POR in March for $148.00 + Tax - Can I do Better?

[Bill From PA]

I bit the bullet and reserved rooms @ POR for $148 plus tax, etc. in early March just to lock in a room. I called CRO myself and got the AAA rate so I can cancel up to 5 days before. We may still rent points for a DVC two bedroom unit and I'm still scanning for the Teacher's Rate at S/D. I'm wondering if anyone got better than this for a Mod in March '06. I'd buy an AP for myself if I could recover the cost with an AP rate but I'm not seeing that yet. BTW, all three Mods had rooms available at the AAA rate from 3/2 - 3/12.

Bill From PA

 

[Disneytrip]

I did the exact same as you! I got 148 and held it. Last year at the same time I, too, went to Swan with a great teacher's rate, but as you know it isn't available. Actually last night I called Westin on the phone and the man was so rude to me and played dumb about the teacher/nurse/gov. rate. I remember last year when I called I stated that I found the information on Allears and then the res. person gave me the rate. When do you think they'll become available? I reserved POFQ do you think POR is better? I'm going with my boyfriend and we're not going to hit the parks much, mostly going for the great food and atmosphere!

 

[TAKitty]

148 is high, but not for the time of year. You were smart to hold the room. I like POR better. POFQ seemed like a tacky motel to me.

 

[Bill From PA]

Disneytrip,

We went this year from 1/1 - 1/10. Got Swan for the first three days through DU, the last three at Dolphin on their website and had to take the middle 2 at AllStar Mo. I'll never do a three resort switch again but I will go from a Mod to S/D if available. As I recall the S/D rates didn't come out until 4 or 5 weeks before our trip so I was dealing right up to the last month. I figure sometime around the Christmas/NY holidays for the rate to come out, if at all.

Bill From PA

 

[Disneytrip]

I'll keep hunting for rates. Worried now about POFQ but the positive reviews have outweighed the negative.. ?? Wish I could beam myself down to compare with POR!

 

[laurabelle]

I noticed yesterday on Mousesavers while I was changing my Oct. ressies to POFQ (which I have loved staying at 4x before BTW) that Regular Season Rack Rates for 2006 at the Moderate resorts will be $155 compared to the current $149, and it looks like March 2006 is Peak Season at $175 (!), so that looks like a good AAA discount. I had a govt. discount during Spring break 2004 at the Dolphin of $129 so that could show up too. Good luck on the hunt (isn't that half the fun anyway!?!)

 

[lilstint]

I'll keep hunting for rates. Worried now about POFQ but the positive reviews have outweighed the negative.. ?? Wish I could beam myself down to compare with POR!

We love POFR and it is just a short, beautiful walk to POR. They are sister resorts so you can walk back and forth and enjoy the atmosphere or use the pool or restaurants at both. The rooms at POFR are much more convienient to the pool and food court (GREAT for those like us with small children!)and they were recently renovated - we found them to be fresh and beautiful last year. You run the risk of getting a room that is a real haul at POR -I once heard a kid at the pool ask his mother to go back to the room for goggles and she said "If your father hires me a heliocopter I will." This can be a real hassle if you like to make quick trips to the pool or food court. We love POFR and always stay there and wander back and forth between the two resorts at our leisure. It's the best of both worlds! Don't worry!

 

[stonecreekboys]

POFQ has a smaller more intimate feel. Also, the bus picks up here first and drops off here first. We choose this resort b/c we usually don't have to stand on the busses, unlike at POR. This is very important with kids! The pool is also very cool.

 

[deadhedjen]

I bit the bullet and reserved rooms @ POR for $148 plus tax, etc. in early March just to lock in a room. I called CRO myself and got the AAA rate so I can cancel up to 5 days before. We may still rent points for a DVC two bedroom unit and I'm still scanning for the Teacher's Rate at S/D. I'm wondering if anyone got better than this for a Mod in March '06. I'd buy an AP for myself if I could recover the cost with an AP rate but I'm not seeing that yet. BTW, all three Mods had rooms available at the AAA rate from 3/2 - 3/12.

Bill From PA

Hi Bill!
(waving to you from the west side of the Market St. Brigde, lol)

I'm in the same situation as you. At least you went ahead and made your reservation. That's something I still have to do. Trying to figure out which resort to stay at and whether or not I'm getting the best rates is killing me. Still not decided whether to do the mod or value route. If I settle on the mod, then do I want to do POR or POFQ...and if going the value route...is it POP or ASMo????? Its driving me nuts. There is a $1000 dif in total price between the mod and value (2 rms for 8 nites).

Are you flying out of AVP, ABE, or PHL??? I've found really cheap fares using DING through southwest airlines out of PHL. THe flights are non-stop and found airfare for my family of 6 for $701. By far the cheapest found anywhere. With fares that low I am seriously considering getting AP's for my group. Could do a lot of long weekends that way. I like to get away with either just me and DS or just me and the girls. And when Hooters Air comes to AVP that will be even better. I could be in Disney for less than it costs to stay in NYC for the weekend...hmmmm lemme think about that for a bit, lol.

Anyway....
Jennifer

 

[diana13]

I also tried to get the AAA rate for Deluxes in March, beginning the 18th. I was quoted a AAA rate equal to the full rack rate at WL of $300 before tax. Has anyone found the AAA on any deluxes for this time?
I was able to hold the same POR rate of $148, but really would like a deluxe, but not at $300! We also have APs, but not sure how that will work for March...

 

[Bill From PA]

Jennifer,

Several times in the past I waited too long to grab a room and had to 'build' a week by reserving a day here, two days there, so I get my minimally acceptable room early then try to trade up in quality or down in price. We've stayed at the AllStar twice for a week each and the two days we couldn't get at S/D this Jan. I'm not a Champagne type of guy but we've been spoiled by the S/D at $139 or thereabouts so doing a Value would seem like roughing it. The gap between a Mod and a Value seems greater to us that that between a Mod and a Deluxe, so a Mod it will be unless the Teacher's Rate comes out for our week. As for whether AllStar or PoP Cent., we had Pop as our backup room last trip but switched to AllStar as the BDP code had no rooms at Pop. Later we got 3 days at Swan and three at Dolphin. I booked USAir out of PHL at $181 direct 330 days out as I feared for fuel costs even then (April '05). I haven't seen them that cheap since. My daughter, SIL and grandkids have booked Hooters for the flight down @ $79 each, the return flight has not been announced yet. By Back Mountain do you mean around Dallas? I work at Misericordia.

Bill From PA

 

[deadhedjen]

By Back Mountain do you mean around Dallas? I work at Misericordia.

Yes. its that back mountain.
BTW, the airfare rates you got are wonderful!!!
Can't wait until I can go ahead and get all the bookings taken care of.
Jennifer.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

We've never paid more than $120 for a moderate - $104 at the end of last May and quoted $98 in July but opted for WL instead.

 

[ptrbryant]

How did you get a rate that low? Was it with the AP rate discount? I tried every way I could (except AP) and the best I did last May was $144 (inc. tax) at POR. We're hoping to go again next May and I'd love to either pay less at POR or have the Deluxes discounted enough to have them within budget range again!
Karla B.

 

[DonnaL]

Jennifer (deadhedjen)

Another neighbor from up the road here (Moosic exit of I-81). We've been using SW out of PHL for about 18 months now and love it. We don't even bother to take our car and worry about long term parking. We just rent a car from Budget at AVP the evening before and then drop it in PHL before our flight and then do the same at PHL for the drive home. Cost is about $75.00, roughly the same as parking at PHL for a week, maybe even a little less. Also,
I usually book as soon as I have firm dates and SW announces their schedule, then I keep watching for them to drop. We're going 12/10 thru 12/17 and
last week I managed to get a credit for the 12/10 portion of trip ($40.00 credit to be used towards next trip!!!) I couldn't get the cheaper fare for the flight we're on 12/17, but, I'll keep watching. Last trip I ended up with $120.00 credit by the time we left. I'd like to try Hooters sometime also, since I only live about 2 miles from the AVP (if that) and it would be really convenient, but, I like SW sales fares too much, not to mention since Hooters is a charter airline there really is no leeway on changing flights, etc. SW usually has a least four flights a day from PHL, sometimes more, so you have a good choice of times to pick from.

 

[deadhedjen]

Hi DonnaL !

I'm glad to hear you've been using SW out of PHL...it sure looks like they have the best deals. I do have a question for you though. Have you ever NOT been able to get your flights for the days you want to travel? Or have you ever been in a situation where you were able to get 1 fare really cheap and the rest of the fares full price? Like fun saver, promotional, etc. We are going to need 6 tix for my family and 5 for the other folks in our group. I would really like to do DING, at least for part of the group.

Oh, and TYVM for the great tip about renting a car at AVP and dropping it off in PHL. I LOVE that idea!!! Do you know I even considered having a driver take us into PHL from here?? I figured it would be worth it with the money we would save by not flying out of AVP. Well, the price was over $450 one way!!! Yikes, lol!

Thanks again for that tip!
See you around the boards!
Jennifer.

 

[Bill From PA]

DonnaL,
My daughter and SIL booked their flight on Hooters, they're coming 3 days after us and returning with us. So far it's $79 each down, the return flight date hasn't been released yet. We booked USAir out of PHL before Hooters announced the AVP service or we'd have gone with them too. We want to get to MCO early enough to capture the first day so we have a 6:20 am flight out, arriving before 9 am. I'm looking to get a room with Park&Fly so we can have a relaxed drive down the night before, do a little Pre-Disney partying in the hotel lounge, then leave early for a stress-free trip to WDW. I, too looked into the one-way rental deal, but I don't like the idea of driving straight to PHL, dropping off the car and making a 6:20 am flight. I hope Hooters works out better than VacationExpress.

Bill From PA

 

[deadhedjen]

My mother just did exactly that. She had a early AM flight out of PHL to Vegas. She pricelined a hotel that was attached to the airport. She said there is only 1 hotel that is attached somehow to the airport? So when she was choosing the options at Priceline, she said it had to be next to the airport and that is the only one that will come up. I want to say that she said it was the Sheraton. I'd call to ask her, but she's still in vegas, lol.
All I know is that she paid under $40 for the room and it was a "suite".
I can find out more details when she gets home.

Hmmm...now rent a car ot AVP, or get a room in PHL the night b4...decisions, decisions, lol!

Thanks for the tip!
Jennifer.

 

[DonnaL]

Jennifer and Bill,

Bill......I too hope Hooters sticks around longer than Vacation Express.....we flew VE once and it was ok.....I really liked flying into Sanford. The only thing I don't like is the fact that it's only Thurs and Sun (I believe) We're DVC members and sometimes we like to arrive on Sun,, which would be ok for a Hooters flight, but, then we return either later Friday evening or sometimes on
Saturday (depends on how many points we have left for that particular trip, lol). Also, we like SW because our last two trips we ended with airfare in the
$115/$120 RT range, even though when we booked both times it started at
about $175.00 RT. As the fares dropped, I just kept calling and getting a credit for future use. You just don't find that with other airlines......
Bill, off subject, but, I read in your previous post that you teach at Misercordia....my husband is adjunct at PSU/Worthington teaching Business
Logistics (his day job is at Sanofi Pasteur as manager of logistics operations) Talk to you both again..........

 

[DonnaL]

Jennifer,

In answer to your question on getting the flights you want.......we've never had a problem getting what we want, however, I do try to book soon after the SW schedule is released for the timeframe we're looking at. It also depends what time of year you're going....some are busier than others. Also, with that many people you may have to book two ressies.....not sure what SW policy is on number of names on one ressie. We sometimes have six of us, but, that's not every trip. This time around it's only DH, two DS's and myself. Also, keep in mind if you need to change a date or time after you've booked, SW doesn't charge you to do this, unlike other airlines.