Priceline Express Deals

[Naomeri]

Just got a Hotwire deal for my October trip that’s going to save me almost $300, all thanks to this board! Waiting on Hotwire to give me my Disney confirmation # so I can link it to MDE.

 

[djmeredith]

I am seeing a 5 star in the Bonnet Creek area with an 8+ Guest Rating for $262 Oct 16-18. It is offering 2 Queen Beds with Golf View/Deluxe Room/Disney View. Is this the Waldorf?

 

[JJTNY]

In my picture of the listing, under Top Amenities there is a beachfront icon. It’s near the bottom of the screenshot.

I've looked at A LOT of PE deals and I've never seen beach front listed! Very weird.
Sometimes they just glitch out - for awhile last year they had Room Service listed in PO Riverside.

 

[JJTNY]

I am seeing a 5 star in the Bonnet Creek area with an 8+ Guest Rating for $262 Oct 16-18. It is offering 2 Queen Beds with Golf View/Deluxe Room/Disney View. Is this the Waldorf?

Yep, that's the only 5* 8-guest in BC.

 

[Rich M]

I can't believe I am seeing deals for Feb 2021 already. I think I see a pretty decent deal for Swan or Dolphin (2 queen beds). If that is the deal now will waiting get me an even better deal? I was waiting to see if Boardwalk will open but don't know if it will. I am going Feb 3rd to Feb 10th. Anyone else see any Disney deals that far out? I have a 15 percent off coupon right now.

 

[Rich M]

One more question, It says you can't book express deal with more than 2 people per room. I have 4 adults and 1 child for 2 rooms. Can I add the child after booking?

 

[JJTNY]

I can't believe I am seeing deals for Feb 2021 already. I think I see a pretty decent deal for Swan or Dolphin (2 queen beds). If that is the deal now will waiting get me an even better deal? I was waiting to see if Boardwalk will open but don't know if it will. I am going Feb 3rd to Feb 10th. Anyone else see any Disney deals that far out? I have a 15 percent off coupon right now.

No actual Disney resorts out there beyond October on Hotwire right now, last time I checked.

Swan deals are almost ubiquitous all year long on Priceline Express, it only seems to go away once in awhile.
Swan is easy to spot - is the only 4.5* 8-guest rated resort in BC, while the Dolphin is 4* 7-guest. (Plus, Dolphin has double beds.)

FYI, the Swan deals I've recorded back in FEB 2019 & 2020 swung between $155 & $249, most recorded a few months before. (I just grab sample days of rates if not really good deal drops.)

Personally, I'd probably wait it out until a little later to book... I don't think they'll get worse and they might get better - of course Priceline surprises me a lot, so you never know.

When you book, you should be able to add the child later, using the Disney Wholesale Department usually works best for people: 1-407-939-7671

 

[Rich M]

No actual Disney resorts out there beyond October on Hotwire right now, last time I checked.

Swan deals are almost ubiquitous all year long on Priceline Express, it only seems to go away once in awhile.
Swan is easy to spot - is the only 4.5* 8-guest rated resort in BC, while the Dolphin is 4* 7-guest. (Plus, Dolphin has double beds.)

FYI, the Swan deals I've recorded back in FEB 2019 & 2020 swung between $155 & $249, most recorded a few months before. (I just grab sample days of rates if not really good deal drops.)

Personally, I'd probably wait it out until a little later to book... I don't think they'll get worse and they might get better - of course Priceline surprises me a lot, so you never know.

When you book, you should be able to add the child later, using the Disney Wholesale Department usually works best for people: 1-407-939-7671

Thank you so much for that input. With the 15 percent off coupon that expires this week I would get $366 off which is a good amount off. Even with the resort fee I would still be saving over $1000 from my current reservation at CBR. Could you look at Feb 3rd to Feb 10th for the 4.5 deal for $174? I would feel so much better if others think its the SWAN

 

[JJTNY]

Thank you so much for that input. With the 15 percent off coupon that expires this week I would get $366 off which is a good amount off. Even with the resort fee I would still be saving over $1000 from my current reservation at CBR. Could you look at Feb 3rd to Feb 10th for the 4.5 deal for $174? I would feel so much better if others think its the SWAN

Sure - Since Swan is the only 4.5*8 in Bonnet Creek, that is pretty much a lock for those $174 deals.
But, if you are smart and don't want to listen to the uncorroborated opinion of a random dude on the Internetz (me), the mandatory fee is another clue: $210 divided by 7 nights = $30, which is what the resort fee for Swan (and Dolphin) usually is on PE. Also, the hidden deal shows 400 reviews - which matches the actual Swan reviews of 470. (They round that number down on hidden listings.)

You can always use my PE Resort Matcher sheet to help you narrow things down.


You can also try out the bidding helper at Betterbidding for a 2nd opinion.

 

[Rich M]

Sure - Since Swan is the only 4.5*8 in Bonnet Creek, that is pretty much a lock for those $174 deals.
But, if you are smart and don't want to listen to the uncorroborated opinion of a random dude on the Internetz (me), the mandatory fee is another clue: $210 divided by 7 nights = $30, which is what the resort fee for Swan (and Dolphin) usually is on PE. Also, the hidden deal shows 400 reviews - which matches the actual Swan reviews of 470. (They round that number down on hidden listings.)

You can always use my PE Resort Matcher sheet to help you narrow things down.
View attachment 527318

You can also try out the bidding helper at Betterbidding for a 2nd opinion.

Thank you so much for the bid of confidence. So with the coupon and knowing that it is the SWAN would you say its a good deal or do you feel I could possible get a better one? I know that coupons come out all the time but I don't get 15 percent often at all

 

[SugarSweetLee]

FYI, the Swan deals I've recorded back in FEB 2019 & 2020 swung between $155 & $249, most recorded a few months before. (I just grab sample days of rates if not really good deal drops.)

How often do you record Swan rates? Curious what the best you've seen for December might be? We're looking at Dec 18-25 currently on the opaque deal for $161, wondering if that's pretty typical or likely to drop any more? (Granted, 2020 is NOT a standard year!)

Thanks for any insight!

 

[JJTNY]

How often do you record Swan rates? Curious what the best you've seen for December might be? We're looking at Dec 18-25 currently on the opaque deal for $161, wondering if that's pretty typical or likely to drop any more? (Granted, 2020 is NOT a standard year!)

Thanks for any insight!

In most cases, if I see a drop of good room deals, I record all of them, then I go back and sample some in following days to see if anything is changing.
If I see "kind OK" deals for any Disney or Swolphin resort (and sometimes others) I might record a few of them just to get a thumbnail of prices over time.

Looking at my data, I've recorded 180 Swan prices in Decembers 2018 and 2019. The best deal was $156 on 12/19/18, but that was a one-off that year. In 2019 there were deals mid month in the $160s (I recorded those in October.) But most PE hidden deals were much higher - the average of those 180 prices in December is $241.

Of course, this year is like no other, so who knows what's going to happen this year?

 

[JJTNY]

Thank you so much for the bid of confidence. So with the coupon and knowing that it is the SWAN would you say its a good deal or do you feel I could possible get a better one? I know that coupons come out all the time but I don't get 15 percent often at all

When it comes to hotel deals, I'm a bit of a cheapo: if I'm booking non-refundable I usually want the price to be significantly less than other deals. After all, I'm taking a risk, especially this year.
For the Swan I'd say $174 is sort of an OK deal (there was a large block of Swan deals for last summer that hovered in the low $100s which may have spoiled my perspective.)

But, if you add in your great 15% discount, I'd say it is a pretty good deal to get Swan for about $148.

I started recording and identifying deals as a sort of fun puzzle to crack back in 2018 - After a couple of years I've seen a ton of deals, but I can say without hesitation: I still haven't been able to predict when any deals will drop - they just keep changing things up. With this year being unusual, I surely think we'll see some more good deals into the holidays and beyond but it is really hard to tell just when that will be.

So, if I have any advice: I suppose whether I'd decide to go for these or not would come down to a balance between getting a "pretty good deal" and being done with it, vs my stressing awhile longer to see if a "really good deal" shows up.

To put the these PE rates into perspective, the current rate at the Swolphin site for your dates is $202, and it only drops to $197 with AAA added. (If you can get a senior citizen to check you in you can get down to $186.) So, in comparison that $155 is looking nice. (Of course: resort fees added on to that = ugh.)

So, Was that enough waffling on my part? Good luck!

 

[Turk February]

Question for someone who might know as I am a total n00b when it comes to Hotwire deals...

We are looking to stay at a walking distance hotel near DS, preferably Wyndham or Holiday Inn, for our October stay. I have found a Hot Rate that I am 99% sure is Wyndham. Every time I refresh the listing Wyndham is always one of the 2 "guaranteed to get" hotels and the other metrics seem to check out. The only thing holding me back is the listed resort fee on the Hot Deal is $36, and everywhere else (Hotels, Expedia, etc) shows it as $24. Is this normal? A red flag? Walking distance is our main goal so I don't want to book the deal and save $60 only to find out I was wrong.

 

[siren0119]

Question for someone who might know as I am a total n00b when it comes to Hotwire deals...

We are looking to stay at a walking distance hotel near DS, preferably Wyndham or Holiday Inn, for our October stay. I have found a Hot Rate that I am 99% sure is Wyndham. Every time I refresh the listing Wyndham is always one of the 2 "guaranteed to get" hotels and the other metrics seem to check out. The only thing holding me back is the listed resort fee on the Hot Deal is $36, and everywhere else (Hotels, Expedia, etc) shows it as $24. Is this normal? A red flag? Walking distance is our main goal so I don't want to book the deal and save $60 only to find out I was wrong.

I'm pretty sure if the $36 resort fee is accurate, it's the Hilton Buena Vista Palace. Still walking distance to DS, but behind the Wyndham.

 

[Rich M]

When it comes to hotel deals, I'm a bit of a cheapo: if I'm booking non-refundable I usually want the price to be significantly less than other deals. After all, I'm taking a risk, especially this year.
For the Swan I'd say $174 is sort of an OK deal (there was a large block of Swan deals for last summer that hovered in the low $100s which may have spoiled my perspective.)

But, if you add in your great 15% discount, I'd say it is a pretty good deal to get Swan for about $148.

I started recording and identifying deals as a sort of fun puzzle to crack back in 2018 - After a couple of years I've seen a ton of deals, but I can say without hesitation: I still haven't been able to predict when any deals will drop - they just keep changing things up. With this year being unusual, I surely think we'll see some more good deals into the holidays and beyond but it is really hard to tell just when that will be.

So, if I have any advice: I suppose whether I'd decide to go for these or not would come down to a balance between getting a "pretty good deal" and being done with it, vs my stressing awhile longer to see if a "really good deal" shows up.

To put the these PE rates into perspective, the current rate at the Swolphin site for your dates is $202, and it only drops to $197 with AAA added. (If you can get a senior citizen to check you in you can get down to $186.) So, in comparison that $155 is looking nice. (Of course: resort fees added on to that = ugh.)

So, Was that enough waffling on my part? Good luck!

Thank you for all that very helpful information. We are big fans of the DDP so we usually book through Disney no matter what but since we don't believe DDP will be back by Feb we are thinking we should maybe really consider this. Its the location we want at a lower price then a Moderate. The Resort Fee and Parking Fee has me really hesitating but unless I book DVC I will still have to pay for parking. I have until 9/24 to decide. Thank you all for being the best support system.

 

[JJTNY]

I'm pretty sure if the $36 resort fee is accurate, it's the Hilton Buena Vista Palace. Still walking distance to DS, but behind the Wyndham.

Ooh, I think Hotwire is playing a game here. Sometimes both Priceline Express and Hotwire fudge resort fees (in the name of confusion I suspect), so important to compare all the variables.

The Wyndham LBV DS Resort Area is 4* resort 4.2-guest rated on Hotwire and is the only resort with that rating in DS I believe.
(Don't confuse it with Wyndham GARDEN LBV which is a 3.5* 3.7-guest resort.)

Hilton BV Palace is a 4* 3.9-guest resort. (The B Resort also has those main ratings.)

On a non-hidden deal on both Priceline Express and Hotwire, the normal resort fee for Wyndham LBV is $24. (on PE I have also seen random $24, $32, $25 or $28.13.)
For non-hidden Hilton LBV the resort fee is $35 on Hotwire, and on PE I have seen $39.38, $35 or $27.

But I do see 4* 4.2 resorts that I believe pretty much have to be Wyndham LBV with that$36 fee, which is confusing for sure.

In general I think our best bet to ID the resorts is using the star rating, guest rating AND the sub-guest ratings. Then use the review count and resort fees as tie breakers if needed. (Resort counts are another number that jump ALL over the place on Hotwire, so watch out for them over time.)

These are the ratings Wyndham LBV in DS should have:


The Holiday Inn in DS shares the same 3.5* 4.4-guest rating with OKW - but OKW will not have any resort fees of course.
While the sub-guest ratings are similar, they do have at least one difference right now - plus the review counts are significantly different.


You can try using my Hotwire resort matcher to help narrow down resorts in the future.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Ooh, I think Hotwire is playing a game here. Sometimes both Priceline Express and Hotwire fudge resort fees (in the name of confusion I suspect), so important to compare all the variables.

The Wyndham LBV DS Resort Area is 4* resort 4.2-guest rated on Hotwire and is the only resort with that rating in DS I believe.
(Don't confuse it with Wyndham GARDEN LBV which is a 3.5* 3.7-guest resort.)

Hilton BV Palace is a 4* 3.9-guest resort. (The B Resort also has those main ratings.)

On a non-hidden deal on both Priceline Express and Hotwire, the normal resort fee for Wyndham LBV is $24. (on PE I have also seen random $24, $32, $25 or $28.13.)
For non-hidden Hilton LBV the resort fee is $35 on Hotwire, and on PE I have seen $39.38, $35 or $27.

But I do see 4* 4.2 resorts that I believe pretty much have to be Wyndham LBV with that$36 fee, which is confusing for sure.

In general I think our best bet to ID the resorts is using the star rating, guest rating AND the sub-guest ratings. Then use the review count and resort fees as tie breakers if needed. (Resort counts are another number that jump ALL over the place on Hotwire, so watch out for them over time.)

These are the ratings Wyndham LBV in DS should have:
View attachment 527508

The Holiday Inn in DS shares the same 3.5* 4.4-guest rating with OKW - but OKW will not have any resort fees of course.
While the sub-guest ratings are similar, they do have at least one difference right now - plus the review counts are significantly different.
View attachment 527509

You can try using my Hotwire resort matcher to help narrow down resorts in the future.

You are so awesome doing all this work.. Thank you for all you do.

 

[misssue23]

Does Priceline have an upcharge if you are booking a one night express deal? I am kicking around booking a night at the swan before checking into CSR and was checking priceline for prices. One night is listed at $227, with multiple resort fees ($30, $58 or $86??). When I go to book, the taxes are $28. When I check the express deal, the room is $184, but the taxes are $47??

 

[Turk February]

Ooh, I think Hotwire is playing a game here. Sometimes both Priceline Express and Hotwire fudge resort fees (in the name of confusion I suspect), so important to compare all the variables.

The Wyndham LBV DS Resort Area is 4* resort 4.2-guest rated on Hotwire and is the only resort with that rating in DS I believe.
(Don't confuse it with Wyndham GARDEN LBV which is a 3.5* 3.7-guest resort.)

Hilton BV Palace is a 4* 3.9-guest resort. (The B Resort also has those main ratings.)

On a non-hidden deal on both Priceline Express and Hotwire, the normal resort fee for Wyndham LBV is $24. (on PE I have also seen random $24, $32, $25 or $28.13.)
For non-hidden Hilton LBV the resort fee is $35 on Hotwire, and on PE I have seen $39.38, $35 or $27.

But I do see 4* 4.2 resorts that I believe pretty much have to be Wyndham LBV with that$36 fee, which is confusing for sure.

Wow. You are awesome!

Just to expand on this a little more, the hot deal I was referring to is in fact for a 3.5* 3.7-guest resort, which lines up perfectly as Wyndham Garden LBV. The deal $48/night, down from $76, which is pretty much the regular price on other sites. Like I said before, when they say "your hot rate is guaranteed to be 1 of these 2" on the app, one option is ALWAYS Wyndham Garden no matter how many times I refresh the choices.

So question...if they're fudging the resort fee by listing it as $36 when the normal fee I see everywhere else is $24, which am I paying at check-in? With the $36 fee, I'm ultimately only saving $60 on my trip, but with the normal fee the savings jumps to $107.