Newbie questions.

[jsrj21]

I used to use AAA for our trips but they don't offer Disney packages anymore. I switched to Dreams Unlimited Travel 3 years ago and they are great. I am not related in any way to them other than that I've used them for our previous 3 trips and they've gone on without a hitch. Now, for someone new to this, I'd HIGHLY recommend them because of their experience. My family and I had gone to WDW about 12 times before I started using them so I kind of knew what I wanted - but if I were just getting started, the value is priceless! In addition, they continue to monitor any potential opportunities to save you money. Once you book your trip, the reservation shows up on MDE and then you can order your Magicbands, make ressies [even though they'll make those for you too]. Just a great overall product and the service is great.

Best of luck to you and ask away - you've come to the right place [imo] to get the answers to your questions.

 

[Aelgifu]

A note on the strollers, Cast Members can direct you to where to park your stroller and stroller parking is often marked. Be aware, at some point your stroller will be moved. As people move in and out of the area, cast members rearrange the strollers to make more space. It can be hard to pick out your stroller from the jumble, especially if it is two rows over and 10 strollers down from where you left it. The best tip I was given regarding this was to mark your stroller with a balloon or bright scarf so that you can quickly pick it out of the crowd.

 

[howaboutme]

Thanks everyone for the stroller comments. The fact that we need to walk considerably outside of the park seemed to have been lost on me so I appreciate that reminder. Our main concern in the original comment was because our younger one tends to not like to be strapped up. But my guess is that'll change big time walking at WDW.

A few mentioned AAA and it not being a partner with Disney. What does that mean? When I go on to my AAA site, WDW is prominent and all indications is that they book packages. Does a relationship with Disney mean some TA's have better deals then advertised? I know AAA now is offering incentives to book through them like cash back, free subscription to Touringplans, etc....It's a minor enticement but still worth considering for me.

 

[gatormom2tots]

At 2 1/2, she is probably going to still need a stroller. Its a crazy amount of walking!!! The citi-minis that the outside vendors rent are very easy to fold up.

As far as DDP, we have priced it out several times and, for us, it costs more than we normally spend. We are not big on table service...we usually do a couple as character meals. Otherwise we felt like it just takes too long...we would rather be in the park and grab a quick bite somewhere or back at the room napping to gear up for the evening rather than sitting at a table waiting to eat. But if dining is part of the experience, it *Might* be worth it but you have to strategically plan it to get the most bang for your buck!

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks everyone for the stroller comments. The fact that we need to walk considerably outside of the park seemed to have been lost on me so I appreciate that reminder. Our main concern in the original comment was because our younger one tends to not like to be strapped up. But my guess is that'll change big time walking at WDW.

A few mentioned AAA and it not being a partner with Disney. What does that mean? When I go on to my AAA site, WDW is prominent and all indications is that they book packages. Does a relationship with Disney mean some TA's have better deals then advertised? I know AAA now is offering incentives to book through them like cash back, free subscription to Touringplans, etc....It's a minor enticement but still worth considering for me.

Yes, some agencies get special package rates

AAA and Disney used to have an agreement but they no longer do. What you pay through them is the same as through Disney and they no longer have reserved parking

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

You used to be able to get AAA discounts on Disney packages, along with a special parking area and a few other perks. You can still definitely book WDW vacations through AAA, they will be the same price as other travel agents and Disney. The difference is the little side perks that some travel agencies throw in. It's up to you what you decide to do. I've done Dreams Unlimited, AAA, and I've booked directly with Disney. I think Dreams might be a good choice for you with their constant discount checking for you and their vast knowledge and experience with Disney parks. But I've also really enjoyed AAA if the perks sway it for you. My agent was amazing and did so much for me. If you do decide to do it on your own, I would recommend calling WDW to book directly instead of online. I believe that it is easier to make changes when you call instead of online. Plus I love hearing "Have a magical day!" when I say good-bye.

I also want to stress the amount of walking you will be doing. Not only through the parks, to the busses or your car, but also to your room. It seems no matter where you stay, it's going to be a walk. I have some friends who travel with a kindergardener who will climb in the stroller with their toddler at the end of the day.

Depending on discounts, the free dining promotion could be a good option for your family. Otherwise, no, the dining plan isn't usually worth it in terms of money. It might be better for your peace of mind, though.

 

[howaboutme]

Thanks everyone!

Going back to vacation packages. Can someone confirm if you get a deal off of anything when you book a package (meaning room and park tickets and possibly dining)? I understand that some discounts are tied to a package but I am wondering what they do when your dates are not part of any discount (yet, I hope!). I am trying to itemize the costs of a package and on the WDW site, the cart doesn't allow you (easily) to itemize your purchases or reservations.

The purpose of this question is to see if it's possible to book room at one place (like Disney direct), tickets at another (like UT), etc....so it all ends up the most cost effective (in theory).

 

[COscrapper]

howaboutme: we are in the same boat. It seems that yes, you can book your items separately however you want, and that was our plan - we were going to book our hotel on WDW website and get park tix at UT, although then I talked to a Disney agent (small world vacations) who gave me a package price that was pretty good because of the current promos/discounts from WDW. We have since learned that my husband can get discounted park tix since he works for Chase, so NOW we will probably get the tix through Chase, and then book the hotel online...unless small world vacations will do hotel-only reservations, which I doubt (I liked the idea of having someone to help me with all these crazy ADRs and fastpass+ plans, but oh well).

We are shooting for a fall trip, and hoping for a discount. We are flexible on dates, so waiting to see if WDW releases discounts for the fall in a few months...but we will have to be ready to book right away (and I guess make our ADRs already?!?), so I'm trying to figure things out now...

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks everyone!

Going back to vacation packages. Can someone confirm if you get a deal off of anything when you book a package (meaning room and park tickets and possibly dining)? I understand that some discounts are tied to a package but I am wondering what they do when your dates are not part of any discount (yet, I hope!). I am trying to itemize the costs of a package and on the WDW site, the cart doesn't allow you (easily) to itemize your purchases or reservations.

The purpose of this question is to see if it's possible to book room at one place (like Disney direct), tickets at another (like UT), etc....so it all ends up the most cost effective (in theory).

There are deals on packages and there are deals on room only
You can apply any deal that fits your trip parameters at any time they come open.
You can also change your trip to fit the parameters if needed.
For instance, book at CBR now but want WL. If when they announce a promo, WL is included you can switch
What you don't want to do is book room only now, buy tickets from an outside source and then try to book a package later. You'd end up with double tickets and it's probably not cost effective to do that.
Best I can recall, anytime Disney has a promo they have room only discounts. I can't think of any promo they've done that was package only. Even with Free Dining, they offer the free dining package and they offer a room only discount.
You can't combine that discount, it's one or the other but I've never seen them offer a package and not offer some sort of room only at the same time.
If you know you will only book room
One other item to ponder, with a package you only need to check in on the last day of the promo for your entire trip to qualify for the discount. A room only discount, booked at the same time you purchase tickets, qualifies as a package.
With Room Only, only the nights included in the promo are discounted. If your trip extends past the promo dates, the dates outside the promo are not discounted.

 

[piglet1979]

The first time we went with a stroller we did not know that the strollers need to put it in a specific spot. If it is not in that area the CM move them. Took us a little bit to find it. But then we were good after that. There are a few times that the cast members will move the strollers in the area to make room. The only thing that we left in the stroller was water bottles. Everything else we kept in a back pack that we carried.

 

[howaboutme]

Wow, thank you all! I'm getting so many great answers here. What a resource. I figure if our time frame is August 2016, I have some time to research w/o feeling the pressure to talk to a TA or book since I've heard that any deals coming out then won't usually come out until February at the very least. Also knowing it's the slower part helps in not feeling pressure.

Taking detour on topics to non-Disney but on property resorts. I know all of the great benefits in staying on the resort, first dibs, gift shop delivery, the scene and excellent transportation. But what about the other resort properties not affiliated w/ Disney? I have been looking at the Doubletree Suites (as an example) and the rooms look excellent and the suites are significantly cheaper than Disney AofA or elsewhere. That's a difference that is hard to dismiss. One thing our family has to consider is we will be flying and very much not want to rent a car nor have to deal w/ the hassle of finding a cab/uber/etc to take a family of 4 to the resort and worrying about car seats, etc. The ME may be worth it in itself. Can anyone share their own experiences and similar dilemma while researching? You know, all of the pros of a Disney resort plus the fact that the kids will want to stay at one of the as opposed to a "generic" room or hotel vs the obvious cost savings.

Any experiences welcome! Thanks!

 

[IndianaRRT]

We've done both on and offsite. I can't conceive of anything that would make us want to stay offsite again. After a long day in the parks, I might still have a bus ride ahead of me, but I don't want to have to wait on a cab (or try to find it in a mess of other transportation) or drive. For us, it's worth the money to stay on-site.

 

[WDWRook]

We are going for the first time in ages in May, so take this with a grain of salt, but....

Ima long time AAA member and used them many times for travel. They told me that they cannot get any better deals than booking direct, and that they no longer have specialized planners for WDW. We are also using Dreams Unlimited and Krystin Turner and she has been a great resource of information. We spoke to two other agencies and WDW direct, they all can offer the same deals. An Agent just gives you added advice and Krystin added a discount before I even woke up to see a new discount was offered. I can get her email if anyone wants.

DDP. We booked Royal Table dinner, BOg dinner, HDDR dinner and Minnie's Fantasmic Package. All are a good deal under DDP, esp the Fantasmic package. I calculated what we anticipate to order for TS and QS and we save about $250 over a seven night plan. Sure we could eat cheaper, but we are on vacation.

For the 180 day ADR date, make sure you know what parks you wish to be in. We set ADRs for all the EMH day parks, then found this plce that many advice to avoid EMH days. I made a couple changes, but some ADRs could be changed.

 

[Paigesmom2013]

For your question about rooms and tickets, yes, you can book separately. This trip, we're staying onsite and booked the room thru Orbitz with 15% off promo code. Tickets purchased with Undercover Tourist using Mousesavers newsletter link.

I will say that you have to do a few more steps purchasing a la carte like this. E.g. Orbitz had to call Disney and put our kids' names on the reservation. But I can do the legwork to save money. For me, the regular dining plan seemed like too much commitment and the quick service was a rip off.

 

[howaboutme]

Thank you all again for your responses! So much to take in, a bit overwhelming.

Does anyone know if you book a package (room and tickets) NOT during a promo period is anything discounted? Meaning, is at least the tickets discounted because you're booking a package regardless of if your package was a promo or not?

We're looking at the week of either Aug 14th, 21st and possibly 28th depending on school and am wondering if it's a benefit to us to book something now to lock in something so that we can book ADRs for example. 6 months is coming up but I am reading that, historically, deals for mid-late August for the general public don't show up until Spring at the earliest. If I wait until then, I will probably be out of luck with some popular places...maybe (am going during a "low" season though). Any suggestions? Do we need tickets or a room reservation to book ADRs or just a Disney account?

Still not full grasping this part. Thank you in advance!

 

[Doug M]

You will want a stroller, even a 15 dollar one will be good. For example my Dec trip we walked no less than 10 miles a day, two times over 15. A young kid isnt going to be able to do that, let alone multiple days in a row.

 

[fairygagamother]

As easy & tempting as a package may seem, I'd advise to book room only. I know you can save $ doing that, but most importantly, the cancellation policy is much more generous. And for first timers, any of the moderate or value resorts will feel special. Look for online agency discounts (currently disneyworld price + an extra 15% are being offered now). We always used umbrella strollers. Easy to fold & lightweight. Just tip them slightly backwards for nap times! Planning a Disney vacation can easily become an obsession--but what a fun obsession!

 

[WDWRook]

We booked months ago and there were no discounts. A couple weeks ago the discounts were released and our agent applied them immediately to our existing reservation. This allowed us to get our reservation and set ADRs on the first date available.

 

[piglet1979]

We booked before the free dining deal came out last year so we could get the restaurants that we wanted. We added the deal later after the deal came out. One year we used the strollers from WDW and they are ok. Not very comfortable for a little one that wants to sleep. That year my daughter was 4 and feel asleep everyday for a little bit either in my arms or in the stroller. We went again a few weeks after she turned 6. We got a stroller from Magic Stroller. The strollers are between an umbrella stroller and a full size stroller. She still few asleep a few times and these were nice because we could lay them back. The company drops the stroller that your ordered off at bell services at your hotel and at the end of your stay you drop it off at bell services. We braved it this last year when she was 8 and didn't get a stroller and she did great. We also took breaks in the middle of the day for the first time.

 

[Mikie]

Thank you all again for your responses! So much to take in, a bit overwhelming.

Does anyone know if you book a package (room and tickets) NOT during a promo period is anything discounted? Meaning, is at least the tickets discounted because you're booking a package regardless of if your package was a promo or not?

We're looking at the week of either Aug 14th, 21st and possibly 28th depending on school and am wondering if it's a benefit to us to book something now to lock in something so that we can book ADRs for example. 6 months is coming up but I am reading that, historically, deals for mid-late August for the general public don't show up until Spring at the earliest. If I wait until then, I will probably be out of luck with some popular places...maybe (am going during a "low" season though). Any suggestions? Do we need tickets or a room reservation to book ADRs or just a Disney account?

Still not full grasping this part. Thank you in advance!

Strangely, a "package" (room plus tickets, possibly plus dining) offers no discount over the items purchased separately. It only offers different payment terms and a few vouchers with a package that some people enjoy, but I don't think I've ever used! (Boat rental discount at resorts on the water; mini golf discount; 1 admission to Disney quest, etc)

You can book ADRs even if you do not have a trip booked. With a booking, though, you get the benefit of booking your entire length of trip when your first day is 180 days away. Without a trip booked, you would have to call/go online for a dining reservation on day 1 when it is 180 days away, day 2 the next day, day 3 the next day, etc. OR wait a week til your entire trip is within 180 days and lose a few days time advantage, but be able to book all dining at once.