Has anyone used Costco Travel to Visit DisneyWorld?

[DMarcotte]

We are considering a trip to DisneyWorld in November 2014 and have been looking around at prices etc. We want to stay from Saturday to Saturday (not over Thanksgiving) with a 5 day park hopper pass and no car to rent. We are a family of 4 who needs adult passes to the parks.

I have not been a member of Costco very long, but their travel deal seems like it is the best value for the money. Has anyone used their deal to stay at the Swan & Dolphin? What did you think?

I appreciate your feedback on this.

 

[Mukta]

I have never used them. If you don't mind, you can present their deal here and we can tell you if it is a good deal or not.

 

[DMarcotte]

sorry, I forgot that part

The total for airfare from Minneapolis to Orlando, hotel for 7 nights and park passes is $4,300. (3 adult 1 child park pass)

the Hotel is the Swan and Dolphin.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Mukta]

I would price it out separately just to doublecheck.

Undercover tourists for the tickets - I don't know if you are getting park hoppers or the water park option,so just check the ticket prices here for 3 adults and 1 child http://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/attractions/tickets.html

Use www.kayak.com to check flights from Minneapolis to MCO for the dates in the costco package.

Check your dates here for the hotel price http://www.swandolphin.com/ the Dolphin is cheaper than the swan, so check that one first.

 

[SteveW]

I agree with Mukta, price it out separately. Does the Costco package include round trip transportation from MCO to the hotel? If not, then maybe booking with a Disney resort might be better to take advantage of DME. Booking this far out is okay, but you won't see the deals for that period yet. I booked through AAA 6 months out and basically got the same deal price as if I booked after the deals were announced.

 

[Philasusan]

You should check out Trivago for the lowest hotel prices. Since the Swan and Dolphin do not participate in Magical Express, you will be responsible to pay for your own transportation to/from the airport. If you choose Super Shuttle, make sure to check out Mousesavers for the most recent discount code (the current promo code expires on 9/1/14). Good luck!

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Mmm, that's tricky. Take into account Disney tends to offers discounts all year long. So with a Disney discount and complimentary transportation, you may be better off at a Disney hotel. Not to mention its pretty early for flight pricing. Most airlines are barely publishing fare for August 2014 yet so pricing for your flight could change as well.

 

[Castle Dreamer]

Yes, we used Costco Travel for our trip in October 2012. At the time, we already planned to stay at the Dolphin and had a room reserved with a AAA discount. We ended up getting a Costco offer which included tickets, 7 day park hoppers, for $100 more than we already had booked directly through the Dolphin, and the Costco offer was for a Resort View Room when we had booked a Standard View. Our total price for two adults, $2,322 for 10 nights with the tickets. We were able to add one day of tickets once we arrived which cost about $24 for both of us. We booked our airfare separately.

In looking at the Costco website, it looks like their discounts for the Swan/Dolphin are only out through 5/20/14. In that case you might want to wait as the date gets closer the discounts will be offered for later dates. Maybe book with a room only with a Disney hotel. That way you can always add tickets and air. Then keep an eye on the Costco site and see if they offer something better.

Lastly, we loved, loved, loved the location of the Dolphin and the resort itself. It is considered a deluxe resort. You can walk to Epcot and the Boardwalk. Walk or take the boat to Hollywood Studios. The lobby is beautiful and has a wonderful ocean smell piped in. The rooms were spacious and the beds very comfortable. Since you are not renting a car, you would have to pay for transportation but it may be worth it depending on the price of the Costco package.

 

[DMarcotte]

Thank you so much for all of your tips - We weren't planning on booking until after the first of the year. I have checked and I can get good deals on the airline and park tickets on my own, but the hotel room seems pretty expensive when I look at the rack rate. Thanks again for all of your advice.

 

[Mukta]

Here is a list of the common discounts at swan/dolphin

http://www.mousesavers.com/walt-disney-world-swan-dolphin-hotels/

 

[JillC LI]

I've never booked out stay through Costco, but I always book our rental car through their web site. I usually get great deals on Alamo using the Costco discount codes. And I always check as I get closer to the trip because often the rental rates drop and I can get an even better price still using the Costco code for Alamo.