Best way to be cost effective / utilize specials?

[Model3 McQueen]

I had a thread I wanted to resurrect here but I couldn't find it, so sorry for bringing this up again.

I have a better knowledge of the hotels and the little things that Disneyworld has to offer. I want to deeply thank the many consultants who reached out to me to help plan a trip, you're all amazing. However, I am sort of keeping that philosophy of "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." in my head.

That being said, I want to learn more and had a few questions I wanted to ask you kind folks.

1. If it's just two people going (adults), what are the best moderate to deluxe hotel options - one bed and small room is fine, keeping both price and convenience in mind. I heard a lot of recommendations for "Port Orleans" in the last post so I may be leaning towards this.

2. What is the best way to take advantage of specials / money saving opportunities? I've learned never to take anything at face value, so would it be best to plan a trip through private consultants (original plan) on these forums? Costco Travel? AAA? WDW website itself when they announce a vacation special?

3. Are there any popular, pre-made plans for couples? Or is it better to plan things individually - tickets, hotels, meals, FP+, etc.

4. Waterparks are NOT being considered. Given how big WDW is, is it really necessary / recommended to invest in a park hopper?

If you have any other recommendations i'm all ears. Appreciate it!

 

[Master Yoda]

1. Unless you start looking at suites, most of the moderate resorts are going to be around the same price per night. CBR tends to be the lowest price, followed by CS, PORS then POFQ. PORS and POFQ tend to be the most popular and a frequently blacked out of promotions making the few bucks a night difference at rack rate grow significantly if one has a promotion and the other does not.
2. The best way to take advantage is book with a travel agency that specializes in Disney like forum sponsor Kingdom Konsultants. (@Kingdom Konsultant ) They keep track of all of Disney's promotions and automatically rebook you if one comes out that you qualify for. They will also contact you if you can make modifications in your reservation to get a promotion you would not get otherwise. I have been using them for years and they have greatly simplified my Disney travel. I don't have to keep my eyes on multiple sites waiting for news of discounts or have to spend hours on the phone trying to get a reservation rebooked if I find one. I book with them and I am done.
3. None that I know of. In most cases you are going to be booking a package that includes room, tickets and possibly dining. Unless you get tickets from a third party, there is rarely any significant savings by booking separately.
4. It all depends on your travel style. The good news is you can always add park hopping to a ticket for the same price. If you are not sure if you will use it don't book it. If you need it, you can add it at the parks.

 

[LeighM]

My husband and I prefer the Port Orleans resorts. French Quarter is smaller with the one bus stop, which is why so many prefer FQ, but we prefer Riverside because it is so large. We enjoy just walking around the resort and soaking up the atmosphere. We stayed at Coronado Springs earlier this year and it was fine - we got a great deal using the Disney Visa discount. But it didn't grab us like POR and we weren't a fan of the food court. We're trying CBR next year since it's a short trip - and I got a great rate using the Disney Visa again. But for longer stays, like the one in 2021, I will be staying at POR again.

The best deals I've found are thru the agency exclusive rates offered through one of the travel agencies especially at POFQ since you can get a package cheaper thru the TA than you can direct from Disney. Plus, they offer discounted park tickets, as well. But the last two years, I've gotten better rates direct through Disney using the Disney Visa discount. You really need to do your research to find the offer that works best with your travel dates.

I prefer getting a package direct thru Disney or the TA. No matter which path you choose you will need to do your dining and FP+ reservations separately from the room/ticket/dining package. There isn't a "pre-made plan." It's more a la carte and you pick what you want to do My husband and I have gotten the park hopper for all but one of our trips. We like the freedom to go to another park if one gets too busy. Or go to one park's morning EMH and then close the day at another's evening EMH with a break in the middle. And it opens up our choices for dinner reservations. We did not use it as much as I liked this last trip because we went with another couple. They are used to Disney cruises so weren't quite ready for our park commando style

 

[Model3 McQueen]

1. Unless you start looking at suites, most of the moderate resorts are going to be around the same price per night. CBR tends to be the lowest price, followed by CS, PORS then POFQ. PORS and POFQ tend to be the most popular and a frequently blacked out of promotions making the few bucks a night difference at rack rate grow significantly if one has a promotion and the other does not.
2. The best way to take advantage is book with a travel agency that specializes in Disney like forum sponsor Kingdom Konsultants. (@Kingdom Konsultant ) They keep track of all of Disney's promotions and automatically rebook you if one comes out that you qualify for. They will also contact you if you can make modifications in your reservation to get a promotion you would not get otherwise. I have been using them for years and they have greatly simplified my Disney travel. I don't have to keep my eyes on multiple sites waiting for news of discounts or have to spend hours on the phone trying to get a reservation rebooked if I find one. I book with them and I am done.
3. None that I know of. In most cases you are going to be booking a package that includes room, tickets and possibly dining. Unless you get tickets from a third party, there is rarely any significant savings by booking separately.
4. It all depends on your travel style. The good news is you can always add park hopping to a ticket for the same price. If you are not sure if you will use it don't book it. If you need it, you can add it at the parks.

Thanks a lot! I'll be sure to reach out to Kingdom Konsultants.

My husband and I prefer the Port Orleans resorts. French Quarter is smaller with the one bus stop, which is why so many prefer FQ, but we prefer Riverside because it is so large. We enjoy just walking around the resort and soaking up the atmosphere. We stayed at Coronado Springs earlier this year and it was fine - we got a great deal using the Disney Visa discount. But it didn't grab us like POR and we weren't a fan of the food court. We're trying CBR next year since it's a short trip - and I got a great rate using the Disney Visa again. But for longer stays, like the one in 2021, I will be staying at POR again.

The best deals I've found are thru the agency exclusive rates offered through one of the travel agencies especially at POFQ since you can get a package cheaper thru the TA than you can direct from Disney. Plus, they offer discounted park tickets, as well. But the last two years, I've gotten better rates direct through Disney using the Disney Visa discount. You really need to do your research to find the offer that works best with your travel dates.

I prefer getting a package direct thru Disney or the TA. No matter which path you choose you will need to do your dining and FP+ reservations separately from the room/ticket/dining package. There isn't a "pre-made plan." It's more a la carte and you pick what you want to do My husband and I have gotten the park hopper for all but one of our trips. We like the freedom to go to another park if one gets too busy. Or go to one park's morning EMH and then close the day at another's evening EMH with a break in the middle. And it opens up our choices for dinner reservations. We did not use it as much as I liked this last trip because we went with another couple. They are used to Disney cruises so weren't quite ready for our park commando style

Appreciate your advice, thank you! I applied and got a Southwest credit card the other day, with a promotion to get 40k points so that should be enough to fly us both out to Orlando and back. Thank goodness as that would've been a major cost.

Does it require a lot of physical effort and time to switch between parks?

 

[Master Yoda]

Does it require a lot of physical effort and time to switch between parks?

It can take a fair bit of time depending on where you are at and where you are going. About the only time we do it is when the park we are at is closing early and we are going to another park.

 

[LeighM]

Appreciate your advice, thank you! I applied and got a Southwest credit card the other day, with a promotion to get 40k points so that should be enough to fly us both out to Orlando and back. Thank goodness as that would've been a major cost.

Does it require a lot of physical effort and time to switch between parks?

Not if you plan it correctly. When we do the extra magic hours at AK in the morning, then we'll go early for that. Leave the park around 2 and go to back to our resort. Take a nap or relax by the pool for a few hours, then go to MK in the evening. We don't really enjoy Hollywood Studios with all of the construction but there are a few things we like to do. So we'll start our day at Epcot and then walk to HS for a few hours. Or start our day at MK extra magic hours and then take the monorail to Epcot for the rest of the day. A lot depends on the time of year you're going. If you're going during shorter park hours then it may not work for you. If MK closes at 9pm then park hopping may not make much sense.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

It can take a fair bit of time depending on where you are at and where you are going. About the only time we do it is when the park we are at is closing early and we are going to another park.

Yeah i'm still up in the air a little bit. I'm used to having park hopper in Anaheim but this is a totally different beast.

Not if you plan it correctly. When we do the extra magic hours at AK in the morning, then we'll go early for that. Leave the park around 2 and go to back to our resort. Take a nap or relax by the pool for a few hours, then go to MK in the evening. We don't really enjoy Hollywood Studios with all of the construction but there are a few things we like to do. So we'll start our day at Epcot and then walk to HS for a few hours. Or start our day at MK extra magic hours and then take the monorail to Epcot for the rest of the day. A lot depends on the time of year you're going. If you're going during shorter park hours then it may not work for you. If MK closes at 9pm then park hopping may not make much sense.

That's a great idea - i'll look into park hours and if some of the parks close sooner than later, i'll invest in park hoppers.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

1. This will vary based on personal preference. If you want a resort experience, go with a moderate or deluxe, but know you will be paying more. We like Coronado and POFQ as moderates. Deluxe is too much for me to justify the cost. If you plan to spend more time in the parks and want to save money, Pop is our favorite. Also note that at some resorts asking for a King room can be a different price point.
2. If your dates are flexible, go when you have the best chance at scoring a discount. Check out mousesavers for historical discounts. However, be forewarned that POFQ rarely has rooms available on the discounts and even when they do, the discount is not as much as the "up to %". For example, the discount that just came out for Jan - April, was "up to 20%" for mods, but we only got 7% off. Oh, and I highly recommend a TA like Kingdom Konsultants. @wannabeBelle is our agent and she and the crew were right on top of the discounts as soon as they came out and were able to update our room to get the discount.
3. We plan our own itinerary, based on what we want to do. Also, look for adults-only type of activities like the Keys to the Kingdom tour.
4. Hoppers are great if you have been to WDW multiple times and want to just hit your favorites as opposed to spending an entire day in one park. But, we have found that even after multiple trips, we can easily spend full days in every park, if we really want to experience "everything". OTOH, even if a day is not a full day, you could leave early and spend some down time at the resort and not need to hop to another park.

From what i'm hearing I suppose Coronado or POFQ are the best options. I was looking into the value resorts but i'm not a fan of their facade, and i'm going to just assume (I know, assuming is bad) that Value will have more children running and screaming. I'd like to do deluxe one day because who doesn't want to wake up and use the monorail for transit haha.

I did always think about doing the train tour at WDW. I suppose that wont be available because of TRON. I have reached out to Kingdom Konsultants per your and @Master Yoda recommendation

 

[Model3 McQueen]

I'm looking at Undercover Tourist but am reading some sketchy reviews - can't argue with the prices they're offering though. Does anybody have experience and would anybody recommend them for a trip?

 

[I am Timmy]

I always book a discounted package using the DW website. Then, I buy enough disney giftcards to pay the whole trip - at a discount. Right now Bj's online has $100 GC at 4% off. You have to pay a $10 online membership fee, though. If you have a Target redcard (credit or debit) you can get 5% off. Sam's club also sells them at a discount if you have a membership. But, if you go the BJ's or Sam's route, then you also get the points on whatever cc you use for an added discount. So, say for a $6000 pkg. you save $240, plus cc points (we'll say 2%) for another $120= $360 total saved just by using GC. Now you can compare a pkg. that way with whatever deal you might get through a travel agent. Or, scrap all that and rent DVC points to stay at a deluxe!

 

[DisneyOutsider]

I'm looking at Undercover Tourist but am reading some sketchy reviews - can't argue with the prices they're offering though. Does anybody have experience and would anybody recommend them for a trip?

Undercover Tourist is legit. Have used them three or four times over the years for tickets (including once a couple of weeks ago) and have never had an issue. You get the tickets immediately via email and can sync them with your Disney World account right away.

They are an authorized reseller.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

I always book a discounted package using the DW website. Then, I buy enough disney giftcards to pay the whole trip - at a discount. Right now Bj's online has $100 GC at 4% off. You have to pay a $10 online membership fee, though. If you have a Target redcard (credit or debit) you can get 5% off. Sam's club also sells them at a discount if you have a membership. But, if you go the BJ's or Sam's route, then you also get the points on whatever cc you use for an added discount. So, say for a $6000 pkg. you save $240, plus cc points (we'll say 2%) for another $120= $360 total saved just by using GC. Now you can compare a pkg. that way with whatever deal you might get through a travel agent. Or, scrap all that and rent DVC points to stay at a deluxe!

That's an interesting method. I'll look into it. I did check out Costco - turns out it was more expensive than the magic your way thing, and Undercover Tourist.

Undercover Tourist is legit. Have used them three or four times over the years for tickets (including once a couple of weeks ago) and have never had an issue. You get the tickets immediately via email and can sync them with your Disney World account right away.

They are an authorized reseller.

Thanks! It's too bad they require all payment up front. I'm not so keen on paying close to 2 grand for something I wont be able to do until next year.

 

[Disneyfreak Jen]

I use Disney gift cards to stay on budget. In the months prior to my trip I buy a gift card with every paycheck, and this pays for my meals and any souvenirs I want to get.
Then when I get home i don’t have to deal want credit card bills. If there’s any leftover I save it for next trip.