I'll try again... (pricing a May/June trip)

[Happy Tappy]

Hi all,

I'm trying to plan our first trip (for the third time!!!) to the world.

We tried to do in in 2008 but then we found out we were due a bundle of joy and the trip was cancelled.

We tried earlier this year but my partner lost her job so again we pulled out of booking at the last minute.

I'm now trying to price up a trip for next year. Our party will be me, my partner and our two kids (4 & 2 at time of the trip).

I know that there are often good last minute deals in May so I'm wondering how it's best to approach it.

What I've found so far:

30/5-13/6
2 weeks @ Saratoga, 14 day tickets & dining plan (normal one, not counter) for £3300.
Flights £2586 with Virgin from Manchester.
Total: £5886

Are we likely to get a better deal than this? Should we leave it until the last minute?

There are flights with connections but I've never done that before! Would it be difficult with 2 kids? It'd save us £550 in total.

Saratoga Springs looks nice but we'd happily stay in one of the cheaper resorts. I've picked that one because it came with the full free dining plan and was only £400 more than the next resort (which only came with a cs dining plan).

We would like to stay in a Disney resort as it'll be our first time.

 

[Happy Tappy]

Does anyone know how long that offer is likely to be available for?

Is it likely I could book it early next year if I didn't find a cheaper offer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Lucys dad]

That is very similar to our current booking for next year. I booked 3 flights direct from Glasgow with VA for £660 each flying on 31/5/14 returning 21/6/2013

I have also booked the offer at Saratoga Springs for 3 weeks which has the 35% discount and free dining. It is a good offer and it expires 5th November so still plenty time to book it.

I would point out I only paid the £150 deposit on the hotel/dining and tickets package to secure the offer. WDW UK tend to have a second offer for a hotel room discount that is launched after the current free dining offer expires. Depending on which hotels are offered and the level of discount,I may change my booking if the room only discount offer looks more appealing.

 

[Happy Tappy]

Thanks. I wish I could afford to go for 3 weeks!

Is the hotel refundable if something better comes along?

 

[Lucys dad]

Thanks. I wish I could afford to go for 3 weeks!

Is the hotel refundable if something better comes along?

Its just an amendment to a current booking rather than cancelling one and starting a new booking. If the amendment to your booking is for a cheaper package there might be a small amendment fee, if the price is the same or more they wont charge any fee to amend ( that has been my experience in the past )

Good luck.

 

[Happy Tappy]

Thanks. I've done similar when booking Disneyland Paris.

The big question now is whether to wait on the flights or bight the bullet now!

 

[Sencybil]

I booked in June 2012 for a trip later this year with the similar WDUK offer for Saratoga Springs. I've kept an eye on offers since I booked, and Disney never released anything to match what I booked. They released another offer later in the year, but with a downgraded free dining (only qs). The room discount offer that a pp mentioned (released earlier this year) suited us to book an additional night at AoA, but the discount for SS (and OKW) was just the same 35% as it was in the earlier offer - and no dining plan at all.

I think if you want to stay on site, and will get reasonable value from your dining credits then the current offer is the best you'll get. If you're not bothered about dining then you may get something better at a Value or Moderate resort, or as a whole package (including flights) through an agent like Thomas Cook later on.

For me, once I'd decided to stay on site, the free dining + 35% discount was clearly the best way to go. I'm looking forward to 1 night at AoA, but I wouldn't want to stay there for 2 weeks when the price difference to SS + food is small (don't forget to take account of the tips you will have to pay out $$ for in addition to your dining plan). The free dining plan has true value for us because I want to take my DS to some character meals, there are a few headliners that I'd want to try even if we were paying cash, and I will be very happy to eat on site every day, saving travel time. I'm thinking if we go again we'll stay offsite and eat offsite for the most part, for an overall much cheaper cost - but an entirely different experience. This time I wanted the full on Disney immersion, and for me the best 'value' was SS 35% off + Dining.

Hope that helps!
Sencybil xx

 

[Happy Tappy]

I can get the Rosen Centre Hotel for £39 a night on Last Minute. It seems too good to be true! Its 3 or 4 times that price on every other website and gets decent reviews.

Quidco have 15% off so it'd come in at £480 for 2 weeks.

I've also found cheaper flights - £500 each with Fly Thomas Cook.

£2480 for offsite (no tickets or dining though) seems too hard to resist vs £5300 for SS with tickets and dining.

Am I insane for still considering SS?

 

[Zeebs]

I can get the Rosen Centre Hotel for £39 a night on Last Minute. It seems too good to be true! Its 3 or 4 times that price on every other website and gets decent reviews.

Quidco have 15% off so it'd come in at £480 for 2 weeks.

I've also found cheaper flights - £500 each with Fly Thomas Cook.

£2480 for offsite (no tickets or dining though) seems too hard to resist vs £5300 for SS with tickets and dining.

Am I insane for still considering SS?

Our first trip with two wee kiddies was offsite and we loved it. Purely because of the way we tour, we would go to the parks at opening (cause the kids were always awake early) then we would leave around 2.30-3.00 and we were done. Kids stuck to normal routine, and we were all happy and had such a great time.

I too couldn't justify the price difference or spending two weeks in one room.

However, if it is full on Disney experience you want and it maybe your only trip then it might be better to pay out the extra.

Our kids can't do eating out every night, they are pretty well behaved but they also are kids and get over the eating out experience so we love being able to give them pasta or something easy at the villa.

Kirsten.

 

[Happy Tappy]

I've booked flights

Feels like I'm finally going to get there!

£450 each for the first 2 weeks in May.

Now I just need to sort out a hotel! I keep changing my mind!

I like the price of the Rosen Centre but fear a hotel room is too small for a family of 4 for 2 weeks and have heard that the car parking is poor and expensive.

I've seen a decent offer for Liki Tiki Village (£580) but am worried about time share pressures and getting one of the older rooms. The renovated rooms look amazing but the old ones look very dated.

I can get Mystic Dunes for the same price but have the same fears (especially the non-renovated room.)

When is the best time to book the hotel? Do prices really drop in the weeks before? Are Disney likely to have any room only offers before then?

Any help would be much appreciated.