I am planning a vacation to orlando,fl next week. Where can i get the best hotel and theme park ticket deals?
Hotel Deals
BuggaBoo asked:
I want some really good deals.
And, Do u get better deals if u call the hotels directly rather than book thro’ 3rd party web sites?
Jonathan
I want some really good deals.
And, Do u get better deals if u call the hotels directly rather than book thro’ 3rd party web sites?
Jonathan
October 4th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
You really picked the wrong time to go last minute, your going in the single busiest week there is in orlando….best bet is to look at hotwire or priceline….as for disney tickets unless you do a timeshare tour for them there isnt much that can be done to discount them more than a couple bucks….also you know they are $66 each now right…BUT on the upside you picked a BEAUTIFUL time to go…no crazy heat and all kinds of extra fun because of christmas…
October 6th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
I answered a similar question last week. Here is my answer:
How to save $$ on your Orlando vacation (and other destinations)
How I booked a vacation for 2 in Orlando for under $1000
There are even less expensive ways to do it, but I paid extra for certain amenities I wished to have. (It’s not a slick deal if you wish you did it differently) Also, keep in mind that I am traveling during the last month of March (Spring Break period,) when prices for everything in Orlando are at a premium. If you use these tactics during the ‘off’ season, (September after Labor Day, October, the week after Thanksgiving, and December-excluding Christmas and New Years), your results will undoubtedly be much better.
Flight; $329. 2 RT tickets from my town (Louisville) straight to Orlando (MCO) I could have saved around $100 flying out of another airport, or flying into Tampa, but the convenience factor made it worth it to me.
How I found this flight deal; I signed up for ‘Ding’ through Southwest Airlines, I checked every day, I checked often along with Travelocity and Sidestep. I also signed up to be notified by various airlines when a flight was available that matched my needs. I checked the travel threads on and every day. When I was actively searching, I checked all of these places several times a day. It was discouraging for a while, because the cheapest flights I could find came out to around $300. per person after fees and taxes.
I made sure to travel on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, because the flights are almost always alot cheaper then. I received an e-mail from Southwest that they had some ‘click and save deals’ I checked, and they were offering flights (one way) to and from Orlando for $69. As soon as I saw that, I jumped on it.
Hotel; $254.49 for 3 nights. This is an area where I could have saved more money, but, I wanted something special. It has a master bedroom, a kitchen with a stove, fridge, toaster, microwave and coffee-maker, a dining table, a ‘roman tub’, and two lovely pools. It is only a mile away from Disney and a mile and a half from Universal, and it has excellent reviews on many travel websites.
How I got this hotel deal; I checked the ‘usual suspects’ listed above, and I also bought some books on Orlando. (I could have saved $$ by going to the library, buying them used, or at least ordering them from Amazon, but I wanted them up-to-date, and I wanted them NOW! *lol*) The books I bought were The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2007 by Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa (I recommend it)
Passporters Walt Disney World Resort by Jennifer and Dave Marx, (this one’s a bit different, I’d read the reviews on it to see if it’s for you) and Disney on a Dime by Chris and Kristal Carson. (Not really much info in this one.) I also recommend The Penny Pincher’s Guide to Walt Disney World. I don’t actually have that book anymore, and don’t know who wrote it, but it’s the best book I’ve ever read on how to save $$ when in Orlando on vacation.
After reading in these books and on the Dis boards about a website called , I decided to check it out. I went there and found the place I described above (Cypress Point Grand Villas) for $76. per night. (They had two bedrooms from $100. per night, but, I felt that would be wasteful with only me and ds staying).
They are a time-share resort, but I do not have to go to any timeshare presentation. I can if I want to, and get $150, but, it’s not something I want to do. I could have found a room for much less, but, for the price, the good reviews and the convenience and $$ saving by having a fridge and stove, and the location, it was worth it to me.
Rental car $151.09 1 week; Again, this is another place where I could have saved a few bucks by waiting until the last minute, but, it was worth $50 to me to have the peace of mind that it is taken care of.
How I got my car rental deal; I checked the places listed above, plus and and certain car rental websites (esp. Dollar, as they seemed to have the best prices on on-site rental cars.)
I had a few criteriae, I wanted to be able to rent at the airport. I have rented off-site before, and, honestly, for the $$ I saved, it just wasn’t worth the hassle. I also wanted to rent from a company that had good reviews by the Disneyers. I relied on the mousesavers site for this information. They said to avoid Payless car rental, if possible, so I did. After checking and re-checking all these sites, and trying many combinations of codes, I finally just went to Priceline and put in a bid of $15. per day. They accepted my bid, and, with taxes and fees, it came to around $150. It goes against my general principles to pay more than $100 per week for a rental car, but, since ds will be with me, and I will be driving straight to Dad’s house in Melbourne when we land, it was worth an extra $50 for the peace of mind. I was aware also, that it is Spring Break so, I’m not terribly unhappy with this deal.
If you just book your rental through a regular agency, you can book and cancel anytime you find a lower rental. You cannot cancel with Priceline, so, be sure of your dates if you decide to go with them.
Universal Studios, 2, 7 day passes to all the parks for $185.28 The average family of 4 spends $400. per day on tickets!!
How I got a deal on tickets; It would have been much more difficult had I NEEDED to go to WDW, but, we really like Universal. It’s so clean and fresh looking, everything is newer, and the rides are spectacular. I looked on the Dis boards, and Mouse savers, and everyone was talking about a 7 day unlimited pass to all of Universal’s parks for around $80. a piece. (Buy them directly from Universal’s website) Since a one day one park pass is around $75, this is an excellent deal! We are not going to be in Orlando the whole 7 days, but, it’s the best deal going. It is an internet only deal. You pay in advance, and then print your tickets at a kiosk set up for that purpose. You can print them at home, but, I prefer the heavier weight of their actual tickets. (You tend to get quite wet at Universal!)
Staying at Dad’s house; FREE!
How I got this deal; Called Dad, said “hey Dad, we’re coming to visit” He said “ok” ymmv.
1 week ago
October 9th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Simple answer:
discount tickets:
discount hotels:
best of luck it is busy!
October 11th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Next week,??? Christmas Week…
This is Orlando’s peak tourist season, and you want discount!
Your going to be lucky to find anything at this short notice at such a busy time, much less get it at discount.
Use one of those travel search engines like expedia to find a hotel, expect to pay top dollar, otherwise try some of those smaller places up around Orlo Bronson Highway or International Drive, they should be a tad cheaper.
If your a member, go to Triple AAA for tickets, they are a few bucks cheaper than the gate & lets you avoid the line to buy tickets else you will pay the full rate at the gate.
Note: Expect the parks to be very crowded, expect to pay full price for everything, this is NOT discount season & take advantage of those coupon books found all over the city.
Good Luck.
October 12th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Dude, this is the costliest time of year to go to Disney and area parks. IF you can get a room there you’ll be paying the highest prices, especially at a Disney resort.