Hotel and Tickets - Separately vs. Through Disney?

[ultimate_ed]

I'm deep into research now planning a family trip to Disneyland next summer as part of a trip to California.

In playing around on the Disneyland website, I noticed that I can book tickets and a Good Neighbor hotel directly from the site.

Is there an advantage to booking everything directly through Disney, vs. just buying the tickets from them and booking the hotel separately via the hotel's website?

 

[rosie2283]

We just returned from our Disneyland trip in October. Personally after looking through everything, I found it was quite a bit cheaper booking it myself seperately. I am from Canada and saved a ton of money on the parkhoppers alone from flightcentre.ca

 

[mabdallah]

I have been researching for next summer and as of right now it did save a little bit booking through disney or dreams unlimited. We are planning on booking in January for this summer we are going the end of July for my daughters 3rd birthday!!!

 

[sonnyjane]

It's almost always cheaper to book separately. You get a few "perks" for booking a package, like Toontown Madness vouchers and preferred seating for Aladdin, but nothing that justifies the cost in my opinion.

 

[DryCreek]

As far as I could tell, the only benefit you get booking directly through Disneyland is that you are now entered into their promotions list when they e-mail out promotion PIN codes for special offers. Booking our February trip would have cost and extra $300 for us, so I booked the room separately, and ordered tickets directly from the DL website. This will keep us in their marketing database list for upcoming specials - much the same as I get from booking our complete package for WDW online. They are always trying to entice me to return (you know, free CS meal plan, reduced room rates, etc.)

So, what it boils down to is if you plan to return and would like to have special offers extended to you in the future.

 

[sonnyjane]

As far as I could tell, the only benefit you get booking directly through Disneyland is that you are now entered into their promotions list when they e-mail out promotion PIN codes for special offers. Booking our February trip would have cost and extra $300 for us, so I booked the room separately, and ordered tickets directly from the DL website. This will keep us in their marketing database list for upcoming specials - much the same as I get from booking our complete package for WDW online. They are always trying to entice me to return (you know, free CS meal plan, reduced room rates, etc.)

So, what it boils down to is if you plan to return and would like to have special offers extended to you in the future.

BUT there is absolutely no guarantee that booking through Disney will get you a promo code, so I wouldn't use that as a deciding factor.

 

[ultimate_ed]

Thanks, everyone, that was good info.

We are in Disney's "system" from our trip to Disneyworld last year, but so far, I only get offers for the World. Does traveling to Disneyland mean I might get offers for there as well?

 

[larina]

It certainly could mean that, but as has been said, there is no promise. We went in May and get regular offers ever since.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We've had APs, registered on the Disney site, stayed onsite at WDW and DL, bought tickets through their website, and I've received 1 PIN code for each coast at that was in the summer of 2010.

 

[marcemc]

As far as I could tell, the only benefit you get booking directly through Disneyland is that you are now entered into their promotions list when they e-mail out promotion PIN codes for special offers. Booking our February trip would have cost and extra $300 for us, so I booked the room separately, and ordered tickets directly from the DL website. This will keep us in their marketing database list for upcoming specials - much the same as I get from booking our complete package for WDW online. They are always trying to entice me to return (you know, free CS meal plan, reduced room rates, etc.)

So, what it boils down to is if you plan to return and would like to have special offers extended to you in the future.

We have received pin codes & always book through Costco, my brother receives pin codes & he books through Dreams Unlimited, either has used them because the dates don't work

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We have received pin codes & always book through Costco, my brother receives pin codes & he books through Dreams Unlimited, either has used them because the dates don't work

Costco and AAA packages are booked through Disney. If you do it online they redirect you to the Disney site but with the Costco perks. If you call Costco Travel they transfer you to a Disney agent (even though they say Costco Travel).

 

[mydisneymoney]

If you look at the Costco Disneyland packages they show the pricing exactly the same as you would see on disneylands website. However, they have extras like Premium Character dining vouchers for everyone in the party and a $20 disney gift card. If I were going to book through disney, I would book through Costco instead and get what you would through Disney but more.

I agree that it usually is more cost effective to book things seperately. I always make up an excel spreadsheet and break it down into columns of Airline, Room, Tickets, Parking. This way I can see on paper which is the cheapest way to go. On occasion, booking a package through disney may be cheaper. Just depends on what you are looking for.

 

[darlenesmommy]

We are going next month. For us I looked at booking hotel and buying tickets. Then looked at a package thur costco (same pricing if you booked right from Disney since its the same site). For us it was $20 more to book the package but we got the Character dining vouchers and a $20 gift card. So with those added it came out better in the end.

 

[DryCreek]

As best as I can tell, the CostCo bookings are only available for California residents. Is that true? I am not a CostCo member (no stores within 75 miles of us) my my MIL is, and when she inquired about DL packages at her local store in Hampton, VA, they didn't know what she was looking to book. Anyone here know for sure? Their deal sounds great - and I assume it also applies to the Good Neighbor hotels 9when booked with a DL package)?

 

[darlenesmommy]

As best as I can tell, the CostCo bookings are only available for California residents. Is that true? I am not a CostCo member (no stores within 75 miles of us) my my MIL is, and when she inquired about DL packages at her local store in Hampton, VA, they didn't know what she was looking to book. Anyone here know for sure? Their deal sounds great - and I assume it also applies to the Good Neighbor hotels 9when booked with a DL package)?

You book it online. Im not sure tho how it works with someone else using the trip vs the costco member. I know you can chat onine with someone from the travel center. We book a good neighbor hotel,

 

[3monkeys4me]

As best as I can tell, the CostCo bookings are only available for California residents. Is that true? I am not a CostCo member (no stores within 75 miles of us) my my MIL is, and when she inquired about DL packages at her local store in Hampton, VA, they didn't know what she was looking to book. Anyone here know for sure? Their deal sounds great - and I assume it also applies to the Good Neighbor hotels 9when booked with a DL package)?

Yes, like the PP said you book online. Just go to the Costco website and at the top there is a travel section. Select theme parks and click the Disneyland link. You don't need the Costco number for a quote so you can take a lot at the price (which is the same as the disney website, IME) and the extras Costco offers.

 

[hootey]

Our personal experiance: We have went thru private travel agencies 3 times(including one that is supposed to be the worlds best?), paid thru the nose every time for basic trips. Hotels were so far away we had to pay for the "Shuttles", which take forever. We have went thru Disney Travel five times and LOVE It. Have stayed in the disney hotels and a couple of the good neighbor hotels, literaly across the street from DL entrance. We get all the reserved seating, early admission, toon town madness, fast pass', & all the perks that go with disney travel for a lot less than the other agencies charged. We will not go unless we book thru DL travel, period.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Costcotravel.com
You can price things out without a membership card.


Even good neighbor hotels can require a shuttle ride so it's up to you to do some research.

 

[tink2dw]

By booking a Good Neighbor Hotel through Disney Travel you have just paid 3x as much as if you called the same hotel yourself and booked it with out Disney!!

I book my own Ding Flights to fly into and out of where I want and for the hours I want to fly. I book my own hotel room/suite. I buy the Disney Passes at my local AAA full service office, usually when AAA is having there Adults Go for Children's Prices. I book our own off site Scooters for the length of our trip. Factor in the food money, and print the McDonald's coupons,[and skip the Rain Forest Restuant saving over a hundred $100.00] and pizza coupons and Factor the souvenir money, print the coupons for the off site Disney Souvenir Shop. Decide about a rental car or taking the Disneyland Express Bus.

And beat any disney package deal or code!

 

[M&MGirl1]

By booking a Good Neighbor Hotel through Disney Travel you have just paid 3x as much as if you called the same hotel yourself and booked it with out Disney!!

I second this! I just booked a 4-day weekend trip for April (girl trip for DS's 30th birthday ). I booked the air, hotel, and tickets all individually. Came out to $500 per person. A package with just the park tickets and the same hotel through Disney was over $1,000 more PER PERSON and that didn't even include the airfare!!!

I would definitely do your homework and compare what you can book on individually versus the package price Disney wants, but I'd imagine in most cases you'll do far better on your own.