Which Deal?

[Raidra]

Okay, so we haven't even gone on our first Disney family vacation (10 days!), and here I am planning the next one.

I'm just wondering what is the best deal we should hope for. Here's some background info:

There are six of us. Most likely, our kids will be 3, 5, 8, and 10 when we go back. We're getting two value rooms this time, and probably would again.

We homeschool so any time of year is okay. We do not like heat/humidity, and obviously would like low crowds. Weather warm enough to go swimming would be nice, but would be negotiable for a great bargain.

We decided not to do the dining plan this time because my kids aren't big eaters and they're young so I think staying flexible and doing CS will be easier. We'll be doing breakfast in the room and bringing snacks and sometimes sandwiches into the parks. Next time we might like to do more TS, I dunno.

So what sort of deal should I hope for? This time I had a 30% pin. Should I hope for something similar, or is free dining a better deal even paying rack rate for the rooms?

Thanks guys.

 

[Marionnette]

Okay, so we haven't even gone on our first Disney family vacation (10 days!), and here I am planning the next one.

I'm just wondering what is the best deal we should hope for. Here's some background info:

There are six of us. Most likely, our kids will be 3, 5, 8, and 10 when we go back. We're getting two value rooms this time, and probably would again.

We homeschool so any time of year is okay. We do not like heat/humidity, and obviously would like low crowds. Weather warm enough to go swimming would be nice, but would be negotiable for a great bargain.

We decided not to do the dining plan this time because my kids aren't big eaters and they're young so I think staying flexible and doing CS will be easier. We'll be doing breakfast in the room and bringing snacks and sometimes sandwiches into the parks. Next time we might like to do more TS, I dunno.

So what sort of deal should I hope for? This time I had a 30% pin. Should I hope for something similar, or is free dining a better deal even paying rack rate for the rooms?

Thanks guys.

You really need to price out whatever discounts are available to you and then take the one that suits you best.

A room-only discount is generally a better deal if you are not filling the room to capacity, if you are staying at a moderate, deluxe or villa resort or if you are staying for a long period of time. The higher up the resort level, the steeper the discount both percentage-wise and dollar wise.

A "Kids Stay & Play Free" offer is more valuable to someone who has a number of children under the age of 10, stays at a value resort and is staying for a shorter period of time.

Free dining is great if you have tweens and adults and/or stay in a value resort. It's also a better deal if you are filling the room to capacity rather than just two or three guests. But the value of free dining may not be as good as getting a room discount if you are staying in deluxe or villa resorts.

There have also been offers that include "Stay 4, Get 3 Free" at moderates and deluxes or "Stay 5, Get 2 Free" at the values. In most cases, it makes sense to stay in a moderate resort when this is offered.

I've also seen some offers that give gift cards to all the children in your party, or one gift card per package with a value based on the level of resort that you are staying at. Again, this may be a better deal than some of the others, depending on how you vacation and where.

So, pick your dates and make tenative plans. Then do the math when the discounts come out. You should be able to find something that suits your budget!