Originally Posted By Hippy Hello everyone, Surfed this site for awhile now but this makes my 1st posting, I've read posts for awhile though. Going to WDW the 1st week in Dec and theres no rooms?? Any ideas? I have a friend who works there and he says theres nothing special that week. I find that hard to believe. Me and my wife have went on numerous trips there and have never had trouble getting rooms. Be it peak season or value? Just figured I'd ask some experts.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo It's fully booked because of the Pop Warner Super Bowl. WE're worried because we booked our trip 11 months ago hoping it would be quiet. But that appears not to be the case.
Originally Posted By CMM1 Give the Disney marketing/sales staff some credit - with the end-of-the-summer-season food deals plus what appears to be a very aggressive scheduling of activities at the WWofSports complex and/or conventions (with appropriate discounts for lodging attached), WDW seems to be doing a pretty good job of getting guests down to Orlando. Can't help but feel that the DME free bus service isn't a part of that success - by eliminating some $300-$400 in transportation expenses for a family of 4 for a week, Disney is making it more reasonable for guests looking at the bottom line. Kind of like the Las Vegas mentality - help the guests get on your property any way you can because once you get them there you know they will spend, spend, spend.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Agreed CMM1, if a family is mainly/only interested in a Disney vacation, DME and the Dining Plan make the cost difference between on-site/off-site negligible.
Originally Posted By jkayjs dave I wouldn't worry much. We have been going during this period for years. Yes the resorts(mostly the value's) can be busy and noisy but the parks for the most part are not. The PW groups seem to spend most of their time @ the sports complex either competing or watch others compete. Also they usually film the Christmas parade the first weekend in Dec. This does make MK busy and difficult to get around so we tend to steer clear and just go to the other parks. On the other hand they usually have some nice entertainment and you can see the parade but be advised they will start and stop things to get a better shot. We have never been sorry we go during this time. Hippy did you actually talk to WDW travel? You may have to split your stay but I bet there is something. Of course you didn't mention if you have a price restriction. As mentioned PW is in town and they take a lot of rooms especially @ the value resorts and some @ the mods. There is also the DtD area. Good luck.
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 Sometimes there are cancelation that have been made that a Disney Travel agent would know and the website would not be up dated yet. You should call the number on the site to get a direct line. Good luck
Originally Posted By Shooba Others have mentioned that third parties like Expedia do buy Disney hotel reservations in bulk, and they may have space available, even if Disney itself does not.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I just booked my room for several days during the first week of December. The only Disney resort room that was availabe was the Presidential Suite at Cornado Springs for $900 a night. I ended up booking a room in one of the Downtown Disney Hotels. I'm actually looking forward to this stay. So basically yes the Disney rooms are all booked. But there are still more rooms nearby at reasonable rates. Hippy, I would recommend looking into what is available in one of the Downtown Disney Hotels. I'm staying at the Best Western for under one hundred dollars per night ( thats with tax but not including resort fee ). At least your still on property and the are conviently located. Next best thing to staying in a Disney resort. Please visit www.expedia.com or www.mousesavers.com for the best available rates.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj Disney really hasn't had an off season in over a year. When Katrina wiped out the convention hotels on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans, most of the bookings shifted to Orlando. The convention business has never been better at WDW, and the Gulf Coast still isn't gaining back much of the business. I visited during the off season last spring, and the cast members all said the same thing -- conventioneers were keeping all the hotel rooms booked above normal occupancy rates for the traditional off season periods. Of course, these things all run in cycles, and I expect things to really taper off quite a bit when the recession takes hold in the economy next year.
Originally Posted By Hippy Yes I actually did talk to WDW Travel plus checked all the travel sites, and checked with travel agents. The only thing any of them had was suites @ Coronado for $5000 for the week. We ended up getting 2 rooms across the street from Downtown Disney. Just suprised me hard to believe that they're all booked up. I checked value and the moderates. But hey I got my rooms so no problem.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Exactly. I was very surprised to that there were no rooms available a month out. But hey, who cares! I'm staying in DTD. So its the next best thing.
Originally Posted By jazzfan4 Well, we don't arrive until the Dec 13 anthe to Pop Warner games end on the 9th so I hope we have a little more peace??
Originally Posted By kennect Tom, Did you check out the Hilton on Disney property? I was looking the other night and found there wasn't much availabe which did seem odd...Another great little gem is the Clubtree that sits right outside the Disney gates at Lake Buena Vista...I was finding rates there around eighty dollars a night...I did the Best Western once many many years ago...Nice at the time but I was really impressed with the rooms at the Hilton on this last trip...Paid around one thirty a night and that included fifty dollars worth of food and drinks each day there...Was quite a bargain...Would definitely stay there again....
Originally Posted By jodiefra Thanks jkayjs -- we're heading to Orlando Dec. 1 - 10 and we're hoping to avoid the huge crowds (and heat!!) we've experienced in the summer. I know it's PW time, but we're more concerned about WDW transportation (buses) and attraction lines. We are at the POFQ, but we booked a LONG time ago... Down to 19 days...can't wait!
Originally Posted By imadisneygal We arrive on the 1st of December, too! I can't wait!! See you there!!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 The first week in December is also the start of MouseFest, some giant Disney fan gathering at WDW where all the Internet sites, guidebook writers and assorted Disney gadflies gather to share their addiction. I also don't buy that all rooms are sold out. My guess is the inventory that DRC shows on their screens is constantly being monitored by management. I would bet there are rooms that haven't been put into inventory yet, as is common. There are ALWAYS open rooms. ALWAYS. But I also think the closing of the North Wing of the Contemporary, the closing of buildings at the Poly, PO-Riverside and ASMusic for rehabs also take a large bank of rooms out of the equation. And I'm not sure if the DVC conversions at DAK Lodge have begun as well.
Originally Posted By jodiefra For what it's worth, I think the MouseFest starts with a cruise and they don't go to the parks until later in the week (like the 6th or 7th).
