Thanks for joining me on my vacation planning journey! I've got quite a few updates to share today. My trip is a little over 6 months away and that means several more travel options have become available for booking.
I stalked the Allegiant Air website for weeks and noticed on February 18 that they had quietly released their autumn schedule. With previous knowledge of early sales in past years, I felt pretty confident that the prices would likely spike in the next month or two so I quickly performed a precursory search of plane tickets from my local airport to Orlando (both MCO and SFB) and found that the big airlines were charging upwards of $500 roundtrip while Allegiant was offering flights for about $100 each way. Take note: if you've never flown with a low-cost carrier such as Allegiant, Spirit, or Frontier, there are a couple of things to know upfront. They
will nickel and dime you for everything - seat selection, priority boarding, and carry-on bags are all offered at a premium. I weighed these options with the total cost of a flight through one of the bigger airlines and determined that Allegiant was still cheaper, even with the additional cost of seats and bags. The outcome is that I paid about $250/person for roundtrip tickets with moderate seat selection (middle of the plane seats) and one checked bag between two people. I've learned that you can easily count a backpack or large purse as a 'personal item' and can cram plenty of items in those bags to make the large checked suitcase a little less packed for the trip to Orlando. Gotta leave room to bring souvenirs back!
With the extension of the airline schedule, I decided to move onto my second task of comparing car rental prices. I am flying into Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB) so a rental car is absolutely necessary for my trip. I am a huge fan of Dollar Rental Car agency (see
this blog post for my reasons) so I usually start with their website, Expedia, and Orbitz. Feel free to use whichever agencies or travel sites work best for you. The most important part of booking a rental car is to look past the base rate to the grand total. I noticed that Expedia had a deal to get a SUV rental through Alamo for $295 but Dollar had a special city rate offer to get a Mid-Size car for $235. I didn't have to put any money down on this selection plus there is free cancellation if I find a better deal later on - but $235 for 10 days (fees and taxes included) is a pretty good rate. Booking a rental car is probably one of the easiest parts of planning a trip but be prepared for the items you'll need at the counter (ID and credit card at the minimum) and the sales pitch you'll have to endure for optional insurance and fueling costs.
Next up: park tickets. There was quite a
frenzy a few days ago about Disney's announcement of tiered pricing. This can be a major issue for big families traveling during peak seasons but it can also provide savings if you're traveling during a slower season. This is where touringplans.com has really saved me a lot of money because they have a
ticket calculator to help travelers find the best deal online for Disney tickets. Just plug in the information (# of adults and children, optional parkhopper selection) and it will show you the reputable sites and prices. Currently, I'm looking to purchase a 5-day single park per day ticket for 2 adults and the price is $641.50 on OfficialTicketCenter.com. Please note, tickets purchased through Undercover Tourist or Official Ticket Center
can be used in conjunction with the My Disney Experience app or online to provide you early access to Fastpass+ selections.
If you're keeping track of the pricing so far, this is how much my trip has cost:
Disney's Contemporary Resort (7 nights travel agent pricing): $1,800
Best Western Orlando Gateway at Universal Studios (3 nights hotels.com secret pricing): $255
Allegiant roundtrip airfare for 2 adults: $480 (and $150 credit back from my Disney Dream Rewards)
Dollar car rental for 10 days: $235
Disney World park tickets (5 day single park for 2 adults): $641.50
*Estimated* Universal Studios 3 day park-to-park tickets for 2 adults: $400
Grand Total: $3,811.50 - $150 statement credit from Disney Rewards Visa card = $3,661.50
The only things left to buy are food, souvenirs, and activities. If I didn't have the travel agent pricing on the Contemporary Resort, I probably wouldn't be staying in deluxe accommodations and I would be paying half that total for a moderate or even value level Disney resort. But as an adult that is still a kid-at-heart, I'm going to take this year to enjoy the Contemporary so I can report back on whether this hotel is worth the price.
To end this blog post, I wanted to take a moment to share the great services I've used on the
Touring Plans website. For $12.95/year, I have access to their membership options that allow me to browse the Disney resorts and see the view from specific rooms. With this tool, I was able to find my room type at the Contemporary and select the exact room number that I would like to request for check-in. Requests aren't always guaranteed but Touring Plans makes it easy by faxing a written request to the hotel for you so that a real person receives the request instead of an automated computer system. Again, this won't guarantee that you'll get the room you want but it significantly increases the odds. I was lucky enough to find out that the room I've booked is one of only THREE in the whole resort and they're all located in the same area. Just look here at what Touring Plans showed me:
Not only do I get a sample view from the room, but it also provides the walking time to the lobby and nearby transportation (monorail, buses). The website also offers tools for itinerary planning and dining options. It's a great deal for only $12.95 per year! Check it out!
