Priceline and on-site resorts?

[lalasmomallie]

I have been researching ways to get the best deal on our Disney vacation and was wondering if there was any category of accomodations/resort that you could enter into priceline to get a quote on only "on site" properties. I know there is no way of knowing the winning resort until you pay but I don't want to bid on a property that is off site. Any info is greatly appreciated!

 

[tar heel]

Swan and Dolphin (on site but not Disney) sometimes come up in the resort category, but you are just as likely to get an off-site place. Disney resorts never come up on priceline.

 

[CarolA]

Resort Category includes the following according to www.biddingfortravel.com

Wyndham (Downtown Disney)
Hilton (Downtown Disney)
Swan
Dolphin
Marriott WOrld Center (off property)
Gaylord Palms (off property)

I have gotten Wyndham, Hilton and Marriott. All of these are very nice hotels, but if you MUST be on site or at the Swan/Dolphin I strongly recommend you do not use Priceline.

 

[yecats]

As the thread above mine has listed, check out Biddingfortravel.com site. There are hotel list which show which areas and what hotels may pickup the bid. Mostly the DTD sites come up as well as Dolphin and Swan but no Disney owned hotel sell rooms on the site. I decided to stay offsite for my last visit a few months ago (ext. length of stay) and felt that I got a good bargain. Hotel was 1 mile away from AK with a back access road that lead you there. Hotel was nice and got it for a great price. I did attempt to get the DTD hotels first but due to the fact that I was coming in the Friday after Thanksgiving, the rooms weren't being sold at the cheaper prices. Make sure that review the questions on this site as they state how the bidding will go.

 

[chrissyk]

I did get the Swan for 2 nights in May for $69 through Priceline recently, but according to someone on these boards, the promotion through Priceline has ended. From what I have read on biddingfortravel, the Swan/Dolphin will come up for a while, then not be seen for a while, then come up again, which makes me think that the person who posted that the promotion has ended may be correct. I guess that my best advice would be to wait until you see the S/D coming up again on biddingfortravel, and then bid for similar dates. You do run the risk of getting another off-site hotel in the same category when you bid on Priceline, though. I felt pretty confident in my bid because of the information that I saw for my dates on biddingfortravel, but I would have been OK if I'd ended up offsite too.

 

[CarolA]

I did the Swan/Dolphin bid strategy a few weeks ago. The same dates and amounts as someone else and got the Marriott. (Which was great.) Just a warning.

 

[Memph1s]

I really struggled with should I bid or not for our up coming trip even to the point of filling in all the info 2 times and then not hitting the bid key. I am between jobs and we are strapped for cash but this trip is for our 20th Anv. and I just could not risk not getting on site. We will try again later when it is not such an important trip. We tried booking at Swan and was quoted 299/n. But we will be at AKL for $174/n and I think that is where the DW REALLY wants to stay anyway although she will not come out and say it.

 

[Minnie's Mate]

You will love the AKL! We are staying there for the third time in early April.

If you are really interested in the S/D you might get a better rate IF you or your wife are a government employee, nurse or teacher. If you have an AP you might also get a discount at S/D, but only if you book in advance and there isn't a convention scheduled for the same time.