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!
I’d love to go to WDW in October, but I personally know of two people that just came back and did test positive for Covid. They were both vaccinated and wore masks while indoors. I imagine there will be more cancellations coming unfortunately. I was hoping we were past most of this.
@Kathleen Quigley – this deal is most likely for the Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista! The Oasis will trick you because if you search Oasis on Google Maps, the restaurant at the Polynesian is the only place that pops up. However, I booked this same deal and it ended up being the Wyndham Garden.
So if I got my deal at a Disney resort, how do you get your tickets? Do the tickets cost more when you have to buy without a room reservation? And can you purchase the dining plan? Not asking about free dining promo.
Should be able to call and add those things on. Or purchase discounted tickets via a third party.
I am looking for one day, next spring, at AKL, so I gave it a try. Interestingly, if you click to the room choice (queen bed, etc.) and scroll all the way down, you’ll see “Important info” which looks like this:
Important Info
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply. In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), additional safety and sanitation measures are in effect at this property. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), this property is taking steps to protect the safety of guests and staff. Certain services and amenities may be reduced or unavailable as a result. It’s not possible to stay at this property for coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine purposes. This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties. Guests under the age of 21 can only check in with a parent of official guardian. The resort fee includes: – 10% off Food and nonalcoholic beverage purchases at the Oasis Restaurant & Bar located poolside – Premium Wi-Fi in guest rooms and public areas – Use of fitness center – In room safe and hotel recreation equipment
Obviously, the Oasis Restaurant is the Polynesian Resort. $113 for that resort is super tempting!
I would definitely NOT assume that’s the Polynesian. It would be absolutely unprecedented for: 1) Walt Disney World hotels to be added this early, and 2) the Poly to be that inexpensive.
There’s about a 99% chance that is not the Polynesian. Highly recommend you do not book it. Oasis is not that uncommon of a name for a bar at a tropical themed resort.
Hi Tracie and Pam, I believe you can add a dining plan to any Disney hotel reservation, if it is booked through them. The “free dining” (when it’s offered) is for the non -discounted (Disney owned) room reservations. You cannot add dining plan to Swan and Dolphin or other third party on-site hotels. We have added the dining plan, (payed separately for it) many times to our discounted rooms at Disneyworld. However, at this time they are not offering the dining plans. Hopefully they will resume that option soon! We love the dining plan!
We are already booked for a hotel and ticket package for mid September stay at All Star Movies. Would there be any value in trying to score a better hotel deal via one of these options and potentially paying a fee to Disney to cancel our hotel with them?
Do hotels with airport shuttle basically guarantee you a disney hotel?
Wow, those are some great rates! We are already booked (leaving tomorrow & staying through mid-September) and I’m very happy with our rates & hotels already, but this is excellent news as it will hopefully mean that the low crowd/wait time projections will pan out for us! Thanks Tom!
Got All Star Movies for 9/17-9/19 for $88 a night. Also used promo code HW15July21 and got an additional $15 off.
Thanks for sharing your success–not bad, especially compared to WDW direct prices for the same dates!
Thank you for the tips, Tom! This was my first time booking with Priceline Express. I ended up getting the Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista for $84/ night before taxes and fees. I figured it would be this hotel because I compared the Express listing with the normal listing on the Priceline site. This works for us because we will be able to get the early park entry and stay next to Disney Springs.
There were not many options for Express deals when I looked – there were only 3 listings for the Walt Disney World area. I am interested to see if people start to cancel their bookings because of COVID cases increasing and if more rooms will be added to the Express deals.
Well Tom we have made over 20 Christmas stays at the “Fort” and several other trips and were all great. Normally 8 – 12 days each. I was planning to return this December again but with the with all the on again and off again mask, wonderful dining limits and other issues we are reluctant to plan. These are about 1,600 mile trips which may be short compared to other campers. Fuel cost, site cost and ticket cost it just may not be the trip to go on. We have been annual pass holders and they are up. At 76 these trips may be coming to an end. for us.
Thanks Bandit in South Louisiana, keep up the good work.
Yes
If rooms are booked this way, do you just go buy tickets seperately?
I had good luck with Hotwire Hot Deal booking at one of my three preferred Disney Springs area hotels with these tips. Was able to really narrow it down and have a very good sense of which of a couple potential hotels I was “blind” selecting. I booked at about a 30% discount for October. Thanks for this article!
You can still get FP and make dining reservations once you link the reservation to My Disney Experience.
You are NOT guaranteed a Disney resort if you select the two neighborhoods because there are too many other non-Disney resorts in those two areas. You would NOT be able to get a free dining offer if one is later offered by Disney once you go with Priceline. Express Deals are non-refundable once you make a purchase. You can add Magical Express because it is still free, but I don’t think you can add magic bands or a dining plan to an Express Deal because you are changing the price of your deal.
Hi Pam,
If you book through Priceline or any other third party you can not add the Dining plan. Free dining is a promotion that is only offered if you book a full priced room through Disney (when offered) and with certain ticket stipulations, so no on that front as well.
You can always buy magic bands regardless of where you stay or who you book through.
Narrowing the neighbourhoods down in your search does not guarantee you a Disney property. You. Still have to do your research as described in the article regarding hotel ratings, numbers of reviews, price and amenities and cross reference them all.
Tom, do you get magic band, fast pass(if it comes back) and the ability to do rest reservations if you book through Priceline and it is a Disney property?
I am so thankful for all of you information you give on EVERYTHING! To me this idea seems smart, scary and adventurous… all at the same time. I have a few questions though. First, if I deselect to those two neighborhoods, as you said above…would I then absolutely be placed in a Disney Resort? When we go to Disney we stay in the All Star, because it is priced right and we are only sleeping at the hotel. My family doesn’t go frequently enough that we hang out in the room or hotel much. So getting a different hotel is fine, so long as it is a Disney hotel. We don’t mind an upgrade as long as it is actually a Disney Hotel.
The second thing I am wondering is, if you go this route can you then still add Disney Dining and get magic bands etc? If free dining were to appear…could you get that?
Tremendous article Tom. this is one i’ll be printing out for future reference.