Package or individual items?

G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
I have always booked my trips with packages. However, I think that I might want to book the items separately now. My questions are:

1) Which would you do? Package or separate items?

2) What individual items do you purchase? I only ask because I think I am aware of what to get, but I do not want to forget anything. (Tickets, room, .....?)
 
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preludevtec01

preludevtec01

Well-Known Member
I always get everything separately. We purchase 10-day park hoppers with no expiration. That way we can use them for 2-3 trips. The times of the year we try and visit is always off season. So (hopefully) the cheapest time of the year. Then I have always pondered the dinner plan. My family and I aren't heavy "eaters", so I can't find it being a savings for us.
 
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flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
The only reason to buy packages is when they offer a promo tied to a certain thing.. like free dining which would be tied to a room reservation, etc.

We always end up buying tickets separate for various reasons.. have tickets, buying military, etc. You don't gain by buying a package at all - just pay attention to their promos and what is necessary for the promo.
 
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Disvillain63

Disvillain63

Well-Known Member
We've tried both...separate and packaged w/free dining. Budget-wise...separate is a better deal. We book a room when we want to go and then watch for discounts or rent points. We buy tickets through another company, discounted. Pick a few ADR's, because dining plan was way too much food.
 
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Figgy1

Figgy1

Well-Known Member
Seperate! Tickets through AAA discounted and the good parking! A dining plan would not work for us we don't eat ts every day but we eat too many to use qs and do ts out of pocket! It's hard to do dinging plan when you do ts almost every other day!
 
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RedDad

RedDad

Smitty Werben JagerManJensen
We have done both, but lately have found buying separate is cheaper - usually. We buy tickets from undercover tourist, then book room only through Disney using a discount. We also avoid the DDP now because the room discount usually saves you more. You just have to be careful to budget enough for meals.

However, this trip we actually ended up getting a better deal (cheaper overall) by booking a package (room and tickets) thru Disney!
 
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dreamfinder

dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
The actual list price for a package vs separate is identical. There is no package discount with regard to room/tickets/dining (if you so choose). Now a travel agent (especially one tied to an airline) might offer you a slight discount if you book through them, but that is them basically forgoing part of their commission to get your business. However the actual cost of a package vs separate can be quite large. There may be package only discounts offered, be it free dining, kids stay/play free (if they ever do that again) etc. However this requires you to buy the entire package through that particular agent. Be it Disney Travel or a 3rd party. You may get some freebies, a free arcade voucher, free games of mini golf, etc as well by booking a package.
There are almost always discounts offered on the individual parts included in the package. You can get discounted tickets through a 3rd party reseller such as Undercover Tourist or Maple Leaf Tickets. You can also get room discounts, AAA normally has a year round discount, they also frequently offer discounts to FL residents, AP holder, Disney Visa holders, and the general public as well. You really need to run the numbers in any given situation and see what works best for any given situation.
 
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iluvMainStMagic

iluvMainStMagic

Active Member
One thing not yet mentioned is that if you want Vacation Protection Insurance through Disney, you have to have a package. Disney doesn't offer it on room-only bookings. However, you could go through an independent carrier (I hope it's ok to give the name - Moderators please feel free to remove if I wasn't supposed to) like Access America, that is based on the cost, not what type of reservation you have. They have very reasonable rates. Their coverage varies slightly from what Disney offers, so either way, if you purchase Trip Insurance it's good to be sure of exactly what/how you are covered. If you fly, it can really help you if you have to cancel since flights are so expensive. If you drive and have to cancel, it may be a wash as to the cost of the Insurance vs the amount of penalty you would have to pay (assuming you had to cancel inside the 45-day window prior to check-in).
We have also done both package and room-only, depending on what type of promotion we could get, or our needs at the time.
 
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G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
meklein said:
Have done packages through AAA a few times - the bonus with them is the free parking (and it is GREAT parking too!). But if it is a shorter trip without a rental car, I do separate!
Click to expand...


I'll never set foot in a AAA again after the fiasco we had with them in 2008. Never. :( Though I agree that the Diamond Parking they give is great. That's why I buy one off of eBay. :D
 
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smk

smk

Well-Known Member
Never booked a package, we always book room and then buy our tickets seperate. Maybe IF free dining is offered we may take a look at it again, QS only tho. We can get some really good room rates at times, hard to pass those up! I am always just so afraid of something coming up last minute that forces a cancellation, packages scare me. We have concelled room only trips before, and while I have hated to do it, we have always got our money back without a problem.
 
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Hot Lava

Hot Lava

Well-Known Member
I'll never set foot in a AAA again after the fiasco we had with them in 2008. Never. :( Though I agree that the Diamond Parking they give is great. That's why I buy one off of eBay.
Click to expand...

What happened? I cannot remember if I used AAA last time I went (2002), but I definitely used them in 98. But of course, that was before the internet is what it is now.
 
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JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
figmentfan423 said:
Seperate! Tickets through AAA discounted and the good parking! A dining plan would not work for us we don't eat ts every day but we eat too many to use qs and do ts out of pocket! It's hard to do dinging plan when you do ts almost every other day!
Click to expand...

Not if you make those every other day TS meals at signature restaurants.
 
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D

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
smk said:
Never booked a package, we always book room and then buy our tickets seperate. Maybe IF free dining is offered we may take a look at it again, QS only tho. We can get some really good room rates at times, hard to pass those up! I am always just so afraid of something coming up last minute that forces a cancellation, packages scare me. We have concelled room only trips before, and while I have hated to do it, we have always got our money back without a problem.
Click to expand...

With a Disney MYW package, the cancel penalty once you are within 45 days is $200; in other words, you'd get everything back but $200. (airfare is a separate matter)

If you had room only with separate tickets, the room could be cancelled up to 6 days before arrival with no penalty, within that you would lose your deposit of one night's cost with tax. Park tickets are paid in full in this case, with no refund in the case of cancellation.
 
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