How Would You Book Your Trip???

[IASWAM]

After making 2 trips to DL in 2 years, plus reading numerious postings on DIS, I am wondering what the most economical way to set up a trip is. Should a person purchase a package (through AAA, getawaytoday, Costco, travel agent, etc.) or take advantage of individual savings (like HoJo Ent. rate) by booking everything seperately? We have only booked through a travel agent, but thanks to these boards I am beginning to think there might be a better way. Any thoughts?

P.S. I am glad to learn about getting groceries delivered to the hotel. This is a great way to save some money on water bottles and snacks!

 

[imjen]

I like to check everything out individually and compare that to packages. We ended up booking through Costco this time b/c it was the best deal at the time. We've also booked through Getawaytoday.com. They have pretty good deals too. Definitely check through the hotels websites as well and compare.

 

[DangerMouse]

I am super dooper frugal with our DLR trips, and I have found the best way to book is to do it all separately. For instance, for our trip in November, we have the ent. rate at the HoJo, and are using Gay Days discount tickets. Our entire vacation for our family of 6 (incl. grandma) should cost us less than $1,000. I can't beat these prices anywhere with a package.

 

[lillybug]

I am super dooper frugal with our DLR trips, and I have found the best way to book is to do it all separately. For instance, for our trip in November, we have the ent. rate at the HoJo, and are using Gay Days discount tickets. Our entire vacation for our family of 6 (incl. grandma) should cost us less than $1,000. I can't beat these prices anywhere with a package.

We're doing the same things!

In total for our family of five, our 6 night hotel stay at hojo is $342, and our (4) 4 day park hoppers (which were delivered today) came to $516.
For a grand total of $858 for a week at Disney!

We budgeted for a lot more than that, so we will have more than enough for all the extra "fluff" in the parks, a two night stay in San Diego, and a night in Vegas on the way home.

All thanks to the DIS.

 

[texasteacher35]

I do tons and tons of research on prices and dates...that is for WDW...for DL...I know much less about it...I am in the process of gathering info....then, from what it looks like, I am 95% sure I am going to book through Dreams Unlimited TA...because itlooks like you get some extra perks...maybe a DIS gift card, preferred seating at some shows...and they will keep an eye out for special codes to apply to your package AND plus, I have the Disney Visa, so if I find a code out there for Visa holders, I can call them up and apply it...at least, that is what my plan is!

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

BTW the package that I just saw at dreams unlimited is the same as what I got through Costco... same little add-ons and perks...

--Lisa

 

[texasteacher35]

interesting...I have checked out costco and have found the same thing...they also included ONE FREE character breakfast...did they have the preferred seating for each park show (1 show per park, I mean)??

 

[bumbershoot]

Costco does have the preferred seating, though I think it's only for DCA (are there any shows at DL like that?).

From my own pricing experience, at the time I was booking, the Costco "free" character b'fast wasn't free. The package was the same price as the AAA package PLUS almost the exact amount for the "free" b'fast.

HOWEVER it worked for us b/c we wanted that character b'fast, but probably would have talked ourselves out of it, paying at the park. So pre-paying for it with our Costco package was useful to us.

As far as I know, the big ones all seem to book through WDTC so you get about the same perks (preferred seating...Costco does Alladin or the muppet thing or two others while AAA was giving Turtle Talk seating, lanyard and pin vouchers, the "dream coin", discounts to DTD places and so on), it just depends on who you WANT to work with.

However last week I was reading here that getawaytoday was offering TWO early entries with their tickets...so if you're not staying onsite (in which case you get multiple EEs b/c of the hotel) they might be worth it.


Anyway, we went with Costco for this trip, but I imagine in the future we'll jut book each part ourselves, unless the price doesn't make sense for it.

 

[CardinalsFan]

We're doing the same things!

In total for our family of five, our 6 night hotel stay at hojo is $342, and our (4) 4 day park hoppers (which were delivered today) came to $516.
For a grand total of $858 for a week at Disney!

We budgeted for a lot more than that, so we will have more than enough for all the extra "fluff" in the parks, a two night stay in San Diego, and a night in Vegas on the way home.

All thanks to the DIS.

I too have the HoJo Entertainment rate, but before I get my 4-day ParkHopper tickets via the Gay Days site (for a $130 savings!), can anyone tell me if those ParkHopper tickets will include a day of early entry (or not)?

 

[DangerMouse]

I too have the HoJo Entertainment rate, but before I get my 4-day ParkHopper tickets via the Gay Days site (for a $130 savings!), can anyone tell me if those ParkHopper tickets will include a day of early entry (or not)?

The gaydays hoppers do NOT include EE. Unfortunate, I know.

 

[CardinalsFan]

Thanks. My wife was less-than-thrilled when I told her the exciting news about the GetAwayToday deal where we would get two days of EE instead of just one. She went into that you're-going-to-ruin-our-vacation speech... she is just not a morning person AT ALL. With the parks having expanded hours during the days we'll be there, maybe EE isn't all that important. But I was hoping for at least one day of EE, to be used on our first full day in Anaheim.

Hmmm... save myself $130, and keep the missus happy, but enter DL at 9am instead of 8am on two days. Yeah, I'll probably buy the Gay Days discounted tickets.

 

[LittleBlackRaincloud]

I am thrilled to learn these trips, as I have just started to research our first trip to DLR. I hope you don't mind a couple of questions from this 'newbie'.

What is the 'gay days website' where I can see the discounted PH's? Will they still work for us and our 5/08 trip?

How do I go about getting the entertainment book that gives you the great deals at hojo's?

Thanks for the wonderful tips. I love the dis!!!

 

[CardinalsFan]

Gay Days park ticket ordering page: https://secure.hes-services.com/DLR/GayDaysAnaheim07.htm
(these tickets must be used before your planned trip in 05/08, sorry)

Thread on HoJo Entertainment Rate:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1549235

 

[DizneyMommy]

My 2 cents... if you book through a travel agent you can still get a lot of the deals that have been discussed. If you find any deals on your own, the agent can book them for you, and she may find ones you were not even aware of, especially lower hotel rates. The great thing about using an agent, is that when things go south at the last minute or in the middle of the trip, you make ONE phone call and she fixes/reschedules/adjusts everything for you!

 

[kelmac284]

I too always do tons of research. We are AP holders for DL and that always saves us tons on the tickets AND makes it easier for us to go more Unfortunately with kids in school we now have to go in busier seasons so we can't go in the cheaper off seasons anymore and are forced to go on weekends and high holiday periods but I still manage to get deals.

For example we are going down in Oct and I get 4 days at the Del sol for 350 and we are staying there for 3 days in Dec for 250. That is around 80/night which isn't bad for right across the street. I could probably get a little cheaper but we like to be as close as possible. We usually drive but we are flying these next two trips and I got really good fares. 49 each way to LAX for Oct and 59 each way to Orange county for Dec. It is just a matter of checking all your options.

I have used AAA for hotels but not so much packages because I don't need park tickets. I have used them and getaway today in the past when I needed tix but for Disneyworld I just use the online to get magic your way tix. I haven't found any cheaper deals for those but if anyone on here knows of any cheaper deals for that let me know cuz we are going in Nov of next year and I would LOVE to know of any LOL.

I think the key though is what everyone said just check all your options.

 

[Tink33]

Thanks. My wife was less-than-thrilled when I told her the exciting news about the GetAwayToday deal where we would get two days of EE instead of just one. She went into that you're-going-to-ruin-our-vacation speech... she is just not a morning person AT ALL. With the parks having expanded hours during the days we'll be there, maybe EE isn't all that important. But I was hoping for at least one day of EE, to be used on our first full day in Anaheim.

Hmmm... save myself $130, and keep the missus happy, but enter DL at 9am instead of 8am on two days. Yeah, I'll probably buy the Gay Days discounted tickets.

Why not buy the tickets with 2 EE mornings, let your wife sleep in and have her meet you in the park later? Then you both are happy.

 

[heatherleigh]

I think it depends on what is going on at the time. We booked through Disney Vacations and got the 4th night free. I thought we were getting a good deal, until I read these boards. It turns out that may not have been the least expensive way to go after all. I am purchasing two rooms at the Paradise Pier Hotel (one for grandma) at $205 per night for 6 nights. Like I said before, we get the 4th night free, so we are really only paying for 5 nights.

 

[CardinalsFan]

I wound up going with the discounted GD tickets. Heck, we've got four days in the parks, in a low season, and with extra hours at night that I didn't expect to have, so no early entry for us.

 

[IASWAM]

Wow! Thanks for all the great tips. I will definately check some individual prices before I rush down to the travel agent next year (all though I do like the added security of having an agent to take care of any problems). Keep up the good work DIS board fans!