--help--new at this--DD hotels on priceline?

[Rock'n Robin]

We are going down from 12/29 to 1/2--staying the last 3 nights at Contemporary on DVC points. Most of the 29th is a travel day so I was looking for a cheaper hotel, possibly near DD. Even the hotels advertised on this site are pricy then (Courtyard is $154 including tax--I can get the Dolphin for $10 cheaper!)
I thought I would try priceline--but I'm not sure when I commit. I typed in my name and what I wanted, and I thought a list of possible hotels would come up (with no names of course) and then I would pick one. Is that how it will work? Am I fooling myself to think I'll get a good rate that week?
Robin M.

 

[wdisneelvr]

Hi Robin--

You might be confusing Priceline with Hotwire.

On Hotwire after you put in your dates and what areas you would like to stay in then it lists what hotels/prices are available during that time. It does not however tell you what the hotels are.

With Priceline, you make a bid for a hotel based on your dates and locations. It will not show any list of any kind. The only way to know what might come up is first checking out a website called BiddingForTravel.com They have come up with a posting list of sorts to help you with bidding.

Whatever you decide, please be sure to read all that you can before accepting a bid or making a bid.

Here is another website that is a big help and actually has a hotel list for both Hotwire and Priceline (be aware that this list can change at any time). BetterBidding.com

Getting your hotel this way can be a bit intimidating at first, but when you get the hang of it you'll really like looking for the best deal this way. I use both Hotwire and Priceline when necessary, for hotels, car rentals and airline tickets.

If you need any more help, just ask!

Good luck

 

[Wolfelaw]

The DD Hilton Resort and the DD Wyndham Resort come up a lot on Priceline. I got the Wyndham for $58 ($74 w/tax and fees) for December 12th -- but then I decided to book another night in Orlando, and figured that if I bid the same amount within an hour of getting Wyndham, I'd get it again -- WRONG, I got the DD Hilton for $58 on December 11th. So I get to spend one night at the Hilton and then move and spend the next night at the Wyndham -- not so thrilled about this, but at least it's all reasonably cheap, and I've never stayed at either hotel, so what the heck.

From my somewhat obsessive reading of the Bidding for Travel and Better Bidding boards, if you bid on a resort level hotel in the WDW area on Priceline, you will likely end up with either the DD Hilton, the DD Wyndham Resort, or (much more rarely, and probably not when you're going) the Swan or Dolphin. There are a few other resort level hotels in the WDW area that don't come up much, you can check out the list at Bidding for Travel. You probably want to start bidding at $55 and bid up from there in three dollar increments, adding a zone each time (the Universal zone is the only other one with a resort hotel, so you can check the other zones to get "free rebids" ).

It's a rush to get a nice hotel for half of what everyone else is paying -- plus there's the thrill that I imagine gamblers must feel when you're waiting for Priceline to tell you the name of your hote -- will I hate it of love it? I use Priceline a lot, and most of the time I'm very happy with the results. So good luck!