Need help, please!

[ZooMommy]

Ok, y'all, there's a fountain of information on these boards and I'm sure the answers are out there somewhere, but I need to ask some questions quick before my sick kiddo's holler AGAIN (both have strep and school starts tomorrow....sigh....)

In the past, I have usually used AmEx's White Glove packages when planning WDW visits; however, from reading Mousesavers, I'm starting to believe that it would be better financially if I book everything separately, so here go my questions! Grab a Coke/iced tea/cup of coffee and visit the potty first, I'm gonna type quick and this may be long!

1. Which is better to purchase for sizeable hotel discounts - an AP or join the Disney Club? Or should I just use a code? We'd prefer to stay at a moderate resort, but if the discounts are good enough, I'D like concierge at a deluxe!

2. Is the $49/room for AS resorts still available? Is there a code for that? Would it be good for the week of 12/21-28/02? Since we did the 7 day MAGICal cruise this year, money is a bit tight, but we're SO ready to visit the parks now!

3. I'm assuming the water parks would be closed then, so do Park Hopper tickets reflect a price decrease? If the water parks ARE open, we probably wouldn't use them anyway, so is there a pass just for the 4 "big" parks?

4. If I book everything separately, what about trip insurance just in case a blizzard blows thru Chicago (which I AM hoping for, so it'll kill off the skeeters and flies!) and we can't make our flight? Obviously, that's a last minute thing that COULD come up and I'd hate to pay for a vacation we're not on....

5. Has anyone ever NOT rented a car for a week-long stay? The last time we were there was in '97 and we drove down, but we lived a lot closer then and I REFUSE to spend 2 days down and back in the car (unless I get my wish and get a Suburban with soundproofing between the kids and me - heck, I need that now for carpool! LOL)

6. We used transfers for our cruise this past July; are they also offered when staying at a resort? Or what about Happy Limo? We're a family of 4, so we'd have 4 pieces of luggage (and I'm SO thankful not to have formal nights!!!) Do the resorts have shuttles from MCO? What about the other "Disney" hotels that aren't part of the park?

7. Is it better to stay at the park or off-site? We really enjoyed coming in the night before and staying at the DoubleTree; I'd like some opinions from those who've done both.

8. Would it be best for me to tell my AAA TA what I'm trying to do (book separately for the best prices) and let HER deal with it? Or should I do that and, if so, who do I call? When I talked to her a few days ago, she said that she didn't have any Disney info, it would be out around mid-September. I'm not sure if I explained it right or if she was talking about a AAA package (like we used for our cruise)

That's all I can think of right now - I REALLY appreciate these boards, but y'all make my head hurt with all the useful tips! I don't like details, but I will endure them to save money and ensure our family has a great vacation! THANK YOU for reading this!!!

 

[cindyfan]

We have always felt that doing everything yourself is best.......that being said let's see about your questions......
1 & 2. Typically an AP will get the best discounts, but the codes that anyone can use are just as good. Look at mousesavers.com to see what is best for you. The AP rates only go through 12/19 so the CKO code would work...it runs til 12/25. As long as check in is before 12/25 you should get the discounted rate for the whole stay. This code gives All Stars at $55/night.
3. The regular hopper pass is for the 4 parks, it is the "plus" pass that includes the water parks. I think in Dec, Typhoon Lagoon is still open....but not sure. So no need to buy a "plus" pass if you are not going to the water parks.

4. not sure about trip insurance, but if you reserve through WDW youself the cancellation is 5 days previous and you get a full refund.

5 & 6. All the resorts have some kind of shuttle......on-site or off.
With a family of 4, I think something like Tiffany Towncar would work best. You pay a flat rate for a round trip.....the others including Mears which WDW uses alot it is pay per person.
We always rent a car, but it usually is parked at the resort most of the time. The bus system at WDW is great!

7. Off-site or on-site....is a debate that will go on and on.....especially since WDW has cut alot of the perks like early entry. BUT..........IMHO.....you can't beat on-site. If you can get a great rate....go for it.

8. Forget about going through AAA or a TA!!! They will only try to get you "packages" and you will save more on your own!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[ZooMommy]

Wow, Cindyfan, that's a lot of good information! Thank you so much for your help!!! Looks like I'm going to be on the phone with CRO this afternoon making December ressies for us and praying that our blizzard won't come in that week! LOL Thanks again for the info!!!

 

[dcedwards]

ZooMommy

We've always booked on our own. Seemed to get better deals that way. But, the last two trips I have let Dreams Unlimited to my hotel reservations. Both times they have watched the codes, etc. and my rates have always dropped. But, we typically make our ressies about a year out or so.

The park hopper passes, while they do include water parks also include Disney Quest, I think as a "plus" and pleasure island. If you are wanting to go to either one of those then you might want to consider getting the plus passes. It can save you money depending on whether you will use the plusses.

Each time we have gone in Dec. Blizzard Beach has been open. Typhoon Lagoon, the last couple years was closed for rehab. You can check on the DIS site, I think, or the WDW site to find out what things are closed down when you are there. We have always found that at least one day was warm enough to spend at the waterparks while we were there and it was nice considering we used to live in Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington. Now that we are in AZ being able to swim in Dec. isn't such a big deal.

We have never rented a car. Always used WDW transportation. To get from the Airport to the hotel we use Tiffany Towncar. They have been excellent each time we've used them. Very reasonable and dependable. When we did have a problem Debbie took care of it immediately. There are also a couple of others out there including Happy Limo but we haven't used them. You can post on the transportation board to get opinions on all those you might be considering.

Onsite vs. offsite. The debate goes on. We've decided the only option for us in onsite. We like being immersed in Disney 24-7. There is just something about it.

As far as discounts, we found out AAA discount to be comparable to that of DC. Plus, the cancellation policy is much better. Now, with mousesavers you can find out codes out that that are very comparable to the lowest discount (all info in one place) without having to join anything so that is nice. That being said, we have always found that our AP rate has beat the codes each time for our trips. Sometimes, though, by only $5 dollars, though. The catch is that AP rates may not be offered for the times you are going or may not be available.

 

[Carrieberry]

1. Which is better to purchase for sizeable hotel discounts - an AP or join the Disney Club? Or should I just use a code? We'd prefer to stay at a moderate resort, but if the discounts are good enough, I'D like concierge at a deluxe!



Well the codes are usually comprable to both the DC discount or AP discount ( AP is usually a little bit better than DC), but sometimes they are better since the DC only discounts their hotels (up to 20% off rack rates) during different times of the year. So depending on when you are going the DC discount can be decent. Unfortunately, if you want to book a year out, you will probably have to book rack rate and then switch it over to a discount about 6 months out. The DC rates usually come out first, then the codes, then the AP's.

2. Is the $49/room for AS resorts still available? Is there a code for that? Would it be good for the week of 12/21-28/02? Since we did the 7 day MAGICal cruise this year, money is a bit tight, but we're SO ready to visit the parks now!

The codes were only good until 12/25, but I have heard that if you book with the code, and you check in before the code expires, then you can use the discounted rate for the entire stay, like cindyfan said. They are not available for AS Movies (are avail at Sports and Music) or Coronado Springs, but we got AKL savannah view for $159 and I know standard view was $119-very low for a deluxe!

3. I'm assuming the water parks would be closed then, so do Park Hopper tickets reflect a price decrease? If the water parks ARE open, we probably wouldn't use them anyway, so is there a pass just for the 4 "big" parks?

BB is always open, and Typhoon Lagoon is always closed. River Country is closed as well because the water is from the lake and it is too darn cold that time of year, and they can't heat it. Unfortuneately, the passes don't reflect any discounts. The longest pass without plus options for water parks would be a regular 5 day hopper. Includes just the four major parks. If you are going for 7 days and you don't want to do any parks on your travel days, this could work great for you!

4. If I book everything separately, what about trip insurance just in case a blizzard blows thru Chicago (which I AM hoping for, so it'll kill off the skeeters and flies!) and we can't make our flight? Obviously, that's a last minute thing that COULD come up and I'd hate to pay for a vacation we're not on....

You can buy trip insurance seperately through AAA I think, there are many other companies also, and if you book through CRO, then you will have that 5 day cancellation period, though that doesn't help with your airfare if you can't fly out.

5. Has anyone ever NOT rented a car for a week-long stay? The last time we were there was in '97 and we drove down, but we lived a lot closer then and I REFUSE to spend 2 days down and back in the car (unless I get my wish and get a Suburban with soundproofing between the kids and me - heck, I need that now for carpool! LOL)

We never rent a car and last time we were down there 10 days. The All Stars have great bus service (the other resorts do as well) and we have never missed having a car. We use Tiffany Town car to get to MCO and back and they have always been great!

6. We used transfers for our cruise this past July; are they also offered when staying at a resort? Or what about Happy Limo? We're a family of 4, so we'd have 4 pieces of luggage (and I'm SO thankful not to have formal nights!!!) Do the resorts have shuttles from MCO? What about the other "Disney" hotels that aren't part of the park?


Ususally from MCO you need to take a limo, Mears shuttle, or town car service to the resorts. Mears shuttle (vans) are the official transportation provider for WDW. They run about $25 per adult round trip. You can book any of the above easily from each companies web sites. Like I said, we have always used a town car service for up to 5 people. The trunks are large enough for luggage without a problem. Not sure about other off site hotels having shuttles since we have always stayed on site.

7. Is it better to stay at the park or off-site? We really enjoyed coming in the night before and staying at the DoubleTree; I'd like some opinions from those who've done both.

I would never stay off site again after staying on site, but many people do and enjoy it. If you stay off site the entire, you will definitely need to rent a car. Even the ones with shuttle service to the parks are highly unreliable. They come at scheduled times and it's very inconvienient to have to watch your watch so you don't miss the shuttle there and back.


8. Would it be best for me to tell my AAA TA what I'm trying to do (book separately for the best prices) and let HER deal with it? Or should I do that and, if so, who do I call? When I talked to her a few days ago, she said that she didn't have any Disney info, it would be out around mid-September. I'm not sure if I explained it right or if she was talking about a AAA package (like we used for our cruise)

I would try to just do it yourself or use Dreams unlimited. They know all the ins and outs of Disney and can get you the best rate. Also, if you want to do DC, you can book a package through them with the DC discounted room and trip insurance if that interests you (of course you have to join first).

I know this was just repeating a lot of what others said, but I find that every little bit helps! Hope your little ones feel better soon!