Feb 14-17 hotel rates... jiminy jillickers!

[wilbret]

We were planning to get back down over a long school break weekend to activate passes and goof off, and there is zero DVC availability, and our go-to hotels are off the charts.
What's going on that I'm missing?

 

[amuse-bouche]

Monday, February 17 is a federal holiday. A lot of people will get the day off making it a 3 day weekend. Plus Friday, February 14 is Valentine's Day. I think those 2 things together make it a pretty desirable weekend for doing something fun.

 

[wilbret]

We come every year at this time, haven’t had an issue like this with rooms. I guess the economy is booming!

 

[DisKaren]

The schools (here in NY anyway) have February Recess the 15th to the 23rd, so I assumed it would be busy in WDW. We checked the flights for that time period, and they were higher than for Easter break.

 

[Mjmdiva]

My kids have a professional day off school on the 14th and "family day" holiday on the 17th. So a lot of people go away then for less days off school missed.

 

[wilbret]

My kids have a professional day off school on the 14th and "family day" holiday on the 17th. So a lot of people go away then for less days off school missed.

Yep, we do the same thing on long weekends. However, like I said above, we literally go every year at this time. Something is different this year. We found a room, will be interesting to see how crowded it is.

 

[lorimay]

The Daytona 500 is that weekend also.
We found a decent DVC deal a few months ago, going to be at Riviera Resort.
I love the EPCOT Arts Festival going on right now too.

 

[FinnsMom7]

Princess Weekend kicks off 20th (expo opens) adding another group possibly traveling in 17th and after.

 

[FireflyTrance]

We go Presidents week each year, and generally it is a busy week. Our school gets the entire week off, and the weather is mild, which makes it a good time to go. I had trouble getting DVC 4 months ago. I had to check for weeks, and finally found 1 bedroom availability at Saratoga Springs. My suggestion it to try checking the Swan and Dolphin. Last I checked they had some availability.

 

[Beer Me]

I was looking for a stay around 2/14 a few weeks ago and at one point there was literally not one single room available on property. Since then sporadic rooms come up at ridiculous rates so I just gave up.

 

[BostonEd]

Yep, we do the same thing on long weekends. However, like I said above, we literally go every year at this time. Something is different this year. We found a room, will be interesting to see how crowded it is.

Need more data. You go "literally" every year? So you went in 2019 and 2018? What were the rates you paid those years, and what is it for you in 2020?

 

[wilbret]

Need more data. You go "literally" every year? So you went in 2019 and 2018? What were the rates you paid those years, and what is it for you in 2020?

Hi Ed, yes, we "literally" went in 2018 and 2019. It is a kid school break for us, but also an important family date, so we get to Orlando every year at this time. We stayed at Springhill Suites in 2019, with a rate of $127, and in 2018 we stayed at Holiday Inn with a rate of $99.

We checked DVC availability, but there was nothing available, only waitlist. I did a hotwire deal to get something, and it was around $100/n. Not naming the hotel until after the trip. We've never stayed there, will see how it goes.

We tend to go in Feb, May, Aug, Oct, Nov, Dec. October is our typical DVC week, and we burn up remaining points in Nov/Dec or just grab any hotel.

 

[ClapYourHands]

My kids have a professional day off school on the 14th and "family day" holiday on the 17th. So a lot of people go away then for less days off school missed.

This is the break my kids have. I liked it better when February break was a full week. The wrap-around long weekend is harder to make a vacation happen.

Both last year and this year, flights anywhere were expensive. Like @DisKaren I was looking to fly from the NY area, and there’s just too much demand here driving up prices. We’re staying put and will do some local day trips. Maybe next year we’ll travel if I can organize it early enough to find something affordable.

We went to WDW during President’s day week a few years ago, and the weather was ideal for visiting the parks.

 

[BostonEd]

Doesn't seem off the charts from the previous years.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Amazing. Out of every single DVC room type at every single Disney resort, the only room available for any of those nights is a 2-bedroom at HHI for the night of the 14th. I imagine it's going to be quite a crowded weekend.

 

[wilbret]

Doesn't seem off the charts from the previous years.

Except I had to take a blind hotwire offer. Not sure what your angle is here?

Rates were 2x or more for previous years, and not one single vacancy at DVC (save one 3br at GF). We are almost always able to get a basic room at Saratoga at least if we need it.

Rooms at those same places were over $225.
Same weekend as previous years. We are in Orlando on Feb 17 every year.

Someone above mentioned the NASCAR race, etc. probably just a combination of events. Either way, they haven’t been reducing the number of rooms available, this just means it is going to be crazy busy.
Thanks

 

[wilbret]

Amazing. Out of every single DVC room type at every single Disney resort, the only room available for any of those nights is a 2-bedroom at HHI for the night of the 14th. I imagine it's going to be quite a crowded weekend.

yep. All they had was a 3br villa at Grand Floridian for some ungodly amount around 400 points for 3 nights ... lol. We stayed at Aulani for 7 nights for like 240pts in 2019.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Doesn't seem off the charts from the previous years.

Not really sure what you're basing that on. Need more data.

 

[BostonEd]

He got a rate of $100. Last year it was around the same. I have the same data you have.

 

[wilbret]

He got a rate of $100. Last year it was around the same. I have the same data you have.

Lol. The rates were double, or more. I had to use a bid site to get $100 (not including resort fees, etc) Let’s agree to disagree. I think what I did to trigger this was to say the economy was doing well.

Enjoy your stay if going, as it clearly won’t be crowded! It is the same as the past several years.

Peace! Seriously, it’s a Mickey Mouse message board.