I think Im switching from Pop to Swan. In the threads I’ve read so many benefits with Swan vs. Pop that would be a major plus for my specific trip needs. Im trying to keep this Dec trip cost down. Ill feel awful afterwards if I splurged for a scaled back experience. So to get to the question, whats the best websites to get the best deal??? Any input would be helpful. Thanks!
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This was about August and September deals exclusively, but I’ve been playing around with it and you can still get a pretty good deal in November.
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Last I checked for early Dec they didnt have any rooms available.
Bummer.
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What are your dates?
I’m seeing PE deals for the Dolpin in early Dec around the $130s and Swan for $160s, depending on dates, of course.
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Short trip Nov 29-Dec 3rd. Need a King, dont care about view.
Here’s Swan for $160 (before resort and parking fees) for your dates on PE.
But that doesn’t guarantee a king, is “room assigned at checkin.”
There is a selection for King specifically, but ups the rate for $215, which about the Swan site’s direct booking price with the AAA rate!
Perfect timing for this thread. Looking at potential Dec 3-7 right after @drvillarejos’s dates at either Swan or Dolphin. New to the PL Express game.
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A quick way to check out dates on PE is my simple search tool: just enter dates, it selects BC and Disney Springs areas and sorts for you.
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Sure - in general you can scan through any of my TP blog posts on those resorts and I usually include screen shots and other tips.
Swan is super easy to ID: is the only 4.5* 8-guest rated resort in Bonnet Creek. It will also show 400 reviews in search results page plus have a $30 mandatory (resort) fee on the booking page in addition to the regular taxes/fees line.
Dolphin is pretty easy as well: There are only 2 4* 7-guest resorts in BC, the other is AK Kidani which is fairly rare and any PE deals you might see would likely be much higher priced than the Dolphin would be. Dolphin also has the same resort fee as Swan, while AK Kidani will not. Finally, Dolphin has 2 Double Beds in rooms, a clear giveaway.
Often the Dolphin deals don’t appear in the main search results, but will pop up in the additional deals if you click a 4* resort in Bonnet Creek.
Finally, you can always use my PE Resort Matchers to help narrow down possibilities.
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I will say that we kept an eye on Priceline hoping for a steal (love @JJT’s sheets - so easy to use) , but the best deal we ended up with was just booking directly through Marriott. I booked a refundable rate, and then just checked every couple of days and the rate was constantly changing. They eventually had an offer for 25% off or something similar for Bonvoy members (free to join) that got us a room for ~$135/night.
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Stalking can definitely pay off.
HOTEL WEB SITE STALKING, I MEAN, HOTEL WEB SITE STALKING.
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Were you searching for Bonvoy promos (if so, where) or was the rate just changing daily without a promo? (I think you said you used AAA) I am using a promo that I was emailed directly from Bonvoy but the price stays the same for the past few weeks. Just curious if there’s a chance for better promos somewhere.
Very cool. Thank you! @drvillarejos They seem to have availability for your dates! The posted price on PL is $208 and the PL Express is $169 or so. I did have to do the trick of picking a different 4 star hotel in the Bonnet Creek area to get Dolphin to show up as an Express Deal. Swan was easy to pick out thanks to @JJT.
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Yes, didnt think of this as a way to weed out the non Swan. This is a sure fire way to know, along with the location.
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Is the Dolphin open in Dec? Also are the resort fees the same for both Swan and Dolphin? I DO NOT want to select the wrong resort 
I think so. If you look at @JJT’s post above, he has the Dolphin circled. I believe he screen-grabbed those today just for us. The prices are exactly what I was seeing for your dates.
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So, one more question, when you book through the express deals, when do you get to see your actual hotel? Is it right after you book or much later?