Getting the best deal on 12 days...

[Tori the Traveler]

Hey Forum Friends!

I've been going to Disney since the 90s and always found great deals booking with Disney! But, we've never planned a trip this long before! We'll be vacationing for 12 whole days! It's been 4 years in the making so we deserve it.
Anyway, I was wondering if any of you guys found success and savings booking in alternative ways, i.e. with a travel agent, through retailers, sites like UndercoverTourist, anything like that.
We're also thinking of staying one week in Animal Kingdom Lodge and the next week in Universal Studios' Royal Pacific resort since we plan on attending both resorts. We did some preliminary numbers and it shaved $2,000 off our original 12 day AKL estimate, plus it's much more convenient for us.
So, if anyone has any Universal or Disney package planning savings tips, please let me know!

Tori

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Check Mousesavers http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/ to see what kind of discounts you're likely to get at the time you plan to visit.

Absolutely use a travel agent. It should cost you nothing, and a good one will be on top of those discounts. The day one is released for your trip, they should be the one on the phone all day making adjustments to your booking(s).

 

[TXDisney]

I've found travel agents mainly to be helpful for finding the best deals on specials that most don't know about and booking reservations.

 

[Gaston's gal]

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Universal's Royal Pacific are two great choices. When you stay at AKL, make sure you use the night vision goggles. It's a great way to see the animals. The sooner you can get your reservations made, the better, so both locations are reserved. Also, you never know when a price may increase for your trip.

 

[Tori the Traveler]

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Universal's Royal Pacific are two great choices. When you stay at AKL, make sure you use the night vision goggles. It's a great way to see the animals. The sooner you can get your reservations made, the better, so both locations are reserved. Also, you never know when a price may increase for your trip.

Yes! I've stayed before and used the goggles. They were so much fun! We're trying to book this week to just feel comfortable and get everything out of the way and onto the nitty gritty like dining and such. Usually we book through WDW and have the ability to add any discount promo we see so the price stays in our comfort zone usually, which I'm hoping we can do if we book through an agent, which seems like the best choice at the moment.

 

[mouse_luv]

Depending on when you're going, you could rent DVC through a DVC rental agency for a very good deal.

 

[Tori the Traveler]

Depending on when you're going, you could rent DVC through a DVC rental agency for a very good deal.

We've toured the DVC shares in AKL and YBC and they've all been too big for us. We're only three! Hahaha! But thanks!

 

[mouse_luv]

We've toured the DVC shares in AKL and YBC and they've all been too big for us. We're only three! Hahaha! But thanks!

Youre welcome but I've gone with my DBF multiple times and we are going on our next trip with a friend along and a studio has always been good. Not too big and not too small. Perhaps they showed you 1br units and up?

 

[Tori the Traveler]

I'll definitely ask the travel agent I've been corresponding with about it. We've always sort of wanted to do it but the excess of space and increased cost has always made us think twice. But, you might be right, seeing as we like our space! I'll for sure look into it.

 

[dreamfinder]

I'll definitely ask the travel agent I've been corresponding with about it. We've always sort of wanted to do it but the excess of space and increased cost has always made us think twice. But, you might be right, seeing as we like our space! I'll for sure look into it.

Most TAs won't do anything with DVC rental, as the rental doesn't involve making the room reservation through Disney, so no commission. DVC rental would be handled through a broker, or through an owner directly. You would want to check out a site like www.dvcrequest.com for more info on that process, or check out the DVC section of the forums. Point rental would be significantly less than booking DVC direct through Disney, and a DVC Studio point rental is almost always going to be cheaper than a normal room at the same resort.

 

[DisneyDaver]

You didn't ask, but a week at Universal is a lot unless you are looking to spend a few days just hanging at the pool. I think 3 days total at the parks is plenty of time, plus I would figure a day at Volcano Bay if you are going after the proposed opening date. I love Universal, but I can't see a full week there at this point.

 

[Tori the Traveler]

You didn't ask, but a week at Universal is a lot unless you are looking to spend a few days just hanging at the pool. I think 3 days total at the parks is plenty of time, plus I would figure a day at Volcano Bay if you are going after the proposed opening date. I love Universal, but I can't see a full week there at this point.

I've already done a lot of my own research and got quotes for both Universal and Disney. Staying at Royal Pacific for 6 days with 4 day park passes with unlimited express, City Walk passes and a dining plan was $2,000 less than Disney. So maybe you're not booking through the right people? My travel agent then shaved an additional $200 dollars and ADDED experiences and extras.

 

[DisneyDaver]

I've already done a lot of my own research and got quotes for both Universal and Disney. Staying at Royal Pacific for 6 days with 4 day park passes with unlimited express, City Walk passes and a dining plan was $2,000 less than Disney. So maybe you're not booking through the right people? My travel agent then shaved an additional $200 dollars and ADDED experiences and extras.

Sorry ... I didn't word my post correctly. I didn't mean "a lot" in terms of cost. I meant "a lot" of time to spend at Universal given what Universal has to offer in terms of things to do. After Volcano Bay opens, I could see spending 4 full days at Universal. If you are planning on a couple resort pool days, then 6 days makes sense.

In term of cost, I agree with you that spending more time at Universal will be significantly cheaper than spending that time at WDW. In general, I've found the deluxe resorts at Universal to be about half of the cost of the deluxe resorts at WDW (give or take bit depending on the resorts being compared).