Disney World Resort Discounts & Disney Hotel Codes

LAST UPDATE: 5/14/13

CLICK HERE TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE DISNEY WORLD RESORT DISCOUNTS!

On this page you’ll find every known “room only” hotel discount at Disney’s resorts at Walt Disney World. I list Disney hotel promo codes that can save you a bundle, as well as other strategies that can help you get the best rates at Disney World resort hotels.

If you would prefer to book a vacation package that includes your hotel room plus tickets, click here. If you’re not sure whether you want a package, click here to read about the pros and cons of vacation packages vs. booking “room only.”

Discount codes must be thought of as a “clearance sale” — if you want the discount, you have to be willing to take what’s left over! It’s important to be flexible with both dates and hotels, and to be persistent in calling back periodically to see if anything has opened up.

All of the discounted hotel rates listed below are subject to availability and are per night, usually for double occupancy, unless otherwise noted. An extra charge may apply for additional adults in the room. Kids under 18 years of age are free of charge on a “room only” reservation.

Rates listed on this page do not include tax, which is 12.5% for most resorts, 13% for the All Star Resorts.

Jump to:

• “Room Only” Reservations vs. Packages
• Off-Season Rates
• Disney World Resort Discounts: Hotel Codes & Deals for the General Public
• Resort Discounts for Disney’s Visa Cardholders
• Discounts for Annual & Seasonal Passholders
• Florida Resident Resort Hotel Discount Codes
• UK/Ireland Resident Resort Hotel Discounts
• Canadian Resident Resort Hotel Discount Codes
• AAA Discounts
• Military & Veteran Discounts
• Historical Information on Discounts for Walt Disney World Resorts
• Room Upgrades
• Concierge Level – Is It Worth the Money?
• Disney Vacation Club

“Room Only” Reservations vs. Packages

Looking for the best deal for your stay at a Disney resort hotel? Often your most economical option is to book a “room only” reservation at the resort of your choice (ideally with one of the discounts listed on this page) and buy the other components of your vacation (i.e. tickets and meals) separately.

Buying a vacation package means you must purchase both your hotel room AND tickets for each person in the party directly from Disney, with those components (and optionally, a dining plan) priced and sold together as a “package.” Normal vacation packages are NOT discounted; prices are consistent with paying full price for the separate components. However, various special offers such as “free dining” apply only to vacation packages. Click here to see any current package offers, but read the information below first so that you understand the rules that apply to packages.

To complicate matters, you can convert some (perhaps most) room-only discount code deals into a package by purchasing tickets and optionally a dining plan. However, once your booking is converted to a package, it is subject to the package rules. The room-only rules are much better than the package rules. Additionally, for most people it is not worthwhile to make a room-only offer into a package because you’re adding full-price tickets, when you could purchase them cheaper through an outside company such as Undercover Tourist. Also, for the average family the Dining Plans are not a particularly good deal.

Jump to:

• Rules for Disney World Room Only Reservations
• Rules for Disney World Vacation Packages
• Tips for Dealing with the Disney Reservations Center

Rules for Disney World Room Only Reservations

“Room only” reservations offer better terms for cancellation and payment dates than vacation packages booked through the Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC). When booking a “room only” reservation, you are subject to very few restrictions:

• You must pay one night’s room rate as a deposit within 7 days of reserving your room. (Except when booking online at DisneyWorld.com, in which case the deposit is required at time of booking.)
• Final payment of the remainder is due at check-in. (Except when booking online at DisneyWorld.com, in which case full payment is required if reserving within 45 days of arrival.)
• You can change or cancel your reservation without penalty up until 5 days prior to check-in. (6 days for online bookings.)
• Beware – Disney’s phone agents may try to sell you a “basic package” when you want to book a “room only” reservation. A “basic package” is just a room and some trinkets (a few coupons and a luggage tag per person). It is subject to the more stringent vacation package rules (see below).

Rules for Disney World Vacation Packages

When booking a vacation package through WDTC, you will be subject to the following rules:

• You must pay a $200 deposit within 7 days of reserving your package. (Except when booking online at DisneyWorld.com, in which case the deposit is required at time of booking.)
• Final payment of the entire remainder is due 45 days prior to check-in. You have to pay in full right away if you are booking less than 45 days in advance.
• You can change or cancel your reservation without penalty up until 45 days in advance. If you cancel 44 days or less in advance, there is a cancellation fee of $200. You’ll also lose any nonrefundable elements, such as travel insurance and airfare — see below. No refunds will be given to no-shows.
• Any changes that result in a lower rate, such as applying a discount code, reducing number of days and/or changing to a lower-priced resort, made 45 days or less prior to arrival, are subject to a $50 fee.
• Beware – WDTC usually adds nonrefundable travel insurance to your package by default. If you don’t want it, tell them while you are making the reservation. Once you hang up, it’s too late. You can add the insurance later if you wish, up until your final payment is due. You can also buy travel insurance directly and usually save some money that way.
• Airfare added to your reservation is also nonrefundable. It’s hardly ever a good deal, either. I strongly advise booking airfare separately. Visit the Airfares page for hints on how to save on airfare!

Tips for Dealing with the Disney Reservations Center

Be polite but persistent when calling the Disney Reservations Center. Some of the agents answering the phone know more than others, and some will try harder than others to get you the best deal. If the first agent you speak with isn’t helpful, say thanks, end the call and try again. With hundreds of agents at the call center, it’s unlikely you’ll get the same agent twice in a row.

Keep calling back periodically if your dates are not immediately available at the discounted rate, because people change and cancel reservations all the time. Something is quite likely to open up eventually.

If you work with an agent at the reservations center who is especially helpful or friendly, get his or her name and take two minutes to send an email complimenting the agent’s work (if the link doesn’t work, go to disneyworld.com and click on “contact us” at the bottom of the page).

Off-Season Rates

Disney has four “seasons” each year. Value Season is the least expensive and least crowded time, followed by Regular Season, Summer Season, Fall Season, Peak Season and Holiday Season. So the most basic way to save money on Disney’s resort hotels is simply to book in the off-season.

Each night of your stay will be priced separately, and you will be charged the applicable rate for that night. So for example, if the last date of Value Season is December 18 and you check in on that date, only that one night will be at the Value Season rates. December 19 and later will be charged at the higher Holiday Season rates. Plus, if some nights of your stay are weekend nights or part of a pre-designated holiday period, you’ll be charged the higher rate for those.

Jump to:

• Disney Resort Discounts: Hotel Codes & Deals for the General Public
• Disney World Resort Discounts for Disney’s Visa Cardholders
• Disney World Hotel Discounts for Annual & Seasonal Passholders
• Florida Resident Resort Hotel Discount Codes
• UK/Ireland Resident Resort Hotel Discounts
• Canadian Resident Resort Hotel Discount Codes
• AAA Discounts
• Military & Veteran Discounts
• Historical Information on Discounts for Walt Disney World Resorts
• Room Upgrades
• Concierge Level – Is It Worth the Money?
• Disney Vacation Club

Disney Resort Discounts: Hotel Codes & Deals for the General Public

Jump to:

• Room-Only Discount Codes
• Booking Through Expedia
• Booking Through Travelocity
• Postcard and Email Codes
• Bounceback Offers

Room-Only Disney World Resort Discount Codes

Disney periodically offers room-only discounts to the general public. They typically become available 2-6 months in advance and are most often offered during the off-season, with major holidays, mid-summer and holiday weekends “blacked out” (excluded) from the offer. When such offers are released, I list them below.

Booking Through Expedia

When discounted room-only rates are offered to the general public, the same rates that are offered through other travel agencies (and directly by Disney) are usually also available online through Expedia. 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 through a Disney Specialist travel agent, because Expedia seldom offers a deal that other travel agencies can’t duplicate, and has rules and requirements that can be confusing. Be sure to read ALL the small print as you make your reservation (which may require you to click on a link that says “terms and conditions” or something similar) so that you are clear on any cancellation and change fees.

Booking Through Travelocity

When discounted room-only rates are offered to the general public, the same rates 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 through a Disney Specialist travel agent, because Travelocity seldom offers a deal that other travel agencies can’t duplicate, and has rules and requirements that can be confusing. Be sure to read ALL the small print as you make your reservation (which may require you to click on a link that says “terms and conditions” or something similar) so that you are clear on any cancellation and change fees.

Postcard and Email Codes

Disney sometimes sends out postcards and emails that offer deeply discounted Walt Disney World resort rates to the recipients. I can’t publish those discounts, because Disney uses a PIN (Personal Identification Number) system so that only the recipient can use the code. (When you call in with your PIN, they match your name and address to it. You can’t share the PIN with anyone else.)

How do you get on the lists for these special PIN-coded postcards and emails? No one knows exactly, and believe me, I’ve done a lot of research on it over the last 10+ years. It appears that Disney’s marketing department uses a variety of lists at different times. Often a specific geographical area is targeted.

If you want to have the best possible chance of getting a PIN-coded offer by mail or email, it’s definitely a good idea to request information from Disney whenever you get a chance, in order to get on its mailing lists. You might also want to request a vacation planning video. They may get names from DisneyStore.com, subscribers to Disney publications and Disney’s Visa cardholders. In short, sign up for anything Disney (especially Disney World related) you can, and keep your fingers crossed!

Bounceback Offers

“Bounceback” 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 offer is available, you may be able to book a discounted room-only 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 one-night 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. Last, you can try dialing x8844 from your room phone and asking them if there are any current offers.

Disney World Resort Discounts for Disney’s Visa Cardholders

From time to time, Disney’s Visa cardholders are able to book room-only discounts that are exclusive to them, or more frequently, not exclusive but available to cardholders ahead of the general public. When such offers are released, I list them below.

Disney’s Visa Late Summer Savings Offer

Disney’s Visa cardholders can save up to 30% on Walt Disney World Resort hotel stays, most nights 8/15/13 – 9/28/13. This offer is identical to the general public Late Summer Savings Offer but became available to cardholders several days early.

Book by 7/31/13. A deposit of one night’s room and tax using your Disney’s Visa card is required at the time of booking.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

• To reserve a room with the Disney Visa Late Summer Savings discount, call the Disney Reservations Center at (407) W-DISNEY or contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel, and request booking code TAJ.

Disney’s Visa Summer Savings Offer

Disney’s Visa cardholders can save up to 30% on Walt Disney World Resort hotel stays, most nights 6/13/13 – 8/14/13. This offer is identical to the general public Summer Savings Offer but became available to cardholders several days early.

Book by 6/14/13. A deposit of one night’s room and tax using your Disney’s Visa card is required at the time of booking.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

• To reserve a room with the Disney Visa Summer Savings discount, call the Disney Reservations Center at (407) W-DISNEY or contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel, and request booking code CKN.

Annual & Seasonal Passholder Disney World Hotel Discounts

Savings for Annual and Seasonal Passholders can be deep (up to 45%). They are more likely to be available during Value and Regular seasons, though there are exceptions to this — Peak season discounts are not unheard-of. Generally speaking the discounts are released 2-4 months in advance.

Annual Passholder rates are NOT guaranteed and frequently are not offered during peak holiday periods. Be aware that discounted rooms are limited in number and will not be available for all dates at all resorts. You may have to be flexible with your selections. If you can’t get your first choice on the first try, call back periodically and check on availability. Frequently discounted rooms will open up as people change and cancel their reservations over time.

When available, the Annual Passholder rates are so good that in some cases it’s worth investing in an Annual Pass for relatively short stays! To learn more about Disney World Annual Passes, click here.

Florida Resident Resort Hotel Discount Codes

Savings for Florida residents can be deep (up to 45%). They are more likely to be available during Value and Regular seasons, though there are exceptions to this — Peak season discounts are not unheard-of. Generally speaking the discounts are released 2-4 months in advance.

Florida resident rates are NOT guaranteed and frequently are not offered during peak holiday periods. Be aware that discounted rooms are limited in number and will not be available for all dates at all resorts. You may have to be flexible with your selections. If you can’t get your first choice on the first try, call back periodically and check on availability. Frequently discounted rooms will open up as people change and cancel their reservations over time.

UK/Ireland Resident Disney Resort Hotel Discounts

The 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.

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 room-only offers that are specific to the UK.

Canadian Resident Disney World Hotel Discounts

Canadian residents can book the US offers listed above. The Disney specialist travel agency I recommend, Small World Vacations, gladly works with clients around the globe. They have many clients from Canada.

In addition, you can visit DisneyWorld.ca and click on the Special Offers tab to see any current deals specific to Canadians, but most 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. If I learn of any specials for Canadians only, they are listed below.

AAA and CAA Disney Resort Hotel Discounts

American Automobile Association (AAA) and Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) members qualify for “room only” discounts almost year-round, though there are a limited number of rooms available for each date.

AAA/CAA members can generally save 10%-25% off 2013 rack rates at the Disney resort hotels, depending on the season:

• Value resorts – 10% off all seasons except Holiday season
• Moderate resorts – 10% off Regular, Peak and Summer seasons; 15% off Value 2 and Fall seasons; 20% off Value season; no discount for Holiday season
• Beach Club, BoardWalk Inn and Yacht Club resorts – 15% off Regular, Fall, Peak and Summer seasons; 20% off Value and Value 2 seasons; no discount for Holiday season
• All other Deluxe resorts – 15% off Value season; 10% off all other seasons except Holiday season
• Saratoga Springs and Old Key West – 25% off all seasons except Holiday season
• All other Deluxe Villa resorts – 15% off Peak season; 20% off all other seasons except Holiday season
• Ft Wilderness cabins – 10% off Peak season; 15% off Regular and Fall seasons; 20% off Value season; not discount for Holiday season

AAA/CAA rates for all of the following year are usually released in the summer. 2013 AAA/CAA “room only” discounts were released on 7/11/12.

You don’t have to book AAA/CAA rates through the Auto Club. Room-only reservations with an AAA discount can be booked directly through the Disney Reservation Center at (407) W-DISNEY or a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel. Just ask if there is an AAA or CAA discount for your dates and resort.

• To reserve a room with the AAA/CAA rates, call the Disney Reservations Center at (407) W-DISNEY or contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel.

Disney World Hotel Discounts for Military and Veterans

Jump to:

• Military Salute Discounts
• Shades of Green

Shades of Green

Active duty and retired military, as well as honorably discharged veterans (during limited times of year) can stay at the Shades of Green (SOG) resort. Though not operated by Disney, this is a beautiful deluxe resort on Disney property, right across the street from Disney’s Polynesian Resort.

Click here for details on SOG and any current special offers.

Historical Information on Discounts for Walt Disney World Resorts

To assist you in planning future trips for which rates or discounts have not yet been released, check out the list of past release dates for “rack” (full price) room rates, as well as a chart of release dates for the deepest discounts (including discount codes, Annual Passholder rates and Florida resident rates).

Room Upgrades at Disney Hotels

Free upgrades are rare at the Disney resorts. They do happen occasionally, however, if higher-category rooms are available. This is entirely at the whim of the person checking you in. If you are traveling during an off-peak time of year, when there is more likelihood of rooms being open, you can always ask the Cast Member at the front desk if there is any chance of a free upgrade. Of course it helps to be friendly, polite and enthusiastic — and don’t forget to mention any special occasions you will be celebrating during your stay, such as a honeymoon, birthday or anniversary.

If you’re willing to pay a little extra at the time you check into the hotel, it may be worthwhile to ask how much it would cost to upgrade. For instance:

• MouseSavers.com reader Valeire O. reports that she asked how much it would cost to upgrade to concierge level. She was offered a rate that was $50 a night more than the extremely discounted rate she was already paying. If she had booked a concierge level room at that hotel in advance, even with a discount, it would have cost at least $150 more per night.

• I once asked about a paid upgrade to concierge level. There were no concierge rooms available, but the front desk very kindly upgraded me from a standard room to a view room without charge!
• For a stay in May 2006, I wanted to book a concierge level room at the Polynesian with an Annual Pass rate, but none were available. I kept trying for months, but could not get a concierge room at the discounted rate. So I booked the next price level down (Magic Kingdom View), which was available with the discount. At check-in I asked if there was any chance I could pay for an upgrade to concierge. The answer was yes — and they even had a Water View Concierge room with a view of the Castle available. I retained my discounted rate and only paid the standard price difference between the two room types.

There are no guarantees you’ll be offered a free or discounted upgrade. If a specific view or room type is very important to you, book it in advance.

Concierge Level – Is It Worth the Money?

In my opinion, there is really no way to justify concierge level in terms of “getting your money’s worth.”

By staying on concierge level, you have access to a lounge that serves continental breakfast, followed by light snacks more or less all day. During the day it’s usually something like goldfish crackers, potato chips and cookies, plus cold drinks; in the evening they have hot appetizers and wine for a couple of hours; in the later evening there are mini-desserts and liqueurs.

This is all very nice, but other than breakfast, it’s not intended to replace meals. (And many people will want to eat a hot breakfast or two somewhere along the line, which is not provided in the lounge.)

The concierge rooms are not a big upgrade on rooms elsewhere at the hotel. They aren’t bigger or better decorated, nor do they necessarily have the best views. Sometimes they have a “premium” location (most centrally located, highest floor, etc.) — but don’t count on this.

Concierge guests have access to staff in the lounge who can make dining reservations, etc. Regular guests can have the “Lobby Concierge” do the same thing. You might have to wait in a short line in the lobby; if you are a concierge guest there’s usually no line in the lounge.

We went to Walt Disney World in May 2006 (Regular season) and stayed at the Polynesian. We wanted a great view and we wanted to “live it up” a bit. We could have gotten a guaranteed Magic Kingdom View, which is regularly priced at $495 per night (plus tax). Instead we upgraded to Concierge Lagoon View, which has a view of the Castle. This room type is regularly priced at $625 per night (plus tax).

We had an Annual Pass discount on our base room rate, but we still paid the extra $130 per night (plus tax) extra to stay on concierge level. Here’s what we found out:

• Our room was not bigger or better decorated than rooms elsewhere in the resort.
• Our view was not nicer than a Magic Kingdom View room. It may have been slightly more centered on the Castle, but the Castle was blocked by a palm tree.
• Our room was centrally located, but not necessarily more convenient to the Great Ceremonial House (lobby) than if we had been assigned one of the buildings with Magic Kingdom views (Tahiti, Tuvalu or Aotearoa).
• We had access to continental breakfast and snacks in the lounge. We prefer hot breakfasts, so we ate continental breakfast only once. On average we took advantage of the lounge about once per day, for a light snack.
• We had access to the concierge staff, who would have made reservations for us. Since we had made our reservations before arrival, we never used this service.

We felt the concierge room was not worth $130 a night more. It occurred to us that a family of four that was purchasing a vacation package could add the Dining Plan for around $100 per night, and that would give them a table service meal, a counter service meal and a snack per person per day. That would be a MUCH better value for less money!

If you want to be pampered and feel like you’re “special” (and money is no object) concierge level is very pleasant. However, at this point I have stayed on concierge level at many of the Disney hotels, and I have to say, it doesn’t “wow” me. I don’t feel the slightly better room location, slightly better services and minimal food and drink provided are usually worth the substantial extra cost.

Disney Vacation Club

Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is a timeshare program operated by Disney at Walt Disney World. Click here to learn more.

Renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points is a little-known way to stay in a deluxe-level Disney resort for much less. Click here to learn more.