Questions on Priceline..going back again!

[DMRick]

Just came back on Jan 28th, and getting ready to head down again..this time for 11 days, starting April 6th...first time in a long time, for that long of a time.
I have some questions on Priceline. When you bid on a car..do they only use airport cars?
And we are thinking of bidding on a hotel in the Disney Downtown area for part of the trip..hope for the Swan, take anything. Thought it would be fun for a change. I saw where someone got the Safari Hotel..I saw that on our last trip, and it looked really nice..just outside of downtown. I thought someone said it was a three star. I'm nervous to bid on a three star, not knowing what else I might get. Anyone have any feedback on this? No kids, no grands..just us old folks!
Thanks.

 

[mcottingham]

WWW.biddingfortravel.com

All your question will be answered there and You will not over pay!!!!

 

[NancyIL]

Do NOT get your hopes up for the Swan or Dolphin via Priceline! Check out SwanDolphin's post on this thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=333691

 

[tinaluis]

The key with Priceline is flexibility. We just got the Sheraton Safari for 7 nts. in October and the Rosen Centre (on I-Drive near Sea World) for 5 nts. in October also. We're happy with the hotels we got and we definitely "tried" to get the Sheraton when everyone else was posting winning bids for it but we very well could have gotten the Renaissance Maingate which we've stayed in before and don't like too much. But if we had gotten it we would have been "ok" with that. Rental cars are the same. Sure, everyone would like an on-airport location, including us, but there's no way to guarantee that. I would say that 75% of our rentals have been off-airport (before Alamo was on-site) and 25% were on-site. We save a TON of $$ using Priceline so we're willing to be flexible even if that means taking a shuttle bus to get our car. Some people don't want to be hassled when they're on vacation and are willing to pay more $$ to guarantee they won't be and I understand that, but being flexibile has allowed us to take many more vacations than we otherwise would be able to afford.

 

[DMRick]

Thanks for the info. We aren't planning on bidding for the entire visit..but with no grands, and no plans, thought it might be fun to try somethign different. We've been to Dis several times in the past couple of years, and thought this might be a little different. I think I'll pass on the car, since I really love the airport sites. I do have a ressie for $20 a night at Alamo all taxes included..but it's a small car.

 

[diznefreak]

So, when you bid for a car on priceline is the total per day price include taxes?

 

[DianeV]

When you bid on a car you bid per day but before you turn in your bid it will tell you what the total price for the whole time period would be. With Alamo and National merging I believe even Alamo is on site now. That would leave only Hertz I believe as one that comes up that is not onsite. We got them one time and it was extremely easy.

 

[dennise]

I finally took the plunge and bid on PL. I think now that Ihave used the site, I culd have odne better, but I got too eager and didn't read as much as I should have, but all in all we are pleased. On three separate bids we got the Rosen Centre, which was what we really wanted, so we are excited abu that. Also bid on a car and got one with National at the Airport, that means that we will have to take a bus or other to get there t pick it up, but we have an early flight home, so that will be great to be able to drop off at the airport. This will be only our second trip to dw wihout fmily or friends, I sure hope 12 days is not too long to talk to the same person.

 

[diznefreak]

Dennise
I was wondering what was your total including taxes with your bid for a car with national and what type of car you got? I hope you don't mind sharing. We got a compact car for national{May2-9} for $124 including taxes. I was wondering if priceline could beat that total?

 

[dennise]

Don't mind the question at all; we got our car, a compact for three days for $90.34, all taxes included. Probably a weekly rental is at a better rate, but theonly other place I checked was was Alamor and their price for three days was $111.54. Renting dailyis usually at a per day rate as opposed to a weekly rate. We also got our Rooms for part of our vaca through PL and they were better than anything that I could have got otherwise, ane we hit it lucky, got the Rosen Centre, which was where we wanted, but I have been checking their raes weekly and couldn't get within a $100 of what we paid. Now if we cold just find sosmething through them on the gulf shore we'd realy be happy. Being from Canada and the exchange rate, I ususally shop for bargains.