Last Minute July trip

[fofinia]

I'm trying to help a friend figure out the best way to book a last minute July trip. Her budget is flexible. Not too tight. It is a gift to her family from her mom. But she doesn't want to go crazy. So best trip for moderate budget.

Her party is: 3 adults and 3 kids. One kid being 11, so adult ticket price.

I have been pricing out different options through Disney and expedia. Mostly just looking at package prices. Her dates are flexible in July, I believe. I checked Mousesavers.com and the code board. I didn't really find anything specific for July. Disney does have a summer discount rate but it is only Deluxe or Villas. And Disney's website doesn't have any value or moderates available through the website.

So this is what I found, all sample dates are 7/8- 7/15:

Through Disney: Saratoga 2 bedroom or treehousevilla or Old Key West 2 bed with 7 day park hoppers- 5,657.33

Through Jetblue's package: Saratoga 2 bedroom w/ 7 day park hoppers and flights from Boston- 6,981.87 this is 1,324.54 more for the flights. The flights alone on Jetblue's website are 1,394.40 so a $70 total savings there Unless she flew a different airline cheaper.

Expedia had the same package but it was about $100 more for the same room and Jetblue flights.

But Expedia had a package at Pop Century with 2 standard rooms, plus 7 day park hoppers and jetblue flights for 5,324.94

Jetblue has same pkg for 4,589.40 Wow that's a big difference $735.54!

Or then there is the option of offsite.

Jetblue.com also has the Sheraton Vistana 2 bedroom with 7 day hoppers and flights for $4,633.52

So am I missing out on any codes or deals that would make this better for her? I'm not sure if she absolutely has to stay onsite or not. Just since we go to Disney a lot she asked me for advice. I want to make sure I give her good options. I feel dumb just telling her the travel website info. I mean she could've done that herself! I want to be an extraordinary friend and find her the best!

And I can personally recommend Saratoga to her. But I havent' stayed at the Sheraton Vistana. The map looks like it is right across the street from Downtown Disney. But would she need a rental car if staying there?

I just priced the Sheraton Vistana out on Southwest .com and it would be $100 less than Jetblue.com's pkg for Pop Century in 2 rooms. i wonder if staying offsite in a condo with a kitchen would beat onsite in two regular hotel rooms?????

Any input greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!

 

[chris31997]

If she would be willing to do cooking and more budget friendly things on vacation it might be better to stay off site. But she will need a car. Is she willing to drive instead of fly? Or drive to the autotrain in VA and take that down to FL? Did you check out the Swan and Dolphin? Would she be looking at other attractions other than Disney?

Good luck

 

[momoflizandains]

Have you thought about renting DVC points? That would definitely be more budget friendly. I would absolutely recommend staying onsite, even if it meant multiple rooms rather than a 2BR.

The only recommendation I have with regard to airfare is that you tend to save if you fly mid-week. Perhaps you could look at Wed-Wed??

Just some thoughts...

Good luck.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm trying to help a friend figure out the best way to book a last minute July trip. Her budget is flexible. Not too tight. It is a gift to her family from her mom. But she doesn't want to go crazy. So best trip for moderate budget.

Her party is: 3 adults and 3 kids. One kid being 11, so adult ticket price.

I have been pricing out different options through Disney and expedia. Mostly just looking at package prices. Her dates are flexible in July, I believe. I checked Mousesavers.com and the code board. I didn't really find anything specific for July. Disney does have a summer discount rate but it is only Deluxe or Villas. And Disney's website doesn't have any value or moderates available through the website.

So this is what I found, all sample dates are 7/8- 7/15:

Through Disney: Saratoga 2 bedroom or treehousevilla or Old Key West 2 bed with 7 day park hoppers- 5,657.33

Through Jetblue's package: Saratoga 2 bedroom w/ 7 day park hoppers and flights from Boston- 6,981.87 this is 1,324.54 more for the flights. The flights alone on Jetblue's website are 1,394.40 so a $70 total savings there Unless she flew a different airline cheaper.

Expedia had the same package but it was about $100 more for the same room and Jetblue flights.

But Expedia had a package at Pop Century with 2 standard rooms, plus 7 day park hoppers and jetblue flights for 5,324.94

Jetblue has same pkg for 4,589.40 Wow that's a big difference $735.54!

Or then there is the option of offsite.

Jetblue.com also has the Sheraton Vistana 2 bedroom with 7 day hoppers and flights for $4,633.52

So am I missing out on any codes or deals that would make this better for her? I'm not sure if she absolutely has to stay onsite or not. Just since we go to Disney a lot she asked me for advice. I want to make sure I give her good options. I feel dumb just telling her the travel website info. I mean she could've done that herself! I want to be an extraordinary friend and find her the best!

And I can personally recommend Saratoga to her. But I havent' stayed at the Sheraton Vistana. The map looks like it is right across the street from Downtown Disney. But would she need a rental car if staying there?

I just priced the Sheraton Vistana out on Southwest .com and it would be $100 less than Jetblue.com's pkg for Pop Century in 2 rooms. i wonder if staying offsite in a condo with a kitchen would beat onsite in two regular hotel rooms?????

Any input greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!

Have you looked at the AP discounts? Your friend could get one adult AP and then use it to secure discounts on two value rooms. The cost difference between the MYW ticket that she would have purchased for herself and the cost of an AP could be worth it. She would not have to buy a package, so she would be able to get tickets from UCT or another ticket discounter for the rest of the family. If she wants to add a dining plan, she could ask for an AP package with dining.

Of course, this doesn't take the cost of travel into consideration. But you might want to check Southwest out of Boston. Their rates out of Philadelphia recently dropped. It might be the same for other airports.

 

[fofinia]

@chris- I'm not sure if driving is an option for them. And I'm not sure if she wants to cook. I always like to have the option even if I don't use it! I will definitely recommend they have a car if they stay off site. And again I'm not sure if they want to do other attractions. I know I'm a lot of help!

@momoflizanddains -Renting points is an option possibly. But they would need about 310 points for a 2 bedroom. At the current rate of $10-12 per point it would come out to $3100 - 3720. That would be a savings over the discount rate disney had for Saratoga which was $3776 including tax. Actually only a good savings if she could get the rental for $10 a point. Problem is I don't have enough points to book that for her and I'm not sure what would be available this late in the game for peak season. I'll have to check the rent/trade board to see what's going on there.

@marionette- I totally forgot about the AP discount room rate. But I can't find it online anywhere what the rate is for July. And I don't have a pass anymore to check it on Disney's site. The only thing I found is Mousesavers lists a percentage off rack rate.
Annual Passholder Room-Only Discounts

Stay dates: 6/3/11-8/13/11. Get a discount of 20%-35% off regular "Rack" rates. Pricing and percent off will vary by resort type and date. Use code QT9. Rates not available for all dates and resorts, but generally the discounts run as follows:

Save 20% at select Disney Value Resorts
Save 20% at select Disney Moderate Resorts
Save 30% at select Disney Deluxe* Resorts
Save 35% at select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

Probably won't be much help for the value or mods since i can't find any availability through Disney's website. And I hate calling!!

Thanks for the advice.

Has anyone stayed at Sheraton Vistana for a review?

 

[Cierese]

http://www.disneyyouth.com/register/?location=WDW&program=individual-enrollment


check out what is still available for YES individual enrollment and get tix through them...could save about 40-50% off of tickets.

Good luck!!

oh yeah.. no need to be a 'group' just has to be at least all adults have at least one kid that can attend the program! We are going to the American Story on July 20th! Can't wait! (grandparents count as immediate family -what we have going is myself, DS11, DD9, DS3 and my parents then my neice 7 and nephew 4) Also, the only ones actually attending the class is my parents, DS11 and DD9... but we ALL still get tickets at the YES rate!!

My DS9 and I will be flying to MCO from Boston and I can tell you that the flight prices have dropped around $50 one way in less than a month... I'm holding out on the flight.. though if I had the benefit of going RT I'd go thru priceline. That's just me, but we are flying one way and then driving home to Nashville with the rest of the family. Might want to search on tripadvisor for flights as well. Last year it was way cheaper to fly from PVD over BOS. Another weird tidbit... I notice the flight prices sometimes drop in the middle of the night.. see I'm weird, I know

BTW: This is good because you can buy tix separate and still collect on the 'room only' discounts.... only downside is you may have to pay out of pocket for food, but depending on how/what one normally eats this COULD potentially save $$ as well! However I did notice you speaking of maybe renting DVC points. We are going thru and RCI trade in and we will be able to get the dining plan if we decide to, but I was told that you only have to pay for that within 48hr of arrival? Just have to call DVC member services for this.

 

[fofinia]

http://www.disneyyouth.com/register/?location=WDW&program=individual-enrollment


check out what is still available for YES individual enrollment and get tix through them...could save about 40-50% off of tickets.

Good luck!!

oh yeah.. no need to be a 'group' just has to be at least all adults have at least one kid that can attend the program! We are going to the American Story on July 20th! Can't wait! (grandparents count as immediate family -what we have going is myself, DS11, DD9, DS3 and my parents then my neice 7 and nephew 4) Also, the only ones actually attending the class is my parents, DS11 and DD9... but we ALL still get tickets at the YES rate!!

My DS9 and I will be flying to MCO from Boston and I can tell you that the flight prices have dropped around $50 one way in less than a month... I'm holding out on the flight.. though if I had the benefit of going RT I'd go thru priceline. That's just me, but we are flying one way and then driving home to Nashville with the rest of the family. Might want to search on tripadvisor for flights as well. Last year it was way cheaper to fly from PVD over BOS. Another weird tidbit... I notice the flight prices sometimes drop in the middle of the night.. see I'm weird, I know

BTW: This is good because you can buy tix separate and still collect on the 'room only' discounts.... only downside is you may have to pay out of pocket for food, but depending on how/what one normally eats this COULD potentially save $$ as well! However I did notice you speaking of maybe renting DVC points. We are going thru and RCI trade in and we will be able to get the dining plan if we decide to, but I was told that you only have to pay for that within 48hr of arrival? Just have to call DVC member services for this.

Thank youfor the reminder on the YES program. I had done this for myself the first time it was mentioned on here. It was great. I didn't even think of it for my friend. So that will definitely save money for her!! Thanks,

Currently, it seems flights from PVD are cheaper than Bos and I did mention that to her. So do you live up here? Or are you from Nashville? How do you end up starting your trip up here. I know I'm being nosy! Sorry!

Just a note for you on the dining plan. When you add the dining plan to your DVC reservation you have to pay for it immediately. So I believe you can wait up till 48 hours before your trip to add it but if you decide to add it sooner you have to pay right away. Not sure if you knew that part or not. Just wanted to clarify in case you didn't!

Thanks again for the YES reminder. I'm going to check into that now!

 

[Mickey & Minnie Mom]

If one of the kids is under age 3, they would be able to stay in a deluxe resort that sleeps 5 (YC&BC, GF, CR, Poly), which would make the discount a good deal.

If all kids are over age 3, getting 2 rooms at a deluxe avoiding categories like themepark or water view could be less expensive than the 2 bedroom at SSR ... more so if you look at WL or AKL.

Also, getting 2 rooms at a moderate resort would be a nice compromise of having more of a resort feel (slides, restaurants, feature pools, etc.) than 2 value room resorts if looking to not go all out.

Also, I wouldn't recommend the park hopping option and use that money toward the room. Not sure if they are first timers, but if they are, I thinking hopping eats a lot of your time and can be more difficult to navigate for someone unfamiliar with how to get from here to there at WDW. Best to pick one park, take a break if necesssary which it will be in July, enjoy the pool and then return to the same park that evening. Even if they are not new, you can still use the same plan and save some money for other things (like a nicer room) and have a great time at the parks without hopping.

Buying tickets separating from someone like Undercover Tourist or AAA and booking room only usually saves some money as well.

 

[Schmoodle]

In answer to your question, I would personally much prefer a condo offsite to two hotel rooms anywhere. Especially with that many people. We really enjoy having a little space to spread out, even though there's usually only 3 or 4 of us, and having a kitchen is really nice. I've stayed at Sheraton Vistana. It was a few years ago, but it was spacious and it's very nice. I think you would definitely want a car though.

 

[JAA'smom]

Here are the rates for the dates July 8 - July 15:

POR Riverside is $1193 for one standard view room
WL is 1748 for one room standard view
POP $912 for one standard room
These are for one room with 2 adults and 2 children.

These are the rates for all 6 in one room:

Cabin at FW is $2138
SSR is $3506 For 2 BR

Let me know if you want me to check other dates or different resorts for you. Hope this help

 

[fofinia]

If one of the kids is under age 3, they would be able to stay in a deluxe resort that sleeps 5 (YC&BC, GF, CR, Poly), which would make the discount a good deal.

If all kids are over age 3, getting 2 rooms at a deluxe avoiding categories like themepark or water view could be less expensive than the 2 bedroom at SSR ... more so if you look at WL or AKL.

Also, getting 2 rooms at a moderate resort would be a nice compromise of having more of a resort feel (slides, restaurants, feature pools, etc.) than 2 value room resorts if looking to not go all out.

Also, I wouldn't recommend the park hopping option and use that money toward the room. Not sure if they are first timers, but if they are, I thinking hopping eats a lot of your time and can be more difficult to navigate for someone unfamiliar with how to get from here to there at WDW. Best to pick one park, take a break if necesssary which it will be in July, enjoy the pool and then return to the same park that evening. Even if they are not new, you can still use the same plan and save some money for other things (like a nicer room) and have a great time at the parks without hopping.

Buying tickets separating from someone like Undercover Tourist or AAA and booking room only usually saves some money as well.

Thanks! I usually park hop so i didn't really even consider non park hopper tickets. I believe this is their first trip as a family. So i will mention to her about the $$$ savings by not purchasing it.

And I'm pretty sure her youngest is all ready three. Bummer she didn't go last year. Before her oldest aged out of kids and her youngest was still free!!

In answer to your question, I would personally much prefer a condo offsite to two hotel rooms anywhere. Especially with that many people. We really enjoy having a little space to spread out, even though there's usually only 3 or 4 of us, and having a kitchen is really nice. I've stayed at Sheraton Vistana. It was a few years ago, but it was spacious and it's very nice. I think you would definitely want a car though.

Thanks! The Vistana looks great. And I thought I had heard good reviews there. I priced out the Wyndham Bonnet Creek since it is right near the Boardwalk. And it was $204 night. that week with taxes it would be $1609.37! I thought that was pretty great. For a 2 bedroom. the Vistana was a few hundred cheaper I think. I prefer to have a car no matter what so I'm recommending that to her.

Here are the rates for the dates July 8 - July 15:

POR Riverside is $1193 for one standard view room
WL is 1748 for one room standard view
POP $912 for one standard room
These are for one room with 2 adults and 2 children.

These are the rates for all 6 in one room:

Cabin at FW is $2138
SSR is $3506 For 2 BR

Let me know if you want me to check other dates or different resorts for you. Hope this help

Thank you so much for checking for me!!!! So if POP is $912 for 1 room it would be $1824 for 2 rooms. HMMM so Sheraton Vistana and Bonnet Creek are less. That's pretty good. And the SSR rate is pretty equal to what renting points would be so no savings by renting. I wonder if she would like a cabin? her DH probably would more so than her! LOL!

Thanks again! I really appreciate you taking the time to check for me. Now I just need to hear back from her what she thinks of the overabundance of info I've been emailing her!!!