Okay, tell me how you scored that cheap room at HoJos....

[lntsmom]

I keep hearing that there are "entertainment" prices that are nearly $100 below rack rates.

Three years ago I used the link on Mousesavers and, due to dithering, lost my chance to get a room at $55 a night, but only ended up paying $65 a night. I haven't seen prices anywhere near that since.

My concern about using Priceline or Expedia is that there are some hotels along Harbor and Kinsella that I would really not ever want to stay at. I have seen some good specials when you get further away from the park, and now that my kids are older, I guess being close isn't such a major issue.

So, if you've recently stayed at a good hotel that you were able to book for a great price, please share where you stayed and how you got the deal.

My boys are still leaning toward Chicago, but our vacation next summer may depend on airfares, and it seems that there are more deals from here to John Wayne than from here to Midway.

Thanks for any help you can offer!
Beth

 

[bumbershoot]

Entertainment Book available days are here: http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14

Check often, as they do add dates as it gets closer to any given date.


If dates work for you, call them directly, at the 714 number, during Pacific time business hours (not during lunch) and ask for "in house reservations" so that you're talking to the people at the hotel in Anaheim. Get your dates.

If some or all of your dates are unavailable with the EB discount, there's a Dis board rate of 15% off rack rate that you can ask for.

Once you have some or all of your dates reserved at the super-special Anaheim HoJo only, Entertainment Book rate, get yourself an Entertainment Book, available through school fundraisers or entertainment.com. YOu can buy any book that works for you. Your area, another area you'll be traveling to, the OC area...I get the one for my area as it has good coupons that more than make up for the cost of the book (even before including getting HoJo for 4 days at under $300 in May). Be sure you get the book that is valid for your dates (if pre-November this year, get the 2008, if November '08 to the begining of Nov '09, get the '09 version).

There ya go.

 

[avalon451]

Hi, Beth,

Entertainment book: You know the one we're talking about? Coupon book, school groups sell them to raise money, bookstores carry them, you can also order them online. You buy one for your own area. They have a lot of "buy one get one free" type deals. www.entertainment.com

The books are good from Nov 1 - Nov 1. So the 2009 ones are now on sale. You can usually get them heavily discounted after the first few months, so if you're not going till next summer, wait until spring, when you'll be able to pick one up for 10 bucks. (they run $25-35, normally, depending on what area's book you buy)

They also contain a lot of travel discounts, on hotels, rental cars, etc. There is a card stuck to the inside cover of the book; they get the number off that to give you your discount.

HoJo has this amazing deal where they offer their entertainment book rate on certain days. There are more of them in the off season. Sometimes they add new dates at the last minute. For example, there were no dates for July for a long time, then around the end of June, suddenly they added about a dozen July dates. It all depends on how full their capacity is running. Right now they aren't posting any dates past January, and I'm guessing they'll probably hike up the rates a bit in the new year, like $5-10 bucks. But, right now the rates are $59 a night for a standard room, and $74 a night for a deluxe room (that's Disney park facing, with a balcony, new pillowtop mattresses, microwave and fridge in room, free parking and internet). Here's the link with the currently posted dates: http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14

HoJo is the nicest hotel on Harbor, within walking distance (it is as close as DLH or Paradise Pier, just 5 minutes away from the crosswalk on Harbor). It's not the Ritz, but it's a 3 star hotel with 2 very nice pool areas, clean, comfortable rooms, and great customer service. That's why it gets so many raves on this board. At the Ent rate price, you can't beat it.

Right now you would not be able to book at the Ent rate for next summer. But you could call and talk to in-house reservations (call Mon-Fri 9-5 Pacific time, and ask for Lorealle, she's the best) and do not let them shuttle you to the 1-800 national reservations line. Those people don't know about the Ent rate. You could see if you can book for your dates now, and ask when they think the Ent rate might become available (weekdays not near holidays are the best, late June and July are hard to get). When/if the Ent rate becomes available, you can call and rebook for the lower rate.

You don't need to have the Entertainment book on hand to make reservations. They just need your card when you are checking in.

Hope that helps!

 

[konagal]

How many rooms can you book per card?

 

[avalon451]

2

 

[cruise cruise cruise]

How many rooms can you book per card?

I believe 2

 

[cccdisney]

I am fairly sure it is 2 rooms per card.

 

[konagal]

Thank-you.

 

[lntsmom]

Believe it or not, my son is doing a fundraiser with the Entertainment books right now!

I wasn't going to buy one because I was so disgusted with my experience last year. The local one sells for $30. I bought it because it had Disney on Ice and Barnum and Bailey coupons. Well, guess what? When the time for those events came, the coupons were useless. They had restrictions on them that made them impossible to use for the Colorado Springs dates! I don't know if they would have worked in Denver or not...I didn't want to drive that far for the shows.

Just curious, do you have to purchase the Southern CA version to get the correct card, or will any Entertainment Book card work? I know the fundraiser slip had cards from all over the US listed on it. If I need to purchase the one for Southern CA, I will.

Thank you all for the good info! I may be trying to talk my boys into Disney again this summer, after all! (But now you've got me wondering whether the Chicago Entertainment book could get me a break on hotels there...most of them are nearly $200 a night!)

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

You don't need a Southern CA book, your local book card will work fine. From what others tell me the one for down there doesn't even have good coupons for the places around DL, so your better off with your local one.

 

[avalon451]

As far as Chicago hotels... you can get great hotel rates for anywhere; you don't need the local book. That's what the card is for. If you'd like to browse what kind of deals you could get around Chicago, go to the Ent website and they'll let you look around without signing up. Check with tripadvisor.com to see reviews of anyplace that you find a good deal.

If you don't particularly want or need your local Ent book... just buy the cheapest one for anywhere in the US. It will still pay for itself with the HoJo Ent rate.

 

[bumbershoot]

Just curious, do you have to purchase the Southern CA version to get the correct card, or will any Entertainment Book card work?

YOu can buy any book that works for you. Your area, another area you'll be traveling to, the OC area...I get the one for my area as it has good coupons that more than make up for the cost of the book (even before including getting HoJo for 4 days at under $300 in May).

 

[Lou-Ann]

The room I gave up for this coming week was at $59.00 per night. That is why I posted it just prior to cancelling to try and help someone.

 

[Misskitty3]

May I ask a question? We are planning a trip for the 1st week of May. Should I make reservations now at Hojo's and then just keep checking back to see when their ent. rates are posted? Anyone know if they have had ent. rates for Mother's day weekend in the past?

 

[ballarinamom]

Believe it or not, my son is doing a fundraiser with the Entertainment books right now!

I wasn't going to buy one because I was so disgusted with my experience last year. The local one sells for $30. I bought it because it had Disney on Ice and Barnum and Bailey coupons. Well, guess what? When the time for those events came, the coupons were useless. They had restrictions on them that made them impossible to use for the Colorado Springs dates! I don't know if they would have worked in Denver or not...I didn't want to drive that far for the shows.

Just curious, do you have to purchase the Southern CA version to get the correct card, or will any Entertainment Book card work? I know the fundraiser slip had cards from all over the US listed on it. If I need to purchase the one for Southern CA, I will.

Thank you all for the good info! I may be trying to talk my boys into Disney again this summer, after all! (But now you've got me wondering whether the Chicago Entertainment book could get me a break on hotels there...most of them are nearly $200 a night!)

You should not have had problems with not being able to use them locally. This past year's Disney on ICe was not allowed for HSM on Ice but there are 3 other travelling shows right now- Princesses, Nemo and the Incredibles. The Circus is not available for VIP tickets but if you go to the ticket window you should have been allowed to use it for the $22 or less tickets. Sorry. I work for Entertainment and I hate to hear people have bad experiences

 

[Brady's Mom]

I was able to book 3 rooms with one ent. card. (One reservation) We will have 2 cards when we check in, but booked with just one, that I don't have yet!

 

[lntsmom]

If anyone ever asks for feedback, here's what happened:

We went to see Nemo on Ice this spring. The circus was in June. The first time I thought it was a fluke. There were no shows listed at the online address on the coupon, so I took the coupon to the show. It seems there are time restrictions...and they scheduled the shows here so that there were no shows at the times the coupon could be used.

I didn't pay a whole lot of attention until it happened again with the circus. I don't know if it is the Feld folks or the people at the local venue, but they schedule shows so that the coupons are no good. We went to a Saturday show thinking it would be good, but were told that since the local venue only has two shows on Saturday instead of three, there isn't a matinee...and it was only good for the Saturday matinee.

Anyway, thanks to all of you for the great information! I need to go online and see what they have hotel-wise. I'm still holding out for California, lol, but if the kiddies win and we end up in Chicago, I'll at least have a battle plan for next year!

Thanks again!

 

[ballarinamom]

Just read the back of both coupons for both the circus and the ICe show. I also checked 3 other city books and they were the same. "Good for Monday through Thursday and Friday matinees" so they would not have been good on Saturday. You cannot use these online. They have to be redeemed at the venue. Sorry for the problems. Just wanted to clarify that for you incase you want to use it in the future. It really is a good value. Did your venue only have Friday night and Saturday shows?

Also, there is an 800# (1-800-50-HOTEL) they will give the the entertainment rate for hotels in the area you want to travel. You only need a card from anywhere to get the rate. Also try www.entertainment.com/travel for a list

 

[heatherleigh]

My son just brought one of these home today, to sell. The price is $35.

 

[davidsprincess]

My son just brought one of these home today, to sell. The price is $35.

Not a bad price. We pay $50.00