What was once simple is becoming increasingly complex with each passing year.  Not so long ago, Walt Disney World had four “seasons.”  Guests could travel during the Value, Regular, Peak, or Holiday season and their stay would be priced accordingly.  Better yet, with a little flexibility, a trip could be planned with an arrival date in a lower-priced season, and even if the season changed during that stay, the price for the entire trip still reflected the less-expensive rates.  This made it easy, not just to plan a vacation, but to compare various options.

In keeping with the policies of most of the hospitality industry, Disney began to tweak this arrangement by pricing on a day-by-date basis.  Rates changed to reflect the start of a new season in the middle of a vacation; weekends became more expensive than weekdays.  Instead of simply Christmas and New Year, a premium was assessed for a number of different holiday periods throughout the year.

2011 sees the addition of a secondary, more expensive, Value season and a brand new Fall season.  The primary Value season of the past has been reduced to a few weeks in January and February, interrupted by increases for holiday weekends and the Marathon period.  The months from September through December, which were previously a mix of Value, Regular, and Holiday Seasons, with lots of Value weeks, will now reflect some Holiday rates, as well as the pricier Fall and secondary Value prices.

Coupled with a number of new room categories, the jumble of rates presents a challenging terrain for those navigating the vacation-planning process.  Let one of the Concierges at Whimsical World Travel be your guide!