Thanks for everyones help! One more question - does the reservation automatically get linked to my MDE account? I tried using the confirmation # from Hotwire but it doesn’t work. Do I need to call to get it linked?
On my reservation there were two numbers, I think. One was the Hotwire number and one was the number for Disney. I was able to put that one in MDE and link it with no issues.
My friend booked a night at Pop on Expedia and she had to call Disney and have them find the reservation and link it to her MDE.
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What she said…there’s a 2nd number that comes in the email and that one works to link
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Thanks @Julianne_fki and @gingerSnaps543222! I found the number in the bottom of the email and got them linked! We’re done! 
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Is there a thread or blog post that breaks down how to figure out which resort is which? I’m new to Hotwire.
I really like doing it on the app on your phone. I choose Lake Buena Vista, FL and my dates and people. I click on the area to the left of the screen (large shape) that contains the WDW area. Then I click Refine. I select Hotel type: Hot Rate, Minimum star rating: 3+, Minimum guest rating, 4+ and then view hotels. For Coronado Springs I look for 3.5-star resort with 4.3/5 rating and for Pop 3-star with 4.4/5 rating. To be sure when you click on one of those and scroll a bit it says “Book Soon! The last person got Disney’s Pop Century Resort” and if you click on choose room type you even more know it’s right because it says as an option 1 queen and 1 murphy bed. I don’t think too many hotels outside of Disney have murphy beds 
Edit: This note “Book Soon! The last person got Disney’s Pop Century Resort” does not show up on the PC Browser version for me so two reasons to use the app. You get a sense of sureness from that note and it saves you a few more dollars from the PC internet rate.
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In general, you want to use the resort ratings, guest ratings, and locations to compare hidden deals to non-hidden deals for the resort. You can also use other things like review counts, and amenities (Airport Shuttle) to help narrow things down. (All of the Disney resorts are in Bonnet Creek and Disney Springs areas, BTW.)
Often when you see a hidden deal in Hotwire results, if you scroll down you’ll see a regular deal for the same resort. The hidden deal will have a crossed-out “original” price that will almost always be $1 or $2 off of the regular deal.
Probably easier to grasp quickly, check out my last few posts on the TP blog, the January Hotwire deals post might be the best one to read first.
I have a spreadsheet that lets you enter star and guest ratings and location and helps identify the possible resorts. There are tabs for both the Disney and UOR areas.
If you are a glutton for punishment, I have a long running post here on the forum with info on various tactics - but a lot of the earlier posts are superseded by changes, so you probably want to read the first few posts, then skip all the way down to the more recent posts at the end.
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Valentine’s Day UPDATE
I just updated my blog post with the following info:
At the time I write this post, All-Star Movies was a 4.2-guest rated resort. But as of Valentine’s Day it has jumped up to be a 4.3-guest rated resort on Hotwire. I am leaving the paragraph below in place for posterity as guest ratings fluctuate and that info might be useful again later. But, for now: the other 3-star 4.3-guest rated resort in Bonnet Creek are All-Star Sports (not open now) and Art of Animation. Long story short, you can still Movies and AoA apart on Hotwire by comparing sub-amenities, which I think I’ll have to go over in a future post.
Here’s a visual:
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So, I haven’t yet pulled the trigger on CSR for 3/8-3/16, and when I checked hotwire this morning it wasn’t showing this deal anymore! 
But when I change my dates down to 7 nights in either direction (3/8-315 or 3/9-3/16) the deal shows up again. Is there something up with 8-night stays on hotwire? I would think if there is availability on all of those dates, I should be able to book for 8 nights. 
Wonder if I should try booking 7 nights and then adding the 8th separately?
It’s possible one of those nights is sold out of the deal.
Edit: to verify you can pretend to book a bunch of one night stays and see if you cannot get one of those dates. Oh I see you can get it in different directions. Hmmm maybe it’s a question of room type. Maybe they have certain rooms like king or two queens. Did you get to the point where you could pick your bed type and see if both were available on each side?
Oh, that could be it! I did not proceed to the point of choosing bed type, I was just looking at overall availability on those dates.
I was thinking I might go ahead and book 7 nights and then the 8th separately (either on hotwire or direct, whichever is cheaper) but if room type is the problem, then they might not let me keep the same room for both stays…
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I was helping someone else yesterday with the CSR deals - I think the Friday & Saturday deals on the weekends in March have been disappearing.
If you search in the app (as opposed to the desktop) you may still get CSR to show up, but because those non-discounted weekend days will be included the overall deal will only be 11% off, which tends to be equal or worse than Disney’s current discount after the hidden deal fees are added.
All I can say is keep checking and hope the weekend days drop again or think about a split stay, as Pop deals still were going through the weekends (last time I checked.)
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I pulled the trigger on the first 7 of my 8 nights and got CSR! 
Now to figure out what to do about that 8th night… Probably will book direct through Disney and hope I can stay in the same room.
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I’ve done this before at Grand Californian which is outrageously expensive to get a deal on two of my three nights that was significant. You have to have the same type of room and they’ll usually let you do it if it’s available but I had to go get a room key the 2nd night (if you have Magic Bands that won’t be an issue).
Or the app on your phone to open the room
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Also I really liked this resort. I thought it was beautiful and the bars with outdoor seating were wonderful (three bridges and the one on the roof of the tower). Highly recommend checking those out and walks around the lake.
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Just starting to really look into the Hotwire and Priceline Express deals. Is recommended approach to book a refundable stay through other means, and then as your date approaches, search for something that sparks your interest on Hotwire/Priceline Express? I guess this would be the only way to go for a planner like me. How far in advance do they each publish the deals? Actually, having a hard time figuring out how to search for on-site disney resorts on priceline altogether. Any tips, @JJT ?
I think that technique is exactly right - that has always been my own plan: Get the best deal I can from Disney, then hope for a hidden deal to show up before I go and before cancellation window runs out.
(Sadly, I have never had any good hidden deals appear before my family’s trips! Crazy.)
Right now, Priceline has been VERY quiet - the only Disney deals out there for months have been ones that weren’t any savings. I don’t think there are any Disney resorts on Priceline Express at all now (but I haven’t checked since Sunday.)
To help identify PE hidden deals, use my resort matcher sheet. If you ever suspect a deal is Disney but need help confirming, feel free to tag me - I’d be happy to help look at it.
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Oh, forgot: Lately Hotwire has been fairly consistent releasing deals in the 1st or 2nd week of the prior month to the deal dates, which is admittedly a pretty tight window.
Priceline Express has always been looser - over the years they might release deals anywhere from 2 weeks out to 9 months. But, since last year they’ve been more on the order of releasing deals 4-8 weeks out, when they have any at all.
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Thank you! I’m really excited to start practicing when/if the deals return.