WWYD - AoA at 40% or package deal?

[RomeGal]

OK - I have CM friend. She has reserved us a Cars Family Suite at AoA 5/18-25 for 40% off. (AMAZING...)

There are no current CM Friends & Family deals on dining or tickets, though.

I have determined it will cost my family of 4 (Me & DH, DS (8), and DD (7))about $1000 if we eat OOP, and the dining plan for us would cost about $1018. Thus, not any sort of substantial savings. (The CM I talked to when I made a payment on my CM room deal the other day said the DDP occassionally is discounted up to 15%, in which case this deal would be the best...)

I am a Disney Visa Cardholder (since 2002), and didn't even think to check on the deals because we really wanted the AoA Cars Suite, but didn't think budget wise we could swing it (for 7 nights) since it costs almost as much as a deluxe (and for good reason with 2 bathrooms and a separate bedroom, etc.) and when my friend told me about the deal she could get me I was over the moon.

OK - so anyway - I priced out a Magic Your Way + dining at CBR today (that was what we had settled on before the CM discount deal) and the total with 7 day tickets (base) and DDP in a standard CBR room is $3245.

What we will end up with, even using the MouseSavers secret link discount to Undercover Tourist tickets and whether we pay OOP or use DDP, in keeping our 40% off suite at AoA is $3662.

Should I switch? To save the $400 and be done with it? Or will the suite be worth the extra $400 and the hassle of finding tickets, etc? I'm kind of tied to the idea of the suite, but I REALLY want to save the money. WE ARE BROKE!

 

[RomeGal]

I will say, I priced the same package in a Cars Suite and it was $4247 - so almost $800 more than the $3662 I have calculated for the 40% off plus regular price dining and tix. I guess I'll just stick with that, because I feel like we will be SO much more comfy in a suite - for the 8 days - but at the same time CBR is a little bit cheaper... even without the CM discount... I guess I could call and see what the CM discount would be fore a CBR room...

 

[aaarcher86]

Your CM can add the DP at full price for you, if you want.

Also, discounted CM DPs usually come out shortly before travel. Maybe 30 days.

I would personally still take the suite with the discount and keep checking back for the discounted DDP. You'll never get that low of a discount on a suite any other time.

 

[RomeGal]

I know I can add the full price DDP. (ETA - if it ends up being discounted in April, though, like you mentioned, I will totally get it because it will definitely save us from paying OOP...)

Still not sure about that. I priced everything out. Since my kids are still under 10 (but are HUGE EATERS at 7 & 8) I feel like we will come out about the same and it will be nice to prepay...

I am excited about the suite. IDK why I panicked earlier, I'm still getting a ridiculous deal, and the room is almost paid off (only owe about $400 after cashing in and using my Disney Dream Rewards from my Visa) but I STILL am gonna end up paying another $2200+ for tickets and meals, but I reckon for an all inclusive 8 day vacation (minus souvenirs) it's pretty great, still!

Thanks.

 

[rizzo0904]

We have a Cars suite at 40% off as well. My hubby is an airline pilot so it's our interline discount. For us, it's the best deal. We will buy our park tickets thru his union. If you are union, check out unionplus.org. It's about $20 off per person.

For food, we'll pig out around the world in Epcot. But the rest of the time we'll bring in sandwiches and snacks. I have no desire to do table service with two young boys who will be cranky by the end of the day. Pizza by the pool sounds good too!

 

[pigletto]

Have you looked into YES tickets? I know they offer a substantial savings over regular priced tickets. It would just depend on your dates and availability of the classes. It's worth looking in to.

 

[mollymar]

We have a Cars suite at 40% off as well. My hubby is an airline pilot so it's our interline discount. For us, it's the best deal. We will buy our park tickets thru his union. If you are union, check out unionplus.org. It's about $20 off per person.

For food, we'll pig out around the world in Epcot. But the rest of the time we'll bring in sandwiches and snacks. I have no desire to do table service with two young boys who will be cranky by the end of the day. Pizza by the pool sounds good too!

I am also an airline employee and when I called yesterday the discount for AoA was only 25%, but for WL it was 40%. The price turned about to be about the same. I may have to call back.

 

[RomeGal]

Awesome thing with the union discount. I'm not union. I'm an attorney. (But, I am a big fan of unions - my dad was the President of his local USWA (steelworkers) union at Atlantic Steel when I was a kiddo.)

My kids LOVE to go out to eat - and they're older - 7 & 8 - we will have breakfast in the room and a number of snacks, but I hate hate hate packing lunches and don't want to do it on vacay or drag it with us, though we usually do that in the summers when we go to the park or on bike rides as a family, I just am good with it being an extra expense for us. (Though pizza by the pool is TOTALLY happening one night because I *heard* AoA has pretty good pizzas in the food court!

I can also get the 40% off deal on a CBR room, but with the UndercoverTourist Mousesavers discounted tix and food, it will end up costing about $250 less than the "package deal" Disney is offering, so the Cars Suite is still definitely the best deal for US as a family and we will not likely be every-year-Disney-trip takers, though I'm SO trying to convince DH that it's the BEST... we went on a cruise (not Disney, Royal Caribbean) last year as a delayed honeymoon post-cancer-treatment trip just the two of us and I think we'll alternate just-the-two-of-us vacays with full on family 8-12 day vacays. (My kids go for a week of vacation with their dad every other year or so....)

 

[rizzo0904]

Mine love to go out to eat too...I just don't trust their attitudes after a day at Disney! At least I know they'll be willing to try different items in Epcot...pretty sure Tangierine will be their favorite.