Disney World Vacation Package Discounts

LAST UPDATE: 5/10/13

During the off-season, Disney sometimes offers a discount on its vacation packages. At other times, no Disney World 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.

Not sure which resort to pick for your Disney vacation package? Read about the various Disney resort types and my recommendations for the best values in each category.

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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 are handled by 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.

2013 Vacation Packages

For 2013, dining package prices increased significantly. All of the kids’ meal plans went up by 12%-19%, except for the Platinum Plan (5% increase). Adult meal plans went up by 4%-17%, with the biggest increases on the Deluxe Dining Plan (14% or 17%, depending on season).

2013 packages now include a voucher for TWO rounds of miniature golf per room at either Disney’s Fantasia Gardens or Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Courses before 4:00 pm. (Previously packages included only a mini golf voucher for one person.) They also now include a voucher for two DisneyQuest admission tickets per room.

As of 3/25/13, 2013 packages now include a 10% discount on food, non-alcoholic beverages and merchandise at Splitsville in Downtown Disney.

There is only one other major change from the 2012 packages: the regular Dining Plan no longer includes appetizers for children. (Adult appetizers were deleted from the plan two years ago.)

For 2013, you can choose from the following Magic Your Way package options:

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

  • To book a 2013 Disney World vacation package, please contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations. Small World Vacations gives you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by phone toll-free, and best of all, it costs you nothing to use them!

My Value Recommendations

The 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 regular Dining Plan to a basic package, the cost varies by season (click here to see the 2013 costs). With the regular Dining Plan you’ll get a full service meal, a counter service meal and a snack each day.

The 2013 Dining Plan is very marginal in terms of value. It’s possible to save a little vs. paying cash, but only if you use all of the included benefits, carefully plan out each meal in advance and order only the most expensive items on the menu. Otherwise at best it’s a break-even proposition. Adding the Dining Plan to your package does allow you to prepay your vacation expenses (except for tips), which for some people is relaxing. 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. 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.

New!FREE Disney Dining Plan with Full Price Vacation Package

With this offer, get a FREE Disney Dining Plan when you book a full price Magic Your Way package and check in between 9/2/13 – 9/25/13. (That means you can check in as late as 9/25/13 and the offer will apply to your entire stay, up to 14 nights.) You must purchase a package that includes a minimum of 3 nights accommodation at an on-site Walt Disney World resort and a minimum 2-day Base Ticket at full price.

Dining upgrades can be added:

Tickets can also be upgraded to add Park Hopper, Water Park Fun & More and/or No Expiration, for an extra cost.

Note that this offer is during PEAK HURRICANE SEASON, so I strongly recommend buying trip insurance!

If you are staying at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort in a room type that qualifies for the 30% off room rate discount below, that offer is almost certainly a better deal than “free dining,” though this can vary depending on how many adults/kids you have in your party, etc. Have your travel agent price it out both ways.

Book by 7/31/13. Vacation package can be booked up to a maximum of 14 days. Everyone in your party must purchase the same package and same tickets.

Ft. Wilderness campsites, 3-bedroom villas and Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation Resort are not included in this offer. As with all Disney promotional discounts, some resorts, room types and date combinations will not be available. It’s important to be flexible if you want to book a discounted package. The number of vacation packages available with free dining are limited and are subject to availability.

Children ages 3-9 must order from the children’s menu. Children under age 3 are not entitled to the features of the Disney Dining Plan.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

  • To book the FREE Dining vacation package, please contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations, and request booking code XAC for Value resorts; XAD for all other resorts. Small World Vacations gives you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by phone toll-free, and best of all, it costs you nothing to use them!

FREE Disney Dining Plan for Disney’s Visa Cardholders

Disney’s Visa cardholders can get a FREE Disney Dining Plan when you book a full price Magic Your Way package and check in between 9/2/13 – 9/25/13.  This offer is identical to the general public FREE Dining Vacation Package Offer but became available to cardholders several days early.

Book by 7/31/13. A $200 deposit using your Disney’s Visa card is required at the time of booking.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

  • To book the Disney’s Visa FREE Dining vacation package, please contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations, and request booking code HAB for Value resorts; KAH for all other resorts. Small World Vacations gives you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by phone toll-free, and best of all, it costs you nothing to use them!

New!Late Summer Vacation Package Offer

With this offer, get discounts of up to 30% on the accommodation portion of your vacation package at select Disney resorts for stays between 8/15/13 – 9/28/13. The discounts only apply to the specific dates in the range: if you check in on 9/28/13, only that night will be discounted.

Sample discounts off rack rates:

Other resorts and room types may be available at varying rates. Ft. Wilderness campsites, 3-bedroom villas and Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation Resort are not included in this offer. As with all Disney promotional discounts, some resorts, room types and date combinations will not be available. It’s important to be flexible if you want to book a discounted package.

Your package must include tickets. (There is a room-only version of this offer, without tickets.) With the package version of this offer, you can add a Dining Plan at full price if you wish.

Note that this offer is during PEAK HURRICANE SEASON, so I strongly recommend buying trip insurance!

Book by 7/31/13.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

  • To book the Late Summer Vacation Package Offer, please contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations, and request booking code FAK. Small World Vacations gives you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by phone toll-free, and best of all, it costs you nothing to use them!

Disney’s Visa Late Summer Vacation Package Offer

Disney’s Visa cardholders can get discounts of up to 30% on the accommodation portion of your vacation package at select Disney resorts for stays between 8/15/13 – 9/28/13. This offer is identical to the general public Late Summer Vacation Package Offer but became available to cardholders several days early.

Book by 7/31/13. A $200 deposit using your Disney’s Visa card is required at the time of booking.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

  • To book the Disney’s Visa Late Summer Vacation Package Offer, please contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations and request booking code MDM. Small World Vacations gives you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by phone toll-free, and best of all, it costs you nothing to use them!

Summer Vacation Package Offer

With this offer, get discounts of up to 30% on select Disney resorts, plus discounted 4-day through 10-day Magic Your Way tickets, for stays between 6/13/13 – 8/14/13.

Sample discounts off rack rates:

Other resorts and room types may be available at varying rates. Excludes Ft. Wilderness campsites; 3-bedroom villas; and Art of Animation Little Mermaid standard rooms. As with all Disney promotional discounts, some resorts, room types and date combinations will not be available. It’s important to be flexible if you want to book a discounted package.

Your package must include tickets. (There is a room-only version of this offer, without tickets.) With the package version of this offer, you can add a Dining Plan at full price if you wish.

The discounts on 4-day and longer tickets with this offer are not that substantial. In most cases Undercover Tourist ticket prices will match or beat the ticket prices from this offer.

Book by 6/14/13.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

  • To book the Summer Vacation Package Offer, please contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations and request this offer. Small World Vacations gives you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by phone toll-free, and best of all, it costs you nothing to use them!

Disney’s Visa Summer Vacation Package Offer

Disney’s Visa cardholders can get discounts of up to 30% on select Disney resorts, plus discounted 4-day through 10-day Magic Your Way tickets, for stays between 6/13/13 – 8/14/13. This offer is identical to the general public Summer Vacation Package Offer but became available to cardholders several days early.

Book by 6/14/13. A $200 deposit using your Disney’s Visa card is required at the time of booking.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.

  • To book the Disney Visa Summer Vacation Package Offer, please contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations and request booking code CKO. Small World Vacations gives you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by phone toll-free, and best of all, it costs you nothing to use them!

Annual Passholder Packages with Dining Plan

Discounted 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!

  • To book a discounted Annual Passholder Package with Dining, please contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations. Small World Vacations gives you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by phone toll-free, and best of all, it costs you nothing to use them!

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. Last, you can try dialing x8844 from your room phone and asking them if there are any current offers.

Package Promotions with Small World Vacations

Small 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 Packages

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. 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.

Canadian Packages

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. Small World Vacations can book most Canadian packages as long as you are traveling at least 45 days from the date of booking.

Spring Vacation Package Offer for Canadians

Get discounts of up to 30% on select Disney resorts, plus discounted 4-day through 10-day Magic Your Way tickets, for stays between 4/2/13 – 6/14/13.

These packages include the following discounts off rack rates:

Excludes Club Level at Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Contemporary; Ft. Wilderness campsites; 3-bedroom villas; and Art of Animation Little Mermaid standard rooms.

As with all Disney promotional discounts, some resorts, room types and date combinations will not be available. It’s important to be flexible if you want to book a discounted package.

The discounts on 4-day and longer tickets with this offer are quite substantial. You can add a Dining Plan at full price if you wish.

This package is also offered in a US version, but the US offer expired 3/31/13. The Canadian version is identical except that it remains available for booking through 5/31/13. You must be a Canadian resident to book this offer.

Thanks to Small World Vacations for further info.

Southwest Vacations Packages

If 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 Expedia

When 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. The discounted rates are listed as “promotional rates” or are given special names such as “Magical Fall Rates.”

Be aware that Expedia sometimes makes it look as if you can book “room only” reservations at these special package rates, but you really can’t. Later in the ordering process you are forced to add on theme park tickets, which makes the purchase into a vacation package. Expedia does offer separate “room only” promotions.

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 has rules and requirements that can be confusing. If you decide to use Expedia, be sure to read all the small print very carefully, and click on any “terms and conditions” links and read those.

Packages Through Travelocity

When 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 Discounts

If 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.

Trip Insurance

It 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.

Where to Buy Trip Insurance

If you have kids under 18, consider using Allianz (formerly Access America) for your trip insurance. Kids are included FREE in the Classic Plan, which is a rare and valuable benefit. If you buy that policy within 14 days of making your first payment/deposit on the package, it will also cover pre-existing conditions, unlike Disney’s coverage.

If the Access America policy isn’t a good fit for you, a great place to comparison-shop for trip insurance is InsureMyTrip.com, where you can see side-by-side policy information and rates for major, reputable insurance companies. I have used InsureMyTrip.com myself to buy trip insurance for several trips. I saved a substantial amount and got much more comprehensive coverage than Disney’s policy would have provided.