Walt Disney released 2013 offers-Virgin Holidays now booking OKW over 11-months out.

[Samaya]

Also does anybody know if you are charged the same rate for your whole stay as my booking would start with the higher rate but go to the lower rate during my stay.

I only know that with Disney you will pay the room rate applicable to that day, so if the rate changes on the 25th August and that is say day 11 of your 14-night stay then you will pay 10-days at the higher rate of £162.00 per night and 4-days at the lower rate of £154.00 per night.

I'm not sure of Complete Orlando's policy but would think their's would be similar, give them a call they are very helpful and it's a free call (0800 294 8844) which makes holding when they're busy a little more bearable

 

[TracyK]

Thanks. I will see how things are looking in a few weeks then decide whether to go ahead and book direct with Disney or wait and book with Complete Orlando.

 

[catherine]

I've had a long work week so my brain is not functioning very well at this point, not that it ever does! So forgive me if I'm missing something! On CO's website it states that you can't book OKW or SSR until 11 months out but in order to get the promotions it states that you have to book by 10/7/12 so how does that work if you want to book for example Aug 2013?

 

[wayneg]

I've had a long work week so my brain is not functioning very well at this point, not that it ever does! So forgive me if I'm missing something! On CO's website it states that you can't book OKW or SSR until 11 months out but in order to get the promotions it states that you have to book by 10/7/12 so how does that work?

If they stick to the 11 month rule you can't book it with them unless they extend the booking dates, they usually do, I have never booked beforeOct/nov for Aug.
I don't know why they are saying 11 months out when Disney are already selling, things might change, early days yet.

 

[luke]

Excellent. Can start looking for next April now

 

[Sapper383]

I've been checking prices for the last couple of days, for August 2013 and I can't believe that that there is now no availablity for POFQ or Coronado springs and PO has gone up by £100.

Also just checked CO, they have availability but the three of them are gone up by £100....I was hoping for the price to decrease no increase

 

[Samaya]

I've been checking prices for the last couple of days, for August 2013 and I can't believe that that there is now no availability for POFQ or Coronado springs and PO has gone up by £100.

Also just checked CO, they have availability but the three of them are gone up by £100....I was hoping for the price to decrease no increase

Like you we have also been checking out various accommodation options and different travel dates for 2013, we had a quote for an OKW studio with full dining and park tickets for 21-nights leaving on Sat 16 Feb and returning on Sat 9th March 2013 for £3,330.

With Complete Orlando this morning the price is coming out at £3,298 but on the Disney web site the price quoted is £3,799.90, that's a big difference.

Strange how Disney can offer to Complete Orlando rooms to sell at a price that they can make a profit on and still charge a price that is cheaper than Disney's by around £23.00 per night for an OKW studio.

Okay you do get a kickback of a $200 (£125) gift voucher with Disney and if you visit their site through Quidco you can get another 3% discount. (I wonder how much extra Quidco earns?)

Although one would like to book directly through Disney a Disney vacation, it clearly seems cheaper to book through a third party the same holiday even after the gimmicks of added savings.

 

[Samaya]

I've been checking prices for the last couple of days, for August 2013 and I can't believe that that there is now no availability for POFQ or Coronado springs and PO has gone up by £100.

Also just checked CO, they have availability but the three of them are gone up by £100....I was hoping for the price to decrease no increase

Like you we have also been checking out various accommodation options and different travel dates for 2013, we had a quote for an OKW studio with full dining and park tickets for 21-nights leaving on Sat 16 Feb and returning on Sat 9th March 2013 for £3,330.

With Complete Orlando this morning the price is coming out at £3,298 but on the Disney web site the price quoted is £3,799.90, that's a big difference.

Strange how Disney can offer to Complete Orlando rooms to sell at a price that they can make a profit on and still charge a price that is cheaper than Disney's by around £23.00 per night for an OKW studio.

Okay you do get a kickback of a $200 (£125) gift voucher with Disney and if you visit their site through Quidco you can get another 3% discount. (I wonder how much extra Quidco earns?)

Although one would like to book directly through Disney a Disney vacation, it clearly seems cheaper to book through a third party the same holiday even after the gimmicks of added savings.

 

[TracyK]

I've been checking prices for the last couple of days, for August 2013 and I can't believe that that there is now no availablity for POFQ or Coronado springs and PO has gone up by £100.

Also just checked CO, they have availability but the three of them are gone up by £100....I was hoping for the price to decrease no increase

I have noticed the same thing. I have not been able to decide between moderate and deluxe and have been pricing both. There appears to be very little availability of moderates in August on the Disney site. They must have been offering a very limited amount of rooms or possibly more people have booked the moderates because the offer doesn't seem as good on the deluxe next year I'm really surprised as this offer runs for weeks.

 

[catherine]

For the first time ever we are seriously considering staying off site. Priced up a 1 bedroom at OKW with 21 day tickets for 3 of us for Aug 2013 and it came up at £5,211!! I know there's free dining but I'm sure that we can get accommodation off site and pay for our food etc. for much less than this. Guess I'll just have to keep checking!

 

[wayneg]

For the first time ever we are seriously considering staying off site. Priced up a 1 bedroom at OKW with 21 day tickets for 3 of us for Aug 2013 and it came up at £5,211!! I know there's free dining but I'm sure that we can get accommodation off site and pay for our food etc. for much less than this. Guess I'll just have to keep checking!

I Break it down, £852 for 3 x 21 day tix, average £60/day food offsite = £1260. Is the room worth about £3k?

For us 3 in a studio I am expecting about £3,600 with Complete Orlando, knock off tix & food, leaves £1500 for the room, over double what I would pay offsite.
We decided yesterday our choice is a split stay, (1 week OKW & 2 weeks offsite) or all 3 weeks offsite.

 

[Samaya]

For the first time ever we are seriously considering staying off site. Priced up a 1 bedroom at OKW with 21 day tickets for 3 of us for Aug 2013 and it came up at £5,211!! I know there's free dining but I'm sure that we can get accommodation off site and pay for our food etc. for much less than this. Guess I'll just have to keep checking!

It seems Disney might be pricing a high percentage of their past UK customers out of the market due to the rapid increase in their accommodation prices.

Admittedly these prices were originally heavily discounted back in 2009 due to the financial crisis, but for most UK consumers their spending capacity for holidays since 2009 has either stayed the same or decrease somewhat, due to other increases in day to day leaving cost.

If Disney could offer those lower prices in 2009-2010-2011 and still make a profit then why increase their room cost so rapidly and to a point where it will be out of reach for many of their past customers.

Using Wayneg figures for what they paid for an OKW studio per night during 2009-2011.

2009 £80 (Disney.co.uk)
2010 £100 (Disney.co.uk) Increased by 25% on 2009 prices
2011 £111 (Disney.co.uk) Increased by 11% on 2010 prices.
2012 ?
2013 £162 (Disney.co.uk) Increased by 46% over 2011 prices.

So since 2009 when Disney UK started offering discounted OKW & SSR rooms, they have increased their prices by 101%, over double.

That is surely a far too rapid increase, especially in todays market place and will result in being out of reach for many of the new customers which Disney has recently attracted to their on-site accommodations.

Even though the latest prices for 2013 are being quoted at a 35% discount off the rack rate, it still seems too expensive compared to past years.

Hopefully their sales over the coming months might be down to what they have projected and if so rethink their pricing and offers for their UK customers.

 

[Elise79]

I wouldn't bank on Disney increasing the discounts that much - Bob Iger has been saying for the last year they are looking to start reducing discounts and the OKW/SSR deal is just one part of that.

AP discounts in the US have decreased as well - a couple of years ago you could get 45% of deluxes now 40% is the best I have seen for a while.

Free dining window for this year in the US is the smallest it has been for some time too.

Disney will still sell the rooms - not everyone is on boards like this and they will still think it is a good deal.

 

[wayneg]

So since 2009 when Disney UK started offering discounted OKW & SSR rooms, they have increased their prices by 101%, over double.

That is surely a far too rapid increase, especially in todays market place and will result in being out of reach for many of the new customers which Disney has recently attracted to their on-site accommodations.

Even though the latest prices for 2013 are being quoted at a 35% discount off the rack rate, it still seems too expensive compared to past years.

Hopefully their sales over the coming months might be down to what they have projected and if so rethink their pricing and offers for their UK customers.

I think Disney had a 5 year plan to hook people into this deal. Back in 2009 we wouldn't have dreamed of staying at a deluxe resort or even eating any meals in Disney (possibly one meal in 21 nights) I think they went to rock bottom, possibly even making a loss. Each year they have pushed the price as much as maket conditions would allow, possibly losing some clients but with word of mouth also gaining many.
Last year when the prices came out on Disney.co.uk(something like £132 or £136/nt) we said no it was beyond our limit, CO offered at £118 and it kept us onboard.
They have just managed to make the price attractive each year. Next year Disney.co.uk for me is a definite no, doubt CO prices will even keep me but we enjoy offsite just as much. Where myself and others will leave I am sure they will keep many and gain a few, as I just quoted in my previous post after taking into account food and tix a studio works out at about £70/nt, many pay that for a value resort so the latest deal is not expensive, anyone who is set on onsite its still good value.
I hope they reduce the prices later in the year, i am not booking til Oct at the earliest but I don't see it happening, I think the backlash would be too great from everyone who had already booked.

 

[Portugal1000]

Having stayed at SSR for 3 years, we decided this year to stay at Wyndhams Bonnet Creek (the one next door to Caribbean Beach) this year fro 3 weeks from 27th July. Have stayed there 3 times before but only at Xmas. We love SSR but in my opinion, the rooms at Bonnet Creek are far superior and twice the size. We saved over £3000 and just couldn't justify the difference as no way would we spend £3000 on food. I will miss the free dining but lots of nice offsite places to eat. Plus we get a 2 bedroom villa instead of a 1 bed so loads more room. the resort is also great, 5 pools, lots going on and on Disney property. You don't get the Extra Magic Hours but I have used them once in all the times I have been.

Not sure about next year but savings will be even higher. Only thing I am waiting to hear about is if Disney go ahead with the rumoured XPass. A fastpass that you can pre book online. Lots of articles say this will be available to Deluxe Resort Hotel guests so will be interesting to see what happens. I think this will appeal to a lot of people but only if the price is not too high. Will also be interesting to see what effect it has on the parks during busy times.

 

[TracyK]

Just checked to see what we paid for August 2009
14 nights in Studio at SSR was £1274 - £91 a night.

 

[stephensmum]

This Aug we booked with Charter Travel & paid £104 per night for 3 of us in a studio at SSR. I rang them & told them the lowest quote I had (CO) & they beat it. It is for 11 nights minus the $150 gift card price, they include it. They also give the Disney extras ie golf.
I spoke with Steve who was great & knew what he was talking about, I'd booked those cheaper Delta flights with him & thats what prompted me to ring him for an accommodation price.

 

[TracyK]

This Aug we booked with Charter Travel & paid £104 per night for 3 of us in a studio at SSR. I rang them & told them the lowest quote I had (CO) & they beat it. It is for 11 nights minus the $150 gift card price, they include it. They also give the Disney extras ie golf.
I spoke with Steve who was great & knew what he was talking about, I'd booked those cheaper Delta flights with him & thats what prompted me to ring him for an accommodation price.

That's a great price but I don't think we'll get anything like that this year. Complete Orlando are pricing studios in OKW and SSR at £130 a night (£124 end of August) but not giving the gift card. I have just received a quote from Charter Travel and they have quoted for a studio at OKW which averages out at £139 a night but they do include the $200 gift card.

 

[catherine]

Having stayed at SSR for 3 years, we decided this year to stay at Wyndhams Bonnet Creek (the one next door to Caribbean Beach) this year fro 3 weeks from 27th July. Have stayed there 3 times before but only at Xmas. We love SSR but in my opinion, the rooms at Bonnet Creek are far superior and twice the size. We saved over £3000 and just couldn't justify the difference as no way would we spend £3000 on food. I will miss the free dining but lots of nice offsite places to eat. Plus we get a 2 bedroom villa instead of a 1 bed so loads more room. the resort is also great, 5 pools, lots going on and on Disney property. You don't get the Extra Magic Hours but I have used them once in all the times I have been.

Not sure about next year but savings will be even higher. Only thing I am waiting to hear about is if Disney go ahead with the rumoured XPass. A fastpass that you can pre book online. Lots of articles say this will be available to Deluxe Resort Hotel guests so will be interesting to see what happens. I think this will appeal to a lot of people but only if the price is not too high. Will also be interesting to see what effect it has on the parks during busy times.

Sounds like you got a great day! If you don't mind me asking who did you book with?

 

[Portugal1000]

We have always booked with Ken Price at www.vactionupgrades.com
Highly recommend. There is a very long thread on the Orlando Hotel board titled
"the we love Bonnet Creek Thread" Loads of pictures.