Hojo entertainment dates-- historical availability

[nunzia]

Just buy the card off Ebay. I paid $5. Someone else said they paid $3.50.

I don't know what I'm looking for..Howard Johnson Entertainment card would be the keyword? My b&SIL are planning to come and I said I'd help find them a deal.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

I don't know what I'm looking for..Howard Johnson Entertainment card would be the keyword? My b&SIL are planning to come and I said I'd help find them a deal.

It's not a Hojo's card. Just type in Entertainment Book Card - one just popped up right now for Buy it Now for $2.75 + free ship. Just make sure that you are getting a 2010 card.

 

[kkmcan]

We stayed there in 2008:
October 13th-16th

Then 2009:
Jan 24-27
March 15th and 16th or maybe it was 16th and 17th

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

It's not a Hojo's card. Just type in Entertainment Book Card - one just popped up right now for Buy it Now for $2.75 + free ship. Just make sure that you are getting a 2010 card.

And wanted to add, Nunzia, that you should make sure that you check the dates that it's valid for. Every year the Entertainment Book expires the following Nov 1. So if I bought the book in December of 2009 for calendar year 2010, it would expire on November 1, 2010. If I bought the same book in March of 2010, it would still expire on Nov 1, 2010. So if you have a trip planned after Nov 1, 2010, you would need the 2011 book or rather, card. For Hojos, you only need the card and you only need it when you check in. You don't have to have it when you make your reservations. HTH!

 

[nunzia]

And wanted to add, Nunzia, that you should make sure that you check the dates that it's valid for. Every year the Entertainment Book expires the following Nov 1. So if I bought the book in December of 2009 for calendar year 2010, it would expire on November 1, 2010. If I bought the same book in March of 2010, it would still expire on Nov 1, 2010. So if you have a trip planned after Nov 1, 2010, you would need the 2011 book or rather, card. For Hojos, you only need the card and you only need it when you check in. You don't have to have it when you make your reservations. HTH!

Very helpful..thanks to you all. We are going May 12-15. Now..how do you find out what dates would work to get the discount? How are the mousesavers/micechat discounts? how do you get those? ( I am flashing back to vacation planning years past and remember why I bought dvc the Stress! )

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Very helpful..thanks to you all. We are going May 12-15. Now..how do you find out what dates would work to get the discount? How are the mousesavers/micechat discounts? how do you get those? ( I am flashing back to vacation planning years past and remember why I bought dvc the Stress! )

Keep checking this website: http://www.hojoanaheim.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14
When the dates come up, they post it on that page. Also, you can check online at hojoanaheim.com using the sd50 discount code. Sometimes it shows up there even when it's not posted on the hojo message boards and other times it's posted on the website, but using the code doesn't work.

 

[brenda1966]

I'm stunned you were able to get ENT rates for July last year! I thought they never booked them in summer.

I guess I just need to keep checking, but if I do a pre-pay reservation with Hojo's, once I book that i'm locked in. Finding a good rate for July just seems to get more and more difficult each year.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I'm stunned you were able to get ENT rates for July last year! I thought they never booked them in summer.

I guess I just need to keep checking, but if I do a pre-pay reservation with Hojo's, once I book that i'm locked in. Finding a good rate for July just seems to get more and more difficult each year.

Don't prepay. Book directly through the hotels. I think what happens is that many people book ahead of time. As they near the cancellation period (usually 48 hours before the 1st day of their stay) they cancel. When too many people do that, too many rooms open up and they need to fill so they discount the rate. Also, travel agents and booking sites have blocks on the hotels that they must release by a certain time frame ahead of time and that contributes to rooms opening up at the last minute.
I've seen many times when the rate was offered during peak times literally the day before I leave for my trip. Or while I'm there, the last few days of my trip will suddenly become available at the Ent rate. If you don't check you wouldn't know and they're not going to volunteer the info once you're checked in. If you book it yourself they can honor the price change. If you prepay, you're stuck. I never prepay. It's worth it to book it yourself. Have I had times when I couldn't get the Ent rate and had to pay the AP rate or full price? Yes, especially over major holidays like New Years and Christmas. But I've also seen it at the Ent rate over Christmas. The last year or so especially there have been a lot of last minute Ent rate updates.
If I were booking way ahead of time, I would book a couple of different hotels and keep watching their rates. Then as your cancellation window approaches, you can decide which one you want to stay at. If you decide on Hojos, just remember to keep checking the Ent rate even during your trip because it can change.

 

[pigby]

Or while I'm there, the last few days of my trip will suddenly become available at the Ent rate. If you don't check you wouldn't know and they're not going to volunteer the info once you're checked in.

Wow - tip of the day - wouldn't have thought they would honor this if you had already checked in. We plan to stay for 14 nights and if dates don't come up say for the latter half of our stay, I will be asking at the desk (maybe after we've been there a week- do you think?) if any further Entertainment rate dates have opened up. They'll probably get tired of me asking if I do this more than once!! Thanks for the advice - this may save us quite a few dollars with a bit of luck.

Just one question - which I am sure has been asked before (but I can't remember the answer) - do you ring up the central reservation number (starting with 1-800) or the hotel direct to book quoting that I am a member of the DIS boards?

 

[Hojoanaheim]

Wow - tip of the day - wouldn't have thought they would honor this if you had already checked in. We plan to stay for 14 nights and if dates don't come up say for the latter half of our stay, I will be asking at the desk (maybe after we've been there a week- do you think?) if any further Entertainment rate dates have opened up. They'll probably get tired of me asking if I do this more than once!! Thanks for the advice - this may save us quite a few dollars with a bit of luck.

Just one question - which I am sure has been asked before (but I can't remember the answer) - do you ring up the central reservation number (starting with 1-800) or the hotel direct to book quoting that I am a member of the DIS boards?

It's not that we don't volunteer the information- it's that our system doesn't automatically check it for us, and there is no Entertainment Calendar posted at the Front Desk. The Calendar is not distributed to Front Desk employees, it's only given to the In-House Reservation Team to have on hand for people calling to make future reservations.

I started posting the current ET Availability Calendar on our Message Boards, because I thought it might be helpful to people who were flexible with their dates, and who were only able to come when the rate was available at the full discount. By posting it online, I hoped that people would be able to see all the dates that we were offering it, and that that might help make planning a little bit easier. It turned out that this method has been very helpful for people who are planning, and I'm so glad that people have been able to take advantage of that great discount as a result!

Now, if the ET Rate is available during your stay with us- we're more than happy to make sure you get the best rate that we have available! Once you're checked in and in-house with us, you can use the two computers in our Lobby to log onto our Message Boards, so that you can check the current ET Calendar. If you see that your dates have been added, just wait for a Front Desk Staff member to become available so that they can change the dates for you.

I hope this helps!
Lorealle

 

[jennilouwho]

We got it Nov 21-26 2009. We booked the second it was available though...

 

[Mommy Mermaid]

April 09

April 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

 

[luvgoing2disney]

We used it May 31st (sunday) thru june 5th (friday) last year.

I hope that trend continues. Those are the dates we are looking at---for 2011. (Gotta get an early start on planning!)

 

[pigby]

Just wanted to say that last night (after tearing myself away from the boards) I booked 14 nights at HoJo's for July at the DIS rate - still a decent price, I thought for the standard you get (a Deluxe room) - now just keeping my eyes open for those Entertainment rates.

Thanks for your help Lorealle.

 

[cutedisneygirly]

Subscribing... Looking at possibly September or October for a girls trip with the girls in my family. We would really like a good rate!

 

[Belle Ella]

We had the ent. rate in September '09 for the 8th-12th

 

[whatRUcelebrating]

OK I am feeling a little clueless. Can someone spell this out for me please? We are newbies to Hojo and it looks like a great choice to us:
1. What do you mean "book it yourself"? Like just directly on the website? Don't they take payment at that time???
2. What is the dis rate and how do I get that?

We are looking at dates in June and I would love to just get it booked, but I'd also love the best rate possible. If I can hold the rooms and hope for a great deal later that would obviously be awesome.
Thanks so so much for any help!

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

OK I am feeling a little clueless. Can someone spell this out for me please? We are newbies to Hojo and it looks like a great choice to us:
1. What do you mean "book it yourself"? Like just directly on the website? Don't they take payment at that time???
2. What is the dis rate and how do I get that?

We are looking at dates in June and I would love to just get it booked, but I'd also love the best rate possible. If I can hold the rooms and hope for a great deal later that would obviously be awesome.
Thanks so so much for any help!

Call them directly (not the 800#, the direct number to hojos) and book it yourself. Go to hojoanaheim.com the number is listed on the bottom of the webpage along with the address. ETA: It used to be at the bottom now it's on their contact page. 714.776.6120
They will not charge your card until you get there or no show. If you decide to cancel, do so before the cancellation period - usually 48 hours. Ask for the Ent rate, if they don't have it available then ask for the Disboards rate or AP rate if you have an AP. (Hgher percentage discount for AP holders vs. Disboards rate) Do a search for Hojo or howard Johnsons anaheim on this board and it will show you numerous posts regarding the Entertainment rate, Disboards rate or Ap rate and how it all works. HTH!

 

[whatRUcelebrating]

Call them directly (not the 800#, the direct number to hojos) and book it yourself. Go to hojoanaheim.com the number is listed on the bottom of the webpage along with the address. ETA: It used to be at the bottom now it's on their contact page. 714.776.6120
They will not charge your card until you get there or no show. If you decide to cancel, do so before the cancellation period - usually 48 hours. Ask for the Ent rate, if they don't have it available then ask for the Disboards rate or AP rate if you have an AP. (Hgher percentage discount for AP holders vs. Disboards rate) Do a search for Hojo or howard Johnsons anaheim on this board and it will show you numerous posts regarding the Entertainment rate, Disboards rate or Ap rate and how it all works. HTH!

My goodness you rock! That was an awesome help!!! Thank you. We will definitely book there then. Sounds like the pool will be perfect for our kids.

 

[sassy*girl]

Does anybody know when they will first start posting dates for June.

Thanks