How to get the best rate?

[PoohBearFamily]

Hi! My family of six is planning to visit Disney for the first time sometime in 2022 and even when looking around school/bank holidays, staying on-site at one of the resorts seems so pricey?

We don't really want to stay off-site because of the added cost of car, parking, travelling to and fro, etc and would love to be "'in the bubble" for our first trip. Also, if the dining plan is back in action next year we'd LOVE to use that.


Does anyone know how to get a good rate for staying at, for example the Contemporary resort? Thanks!

 

[iloveftwilderness]

Hi! My family of six is planning to visit Disney for the first time sometime in 2022 and even when looking around school/bank holidays, staying on-site at one of the resorts seems so pricey?

We don't really want to stay off-site because of the added cost of car, parking, travelling to and fro, etc and would love to be "'in the bubble" for our first trip. Also, if the dining plan is back in action next year we'd LOVE to use that.


Does anyone know how to get a good rate for staying at, for example the Contemporary resort? Thanks!

I am sure you will get lots of suggestions-- annual pass holders, florida residents and DVC members all get a discount--
one of the best ways to stay at a deluxe resort for less, would be to rent DVC points. Other companies offer this service to save you the hassle- (David's DVC or dvcrentalstore). If you are staying with DVC points, you don't get charged for parking.
If you are wanting to stay at a value or moderate resort for less, you can check hotwire or priceline for cheaper rates.
I heard that in 2022, disney's airport transportation (disney's magical express) will no longer be available. I love staying in the "disney bubble."

 

[Dug720]

No discounts are out for next year yet. With six, you're likely looking at 2 rooms (PLEASE use the term "connecting" if you're requesting a door connecting the rooms internally - "adjoining" means next door or close, but no internal door. Also, they are ONLY requests and if they are not able to get connecting rooms, each room must have someone over 18 so if none of the (I'm guessing) 4 kids is over 18, the two adults will be expected to split up between the rooms) OR a Family Suite at Art of Animation or a 2-bedroom villa at a Villa Resort.

Renting points is highly risky as most of them are non-refundable, so if things don't improve and borders don't open (using the term "Bank Holidays" makes me think you're from the UK?) and you rented points, you're out every bit of that money.

I would personally never use Hotwire or Priceline - sometimes you're only guessing at what you're getting, and their change/cancellation policies can be sketchy too. Also, you may not be able to make requests in advance through them.

What I would do (indeed what I DO do) is use a Travel Agent who specializes in Disney Vacations. They can reserve a room for you once available (only through July 15 arrivals is available right now - seems to be opening one day at a time) and they (assuming they are reputable) will automatically check whenever new deals are released and will adjust your reservation if the new deal is better for you. AND my TA makes the reservation directly through Disney, not a third-party site.

 

[_19disnA]

The three monorail resorts tend to be among the most expensive Disney hotels. Might also look at other Disney properties which will tend to be less costly depending on your budget and preferences. Disney sometimes offers discounts, but not for every room or dates of travel. For the size of your party, renting a nearby home offsite might be more economical and provide more space when you add in all of the associated costs you mention. Lots of older threads about the dining plan, some love it, others hate it, so mostly depends on where you eat and which features mean the most to you. It is not yet known when/if Disney will resume the various dining plans.

Over the years we have stayed both at Disney hotels as well as offsite locations. Liked both for various reasons and can't say one is always better then another. Disney is an expensive vacation regardless of where you are staying.

Some travel agents offer discounts not available to the general public. However, many others are just booking reservations using the same websites you can use from home. I also would never use any 3rd party online site where you don't know the exact place you are booking ahead of time. You can 'assume' you know based on the selected criteria, but might also be surprised what place your actual reservation is for.

 

[Dug720]

However, many others are just booking reservations using the same websites you can use from home.

Yes, but they do sometimes get heads ups about upcoming discounts so they can check before the lines open up - and get big wait times. More than once, my TA has emailed to either say I have the best deal already or that she's changed me to the new deal or that my room type isn't eligible but if I wanted to change room types I could get a better deal BEFORE it was even on here that there are new discounts. Biggest benefit? I don't have to do the waiting on the phone.

 

[Sandiz08]

Search for a random room at a resort you would like and click on the rate details and search for the best prices through out the year in the calendar pop up. Other than renting, booking a room thats well within your budget right now will make it all the more sweeter when you can apply a discount if any come out. Some travel agencies have good deals but they are date specific. So basically, being flexible is what will get you the best rate no matter who you book with.

 

[PoohBearFamily]

I am sure you will get lots of suggestions-- annual pass holders, florida residents and DVC members all get a discount--
one of the best ways to stay at a deluxe resort for less, would be to rent DVC points. Other companies offer this service to save you the hassle- (David's DVC or dvcrentalstore). If you are staying with DVC points, you don't get charged for parking.
If you are wanting to stay at a value or moderate resort for less, you can check hotwire or priceline for cheaper rates.
I heard that in 2022, disney's airport transportation (disney's magical express) will no longer be available. I love staying in the "disney bubble."

Thank you so much! I've never heard of DVC points.

 

[PoohBearFamily]

No discounts are out for next year yet. With six, you're likely looking at 2 rooms (PLEASE use the term "connecting" if you're requesting a door connecting the rooms internally - "adjoining" means next door or close, but no internal door. Also, they are ONLY requests and if they are not able to get connecting rooms, each room must have someone over 18 so if none of the (I'm guessing) 4 kids is over 18, the two adults will be expected to split up between the rooms) OR a Family Suite at Art of Animation or a 2-bedroom villa at a Villa Resort.

Renting points is highly risky as most of them are non-refundable, so if things don't improve and borders don't open (using the term "Bank Holidays" makes me think you're from the UK?) and you rented points, you're out every bit of that money.

I would personally never use Hotwire or Priceline - sometimes you're only guessing at what you're getting, and their change/cancellation policies can be sketchy too. Also, you may not be able to make requests in advance through them.

What I would do (indeed what I DO do) is use a Travel Agent who specializes in Disney Vacations. They can reserve a room for you once available (only through July 15 arrivals is available right now - seems to be opening one day at a time) and they (assuming they are reputable) will automatically check whenever new deals are released and will adjust your reservation if the new deal is better for you. AND my TA makes the reservation directly through Disney, not a third-party site.

I will definitely check in with a TA then! Don't know why I didn't think of that before. Thank you for your tip about connecting rooms!

 

[PoohBearFamily]

Search for a random room at a resort you would like and click on the rate details and search for the best prices through out the year in the calendar pop up. Other than renting, booking a room thats well within your budget right now will make it all the more sweeter when you can apply a discount if any come out. Some travel agencies have good deals but they are date specific. So basically, being flexible is what will get you the best rate no matter who you book with.

Can you apply more than one discount if they come out? (Examples: 20% resort stay; free Dining plan) Or just pick which one look best and go with that at the time? Thank you!

 

[Brett Wyman]

If you stick with a cash room(as opposed to a DVC rental) the below sites gives dates the discounts dropped in previous years. Of course COVID as thrown off a lot of the regularly occurring time frames.

https://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/

 

[Marthasor]

As others have mentioned, discounts have not been released for that time period as of yet. If you are sold on the Contemporary, your most economical bet, at current rack rates, would be two, standard view rooms in the garden wing. Unless one in your party is under 3 years old, by chance? In that case, you could book one room (which might be a tight fit, but more economical). If you know your dates, you could certainly book those rooms at rack rate now and then wait to see if a discount comes out and, if so, if your rooms end up in the discount inventory. As others have said, you could also work with a TA so they could do the legwork of applying discounts for you. If you go that route, I would recommend using an "Earmarked" TA that specializes in Disney travel. Dreams Unlimited, which sponsors these boards, is an Earmarked agency, for example. If you are willing to be flexible with resorts, I would consider coming up with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice of resort/room category to up your chances of snagging a discount once they are released as Disney does not put all resorts and room categories into the discount inventory.

 

[Marthasor]

Can you apply more than one discount if they come out? (Examples: 20% resort stay; free Dining plan) Or just pick which one look best and go with that at the time? Thank you!

You cannot stack discounts. Your best bet is to price out all discounts that become available for your dates and pick the one that works best for you. For example, we do not like the dining plan and have AP's, so the "free dining" promos of the past never worked for us. We always went with room-only discounts. However, in your case, since it sounds like you would like a room/ticket/dining package (if available), your best bet is to price out any package discounts and also price out a room-only discount with dining and tickets added on to see which one prices out best. I hope that makes sense.

 

[mindeola]

I am a big fan of renting DVC points. I have done it very successfully many times. Headed to Animal Kingdom Lodge on Friday - my rate was around $228 for the night. Then I am hopping over to Coronado for two nights from a Hotwire deal of $108 a night. There are risks involved with both of these options so you would need to do your homework. They have all worked very well for me though.

 

[PoohBearFamily]

I am a big fan of renting DVC points. I have done it very successfully many times. Headed to Animal Kingdom Lodge on Friday - my rate was around $228 for the night. Then I am hopping over to Coronado for two nights from a Hotwire deal of $108 a night. There are risks involved with both of these options so you would need to do your homework. They have all worked very well for me though.

Wow that's great- I'll have to check those out. Thank you!

 

[PoohBearFamily]

You cannot stack discounts. Your best bet is to price out all discounts that become available for your dates and pick the one that works best for you. For example, we do not like the dining plan and have AP's, so the "free dining" promos of the past never worked for us. We always went with room-only discounts. However, in your case, since it sounds like you would like a room/ticket/dining package (if available), your best bet is to price out any package discounts and also price out a room-only discount with dining and tickets added on to see which one prices out best. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks for clarifying. That does make sense!

 

[PoohBearFamily]

As others have mentioned, discounts have not been released for that time period as of yet. If you are sold on the Contemporary, your most economical bet, at current rack rates, would be two, standard view rooms in the garden wing. Unless one in your party is under 3 years old, by chance? In that case, you could book one room (which might be a tight fit, but more economical). If you know your dates, you could certainly book those rooms at rack rate now and then wait to see if a discount comes out and, if so, if your rooms end up in the discount inventory. As others have said, you could also work with a TA so they could do the legwork of applying discounts for you. If you go that route, I would recommend using an "Earmarked" TA that specializes in Disney travel. Dreams Unlimited, which sponsors these boards, is an Earmarked agency, for example. If you are willing to be flexible with resorts, I would consider coming up with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice of resort/room category to up your chances of snagging a discount once they are released as Disney does not put all resorts and room categories into the discount inventory.

I'll check out Dreams Unlimited, thank you for the tip!

 

[PoohBearFamily]

If you stick with a cash room(as opposed to a DVC rental) the below sites gives dates the discounts dropped in previous years. Of course COVID as thrown off a lot of the regularly occurring time frames.

https://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/

This is great, thanks!

 

[Sandiz08]

Can you apply more than one discount if they come out? (Examples: 20% resort stay; free Dining plan) Or just pick which one look best and go with that at the time? Thank you!

No, only one discount. Whichever suits you more. The free dining plan could be better than a percentage off. You would have to do the math and see what y’all would want to eat and where. For us, a larger percentage off is always better because we don’t always eat appetizers and desserts, etc.

 

[iloveftwilderness]

Wow that's great- I'll have to check those out. Thank you!

For hotwire- you can look up tips for securing a Disney resort, however there are no guarantees. When using the tips- I have always ended up getting a Disney resort for about $100 a night at the value resorts.

 

[HiStitch626]

For hotwire- you can look up tips for securing a Disney resort, however there are no guarantees. When using the tips- I have always ended up getting a Disney resort for about $100 a night at the value resorts.

There are no guarantees, but using the Hotwire app can help. The app has a tool that allows you to circle a particular location. So, you can create a circle on the map that includes just the POP/AOA area or just Coronado.