Room only vs Package

[aussietravellers]

According to Expedia:

Hotel resort fee: $16 per room/night (although a PP said they just stayed there and it was $13)


Hotel resort fee inclusions:

* Fitness center access
* Self parking
* Internet access
* Local and toll-free calls
* Weekday newspaper

Internet Access is included, thats great!!!!!! But funny that it's a resort fee, why isn't that just added to the nightly rate? I guess it's compulsary.

 

[sonnyjane]

I have checked online but can't find the AP rates for 8th to 23rd December, GCH theme park view. If the rate is good we may consider Concierge too.

I have just worked out that the rate that I have from looking online for hotel only for those dates is $330.85 per night for theme park view. Would love to know what the AP rate is for theme park view and concierge theme park view. How do I find the AP rate for those dates?

You have to have an AP to check, but just so happens you have a cyber-friend that does

From Dec. 8th-23rd for a view room at GCH: (day above price)

8
$299
9
$279
10
$299
11
$389
12
$359
13
$279
14
$279
15
$259
16
$259
17
$279
18
$359
19
$389
20
$495
21
$389
22
$359


Concierge is:

8
$419
9
$419
10
$419
11
$539
12
$539
13
$419
14
$419
15
$419
16
$419
17
$419
18
$539
19
$539
20
$539
21
$539
22
$539

(sorry for formatting, just cut and pasted)

 

[Petraman]

I have checked online but can't find the AP rates for 8th to 23rd December, GCH theme park view. If the rate is good we may consider Concierge too.

I have just worked out that the rate that I have from looking online for hotel only for those dates is $330.85 per night for theme park view. Would love to know what the AP rate is for theme park view and concierge theme park view. How do I find the AP rate for those dates?

I think IF there is an AP rate, you have to call direct and ask for it. Atleast, that is how it used to be.

Ooops! sonyjane's post hadn't posted for me before I wrote this ... sounds like you got your answer!

 

[aussietravellers]

You have to have an AP to check, but just so happens you have a cyber-friend that does

From Dec. 8th-23rd for a view room at GCH: (day above price)

THANK YOU

I will go through that now and work it out.

 

[sonnyjane]

THANK YOU

I will go through that now and work it out.

Remember that doesn't include tax, and I think your quote does, plus if you book separate you'll have to add the resort fee each day. I just added them up and it looks to be pretty close. AP is not ALWAYS the best rate, because I think they are having the Getaway Promotion so the AP might not help out as much as usual.

 

[aussietravellers]

Well hotel only on the website was $4963 and the AP rates come to $4712 (concierge was $7125, which is a bit much for us) so thats a saving of $251, which will buy one of us the AP to get those rates and then get some food and shopping discounts along the say.

Thank you. I guess the package is OUT!!! LOL

 

[Petraman]

Remember that doesn't include tax, and I think your quote does, plus if you book separate you'll have to add the resort fee each day. I just added them up and it looks to be pretty close. AP is not ALWAYS the best rate, because I think they are having the Getaway Promotion so the AP might not help out as much as usual.

Yeppers, I just ran a total on the AP rate and it came out to $4971 which was slightly higher than Aussie's original quote. I think you are right about the promo sonnyjane.

 

[sonnyjane]

Well hotel only on the website was $4963 and the AP rates come to $4712 (concierge was $7125, which is a bit much for us) so thats a saving of $251, which will buy one of us the AP to get those rates and then get some food and shopping discounts along the say.

Thank you. I guess the package is OUT!!! LOL

Just adding a logistical point - If you do get an AP for one of your guests to get the discount, it will probably have to be the Premium AP ($429) since you're going during the very peak season, or at least a Deluxe ($289), depending on the days you'll be in the park. Just check out the blackout dates and be aware. Maybe you can get a cheaper AP and plan your trips to San Diego or LA around those.

ETA: Nevermind, just did the homework for you! Deluxe AP's don't black out until Dec. 24th, so they would work for your trip w/ no problems! Premiums get 15% off food though and Deluxe just 10%, so you can see which would be cheaper in the long run, the food savings, or the extra $140.

 

[aussietravellers]

Yeppers, I just ran a total on the AP rate and it came out to $4971 which was slightly higher than Aussie's original quote. I think you are right about the promo sonnyjane.

yes if it doesn't include tax (keep forgetting to add that, am not used to this add tax to the price, for us tax is always included, LOL)

 

[Queenbillabong]

Well hotel only on the website was $4963 and the AP rates come to $4712 (concierge was $7125, which is a bit much for us) so thats a saving of $251, which will buy one of us the AP to get those rates and then get some food and shopping discounts along the say.

Thank you. I guess the package is OUT!!! LOL

How much is the 14-day PH that you were planning on purchasing? It might be cheaper to get everyone a Deluxe AP for $289?? Just a thought...

 

[DizMe]

How much is the 14-day PH that you were planning on purchasing? It might be cheaper to get everyone a Deluxe AP for $289?? Just a thought...

This is a good idea, and then you can return in a little less than a year and go again without buying tickets.

Also, if one of you has a premium AP, remember that the merchandise discount for the holidays is 20% through Jan 3 (not sure about food during the holidays, but I think it's 15% still). Deluxe gets you 10%.

We found the Fall Getaway rate to be better at GCH than the AP rate, but it was the opposite for DLH so if you're splitting your stay, check both.

Expedia charges more for the resort fee than the hotel does. Not sure why. Probably because they can.

Watch out at GCH for valet parking. It's outrageously expensive. If you self park, the lot is across the street at PPH. Not sure whether or not you are renting a car but figured it was likely since you'll be there 2 weeks.

 

[wannagoback]

I noticed the same thing when I booked our trip. For 5 nights at DLH (premium view), hotel only was $1300 and package with 5-day hoppers was $2400. Add in the $800 or so for tickets and that is still at $300 price difference. I'd like to know how many people just go for the package because "it's easier" or "well, then I don't have to pay the resort fee" or because you get tickets to the Toontown thing. I don't get it... Of course, when I called to check on these prices that I had found online, the hotel only quote I got on the phone was $2,100. So, then people believe that it's a good deal to get the package, I guess. The CM couldn't explain why online and phone were giving two different prices.

 

[bumbershoot]

I've seen people discuss the 14 day ticket, and it's cheaper than any AP. Of course you don't get to come back within the year for nothing extra, but since the OP is coming all the way from Australia...they might not have that on the agenda.

The resort fee should be $12 plus something like 15% tax, which comes out to be 13.80 if my brain cells are remembering correctly. They could have raised it since June but in June and for quite awhile actually that is what it has been.

That amount covers internet (and at GCH it's wireless), the exercise rooms, parking, and a USA Today (awful, IMO, newspaper) every weekday.

You get vouchers for special seatings for things like the Muppets 3D show (never seen that needed), tough to be a bug (not sure that's ever needed), Aladdin (could feel needed, but when we did it we were in line *first*, were seated *last*, and got the "orchestra" section seats which caused us to miss the "spectacular" parts b/c we were either too close (to a large beast walking by) or too underneath (flying carpet) to really appreciate it.

ToonTown Morning Madness, lanyards (itchy and would say WDTC on them and we got "cute" lanyards within the first day, LOL) and a pin (not of your choice, though you can trade it), a lanyard pouch that most people don't use b/c the plastic of it tends to break easier than the softer plastic pouches sold there....

Book the room!

 

[aussietravellers]

Thank you all so much for your replies. We are going to book the hotel only price. Can't justify the huge price difference.

The 14 day pass is about $230 Australian dollars, so around $215 US dollars.
I don't think they are available in the US, I think we have to purchase them before we go.

Will be there next week. This is one very excited household!

 

[Vala]

The resort fee should be $12 plus something like 15% tax, which comes out to be 13.80 if my brain cells are remembering correctly. They could have raised it since June but in June and for quite awhile actually that is what it has been.

It still is $13.80.

Expedia charges more for the resort fee than the hotel does. Not sure why. Probably because they can.

I'm not sure which fee you mean. I did book through Expedia and did not pay the Resort Fee to them. I paid room rate plus tax. When booking on the site they do show you the Resort Fee as $16, that is correct. But you do pay the Resort Fee to the hotel, and they charged me exactly $ 13.80 per night.

 

[DizMe]

It still is $13.80.



I'm not sure which fee you mean. I did book through Expedia and did not pay the Resort Fee to them. I paid room rate plus tax. When booking on the site they do show you the Resort Fee as $16, that is correct. But you do pay the Resort Fee to the hotel, and they charged me exactly $ 13.80 per night.

Thanks for the clarification! I haven't booked through Expedia but had read a couple of times that they list a $16 resort fee. I thought you had to pay them directly; my apologies to Expedia. Maybe they should give the correct amount, though I don't suppose a couple of dollars a day is a big deal.

That's a GREAT price on your hoppers, OP! I would still consider converting one of them to an AP, but no need to change them all unless you might come back before the year is up. We figured our vacation so that we could use our APs in October and then come back the next Oct. just before they expired. I know you're coming from Australia (which is slightly farther than our 500-mile jaunt ), but I've heard the exchange rate is making it pretty affordable and it seems to be a popular destination for Aussies so I thought you might do it again next year

 

[Vala]

Thanks for the clarification! I haven't booked through Expedia but had read a couple of times that they list a $16 resort fee. I thought you had to pay them directly; my apologies to Expedia. Maybe they should give the correct amount, though I don't suppose a couple of dollars a day is a big deal.

Ah okay, I understand now. I thought you had booked through them and paid more. So I thought for a moment that maybe I got hit with another error and wasn't paying what I was supposed to.

I mentioned the difference to them when I made a report about a problem with the booking. No one ever got back to me, neither about the problem with the booking nor about the difference. As you say, probably they think a couple of dollars a day isn't a big deal.

 

[gethane]

Out of curiosity, I spent some time on the website today figuring it all out.

After taxes and resort fee (tacked on to the hotel only price), then adding in the PH, the difference was 60-70 dollars. I don't think the toonthing and a phone call is really worth 60-70 bucks to me.