Priceline/DTD

[HAH]

Is there a catagory for DTD hotels on Priceline or do you have to take your chances???

I have $89 for Christmas at the Courtyard and was wondering if I could do better???

Thanks!

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by HAH
Is there a catagory for DTD hotels on Priceline or do you have to take your chances???

I have $89 for Christmas at the Courtyard and was wondering if I could do better???

Thanks!

Absolutely no guarentee of a DTD hotel. You're taking your chances. They come up in strings, usually either the BWLBV or the Courtyard, but it's hit or miss. If you use Priceline looking for a specific hotel (or DTD), you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

Check out www.biddingfortravel.com for strategy.

Good luck.

 

[spiceycat]

no there is wdw (which I think includes dd), then the kissimmee US192 area, then a few others.

 

[thereuare]

You may want to consider Hotwire in which you can often identify the hotel before purchasing based upon the amenities shown.

 

[DVC California]

The DTD Courtyard is considered a 2 1/2 star hotel by Priceline. It is sometimes available (non-peak) for as low as $20.00/night. Resort-level WDW hotels on Priceline in the Downtown Disney area can be had between $60-65.00 (usually the Hilton and Wyndham). While there is no way to guarantee winning a particular hotel, there are ways to increase the odds in your favor (I'll get into this in a minute.)

First off - do yourself a favor and visit Sheryl M's BiddingForTravel.com site and Thereuare's BetterBidding.com sites. There is wealth of information on Priceline and/or Hotwire with many people posting their winning bids so others may benefit. Start with the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding hotel bidding. This will answer many technical questions, as well as provide insight to rebidding.

Next research what the rates are at each hotel listed for the zone you will be bidding on. This will help indicate availability of rooms at each hotel. If the standard Hilton rate is around $116, then you should have a fair chance that it will be available on Priceline.

Okay, back to stacking the odds for Downtown Disney. Although there are 5+ resorts that you could win through Priceline, each hotel usually has a different threshold for winning bids. This is good because the Hilton and Wyndham, both at DTD, usually have the lowest rates ($60-65/nt) of all the "Resort" levels that have historically been won in the WDW zone. Of course that is based on past bids during normal volume periods.

Historical Priceline rates -

Hilton - $60.00
Wyndham Palace - $62.00 (up to $81 at times)
Swan/Dolphin - $69.00
Marriott Orlando World Center (MOWC) - $74.00
Gaylord Palms - $83.00

So...If you bid $60.00 for a Resort hotel in the WDW zone, and the Hilton has made availability to Priceline for your travel dates, there is a fairly good chance that you will win the Hilton.

But...If your $60.00 bid is denied, there is probably no Priceline availabilty at the Hilton. If you decide to rebid and raise your bid to $70.00, you do not increase your chances of getting the Hilton. On the contrary, you will increase your chances of getting the Dolphin!

That's why it's impossible to target a specific hotel, especially the higher tiered ones. You have to get by all the lower threshold hotels before you get to a Swan or the Gaylord.

And to add another variable into the mix, Priceline's access to inventory changes constantly. A $60.00 failed bid today, may be accepted next week. Or next month. Or never if it is a very busy period.

Hope this helps, Steve