Category: Other

OK, people – grab your sailing caps and call your little buddies, the Yacht Club is calling!

For the last several months on Priceline Express, there have been some tantalizing deals: when you clicked on a 4-star resort in Bonnet Creek, you’d often see another deal for a 4* 9-guest rated resort pop up. However, as has happened with Priceline in the past those deals were ghosts: if you tried to book them you’d get a “Sorry! Deal is gone! Hahahahahah!” page. (I may have inferred the Hahahaha! part.)

Welp, Priceline has finally. . .  (select all that apply)
__Fixed
__Updated
__Whatever Priceline does in the background, who knows

to their site.

You can now book these Yacht Club deals and they run from now all the way through Christmas! As an added bonus, you can also book a group of Coronado deals that had the same issue, but they are only out there in the last two weeks of October. (These Coronado deals are similar rates to those also on Hotwire right now.)

First: Check out these DVC Deals

Before we head into details, let’s jump out of the Priceline Express deals for a moment: with all of the various travel hub-bub going on, there are some terrific DVC deals going around. As I mentioned in my last post, you might want to check out DVC Reservations Flash Deals. Normally you’ll want to sign up for their email updates so you see these deals as they happen, since they seem to get snapped up quickly. But to handle the large number of last minute deals they have right now you can visit this page to see what’s available.

In the last update I just received, there was a Polynesian Studio for 9 days at $1599. That’s $177 per night!

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming…

Disney Math

Now, these Yacht Club deals are not “cheap” in a way that will make you climb on top of your house and yell “Woohoo!” at all your neighbors as they stare up in disbelief. (Not that I have any experience with that.) I am willing to spend money for good value and that includes paying a bit more when I plan to have some quality resort time, but these deals are all in the mid $200s and up, which, to be honest, makes my wallet itch.

But, in comparison to Disney rates out there right now, you can save some serious coconuts. The table below is a quick thumbnail of the various rates out there for October 1. (Disney World’s birthday and my own, which I have always assumed is no coincidence.)

These Express Deals all appear to be Water View rooms and say so right on the booking page so I’ve used those current rates in the table. (I suggest you double check that if you book yourself, things can change.) Also, note that the Priceline Express Taxes and Fees includes their extra fee (about 8% more here) so makes that a larger percentage of the rate than the Disney direct taxes.

That full rack rate price makes me want to cease my roof-Woohooing and jump, so I hope all of you wait around for discounts like the ones shown at the bottom of the table. Assuming most people’s best bet right now is that Magic is Here rate, saving $201 *per night* is a very incredible difference in my opinion. I also checked third-party sites and Priceline’s non-hidden rate. The best water view room rates I found for that date were in the mid-$500s and up. (Yowza.)

How To Find These Deals

So, enough chit-chat: Here’s how to find these deals, followed by some calendars to give you an albatross’s eye-view of all the rates.

As usual, when searching for Disney resorts on Priceline Express, you’ll want to limit your search to the Bonnet Creek and Disney Springs areas. There are non-Disney resorts in those areas, so being there does not guarantee they are Disney and you want to compare various variables like ratings and reviews. For the purposes of today’s search, Yacht Club and Coronado are both in Bonnet Creek so you can even limit your search to just that one area.

The Coronado deals should appear in results normally if they are available for your dates. However, these Yacht Club deals likely won’t be in the first search results page, so you’ll have to use the same technique to tease them out that I recently outlined for the Dolphin deals in November.

When scrolling through your search results, click on whatever 4-star resort in Bonnet Creek you see.

A new tab should open with that deal – you can ignore it tab for now. After you clicked, you likely saw some additional deals pop up below it. Look for a 4-star 9-guest-rated resort with prices in the mid-$200s or up. Here you can see there are two of them.

A Resort Identifying Sidebar

Let’s discuss figuring out this deal for a moment so that everyone reading is on board. You may want to get a beverage. We’ll wait for you.

From experience I know that Yacht Club for $150 is highly unlikely. Checking into that cheaper 9-guest deal I found it is actually for the new JW Marriott resort. If you click on it and go through to the booking page, you’ll see another clue it is not a Disney resort in the $35 mandatory (aka resort) fee.

Within Bonnet Creek right now, there are only four 4-star resorts with a 9-guest rating: the other two resorts are the Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge and Boardwalk Inn. When identifying hidden deals, a good tie-breaker to use is the review count, however these pop-up deals don’t show that. In this case, I would guess that Boulder Ridge is unlikely for that mid-$200s price and because it is much less common on Express Deals. That leaves us with this deal being either Boardwalk or Yacht Club – but because I am a geek and keep track of these deals, I know that Yacht Club usually has Spa as an amenity on Express Deals, while Boardwalk does not.

Things can change, but for now I am very confident that this deal is Yacht Club.

Back to Booking

Once you click the likely Yacht Club deal, you’ll be able to choose a room type – this block of deals seem to all be water view!

When you go to the room booking page and expect it to be a Disney resort, always make sure there is no mandatory fee charge. Also, don’t forget to Google around for any current Priceline promo codes you might use to save even more money.

Quick Coronado Tip

If you are trying to find the Coronado Springs deals I mentioned, look for a 3.5-star 8-guest-rated resort in Bonnet Creek with 400 reviews. (It currently has 495 reviews on Priceline, but they round that down in hidden deals.)

Now, the info you are waiting for – the deal calendars!

If you sail into any of these deals or have any questions, let us know in the comments!

The post Priceline Express Deals: Yacht Club and Coronado Springs appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: discounts, Resorts, Saving Money, Walt Disney World (FL), priceline

Breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day! Arguably it is even more so at Walt Disney World where you have flying pirate ships to ride, banshees to fly, and the First Order to escape from. Now while there are many places at Walt Disney World to fuel up for your day at the parks, being able to enjoy the most important meal of that day at your Disney resort is a plus, especially these days.

Since the parks are opening late and closing early these days, enjoying breakfast at a resort won’t cut into those precious park hours and allows you and yours to be fueled up and ready to go when entering the park. Also, due to Disney’s Park Pass system, in-park dining reservations are more difficult to plan since park hopping isn’t available right now.

That’s why we’re showcasing the top 3 best resort breakfasts at Disney World right now! Not all of the Disney World’s dining destinations have reopened yet, and some that have are unable to operate normally due to our current circumstances, so you may be surprised who is and isn’t on this list. Are you ready? Bon Appetit!

3. Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, located on the second level of the Great Ceremonial House, has never had the best location in comparison to other resort restaurants on Disney property. Unfortunately, that issue may become even more obvious as the Great Ceremonial House, along with rooms at the resort, is about to undergo a major refurbishment that will even shut down the resort’s Monorail station for a time.

But where Kona Cafe lacks in atmosphere, it more than makes up for with its Polynesian-themed breakfast menu! And no breakfast dish better encapsulates the flavors of the Polynesian Village Resort better than Kona Cafe’s Tonga Toast!

Tonga Toast is banana-stuffed French Toast rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with strawberry compote. It’s legendary amongst Disney World fans and a truly themed breakfast item. Tip: If you can’t get reservations for Kona Cafe, or you’re looking for breakfast on-the-go, Tonga Toast is also available at the quick service restaurant Captain Cook’s!

But the tropical-inspired menu doesn’t stop there! Kona Cafe also offers Macadamia Nut Pancakes with Macadamia Nut Butter and pineapple sauce! I also love their customizable kid’s menu with options like Minnie’s French Toast and Mickey-shaped pancakes. Last, but in no way least, Kona Cafe offers the famous POG or Jungle Juice listed on the menu here as Liliko’i Juice. It’s a blend of orange, passion fruit, and guava and seriously delicious.

2. Olivia’s Cafe at Disney’s Old Key West Resort

1. Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort

In the mood for a hearty breakfast? Look no further than Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort! At this rowdy, western-themed restaurant, you and yours can chow down on all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets heaped with buttermilk-cheddar biscuits, Mickey waffles, bacon, potatoes, and more. Each skillet is priced at $22.00; and let me remind you again, it’s all-you-can-eat!

Whispering Canyon Cafe also serves breakfast entrees, such as two eggs any style and a Belgian waffle with berries! Kids can also enjoy their own junior size breakfast skillet or customizable breakfast entrees.

One of the newest spots for a resort breakfast Walt Disney World is Primo Piatto at Disney’s Riviera Resort. This casual quick-service spot offers breakfast options you won’t find at most Disney resort hotels and a budget-friendly quick-service price!

For starters, there’s the Primo Piatto breakfast of scrambled eggs served over mascarpone polenta and a sweet brioche roll! There’s also Primo Piatto’s tall stack of fluffy blueberry-lemon pancakes topped with mascarpone cream and lemon zest! And who can go wrong with the Cinnamon Crumble ‘French Toast’ Bread Pudding for breakfast? As an added bonus, this menu item is also quite instagramable.

But if traditional is more your thing, Primo Piatto still has you covered with that classic Mickey-shaped waffle.

 

Which one of these resort breakfast locations is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

The post Top 3 Best Resort Breakfasts at Disney World appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, Kona Cafe, Resorts, Walt Disney World (FL)

The sublime time of the Walt Disney World parks being quiet and empty seem to be behind us, at least on the weekends. Our team is in the parks every day making sure we have the latest information and data to provide you with accurate planning tools.

This weekend we’ve seen higher attendance levels than we have during other days since the parks have been reopened, which of course leads to long wait times. Our Lines app is now more valuable than ever as it uses real-time data to provide Expected Wait Times that are more accurate than Disney’s Posted Wait Times. Let’s take a look at the crowds and wait times we are seeing in the parks this weekend, and how our Lines app makes it possible to still save hours of time, despite the increased crowds.

Expected Wait Times versus Disney’s Posted Wait Times – September 26, 2020

In order to keep social distancing practices in queues and on ride vehicles we’ve begun to see queue lines spill out into the main pathways, especially in Magic Kingdom. Thankfully Disney has set up extended queues with social distancing markers, and following these markers continues to go pretty well. Yesterday, the Expected Wait Times show in our Lines app average 10 -15 minutes lower than Disney’s Posted Wait Times.

Average Observed Wait Times at Magic Kingdom – September 26, 2020

Each weekend gets busier and busier, especially at Magic Kingdom. Last weekend was the busiest since the parks reopened in July. Now, this weekend is topping it. You can look back at wait times of any past day on our website. Looking at yesterday, wait times were on average 10 minutes higher than the prior Saturday (September 19, 2020).

With the increase in attendance we noticed the bypass along Main Street USA, which starts near Tony’s Town Square and leads to an open gate near the Plaza Restaurant and Tomorrowland, was open for guests to utilize.

Wait Times at Walt Disney World So Far Today – September 27, 2020

Today continues to show busy wait times across all the Walt Disney World theme parks. For the most popular attractions, the average Expected Wait Times according to our Lines app are averaging 45+ minutes today.

It is clear that Disney has expanded its availability of park reservations. It is now more important than ever that you be able to plan your trip well and save as much time is possible. Our Lines app makes it possible for you to adjust your day on-the-fly as changes happen inside the park.

Social distancing is still in place, and is still relatively easy to maintain even with the increase in attendance, but it does take individual diligence. Mask compliance continues to go well. We’ll continue to keep an eye on things are the situation continues to change.

Are you planning on visiting Walt Disney World soon? What planning questions do you have?

 

The post Crowds and Wait Times Continue to Rise at Walt Disney World This Weekend appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Crowd Calendar, In the Parks, Lines 2.0, Observations, Technology, Trip Planning, disney covid, disney crowds, disney reopening, magic kingdom rides, magic kingdom wait times