Is there any advantage to booking early on Disney anymore??

[Tapi]

Checking the recently released summer 2017 and comparing them to pricing for this upcoming summer. Seems like everything for 2017 is priced higher (some considerably higher). I was ready to pull the trigger and book a Disney cruise for 2017 to lock in a good rate, but at these prices, it makes little sense.

 

For those of you booking right away, what's your incentive, besides locking in a specific stateroom?

[helenb]

If you book while onboard a cruise, you get 10% off the rates. So if yyou have one of these onboard booking incentives, booking right away gets you that discount.

 

You cannot apply these discounts to GT rates. (IGT, OGT, VGT)

 

But FWIW, we're going on a Fantasy cruise in June... and I'm not sure when we might take another Disney Cruise. There's just so much more value from other cruise lines!

[jalves]

For those of you booking right away, what's your incentive, besides locking in a specific stateroom?

 

The incentive is that prices will go up (yes, from already high levels) as you wait longer.

[moki'smommy]

It depends. There is no evidence that they have changed the "prices increase as the ship fills" policy. However, there are many *GTs for the next few months. We booked 2 2016 cruises on day 1. Both are now selling as a *GT for THOUSANDS less than our day 1 bookings. I think we had an onboard booking discount on one, the other was blacked out. But obviously we would not have a choice of cabin with the *GT bookings.

 

This is the first time I've seen this big a difference between a day 1 booking and a *GT. I've seen the *GT be somewhat lower in the past, most of the time they are relatively close to day 1 rates.

[Gardeneroflove]

It depends. There is no evidence that they have changed the "prices increase as the ship fills" policy. However' date=' there are many *GTs for the next few months. We booked 2 2016 cruises on day 1. Both are now selling as a *GT for THOUSANDS less than our day 1 bookings. I think we had an onboard booking discount on one, the other was blacked out. But obviously we would not have a choice of cabin with the *GT bookings.

 

This is the first time I've seen this big a difference between a day 1 booking and a *GT. I've seen the *GT be somewhat lower in the past, most of the time they are relatively close to day 1 rates.[/quote']

 

I wasn't aware of this policy. We plan to book 2017 once onboard for the %10 off. Do prices increase that much? Is the best deal to book day 1 or onboard?

[moki'smommy]

I wasn't aware of this policy. We plan to book 2017 once onboard for the %10 off. Do prices increase that much? Is the best deal to book day 1 or onboard?

 

This is impossible to predict. Since day 1 was last week, that is no longer a possibility. The best way to assure the lowest possible price is to book now. THen when you are on board, "reshop" the reservation. If the booking on board price is lower, rebook while on board. If you use a TA, name the same TA on board. Then when you get home, have them "reconcile" the reservations, canceling the more expensive one and coordinating so you have the cabin and dinner time you want. If you book the first reservation directly thru Disney, they can take care of this for you (used to do it on board, not sure if they still do).

 

I've seen prices increase over a 30 minute period. I've also done cruises where there was no increase from day 1 to embarkation day. It just depends on how quickly the ship is filling.

[Gardeneroflove]

This is impossible to predict. Since day 1 was last week' date=' that is no longer a possibility. The best way to assure the lowest possible price is to book now. THen when you are on board, "reshop" the reservation. If the booking on board price is lower, rebook while on board. If you use a TA, name the same TA on board. Then when you get home, have them "reconcile" the reservations, canceling the more expensive one and coordinating so you have the cabin and dinner time you want. If you book the first reservation directly thru Disney, they can take care of this for you (used to do it on board, not sure if they still do).

 

I've seen prices increase over a 30 minute period. I've also done cruises where there was no increase from day 1 to embarkation day. It just depends on how quickly the ship is filling.[/quote']

 

Just summer 2017 is released, yes? i don't see an option for December 2017? But that's great information on getting best price, thank you.

[moki'smommy]

Dates into September 2017 have been released. Not a clue when December will come out.

[Tapi]

The incentive is that prices will go up (yes, from already high levels) as you wait longer.

 

 

I already went through this last year. I originally planned on a Disney cruise for 2016. I was ready to pull the trigger on the first day the prices were announced. The day 1 prices were higher than what I see today for the same sailings that I was interested in. So while I know that the "book now or pay more later" rhetoric is accurate many times, it didn't prove to be so for Disney pricing in 2016, at least for the cruises that I'm interested in.

[bear3412]

No.

[moki'smommy]

I already went through this last year. I originally planned on a Disney cruise for 2016. I was ready to pull the trigger on the first day the prices were announced. The day 1 prices were higher than what I see today for the same sailings that I was interested in. So while I know that the "book now or pay more later" rhetoric is accurate many times, it didn't prove to be so for Disney pricing in 2016, at least for the cruises that I'm interested in.

 

I suspect that the "interesting" 2016 cruises did not sell as well as DCL hoped given their very high prices. On at least 2 (that I was booked on), they were at one point "sold out," but as the penalty date approached people dropped out to the point that they are both selling as *GT specials.

 

My third 2016 booking has not hit the penalty period yet. They currently have only 2 categories available. A verandah is $500 more than my booking price, which represents a small increase in price.