Disney is always trying to fill their hotel rooms. More people in the rooms means more money to be made and more people in the parks means more money spent. They’re even willing to lose a few dollars to make more. As the saying goes, “you have to spend money to make money!”
So how does Disney go about filling their resort hotels?
You’ve probably seen the commercials for up to 30% off a room or free dining, right? These promotions are open to anyone, but there are special promotions targeting specific individuals. These people receive a golden ticket of sorts either in the mail or via email for one of the promotions including a Room Only Discount of 15-35% depending on the resort you book, free dining, ticket upgrades, and more. There’s no publicly-known formula for who gets these codes, but there are few things you can do to increase your chances of getting one.
Let’s take a look at the top five tricks for getting a Disney Discount Code!
1. Create a MyDisneyExperience account
Creating a MyDisneyExperience account on DisneyWorld.com is a great way to show initial interest in Disney Parks. Not only can you browse hotels, attractions, shows, and restaurants, you can set up a favorites list. If you see something you like, mark it so you know to come back. You can then use this list to schedule vacations including Advanced Dining Reservations and FastPasses.
2. Order or Watch the Free Disney Planning Video
Disney will send you a DVD in the mail or you can watch it online. All you have to do is ask!
You’ll sign in with your DisneyWorld.com account, provide some information including which location you’re interested in (Disney World or Disneyland), whether you have any children, when you’d like to visit, how long ago you last visited, how many times you’ve visited, etc.
In order to make this process the most effective, do not skip the step of entering your information. The more information you give them, the more likely they are to return the favor!
The planning videos are short. The main video is a little over three minutes; then there are several other videos including one for each of the four parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), a Resort Hotels video, a Fun for the Little Ones video, and Planning videos including Getting Started, Dining, When to come, and Tickets & Packages. The videos are fun and informative, so watch just a few or watch all of them! If you do get a code, you’ll be better informed and ready to book before your code expires!
3. Create a Vacation, Put it in your cart, but DON’T BOOK IT!
Once you’ve learned everything you need to know by watching the videos, create your vacation and drop it in your cart, but don’t book it! This is called an abandoned cart, and big companies receive data on things like this. Abandoned carts, whether for Disney or anywhere else, say, “I really want to buy this, but something is holding me back.”
This is the perfect time for Disney or any other company to drop a line in your e-mail and reel you back in!
4. Create a DisneyVacationAccount.com Account
The DVA account works like a savings account. You can build your vacation, determine how much it will cost, and when you’re planning to go, and the system will calculate how much you need to save each week or month. Then you can deposit money manually or set up direct transfers for a predetermined amount.
If you get paid bi-weekly, and you’d like to deposit say $20 every two weeks, the DVA can take this money right from your account so you don’t even have to think about it.
What’s great is you don’t even have to use the DVA once you set it up. Just having it shows Disney that you have a real interest in vacationing with them.
5. Check your junk mail and spam folders
Once you’ve done all of these things, all you can do now is wait. If you’re one of the lucky ones to get a personalized code, it will come via mail or e-mail. It’s important to check your junk mail and spam folders since your filter might not recognize the sender, which is usually Disney Destinations.
If you get a code, be prepared to book. The codes do expire, and they’re usually only good for certain times.
Have you ever received a Disney discount code?