Priceline Hotel: Bidding help for Disney World Orlando - 12/27/09 to 12/31/09

[Neelee]

Hello everyone,

Just spent the last two hours reviewing winning bids (thanks to the wonderful calendar option on this site), Trip Advisor reviews, scanning hotel websites, and more.

Our cruise ends on 12/27. We will rent a car (hopefully via Priceline) from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Orlando (MCO). We have 12/27 to 12/31 to spend in Orlando. Two adults and one 12yo.

I'm requesting bidding help for the Disneyworld area.

So far, from what I've gathered from this board and the calendar, I can expect any where from $40 to $55 for 3.5* at Maingate zone, or up to $45 for 3* at Maingate zone. As of this writing there are 13 different zones on P/L.

Here's my plan that I'd like to run by you to see if I'm missing anything:

Plan A

Maingate 3* - Start at $35

Rebid Zone 1 - Kissimmee 2.5 @ $35

Rebid Zone 2 - Sand Lake 2.0 @ $37

Rebid Zone 3 - Winter Park 2.09 @ $40

Plan B

Maingate 3.5* - Start at $37

Rebid Zone 1 - West Disney 3* @ $40

Rebid Zone 2 - Winder Garden 3* @ $43

Rebid Zone 3 - Kissimmee 2.5* @ $45

Rebid Zone 4 - Sand Lake 2* @ $47

Rebid Zone 5 - Winter Park 2* @ $50

We do want to visit Disney and EPCOT. We do want to keep hotel stay below $55 ( I know my strategy doesn't reflect that. I'm being hopeful). We will have a car and I realize some hotels charge for parking so I'm taking that into consideration.

Any suggestions would be most welcomed.

Thanks in advance!

[thereuare]

Plan A

Maingate 3* - Start at $35

Rebid Zone 1 - Kissimmee 2.5 @ $35

As Kissimmee doesn't currently contain 3* properties, you're essentially making a 3* bid for the Maingate zone at the same price you were just rejected at, so if i'm following your gameplan, this seems like a wasted bid.

Also, is your intention to follow PlanA and then if rejected proceed to PlanB? If so, you won't be able to do that without waiting 24 hours between PlanA and PlanB unless you bid as follows:

Plan A

Maingate 3* - Start at $35

Rebid Zone 1 - Kissimmee 2.5 @ $35

Rebid Zone 2 - Sand Lake 2.0 @ $37

Rebid Zone 3 - Winter Park 2.09 @ $40

Plan B

Maingate 3.5* and Kissimmee - Start at $37

Rebid Zone 1 - West Disney 3* @ $40

Rebid Zone 2 - Winder Garden 3* @ $43

Rebid Zone 3 - Kissimmee 2.5* @ $45

Rebid Zone 4 - Sand Lake 2* @ $45

Rebid Zone 5 - Winter Park 2* @ $47

There are other ways you can go about this, but with time on your side, the above is the easiest amendment to your posted strategy. Any questions feel free to ask.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Neelee]

So far...not so good.

Both strategies rejected.

Just realized Orlando East is 3*, not 3.5 as originally posted. So another possible rebid zone.

:)

[yellowdog]

Neelee

Yes, Orlando East is 3* so you can use that zone when bidding on 3.5* level.

Feel free to post your free zones if you would like the board to confirm them.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Yellowdog.

PS. Always doublecheck your zones before each bidding cycle to make sure that nothing has changed since preivously checking.

[Neelee]

So far...not so good.

Both strategies rejected.

Just realized Orlando East is 3*, not 3.5 as originally posted. So another possible rebid zone.

:)

Rejected again. :)

Would you suggest upping each bid by $2 and biting the bullet and up the max to $60/day?

Guess I better start looking for Plan C

[AaronJB]

You could keep moving up slightly. Is there anything on HOTWIRE of interest for these dates? Additionally, FABSAVE10 is a coupon that will take 10% off per night for most hotels.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE, PRICELINE or Orbitz.com links.

[Neelee]

You could keep moving up slightly. Is there anything on HOTWIRE of interest for these dates? Additionally, FABSAVE10 is a coupon that will take 10% off per night for most hotels.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE, PRICELINE or Orbitz.com links.

Thanks for the tips. I've never used Hotwire and will use this site to research on it. Using your link, above, for Disney Maingate, Lake BV, & Kissimmee, there are hotels 2* and up starting from $25. There's a Lake BV/Downtown Disney 3* for $69/nite.

I looked through Trip Advisor also and found various reviews/rates. Still reading about it all in another Firefox tab. I'm getting scared away by the resort or parking fees (we'll have a car the whole time since we're driving up from FLL).

Thanks again. Wish me luck.

[Neelee]

Not knowing the MCO area very well, do you think it would make sense to change my focus from Disney Maingate to Universal or Seaworld areas? Looks like the a few months ago Universal & Seaworld were together in one zone. Now it's split. But looking at the winning bid calendar for the same dates, those are the popular winning zones. I realize not everyone who uses this board really posts their strategy or win (that's too bad).

Thoughts?

[rayrios16]

I would definetely recommend you to bid on the Universal/Sea World areas, since most hotels offer free parking and you can get any 3-3.5* hotels for $50 in average. Also it is pretty easy to get around there, and you wiill have lots of options for dining, shopping and entertainment. Good luck.

[taliategan]

If the SeaWorld and Universal zones are now split on Priceline, the SeaWorld area is a bit closer to Disney than the Universal area - although neither is that far away. There are a lot of hotels in the SeaWorld area because the Convention Center is also in that zone & many of the hotels in that zone are close the Convention Center. If you are trying to avoid resort and/or parking fees, you stand a better chance with 3* hotels or below. Many of the 3-1/2* and higher star rating hotels in the Orlando area have these add on fees. Still a chance with a 3* hotels, but less of a chance and the amount of the charge will likely be less as well if you would happen to get a 3* with a resort or parking fee.