This is a guest post by my friend Linds.
There’s nothing more magical than staying on Disney property. There may be an initial sticker shock on your vacation, but if you’re far enough out- don’t worry!
Deposits
It’s best to put a deposit down if you know what dates you will be traveling ($200 per room) so you are guaranteed the availability- like saving your spot. Don’t wait to book if you think you might miss a special, it can be applied later. Also, the call center will be super busy and you’ll be on hold forever with all the others who are booking or upgrading their packages.
Having your confirmation number will help with your dining if you are more than 180 days out from your travel. You can book dining reservations using your confirmation number and account on 180 days in advance for the first 10 days of your vacation. This saves you from having to book each day of your trip on its individual 180-day mark. Just another benefit of being a resort guest!
Discounts from Disney
You can only have one discount applied to your package at a time- whether it’s a PIN, Kid’s Stay/Play Free, Free Dining or starting with a room discount and adding to your package from there. As a Disney travel agent, who watches these closely, I’ve seen a room rate discount work out cheaper than one of the big specials they are advertising- you never know when there are specials with overlapping periods!
When those specials come out I take care of that for all my clients who qualify as part of a discount monitoring program- sometimes it’s a discount on their package or it’s adding on more benefits like Dining which doesn’t always change the price. PINs can even be applied after a package is booked and even making adjustments to the dates a little to fit the qualifications if needed.
Payments
Disney travel company doesn’t have an automatic payment program, but you can make payments at anytime through your account or travel agent. I keep clients credit card information on file, so all they do is email me how much they’d like to attribute to their account and I send back a statement which includes the remaining balance. If you’re on your own, you can set up a date each month and contribute what you can or save it all for the last day- set up a reminder a few days in advance so it won’t be too late if you forget.
Changes and Cancellations
Changes can be made without any fees and even the whole package canceled for a full refund up to 45 days prior to arrival. Any changes after that date may have a $50 fee. Disney charges a $200 cancellation penalty per room if you make changes between 44 and 1 day before arrival. If you add on the optional insurance, you will get 100% of your package price back, except the insurance.
Disney Cruise Line terms start prior to 75 days before travel, see website for specific terms.
Disneyland terms start 30 days prior to arrival (no change/cancellation fees) when full payment is due for packages and 5 days prior to arrival for resort room reservations. A $200 cancellation for packages anytime after that is required.
Waiting vs Canceling
I had a client get a quote just recently with a great room rate and they weren’t ready to book- a few weeks later when they were ready, the rate was over and their package jumped $800! That is so hard for a fellow saver like me to have to tell them! They were still beyond the 45 days when they started to consider the price, so I would have either had to call to make the final payment or cancel that day if they had their deposit in, but at least they would have had the cheaper option.
If you are ready to book your trip, be sure to read about the perks of using an authorized Disney vacation planner
Linds is a Disney fanatic which started from a young age with her first Disneyland trip at 4 years old- now married and has 4 boys, she enjoys going even more! Linds blogs at Enchanting Deals about the latest Disney specials and park, dining and resort guest tips. She loves being a Disney deal expert- to help families get to Disney and save money! Also can find her on Twitter or Facebook.
Disney World is the Most Magical Place On Earth. Be sure to learn how to make the most of your trip by reading the Disney World Training series. You can also browse all the articles I have written in an easy to use outline. And if you are ready to book your trip, be sure to read about the perks of using an authorized Disney vacation planner (plus it’s FREE!).
Heather S. says
I just wanted to comment that it absolutely does pay to shop around for your Disney trip! I was pricing just our hotel and park tickets and for the exact same thing (10 nights at Port Orleans Riverside with 7 day park hopper, water park and more) the price difference was $2200 from the cheapest to the most expensive travel agent. I tried Disney, AAA, and several others. I found the best deal at dreamsunlimitedtravel.com
Allison Jones says
Hi Heather,
I wish you tried us! We beat all Disney World package prices, so we are always lower than Disney direct or any other travel agency. Plus, we offer extra perks you cannot get at any other travel agency. Hopefully, we can book your next vacation. Have fun with Mickey Mouse on this trip!
Allison
Jennifer Rama says
To Allison:
How do I contact you I would like to find a good deal for a Disneyland trip in the Spring. It will be a Honeymoon/ with our kids vacation. We are a family of 4. 2 adults and 2 kids which are 11 and 2. I have never been to Disneyland and want it to be a great vacation without all the cost not sure how to do it.
Thanks Jennifer
Amanda - Destinations in Florida says
It’s always a great idea to put that deposit down and hold a spot for your vacation not only due to limited availability, but due to the fact that every June (or around that time) Disney increases the price of the Magic Your Way park passes. Your ticket prices will not change unless you make a change to your reservation (which includes applying a promotion to your reservation).
Many Disney Travel Agents do discount watch, so it can definitely be helpful to book your Disney vacation with an Authorized Disney Planner to ensure you get the lowest price possible.
sia says
getting bookings is as imp as the dates when we want to go to the dreamland. All these tips have made it pretty simple to narrow down our search for perfect booking.
Linds says
Free Dinings vs. Room Discounts depend on the resort you’re staying at, party size- but yes, I do always check both!
Brynna says
Like you say, definitely check the Disney discounts/codes/pins closely! When we went this winter, they were offering free dining in blocks all around us. We contemplated changing our dates, but realized that the %off room discount saved us more than the free dining would have! (even though the free dining SOUNDS like a better deal)
crystal says
it always pays to shop around we did a price quote for sog and from a mouseunlimited agent and the agent gave us a cheaper deal than sog
wc in nc says
When Disney releases a discount (Free Dining, room discount, or etc..), is it limited to the number of rooms that are available at the entire WDW resort or do they set aside a small number of rooms within the WDW resort for the discount? I have rack rate reservations for the Beach Club in Dec and am eagerly awaiting for a discount (booked directly with WDW). Do I have to immediately call the day a discount is released (and wait on hold for hours) or can I call a couple of days afterwards (when the operators aren’t so busy)?
Kerry Allen says
hah Department of Defense and Shades of Green.
We are using the military offer this year of 35% off at moderate resorts– we are staying at Caribbean Beach Resort in 6 days. We also utilized the offer on tickets.
Alyson says
What are DOD civilians? And SOG rate?
Corey says
It’s also interesting to note that if you have anyone associated with the military traveling with you, you are eligible to stay at Shades of Green, and each servicemember can reserve up to 3 rooms. (It may be good for DOD civilians, but I can’t remember.) Our family is planning a reunion for next year, and by getting rooms at Shades of Green, we took our hotel cost from $200 a person to $50 a person. Military also get special rates on tickets, and sometimes there are special deals going on. Shades of Green is also right in the heart of Disney, right in the golf courses behind the Polynesian hotel. It can fill up fast, but sometimes Disney allows them to put servicemembers in their own hotels for the SOG rate. My cousin stayed in the Contemporary for $150 a night because of that once. Just thought I’d share.