It almost looks like I saved us money by going through AAA.....

[mzmickey]

After considering the cost of an upgrade to a deluxe resort, a lot of you offered the advice of cancelling the trip I had booked through AAA and re-book the trip my self. And I am not sure I did this right because it seems like the travel agent is saving us money.

I have been doing some research and it looks like I am actually saving $$$, especially on plane fair. I have spent the day checking out sites like Expedia and Travelocity, and the lowest fair they came up with was $205 for a Roundtrip, non-stop.

Through AAA, I was able to get Roundtrip, non-stop from PGH to Orlando for $150 per person. And it appears that we are saving quite a bit on the rest of the trip as well.

If fact, we are spending $2600 for us both for air fare, 3 nights at Hard Rock in Universal, 4 nights at PO - R, Airport transportation, and length of stay passes for both parks.

It seems like a good deal to me, but am I dreaming, is there a better way to do this?

 

[Jinnyboom]

May I ask when you are traveling. My AAA quoted $235 per person non stop round trip from Pittsburgh to Orlando.
We are traveling in early December.

Still...this is the BEST price I've found for the times we want to fly.

Thanks in advance....

 

[mzmickey]

On Saturday, December 7th and return on Saturday December 14th. I wanted to actually leave the week earlier, but because Thanksgiving is falling later this year (Nov 28th), air fare is still outrageous for that week.

When are you traveling in early Dec?

 

[Jinnyboom]

We are leaving the same day as you!!
Returning Sunday, December 15.

Will have to visit my friendly AAA office tomorrow....congrats on such a great rate!!!

 

[DebbieB]

Are you on scheduled flights or a charter? Sometimes they run charters Saturday to Saturday from PIT to MCO. Right now USAir's lowest price for those dates is $205. We're going Dec 6 to 13 on frequent flyer tickets.

 

[tlt]

OK...this is totally off the topic (although I always book thru AAA and get great deals)...I noticed that all of you are from the Pitt. area...That is one of the places I am considering moving when I graduate from anesthesia school in Dec...do you all love it there, or would you recommend I look elsewhere? Nice to know there are DISNEY FANS there!!!

 

[Lainy67]

See, we hear the same thing about the packages. And we did better with a package than doing separate pieces. Mostly due to the airfare. We booked 7 days for 2 adults, one quasi Disney defined adult (10) and one child (3). We booked through Disney, and did length of stay passes (unlimited park hopper - whatever) and 7 nights with airfare and got it for about 3100 for all of us. If we had done it separately at that time, we would have paid at least 200 more due to airfare prices. But I hear everyone saying you can get it cheaper separately. I don't know. I priced it for days. Did nothing but price it for days. No way could I have gotten the deal cheaper unless I changed up the passes and cut the first and last day from the pass. THat would have blown almost two full days of our vacation as we arrive at 10:30 and don't leave until 5:45.

 

[Poly Pal]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't know that there are packages that include WDW and that "other park" (LOL!). So perhaps your AAA agent simply booked the hotel, air, and ground transportation separately. (Although the "UMP" is not available from AAA unless it is part of a package...hmmmm.)

We've been going to Disney for over 15 years and I've always considered the cost of a package versus booking thing myself. With any package I've seen, you always seem end up paying for the hotel room twice (once for each adult.)

Have a great time whatever you decide to do!

 

[momofbrian]

Well tlt, since you asked about Pgh, I'll try to answer. I've lived here my entire life - I've never even strayed from the South Hills of Pittsburgh so I can't make a good comparison. If you're coming here to work in a hospital you're in luck. There are great hospitals here - it's about the only industry that's doing well in Pgh and they are always looking for people. I don't know if you're young and single, married with children or what. There's a big controversy right now about Pgh being a bad place for singles - not much to do, not alot of young people or whatever. Housing is affordable compared to many other places.

I don't know what other areas you are considering or even where you are living now. Career-wise I'm sure it would work out for you.

 

[mzmickey]

Jinnyboon, I would definitely contact your AAA agent. I tried to find a breakdown of our trip last night, but we moved about 3 months ago and lots of paperwork and stuff is still missing, I just have the confirmation sheets. But I am positive that the airfare was $150 per person roundtrip, because I remember it jumping of the paper at me I was so amazed at the rate. We are flying US Air, leaving on the 11:45 flight on Saturday. I hope that gives you some fuel to use today when you talk to the again.

Poly Pal, I too considered that she booked everything separately, but I was sitting with her when she booked the trip and she made only one phone call.

DebbieB, I initially thought we were booked on a "Charter" but I checked out the USAir site and our flight was listed as a "scheduled" flight, plus it also came up on Travelocity and Expedia at the rate of $205 that you mentioned.

When I initially booked the package, I thought it was a great rate because that is the same rate we got 2 years ago (give or take a few pennies) when we went on our honeymoon and spent 7 nights in Disney, and that was booked through a crappy Travel Agency that recently went out of business (Royal Travel). It was our honeymoon and the travel agent "forgot" to mention that when she booked the trip. Now it is our Anniversary and the AAA agent booked it as our "Orlando Anniversary Trip", pretty neat to see that title on our confirmation sheets!

I'll be anxious for the codes to come out to see if we would be able to save any money........but I don't know if it will be worth it to cancel everything and re-book it myself, all just to save a few dollars.

I'll add more about PGH later, lived here all my life and love it, but I have to go do some work now!

 

[DancingBear]

Here are the prices I get:

Airfare for two @ $205 ea. (your figure): $410
Hard Rock 3 nights @ $199/night (per Expedia): $597
POR 4 nights @ $133/night (Expedia): $532
Two 5 Day IOA/Universal/CityWalk pass (UniversalStudios.com) @ $90/ea: $180
Two 5-Day Parkhopper passes: $500
Compact car from Thrifty for the week (Expedia): $149

Total: $2,368

Granted, you would have Parkhoppers rather than Ultimate Parkhoppers, but you would have plenty to do in the parks for 5 days. Plus there is a decent chance that cheaper rates will become available for the hotels later, as that second week of December is pretty low attendance historically.

 

[cinamin27]

mzmickey,

If you are trying for cheaper airfare, try www.airtran.com (if AirTran is someone you would like to fly with) I am origionally from the Pittsburgh area & now live in Jacksonville, FL & my sister lives in Tallahassee, FL & we both found airfare for this coming Thanksgiving & Christmas for $63-92 each way. The rates are probably comparable for PIT to Orlando.

 

[mzmickey]

both the prices that you got and the fact that you did that for me!

When you put it that way, I see that it makes a difference. I am going to print that out, and take it home to my DH to check out. Granted we will forfeit a $50 fee for cancelling the trip but it looks as if it will be worth it.

All I can say is WOW!

 

[stacie_d]

As for Airfare, have you checked NWA? We were able to get tickets for 144 a person roundtrip. But that is in August, so probably not a hugh help to you. But you might want to check them out.

 

[DancingBear]

Good luck!

Two points I forgot to mention:

--The $250/ea. price for the 5-day parkhoppers is the Disney Club price for Parkhopper Plus tickets, so you get two plusses (Pleasure Island, waterparks) that never expire if not used on this trip. You could do regular 5-day Parkhoppers for $220 ea. (Disney Club price).

--Having a car will be very useful to go from airport to Hard Rock then to PoR and back to airport. Also you will be able to drive to grocery store to get drinks and snacks much cheaper than at the hotels.

 

[susy]

Don't know if this makes any sense, but Dec. is value season and codes for POR may come out and you may be able to save there. I don't know what the cancel policy is with expedia, but there's always the possibilty that you could save even more on your room rates.

 

[Debbie7452]

Hey, if you cancel and rebook, ask the Hard Rock for the Entertainment Rate. It's only $125 for garden view or you could upgrade view and/or club level for more $$. You can use the Entertainment Hotel Benefits off the DC card if you don't have an Entertainment book. Also get a Loew's First card if you don't already have one. They have nice benefits too (and it's free!)

Definitely get your Universal passes in advance. I didn't order them ahead and really regretted paying the higher prices at my hotel (Royal Pacific, which was fabulous by the way)

 

[Jinnyboom]

I've never heard of airtran. Can someone give me any information...their prices are incredible!!!

 

[jgates]

Yes, your entertainment book rates can be a plus. We are staying our first night at the new Royal Pacific for $99 regular view. Pool view was $109 but for one night I didn't consider it worth it. (Then off to Swan for 10 nites).

 

[chris1gill]

You can check out all the discount details of Universal on Mary Warings site:

http://www.mousesavers.com/universalflorida.html

Still, it looks like the Entertainment rate will give you a price of about 120 per night at Hard Rock. The new Royal Pacific would be 99.00 as reported on the Universal board here on the DIS....

UniversalStudios.com offers the five day ticket for around 90.00 per person.

Discounts will come out for POR in some form, I think you can do better than 133 per night & see if your agent can book you for that 150.00 fare without booking you for anything else, it's worth asking... I still feel confident you'll save money over using an agent... Here's what I come up with so far (roughly)

Airfare for two @ $205 ea. (your figure): $410
Hard Rock 3 nights @$132/night inc. tax Entertainment rate: $393
POR 4 nights @ $133/night (Expedia): $532 (can you get AAA discount or code discounts?)
Two 5 Day IOA/Universal/CityWalk pass (UniversalStudios.com) @ $90/ea: $180
Two 5-Day Parkhopper passes: $470 (connections123.com $1.00 trial for one month)
Intermediate Car from Dollar.com (Code ENTERTAIN - no card or coupon needed) 125.00 (164 with all taxes & stuff) or 140.00 for a full size...

Total so far: $2,149 But I think you will save 200 on POR with codes... Additionally, can you get that 150 airline fare by booking it alone with your travel agent?

With the POR codes, that would bring you to 1949.00 & this includes all taxes on car & hotel....