APH Rates Are Currently Available... [UPDATED 07/27/18]

[Three cats]

Does the SMSM rate often go down?

 

[mareed]

I've been looking for months and there's not been APH rates for my dates (staying a week starting around Memorial Day) BUUUUUUT, a quick heads up....I booked a SMSM (Stay More, Save More) rate for our week months ago, and they just recently dropped BIG TIME!

I could save $200 by rebooking with Portifino or switching to Hard Rock, but ended up switching to Royal Pacific (our fave) and saved $400 from our original booking. Just wanted to let everyone know, if anyone if booked at the same times

Thanks for the heads up! I'm also going Memorial Day week and since I first started checking last June, Portofino Bay was the lowest priced using SMSM for 7 nights so we had that reserved. Up til today, Royal Pacific only had higher category of rooms available such as club level so they were higher than Portofino's standard rooms. Today, Royal Pacific finally has some regular rooms, though they only had water-view when I checked which is still higher than their lowest standard view. Royal Pacific's water-view was just barely less than our Portofino garden view, and we'd really rather stay at Royal Pacific where we've happily been before and like the central location much more.

Looks like I got the last king water-view room for that week as only the 2 queen shows up now so I'm happy with our change!

 

[mareed]

Does the SMSM rate often go down?

I'm not sure that the SMSM rate for the exact same room type went down, but I think it might be that a lower category of room became available. My SMSM Portofino Bay Garden View King for 7 nights over Memorial Day was $2289 when I reserved it June 2018 and is now up to $2453. But I switched to Royal Pacific water view King for SMSM $2246 because that type or room showed up today where it hadn't been available at all since last June (I've been checking periodically). So even though I'm saving some money, I wouldn't say that my SMSM rate went down - I'd say they finally released some lower category rooms at the other resort at SMSM rates.

 

[Candycane83]

Anyone have any luck with July 2-6? I know it’s holiday period, do they usually release APH rates for these dates?

 

[Hook326]

Anyone have any luck with July 2-6? I know it’s holiday period, do they usually release APH rates for these dates?

I plugged in your dates after I checked mine and there are APH rates out for those dates at PB at least. $330/night I think.

 

[Candycane83]

I plugged in your dates after I checked mine and there are APH rates out for those dates at PB at least. $330/night I think.

Thanks I’ll check again! I didn’t see anything last night! Or I’m not sure if it was just my phone.

 

[Hook326]

Thanks I’ll check again! I didn’t see anything last night! Or I’m not sure if it was just my phone.

I just checked this morning & saw it. Good luck for good savings!

 

[Candycane83]

I just checked this morning & saw it. Good luck for good savings!

I was able to book!! Thanks! Had to use the link on page 1 since it just wouldn’t let me put it in manually for some reason! I initially had RPR for 370 a night and now booked PBH for 330 a night! Yay!!

 

[Disney Addicted]

I check both, several times a day.

We're not going until late August and I keep checking a few times a day as well. Looking for a SMSM rate drop and/or APH rate.

 

[EmJ]

We're not going until late August and I keep checking a few times a day as well. Looking for a SMSM rate drop and/or APH rate.

When would you recommend starting to look? We are traveling next March, so I would think this fall maybe?

ETA: I’m an early (early) planner of All The Things and it kills me to have to wait, lol. I’d book tomorrow if I could!

 

[macraven]

When would you recommend starting to look? We are traveling next March, so I would think this fall maybe?

ETA: I’m an early (early) planner of All The Things and it kills me to have to wait, lol. I’d book tomorrow if I could!

I booked almost 12 months out for my September 2019 onsite premier hotel

I saw a price I could live with and locked it in

If I see a better rate between now and trip date, I would rebook and cancel my original reservation

I check the seasons for smsm rates

7 night booking for my time period was at 35% off when I booked

Sometimes you will see great room
rates in order to fill the hotel rooms

When a convention cancels, all those held rooms are released back into availablity

Loews wants to fill the hotels and have seen great rates at those times

Rooms will go quick when this happens

Have found the ap rate is better than smsm for shorter stays of 3-4 nights depending on season

 

[soniam]

When would you recommend starting to look? We are traveling next March, so I would think this fall maybe?

ETA: I’m an early (early) planner of All The Things and it kills me to have to wait, lol. I’d book tomorrow if I could!

March probably won't show up until January, maybe late December. At least that's how it's been for the last few years.

 

[Hook326]

We're not going until late August and I keep checking a few times a day as well. Looking for a SMSM rate drop and/or APH rate.

This is when we are going, too. I’ve got the SMSM rate but hoping maybe the APH will be a little cheaper. I got a good rate so probably not going to go much lower if at all.

 

[Disney Addicted]

When would you recommend starting to look? We are traveling next March, so I would think this fall maybe?

ETA: I’m an early (early) planner of All The Things and it kills me to have to wait, lol. I’d book tomorrow if I could!

I booked almost 12 months out for my September 2019 onsite premier hotel

I saw a price I could live with and locked it in

If I see a better rate between now and trip date, I would rebook and cancel my original reservation

I check the seasons for smsm rates

7 night booking for my time period was at 35% off when I booked

Sometimes you will see great room
rates in order to fill the hotel rooms

When a convention cancels, all those held rooms are released back into availablity

Loews wants to fill the hotels and have seen great rates at those times

Rooms will go quick when this happens

Have found the ap rate is better than smsm for shorter stays of 3-4 nights depending on season

Pretty much what macraven said. I started reading & researching when it was decided last year that we would go. I already have a SMSM rate locked in so I'm just hoping to snag a cheaper rate.

At some point I had read to start looking about 4 months out for APH rates. They are there until August 10th at the moment so I'm hoping soon the rest of August will get released.

What's killing me at this point is waiting for Air Miles to release either 3 PTP 3 day tickets or the Buy 2 Get 3 Days free tickets!

 

[EmJ]

March probably won't show up until January, maybe late December. At least that's how it's been for the last few years.

Oh geez. For sure I would have an aneurism if I tried to wait until December or January to book! I know exactly what we want - Cabana Bay, nothing fancy, first week of March. We will stay 6 nights. Do rates change often enough that I should be checking daily?

Also can someone explain the APH rate to me? I know you don’t have to show your AP until you check out, but does that mean you need to check out in person? That’s not a problem, but I know a lot of hotels/resorts don’t generally require formal checkout anymore. With five days in the park, I suspect it will be cheaper for my whole family to get APs rather than 5 day tickets, unless they have another deal like the buy 2 get 3.

 

[macraven]

Don’t wait until the day you check out to show your ap

The hotel runs the check out Billings after midnight on your check out date

Last year I checked out after midnight (2:00 am)
Front desk had my printout of my hotel stay when I checked out

I always request a print out of charges for the stay

 

[EmJ]

Don’t wait until the day you check out to show your ap

The hotel runs the check out Billings after midnight on your check out date

Last year I checked out after midnight (2:00 am)
Front desk had my printout of my hotel stay when I checked out

I always request a print out of charges for the stay

How do they know if you became an AP member at some point during your stay?

 

[barb969]

How do they know if you became an AP member at some point during your stay?

You show the AP to the front desk people.

 

[EmJ]

You show the AP to the front desk people.

I see. So I can go ahead and book the AP rate now, wait to see what is the best deal on tickets later, upgrade to AP at any point during our stay, and just run down to show our pass before the day of checkout. Thank you!! I don’t know why I found that so mystifying, lol.

 

[macraven]

Yes
Now you know the system for ap usage