Should i book hotel before flights and over a 1000 posts

[stephensmum]

We are doing out first DIY holiday this August & staying at SSR on the 42% off offer. We had always planned to go in 2010 for our special birthday year
(2x50 & 1x13). We have to go in Aug & Saturday flights would be best due to limited leave but I imagine these would be more expensive. The offer ends in July so I need to book soon but i am worried that I should have the flights first. What do you guys suggest, can you alter the booking to match flights?
Just noticed i've gone over 1000 posts.

 

[irongirlof12]

we have always booked hotel 1st then shopped for flights, I did need to change my dates later with disney and I wans't charged for ding this but I think there is supposed to be an admin chanrge for making changes.

 

[orangetiggs]

we booked hotel in sept and then flights in nov last year

 

[stephensmum]

That was quick. Thanks I' l have to take a chance if I want the offer.

 

[stephensmum]

we booked hotel in sept and then flights in nov last year

That was quick too. How are you? did you decide to go this year? I must have missed the update. I know you booked with Virgin, is it a lot more for the weekend flights?

 

[Lizzybear]

I've always booked flights first when DIYing but if I found an amazing hotel deal that would be ending before I could book flights then I might reconsider depending on the admin fee (I think it's £25 with Disney UK)

 

[jns]

I always found it easier to change the hotel then the flights

 

[wayneg]

I have always booked flights first. There are always hotels available so never worried about hotel, I just prefer to secure a bargain flight 1st.
Depends how fussy you are with hotel, do you think they will sell out or price go up? I have never seen a hotel deal good enough to book before my flight but it might happen one day then I might change.

 

[wayneg]

Just read your post again, you are talking about booking next year?
I don't think there is any rush to book it if you wanted to book flights 1st, free dining 2010 is available with all tour ops until 31st December 2009 so guess it will be same with Disney.co.uk and I suspect they will extend it again if the economy does not improve, you can still book upto July 15th for this year.

 

[orangetiggs]

we added an extra night and no admin fee as we were increasing the price of the holiday, the admin fee is only if the price of the holiday will go down

Virgin atlantic do charge more for fri/sat and sun flights

Yep we are off in 2 months and i cant wait!!

 

[Lizzybear]

we added an extra night and no admin fee as we were increasing the price of the holiday, the admin fee is only if the price of the holiday will go down

Yep I can confirm this too: We added 2 extra nights at the end (were going to go to St Pete but decided against it) and we only paid for the 2 extra nights hotel and DDP upgrade

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

Glad to hear you say next year can be booked until December. I thought that was the case and was having one of my trademark panics!!!!!!!!! I think I need to sit down to recover (haven't booked yet and thought I had only days to do so!!! how could I plan in that time!)

That was like waking up from a nightmare and having the great relief of realisation!! Phew.

 

[stephensmum]

Just read your post again, you are talking about booking next year?
I don't think there is any rush to book it if you wanted to book flights 1st, free dining 2010 is available with all tour ops until 31st December 2009 so guess it will be same with Disney.co.uk and I suspect they will extend it again if the economy does not improve, you can still book upto July 15th for this year.

Thanks for your help everyone,
Wayne, Yes I'd prefer to book flight first as I feel that is the most important part but I want the 42% off deal at SSR/OKW again & thought that ended in July. Do you know how much more it tends to be for Saturday flights? We are hoping to go for 3 weeks & a Saturday flights saves 2 days leave, I need to think about the price difference compared to 2 days unpaid leave for dh.

 

[wayneg]

Thanks for your help everyone,
Wayne, Yes I'd prefer to book flight first as I feel that is the most important part but I want the 42% off deal at SSR/OKW again & thought that ended in July. Do you know how much more it tends to be for Saturday flights? We are hoping to go for 3 weeks & a Saturday flights saves 2 days leave, I need to think about the price difference compared to 2 days unpaid leave for dh.

Just read on another forum they think the 42% offer ends in July, can't find info anywhere, might be worth contacting Dinsey.co.uk and get official dates. Maybe its just free DDP until end of Dec.
I am not booking until I have been and tried it this year, if the offer is not on then easy decision for me, offsite again.
Saturday flights can add a lot on, other times they are no different.

 

[stephensmum]

Thanks Wayne. I will check with Disneyuk, We prefer to be onsite on dining plan, not that we have experienced off site as a family, just that we've always been onsite & enjoyed it more each time so I don't want to take a chance & change as we want next year to be more special (hence pos 3 weeks). If I need to book soon I will proberly book for 18 days then add on when I sort out flights. I can see the sense in what you're doing with you prefering off site anyhow.

 

[Elise79]

Just had an email and the 42% offer ends on 15th July.

Unless the economy picks up I can see the offer coming back sometime later in the year as last year free dining wasn't even offered until August!