How to save $1000 by adding a day!!

[Laurabearz]

We were all set to head to WDW December 16th-22nd. Booked 11 months out BWView for us and another family.

Got decent airfare via SWA (1157 for 5 rt) but when I went to book car rental WOWIE ZOWIE 700 bucks for a minivan for the week (660 with code from dollar) I got turned onto Nova Car rental and was able to secure a minivan via Alamo from 358, but still way more than we normally pay.

Then just for the heck of it I plugged in dates starting on the 15th. WOW what a difference a day makes.

I rebooked SWA which brought our flight total down to 577 (rt for 5) and our car rental down to 250 for the WEEK.

Of course this means the DD6 will miss the class Christmas party on the 16th(we were flying out in the evening after school) but for that kinda of money savings, she will just have to suffer thru MVMCP at WDW instead!!!

Soooooo by adding a day, we saved 1000 bucks.

Now I am off to figure out where we will stay that first night. I will call MS on Tuesday to see if we can add a night to our exisiting BWV resservations, but the chance of adding a night there for both the 2 bedroom (ours) and the 1 bedroom (friends) seems low.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Be careful, Laurabearz! I left for my christmas trip in 2004 a couple of days early and my daughter has never let me forget it!! She missed the party. Even while at MVMCP that night, she reminded me that she was never missing that party again, ever! But I am sure we will all suffer through it.

 

[Laurabearz]

LOL Tammy! Given the choice, I think DD would pick missing the party to arrive a day earlier. Too bad she has no say in the matter. LOL

Seriously though, we did go back and forth on it... I really dont want them to miss school when at all posible and we are pulling them for 3 days for our cruise at the end of this month..... insert guilty feelings here .....

But what the heck.... my oldest is in 1st grade... we will be more prudent in our travels when they are older.

 

[Anewman]

Our Aug 8th-15th trip was originaly a Aug 8-14th trip, but when booking airfare from Los Angeles coming back on Monday(the 15th) instead of Sunday saved us $400 and extra night at WL was $200.

We had not Planned on Renting a Car, but I went downstairs to check prices while baggage was coming off conveyor and L&M gave me a Mini Van For week at $250.

So the way I see it it cost me $50 to get an extra night and mini van for the week.

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

I like this math....

 

[hockey mom]

Extra day in Disney....More money in your pocket....Works for me.

Have fun.

 

[SueOKW]

I like this math too!!! I'm going to be checking this out for my next trip.

ps - my kids have done this too - and they don't realize the incongruity... grousing about missing "some event" while walking down Main Street in the sun and warmth.

 

[CharlesTD]

Our kids never complain about missing anything at school when we take them to WDW mind you our kids routinley miss 10 days fo school for our trips. We go teh first 2 weeks of Dec then they go back for a week then they are off for holidays the next week for 2 weeks. So they get about a week of school for the month of Dec LOL.

 

[carol1231]

We are going around that time too (17th - 23rd). We booked our flights today and then I was looking at car rentals, $440 for a mid size . We've never paid that much. Magical Express is looking better than ever!!

 

[maxsdaddy]

We will be there Oct 1 - Oct 6. Booked air through USAirways in mid-July. $196 rt each. Checked 2 weeks later, was going to add a guest, $176 rt. Checked yesterday just for the heck of it, $146 rt.
I guess it doesnt pay to book early either.
I think you need to check different days and times to get the best rate

 

[jnrrt]

Oh, this made me laugh! When my daughter was in preschool (yes, preschool!) we missed a week of school for Disney. It happened to be pajama day at school, and would you believe that I STILL hear about it, 3 years later. Now, just laughing, but for the first year, in all seriousness, how she had to miss pj day! And it almost ruined her life! And it really didn't matter that we pointed out that she missed it for DISNEYWORLD, which I'm guessing was a trade most of her friends at school would have made.

Now, though, I think she'd be better with it. But we're not trying to test that theory. Now, I just have to find out what the younger daughter will be missing in preschool for our trip in 3 weeks...

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I rebooked SWA which brought our flight total down to 577 (rt for 5) and our car rental down to 250 for the WEEK

Did you book all new flights or did SWA refund you the difference?

 

[Laurabearz]

Did you book all new flights or did SWA refund you the difference?

I booked our Dec flights the day that SWA opened them up. The price was 79 each way, then 3 weeks later the return flight went down and I modified my reservation and got a credit. Then last week, I modified the reservation again, changing the day of arrival. All via SWA website. I have a credit of 670 for our flight, AND another 500 credit from our friends flight that I also rebooked. (go to travel center, then modify reservation online) I was concerned about changing the day of arrival, and called SWA, but since this was an internet rate I was booking they couldnt help me. ALso when I went to rebook our friends (after I rebooked us) our return flight was filled with the 49 tickets so they are flying out 2 hours after us.

So as of today I have over 1000 credit with SWA. I prolly wont ask for a refund, since we will be heading to WDW in March, and other places way before the credit expires.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I booked our Dec flights the day that SWA opened them up. The price was 79 each way, then 3 weeks later the return flight went down and I modified my reservation and got a credit. Then last week, I modified the reservation again, changing the day of arrival. All via SWA website. I have a credit of 670 for our flight, AND another 500 credit from our friends flight that I also rebooked. (go to travel center, then modify reservation online) I was concerned about changing the day of arrival, and called SWA, but since this was an internet rate I was booking they couldnt help me. ALso when I went to rebook our friends (after I rebooked us) our return flight was filled with the 49 tickets so they are flying out 2 hours after us.

So as of today I have over 1000 credit with SWA. I prolly wont ask for a refund, since we will be heading to WDW in March, and other places way before the credit expires.

WOW! That's awesome!

Way to go Math-O!!!

NOTE TO SELF: BOOK SWA NEXT TIME INSTEAD OF AIRTRAN!!!