GCA $259, DL Hotel $169, Paradise Pier $159, 8/24-12/18 2008

[bumbershoot]

P.S. Does anyone know whether it is better to book through AAA with this deal... is that even possible? I know they have little extras on packages like preferred seating, lanyard, luggage tags, coupon booklet, etc... but is that worth the fee they charge for the package? I just don't know who to book with???? Does it matter about the deposit who you book with or do you have to pay one full nights cost up front to reserve regardless of who books it(ie: travel agent, AAA, me)?

What about tickets through AAA? Are they cheaper than Ares travel(cheapest according to Mousesavers)?

If this PIN deal is a room-only, I doubt you'd be able to keep that discount if you got a package.

The little things you get through AAA with a package are pretty much the same things you get when booking a package through WDTC. Same with Costco. The lanyards have a different travel company on them (red with AAA logo, slight blue with Costco Travel logo, can't recall the color with WDTC logo on it), but basically they are the same things. AAA goes through WDTC (it's fun to go to disneyland.com to price something out, then go through AAA to the online disney travel pages (same page, just branded with AAA), then go through costco travel to do the same (same page, just branded with Costco)) so it's mainly the same thing.

And if you booked a package you would be buying tickets as well (except that mousesavers has some sort of package deal at DLR hotels for AP holders now), so you'd buy thm with the package.

 

[Sherry E]

They had no idea about the pin code deal?

Oh, okay. Yeah, then I guess that special phone number on the Pin Code e-mail/postcard must be a hotline to Central JUST for that discount deal, whereas those other numbers we have are just for basic Central reservations, and those people have to pretend that they don't know about the discount. Sonya, my friendly CM who I spoke with yesterday, said they were getting a lot of calls. In any case, anything through Central is cheaper than through a package deal, basically, but I am sure they will find a way to hike up their rates, too!

I am dreading when DL raises their ticket prices in a couple of months. Probably a one-day plain old one-park ticket will increase to $69 or something. And a Park hopper will become $95. Just a guess. I don't know what the date is of the increase, but I can't believe they raise them every year now. They used to skip a year here and there. They know what we Disney fans go through with the 'snowball' effect, and how we will pay outrageous fees just to be in their parks and stay on their property, so they will just keep on hiking up those fees until it is just unbearable!

 

[princessLoLo'smom]

Sherry-
Were you thinking of visiting or moving here? If you want to visit your friends i'd recommend coming when the weather is mild, like Oct-Nov-March-April! Really nice in those months.

 

[princessLoLo'smom]

Wow- I wasn't aware that they raised the rates every year! That is just ridiculous!!! Should I buy my tix now... like this weekend? Does anyone know when the rates will go up?

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry-
I looked up Juniper and it is off of Gilbert rd between Guadalupe and Elliot, which is not far from me at all. The next major road east of Gilbert is Val Vista and we are right near Guadalupe... so like a ten minute drive to where your friend lives.

Wow! You and my friends have probably passed each other in the supermarket! My female friend is working for the parent company of Albertsons/Sav-On over there. Can't recall where her husband works. They didn't want to go to Phoenix because it was too expensive, so they chose Gilbert for the cheaper prices and the friendly neighborhood, but made sure they had good air conditioning before they moved in!

I know it is not the norm in L.A. to walk everywhere, but I happen to live in a good spot in L.A. where I can walk to everything. Everything that I would need is all in this central hub of activity - stores, banks, malls, restaurants, even my jobs for 15 years were literally right around the corner from where I live. Everything is within walking distance. People used to scoff at that in Los Angeles. Now, with the ever-increasing gas prices, they are thinking it is not such a bad idea!

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry-
Were you thinking of visiting or moving here? If you want to visit your friends i'd recommend coming when the weather is mild, like Oct-Nov-March-April! Really nice in those months.

They said at one point that I could come and visit when I wanted to, but we haven't discussed it in a long time. When and if I do, you can bet I will go during the mildest temperatures of the year! The dead of winter, hopefully! I cannot even take the heat in SoCal, let alone in Arizona!

 

[Sherry E]

Wow- I wasn't aware that they raised the rates every year! That is just ridiculous!!! Should I buy my tix now... like this weekend? Does anyone know when the rates will go up?

Yes, does anyone here know when the rates go up? I think last year it was right around September 21, so I GUESS that it would be around that time this year, but maybe someone knows for sure, and exactly how much they will increase? The thing is, if you have a ticket for the old rate (like let's say a $66 ticket) and then go there when the rate has increased, I THINK you have to pay the difference, if I am not mistaken. So that could be anywhere from $3.00 extra on up.

 

[princessLoLo'smom]

Are you serious? So if I buy passes right now and then the rate goes up before the end of OCT when I plan to visit, then I have to pay the difference at the gate???

That is just wrong!

 

[Sherry E]

Are you serious? So if I buy passes right now and then the rate goes up before the end of OCT when I plan to visit, then I have to pay the difference at the gate???

That is just wrong!

I don't know about the AP's, but I THINK - and again, could be wrong - that with the regular old one-day tickets or Park Hoppers that if you buy them now at one rate and then the price increases in late September, you have to pay the difference. I may be totally off base, but one of my friends was saying that happened to her two years ago. Definitely check with Guest Services before you go so you are not potentially embarrassed when you try to hand them your old rate-ticket. They may honor the tickets at the old price if they are pre-purchased.

And someone out there, please correct me if I am wrong. I will be handing them an old-rate ticket as well and would like to know if they will charge me the difference when the price increases!

 

[bumbershoot]

September 22 '05 a 1 day 1 park was $56.

October 5 '05 a 1 day 1 park was $63.

Pre-purchase price of a 5 day hopper bought in early '06 (so likely the same cost created with that increase seen in the October '06 price) was $189.

Current 5 day hopper pre-purchase price from disney is $194, and a 1 day 1 park is $66.


They raised the prices in '07 September 20; we upgraded from the 5 days to an AP on the 19th (I just checked my receipt while checking my other old 1 day tickets), and I found out later they raised all the prices the day after we upgraded.

 

[bumbershoot]

About the old tickets...people have recently talked about using a ticket from '88 to get in, and no one indicated it woudln't work or they would have to pay the difference.

However, I have heard that tickets now have expiration dates, so you don't want to buy a ticket that wil expire before your trip. Looking at the ticket page on Disneyland.com, I see: 2008 Park Hopper Bonus Tickets
Valid now thru January 5, 2009.

So I don't think you would have to pay the difference, but I do think you wouldn't want to try to use them on 1/6/9.

 

[Sherry E]

About the old tickets...people have recently talked about using a ticket from '88 to get in, and no one indicated it woudln't work or they would have to pay the difference.

However, I have heard that tickets now have expiration dates, so you don't want to buy a ticket that wil expire before your trip. Looking at the ticket page on Disneyland.com, I see: 2008 Park Hopper Bonus Tickets
Valid now thru January 5, 2009.

So I don't think you would have to pay the difference, but I do think you wouldn't want to try to use them on 1/6/9.

Hmmm....Interesting. I was given tickets (one-day, one-park) by one of my freelance clients. If I had a package deal, I would usually give the tickets to my friends to join us. The tickets, as far as I remember, do NOT have an expiration date on them as they are now but they do have the price on there. These are the $66 kind (I would never try to use a 1988 ticket even if I had one!). However, I assumed that if I do not end up getting a hotel and we just visit DL for one day, we would be upgrading to one-day Park Hoppers. So, if they have increased the Hopper prices by the time we go, then I assume we would pay the difference. In other words, right now to upgrade it would be $25 per ticket. If they hike up the Hopper prices to, let's say, $95, then we would pay $29 per ticket for the upgrade, I guess. Okay, well, as I said, better for me to know exactly what I am up against and how much I would need to come up with to finagle this funfest!

Thanks for the insight, Bumbershoot! I can always count on you to have good info!

 

[Disneyanajc]

Not holding my breath on getting my pin code since I already have a standing reservation!

Never give up hope...I just got the pin code postcard today...we have a standing reservation for the middle of August...Can't use it... going back to WDW next year...

 

[heatherleigh]

Sherry, yes, I forgot to add that the $205.85 included sales tax. However, I will still be charged an additional tax upon arrival. That's the tax I couldn't figure out. I have a feeling it is tax on the $12 resort fee.

 

[princessLoLo'smom]

Okay I just got off the phone (714-520-5045) and reserved a city view room at GCH for $219/night!!! My 4 year old decided she'd rather do a Christmas trip than a Halloween trip so we aren't going in Oct after all! Of course I still have to pay 15% tax on that $219/night and also the $12/day resort fee, but when I had been told that $269 was the best I could do basically it was a nice surprise!!!

I asked about the ticket price increase issue and was told that you don't have to pay the difference if you buy advance tickets and then there is a change before your arrival dates. I am going to buy mine at AAA AZ because they are cheapest there, I think!

Any advice about Christmas at DLR? I was researching Halloween and now I have to start over with Christmas!

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry, yes, I forgot to add that the $205.85 included sales tax. However, I will still be charged an additional tax upon arrival. That's the tax I couldn't figure out. I have a feeling it is tax on the $12 resort fee.

I think I know what they did. See, I had assumed they charged the 15% tax on the final amount for the whole stay, however long you stay. But what they are doing is charging the resort tax, which is 15%, to each night of your stay, which more or less comes out to be the same but it sounds worse. So they charged you for one night of resort tax on your $179 so far, and that is where the $205 amount comes in. When you pay for the rest of your stay - whether it be upon arrival or before hand, they will charge you 15% for each remaining night's room rate, resort tax and the resort fee. Resort tax can be anywhere from 11% to 15% in California, possible even higher form what I have been told. Just regular old sales tax is still 8.25%. So you paid for one night plus resort tax. They will not charge you a separate tax on the resort fee, I don't think. They will just lump in the resort fee with the remaining amount and tax you owe, and also if you get anything else from them like tickets or whatever, they throw that in the final total.

Anyway, it helps to know this because now I know exactly what they will charge me for one night + resort tax up front and what will be remaining when and if I get there to stay at the hotel!

 

[Sherry E]

Okay I just got off the phone (714-520-5045) and reserved a city view room at GCH for $219/night!!! My 4 year old decided she'd rather do a Christmas trip than a Halloween trip so we aren't going in Oct after all! Of course I still have to pay 15% tax on that $219/night and also the $12/day resort fee, but when I had been told that $269 was the best I could do basically it was a nice surprise!!!

I asked about the ticket price increase issue and was told that you don't have to pay the difference if you buy advance tickets and then there is a change before your arrival dates. I am going to buy mine at AAA AZ because they are cheapest there, I think!

Any advice about Christmas at DLR? I was researching Halloween and now I have to start over with Christmas!

I am so happy for you (and envious)! I am almost half-tempted to scrape up the extra money to stay at GCH for the Fall trip I was trying to get going! $219 is OUTSTANDING for that hotel in November or December! Never again will that price be heard in the same sentence as Grand Californian Hotel. See, I was looking at the PPH, because the Cast Member told me I could get it for $149 during the time I had in mind, but that $219 price for GCH is so tempting. The only problem is, I would rather stay at GCH in December, but I doubt we would be able to go during the week. It would have to be a weekend and the rates would be sky high! You will LOVE the GCH during the holidays, if you have not already seen it! It is the BEST hotel to stay in during that time of year. It is so warm and cozy and the carolers sing each night in the lobby and there is a fireplace. I am jealous!

Thanks, also for asking about the ticket increases and paying the difference. It is good to know.

 

[Sherry E]

Okay I just got off the phone (714-520-5045) and reserved a city view room at GCH for $219/night!!! My 4 year old decided she'd rather do a Christmas trip than a Halloween trip so we aren't going in Oct after all! Of course I still have to pay 15% tax on that $219/night and also the $12/day resort fee, but when I had been told that $269 was the best I could do basically it was a nice surprise!!!

I asked about the ticket price increase issue and was told that you don't have to pay the difference if you buy advance tickets and then there is a change before your arrival dates. I am going to buy mine at AAA AZ because they are cheapest there, I think!

Any advice about Christmas at DLR? I was researching Halloween and now I have to start over with Christmas!

BTW, did you book with the Pin # discount or did you use AAA or what did you do?

 

[princessLoLo'smom]

Sherry-
For God's sake call that number now and see if you get the same rate or better! I asked about the dates in Oct I had on hold (Oct 26-29) and he said that I could get those at $219 also... and I had $269 on those! The guy was really nice and knew right away what I meant about a pin codde postcard even knew what the first few numbers would be!

CALL NOW! I think you gave me this number earlier today when I asked which number people were calling, because I kept getting people who had no idea what a pin code was about!
714-520-5045

 

[princessLoLo'smom]

I booked with the pin code and intend to go to a AAA office here in AZ to buy tix because they are 154/adult and 127/child for 3 day hopper, which is better than ARES travel that is the lowest online according to Mousesavers.

AAA lady I spoke with said I have to go into the office to get that rate, can't do it online with AAA!