farnorthtrader

Used your PRICELINE link and got it on first bid.

A special treat for my parents in law as they are helping us with the children as we move down to Orlando. Tried $20/day for a few days, then gave up and moved up to $25/day (PRICELINE said $26 had a good chance and $28 had a great chance). Total cost is $261.13, lowest published rate shown was $712.53, savings of $451.40, 63%. Used your PRICELINE link to start.

Now to get a minivan for the rest of us when only Hertz appears to have minivans left available!

Bid from $50 to $80 in $5 increments for 4* or resort, until Gaylord Palms was received at $80 for 5 nights, total cost $464.86. Best available from website and Expedia is $1418.15, so a 67% discount. Was hoping for the Hyatt but this is not a bad second option.

Was bidding on a second screen for Universal/Seaworld area at $20-$25 less, but no luck in that area up to $60.

Used PRICELINE link to bid

Bid $10 for fullsize three days ago, then $12 yesterday, $14 today got the car with Avis. Total with charges is $119.25. They say that I saved $355 off retail, but really only saved about $160 off website rate.

Used PRICELINE link to start.

Been bidding for several days for full size or larger, working my way up from 12 to finally $16/day today. Total is $224 plus $136 fees, for $360 total.

Used PRICELINE link to start.

Been bidding $20 for weeks, always receiving a message that my bid was too low to be considered and that a good chance would be $38. Turns out $20 had a pretty good chance too. $20x14 nights, plus 156.30 fees makes $436.30. Compared to Avis site, a savings of $865.68 off of the regular rate of $1301.98, but really, only about $102 better than the Thrifty rate I had booked already.

Used the PRICELINE links from this website

Okay, turns out the good chance great chance prices mean absolutely nothing. I have been putting in bids of $20 just to see what the good chance great chance prices would come up as and then actually completing the bid every couple of days or so. The bid has been rejected for weeks now, but tonight it went through. So apparently when you have a good chance at $38, a bid of $20 will be accepted, Go figure!

I have made repeated requests at different prices when I received the message and it is always the same response, so it doesn't matter what bid you have put in, so going a certain fraction of the way to the suggested prices will not work. My guess is that the bottom threshold is is either a certain dollar amount or a certain percentage below what they suggest. I have found that the message won't come up if you bid about $5 under the lower price, so i am guessing that this might be as low as you could go.

After being told Monte Carlo wanted to send me to Excalibur, cancelled and rebid for 4 stars. Bid $45, $50, $55, and won with $60 at Planet Hollywood, which works out pretty well since I had split my bid initially and had gotten Planet Hollywood for the first night of the stay (Feb 3). Over the 5 nights of the stay, best rate I could find averaged $120/night, so saved 50%.

Used Savings Barn link once again.

Won January 14 on first bid. Had won Monte Carlo $58/night for remainder of trip after splitting bid due to much higher rates on hotel sites for Sunday night.

Offer to extend Monte Carlo was $118/night.

Used SavingsBarn.com

Stay tuned for the last chapter.

Won this January 13, contacted Monte Carlo today and they were transferring to Excalibur, which obviously is not 4 stars, and could be booked for $61/night from the hotel website. Cancelled and rebid today. New bid is in separate topic.

Used SavingsBarn PRICELINE links.

What do they charge you to upgrade to a kids suite? Do you call ahead and ask for it or request at check-in?

They charge $40 for the upgrade. I tried every way imaginable last year to try to upgrade before arrival and they won't do it, but when you get to the front counter they will allow you to upgrade a priceline reservation. The kids suite is worth every penny, but if it isn't available, the upgrade to a one bedroom costs about the same and isn't worth it.

Bid $40, rejected with counter offer to increase to $52, added anaheim hills for $43, rejected, added seal beach, $45, accepted. $45x7 nightsx2rooms, $630 plus fees $88.56, total $718.56. One room on website is $1093 for a week. Have stayed here last two years for annual Disney pilgrimage and was very happy to get it again. In my opinion, the best deal at Disney, and usually can upgrade to Kids Suite.

Just to let everyone know, they will still let you upgrade to any suite at the desk. A kid's suite is a $40 upgrade.

Tried $40, 45, 50, and $55 on August 2nd, no luck, tried $40, $45, and $50 on August 13 and hit paydirt with the Hyatt. Best rate from Hyatt is $129/night, saving about 60%.

Does anybody know if they will still upgrade priceline customers to a suite at the desk? Tried by email and by phone but they would not upgrade.

Bidding for convention for business. Bid 60,64,65,67, received Intercontinental on Bloor St for $69/night plus fees, total 234.94. Rate on website would be $767 CDN, savings of $480 CDN or about 65%.

Priceline vacations shows Sutton Place Hotel in the Newport Beach, Orange County zone has been downgraded from 4* to 3*.

Yes, they are relieved. This completed our arrangements. We booked a total of 6 hotels, 5 through priceline and 1 through hotwire, for a total of 21 nights, saving a total of $1516. We got hotels that would have cost $2514 for a total of $998, or about 60% off on average. Thank you for all your assistance over the last few months.

I have been trying to get a 2.5* at LAX every three days for the past two months for $36. No luck and the night of my parent's stay was approaching. First offer was $38, rejected but offered free rebid at $49. Rejected free rebid and added Santa Monica (virtual free rebid) at $41, rejected. Added Beverly Hills (another virtual free rebid) at $43, accepted and upgraded to 3* at Radisson LAX. Best price available elsewhere was $99, saved 56%.

I have been trying to get a 2.5 star in Mission Valley for my parents for about two months now, bidding $36,$41, and $46 (adding coronado and miramar each time) every three days. Now that it is less than 30 days to the trip, I thought I better get a hotel for them (they were starting to worry). Bid $41, $46, and $51 for 2.5 star with no luck. Bid $36, $41, $46 for 2.5 star in old town. Bid $41, $46, $51, and $56 for 2.5 star in downtown, mission valley, or old town. I opened a new browser each time. Still no luck. Finally bid $40 for 2* in mission valley, rejected, added Coronado at $45, finally accepted at Homestead Suites. Best rate on their website is $84. Saved about 45%, same as I saved for Holiday Inn Select in San Diego when I got it 3 months ago.

Judging by the recent history, I think she might have banned herself!

Recently, I have noticed what appears to be a pattern. The Hyatt Huntington Beach seems to load their rates much earlier than the Newporter (or at least lower rates earlier), so bids further out are getting HB, while ones that are more last minute are getting the Newporter. By no means a guarantee, and it may be my minding seeing patterns where there aren't any, but if you decide to try Priceline, I would do it soon.

I am in much the same situation, only for even farther out (April 12) and only 2.5*. Although there are no actual rebid zones, are there any "virtual" rebid zones, like Coronado in San Diego? Areas that are so expensive that you would never end up with them anyway?

Awesome! Just booked the Hyatt Huntington Beach for two nights April 18 and 19. Looked at the area on Hotwire and it came up at $117/night, but still reluctant to bid based on differing areas between hotwire and priceline and didn't want to pay $117/night on Hotwire. I was looking at TOBB this morning and saw the same thing I am guessing Aldo did. It came up at $69 for April 19. Close enough to my two nights for me to take the gamble. Went to SavingsBarn.com link and bid $63 (in case I ended up with the Newporter because of the extra night, didn't want to overbid). Added a second zone and bid $69 and got it. Total cost $163.20, compared to $532.80 on website, a saving of 69%.

My wife is very impressed with me!

Thank you for all the advice and the great information.

Thanks Aldo