Disney price adjustments

[SDJen]

Hi, everyone. I am in the beginning planning stages of picking a Disney cruise. I probably wont book until the fall because I am looking pretty far ahead for travel.

 

My question is this - does Disney honor price drops (like Carnival)? I booked my first (and only) cruise about 5 months before travelling and got 2 price adjustments when the cost of the cruise went down. I am wondering if Disney does the same?

 

Also, is it better to book yourself or use a travel agent? Would one be more likely to produce a price adjustment or upgrade/OBC etc...??? I am confident about booking the cruise myself but am a newbie about the transfers and staying in Orlando or Port Canaveral before the cruise so I am wondering if a travel agent would be better? I just am on a tight budget and want to get the best deal.

 

Thanks in advance!

[truck1]

Hi, everyone. I am in the beginning planning stages of picking a Disney cruise. I probably wont book until the fall because I am looking pretty far ahead for travel.

 

My question is this - does Disney honor price drops (like Carnival)? I booked my first (and only) cruise about 5 months before travelling and got 2 price adjustments when the cost of the cruise went down. I am wondering if Disney does the same?

 

Also, is it better to book yourself or use a travel agent? Would one be more likely to produce a price adjustment or upgrade/OBC etc...??? I am confident about booking the cruise myself but am a newbie about the transfers and staying in Orlando or Port Canaveral before the cruise so I am wondering if a travel agent would be better? I just am on a tight budget and want to get the best deal.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

Usually Disney will not have a price drop prior to sailing. Worse case scenario, it will stay the same. usually they go up the closer to the sail date.

The way it was explained to me was that since Disney has only 2 ships at the moment, and they sail on the average of 85- 90 percent full, Disney has no real reason to price drop, compared to another line, that may only run 70 percent full.

 

Now with that said, its been a while since I heard that, and in the current economic situation, its not out of the realm of impossibility, that they will drop. Doubt it but its possible. I honestly dont know.

 

 

If I were in your shoes, ( I live 2 hours from the port so it leaves the where to stay out of the eqaution) I would run it a few different ways, thru different places. Most places on the internet, will give you a no cost/obligation quote,( I am sitting on one now. Waiting to hear back from a question I asked before booking my 4 day in August with them) and you can decide which is best for you.

 

Start a spread sheet, and after you have a few quotes,generally no 2 are the same as far as perks(OBC, discounted downpayment, discount shore excursions etc) and go from there. Do the same for your transport and lodging.You can mix and match, and alot of resorts, have shuttles to the port, especially in the PC area.

 

As far as whom to go thru, you can all Disney with questions, even if you book thru someone else. One advantage of using a TA to book everything is that you have it all under one roof, and if you have a transportation question, for example your not calling 3 different people looking for an answer. However, youll prob pay a little more than if you found someone else to handle certain elements of your trip, or did some of the footwork your self.Like I said, setup a spread sheet, with everything that is important for your trip, get a few quotes for each aspect of your trip and then decide for your self. Its generally what I do and I have been surprised on booking prices, before on cruises.

[DisneyCruiser83]

We live in Tampa, but stay in Cocoa Beach the night before (we had a bad experience once and almost missed our cruise). We stay at the Hilton. They have a free shuttle to and from the port and you can park there free for the duration of your cruise. Though many hotels in the area have the same benefit, so you should research the hotel that works best for you.

I do not know if Disney reduces rates, but it is my understanding that they generally do not reduce the price once you have booked. With that said, you can always keep your ears perked, something may come up.

We do work with a travel agent. By working with the company we do, we get the convenience of one person to handle all inquiries as the previous poster stated, as well as his experience. We also get an average of 10% off Disney's advertised price, and OBC (amount varies depending on the length of the cruise). We really like working with a travel agent, and would recommend using one, JMO.

I hope you find something that works for you, happy cruising!

[bracy]

I agree with the previous posters. The best DCL deals are for CAT 12 staterooms. The catch is that they don't show up often and when they do they disappear quickly but pop in and out. I agree that I have not seen Disney prices go down like they do on Carnival. As far as price adjustments go, we booked a Cat 12 and then a FL res. special came up for $400 less after we had already made our final payment. Disney gave us the FL res. discounted price and put the $400 back on our cc. I was very surprised it wasn't just an OBC or nothing at all. If you do decide to get a cat 12, diligently watch for one and when you see it call Disney immediately. If you find a TA later that is offering an OBC you can always have your ressie transferred over to the TA to take advantage of their OBC. If you book it on your own you know that Disney has received your deposit, which can be important in this day and age when so many businesses are going under and leaving their customers in the lurch. I like to use a TA rather than a mass market seller because the level of customer service is so much better. But, calling Disney directly is your best source of info. for all things Disney. I live in Orlando, so i can't help with the transportation or hotel questions.

Good luck with your vacation planning.

[SDJen]

Thanks for all of the information everyone.

 

I am hoping to get a great deal and am more confident now that you all have shared your tips and tricks. Thanks!

[bracy]

Also check the special promotions section at the bottom of their web page. They have a kids 50% off special going on right now that doesn't seem to be advertised anywhere else. I don't know what the big secret is. The code is KHO.

[AdventureLover67]

I'm going on my first cruise this May, so I don't have a lot of advice to offer, but did want to share one word of wisdom passed to me regarding the transfer from Orlando to Port Canavrel. Disney charges $70 per person round trip to transport from the airport to the ship port, regardless of who books the flight. The advantage to taking the Disney transportation is that if the bus breaks down, etc. they will hold the ship for you. Hope this little tidbit is of some use! Happy sailing!! :)

[DisneyNutMary]

As far as whom to go thru, you can all Disney with questions, even if you book thru someone else. One advantage of using a TA to book everything is that you have it all under one roof, and if you have a transportation question, for example your not calling 3 different people looking for an answer. However, youll prob pay a little more than if you found someone else to handle certain elements of your trip, or did some of the footwork your self.Like I said, setup a spread sheet, with everything that is important for your trip, get a few quotes for each aspect of your trip and then decide for your self. Its generally what I do and I have been surprised on booking prices, before on cruises.

 

I have to disagree about paying a little more if going through a travel agent. This is not correct, travel agents are paid by the cruise line, and not by the traveller. Any leg work or extras that the travel agent does are at no cost to the client, they are services to help the client. In today's world of online booking made easy, travel agents tend to plus it, so to speak, to make their services more valuable than booking direct.

If you book with a travel agent, you also don't have to worry about watching for price drops or fighting with the cruiseline to get credited for a price drop, as the TA will handle all of that for you, you just sit back and know that you are cruising at the lowest available rate for your cabin on your cruise.

[Seacucumber]

"We really like working with a travel agent, and would recommend using one, JMO.

I hope you find something that works for you, happy cruising!"

 

Hi Disney Cruiser 83, could you please give us more details about this JMO Agent?

Thanks

[belle907]

"We really like working with a travel agent, and would recommend using one, JMO.

I hope you find something that works for you, happy cruising!"

 

Hi Disney Cruiser 83, could you please give us more details about this JMO Agent?

Thanks

JMO = just my opinion

[belle907]

Disney tends to throw in more-bang-for-the-buck before they lower their prices.

The kids sail free current offer is a good example.

Actually the current promotion is kids sail ½ price. Along with FL resident rates and military rates.