UT and other ticket resellers aren't always your best ticket option...

[ICF]

Does your MK price include tax?

UT at least includes any taxes in their price....disney normally doesn't.

 

[Marionnette]

Does your MK price include tax?

UT at least includes any taxes in their price....disney normally doesn't.

All of the prices are with tax included, even the Disney prices.

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

Do you fill 2 cars? Or what on earth do you drive that holds 30 gallons?

Only 1 car is allowed to be fueled at a time, so we use gas cans so that we can get the maximum of 30 gallons when redeeming our fuel perks. We have about 3 months to use the fuel perks so even though we fuel a small efficient vehicle we have plenty of time to use them.

Thanks to Marionnette for creating the thread and givng visibility to others on this. To be honest, I believe that one of the many reasons Disney increases and maintains high prices for everything is because they realize that many people utilize gift card strategies of some sort and are getting discounts/savings on their vacations separate or in conjunction with any "discounts" Disney may be offering.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Thanks Marionette! I have been doing the RedCard discount for a while now, but just started doing the Raise part as well. Between our park tickets and DVC dues, this ends up saving me quite a bit with minimal effort.

I wish we had a place that offered gas rewards around here - perhaps because I live in the backwoods of nowhere and most everyone drives a bigger SUV or truck, no one does. But I could definitely fill 30 gallons and more for our F350!

 

[fairy8i8]

Wish I had known about the Giant Eagle double dipping when I lived in Pittsburgh! (I did get about 18% off all my Disney gift cards because of a $10 coupon for $100 gift card purchase of Disney gift cards, plus fuel perks. However, I just used these for food and other in park expenses because I found a better deal (for me at the time) on tickets through Orbitz using an eBates portal).

Instead, I just did the Orbitz 20% rebate on "activities" deal through eBates for tickets. They had a 5 day ticket for the price of 3 days, so I got an UT type discount with 20% on top! It came to about 30% off, maybe a little more. If you have flexibility to time your ticket purchase, the eBates rebate can be one of the best. It only happens once a year in the winter, maybe twice.

Long live the Budget Boards and their great advice!

 

[Narnia_girl]

Here ya go Narnia_girl, ask and you shall receive. This is utilizing a double fuel perks program offered at Giant Eagle, but most other programs are similar. I often get over 35% savings when I can find $200 Visa/MC/Amex gift cards that have less fees (I sometimes find them at GE's GetGo Stations), but they aren't consistently stocked. If they would stock $500 cards I'd be in better shape yet:

1. Purchase Visa/MC/Amex gift cards at GE in no less than $100 increments (my GE carries only $100 max) with your Amex (Blue cash preferred). The $100 cards have a fee of $5.95. So a $1,000 in GC would cost you $1,059.50 and you would get back from $63.57 from Amex plus $126 in free gas ($1,050/$50*.20*30 gallons = $126). Your cost after step 1 is $1059.50-$63.57-$126=$869.93 for $1,000 in GC or 13% savings.

2. Purchase Target GC at GE with the Visa/MC/Amex GC you just purchased. So $1,000 in GC would yield another $120 in free gas or 12%. You're total cost is now $869.93-$120=$749.93 or total savings of 25%.

3. Purchase Disney GC with the Target GC using your RedCad default payment online to save another $50 or 5%. You're total cost is now $749.93-$50=$699.93 or 30% total savings. If you can actually get cash back by logging into Target through a Portal such as eBates, then you can add that amount to this also, but since it's not consistent for everybody, I didn't include it.

4. Spend the $1,000 via a DVA and get another 2% back for a toal of 32% savings.

My gift cards are used for everything including items such as DVC dues, tickets, food, etc........all at 32+% discount. Now if UT offered gift cards sold via Target, that would be an option too!!

Thanks for the explanation of how you work it. We don't have those fuel perks where I live so I basically start at step 2 but instead of buying from the grocery store I buy from an online discounter.

 

[fostrmom2mny]

Just a tip I recently found for myself.
I recently attended a conference and bought the conference discounted tickets which was a savings. I am a State employee and after returning home, my employee discount rate is awesome, so please see if your employer is involved in a discount type program, check it out. I bought a base conference for 4 days, and the state employee rate was a 4 day hopper with three extra days and was less than the conference ticket rate.

 

[honeybunches]

So many choices! I am having a hard time figuring out where to buy our tickets. We want Park Hopper + Water for 3 of us, just Park Hopper for one (all 10 days) Here's what I'm deciding on right now...
Orlando Vacation - $1775.90 - includes tax/fees
Best of Orlando - $1793.69 - includes tax/fees , but also get 7.7% cashback ($138.11) & 50 ShopGold through ShopAtHome
UndercoverTourist - $1813.30 includes tax/fees

Through Disney, 10 day park hopper (no water park) is $1806.26 - includes tax. We would just purchase water park tickets on the day we went.

Now I'm wondering if we should go through Disney because I can save a bit by going the Raise/RedCard route, and won't tie up $1800 all at once. I can pay it a little at a time. I've been earning Target cards on SB and other sites, so that makes them more like free, while I can't use those on the discounted sites. Decisions, decisions!

 

[cjnix29]

Ok, how do you get the target red card discount online when you pay with a target gift card?

 

[honeybunches]

Ok, how do you get the target red card discount online when you pay with a target gift card?

Set the default payment method to your redCard, then change it to Gift Card before you submit. The 5% discount should still be there.