting points from a DVC member is the most economical way of staying at a DVC resort. I just priced it out for my next trip in July and I can get a standard room at AKL for the same cost as a preferred at POP with a AAA discount.

Isn't that crazy? It's almost a shame that so very few people seem to know about it. I say almost, because if many more people knew, the DVC resorts would be booked solid 365 days a year.