WWYD - Swan guaranteed as package or chance AP/RO discount rate at Disney resort?

[ninafeliz]

I'm in a quandary. We would really like to stay in an Epcot resort October 24-29. We have the Epcot after hours event and would like to see TSL, plus F&W, so an Epcot area heavy trip. Right now the only way I can do that is to book the Swan as a package with SW Airlines. However, that means we can't easily cancel (and we are relying on 2 sets of grandparents to babysit our 18 mon twins while we're gone, so if anything happens between now and then...). Plus no DME, no RAC, the resort fee... The AP rates for that time came out yesterday and there's nothing in the Epcot area, but even in one day I've checked a lot and so many things have come and gone (including a 2 BR at BWV, but we won't pay for that for the 4 of us, but it means the area did come up once!). There is a lot of availability in values, and even AKL and WL, so it's not like we wouldn't have a room if nothing popped up in the Epcot area. I would rather be in a Disney resort, but I'm not completely opposed to the Swan. WWYD - book the Swan as a sure thing or book the plane tickets separately, book a placeholder resort to make sure we have a room and for FP+, and check like crazy for either an AP rate or the Holiday room only rate to open up at the YC/BC/BW?

 

[ClapYourHands]

Late October is a very popular time, especially in walking distance from Food and Wine. I don’t think you’re going to find much availability at the Epcot area resorts, and what you do find will be rack rate, probably for more expensive rooms like suites.

If your primary goal is to stay in the Epcot area, go with the Swan, especially if you’re getting a deal through a package. Yes, you’ll pay for resort fees and airport transportation, but you’ll still come out ahead of Disney Deluxe costs. Also scheduling your own transportation makes for less wasted time waiting on DME.

 

[gillep]

I would have no issue booking the Swan except that you mention that it would be difficult to cancel, I always have a hard time booking resorts or packages that have poor cancellation policies as it seems every time I do that I have a crazy unforeseen issue pop up.

 

[Babsy]

WE love the Swan, so I would have no problem booking a stay here. In fact we stay for part of most of our trips to WDW in either the Swan or the Dolphin.
I agree with gillep that cancellation policies matter, but that is a personal issue for us and may not matter to you.
FYI: You might be able to book the Swan with a 5 day cancellation online using one of their discounts, if you check. That would give you a room in the Epcot area that you could release if a Disney resort became available for a price that you like.

Good luck!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I love the Swan and, if you could book directly with their standard 5-day cancellation policy, I would say go for it, but I am not a fan of purchasing vacation packages from third-party vendors. I find the terms and conditions tend to be far more restrictive than if you booked directly.

I, personally, would book a WDW resort that is currently available and that you wouldn't mind staying in if an EP resort doesn't become available. For the money you'll save by not having to get a shuttle/car to Swan, resort fees or even the price of a WDW EP deluxe, you could simply take uber/lyft/Minnie Vans to make transportation more convenient.

 

[ninafeliz]

Thanks to those of you who voted or replied! To update, I ended up booking just the airfare and then booking Standard View at AKL for $267 a night. I was too leery of the cancellation policy with the package, and I hate booking through third parties. It would probably have been fine, but if not it would have been a real PITA. If we can't be at the YC/BC/BW, I decided that I would rather stay at a deluxe at a great price than a moderate at almost the same price or a value. I'm not thrilled with standard view, but I am thrilled with the price and we won't be at the resort that much this trip anyway, so I'm not going to worry about it. I am going to watch the disney site, and if an Epcot resort does come up with either the Holiday RO rate or an AP rate (in a normal room, not a suite or something) I will probably book it despite the price increase just for the convenience. One day I saw a ton of availability under the holiday rate for the Epcot and MK monorail resorts, but wasn't prepared to book right then at work, and when I got home they were ALL gone! Not sure if they released a bunch of rooms or what, I haven't seen any since, but I'm going to watch just in case!

 

[AngiTN]

Book separately.
Even if it means booking Swan with a different source.
Don't discount looking at Orbtiz or Expedia too.
But I'd never, ever book a package. With anyone. I'd stay somewhere else first.

 

[ninafeliz]

Book separately.
Even if it means booking Swan with a different source.
Don't discount looking at Orbtiz or Expedia too.
But I'd never, ever book a package. With anyone. I'd stay somewhere else first.

I did book separately! S/D all sold out everywhere else I saw, but I wasn't determined to stay there anyway, just wanted an Epcot resort. Sounds like you've been burned by a package at some point! We did a SW package to Vegas once, before kids, and all went fine, but I just don't like to book through third party sites at all unless I save quite a bit of money. Includes expedia, orbitz, etc. If there's a problem I want to be able to call the resort, airline, etc and deal with it directly myself. Same reason I don't like to use TAs unless it's a great deal I can't get even close to elsewhere (which I have done for that reason, and had minor issues twice I had to get ahold of the TA to deal with b/c I couldn't on my own).

 

[AngiTN]

I did book separately! S/D all sold out everywhere else I saw, but I wasn't determined to stay there anyway, just wanted an Epcot resort. Sounds like you've been burned by a package at some point! We did a SW package to Vegas once, before kids, and all went fine, but I just don't like to book through third party sites at all unless I save quite a bit of money. Includes expedia, orbitz, etc. If there's a problem I want to be able to call the resort, airline, etc and deal with it directly myself. Same reason I don't like to use TAs unless it's a great deal I can't get even close to elsewhere (which I have done for that reason, and had minor issues twice I had to get ahold of the TA to deal with b/c I couldn't on my own).

No, I haven't been burned by a package because I've never done one. Too much of a control freak to give up control like that, I guess.
I just won't go to an airline to book a hotel or a hotel to book an airline. I go to the source.
I only go to a site like Orbitz when the hotel site is sold out, since I do realize they will sell blocks of rooms to the 3rd party site so the direct site can be sold out but the 3rd party site still have inventory.
They are last resort though.
And same as you, I don't use TAs

 

[happymommy]

I've used Southwest Vacations for several vacations (to Mexico - it's been a great deal for them!). I always buy their insurance for roughly $100 per person. It comes with cancel for ANY reason (and I used it once to change to a different month). So you could rethink that, and use the flight credit towards it, if you change your mind.

I wouldn't want to stay at AKL for an Epcot heavy trip really. I'd rather stay closer to Epcot.

The Swan is a very nice hotel; I prefer it to the Disney deluxe ones usually! That being said, you would have to consider the transportation to and from the airport.

 

[ninafeliz]

I've used Southwest Vacations for several vacations (to Mexico - it's been a great deal for them!). I always buy their insurance for roughly $100 per person. It comes with cancel for ANY reason (and I used it once to change to a different month). So you could rethink that, and use the flight credit towards it, if you change your mind.

I wouldn't want to stay at AKL for an Epcot heavy trip really. I'd rather stay closer to Epcot.

The Swan is a very nice hotel; I prefer it to the Disney deluxe ones usually! That being said, you would have to consider the transportation to and from the airport.

All good info and makes sense, but to add $400 to the trip for the insurance really was more than we were willing to add for less expensive, bonus trip! The only option for the Swan was with the package, it wasn't available as hotel only through SW, or anywhere else that I could see. We'll see if we end up regretting the AKL choice, with an Epcot/DHS heavy trip, but with only the older kids we will be willing to use some busses and we love the Minnie Vans, and with the money saved by resort choice we'll use them pretty heavily when we can. It's actually a lot cheaper with the AKL and separate resort booking, because I forgot we have $250 toward airfare and 4th night free benefit through our cc, and we would have lost those to book a package. When I'm annoyed with the travel time (assuming we don't find anything in the Epcot area) I'll just have to remind myself that we're in a bonus trip, a deluxe resort, at Disney World, and we saved money by staying there, so get over it and quite whining!!!

 

[Pkltm]

I like your choice. I honestly didn't find the transport to Ep from AKL, that long plus with Minnie Vans and Uber and Lyft now there are other options. Plus that is a great rate! Have a great trip!!

 

[fitzperry]

All good info and makes sense, but to add $400 to the trip for the insurance really was more than we were willing to add for less expensive, bonus trip!

$400 sounds like a lot for trip insurance. It's been a few years since I've purchased trip insurance because we usually don't do packages either, but I don't think I've ever paid more that $150 for trips for my family of 4. I wonder why it was so high.

 

[happymommy]

It's high because with SW Vacations, it's per person.

I agree, the extra $400 on top of ride to and from the airport, and resort fee, would be a lot extra.

 

[fitzperry]

It's high because with SW Vacations, it's per person.

I agree, the extra $400 on top of ride to and from the airport, and resort fee, would be a lot extra.

Yeah, I would take a pass on that too!

 

[ninafeliz]

I don't imagine anyone was on the edge of their seat wondering about this , but just in case I thought I would update that today a Deluxe Studio at the Beach Club Villas Popped up and I was able to grab it, and when the citi card concierge looked she was even able to get the magical holidays discount applied, which wasn't showing up for me! So we're in the Epcot resort area after all, I'm excited! It is more $$ than the AKL SV, but for just under $700 more for 5 nights we think it's worth it to be able to walk to all of the events we have planned at Epcot and DHS, and it will sure make our last morning of having to do RAC and get to DHS for EMM by 7:00 AM much easier. I'm sure we would have used minnie vans at least a few times, and with the new price change for them I figure that saves us at least $100, so we're eating into that price difference already - there's some Disney math for you