How did you book your vacation?

[2peanutz]

I read in the Unofficial guide, that the best way to book a trip was not to do a package (financially speaking). They mentioned calling the hotel and booking the hotel would be the best way to go.
So I am curious, how did you book your vacation? Was it through a travel agent, disneyworld.com, airline/expedia/other, did you do it on your own? If on own, did you book the hotel separate from the airline and separate from getting the tickets?

Thanks!
Michelle

 

[MelanieRI]

I always end up booking through Southwest. I'll do it out on other websites and in the end, it's always the cheapest. If you can get your theme park tickets cheaper on another site or through something else, you don't have to include the tickets when you book. Booking online is cheaper then calling, though, and they tell you this when you call. I always have to call b/c I want to stay on FL w/ relatives after our Disney vacation and need a different flight home then offered. Even with that, it's still the cheapest. Also, out of RI, they have a lot of non-stop flights and when you get airsick and are traveling with kids, that to me is a god-send. http://www.swavacations.com/ is the site.

 

[dcox931]

welcome!

 

[drag n' fly]

We used Dreams Unlimited. As incredibly complex planning a vacation to WDW is for the first time, this honestly has been the easiest vacation we have ever planned. Rhonda our DU travel agent is a cobra...she can do anything lol!

 

[Ariel'07]

I love planning, so I tend to do everything myself. I rented points off the DIS Rent/Trade Board 11 mths in advance, booked the airline separate, and bought tickets off of http://www.ticketmania.com/. I also subscribed to mousesavers.com for discounts and tips. And the best resource by far that I used was the DISboards!

Good Luck and Happy Planning!!

Christina

 

[SimmerBaggins]

We own an RCI timeshare in VA, and don't use it very often; in this case, we used the week to get a place in FL (really close to everything, right by the Arabian Nights place). The tickets to the parks we've bought from online Disney last year and have a couple of days left from our last trip (non-expiring type)...we need to buy a few more days for our next trip in March. Not sure how we're going to do that, yet. Our flight, my husband booked online through Southwest -- great rates, even for Spring Break!

Then it comes down to the rental car -- still need to get that, too.

I so need to get a plan put together!! We bought the Cirque de Soliel (sp?) tickets, already...early evening...anyone know if it's good to eat there, or will we need to book a restaurant for afterwards?? (Puck's?)

Thanks!!

 

[byoung]

I'm DVC and I call MS.

 

[ransom]

For our vacation last month, we booked through Disney Travel Company (over the phone - I'm a network administrator and so naturally suspicious of doing things over the web ).

For our upcoming vacation, we booked through AAA and saved enough money for plane fare.

In both cases, we booked package deals. I looked into room only, but the potential savings wasn't enough to make up the likely loss from not having the dining plan. Since we like to eat table service meals for dinner every day, the cost difference was pretty huge (almost 40% savings under DDP).

 

[iluvdizknee]

I have used a travel agent, AAA and calling Disney travel company. I think the best was with Disney travel. I can kick myself for not adding the dining plan for our last trip. It will be a must for our next trip in 2008!

 

[RachaelRol]

We booked directly thru Disney. About $2400 for 10 days with dining at POP. We were able to get the fun pass "free" upgrade since we're traveling from 5/13-5/22.

I also stopped by AAA today and their best rate was almost $2700. The AAA agent was surprsied!!!

 

[jimmiej]

I do it all on my own, separately. (Disney) hotel, air, ADRs, tix, ME, behind-the-scenes tours, etc. However, our first trip ('96), we used a TA. That was before I discovered The Unofficial Guide. A big part of the fun is planning.

 

[TaylorsDad]

Just booked a nine day stay with hopper passes for 3 at Pop century for $1600 during April spring break, after adding airfare and travel insurance total came to almost $2700. This was a little over $300 savings from disney website.

 

[laura001]

I have always booked my own trips and have never done a package, until this upcoming trip. This time, I booked with a TA, should I say a great TA!!! She has booked our package (because we wanted the DDP), the pricing that she got is the same as what I would have found, without me doing the work....not that it is a lot of work, but I feel pampered.

I booked my own flights, but she would have done that for me also, I just already had it done.

 

[mike&amy1508]

We bought the Cirque de Soliel (sp?) tickets, already...early evening...anyone know if it's good to eat there, or will we need to book a restaurant for afterwards?? (Puck's?)

They do not serve meals at the Cirque show; you should eat somewhere in DTD before or after the show.

 

[mattoxtr]

We have used a travel agent to book both our trips to WDW

 

[pormouse]

We used Small World Vacations and have been very happy. We leave in 20 days .

 

[Poconos to Disney]

We booked with AAA. But we got our plane tickets on our own, cheaper! Our only glitch was we booked the before night with a different AAA office, we ran into some problems with our ME. And some baggage tickets got left behind. Since it wasn't all booked from the same office, we were essentially 2 bookings! But every one down there at ME were wonderful!!! We had to give them a description of 16 bags (because I forgot bag tags, oops). But they found all the bags and delivered them to our rooms at POP.

I looked into doing alot of it on my own, same price. And looked at doing it through Disney online, same price. We went to AAA and got extra onboard credit (DCL)!!!!

 

[blsx3]

I booked online first trip. Our second trip I went online, built our vacation, then called disney travel. This time around I used a TA for the very first time ever.

I went looking online for "wdw secrets" and started reading. that's where i came across a site with special discount codes that you have to ask about when booking.

AAA gives a discount for room only.....

I used www.mousesavers.com

another site to check out is www.allears.net

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

I book a package at AAA and got a savings of almost $600, including airfare.

 

[Disney MAINEiac]

I'm DVC and I call MS.

Ditto! and ain't it a breeze?