What’s the best ‘bargain’ you’ve gotten..

[niccikatie]

I paid a bit less than that for Yacht Club for July 2015 via WDW room-only discount.

I'm paying about that amount for our upcoming late August trip to Beach Club via a deal from the travel agency I use, which books resort rooms at convention rates and then passes on the savings to clients.

Likely the same deal - we're paying $251+taxes (so $282 total)/night at BC standard view in late August. It's less than POR using the incredible summer discount for the same dates.

$39.00 a night at the Polynesian. My wife’s and I honeymoon June 1973. We just celebrated our 45th at BLT with our children and grandchildren. My how things have changed.

That's about $221 in today's dollars - so a pretty good deal!

The discounts through WDW have really changed since we started going as a family in 2010 - that's for sure!

 

[Dean Marino]

DVC.

Hit breakeven this year, our room costs are roughly 25% of rack. Initial investment paid off, and VERY happy .

 

[MillauFr]

Yep, convention rate over labor day is always a good one. We have done both YC and GF that way.

Yep that is the deal we always do. We went in August of 2016 and travel agent was selling rooms at the Wilderness Lodge for $169 per night and rooms at the Poly for $189 per night. Plus the park hoppers were discounted as well.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Split stay (convention rate) YC $190 per night all in - Poly $238 per night all in...

2016 August

 

[MillauFr]

Just to be clear. None of us is part of a convention when booking the convention rate. It is just a scam that Disney allows a travel agent to offer super low rates. I don't know why the other travel agents don't complain more as it is obviously unfair to them.

 

[Anniefrances]

Last summer AP rate - AKL standard view (which was really a partial savannah) for $260/night.

 

[HopperFan]

I think the BEST rates we EVER got were at POP Century back around 2007-2008 ...

Room was under $100 per night and offered Free Dining and it was the REGULAR Disney Dining Plan!

That included:
- One Refillable Mug
- One Snack per day
- One Quick Serve Meal per day; Entree, Drink & Dessert
- One Table Serve Meal per day; Appetizer, Entree, Drink & Dessert PLUS Gratuity included

We did Free Dining from 2006 through 2013, and stopped because it was no longer a plus for us.

 

[niccikatie]

Just to be clear. None of us is part of a convention when booking the convention rate. It is just a scam that Disney allows a travel agent to offer super low rates. I don't know why the other travel agents don't complain more as it is obviously unfair to them.

This is completely inaccurate. It's not a scam and it's not unfair. The way certain travel agencies have their contracts set up, the agency buys a group of rooms without the ability to give any rooms back to Disney if they don't sell. That's the way to get the lowest prices however the agency takes all the risk in that scenario. If they don't sell all their rooms, the agency takes a loss. There's another type of contract where the agency can give the rooms back if they don't sell - those are discounted but not as steeply - which makes sense. There's no requirement to actually be at a convention nor is there any lying or scamming going on. Len Testa wrote a very interesting article on this subject on his blog but I can't link it as it names the travel agency that cannot be named.

 

[Marionnette]

You know... if anyone knows of a TA that has convention rates fairly regularly... you could message me about that

Sorry. We actually attend a meeting at Disney to get the convention rate. If we needed the continuing ed credits this year, we would have had a killer rate at the YC during F&W and the Wine & Dine marathon weekend.

 

[JCornell]

Probably our best deal was in 2009 at the Poly $213/nt (40% off). That was for standard but they gave us a MK View.

 

[Lehuaann]

The 2010 Orbitz glitch! Anyone else remember that?

 

[Lehuaann]

I think the BEST rates we EVER got were at POP Century back around 2007-2008 ...

Room was under $100 per night and offered Free Dining and it was the REGULAR Disney Dining Plan!

That included:
- One Refillable Mug
- One Snack per day
- One Quick Serve Meal per day; Entree, Drink & Dessert
- One Table Serve Meal per day; Appetizer, Entree, Drink & Dessert PLUS Gratuity included

We did Free Dining from 2006 through 2013, and stopped because it was no longer a plus for us.

With only a one day base ticket!

 

[Sleepy425]

Honeymoon in 2009 - Pop Century for 7 nights, regular dining plan, and 1 day tickets (had other tickets so we just bought the minimum to get the free dining). $810.68 (I have all of my travel emails saved so I can reference back what I have paid in the past).
This year I am pretty happy to get Wilderness Lodge for 3 nights for $708, including taxes.
Edited because I forgot that it wasn't the quick service plan. Back then it was the regular dining plan you got for free dining.

 

[HopperFan]

With only a one day base ticket!

Forgot that. We had APs so didn't need the tickets. We would use towards renewal of AP or for trips with DH would come along. He'd use them up.

 

[Lehuaann]

Forgot that. We had APs so didn't need the tickets. We would use towards renewal of AP or for trips with DH would come along. He'd use them up.

We’ve used a lot of discounts and agree nothing really comes close to FD 2007/2008.

The Orbitz glitch was another good one for us. 2 nights AKL CL for $319.22 total.

 

[Rxdr2013]

We are passholders and i booked 6 nights over labor day weekend at caribbean beach for $1250 including quick service dining plan. for 2 adults and 1 child and infant. Any other hotel they are charging full price for dining plan, I had 5 nights booked and just added 1 more and it cost $50 total including the dining plan. I could stay off site at $30 a night like we have done the last few times but I just like being in the whole disney experience, my husband doesn't understand!

 

[MillauFr]

This is completely inaccurate. It's not a scam and it's not unfair.

You are correct that it isn't a scam. I do think it is unfair though. The small mom & pop travel agencies are getting decimated because Disney lets the large travel agencies offer better deals. Costco Travel is gobbling up market share for Disney cruises because they are allowed by Disney to offer lower prices than any other travel agent. It isn't a level playing field.

I still can't figure out why Expedia hasn't been more aggressive offering better deals for room at Disneyworld.

 

[WDW_Diane]

$440/night for club level at Polynesian in July 2016. My son desperately wants to stay at the "Hawaii" resort again, but I've not seen a rate anywhere near that since.

Have you tried renting points there?

 

[WDW_Diane]

Yep, convention rate over labor day is always a good one. We have done both YC and GF that way.

I got POFQ last August on Hotwire $82/night.

Was it a convention you were with?

 

[WDW_Diane]

Yep that is the deal we always do. We went in August of 2016 and travel agent was selling rooms at the Wilderness Lodge for $169 per night and rooms at the Poly for $189 per night. Plus the park hoppers were discounted as well.

Were you offered a convention rate and not with a convention? I'm already considering this for next year.