Need Help Giving Advice

[PollyannaMom]

A co-worker of DH's who knows I'm a big Disney fan has asked my advice on "the cheapest way to book".

* Note this is not "really" what she means. - She's not looking for the "stay off site and pack peanut butter sandwiches" type of trip. She does want to stay on property, but would just like to avoid paying the highest rates. She's asking because she doesn't want to miss something obvious (to DISers) as far as knowing what's out there.

But I admit I haven't been as budget-conscious on the last couple of trips as I used to be. We've reached the point where we can splurge a bit on our vacations, and I've gotten lazy. But she's younger and where we were a while ago, so I'm asking about newer developments, like the Disney Springs hotels. - Do I want to point her toward those rather than the regular value resorts? I don't know much about them.

I do know to tell her about Undercover Tourist for tickets, to play around with her dates (if possible) to get better rates, and to watch out for large events like football and cheer competitions at the values.

This is to be a short trip with two park days,
her traveling party is 3 adults and a five-year-old,
and they will not be renting a car.

What tips should I pass along? - TIA

 

[kymom99]

For that short of a trip I’d recommend a value resort. Have her sign up for the mousesavers newsletter

 

[focusondisney]

Are her dates set in stone? And how far out does she want to plan? The easiest way to avoid the highest prices is to avoid traveling over major holidays. Early September can have some of the best deals. Search out the resort “seasons” & try to travel at value seasons will get you the lowest resort prices right off the bat.

To really get the best deal she should wait for a discount/ promo to come out & book quickly when it does. That would give her the most options at a discount. With 3 adults, free dining at a value might be the best deal. But the recent offers have required a longer stay I think. I would hold off on ticket purchases until she decides for sure on a discount or promo because ticket purchases are sometimes required.

There is a Disney public room discount for the summer out now. So she could check if that works. There is a travel agency that has exclusive deals for some dates & Pop is included in their deals. You have to google search for the agency.

Personally I wouldn’t do the Disney Springs resorts unless there is no other option. They don’t get Magical Express but I am not familiar with their transportation options. I don’t know if your friend would have to pay for airport transfers or if the resorts there have some other option. Pretty sure it would not be as convenient as on site resorts & with such a short trip, convenience & efficiency will be important.

Does she or anyone she is traveling with have a Target Red card? She could buy Disney gift cards with their 5% discount. That could be used to pay her hotel, food & souvenirs onsite. Not a huge amount, but better than nothing.

Many people use travel agents to because they don’t have time or want to watch for discounts to come out. So she could try that if she doesn’t want to watch her self. The Discounts subforum on the resorts board is a great place to keep an eye on. Discounts get posted immediately when they come out. So just pointing her there can help her. That’s all I can think of for now.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Thanks for the replies so far!

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'd go for honesty.

I'd actually say it's hard to do Disney cheaply anymore. Your best bet is to decide what you value most, and book from there. As far as tickets, the best value may be the 4 day magic tickets, so you can try each park, and know what you like best next time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

but I am not familiar with their transportation options. I don’t know if your friend would have to pay for airport transfers or if the resorts there have some other option.

No, she would have to find her own transportation to Hotel Plaz Boulevard. Now, she could take the Lynx 111 bus from the airport, and connect to the route 50 bus to Disney Springs, then walk to a hotel, for $2-$4.

The Disney Springs properties have their own scheduled, regular, all day and into the night bus shared bus system.

 

[Darcy03231]

Since she's not going to have a car, I would stay in one of the value resorts. With only two park days I also wouldn't bother with park hoppers - just pick the two parks you want to do. Undercover tourist doesn't have any discounts on 2 day tickets so she should just go ahead and buy them through Disney. There's a current promotion for a percentage off at the value resorts that runs through late summer/early fall.

 

[laughinplace199]

Undercover Tourist sometimes has good hotels deals too. I'm planning a trip this summer and some of the resorts I'm looking at were cheaper on UT than the Disney site, even with the summer promo.

 

[Batstang2000]

You might want to inquire about renting DVC points. That way you get DME and resort to park transportation. There are several sites which coordinate these rentals, in fact these boards have a DVC rental thread.

 

[mjkacmom]

You might want to inquire about renting DVC points. That way you get DME and resort to park transportation. There are several sites which coordinate these rentals, in fact these boards have a DVC rental thread.

We rented points from folks I found on the DVC board. It’s great if you are looking for deluxe while paying for moderate, we rented a 2 bedroom villa for the cost of 2 moderate rooms, but values are still cheaper, especially going through a 3rd party.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Thanks, everyone!