Toying With The Idea of Going in 2012!

[B2B-2008]

Hi guys,

I need your advise. We have deiced that if we can get a good price/offer we would try to take a family holiday to WDW when our son is 2 and a half, September 2012. Basically this will only really be an option if Disney offer free dining.

So I have been looking at prices, we have only ever gone with virgin holidays.

I just wondered why Travel City Direct, if owned by virgin is coming in at roughly £600 less that virgin holidays? I can't see that there is much difference if you go with TCD.

Will VH match this price in their price match guarantee? If yes will they then take off my flying club discount after the price match.

I have noticed that the Disney store park ticket prices are cheaper than these agents, 2011 prices, would they price match that?

And lastly, I have been adding the dining plan on for my quotes at the moment just as a rough guide and VH keep pricing my son in this cost, but he will be under 3, am I right in thinking that my son shouldn't be charged for dining as he will be 2 and a half?

Basically we need your help to find out how to get to Disney for the cheapest price possible if and when free dining offers come out.

 

[orangetiggs]

yay!!! just been on pricing next year!!!

hopefully someone can answer ur questions

 

[OrlandoMagic]

Hi guys,

I need your advise. We have deiced that if we can get a good price/offer we would try to take a family holiday to WDW when our son is 2 and a half, September 2012. Basically this will only really be an option if Disney offer free dining.

So I have been looking at prices, we have only ever gone with virgin holidays.

I just wondered why Travel City Direct, if owned by virgin is coming in at roughly £600 less that virgin holidays? I can't see that there is much difference if you go with TCD.

Will VH match this price in their price match guarantee? If yes will they then take off my flying club discount after the price match.

I have noticed that the Disney store park ticket prices are cheaper than these agents, 2011 prices, would they price match that?

And lastly, I have been adding the dining plan on for my quotes at the moment just as a rough guide and VH keep pricing my son in this cost, but he will be under 3, am I right in thinking that my son shouldn't be charged for dining as he will be 2 and a half?

Basically we need your help to find out how to get to Disney for the cheapest price possible if and when free dining offers come out.

I would personally book the accomodation seperate with eithe Disney UK or Complete Orlando (cheaper of the two) as they are still offereing free DDP for Sepember and also 42% of both SSR & OKW. You will need to book your park tickets at the same time to get the deal.

Look at booking your flights first though and being flexable on your dates, but look to book as soon as you can as prices seem to be going up and up!

For example, just looked at flights for our dates (15th - 29th Sept) and prices are coming out at £674 with VA and BA, both from Gatwick flying economy & direct.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do!

EDIT: Sorry, just noticed you said 2012, not 2011! Doh! I would say though this would still be the way to go if (and I'm pretty sure they will) Disney offer the same deals a little later this year for 2012.

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

i would agree with Orlandomagic about booking accomodation seperate with Disney and booking flights first, because when i have been looking at dates the difference a day or so either side can be several hundrend Also when we booked our hotel with Disney in 2009 for 2010,two months later the room rate had dropped so i phoned them up they cancelled the exsisting booking (£50 charge) then re booking saving us £450
You cannot book for next summer yet through Disney (flight inclusive at moment) you will have to wait until the beginning of April, then they will release offers etc for May onwards.
Happy planning

 

[B2B-2008]

Thanks for your replies.

I have taken a look at Complete Orlando and played with September of this year just to get an idea of how it works and if I had the money this year I would go. I got a price of £3200 for a better hotel than virgin who have been quoting me in excess of £5000 for a mod!

The only thing that worries me doing it this way is what would you do if the flight was canceled due to a volcano or something. I always had the understanding that with a package they would get you home and put you up in a hotel if needed.

 

[wayneg]

The only thing that worries me doing it this way is what would you do if the flight was canceled due to a volcano or something. I always had the understanding that with a package they would get you home and put you up in a hotel if needed.

Thats correct a tour op should care for you with extended hotel(not always your original) and then get you home ASAP.
We got stuck last Easter for a few extra days but we did DIY, thankfully had laptops with us(would never travel without again) to sort it all out. If we had good insurance we could have claimed but we didn't unfortunately we were with Insure & Go who would not pay a penny. Ended up costing about £600 for extra hotel, car hire, food etc, Delta were brilliant getting us home, a longer route but got back to UK on one of the 1st flights possible(about 1 hour after airspace re-opened)
I have now taken out M&S insurance who did pay out but chances are so little of it happening again I would not even consider it. I have saved £1,000's doing DIY(one trip £6,000 saving) so the odd £600 does not bother me.

 

[B2B-2008]

So if I booked the flights and hotel myself I should do this via credit card and need to get a good travel insurance.

What happens if your flight is canceled and you have booked direct, do they have to put you on another flight, even if that takes weeks or is it just tough you need to sort it out yourself?

 

[wayneg]

They transfer you on to the next available flight. I rang Delta, we were due to fly Friday they offered me the following Tuesday but a longer route, MCO~ATL~CDG~LHR. I could have waited longer for better route but accepted the offer which worked out great with a 6 hour wait in CDG, airspace re-opened just 1 hour before we took off, any less than 6 hour wait and we would have been stuck there waiting for another flight.

 

[B2B-2008]

Thanks for your help. Booking this way would make our dream a reality.

How far advance do the flights come out for sale?

Now we just need to keep our fingers crossed for free dining and we could be on our way!

 

[wayneg]

Flights ar released 11months before your return date, so for August I start looking Sept year before, some airlines like BA release a few days earlier. Thats when they are released but not always good prices, you sometimes need to wait for an offer. I think it was Dec I booked for this August, last Aug didn't book til Jan.