Very general question about best prices...can you help?

[Bookworm715]

We are a family of 4 (kids will be 6 and 3 at time of travel). We went to Disney once last winter, but just for a day- our son was really freaked out by rides and we were really in FL for the beach, but we ended up LOVING our time there and can't wait to go back.

We're starting to plan our next trip and we're really very flexible. I DO NOT want to go at a peak time, which obviously makes things much easier. I'd like Oct, early Nov, Jan, or Feb,but no summer, xmas break, etc.

I've priced the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the 4 of us: Dec 3-7 (just a random date I picked), Dining, and the 5 day Park Hopper pass. The website tells me that's $3709.

I've read about the codes, the free dining, etc. and I'm wondering what I should have my approach be? I like the idea of paying for the meals upfront w/ the dining plan, and I'd like to stay in a resort like Animal Kingdom, but it doesn't have to be that specific one.

I know this is all very general (but I'm having a hard time finding such general info as to what my best deal would be). Can someone tell me what I might expect, as far as perhaps a discount code for a room off of that amount that I was quoted, or perhaps how much free dining would save me? I'm even having a hard time thinking about when we might go, because I can't get a general ballpark of how much it might cost.

Can anyone throw some info at me?

 

[maman_et_fille]

This site lists historical discounts; while it's no guarantee of the same thing being offered again, you could see what sorts of deals have been offered in the past and when they've been released. http://www.mousesavers.com/historicalwdwdiscounts.html You can google how much the dining plan is per person, multiply it by the number of days you plan to stay, and see how much it saves. We aren't big fans of the dining plan because we find it confining - it might be a better deal but for us it's not a good value. Keep in mind that you can't use a room discount in combination with free dining; depending on where you stay, choosing one over the other could be better deal for you, assuming both are offered for your travel dates.

 

[MHSweb79]

Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe resort, and priced accordingly. There are three levels of resorts - Deluxe, Moderate and Value - so you may want to check out some others and compare prices. We have stayed in a few and for moderates, we LOVE Port Orleans French Quarter. For deluxe, our favorite is Beach Club. Many many folks here rave about Pop Century, which is a value resort.

Free dining is typically offered during times where room discounts are also generous (because they need to entice people to fill up the rooms) but you can't have both. So for "free" dining you must pay rack rate (full price) for your room. This may or may not be cheaper than booking a discounted room and paying for the dining plan - you have to do the math. We have just one college-aged daughter so for my DH and me, it's usually better to take the room discount. For families of 4-5 in a single room, at a deluxe resort, the free dining is a much better deal. It still won't be free, of course, since you are paying more for your room.

The best times to go, in my opinion are:

The week after Labor Day - not so good with your older one in school, but very low crowds (for the same reason!). Very hot & humid, great pool weather
Early November - Low crowds, weather can be iffy though (cool, windy)
Early January - avoid MLK week. Low crowds, again, weather can be iffy. You may not get into the pool at all

The price you were quoted seems very high to me - did it include airfare? We always book our airfare separately. Also, we have used AAA in the past with great success, so you may want to try that as well. I also agree that you should subscribe to mousesavers.com and also check out the Rate & Review section of Allears.net.

 

[kmoore7]

You can get quotes from several places. This site uses Dreams Unlimited. No obligation to get a price. It is hard, however, to combine discounts on the same booking. Ex. free dining plan or discounted room price, not both. If you want to stay at a deluxe resort, try the DVC link. You can get great deals from members who "rent" you points. We have been to WDW 6 times, and it's never the same process twice. This site, allears.net, easywdw.com, and of course Disneys' web site offer an abundance of info to swallow and make sense of. You would be suprised how good a deal you can get from Disney if you do your homework beforehand. Good luck and happy planning.

 

[agmmbolam426]

We like going in September. They usually have the free dining plan. It really takes a lot of stress off of you to pay for the food upfront in my opinion. Personally, if we were to pay for our meals during our trip we are not as likely to eat at as many table service restaurants or eat as much dessert. We figured up that on average our meals (2 kids and 2 adults) would have cost over $100 and quick service would have been about $50. Signature restaurants would have been much more.Plus, on the dining plan you also get 1 snack a day. I absolutely love the dining plan!

There are pros and cons to going in September. It is very hot but it usually not that crowded.

 

[amomma23]

Did you go to the "special offers" page first to price your trip? There is an end of summer room only and a fall free dining offer out now. Even if you aren't ready to head back just yet, you can get an idea of what may be available in the future. If you just price it out without starting at "special offers" you're seeing full price for everything which is just crazy!