When to book for Nov 2014?

[Lolsmum]

I know I could book it now, but is there any benefit to booking it now vs end of June? Are prices likely to change?

We would only be booking the hotel and tickets (plus free dining) as our trip will include Thanksgiving at my parents, who aren't sure where they will be living in 18 months. Plan is Florida, but that depends on the house in Kansas selling, so our flights are still uncertain.

If anyone knows how to choose which hotel and wants to throw in that answer too, I'd love to know. Every time I think we've decided, I change my mind.

 

[Sencybil]

If last year is the pattern, then no, prices won't change during the current offer. I booked in late May 2012 for Oct 2013, and kept a close eye on prices since. The offer was repeated with a $100 gift card instead of $200, and then again with QSDP rather than DP at Deluxes. So all is not lost if you miss the June deadline, but I think its very unlikely you'll get a better offer. Only exception to this might be room only. I got a bettter price on 1 extra night at AoA booking in Feb this year when there were no dining offers but a reduction on rack rates (depends on which category of hotel you want though, as SSR and OKW were just the same discount as when free dining was included).

As regards which hotel, I wanted the standard DP not QSDP, and the cheapest Deluxe rooms were SSR / OKW. It would have cost just very slightly more to stay POR (which would have been my personal choice for a moderate) and upgrade the dining plan for 3 of us, but I was happy with SSR and its less obvious theming as we are there for 2 weeks and I'll quite welcome a little less obvious Disneyfication.... and having a studio rather than a standard room appealed too.

It was my inability to decide between OKW and SSR that pushed me close to the cut off for booking though so I have sympathy on you keeping changing your mind! What are your current thoughts?

Sency xx

 

[MrRomance]

I know I could book it now, but is there any benefit to booking it now vs end of June? Are prices likely to change?

We would only be booking the hotel and tickets (plus free dining) as our trip will include Thanksgiving at my parents, who aren't sure where they will be living in 18 months. Plan is Florida, but that depends on the house in Kansas selling, so our flights are still uncertain.

If anyone knows how to choose which hotel and wants to throw in that answer too, I'd love to know. Every time I think we've decided, I change my mind.

I doubt the price will change between now and June (although there is no telling what they will do and if they will follow the usual pattern) but the overall deal you can get will change.

As the previous poster said, the deal gets gradually worse overall the longer you wait. We booked in early June last year for our trip this Oct/Nov and got in just before the cut off date. They reduce and eventually remove the gift card and they lower the dining plan you get.

My advice would be, why take the risk? If you can book now, you will lock in the current deal, it is highly unlikely you'll get a better deal, but there is a risk of a worse one. I'd lock it in now and take advantage of the SSR or OKW deal so you get the full DDP not the QSDP and the $200 gift card.