Question about room/ticket booking

[th0rthemighty]

Planning the first trip to Disney for the family. Plan is to go the first week of December and staying at the Art of Animation. Had a question about booking the hotel and park tickets. Is there any difference or advantage to purchasing the park tickets with the room booking as part of a package deal or purchasing them separately? I was thinking of booking just the room now, and purchasing the tickets at another time, figuring if there was a room offer or ticket special that became available it would be easier to apply them. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything I would be missing out on if I did this in regards to linking the tickets and magic bands to my hotel room, etc. Thanks for the info.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Room only reservations have a more generous cancellation policy. I think your approach is the right one. Book the room only reservation, that way you'll be agile enough to react to whatever type of promotion Disney decides to offer. Sometimes they offer discounts on rooms, other times they offer discounts on packages. Keep your eyes open and react to whichever comes out for your dates.

You'll want to have tickets linked to your account prior to your FastPass booking date, 60 days prior to check-in. You won't be able to book FastPasses unless each member of your party has admission entitlements linked up. In that sense, 60 days prior to check-in would be the "deadline" for you to decide whether you want to do a package or room only reservation plus third party ticket purchase.

 

[nickys]

Planning the first trip to Disney for the family. Plan is to go the first week of December and staying at the Art of Animation. Had a question about booking the hotel and park tickets. Is there any difference or advantage to purchasing the park tickets with the room booking as part of a package deal or purchasing them separately? I was thinking of booking just the room now, and purchasing the tickets at another time, figuring if there was a room offer or ticket special that became available it would be easier to apply them. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything I would be missing out on if I did this in regards to linking the tickets and magic bands to my hotel room, etc. Thanks for the info.

It won’t make any difference to applying any special offer, as that requires a re-booking anyway.

If you buy a package, I think you’ll just pay a deposit now and can pay the rest off later. Whereas if you book the room you pay one night up front, plus when you do buy the tickets you’ll have to pay for them in full.

There are also differences in cancellation policies - deadlines etc.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It won’t make any difference to applying any special offer, as that requires a re-booking anyway.

Not necessarily. A promotion can be added to a room only reservation, provided that the promotion is a room only promotion and it has inventory available equal to the room type and dates that are already booked.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I always book a vacation package.
I find it better because in case there's a need to cancel you're not stuck with the tickets.
Plus you only have to pay #200 deposit now and then pay it off by 30 days out so its not like you have to charge a large portion all at once like you do if you buy tickets separately.
If a discount will make or break you then don't book until one becomes available.
If you're good either way then book exactly what you want now and then if a discount comes up see if you're eligible.

 

[nickys]

I always book a vacation package.
I find it better because in case there's a need to cancel you're not stuck with the tickets.

Unless you’ll never go back, you can always apply the cost of unused tickets against new ones if you book them through Disney.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Unless you’ll never go back, you can always apply the cost of unused tickets against new ones if you book them through Disney.

Yes but I'd rather have that money back in my pocket instead of invested in a future trip.
Only when I stay offsite do I purchase tickets separately.

 

[ELG13]

Also, if you book a package it's a flat $200 down and then it needs to be paid off a month in advance. Room only reservations require a full night's down payment...at the rack cost. So if your discount rate is $275 but rack rate is $350...you pay $350 to hold it. Room only you pay off upon arrival.