what is usually the cheaper way?

[ShellyMouse]

hi, planning 1st trip to DL over thanksgiving....

planning offsite, hojo or fairfield.
4-5 park days....hopper a must, included here, right?
flying from denver to sna
some type of shuttle to hotel

im trying to figure out how to this in the most budget friendly way. this is all so new to me....i have only stayed onsite with ddp at WDW...pay before hand and forgetaboutit!

so, whats your opinion of how to book everything?
all through disney
expedia for air & hotel. tickets from disney or where?????

tell me all you know!!

thanks a ton!

oh, i forgot to ask....
when booking, is disney the only ones that you can make payments to? hotels, do they have to be paid in full when making ressie?

thanks again

 

[nana50]

Sorry, I have no answer as I'm local. I have heard a lot of people get their tickets and such through Costco.

 

[DizMe]

I prefer to book everything myself (no expedia, Costco, WDTC, etc). That's because I can get it a lot cheaper, I don't need the "goodies" that come with a package, and I can make changes or cancel without penalties. I also don't have to pay the hotel bill in advance unless I want to.

If you get a really good deal through a tour company, then it might be worth it. Getawaytoday usually has good deals and Costco generally offers the same rates as Disney but throws in a character meal. I still find a better deal on my own by booking hotel only and getting my own air etc. I fly SW so if I need to change or cancel, I don't pay any penalties. They also have good sales from time to time. I have an AP so I try to get the good AP rates either at the Disney hotels or Hojo (you can get the same Hojo discount with an Entertainment card, which can be purchased on ebay for $5 including shipping). There are a few ways to save on tickets and the best place to look into that is mousesavers.com. I use SuperShuttle and have some discount codes that save $2-3 per person each way, making the cost just $7-8.

ETA: I belong to mypoints.com and accrue points for surveys, purchases I make online, clicking emails, etc. I cash these in before a trip--you can get a prepaid Visa, gift certificates for RFC and other restaurants, or the last time I got a Marriott gift card which covered 1 night at FFI.

 

[ShellyMouse]

thanks for the great info!!

i do have an entertainment book....and after reading here checked into the discount. cool!!

i do prefer the DIY approach....good to know thats the best way!

thanks again!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I DIY ~ I book the hotel directly with the hotel or priceline.com ~ I book the airfare through jetblue.com ~ love flying into LGB. I bought PHs for our upcoming trip from LMT ~ I've used ARES & GAT in the past. To get from LGB to our hotel and back to LGB we use a car service, he's a cute little guy from Cambodia - our guy is Ron and his business card says VIP Service (Kim Sontha Transportation). The number is (562) 396-8106 (company number) OR the number where he has always answered is 562-895-6713. We've had a Toyota Highlander & Lexus SUV for our past trips. We pay $45 each way.

 

[Somegirl]

I always "do it myself" also. I can always get a cheaper rate booking everything myself. I however get a little crazy with my planning and do a ton a research because I love doing it. If you're someone who doesn't want to log hours on-line or just doesn't have the time, then a one stop approach might work best for you. Since you posted a question here though you might be a do it "yourselfer".

 

[ShellyMouse]

oh i love the planning!!!! thats almost as much fun as going...almost!

planning for the LAND instead of the WORLD is soooo much different, i just want to make sure im in the "in"....whenever we arrive my family is in awe of me and all i haved researched and all the little tricks i know

 

[Bell30012]

Does Disneyland have PIN offers like Disney World? My DD7 and I want to try somewhere different this year.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

If it were me...

I would book directly through HOJO, you will likely get a better rate there than Fairfield. You should also check out their Entertainment rate, which is awesome if it is available for your dates. You can not book HOJO through DL vacations because they are not a good neighbor hotel.

I would shop around for the best airline rates. I would fly into SNA if possible because it is the closest and isn't overwhelming. I would take the Disneyland Express to your hotel, it is very reasonably priced. Link:
http://graylineanaheim.com/airport_info.shtml

As for tickets, I would probably wait and see if they are offering a promo on tickets. Something might come out later this summer.

 

[MickeyManiac]

Frontier Airlines recently announced service from Denver to Long Beach (LGB). They've been offering some pretty good pricing. I've never flown into SNA but I LOVE LGB. Small airport, easy to get around and a very easy drive if you are renting a car. I did a car from Priceline last June and we only paid about $13/day.

 

[Flitterific]

hi, planning 1st trip to DL over thanksgiving....

planning offsite, hojo or fairfield.
4-5 park days....hopper a must, included here, right?
flying from denver to sna
some type of shuttle to hotel


All tickets 2 days or more are park hoppers. Depending on the number of people in your party, you may want to take the shared van with Super Shuttle. It's $10 each way per person but there are tons of codes online where you can get $3 off each way so it's only $14/person round-trip

im trying to figure out how to this in the most budget friendly way. this is all so new to me....i have only stayed onsite with ddp at WDW...pay before hand and forgetaboutit!

If you like to prepay things, you can get some Disney gift cards, which are good for meals and souvenirs at the stores. You can also prepay at some hotels...you should inquire about the specific one you are staying at. I know HoJo's allows you to...but you can't pay with credit card - but you can send them a check.

so, whats your opinion of how to book everything?
all through disney
expedia for air & hotel. tickets from disney or where?????

I like to book things separately on my own as I usually find it cheaper.
tell me all you know!!

thanks a ton!

oh, i forgot to ask....
when booking, is disney the only ones that you can make payments to? hotels, do they have to be paid in full when making ressie?

As I had mentioned, you can prepay with HoJo in full or make them separate payments leading up to your stay. Call them for specific information.

thanks again

Good luck planning and have fun!

 

[skiingfast]

ShellyMouse:

A lot of trip planning for DL is not at all like WDW. Mainly what one would reccomend at one is not good at the other.

For value I would highly consider staying offsite. Thier are a lot of hotels that are within walking distance of the parks. The Hojo to the park for example is like walking across Coronado Springs from a far room to the hotel lobby.

If you use priceline you aren't gaurenteed a place that is this close to the parks. Which is why I would consider booking direct or through something like Hotels.com.

Tickets are tricky because there a lot of deals at DL. I would watch them and buy them beforehand strait from DL.com.

For eating the DL dining plan is not as clear cut as the DDP in WDW. There is not as much or varied dining as in WDW. There are close offsite resturaunts from the gate. Closer than one side of DTD to the other in WDW. This causes some competition.

I would look at google maps, street view, of Harbor drive from Katella north to the I-5 overpass. It'll give you a good idea about what you will be dealing with.

 

[bumbershoot]

With hojo, you only provide a cc when you make the reservation; you pay at the end of your stay.

With the Disney hotels, doing a room-only stay and booking directly through Disney, you put a deposit down that's the average of a one night stay's cost. They will give you the cancel-for-refund timeframe when you make the reservation. Remember, room only stays also get the resort fee (and tax on that fee) tacked onto each night, and you pay those at the hotel...it's 13.80 per night.

I think that booking a la carte is the cheapest way, but sometimes a package deal can be good. You just have to decide what you want and then check out the prices to get that! If you belong to Costco and/or AAA, check those. Check WDTC (disneyland.com). Check ares travel, lastminutetravel, and getawaytoday.com. And once you see what you want at the best price, snag it, b/c prices change in an instant! I delayed by a day in March '07, and the next morning EVERYONE's prices had gone up! Frustrating!

 

[DizMe]

For the record, I was unable to get Hojo's to allow me to prepay. The resort hotels will let you pay however you like--payments, all in advance, or waiting until checkout. I'm not sure about other off site hotel policies. I personally prefer to pay some of it before I get there but I also like the option of not having to do so . See, I often travel with my adult dd or my sister and I like to put the cost on dh's credit card, which I can't take with me

I also forgot to mention that if your party is 4 or more, you may want to take a taxi (from SNA or LGB, not from LAX). The cost will be roughly the same as a shuttle (~$45 + tip) and you won't have to ride with anyone else or go to any other drop-offs.

 

[Huff]

If you use priceline you aren't gaurenteed a place that is this close to the parks. Which is why I would consider booking direct or through something like Hotels.com.

I've used Priceline several times this past year. All have been along Harbor within 2 miles of Disneyland. All hotels either have their own shuttle or use the Anaheim transit bus to Disneyland. A 3 1/2 * hotel such as the Hilton or Marriot for $50 can't be beat!!

 

[skiingfast]

I've used Priceline several times this past year. All have been along Harbor within 2 miles of Disneyland. All hotels either have their own shuttle or use the Anaheim transit bus to Disneyland. A 3 1/2 * hotel such as the Hilton or Marriot for $50 can't be beat!!

All I'm saying is that you don't know where you will stay if you bid through priceline. While I agree the Hilton is nicer than the hotels near the park on Harbor. It is not as convenient.

While many of the hotels that aren't easy to walk to the parks have transate, the shuttles usually cost extra and the wait time can be horrible. The poster is looking for tips on how to go cheap.

 

[cooniez]

and now I wonder if I made a mistake booking through Costco Travel. Does anyone have any advice? I know we want to stay at the Grand California mid-June & we'll have 2 adults & 1 child. I booked their Buy 3 get 2 free deal (for both tickets & hotel) which seemed like the best deal that I have found so far (Costco threw in the Character breakfast + $20 gc). Crap....I hate feeling like I made a bad decision.

 

[DizMe]

and now I wonder if I made a mistake booking through Costco Travel. Does anyone have any advice? I know we want to stay at the Grand California mid-June & we'll have 2 adults & 1 child. I booked their Buy 3 get 2 free deal (for both tickets & hotel) which seemed like the best deal that I have found so far (Costco threw in the Character breakfast + $20 gc). Crap....I hate feeling like I made a bad decision.

No, don't worry about it! The packages are cool the first time you do it. Next time, when you've had a chance to see what you like and need, it will be a lot easier to do it yourself if you choose. This time you'll get some priority seating vouchers, mementos, Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness, character meal, and stuff like that. It's all done and you won't have to worry about it, so don't feel bad! There's also something fun about getting that big package with your itinerary etc. I still have the folders and things from our first package. It's hard to know about cost savings until you've done it a few times or unless you scour the board for information and research things. When you aren't familiar with the area, hotels, timing, restaurants, etc, it's really hard to know how to plan and budget. A package is a really good place to start.

 

[Flitterific]

For the record, I was unable to get Hojo's to allow me to prepay. The resort hotels will let you pay however you like--payments, all in advance, or waiting until checkout. I'm not sure about other off site hotel policies. I personally prefer to pay some of it before I get there but I also like the option of not having to do so . See, I often travel with my adult dd or my sister and I like to put the cost on dh's credit card, which I can't take with me

I also forgot to mention that if your party is 4 or more, you may want to take a taxi (from SNA or LGB, not from LAX). The cost will be roughly the same as a shuttle (~$45 + tip) and you won't have to ride with anyone else or go to any other drop-offs.

Actually, Lorealle from HoJo posted this on another thread:



Hey Everybody!

I'm so glad that I found this thread! I think there has been some confusion and miscommunication about our policies, and so I just wanted to help make sure that they were cleared up.

Prepayment via check:
We can accept prepayment by check, as long as it arrives at least 10 business days in advance and you have spoken with someone from In-House Reservations who has totaled the cost of your stay for you and noted your account so that when the check arrives, we know where to post that payment. Additionally, we still require those individuals who have prepayed for their reservation via check, to provide a valid credit card in their name at their time of check-in to be authorized* for incidentals. We only recommend that you choose this option if you are 100% absolutely certain of your dates of stay.

Prepayment via credit card:
Unfortunately, we cannot accept prepayment via credit card at all. Our system is not set up to accept payment that way. The card has to physically be here with you at your time of check-in in order for us to be able to charge it. We cannot do fax, phone, email or written authorizations.

Other ways to prepay:
If you need to have your reservation prepaid, I would recommend booking online through websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz or Priceline or by booking through a Travel Agent or Travel Company. These companies require credit card payment at the time of booking. However, at check in, you will still need to be able to provide a valid credit card in your name for us to authorize for incidentals.

Paying with cash:
If you have cash and are planning to pay for the length of your stay that way, rather than on your card, you will still need to provide a valid credit card at your time of check-in that can be authorized for the amount of your stay, including tax and incidentals. Once you pay at check-out, we release the authorization hold on your credit card immediately. It will usually take your bank/credit card company a few business days to process this release and show the funds as available to you once again. Unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do to speed along that process.

Paying with Traveler's Checks:
This works the same way as paying with cash. If you have Traveler's Checks and are planning to pay for the length of your stay that way, you'll still need to provide a valid credit card at your time of check-in that can be authorized for the amount of your stay, including tax and incidentals. Once you pay at check-out with your Traveler's Checks, we release the authorization hold on your credit card immediately. Registered guests of our hotel can also redeem Traveler's Checks for cash, up to $100 per day, per room.

*The authorization is not a charge, it just holds the funds for the amount of time that you are here at the hotel- and then releases that hold once you have checked out.

I know that this was a lot of information to take in, so if you have any questions or concerns about how to pay for your stay, you can always email us at stay@hojoanaheim.com or give us a call at 714-776-6120 and ask for In-House Reservations. We'd be happy to help talk over your options and help you figure out what will best suit your needs! That's what we're here for!

I hope this helps!
Lorealle

Here is the link to that thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=35490598#post35490598

 

[Somegirl]

and now I wonder if I made a mistake booking through Costco Travel. Does anyone have any advice? I know we want to stay at the Grand California mid-June & we'll have 2 adults & 1 child. I booked their Buy 3 get 2 free deal (for both tickets & hotel) which seemed like the best deal that I have found so far (Costco threw in the Character breakfast + $20 gc). Crap....I hate feeling like I made a bad decision.

Don't feel bad at all. I priced Costco Travel today and I'm thinking of booking with them now. With the character meal and the gift card Costco is a really good deal.