If you’ve ever looked at a Disney Cruise Line discount and wondered what in the world IGT, OGT, VGT, and GTY mean, you’re not alone. Even Chris Vorobek remembers being completely confused by all those letters before he became a travel agent.
This week on the DCL Show, Chris is joined by Elaine Edwards and Federico Argar to dig into Disney Cruise Line discounts, including which ones can save you serious money and what you may be giving up in exchange for that lower fare.
And there’s a lot more to consider than simply finding the cheapest price.
GTY and VGT Are Not the Same Thing
Let’s start with one of the biggest sources of confusion. A GTY booking and one of Disney Cruise Line’s restricted guarantee rates may sound similar, but they aren’t the same thing.
With a standard GTY booking, Disney guarantees the stateroom category you booked or higher, but Disney chooses your specific room. It isn’t necessarily a discounted fare.
IGT, OGT, and VGT are different. These restricted rates guarantee an inside, oceanview, or verandah stateroom respectively, or something better. They can offer significant savings, but there are strings attached. You give Disney control over where your stateroom will be, and these bookings come with restrictions that you’ll definitely want to understand before jumping on the lower price.
During the show, Elaine explains why these fares can still be a great option for the right cruiser, and Federico talks about why choosing his exact stateroom matters to him. They also get into something I wouldn’t have thought about: what happens when a family needs several discounted staterooms and Disney’s available inventory disappears while you’re booking them?
Should You Cancel and Rebook When a Better Deal Appears?
Finding a lower price after you’ve already booked sounds like great news, but not always.
Depending on the offer and your existing reservation, canceling and rebooking could cost enough to wipe out the savings. Even worse, you could potentially give up reservations and activities you already have secured.
On the other hand, some Disney Cruise Line promotions may be applied to qualifying existing reservations. Federico shares how much fun it is to call a client and tell them a new promotion just saved them hundreds of dollars. Elaine has even had situations where a newly released rate resulted in money going back to a client shortly before sailing.
Don’t Forget About Disney Cruise Line Placeholders
Chris buys a placeholder every time he cruises, and this part of the discussion is worth hearing if you think there’s even a chance another Disney cruise is in your future.
You don’t need to know which ship you want, where you’re going, or when you’ll sail when you purchase one. There are also some important details about how long you have to use it, how many staterooms it can cover, and what to do if you want your travel agent attached to it.
Book Early or Hold Out for a Discount?
This might be the biggest question of the entire show, and Elaine’s initial answer made me laugh: “Honestly, I have no idea.”
That’s because there really isn’t one answer that works for everybody.
Someone who needs a particular sailing date, dining time, or stateroom may look at this very differently from someone who can travel whenever a great VGT rate appears. Holiday cruises and school breaks add another wrinkle.
Chris, Elaine, and Federico get into all of it during this week’s DCL Show, including how they personally decide when it’s time to book and when they’re willing to gamble a little and wait for a better price.
If Disney Cruise Line’s “alphabet soup” of discounts has ever made your head spin, hit play on this week’s episode below. There’s a lot more to these deals than those three little letters.
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