Hotwire & Priceline Deals for Disney World Hotels
You can successfully “guess” which on-site Walt Disney World resorts are discounted via Priceline Express Deals and Hotwire Hot Rates with these tips to score a great deal. This covers how to save money on Orlando, Florida hotels with hacks & matching tricks. (Updated March 8, 2024.)
Priceline Express Deals and Hotwire Hot Rates are similar to the popular “Name Your Own Price” feature or bidding on hotels based upon amenities and a general area. You can score a deep discount on a great hotel (or not-so-great one, if that’s more your style), but the tradeoff is that don’t know the name of the hotel until you pay. In other words, it’s a surprise…but like children snooping under the Christmas tree, there are certain ways to ‘spoil’ that surprise!
Hotel chains, including Walt Disney World, do this to dump unsold inventory at the last minute while concealing to the general public that they’re unloading rooms at such a cheap rate, which might tarnish their brand or irritate guests who paid significantly more. Let’s start by taking a look at the current Priceline Express Deals for Walt Disney World…
At their best, Priceline Express Deals and Hotwire Hot Rates offer deep discounts of up to 60% off, not just a “deal” of 10-15% off a room-only rate. We’re talking $60 per night or less for Values, ~$100/night for Moderates, and ~$200/night for Deluxe Resorts. We primarily focus our searches to Priceline here (which often has more availability), but the below deals can often be replicated on Hotwire with the same strategy…
Inventory Update: Spring 2024
February 8, 2022. That’s the last time this post was updated before today, and that was basically to address reader questions and explain how “discounts have dried up at Walt Disney World.” Although pent-up demand had already entered the vernacular, it didn’t occur in full force until Spring 2022. (Our first post about the topic was “Revenge Travel” at Walt Disney World, published August 15, 2020…which seems way too early to have been talking about that. Very much wish I would’ve been wrong with those predictions!)
For the next year or so, not only were discounts difficult to come by, but so too were full-priced room reservations. Another popular topic at the time was Limited Hotel Availability at Walt Disney World in 2022. That was driven by a confluence of circumstances, from pent-up demand to strong bookings for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary to not all hotels being open or operating at 100% capacity to staffing shortages. But it’s unnecessary to recap all of that in full. You either lived through it and remember (or have blocked it out), or didn’t and don’t care.
The moral of the story is that there was absolutely nothing in the way of Priceline Express Deals and Hotwire Hot Rates for Disney-owned resorts from September 2021 until some point in Winter or Spring 2024. Back then, we remarked that this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but it is the longest Walt Disney World has gone in recent years without dumping any unsold inventory onto Priceline and Hotwire. However, we also attributed it to the lack of inventory, and said that we expected it to change by later in the year as demand dropped and supply improved. How young, how naive.
Fast forward over 2 years, and so much has changed. Pent-up demand has been exhausting itself for over a year now and Walt Disney World has been pulling from what we call the “2019 discount playbook,” which is to say that almost all of the same deals offered then–including more obscure ones like PIN Codes and Bouncebacks (not to mention fan-favorite Free Dining) have all made their triumphant return.
Up until now, all but one niche discount was back–the Priceline Express Deals and Hotwire Hot Rates. Well, there are once again signs of life on that front after a 2.5 year absence! So that’s the very good news. The bad news is that in spot-checking dates on Priceline Express Deals throughout March and early April 2024, the only resorts I could find were the All Stars and Coronado Springs. (The hotel above is almost certainly one of the All Stars; Bonnet Creek, 8+ score, 600 ratings, and 3-star hotel are the big giveaways. See below for tips & tricks on identifying the resort.)
The good-within-bad news is that we’re entering the heart of Spring Break 2024 Season at Walt Disney World (literally–it starts today!), so it’s wholly unsurprising that I can’t find much. It’s a miracle that there’s anything, and makes me wonder what I might’ve missed over the last couple of months. Since these last-minute deals are only added a few weeks out, my expectation/hope is that there will be more during shoulder season (approximately mid-April through Memorial Day 2024).
So stay tuned–I’m going to be checking this a lot more regularly and, fingers crossed, reporting back with a lot more in about a month! Or perhaps not. Maybe this was a one-off blip and you won’t see another update to this post for another 2.5 years. Who really knows anymore!
In addition to Disney-owned hotels, here are the third-party options on-site that you might find on these opaque booking sites…
Another option that regularly appears on Priceline Express Deals is the Swan & Dolphin Resorts. Keep in mind that there’s also a mandatory resort fee, so what you see is not the final price–but both of these resorts still tend to be far cheaper than anything else in the Crescent Lake area.
We love the Swan & Dolphin for a few reasons. Namely, they’re within walking distance of both Epcot and Hollywood Studios–perfect for rope dropping Slinky Dog Dash before going back to the pool for a mid-morning break. For the most part, Swan & Dolphin guests have similar advantages to guests staying in Disney hotels. They even offer access to Extended Evening Hours, which Moderate and Value Resorts don’t even offer!
The JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa is also a frequent fixture of Priceline Express Deals. We reviewed this new on-site hotel and gave it generally favorable marks.
The one big thing it lacks as compared to other luxury resorts near Walt Disney World (including other Bonnet Creek properties) is a sprawling pool and lazy river. While the JW Marriott is perfectly family-friendly, it’s not catering to kids like some of the other hotels in the area.
There are usually also scattered options at Disney Springs. We don’t do extensive research into these, but the usual suspects are as follows: B Resort & Spa (soon to become Marriott Renaissance), DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, etc. We have Hotel Rankings for the Disney Springs Resort Area if you need further resources to help you choose one of those properties.
We’ve also seen availability at Flamingo Crossing, which is about a 10-minute drive from Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. These hotels are pretty attractive because they’re all brand-new.
Keep in mind that Priceline Express Deals inventory changes frequently, meaning you might find hotels we didn’t list if you search later today or next week, and you might not see what we’ve found. We’ll keep you posted as we continue to scour Priceline for new Express Deals! For now, here’s everything else you need to know about booking these discounted rooms…
How to Book Priceline & Hotwire Deals at WDW
For starters, Hotwire and Priceline Express Deals really can amount to substantial savings at Walt Disney World–that’s not just marketing fluff. Priceline advertises the service as offering savings of “up to 60% off” but we’ve saved more than that on Deluxe Resorts (and, to be fair, significantly less than that on others).
In fact, for a few weeks around our stay at the Poly, during which we received a free upgrade to the King Kamehameha Club Level, the Polynesian was under $300/night via Priceline Express Deals…and the rack rate ‘value’ of our room was over $800/night. Obviously, that’s an extreme example with tremendous luck involved, but even “just” 60% off is not uncommon.
With the reward of substantial savings comes risk. Priceline Express Deals is a “semi-opaque” booking site, meaning certain details and amenities are revealed in advance, but not the hotel name. Fortunately, those details narrow things down considerably, to the point that internet sleuths have made the process pretty predictable for anyone willing to do their homework.
Of course, there still are no guarantees. You’re locked in to a non-refundable hotel before knowing the exact property for sure. That means there is some risk and uncertainty inherent to the process. It’s certainly not for everyone. Another drawback is that these deals are mostly last-minute. Walt Disney World hotels are typically added to Hotwire or Priceline’s Express Deals around 1-2 months prior to travel dates, sometimes a bit longer.
Finally and along those lines, Priceline Express Deals are offered to fill unsold rooms. If you’re trying to book a Christmas stay, you’re unlikely to have success. You’ll have a tough time finding good rates for multi-night stays during peak tourist seasons; the best options tend to be short, weeknight stays in the off-season.
It should also be noted that the ‘hacks’ for revealing hotels are constantly in flux. Internet deal spotters have been great in helping to uncover which hotel corresponds with which amenity sets and descriptions. Unfortunately, Priceline (and other bulk wholesaler sites) are always one step behind, meaning that successful strategy for uncovering a deal might work one day and stop working the next.
The best options for narrowing hotel choices yourself is deselecting each “Neighborhood” except “Walt Disney World – Bonnet Creek” and “Walt Disney World – Disney Springs.” Every official Walt Disney World resort is located within those areas on the Priceline map.
Additionally, Walt Disney World hotels will have an amenity set of only Free Internet Access, Restaurant, and Swimming Pool. To my knowledge, this amenity set is a recent change (and inaccurate as compared to what WDW resorts actually offer).
In terms of star rating, Values are 3-star, Moderates are 3.5-star, and Deluxes are usually 4 or 4.5-star.
The big bummer is Priceline’s removal of the one-line descriptions, such as “enjoy jazzy evening entertainment at this well-designed resort” for Port Orleans French Quarter. These were the decisive ‘clue’ in determining which hotel you were booking. With the description, accuracy was 100%. The Hotel Canary extension no longer works, which is another big blow.
Now, you’ll need to do a bit more legwork to match hotels on your own. Consequently, the confidence rate is far lower. You’ll want to match up the following:
- Number of reviews (rounded up or down)
- Guest ratings (rounded off)
- Rack rates (the pre-discount price vs. discount price, also rounded off)
- Other clues in conjunction with the amenity set and location.
Basically, this means comparing the normal Priceline listing for a particular hotel with the listing. If you aren’t comfortable doing this on your own, resources like BetterBidding.com can help–but even then, know that you’ll be rolling the dice a bit.
Here are some observations I’ve noticed while searching. First, Moderate Resorts are pretty common, but Coronado Springs is the most prevalent, especially outside of peak convention season. While prices fluctuate highly based upon season and occupancy rates, I’d say a “good” rate for a Moderate is $150/night or less.
Second, the Deluxe Resort you’ll see most frequently is Animal Kingdom Lodge, with rates in the neighborhood of $200 to $300. Other Deluxe Resorts have appeared on Priceline Express Deals. I’ve seen almost every single one, including the Polynesian and Grand Floridian. I’d say Yacht Club–another convention hotel–is probably the most common after Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Finally, Value Resorts also have appeared on Priceline Express Deals with some degree of regularity, with common options including the Little Mermaid Rooms at Art of Animation and All Star Sports (Movies and Music have been less common). Of all resorts, the All Stars appear most commonly, and we’ve seen them for prices as low as the mid-$60 per night range. However, that was also several years ago–and prices have shot up since then!
Overall, Priceline Express Deals is a great option for saving a lot of money on Walt Disney World hotels, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s no longer the ‘sure thing’ that it once was, but with a bit of legwork, you can narrow down the possibilities and still have a high degree of certainty before booking.
If you’re willing to gamble and don’t mind the possibility of getting a third party hotel like the Dolphin or Wyndham Bonnet Creek (both great options that are on par with Walt Disney World Deluxes), we’d highly recommend using Priceline Express Deals for savings that are far superior to room-only discounts directly from Disney.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Have you tried any of these hacks or tools to book on Priceline Express Deals? Any other strategies you use? If you’ve used it, what’s the best rate you’ve scored? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? If you’ve yet to book, any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
This is one of the most helpful articles I’ve read in years.
Love your blog, true Disney hacks for mega fans!
@Christine – immediately after you pay.
Poking around on Priceline and All Star Music was $341/ night for our dates in September. It still says $172 on Disney’s site, not sure what Priceline is trying to do there.
A question for those who have done this, at what point do you find out which hotel you end up with?
You can also look at what the parking costs. For example parking at Waldorf Astoria is $40 per night. On the 5-Star hotel on Priceline for $198 per night, it lists parking as $40 per night.
I think Priceline has the Waldorf right now for some fall dates for $155! The Waldorf is listed for $377 in my search, but right above it is a nameless 5-star hotel in Bonnet Creek marked down from $377 to $155. That has to be it, doesn’t it? Am I doing this right?
I booked Coronado for $131/night and it saved me more than $300 over booking Pop Century directly. Comparatively, I thought $131 WAS a pretty good deal.
Just looked for mid August…
I *think* I saw Grand Floridian for $481 per night and Yacht Club for $437 per night.
Those are pretty good darn rates… Even a generous summer discount won’t match it.
2 things that have helped us hone in:
Choose “Airport Shuttle” in the amenity filter
Use the “draw circle on map” feature
Excellent suggestions–thanks for sharing those! Definitely agree with both.
One trick I have learned for Hotwire like pricing out rooms in Anaheim, if the Hot Deal includes a photo of the room, you can Google Image Search the photo and get the location that way. It obviously doesn’t work for the places with generic photos.
Learned for Hotwire WHILE pricing out rooms in Anaheim. D’oh!
With the opening of All Star Movie Resorts, it seems like the guarantee you’ll get Pop Century on Hotwire by making sure the bed type includes a murphy bed is gone with the room remodel there. Did a bit of searching around by various dates and found the 3-star resorts stating people who booked this hotel type “recently got All Star Movies Resort”. Was hoping the All Star resorts would be lower than 3 to weed them out but no luck.
Have used Priceline twice and gotten express deal. 1st time using Hotwire.
Hotel deal I found is 4 star Bonnet Creek, Free Shuttle. This deal has no daily hotel fee. Regular price a night 540.00 with current deal as 329.00. Amenity set: Free parking, pool, fitness center, free internet, resort. The other two amenities listed are throwing me, beachfront hotel, pet hotel. My gut tells my Yacht Club but I just don’t know. On the map it’s very vague than others.
What are your thoughts?
Needing to find 1 night lodging in Orlando, would to get a Disney hotel if possible. What is the likelihood of finding one day-of? Any tips (not mentioned above)? Thanks!!
I have found POP the day before. On Hotwire, selecting Free Airport Shuttle is a huge help in getting a Disney hotel. For now…
I just ran a search on Priceline and I note in when you click to see the details on the hotel, under the “important info” section where they have all the COVID stuff, I noticed some said “access to Wyndham pools…” or “Exclusive Access to Disney’s 60 day FP+ program.” Just thought I’d share some additional clues!
When you browse all in the Walt Disney World- Bonnet Creek area and choose airport shuttle, I am only seeing 17 results. Does this mean that if I choose an express deal it will be from that list of 17? Or could there be others that meet the criteria that aren’t being shown?
Thanks for any insight!
I think I found a POP Century deal on Hotwire for $102/night because it has a Murphy bed option and the picture starts out as a pic from Pop Century. However, the rating is 4.4 and I thought it was supposed to be 4.3?
i see same property, different dates for $130.
I suspect the rating just went up since that blog was published.
I can’t imagine another property masquerading as a Disney property.
Curious, did you book that room where the pic started as Pop? I’m looking now also and see that. Thanks!
So I’m confused everything I’m seeing says resort or hotel fees does this mean those are not Disney resorts then?
yes…. a resort fee OR free parking means not Disney.
None of the 5 on Priceline right now for late Feb are Disney. You can tell by the COVID page that one of them is the Hilton Orlando-Bonnet Creek Resort. The expensive one is the Waldorf next door.
Hotwire Hot Deals has Pop Century at $130 for late Feb.
I am waiting for sub $100 or will stay off site.
I am looking for the first weekend in March am I looking too early?
Anybody see any signs that this is a Disney property?
Hot wire
2/25-3/1
3.5-star Resortin Walt Disney World – Bonnet Creek area
($253 standard)
$159/night
no resort fee
Amenities
Free internet
Airport shuttle
Business center
Fitness center
Pool(s)
Resort
Restaurant(s)
Smoke-free rooms
2 queen beds
Covid safety measures
Property is cleaned with disinfectant
Social distancing measures are in place
Guests are provided with free hand sanitizer
Staff wears personal protective equipment
Contactless check-in is available
Contactless check-out is available
Shield between guests and staff in main contact areas
Individually-wrapped food options are available
Commonly-touched surfaces are cleaned with disinfectant
Bed sheets and towels are washed at a temperature of at least 60°C/140°F
Staff temperature checks are conducted regularly
Temp checks is crossed out.
No resort fees
any guess as to what Disney? it’s not Pop (currently $130 on hotwire, not on priceline) since no murphy beds
Sounds like Coronado Springs. Double check the guest ratings.
They will only release a deal if they have a major surplus in inventory. It is definitely not too early. Please remember that finding an express deal for a WDW Resort is not the norm, especially during heightened times of travel like spring break.
Thanks for the insight!
How far out do they publish these deals? I’m looking at March 10-14 and not seeing any Disney resorts. I’m just wondering if it’s too early or if they’re not going to put any out for those dates?
They will only release a deal if they have a major surplus in inventory. It is definitely not too early. Please remember that finding an express deal for a WDW Resort is not the norm, especially during heightened times of travel like spring break.