Here at 1901 Mainstreet travel we have a few UK Ambassadors, and some UK Clients and friends. We often get asked about what "deals" we can get for our UK Clients, so I am here to spread some information with the help of our Ambassador Anni!
If you are looking to go on a Disney CRUISE, 9 times out of 10 we can match and get the same price you can, but offer you personalization, information, help, and sometimes incentives for booking that cruise with us.
However, if you are looking to book a Walt Disney World Vacation with park tickets, resort options etc. SOMETIMES the deals offered in the UK are less expensive and offer free meals that we are not able to access for you here in the US.
So here are the best ways to grab those Disney deals as a UK resident, as stated by Anni
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Anni @annistores
You’re looking to book your Walt Disney World trip from the UK but don’t know where to start? I’ll share with you my top tips for securing the best deal that suits you and your family, based on my experience. I’ll compare prices and deals at the end so you can make the best decision for you.
There are two main ways to book a Walt Disney World trip – package or DIY. Both have their merits, but the myriad of options out there can make it seem a little overwhelming at first.
What you’ll need to consider:
·      Hotel accommodation
·      Park tickets
·      Flights
·      Transport
·      Discounts or added extras
Hotel Accommodation
Onsite versus offsite? We always choose to stay onsite at the WDW resorts resort for two reasons; we love to be absorbed in the Disney bubble and the theming, restaurants and location are perfect for us. In addition, we do not hire a car when travelling to the US and staying onsite means easy transport options to your resort from the airport and free transport to take you to the parks.
Hotel accommodation ranges between value, moderate and deluxe and that will be a personal choice based on budget. For us, we always choose the value resorts as we are rarely in the room and we want to keep the costs low for this element.
Park Tickets
Whichever way you book, you’ll need to factor in park tickets and park reservations for your stay. For UK guests, the offer usually always running is 14 day tickets for the price of 7, including memory maker – which is WDW Photopass and includes digital copies of all of your Photopass photos, including photo spots around the park and ride photos.
Flights
Flights will be dependent on where you’re travelling from as not all carriers are available across all UK airports. Tier of flight, again dependent on budget, will also increase or reduce the cost of your travel – for example, economy, premium, business or upper class. In addition, route will also make a difference – do you want to fly direct or are you happy with an in-direct flight that will require you to transfer part way through your journey? Finally, luggage. Most long-haul flights will include luggage allowance of c.23kg per person but you’ll need to ensure this is included.
Transport
Car hire is an option but you’ll need to factor in hire charges, fuel, parking fees etc. We prefer to use Lyft/Uber to transfer us from airport to resort, but there are coach transfer options too, and then utilise the on-site WDW transport for the remainder of our stay.
Discounts or Added Extras
To entice you to book, WDW and other operators will provide discounts or added extras – the current offer available is dining credit which you can use towards your restaurant and quick-service food costs and also a merchandise gift card – more on this later!
So, let’s start with packages – for a first timer, or someone who just wants everything in one place, this is often the easiest option…but it can come with a price tag.
Example used:
2 adults, 2 children (8 and 6)
Departing: 5th August 2024
Returning: 19th August 2024
Direct flights between Manchester and Orlando
Value resort
Cheapest rates returned
Walt Disney World
14x night stay at Disney’s All Star Movies Resort
Aer Lingus Economy Flights Direct, Manchester to Orlando
14-Day Park Tickets & Memory Maker
$700 Disney Dining & Merchandise Credit
$400 Disney Gift Card
Total - £9,313
Virgin Holidays
14x night stay at Disney’s All Star Sports Resort
Virgin Atlantic Economy Flights Direct, Manchester to Orlando
14-Day Park Tickets & Memory Maker
Dining & Merchandise Credit and Disney Gift Card – interestingly, the amounts were not displayed but there was a note at the top of the page which stated ‘do not worry if credit is not shown on your invoice, this will be presented to you when you check in to your hotel’ and ‘if you are eligible for a Disney gift card, this will also be added to your booking’. As the dates are eligible, we can assume the same offer as WDW.
Total - £9,408.36
Tui
14x night stay at Disney’s All Star Music Resort
Tui Economy Flights Direct, Manchester to Melbourne (plus free coach transfer to resort)
14-Day Park Tickets & Memory Makers
Dining & Merchandise Credit and Disney Gift Card – again, the dining credit amount was not displayed but it did confirm the $400 gift card. As the dates are eligible, we can assume the same offer as WDW.
Total - £9,129.48
In the above three examples, the Tui package comes out cheaper, however Melbourne airport is further away than Orlando International airport and therefore the money saved on the package will add you time when travelling between resort and airport, however those transfers are included free of charge whereas WDW and Virgin will require additional transfer cost – whether private using taxi’s or shared coach.
Moving on to DIY booking – this will require a spreadsheet as you will be comparing prices in order to get the best deals.
Flights
Flight prices are usually published about 11 months out, ahead of schedule. Therefore I’m unable to compare the exact same dates for 2024, but using similar and indicative dates for 2023, Virgin Atlantic came out cheaper with Direct Flights from Manchester to Orlando at £3,808.68
Hotel Accommodation & Park Tickets
Walt Disney World suggested the best deal would also need to include 14-Day park tickets which included Memory Maker and the $700 Dining & Merchandise Credit and $200 Gift Card at All Star Sports for £4,090 but Attraction Tickets came in cheaper with the exact same offer at £4,057.
Therefore, the cheapest DIY package (when adding your flights, accommodation and park tickets) came in at £7,865.68 which is a whopping £1,263.80 cheaper than booking via a package. The only difference was that the additional Disney Gift Card was reduced from $400 to $200 as that is a flight-only offer. Accounting for this, you’re still paying £1,000 less booking DIY than Package which can be added to your holiday spends!
To summarize and to share my top tips:
·      Shop around and compare prices.
·      Look for the best discounts and added extras – all of the above packages include a minimum of $900 in Dining & Merchandise credit which is a great help for when you’re there.
·      Don’t be afraid to DIY it.
·      Always book using ABTA & ATOL protected suppliers.
·      Don’t forget your travel insurance.
·      Book using a credit card to further secure your purchase, and perhaps earn points or rewards on top – but as Martin Lewis always says, PAY IT OFF IN FULL.
·      Enjoy your magical trip 😊
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If you are ready to book that magical vacation and would like for us to price compare, or you want to book a Disney cruise, we are here to help you always!
Thanks Anni for your tips and tricks!!
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