I'm thinking of taking the Priceline plunge-

[figment27]

I have been doing some research about Priceline at biddingfortravel.com. I am actually thinking about trying this for our Jan. 2003 trip to WDW. I will need to figure out a few more of the bidding strategies suggested though.
I would ideally like to bid on a resort level and HOPE to get either the Swan or Dolphin.
For those who have used Priceline for their WDW trips, I would appreciate feedback, negative or positive, regarding the experience?
Thanks,
Figment

 

[CarolMN]

Don't count on getting the Swan or the Dolphin. Since they have been offering special rates for teachers, nurses, annual passholders, Entertainment Book purchasers, etc., I don't think they've been sending any inventory to Priceline. Of course, this is JMHO. Have there been winning bid reports on bidingfortravel of these hotels coming up recently?

If you really want the Swan or the Dolphin, I think you would be better off trying for Entertainment rates. My understanding is that you don't need the book to reserve a room. You can buy the book this fall when the new one comes out.

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

 

[DVC California]

Hi Figment -

I have used Priceline on several WDW trips and have only positive experiences to report. We have stayed at 5*MOWC - $65/nt, 3*Hyatt Orlando - $30/nt, 2.5 *Courtyard by Marriott - $25/nt, 3*Wyndham Orlando (Universal zone) - $25/nt, and 2.5*Sheraton Studio (Universal zone) - $22/nt.

When checking in, we were always treated courteously, without regard to our "special" rate from Priceline. Although it is not guaranteed, we were always given rooms with two double beds (we have 2 children) and they were clean with nice views.

You are already starting off right by visiting Sheryl's BiddingForTravel.com website. There is a wealth of information on bidding strategies, participating hotels, and typical winning bid levels.

With that I can offer the following advice:

Please read Sheryl's FAQ thoroughly as it is very complete and may answer many of your questions.

Research the existing rates, either through the hotel's website or through a web service like Expedia or Travelocity. This will give you an idea of the "ceiling" for your bids and verify availability of rooms.

Priceline does not allow you to bid for a specific hotel - you are bidding for location/zone and hotel quality. As you probably know by now, the Swan/Dolphin comes up on Priceline very rarely. If you plan to bid WDW zone - Resort (5*) you may also end up at the Wyndham Palace, Marriott Orlando World Center(MOWC), Hilton Downtown Disney, or at the Gaylord Palms Resort.

Since you plan on visiting in Jan 2003, you have plenty of time to bid. This is a slow time of year for the parks (excepting the MLK holiday and the WDW marathon weekend). You should be able to find some great deals available.

Do not get caught up in "bidding" fever if your bids are not accepted. It could just mean that the hotels have not released inventory to Priceline at that time.

Don't forget how to use free rebids, which is adding zones that do not include your hotel quality level. It is necessary to learn this so that you do not have to wait the week for new bids.

And again, keep a watch on the Bidding for Travel board. If the Swan/Dolphin does start showing up on winning bids, you'll be able to join the "feeding frenzy" with other bidders while the rooms are available.

Hope this helps, Steve

 

[BonnieA]

I used priceline last January for my solo trip. I ended up getting a 2 bedroom 3* Doubletree Villa Maingate for $30/night. Great place for the price.
I've also used priceline successfully for trips to Baltimore and San Francisco. I love it.

 

[figment27]

Steve,
I am so glad you posted all the great info. Actually, I was really feeling kind of overloaded with info after reviewing the biddingfortravel.com's hotel FAQ. I thought I was not clear on quite a few concepts. But after reading your post, a lot of what you posted I remembered from BFT.com. I understood what you were talking about so I must have grasped the concepts better than what I perceived.
I read the message boards and realize Swan/Dolphin comes up rarely but one can dream can't they? Some posters say it is ranked a "resort" now on PL vs. a 5*. I would be happy at any of the hotels you mentioned though.
One poster had just won Gaylor Palms for $60/n, what a Beautiful resort! I checked their website, and the rack rate in off peak season was approx. $285.00/n WOW!!

BonnieA,
Thanks for the info regarding your positive experiences with PL. It seems to have worked well for you also.

CarolMN,
I am an RN, so I will check out the discounts offered. Thanks!

 

[Vderon]

I have also used Priceline and got the Wyndham and the Swan. I actually liked the Wyndham better. I have older kids and we like being by Downtown Disney.

I had no problems, and I was not treated differently in any way that I could see.

By the way, I have used Priceline all over the country for hotels, and can report the same happy results everywhere. I have only been unhappy once, with a hotel that was on the very edge of a zone and turned out to be quite far from where I wanted to be. The hotel itself was nice, tho.

My husband and I tried to figure out how much we have saved in the last two years using Priceline.We had to guess on a couple of our stays, but it was around $1300 difference between the AAA prices and what we paid through Priceline.