Disney's Oct to Dec "Holiday" special

Oops, I am a few days late posting this one. Sorry...
(I'm not sure exactly why I am so very busy these days, but it must have something to do with the 3 wedding groups that I am working on... I am a few days behind with a lot of things, including updating this blog!)

It's not the greatest special that has ever been seen - it is a reduced room rate as part of a package - but it is still better than nothing. Click here to see a flyer.

You must pay with a Visa card to get the rate. As with many of Disney's fall specials, availability is very limited. This is by no means a "blanket" discount across all resorts and dates. It could more accurately be described as a "mopping-up" special, trying to sell off some unused days during the quieter months in the fall.

Check in dates are:

• 30th September 2007-19th November 2007,
  
• 24th November 2007-28th November 2007 and
  
• 8th December 2007-23rd December 2007.
  

The package must include at least a minimum stay of 3 nights and at least a 1-Day Magic Your Way ticket, and the discount may be applied to a "Magic Your Way Package" or a "Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining".

It must be booked by the 26th September 2007.

Disney's New Deluxe Dining Plan

For those that thought that 'Disney's Dining Plan" was too limited, but know the Premium or Platinum Packages are, shall we say, rather expensive, you may be interested in the new "Deluxe Dining Plan".

• $69.99/adult (US) and $19.99/child per night (US).
  
• Each guest will receive 3 meals and 2 snacks per night .
• You can choose from table service or counter service for each meal (so you might as well eat all table service meals - if you are organized enough to make that many reservations, and if you can eat that much food!!).
• The table service meals include appetizer (yes, really! - this was just removed from the standard dining plan - see my previous post), entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage.
• "Signature Restaurants and Dinner Shows" still count as 2 table service meals with this plan.
• There is one other extra - a souvenir refillable mug per person, which can be used at your resort.
  

Another Change

Walt Disney World 2008 Package Changes continued...

Also starting in 2008, season changes/nightly rates will be handled differently. In a move that is arguably "fairer", and relatively "price-neutral", you will now pay the going rate for rooms based on the season (and the day of the week, with weekends being higher), not just the date that you check in.

In the past, if you checked in on the last day of value season, you would get the value season price all the way through your stay, even if the second day onwards was peak season (as you were able to do for Christmas...) Or if you were unlucky enough to have to check in on the last day of peak season, you would be paying peak rate for the duration of your stay, even if the next day the price went back to value season.

Starting in 2008, if you have a season change on the second day, you will pay the going rate for the first night and a different rate for the the next 6 (or two different rates, weekday and weekend). The price will not be "broken down" for you - it will still be a "package" price - but it will have been calculated in a different way in the background.

All this means that some of the "jumping through hoops" that we used to have to do for clients will be eliminated, but it also means that you will not be able to snag those sneaky good deals for travel near Christmas as of 2008.

Once again, the rest of 2007 is unaffected.

Disney Dining Plan - Now "Value-Reduced"!!

We have been a little bit dismayed to learn of some changes to the Disney dining plan - for 2008 - which may help to slow down the run-away usage of this super-popular dining plan...

Specifically, the "table-service" meal dining plan:

• is $1 cheaper than in 2007 - (yay!)... but...
  
• no longer includes an appetizer (apparently people complained that there was "just too much food"!!), and no longer includes gratuities (apparently many people were tipping as well, even though gratuities were included before...)
• So now they are charging essentially the same amount of money for less food and people have to tip on top. To our eyes, that's no improvement...

As far as we know, there is no change to the counter-service meal or the snack.

The dining plan is still better value than buying the same food "off-plan", but for some families the dining plan was "borderline" value before (if you don't need to have a proper "sit-down" dinner every day, for example, or if your kids are 10 or 11 and would prefer the food on a kids menu still). This latest change may end up taking the Dining Plan right off the menu for those people... It will be something to think about, certainly.

Dedicated Disney-watchers will note that this is the only "bad news" that I have posted on this blog. Generally-speaking I am very supportive of the Disney World product and experience as I believe it is one of the best travel experiences that many families will ever have, and is very good value for the fun that you will have. This is the first material change to a package that I can remember Disney introducing, which I think is a clear reduction in value. Hopefully Disney will forgive my negative comments... Or, better still will re-think the change!!!

Please Note: coverage for the rest of 2007 is unchanged

Walt Disney World ticket prices increase

As of Sunday, August 5 single-day tickets went from $71.36 to $75.62 (including tax). All multi-day tickets increased in price. Click here to see a chart of the new prices.

The following additional changes apply:

• No more advance purchase discounts on 4-Day and longer tickets. This makes the increase on 4-Day and longer tickets even bigger.
• The "No Expiration" add-on has increased in price by $5 plus tax. The Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More add-ons cost the same.
• When purchasing your tickets directly from Disney, the number of Water Park admissions included in the Water Park Fun & More add-on is now tied to the number of days on the ticket, for tickets of 2 days or more. So a 2-Day Ticket with Water Park Fun & More will include 2 Water Park admissions; a 5-Day Ticket with Water Park Fun & More will include 5 Water Park admissions, etc. For some tickets this means fewer water park admissions than before; for others it means more.
  

Source: Mousesavers.com

Disney Packages for 2008 now available

Finally - we have been waiting for this for a while - we are able to price and book Disney World packages for 2008. So bring me your uninspired, your bored, your befuddled masses, longing to be Disneyfied...!