newbie with making reservations

[ninac.]

I've always booked my trips using a travel agent but want to try it on my own this time. We'll be going back to WDW August 2004 with my sister-in-law and her family who have never been there.

When should I start pricing rooms? and more importantly what are some reputable websites I can do this at? or should I just call Disney and see what their rates are? Since I'm new at this I can use all the tips/advice I can get.

Thank you!!! Nina

 

[franw]

Go to mousesavers.com and you will find tons of info on how to go about it. I would print a copy of it and take your time reading it as there is way too much info to try to digest at once. I usually call WDW and ask for CRO and book a "room only" at the resort that I want for the dates I want just to make sure I have my dates covered. Then go to the historical info and see when you can expect to see discounts pop up. Keep your eye on the boards and keep checking mousesavers.com. If there are good discounts you can usually call and change your reservation at the lower rate if you catch it quick enough. Sometimes you may get a better rate on a different resort and you can just cancel the old one and apply the deposit to the new reservation. I know a lot of folks book packages, but I have always found it cheaper to book everything individually. Then again, my needs may be different than others so a package might be a better option for you. Then when it gets close to your reservation date you'll get caught up in the "will they/won't they" frenzy that we all endure. Book what you can afford just in case you don't see any discounts. Don't forget to ask about the AAA rates and look into buying at least one Annual Pass (which you don't need to buy until right before you register) which often allows for greater discounts. Also, make sure you give them your e-mail address just in case they offer selected guests special e-mail rates. That was a new one on me. Good luck.