Does Disney World offer senior discounts?

Dear Editor,

My husband and I would like to take our two grandchildren (ages eight and 10) on a trip to Disney World for three nights in early December. We’ll be driving down from the Atlanta area. Can you tell us if there are any senior deals on Disney World hotels and park tickets? We are both over 65.

Sincerely,

Joan L.

Dear Joan,

Although Disney World does not offer senior discounts, you can take advantage of low-season deals on resort rates and packages by visiting in early December. However, you’ll have to book by October 10 before these deals expire. Discounted rates are good for stays between October 31 and December 25 (excluding November 10 to 13 and 23 to 27).

Resort rates have been reduced from a starting price of $77 per night to $55 per night. Over the holidays, the starting rate increases to $114 per night. If you plan to visit the Disney theme parks every day of your stay, you’ll probably want to book the “Dream Maker” package, which includes three or more nights’ resort accommodations, an “Ultimate Park Hopper” ticket for each guest (this pass allows admission to all Disney World theme parks, water parks, and Pleasure Island), and Disney souvenirs. Note that anyone age 10 or older is charged the full adult rate for theme park tickets.

I went on Disney’s website and priced the Dream Maker package for two adults and two kids staying three nights (I used December 3 to 6) and found rates starting at $1,069, including taxes, for a stay at the All-Star Sports Resort. The All-Star Sports Resort is one of Disney’s “value” resorts; higher-class resorts were available for higher prices.

You can read more about discounted resort rates and Dream Maker packages on the Disney World website. Both offers can be booked online or by calling 407-939-7603 and mentioning code BAS. To help cut costs further, I’d recommend visiting MouseSavers.com, a site that offers tips and advice for saving money on Disney vacations.

If you have a question about senior travel, please e-mail us and include your first name and where you’re from. Because of the volume of e-mail we receive, we can’t guarantee a response to each question.