Going for a 3-day weekend in Sept -- any chance that won't cost me a fortune?

[bladiator]

Are there any type of discounts that can be found for a Friday through Sunday type trip? I wanted to try something nice because I'll have the disposable income for it at that time, but I can't justify $400+/night for a room and no tickets or food or anything.

Anything at all that can take the edge off that?

 

[RayJay]

Are there any type of discounts that can be found for a Friday through Sunday type trip? I wanted to try something nice because I'll have the disposable income for it at that time, but I can't justify $400+/night for a room and no tickets or food or anything.

Anything at all that can take the edge off that?

I believe free dining goes from 9/2 to 9/25, so if you go those dates you can get free food at least. Check the free dining for the kind you get based on your choice of resort.

RayJay

 

[dismom22]

You have to book by 7/31 tho, in order to get the free dining! If you stay at a value it's just a QS FD but if you stay at a Mod (or Deluxe) it's D+P.

 

[purple figment]

FD requires room at rack rate, minimum of 2 day tickets for everyone in the room 3 years old and up and a minimum 3 night stay.

 

[WishingMom]

You have to book by 7/31 tho, in order to get the free dining! If you stay at a value it's just a QS FD but if you stay at a Mod (or Deluxe) it's D+P.

I think you have to book by September 15 for free dining!

 

[Marionnette]

Are there any type of discounts that can be found for a Friday through Sunday type trip? I wanted to try something nice because I'll have the disposable income for it at that time, but I can't justify $400+/night for a room and no tickets or food or anything.

Anything at all that can take the edge off that?

There is a room-only discount for stays most nights from August 15 through September 28, 2013. It ranges from 20% off of the rack rate at select value resorts to 30% off at select deluxe and vacation club resorts. Selection is limited and must be booked by 7/31/13, so you would need to hurry. Check the Disney website for availability. Scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on the Special Offers link in the column on the far left under the heading "Places to Stay".

If you have a Target REDCard, buy some Disney gift cards to pay for your meals, tickets and room. You will get 5% off of the face value of the Disney GCs when you use your Target card. That's an additional 5% off of your discounted room and a 5% savings on all of your dining and tickets as well. It's the only way that I know of to save on the cost of a 2-day pass without having to do a timeshare presentation.

 

[Marionnette]

I think you have to book by September 15 for free dining!

Did they extend the booking window for the late-summer free dining offer? I thought that 9/15/13 was the deadline for booking the fall free dining (9/29-12/22/13).

 

[bookgirl]

Magic 8ball says......(shake shake).......chances are not good.

At least not good if you are wanting a Disney Deluxe stay which is the price point you quoted.

Realistically speaking September is probably one of the cheapest times to stay on site but its still an expensive location.

If you did a value hotel, non park hopper tickets, and stuck to counter service meals you could do a 'for Disney' inexpensive stay.

There are also off site choices in DTD with shuttle service, or off site in the Orlando area with a car then parking fees at the park.

You can do disney at all kinds of price points, you just have to figure out where your line in the sand is.

I'm about to do a Moderate level stay, three months later I'm planning a Value level stay. I've done a Deluxe stay and while nice, the price point is not equivalent to the level of amenities I actually use at the resort so that's my line.

If you have to have a Deluxe level hotel you're going to have to hook up with a late summer discount (they end on the 31st) and you're going to pay around 350 before tickets and food. That's just the way it is.

Good luck and I hope you can work out a weekend that you're comfortable with.

 

[dpswift]

DH and I are paying about $950 for a 3 day weekend in Sept. We are staying at ASMo and upgraded our free dining plan and added park hopper.

You would need to book by July 31 for free dining in September.

 

[Marthasor]

Are there any type of discounts that can be found for a Friday through Sunday type trip? I wanted to try something nice because I'll have the disposable income for it at that time, but I can't justify $400+/night for a room and no tickets or food or anything.

Anything at all that can take the edge off that?

You can't get the free dining offer for two nights, but there is a room only discount available in September and you can add tix and dining onto that if you like. You have to book the room-only offer by July 31.

I just priced out Friday, Sept. 20 - Sunday, Sept. 22 for you and you could do a CBR standard view room with 3-day base tix and the QS dining plan for $990.90 (this if for two adults). CSR was only a few dollars more. You could do ASMu standard view with 3-day base and QS for $881.94. AKL Standard View, 3-day base, QS for $1,139.50. You could upgrade any of these to the regular dining plan for about $73 more (again these prices are for 2 adults only). And of course the price would go down if you chose only a 1 or 2-day ticket.

So, it's doable - you just have to jump on this discount! Again - it expires this Wed. July 31. If you call, ask for the late summer room-only discount. If you do it online, select "Places to Stay", click on "View Special Offers" and click on the "Save up to 30%" offer.

 

[winterwhite]

We are at the Dolphin for a friday-sat stay the second weekend in september and the rate was $129/nt. I think we paid $137/nt for sunday/monday nights at POR. So completely doable and I personally thing the swolphin is nicer than the deluxes it's right next door to.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Sept is one of the most discounted times of the year even for 3 day over weekend stays you won't find much better rates.

where have you looked that your only finding $e400 a night?

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

There is a 30% off room only discount going on for select deluxes through the end of Sept.

You need to book by July 31st. I was looking at the Yacht Club for 303.00 before taxes for a Friday/Saturday night stay.

 

[bladiator]

I'm looking at 9/27-9/29 (checking out on the 29th). Since the offer only goes until the 28th, does that mean that I'm getting the deal that I want (since I'm staying the night that it ends), or to get the deal I would have to be checking out on the 28th?

I might have to go for the swolphin as mentioned earlier. I just wanted to see what it was like to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[bladiator]

You can't get the free dining offer for two nights, but there is a room only discount available in September and you can add tix and dining onto that if you like. You have to book the room-only offer by July 31.

I just priced out Friday, Sept. 20 - Sunday, Sept. 22 for you and you could do a CBR standard view room with 3-day base tix and the QS dining plan for $990.90 (this if for two adults). CSR was only a few dollars more. You could do ASMu standard view with 3-day base and QS for $881.94. AKL Standard View, 3-day base, QS for $1,139.50. You could upgrade any of these to the regular dining plan for about $73 more (again these prices are for 2 adults only). And of course the price would go down if you chose only a 1 or 2-day ticket.

So, it's doable - you just have to jump on this discount! Again - it expires this Wed. July 31. If you call, ask for the late summer room-only discount. If you do it online, select "Places to Stay", click on "View Special Offers" and click on the "Save up to 30%" offer.

This is all super hot information. Thanks for doing all the grunt work! I don't mind the moderates (in fact, I love them), I just thought I would shoot for the stars, but I didn't realize the stars were so outrageously expensive.

Edit: So I checked the prices for the last weekend, and the price per night is $291.37 at the AKL Standard as opposed to the 20-22 for $235.47. Is that just because the price is changing from week to week?