Category — p. News and Changes

DISNEY WORLD PLAY STAY DINE AND SAVE DEAL ANNOUNCED

As expected, Disney World announced this morning two new deals for winter 2016—a room rate deal and a “Play, Stay, Dine, and Save Deal.”

The savings from the Play Stay Dine and Save deal are pretty hard to quantify.

However, based on how it worked last year (I’ll get started updating the numbers for this offer after I’m out of a two-day strategy retreat I’m facilitating today and tomorrow), Play Stay and Dine will be better than the room rate deal for most families aimed at value and moderate resorts—especially in January and February, when the room rate deal applies only to weekdays for those staying in one of these two classes of rooms.

Those staying in the more expensive deluxe and Disney Vacation Club rooms should run the numbers both ways. A good travel agent (like Kelly B, contact her at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com) can help you sort this out.

To be eligible for the Play Stay Dine and Save deal, you must book a vacation package with at least 3 nights, a dining plan, and at least 2 days of tickets.

This deal must be booked by 12/23/15 and eligible check-in dates for it are 12/13/15 – 12/19/15 and 1/2/16 – 3/7/16.

The following resorts seem to be excluded from this deal

• At the values: Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation
• At the moderates: Some have reported that Port Orleans French Quarter is excluded for the whole deal, and that Riverside is excluded in December. If you are able to book one of these, let me know in the comments!
• At the deluxes and DVC: the Villas at the Grand Floridian, Bay Lake Tower, and the Bungalows at Polynesian

Moreover, recently it’s been pretty hard for people to actually find rooms in these Disney World deals, so it’ll work best for those with flexible dates and flexible targeted resort hotels.

You can find reviews of all the Disney World room options here. (I’ve stayed in them all…)

BOOKING THE PLAY STAY AND DINE DEAL

As noted above, Kelly B can book this deal for you. Contact her at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com.

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2017 RESORT PRICE SEASONS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

The material below shows resort price seasons at Walt Disney World at different times of the year in 2017.

(For 2018 Disney World resort prices, see this, and for 2019 Disney World resort prices, see this.)

Although this may change at the next ticket price increase, currently only one-day ticket prices vary over the course of the year–multi-day tickets do not, although they typically have an annual increase during the year. See this for more on ticket prices.

Resort prices, however, can be almost twice as high during some periods as they are at others.

In the material below, “X% Higher” means compared to the lowest prices of the year.

The image gives an overview of the year, with specifics in the lists that follow.

In addition to the details presented below, Disney ups prices even more during certain weekends and holidays–particularly over the Marathon weekend, Martin Luther King Day weekend, President’s Day weekend, Memorial Day weekend, Columbus Day weekend, and Veterans Day weekend.

2017 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: VALUE RESORTS

• 40-45% higher–the peak season–begins 1/1/2017
• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 1/2/17
• 40-45% higher–the peak season–begins 2/16/17
• 20-25% higher–the regular season-begins 2/26/17
• 40-45% higher–the peak season–begins 3/10/17
• 55-75% higher–the Easter season–begins 4/9/17
• 40-45% higher–the peak season–begins 4/21/17
• 20-25% higher–the regular season–begins 4/23/17
• 30-45% higher–the summer season–begins 5/26/17
• 20-25% higher–the regular season–begins 8/13/17
• 5-10% higher–the fall season–begins 8/25/17
• 20-25% higher–the regular season–begins 9/17/17
• 5-10% higher–the fall season– begins 10/29/17
• 20-40% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/18/17
• 5-10% higher–the fall season—begins 11/25/17
• 20-25% higher–the regular season–begins 12/10/17
• 40-45% higher–the peak season–begins 12/15/17
• 60-75% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/22/17

2017 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: DELUXE RESORTS

• 25-35% higher–the peak season–begins 1/1/17
• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 1/2/17
• 25-35% higher–the peak season–begins 2/16/17
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 2/26/17
• 25-35% higher–the peak season–begins 3/10/17
• 35-55% higher–the Easter season–begins 4/9/17
• 25-35% higher–the peak season–begins 4/21/17
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 4/23/17
• 10% higher–the summer season–begins 5/26/17
• 0-5% higher–near-lowest of year–the value season 2—begins 7/7/17
• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 8/25/17
• 5-20% higher–the regular season 2–begins 9/22/17
• 5-15% higher–the fall season–begins 10/15/17
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 11/3/17
• 5-15% higher–the fall season–begins 11/13/17
• 20-25% higher during Thanksgiving begins 11/21/17
• 5-15% higher–the fall season–begins 11/25/17
• 20% higher–the regular season–beings 12/10/17
• 25-35% higher–the peak season–begins 12/15/17
• 40-60% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/22/17

2017 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: MODERATE RESORTS

• 20-25% higher–the peak season–begins 1/1/17
• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 1/2/17
• 20-25% higher–the peak season–begins 2/16/17
• 15-20% higher–the regular season-begins 2/26/17
• 20-25% higher–the peak season–begins 3/10/17
• 45-50% higher–the Easter season–begins 4/9/17
• 20-25% higher–the peak season–begins 4/21/17
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 4/23/17
• 15-20% higher–the summer season–begins 5/26/17
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 8/13/17
• 10-15% higher–the fall season–begins 8/25/17
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 9/17/17
• 10-15% higher–the fall season–begins 10/29/17
• 20-25% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/18/17
• 10-15% higher–the fall season—begins 11/25/17
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–beings 12/10
• 20-25% higher–the peak season–begins 12/15/17
• 50-55% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/22/17

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Coming out any day now–the 2016 edition of the best-reviewed Walt Disney World guide book series, ever.

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DISNEY’S ARMED FORCES SALUTE IN 2016

Miltiary families and their friends will be delighted to know that my friend Steve Bell has broken the news at Military Disney Tips that today Disney’s Armed Forces Salute has been extended into late December 2016.

There’s two parts to the Armed Forces salute

• A steep discount on Disney World park tickets, and
• Discounts on eligible Disney World resort hotel rooms.

Eligible military families can select one or both, but can’t combine them with any other deal. You can also use the Military Salute tickets and stay at Shades of Green.

My friend Kelly B can book the room-rate part of this deal for you. Contact her at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com.

(The image, by the way, is of General Colin Powell, USA (Ret.) saluting Captain America at Disney’s Contemporary Resort!)

EVEN BETTER NEWS: WALT DISNEY WORLD FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

Eligibility for these and other Disney military deals has always been complicated, and the process for getting and using some of them even more so.

Steve’s Military Disney Tips has always been the go-to site for military families looking to make the most out of their Disney World vacations.

But like every other website (especially mine), finding exactly what you need to know, in the right order, sometimes isn’t as easy as you’d like it to be.

So the great news is that Steve has just published a Disney World guidebook for military families.

With entire chapters devoted to the 2016 salute, to Shades of Green, and to other deals and perks available to military families, I can’t recommend it enough!!

It’s available as a PDF–probably the most convenient format–here, and on Amazon.com here.

This book will be a great help to military families contemplating a Disney World visit in 2016!!

BOOKING THE DISNEY MILITARY SALUTE

As noted above, Kelly B can book the room-rate part of this deal for you–but not the discounted tickets.

Contact her at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com.

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Usually reliable sources have let me know that Disney World is expected to offer a couple of deals for 2016 early next week.

They say that both a room rate deal and “Stay, Play, Dine” deal will come out September 28 and cover many dates from January 2 thru March 19.

As usual, not all room types will be included.

I also hear there may be major news on a different topic late this week.

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PIRATE ROOM REFURB UPDATE

I’ll have more to say next month, after my stay then in one of the refurbed Pirate rooms in Trinidad South at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, but here’s what I know–or think I know–now, after a walk-around yesterday and some chats with cast members today.

Buildings 38 and 39 are under construction now.  This I saw with my own eyes.

From my walk-about, buildings 34 to 37 seemed to me to have completed their refurbs, other than some exterior touch up painting. This was confirmed by a cast member at the Customs House this morning.

The refurb is pretty light. What I saw was new paint and a new rug. (And yes, I do feel a little bad for being such a snoop.  The room is in building 34.  I’ll have full photos from my own room after the October visit.)

The rooms seem to have retained their full beds.  A cast member from this morning: “We replaced the mattresses, with new, softer ones. But they are still full beds.”

OK, that’s it for now.  More in October!!

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