Who do you book with?

[LorraineD]

We've always travelled with Virgin, and would prefer to do so. We've written to the school and asked re the days next October, now they have come back to me with what I thought was a solution - the school is shutting for 2 weeks next October, but 1 day before the dates I have actually asked pushes the price up by £500 and then to the dates they suggest pushes it up by £700.
So now I am looking at other travel companies, I just had a :eek:moment at the much cheaper price, when I searched Thomson - for the dates they have given me, but then discovered that its only 11 days for some reason and they dont offer any more days.
So either we go for the 11 - which I really dont want to do...OR we stick with Virgin and either stick our neck out and ask for the extra days OR fork out the extra money - if we can afford....
Or, can anyone suggest any other travel companies they would reccomend trying?

[Disney Kelly]

Kenwood Travel, they use VA flights...My neighbours just bked with them, I've used them in the past aswell as Broadway Travel... How about Travel City Direct not used them since they went bust lol we just made it back when they went pop...They're something to do with VA though so you get VA flights...I always book separate flight only so not much help I'm afraid...Someone will be along soon to help :).

Have you tried WDW Travel Co. with Inc flights?

I think Tishypops is a TA you would check with her...

[MKJo]

AFAIK you're limited with charter airlines like Thomson, they only offer set numbers of days (e.g. 7, 14, etc) so you can't just go for an odd number, say 6 or 12.

[jarretth]

We've always travelled with Virgin, and would prefer to do so. We've written to the school and asked re the days next October, now they have come back to me with what I thought was a solution - the school is shutting for 2 weeks next October, but 1 day before the dates I have actually asked pushes the price up by £500 and then to the dates they suggest pushes it up by £700.
So now I am looking at other travel companies, I just had a :eek:moment at the much cheaper price, when I searched Thomson - for the dates they have given me, but then discovered that its only 11 days for some reason and they dont offer any more days.
So either we go for the 11 - which I really dont want to do...OR we stick with Virgin and either stick our neck out and ask for the extra days OR fork out the extra money - if we can afford....
Or, can anyone suggest any other travel companies they would reccomend trying?

Booking any time around the school holidays - even either side - usually means bumped up prices with the main tour operators. Child prices are usually a rip-off as they charge you for the room whereas all you should be paying for is the flight. If you prefer to use a tour operator I would suggest that you have a look at Thomas Cook Signature as they use scheduled flights. We used them a couple of years ago and negotiated a good price by doing this with a Thomas Cook travel agent. Don't accept the first offer price they give you as the TA usually has a fair amount of wrigle room on the price.

However, the best way is often to do it yourself as long as you have the cash in hand to pay for flights up front. The great thing with going to WDW is that you only need to organise three or four things - flights (usually VA or BA - look for the sales), hotel (book direct with Disney or use one of our sponsors), car hire if you want (or magical express if you don't want a car) and last but most improtantly insurance. All of this can easily be done online and will save you a fair few quid compared to a package.

[NaNax3]

go to travel city directs website and get the phone number then phone them up it has always worked out cheaper for me when I talk to them rather than booking online they have a good deal going just now but you have to change planes in philly we're going this year with us airlines

[LorraineD]

We dont use a travel agent, we just book direct online with Virgin, but we tend to book the package.
My husband has travelled to US in the past with my dad and has saved alot doing flight and hotel seperate, but we've always used a package deal because of travelling with the kids, I suppose one thing that brought it home to us was last year with the volcano cloud thing that stopped people travelling, and my hubby said that if we had been there with Virgin, they'd have had to sort us a hotel out and flights when possible to fly, whereas if we had booked direct flights and hotel, the flight would still have to be honoured when possible but accomodation would have been our responsibility once our actual booking ran out. So I suppose its peace of mind that someone is looking out for you.

You have to fly to Philly? And then on to Orlando? TBH I'd rather pay more than do that, the 9 hours 40 minutes flight was enough to finish me off, so to get off a plane and then get on another....

[Damfino]

go to travel city directs website and get the phone number then phone them up it has always worked out cheaper for me when I talk to them rather than booking online they have a good deal going just now but you have to change planes in philly we're going this year with us airlines

Booked with TC via the call centre, excellent service, polite lad, very helpful couldn't fault it. TCD are part of the VH group and the holidays are identical, VS27 GTW to MCO (can even do Twilight check in at Gatwick) only two minor differences, can't use the V-Room and you have to pay to use DTD check in, I was quoted $10-15 per person for that, considering the difference in price I'm happy to do that. If you check prices on TCD website the prices include car hire, but, if like me you don't want car hire it does bring the price down by a coupleof hundred pounds.

[NaNax3]

we fly from glasgow so its a shorter flight than manchester or gatwick the last time we went direct it was only seven and a half hours good tail wind ! I just think that with money being tight I just don't want to give more than I have to to airlines lol

[LorraineD]

Yeah it was 9 hours 40 from Manchester this time, and I hate flying, but also my daughter gets this sickness, to be honest we think its anxiety/nervous related, but the day we get up for the airport she starts feeling sick, and then in the car on the way to the airport, and then at the airport and then coming home she started throwing up 2 hours before we landed and was still throwing up in a paper bag as we passed through customs!! Basically once we land she needs to get as far away from any kind of travel as possible (and coming home its about 45 mins from the airport, so we need to limit the amount of travel and messing around as possible, cos her throwing up stresses me out to the hilt.
I've looked at Travel city direct - but my hubby is a little dubious, and the other 2 mentioned but none of them have what we are looking for - we know which hotel/date/duration we want. Havent phoned, because we can't actually book until we get the ok from the school so its a bit of an egg or chicken situation at the moment.