8 Things You Need To Know When Scouting For a Disney World Discount

October 25, 2017

Walt Disney World travelers are a savvy bunch and everyone from first-time visitors to Disney regulars are on the hunt for vacation packages that will offer the best value for money. A great way to save yourselves a bit of Disney dough is to try and anticipate when Disney World will release discounts each year and plan your vacation accordingly. And with Disney giving guests the options of applying discounts to their packages even after they’ve booked, everyone should be able to nab that big discount eventually…right?

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. As a matter of fact, we’ve had several emails from readers over the past couple of weeks frustrated that they weren’t able to get the discounts and savings that they’d hoped for. As a travel agent, I always try to stress to clients that if you book a non-discounted package, make sure the final cost is in your comfort zone as discounts aren’t always a given. So why haven’t you been able to nab that discount? Why isn’t a discount saving you as much as you’d hoped? Here’s our list of 8 things you should know about discounts, and why getting one isn’t always as easy as it looks.

1. We try and predict when discounts come out but they’re not always a given. Historically, when it comes to discounts, Disney World will usually follow a pattern. In the Fall, there’s typically a FREE Dining offer and room discounts, in Spring a Play, Stay and Dine Package as well as a room discount, and there’s also a handful of other discounts happening throughout the year. Though the patterns allow us to predict when a discount may come out, it is not a science and discounts are not a given. Over the past several years, I’ve seen Disney make many changes to discount offers including lessening availability, widening blackout dates or adding restrictions like ticket upgrades in order to qualify. Looking back at what’s been offered in years past allows us to gauge when a discount may be released if we want to gamble a bit for savings but is in no way a guarantee that a discount is coming your way.

2. Pay attention to blackout dates. A lot of travelers will hear of amazing Autumn or Spring discounts and not understand why they can’t apply them to their packages. More often than not its because your stays fall within the blackout dates set for the discount. Let’s take this year for instance when those hoping to get the FREE dining discount were incredibly disappointed to find out that the entire month of October was exempt from the offer. If you’re traveling during peak times like Spring and Fall Breaks, or public holidays, it’s unlikely that you’ll qualify for the discounts that come out. Remember, Disney offers discounts in order to bolster attendance during times where the parks and resorts aren’t as busy as they’d like. If your resort is sold out, why would they offer a discount?

3. There are usually a handful of resorts that are exempt from discounts. There are certain resorts at Disney that rarely offer discounts. For instance, if you’re staying in a Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation, you’re unlikely to get a discount as these rooms are popular and fill up fast. The same goes for the Port Orleans Resorts in the Moderate category where discounts can be touch and go. Do a bit of research on what resorts are usually excluded from discounts. If a discount is essential to your Disney plans then opt for resorts where discounts are usually offered. You can find more information on resort exemptions here.

4 Read the fine print. The savings may not be initially what they seem. This is an aspect of the Disney discounting process that tends to confuse a lot of guests. If Disney says “Savings of up to 30%” that doesn’t mean that any guests whether they’re staying in Values or Deluxes are eligible for the same discounts. It’s just the opposite. Disney usually staggers the discounts with the greatest savings for those staying in the most expensive rooms. So under the example, Deluxe Resorts may save 30% but Moderates only 20% and Values 10%.

5. Minimum stay requirements or weekday versus weekend stays can be important. Finding a discount that will work with your vacation plans can involve a lot of adjustments and does require a degree of flexibility. If you’re only staying at Disney World for 2 nights, you may not qualify for package discounts which often times require a minimum of a 3-5 night stay. If you’re planning a weekend visit, you may be exempt from discounts that only run from Sunday-Thursday. This is where a good Disney Travel Agent can come in as they’re expert in playing around with discounts to find out where the savings are and what you need to do to get them.

6. Just because your resort and dates fall within a discount period doesn’t mean you’ll get that discount. This can also be very frustrating to visitors looking for the best bargains. If Disney is advertising a discount that falls during your stay and includes your resort, it would seem that you would qualify. So why are there no discounts available? The answer is simple, when it comes to discounts, demand will always be greater than supply. Just because Disney is offering a discount at Pop Century on standard rooms in December doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get that discount if you’re staying there. Many discounts are limited. Disney might only offer 200 discounts for a particular resort and when they are booked up they are booked up. Again, Disney runs discounts to increase attendance at resorts rather than making less money on those already booked to stay there. Each year the discounts get more competitive and fill up quicker than the year before. That’s why its essential to pay attention to discount release dates and to try to nab them as soon as they’re available to book. Again, this is something a good TA can help with.

7. Flash Sales/Last Minute Discounts Don’t Really Happen At Disney World. I get asked a lot by people just weeks away from their vacations if I think they’ll be able to land a last minute discount. Unfortunately, it is pretty unlikely. Disney usually releases discounts about six months out. Though there have been exceptions, like this year’s Christmas discount offer which was released in October, these sort of last minute offers are typically uncommon. This is especially true as you near your final payment deadline as Disney wouldn’t want to discount and then refund people that have already paid.

8. Travel agents do not have a hidden stash of amazing discounts that no one else has access to. This is something I get asked almost on a daily basis. Personally, there is nothing more important to me than being able to nab the best discounts for my clients. However, agents work only with discounts Disney is offering and aren’t able to magic up some special savings. However. working with a Disney-focused TA can be really helpful as most of us are well versed in discounts, know all of the restrictions and eligibility requirements and can offer suggestions on ways that you can get the best savings. We also monitor daily for discounts and can even swap out discounts to make sure you’re getting the ones that offer you the best deal. Agents may also on occasion offer incentives to book like Disney gift cards and room credits. However, because your payments are always made directly to Disney, we can’t offer you savings unless Disney has passed it on to us first!

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Find articles like this helpful? Then why not consider booking your next Disney holiday with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? As an agent with MickeyTravels, I can help you plot out your perfect holiday, work with you to come up with unique ways to make your holiday truly your own, and make sure that you are always getting the best deals and discounts (even after you’ve booked.) Best of all my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.800.801.4025 via email at mroden@mickeytravels.com or follow along on Facebook.

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