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Discounts on Walt Disney World Vacation PackagesLAST UPDATE: 2/3/12 - MOST RECENT ADDITIONS ARE IN REDDuring the off-season, Disney does sometimes discount its vacation packages. At other times, no vacation package discounts may be available. Any discounted Disney vacation packages listed below are subject to availability and rates are PER PERSON, per night, usually for adult double occupancy, unless otherwise noted. Adult single occupancy (or one adult plus kids) usually carries a surcharge. Most rooms are set up for 4 people. A few rooms can accommodate 5, mainly at the Deluxe Disney resorts. There are a few rooms with trundle beds at Port Orleans Riverside that can handle 5, but one will have to be small enough to sleep on the trundle; none of the other Moderate Disney resorts can accommodate 5. Standard rooms at Disney's All Star resorts accommodate 4 people. Click here to learn more about the various resorts and room types.
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Is a Disney Vacation Package For You?A lot of people like Disney's vacation packages because they are convenient and worry-free. However, it is important to note that the standard full-price Disney vacation packages are designed for convenience rather than savings. In most cases you will NOT automatically get a discount by purchasing a package! It is frequently cheaper to book a "room only" reservation (ideally with a discount) and then buy the package components (tickets, meals, etc) separately. However, Disney sometimes offers special promotional package discounts, particularly in the off-season. You have to know the special discount codes, which I list here when available. Disney World packages must be purchased through a division of Disney called Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC). The WDTC rules about advance payment, cancellations and changes are usually much more restrictive than those associated with "room only" reservations. It can be difficult to sort out what is best for your particular situation. That's why I think it's a good idea to have someone knowledgable on your side, making sure all the details are covered. My advice is this: if you want to book a Walt Disney World vacation package, I strongly recommend using a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel. It costs you nothing, and you can sit back, relax, and have all the vacation planning and hassle taken care of by someone else. 2012 Vacation PackagesFor 2012, the Quick Service Dining Plan now includes only one snack per person, per night. (Previously it was two.) The regular Dining Plan now includes a resort refillable mug per person. The Deluxe Dining Plan is now priced seasonally (previously it was the same price year-round). The Wine & Dine Plan is no longer offered. The Premium Plan and Platinum Plan packages now have a minimum stay of 3 nights. The lineup of tours included in the Premium Plan and Platinum Plan packages has changed slightly: Inspiration: Through Walt's Eyes has been dropped and Walt Disney: Marceline to Magic Kingdom has been added. The resort photo session is no longer included in the Platinum Plan. For 2012, you can choose from the following Magic Your Way package options:
Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.
My Value RecommendationsThe first thing you need to bear in mind is that Disney REALLY wants you to stay for at least 5 nights/6 days. For that reason, the Magic Your Way tickets included in your package are heavily discounted on longer (5 to 7 day) stays. Remember that tickets are usually the biggest single expense in your package, and 7 day tickets cost only a little more than 4 day tickets. So live it up -- price out the longer vacation and you'll probably be surprised how little the extra cost will be. For most people who buy a vacation package, the plain Magic Your Way Package (no dining) or the Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining will be the best value. To add the Dining Plan to a basic package, the cost varies by season (for 2012 it's $51.54 or $53.54 per night per adult, $15.02 or $16.02 per night per child, depending on the time of year). For that amount you'll get a full service meal, a counter service meal and a snack each day. The 2012 plan is more marginal in terms of value. To read more about the pros and cons of the Dining Plan, click here to see my review. If your family isn't into table-service dining, there is the Magic Your Way Package Plus Quick Service Dining ($34.99 adult and $11.99 child). The Quick Service Dining Plan is not a good value. You will be lucky to break even vs. just paying cash for your meals and snacks, and the Quick Service Dining Plan is not particularly flexible. I don't recommend it. The higher level packages (Deluxe Dining Plan, Premium Plan and Platinum Plan) are really luxurious, but for the average family they are also serious overkill. First of all, eating the included three full meals a day is just too much for most people. But if you're like me, you'll feel compelled to eat all those darn meals, because you're paying for them! The Premium and Platinum packages also include lots of unlimited extras like recreation (i.e. boating, fishing, parasailing) and behind-the-scenes tours, which sound great -- until you factor in the hot and humid Florida weather and the extensive walking, which slow most people's energy level to a crawl by the end of the day. The reality is, it's highly unlikely that you will take a tour in the morning, play tennis in the afternoon and attend a Cirque du Soleil show in the evening, on top of visiting the theme parks. But to get your money's worth out of the Premium and Platinum packages, you really need to be taking advantage of such "extras" every day. Trip InsuranceIt is especially important to buy trip insurance for a vacation package, because you have to pay the entire cost in advance and you won't get a refund if you have to cancel right before your scheduled departure. With hundreds or even thousands of dollars at stake, it's worth it to protect the investment. It's super-important to buy insurance if you will be visiting Walt Disney World on a package vacation during peak hurricane season (roughly the months of August and September). Don't underestimate the potential of hurricanes to create major problems even in an inland location like Orlando. Walt Disney World was directly affected by two hurricanes in 2004 (Frances and Jeanne) and one in 2005 (Wilma). Two hotels located on Disney property (but not operated by Disney) were virtually destroyed by the 2004 storms; one didn't reopen until 2010! While Disney's own resorts weathered the hurricanes very well, guests were stuck in their rooms for up to 36 hours and many had major travel problems because airports were closed. Disney did waive "no-show" fees for a few dates, but those whose trips began before the specified dates (but whose travel plans overlapped with the hurricane) or just afterward were out of luck. Many people had similar problems with their airfares. The airlines allowed highly restrictive changes for certain dates without extra fees, but many of those who had to reschedule could not work within the airlines' narrow rules and just had to suck up the extra cost. Perhaps the most important coverage included in a trip insurance policy is trip cancellation and interruption insurance, which can protect your investment if you have to cancel your vacation at the last minute (or come home early) due to illness or injury. Depending on the policy, you may be covered if you cancel for other reasons, such as jury duty, terrorism at your destination, or even unemployment. Emergency medical coverage and medical evacuation insurance are very important if you become ill or injured during the trip. Otherwise you're on your own as far as booking very expensive last-minute airfare to get home. And if you're too ill to travel by commercial jet, you may have to pay for treatment in Florida (which your personal insurance may or may not cover) or for evacuation on a medically-equipped jet, which is incredibly expensive. Delayed baggage insurance will help you pay for replacement clothing if the airline sends your suitcase to Timbuktu and you need something to wear in the meantime. Supplemental baggage insurance will pay a predetermined amount if an airline loses your luggage completely. (Some higher-end credit cards provide extra baggage insurance, so check with your card issuer before paying extra for this coverage.) Disney sells trip insurance, but it's expensive and it has major exclusions: it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions or delays (even weather delays) on air travel you arrange yourself. (Air travel arranged through Disney is covered.) You can almost always get better insurance than Disney provides, and at better rates, by buying it elsewhere. Be aware that in most cases, trip insurance will provide slightly less coverage (usually by adding exclusions on pre-existing conditions) unless you buy it within about 14 days of paying your DEPOSIT on the vacation package. So be sure to purchase it right away, once you've committed to the trip.
Spring Savings OfferSave 5%-30% on your room rate at select Disney resorts for stays 4/13/12-6/14/12. This is primarily a "room only" offer, but tickets and dining plans can be added to your room-only booking, which will turn it into a vacation package. Click here for more details on the room-only discounts. Book by 2/28/12. Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.
Annual Passholder Packages with Dining PlanDiscounted Annual Passholder Packages with Dining are usually offered for any time period when Annual Passholder "room only" discounts are also available. There is a room discount, but the Dining Plans are priced at the regular rate. These bookings are subject to regular Walt Disney Travel Company package rules. Thanks to Small World Vacations for info!
Bounceback Package Offer"Bounceback" vacation package offers are offers made by Disney ONLY to guests who are currently staying at one of the official Walt Disney World resorts. The idea is to encourage you to "bounce back" to Disney World by planning your next vacation right now. These offers are not always available and could end at any time. When a bounceback vacation package offer is available, you may be able to book a discounted vacation package (accommodations plus at least a 1-day Base Ticket) for a stay on selected dates at a Walt Disney World resort. Not all dates are offered, and not all resorts and room types will be included. To qualify, the reservation for your next vacation must be made before you check out, and there are no exceptions made. You must call the number provided (usually on a flyer in your room) and pay a $200 deposit when booking. If you don't get a bounceback offer on a flyer in your room, the resort TV channel may be showing this offer, or you may receive an email from Disney during your stay. You can also try asking the front desk and/or Housekeeping for a flyer. Package Promotions with Small World VacationsSmall World Vacations frequently offers nice Disney World vacation package promotions exclusively for MouseSavers Newsletter readers. Be sure to sign up for the FREE monthly email newsletter so you'll hear about the latest offers! UK PackagesThe Disney specialist travel agency I recommend, Small World Vacations, gladly works with clients around the globe. They have many clients from the UK and Ireland. Unfortunately they cannot book UK-specific offers, but sometimes the American offers are a better deal. It's also worth noting that the US vacation package offers have much more advantageous cancellation and change policies than the UK holiday package offers. The best and easiest way to book any Walt Disney World holiday offers that are specific to UK visitors is to go online to the UK Walt Disney Travel Company website. You can also check the UK Visitors page for current package offers that are specific to the UK. Canadian PackagesYou can visit Disney.ca and click on the Special Offers tab to see any current deals specific to Canadians, but 99% of the time the offers are the same as those distributed in the US. Sometimes the Canadian offer will have a different discount code, but otherwise it will be identical to the US offer. Canadians can book the US offers. The Disney specialist travel agency I recommend, Small World Vacations, gladly works with clients around the globe. They have many clients from Canada. Southwest Vacations PackagesIf you live in or near a city served by Southwest Airlines, you may be interested in checking Southwest Vacations for Disney packages that include airfare on Southwest. (Note that Southwest Vacations is not actually operated by the airline itself, but rather by a third party licensed by the airline.) When Disney offers discounted packages, Southwest Vacations may offer those same packages, but with airfare added. Sometimes the deals are quite good, but be sure to check the cost of the airfare and/or tickets included with the package: sometimes either or both may be inflated. Do the math and don't rely on marketing statements such as "3 days free" without checking the bottom line price. If you do your homework, you may find it's cheaper to book discounted airfare directly with the airline and get your vacation package (room and tickets) elsewhere, such as through a Disney Specialist travel agent.
Packages Through ExpediaWhen discounted packages are offered by Disney, the same vacation package
discounts that are offered through other travel agencies (and
directly by Disney) are usually also available online through
Expedia Be aware that Expedia Generally speaking you're better off to book the corresponding
discounted package through a Disney Specialist travel
agent, because you'll get better service, plus Expedia Packages Through TravelocityWhen discounted packages are offered by Disney, the same vacation package discounts that are offered through other travel agencies (and directly by Disney) are usually also available online through Travelocity. The discounted rates are listed as "promotional rates" or are given special names such as "Magical Fall Rates." Generally speaking you're better off to book the corresponding discounted package through a Disney Specialist travel agent, because you'll get better service, plus Travelocity has rules and requirements that can be confusing. If you decide to use Travelocity, be sure to read all the small print very carefully, and click on any "terms and conditions" links and read those. Membership DiscountsIf you belong to AAA or Costco, it may be worthwhile to check their prices on vacation packages. However, don't expect much service, and be aware that you may not get the best price in the long run. In my experience, the big membership organizations mostly employ "generalist" travel agents who often know little or nothing about Disney vacations and are frequently clueless about promotional packages and discount codes. You will usually have to do your own monitoring to make sure any better package offers that come out are applied to your booking. They almost never do this for you, unlike a Disney specialist agency. Be aware that AAA offers a room discount that applies ONLY to full price packages. If a better promotional package comes out (and it frequently will), you can switch to the new promotion, but you lose the AAA discount. You can only pick one or the other. Back to top MouseSavers.com® is not an official site of The Walt Disney Company or of Universal Studios. Content of MouseSavers.com is © MouseSavers, Inc. 2001-2012. Website content may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of MouseSavers, Inc. Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions of Use - Marketing Disclosure |
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