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stinkerbell
03-29-2003, 08:19 AM
I'm sure someone has brought this up before......but I wanted to share the deal I got for our trip to Disneyland next month.

Fellow MPer, kisroo, and I were flipping through her 2003 Entertainment book yesterday, which can be purchased at www.entertainment.com and we found the hotels section. There are dozens from the Disneyland area in there. We jumped online to see how to book a room at 50% off the rack rate at each hotel that has availability. And here's what I found.......

First of all, I have been waiting to make reservations, so that I could get a deal through Expedia (I'm cheap! :D), and I was about to book the Ramada Anaheim, which is a Good Neighbor Hotel, but a mile from DLR. It was the cheapest deal I could get at $51.67 a night, and hotels are full~~ We will be there for Easter weekend through the following Friday. A very busy time. I tried Priceline and searched www.biddingfortravel.com for strategies....and found that because I need six nights, I was out of luck there.....

Then, using the Entertainment book, I was able to book all six nights at the HoJo Anaheim for $45 a night, $310.50 total for six nights!!! And it's such a gorgeous property, right next to Disneyland! I'm very excited! The children's pool is being renovated, but the big pool is up and running. And right next to Mimi's, which is so yummy. The rooms have fridges and anyway, I'm just really excited to get a good deal this time of year!

So after I got that deal, I called around to other hotels, most were booked for one or two nights of the six nights, but their Entertainment Book deals were excellent, for a busy time of year.

For the full, 2 room Parlor Suite at the Desert Inn, they were going to charge $89. Right now, that room runs about $199 a night.

Park Place Inn would charge $89 for a suite that normally runs $189.

Tropicana would charge $59 for a room that is normally $119.

And the Coast Anaheim would charge $52 for a room that is $109.

These hotels had no availability for the time I will be there, but I wanted to check the rates anyway, just to know. Also, the sooner you book, the better the deal you'll get. As the hotels project their availability, they don't give as good a deal as they can if they don't think they'll be full. And you need to bring your Entertainment Card with you to the hotel.

:) : breathing a little easier now that I got a good deal :

HBTiggerFan
03-29-2003, 10:19 AM
WHOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO STINKERBELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

parveen50
03-30-2003, 03:37 PM
WOW = That's a great deal - congratulations!
I'm sure the answer is no - but I'll ask anyway - do any of the Disney resort hotels take Entertainment Books?? I know they accept AAA, military rates, etc.
Thanks!

stinkerbell
03-30-2003, 03:44 PM
:D No.....believe me, that's the first thing I checked......;)

Largent81
03-30-2003, 04:10 PM
Thanks so much for sharing! I'll be sure to remember this.

Glad you got such great deal!

jslivinski
04-03-2003, 03:48 PM
Great rate - congratulations

julia
04-03-2003, 04:48 PM
Hello,

Have a great trip!

jslivinski
04-17-2003, 02:38 PM
Claire,

I love you. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I finally got off my duff today and called my reserved hotels for our June trip. Yes, hotels, I'm can't make up my mind, so I'm keeping my options open.

Anyway, back on subject. Using the Entertainment card my Residence Inn/Best Value in Orange is now $69.00 ($16.00 cheaper than the AAA rate) and my Holiday Inn at the Park was reduced an additional 10% to $59.00. I'm so hyped up right now I can't believe what great rates I've got.

Thank you for starting this thread, I never would have thought of using the card if you hadn't.

Julie

stinkerbell
04-17-2003, 02:44 PM
Oh yay, Julie!!! Glad I could help out! :)

I got my mom booked at the HoJo for $45 a night too......we're so excited! Now I just have to remember to bring my card with me......

~Claire

disguy
04-17-2003, 03:34 PM
I was just at Hojo last weekend. It's the best property on the resort IMO. Have a GREAT time!

jazzjunkie
04-18-2003, 01:36 AM
That sounds like a great deal and I'm quite keen on getting the book. I do have a question about how to use it though. Does it work on a one-time-only basis? Or is valid for maybe say a year?

My other question is, if I book a package with, Disney's site but with a Good Neighbour hotel, can I still use the book with that hotel for an additional 10% off since it's not a Disney hotel? I know rates won't be as good as using the 50% off flat rates, but I do want those unlimited fastpasses! ;) (and can't get my hands on AAA ones).

Thanks in advance for any help!

MammaSilva
04-18-2003, 05:30 AM
jazzjunkie, I doubt if you book a room/hopper package thru Disney Travel that they would give you the discount. I haven't checked into this but have you researched just buying the passes thru Disney Travel, I believe they charge a surcharge 'per order' not per ticket, then book the hotel on your own with the discount? Just an idea.

jazzjunkie
04-18-2003, 07:35 AM
Yes I have, but problem is... thru Disney Travel you only get the unlimited fastpasses if you book it with a hotel package.

So it's about opportunity cost. I know I'll get a better deal financially if I book the hotel room independently of the tickets, but the unlimited fpass aspect is really really hard to give up, considering I have to travel halfway across the world and can only make it at to DL at the most twice a year ;) So I'm thinking that might help me make the most of my time, as I want to take side trips to Universal, etc while there for only a week or so.

jslivinski
04-18-2003, 12:52 PM
Originally posted by jazzjunkie
That sounds like a great deal and I'm quite keen on getting the book. I do have a question about how to use it though. Does it work on a one-time-only basis? Or is valid for maybe say a year? These books consist of three sections: 1) card for one time discounts at sit down resturants, 2) coupons for discounts at fast food, attractions, stores, 3) hotels/travel stuff that are multi-use. For more information check out the Entertainment Book (http://www.entertainment.com/index.cfm?dom=www.entertainment.com) site.

disneyscott
04-18-2003, 01:05 PM
i want to give you the hotel point of view on this stupid book. It is a big rip off to the customer that wants to book anything with less that a month reservation. there is no button that turns on and off the enterainment rate the reservation person will decide if that will allow it due to occ of the hotel

If you want to get by the games a hotel can pull on you you need to do your homework:
1. Fine out when you can cancel your reservation
2. Call the hotel, then there 800 number then check there web sites then travel web sites
3. call and check all four on the very last day you have to cancel you first reservation


if after all that you KNOW that you have the best rate you would ever get.

I know it is alot of work but that is the only way you will know.

stinkerbell
04-18-2003, 02:34 PM
Um, I made the reservation with less than a month's notice. Less than three weeks, actually. I had some backup reservations, for MUCH, MUCH higher than the $45 a night deal I ended up with, that's for sure.

I'm always glad for any perspective, but to call the book stupid.....doesn't make sense. How could I possibly beat a $45 rate at the HoJo this time of year? For six nights, esp. :confused:

Believe me, I'm a person who does her research.....I don't part with the cash all that easily. ;) And this is a great deal for this particular week.

PARK_HOPPER
04-19-2003, 01:03 AM
jazzjunkie,

No, Disney Travel does not honor the Entertainment Book coupon when booking Good Neighbor hotels.

However, depending upon your length and dates of stay, you could receive the third or fourth night free, depending on availability.

The Sherston and Coast (formerly West Coast) offer both the third and fourth night free (you can only have one free night per package).

Many other Good Neighbor hotels also offer the fourth night free, depending on your dates of travel and availability.

Compare the "total" package price that Disney Travel is giving you vs. the cost of the room and taxes with your Entertainment coupon and then add your tickets to your total.


You have four more options:

1) Call your local AA travel office and inquire what their prices are at the Good Neighbor hotels. AAA also has access to the third/fourth night free and AAA receives an additional discount that regular guests receive when working through another travel agent, or Disney Travel direct.

2) Use your Disney Club discount. Call Disney Club Travel amd inquire which Good Neighbore hotels are offering the Disney Club discount and third/fouth night free.

3) If you're flying and book your air direct with Disney Travel, Disney is offering Kids Fly Free in select markets on Alaska and United. (The money you may save on airfare for the kids will probably equal or better your Entertainemnt Book coupon discount for the hotel room.)

4. If none of those above work, you can call Disney Travel and order the Passport Plus ticket package, which includes a $13.00 handling fee, per package. This package does inlcude the new Unlimited FastaPss feature. Allow five business days to process your order.

You can contact Disney Travel at (714) 520-5050

jazzjunkie
04-19-2003, 01:50 AM
Thank you all for your very helpful advice! My friends have already been driven insane by my Disneyland fixation heh. I think I'll look into Passport Plus! :D

stinkerbell
04-27-2003, 12:58 PM
I just had to report that while we were there, we decided to book a seventh night and they honored the $45 price. No problems using the book and getting a great rate at the HoJo Anaheim! I'll definitely use it again!

Why we didn't do a package........staying at the HoJo and doing the Kids Fly free through Alaska Air for four nights was going to be $2138, plus taxes and fees.

Staying seven nights came to less than $500 at the HoJo, about $300 for gas, and we already had two of our DL tix (my daughter and I have AP's), so that was only another $$214 for my husband and other daughter's five day tix. A little over $1000 for the cost of the trip. Of course, we had to drive, but that was fine. And we were in the park for six days (well, my daughter with the AP and I were...... :D) and our vacation lasted eight days, not five.

I have pieced together other trips and done packages too. Just do your research and you'll save hundreds of dollars! :)

hefferdude
04-27-2003, 04:05 PM
I think calling this a "stupid" book is a little harsh. Any resource that allows a savy guest to save more than the price of the resource is just "smart" money. Planning and lead time are always a consideration when traveling. Disnay travel is another resource as is expedia, orbitz etc etc etc.

OBTW - I just checked in with the book site Sunday 3/27 @ 5PM.

Get this!

ALL "entertainment" books - normally $40 - are being offered for
$10 plus shipping. I order the Orange County Book with 3 day
shipping for $20. I hope there's no catch...

We buy the Santa Barbara book through our EA. It too offers enough savings to pay for itself a few times over.

The $10 offer was too good to pass up.

Thankyou! :)

scanmom
04-27-2003, 07:13 PM
we got an entertainment book last Nov. to use at the hard rock hotel at universal studios fl. the card/book is good for 1 year, but the year is from Nov 1st- Nov. 1st. so if you get the book now, it will expire on Nov. 1st, 2003. I didn't think that the DL area hotels honored the card.... I may be able to convince my hubby that we need to make 1 more DL trip before my son goes to college this fall!!!!;)

jazzjunkie
04-28-2003, 05:21 AM
Where is this $10 offer? I don't see it anywhere on the site :(

hefferdude
04-28-2003, 06:52 AM
Where is this $10 offer? I don't see it anywhere on the site

I just checked this again 7:51AM 4/28. Went to site via Stinkerbell's link. I then clicked on "buy it now" then Orange County.

It shows the normal price of $40 lined out and $10 next to it.

Here's the direct link -

https://www.entertainment.com/index.cfm?module=shopcart&fuseaction=viewcart

You don't see the $10 price until you're a couple of steps into the buy process.

I just logged out and checked my link . :).

Christiii
04-28-2003, 08:15 AM
so what exactly is the deal with these books?? are they good for a year? do I get the discound for only one stay?? Ive never even thought of these books, I always thought they were a ripoff..but this sounds great!! I have an annual pass, and we usually drive to Disneyland so we can stay longer if we want, so Im really only looking to get the best price for hotels...the site is kind of confusing, so I would love it if someone could break it down for me!!

hefferdude
04-28-2003, 10:42 AM
so what exactly is the deal with these books?? are they good for a year? do I get the discound for only one stay?? :confused:

I'm curious about the one time discount at each hotel vs. multiple stays and the Nov1 to Nov1 reported by Scanmom too. I should receive mine in about by the end of the week and be able say more after I activate it. ( You call in with a number and "activate" your book/card/coupons ).

It would be great if it is a 1 yr window from your activation date
and you can use a particular hotel more than once. Will see.