** Opening Day Pricing Summer 2022: Wish **

[crazy4wdw]

What time can you book online??

 

[TammiMcMan]

It’s been opening at 7:30am the past few days

 

[Dugette]

I haven't actually booked yet because we have to wait for Costco Travel to open, but I have what we want pulled up on the website, so I'll share what I'm seeing Silver morning (midship):
Wish 8/22-8/26 Category 04C 2A1K(9) $4297.96 ($1604, $1604, $806.40, $283.56 Tax)

Just to follow up. We had an awful booking experience with Costco, but managed to get booked yesterday (Silver). I literally spent 12 hours on Disney's site holding the stateroom we wanted in our cart. When Costco FINALLY got a hold of Disney, we dropped the stateroom (showing the price above) and they picked it up to apply our OBB/Placeholder. And it ended up saving us almost no $ because it took Costco the entire day to book this (and we called the second they opened) and prices went up all day. Final price WITH the OBB is almost the same as what I'd have gotten online in the morning without it:
S Wish 8/22-8/26 Category 04C 2A1K(9) $4185.24 ($1587.96, $1587.96, $725.76, $283.56 Tax)

 

[MickeySwirl]

Just to follow up. We had an awful booking experience with Costco, but managed to get booked yesterday (Silver). I literally spent 12 hours on Disney's site holding the stateroom we wanted in our cart. When Costco FINALLY got a hold of Disney, we dropped the stateroom (showing the price above) and they picked it up to apply our OBB/Placeholder. And it ended up saving us almost no $ because it took Costco the entire day to book this (and we called the second they opened) and prices went up all day. Final price WITH the OBB is almost the same as what I'd have gotten online in the morning without it:
S Wish 8/22-8/26 Category 04C 2A1K(9) $4185.24 ($1587.96, $1587.96, $725.76, $283.56 Tax)

And this is why DCL needs to make it possible to apply your OBB online and not have to go through the awful phone waits on opening booking days!!

 

[Dug720]

And this is why DCL needs to make it possible to apply your OBB online and not have to go through the awful phone waits on opening booking days!!

OR why using a dedicated travel agent rather than a big box store that decided to open a "travel agency" is a good idea.

 

[Dugette]

OR why using a dedicated travel agent rather than a big box store that decided to open a "travel agency" is a good idea.

I've been wondering - do you know if a non-Costco TA would have access different than Costco does? Do they have another number to call or online option? Because Disney requires a call to use a placeholder, right? Just knowing what I know now, I wish I skipped using my placeholder and just booked online myself to avoid the lost day that was yesterday. I prefer to have control of my reservation anyway - I wouldn't do this again.

 

[dina444444]

I've been wondering - do you know if a non-Costco TA would have access different than Costco does? Do they have another number to call or online option? Because Disney requires a call to use a placeholder, right? Just knowing what I know now, I wish I skipped using my placeholder and just booked online myself to avoid the lost day that was yesterday. I prefer to have control of my reservation anyway - I wouldn't do this again.

I think the issue with Costco is that they open 2 hours after Disney opened phone lines, so you have to get through to Costco and then Costco has to get through to Disney. A regular TA from an independent agency would have been on the phone when Disney’s phone lines opened and would have had all your info ready to go etc.

 

[Dugette]

I think the issue with Costco is that they open 2 hours after Disney opened phone lines, so you have to get through to Costco and then Costco has to get through to Disney. A regular TA from an independent agency would have been on the phone when Disney’s phone lines opened and would have had all your info ready to go etc.

That makes sense, thanks. We called Costco the second they opened (and a few days earlier to verify they had our info right), but it does no good by then.

 

[HokieRaven5]

GEN Wish 8/22-8/26 08C 2A2K(6,4) $5185 (1597|1597|806|806, $378.08 Tax) No INS/TRANS/AIR/OBB

 

[Dug720]

I've been wondering - do you know if a non-Costco TA would have access different than Costco does? Do they have another number to call or online option? Because Disney requires a call to use a placeholder, right? Just knowing what I know now, I wish I skipped using my placeholder and just booked online myself to avoid the lost day that was yesterday. I prefer to have control of my reservation anyway - I wouldn't do this again.

I have heard - though I don't know - that there is a dedicated TA line. I don't know if that includes big box things like Costco or if it is exclusive to agencies that are designated as Disney specialists. I do know that when things are only booked by phone, the agency my agent is with creates teams of agents who work together. They are all on the phone for their clients, but when they get through, they let the rest of the team know and will work on reservations for other team members if they have not gotten through yet after getting their clients holds.

BUT the biggest difference is I don't have the double hold thing going on. My TA and I will be in contact prior to release and she knows what I'm looking for so she can get right on (either online or on the phone) when they open things up and get going on it. Example: for Gold booking day, I emailed her on Sunday with my 1st choice and then a selection of cabins as a second choice and then a third choice of "ANY non-connecting veranda" so I didn't have to wait on hold on Monday to tell her what I wanted and then her have to be on hold.

As I understand it, the big box agencies don't take the information prior to opening, so those who use them have a double wait - they wait to talk to a big box "agent" and then the big box "agent" has to wait on hold to talk with Disney. So even if they do have access to a dedicated agency line, you're already behind the 8-ball by having to wait to tell them what you want.

 

[Dug720]

I think the issue with Costco is that they open 2 hours after Disney opened phone lines, so you have to get through to Costco and then Costco has to get through to Disney. A regular TA from an independent agency would have been on the phone when Disney’s phone lines opened and would have had all your info ready to go etc.

Yep. Exactly as I said just now. My agent and I were in communication on Sunday and she had my wish list so she knew exactly what I wanted on Monday without my having to call her first to tell her, then waiting for her to call them. (As it happened since I wasn't using a placeholder, she was able to get it online right after her buddy let her know that the website was live.)

 

[Dugette]

I have heard - though I don't know - that there is a dedicated TA line. I don't know if that includes big box things like Costco or if it is exclusive to agencies that are designated as Disney specialists. I do know that when things are only booked by phone, the agency my agent is with creates teams of agents who work together. They are all on the phone for their clients, but when they get through, they let the rest of the team know and will work on reservations for other team members if they have not gotten through yet after getting their clients holds.

BUT the biggest difference is I don't have the double hold thing going on. My TA and I will be in contact prior to release and she knows what I'm looking for so she can get right on (either online or on the phone) when they open things up and get going on it. Example: for Gold booking day, I emailed her on Sunday with my 1st choice and then a selection of cabins as a second choice and then a third choice of "ANY non-connecting veranda" so I didn't have to wait on hold on Monday to tell her what I wanted and then her have to be on hold.

As I understand it, the big box agencies don't take the information prior to opening, so those who use them have a double wait - they wait to talk to a big box "agent" and then the big box "agent" has to wait on hold to talk with Disney. So even if they do have access to a dedicated agency line, you're already behind the 8-ball by having to wait to tell them what you want.

Thanks for the explanation! Someone on another thread told me that Costco used to open at 5am PST before the pandemic, but is still on pandemic hours, so I guess that explains a lot. We normally book things ourselves, but had our prior cruise booked through Costco (no placeholder then) and it went well. They need to fix their opening hours on high demand days, at least. But anyway, what Costco told us is that they also sort of work in teams - reps are taking calls from clients and passing the info to someone who is strictly on the phone with Disney doing bookings. Clearly, that didn't go well for them yesterday and I have my doubts as to how dedicated they were - but, regardless of what happened, I wanted to post a big caution to anyone who is thinking of transferring an OBB to them. The Costco gift card we'll get was not worth the nightmare that was yesterday. Didn't want to derail this thread, but I really appreciate the info on how other TAs work, as we are not usually TA people at all.

 

[plutolovr]

Thanks for the explanation! Someone on another thread told me that Costco used to open at 5am PST before the pandemic, but is still on pandemic hours, so I guess that explains a lot. We normally book things ourselves, but had our prior cruise booked through Costco (no placeholder then) and it went well. They need to fix their opening hours on high demand days, at least. But anyway, what Costco told us is that they also sort of work in teams - reps are taking calls from clients and passing the info to someone who is strictly on the phone with Disney doing bookings. Clearly, that didn't go well for them yesterday and I have my doubts as to how dedicated they were - but, regardless of what happened, I wanted to post a big caution to anyone who is thinking of transferring an OBB to them. The Costco gift card we'll get was not worth the nightmare that was yesterday. Didn't want to derail this thread, but I really appreciate the info on how other TAs work, as we are not usually TA people at all.

Also, with Costco, you don't get a dedicated agent. If you use an agency like Dreams Unlimited Travel, who sponsors these boards, you get an agent assigned to you, and you deal with him/her directly. They will be familiar with your reservation, family, etc. It's more personal. The only time you would deal with a different agent is if your agent is on vacation. In that case they will have someone covering for them in their absence.

 

[TorontoGirl]

On Hold for 2 HOURS!!!! and website still down!

 

[TorontoGirl]

Whoo Hoo! Gold got in early this AM and I put in a hold for the below - deposit of $536.00 is due Thu May 27th by 11:59pm EST.

Wish - Sep 19th - 23rd - Standard Inside Stateroom 11A
$1,028.00 /$1,028.00 /$624 (3rd adult) - taxes/fees/port $283.56 = $2,963.56

CONFIRMED!!! Also NO ins/trans/air/OBB

 

[CamColt]

I think we are caught up on everything through yesterday, silver bookings. If anything else needs to be added please post here.
Thanks again everyone!

 

[HokieRaven5]

Thank you everyone who responded to my requests for quotes over the last few days. You really helped this first time DCL cruiser get an idea of what stateroom to prioritize on my budget!!!

 

[ILovePixieDust]

G Aug 29-Sept 2 11C 2A2K (13,15) [1072] [1072] [680] [680] taxes [378.08] total $3882.08

Disneyworld followed by the Disney Wish seems like a great way to break this COVID imposed travel fast!

I changed our room!

Now it's:
Aug 29-Sept 2 7A Guaranteed 2A2K (13,15) [1272] [1272] [688] [688] taxes [378.08] total $4,298.08

 

[JWG]

Ah, the opening day sticky has been unstuck....

 

[poohj80]

I've been wondering - do you know if a non-Costco TA would have access different than Costco does? Do they have another number to call or online option? Because Disney requires a call to use a placeholder, right? Just knowing what I know now, I wish I skipped using my placeholder and just booked online myself to avoid the lost day that was yesterday. I prefer to have control of my reservation anyway - I wouldn't do this again.

I don't know about Costco, but I have heard Pete and John both mention on the Podcast that their agents help each other out. Once one gets through on the phone and gets all their clients booked, they can help other agents who are still on hold with their reservations so it's a network of TAs working for you instead of just one.