I’m a happily married family man but not afraid to admit that I have a man-crush on Matt Guillebeau at The Art of Non-Conformity.  Makes me want to jump like a little girl.  Chris just reported that he played the game and stuck it to the man. His reward:  frequent flyer miles out the yang.

Read all about how Chris did it here.  If you are a hard core travel hacker, his blog is a must. 

Also, check out our review of Chris’ Frequent Flyer Master.  By following his advice, we scored enough Frequent Flyer Miles for a trip this fall.

Barbara has a great blog and an inspiring personal story that speaks to the vagabond inside all of us.  Check out her blog here.

Thanks!

I am addressing questions I am frequently asked about Priceline. I can only speak to my experiences and I have only used the Name Your Own Price section of Priceline for hotel rooms.

Hotel rooms

1. Can I pick out my hotel?

No. You can pick the area you want to stay in and the star level, but you cannot choose your hotel. Priceline will pick one for you based on your criteria.

Tip: You may be able to get an idea of the hotel or hotels you might possibly get by checking out biddingfortravel.com or betterbidding.com. On both of these sites, people report their successful bids on Priceline. You can search these sites to see what hotels others are getting in the area you are searching.

2. Will my room sleep 4?

Maybe. Priceline guarantees that your hotel room will accommodate two adults. Any special bedding requests must be made directly with the hotel and they are just that, requests. You may only get one bed. In my experience most hotels are willing to accommodate your request for two beds if that room type is available. Although, I have run into one or two who wanted to charge me extra for a second bed.

3. Can I get a non-smoking room?

Maybe. You are not guaranteed a non-smoking room but most hotels will give you one on request.

4. When do I pay for my room?

You will pay for your room when your bid is accepted.

5. Can I get a refund if my plans change?

No. Your room is yours whether you show up or not. You may not cancel a room.

6. Will I get a nice/clean/safe hotel?

You should. From Priceline’s website: Priceline hotel participants are major national brands or the highest quality independent hotels. We screen participating hotels carefully and update our information constantly to ensure you always receive quality accommodations. Priceline works with their hotel partners to ensure that that you have a quality stay.

Do things always go according to plan? No. I have have had many, many wonderful Priceline hotel stays. There have been a few problems along the way as well. We had one stay where a friend’s room had ants in the bed and another where the hotel had overbooked and we had no room when we arrived. These things happen. They happen regardless of the amount of money you pay for a hotel room.

The real test to me is how Priceline responds in these situations. I am happy to report that in both these situations Priceline was willing to listen to my concerns and refund my money. That’s why I continue to recommend them.

Flights

1. Have you used Name Your Own Price for flights?

Yes, but only once for Scot. You cannot choose your flight times and I have a hard time letting go of that control. The one time we did it worked great for Scot. I have purchased a handful of airline tickets from the other section of the site where you don’t bid. I have been very happy with them.

2. Can you get frequent flier miles on your Priceline tickets.

Yes. On the regular part of the site, but not on the Name Your Own Price section.

Rental Cars

1. Have you ever gotten a rental car through priceline.

Yes. Many times on both sides of the site. I have been very happy with the deals I have gotten. You can check betterbidding.com and biddingfortravel.com to see what kind of deals other people are getting on rental cars.

2. Can you choose what type of car you get?

Yes. You can choose the category just like you do when you reserve with a rental car company.

Vacation Packages

1. Have you ever purchased a vacation package through Priceline?

No.

Cruises

1. Have you ever purchased a cruise through Priceline?

No.

Stephanie: I found these tips for newbies on the DISboards and loved them. Dave says that he comes across a number of people that are going to Disney for the first time or have not been for a long time and they ask him for some tips. He decided to gather up a top ten list for Disney newbies and have them printed out to give to people who ask. I think Dave did a great job giving newbies just the right amount of information. Not too little. Not too much. Great job, Dave! Thanks for sharing with us at Trekeo.

1. Research – You will likely be spending thousands of dollars on your Disney Vacation. Spend some time researching your trip. Get maps so you will know your way around. Pick up a touring guide like the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. Check out bulletin boards like DISBoards, they can be invaluable and have lots of Disney experts that are happy to help you have a Magical trip. On these boards you can find out everything from menus to information about hidden Mickeys.
2. Have a Plan – Choose your dates trying to avoid holidays. Once you have your dates, chose which park you want to go to each day. Consult the calendar on the Disney website for current hours. Disney hours are not the same everyday and can change often. Disney also offers Extra Magic Hours for Disney resort guests. These times allow resort guests only in the park before and after the non resort guests may enter. These can make the parks extra busy on the day that a park has an EMH. Decide before getting in the park which rides you want to do first, second and third and know where these rides are at. This will save a considerable amount of time trying to figure out where to go. There are also pay sites like TouringPlans, Tour Guide Mike and RideMax. Considering how much a trip costs spending an extra $20 for some great advise is cheap.
3. ADR – Advance Dining Reservation. If you want to eat at a sit down restaurant while at Disney World you should have reservations. ADR’s can be made 90 days in advance by calling 407-WDW-DINE. Most of the better restaurants will fill up quickly and not take any walk up requests for dining. There are also many Counter Service restaurants that don’t take reservations. Eating early will lesson the crowds, as there is a huge difference in the lines from 11:30 to 12:00.
4. Park Hopping – If you want to go to more than one park on the same day you need a Park Hopper ticket. You cannot just use an extra day from your Magic Your Way ticket to hit 2 parks in the same day. If you are unsure that you will use park hopping, don’t get it but put the money aside (currently the hopper option is $50 per ticket for your entire stay whether it is one day or 10) and then if you need to add the hopper option you can upgrade at any ticket booth or even at your Disney resort. If you don’t end up hopping you just saved a considerable amount of money that you can spend on that stuffed Mickey you have been eyeing.
5. Transportation – Getting around the parks is easy, but can take a while. Buses, monorails and boats go between resorts and theme parks and from theme parks to theme parks but not from resorts to resorts. Allow for 30-60 minutes to get from a resort to a theme park and a bit longer to get from one resort to another. Disney’s Magical Express provides free airport transportation to and from Disney resorts. (advanced booking for DME is required)
6. Rope Drop – Disney gets crowded. The earlier in the day you start your tour of the parks, the more you will get done. If you get there 30 minutes before the park opens for the day you will be at the turnstiles when they open 15 minutes before the park opens. From the turnstiles you will be held inside the park by a rope. When the park officially opens for the day they remove the rope and you may then proceed to the attractions. You will get more done in the first hour than you will in the next 3 hours and more done in the first 3 hours than you will the rest of the day.
7. Fastpasses – They are free and are included with your park admission. You get a Fastpass by inserting your Key to the World card or park ticket into the Fastpass machine at the attraction you want the Fastpass for. This will give you a ticket with a return time that will allow you to ride with a minimal wait. You can get a second Fastpass as soon as the return time on the ticket or 2 hours from the time you got the previous Fastpass whichever is less. Fastpasses may be used after the return time that is printed on the ticket but never before the time printed.
8. Take Care of Yourself and Your Group - Make sure to drink plenty of water. Dehydration can cause meltdowns and muscle fatigue. If someone in your group starts to imitate Grumpy from the Seven Dwarfs have them drink some water. There are many drinking fountains around the parks but filtered water is also available for free from any location that has fountain drinks. Bring a couple of pairs of comfortable shoes that are broken in. Take a first aid kit with moleskin for putting on blisters and check your kids feet regularly to make sure that they don’t have a blister starting. Extra dry socks are a good idea to take with you into the parks. Medicated powders can be helpful for keeping chaffing under control. If your in pain, your not feeling the Magic.
9. Know your Group – Gear your trip to the needs and interest of all members of your group. Not all people are into big coasters or meeting characters. Plan something for everyone. Also remember that you are only as strong as your weakest link. Young children (some adults too) may need a break in the afternoon whether it is a nap or a swim in the pool. You will then be better rested to hit the parks in the evening. Remember that you can get Fastpasses before you leave that you can use when you get back to the park.
10. Have Fun – Remember that this is a vacation and not a military exercise. You will not be able to see and do everything in a single visit. Slow down and enjoy what you are doing instead of rushing around trying to get it all done. If you miss something, don’t get upset about it. Just think of it as being the reason for your next trip to the Mouse House.

Dave Wetterstroem is from Columbus Ohio. He is known on the DISboards as DaveStroem. While he has only been to Walt Disney World three times he has done a lot of research on the World. During his latest trip he put most of these tips to use and found out the hard way about a few others (it took 1 1/2 hours to get from POR to the Poly for dinner at Ohana).

Photo by PSD.

What? Can you imagine spending your hard earned money and vacation time for a trip to Walt Disney World only to arrive at the gates of the Magic Kingdom and be told, "Sorry folks. The park is closed. The Mouse out front should have told you."

The Magic Kingdom has closed twice this week already due to the park reaching capacity. I am hearing reports that this has also happened at Epcot. What does it mean when they close a park, how is it done and what can you do about it?

According to Cheshire Figment on the DISboards:

The turnstile master computer at each park keeps track of both entries and exits. When a park capacity closes (which is done in stages) there has to be a certain number of people exiting, with the total "in park" below a certain number, before they start allowing people in again.
There are four stages to park closing:
Stage 1 – The parking lot entrance is closed. You can only access the park if you are using Disney Transportation.
Stage 2 – The ticket windows are all closed (and the automated Ticket Vending Machines are turned off). Unless you already have a ticket you cannot get in.
Stage 3 – Only people with Annual Passes or current Resort IDs will be allowed in.
Stage 4 – Nobody is allowed in.
Note – having restaurant reservations in a park, even with written proof, will not override a stage closing for you.
Also, if you are staying at a Disney owned and operated Resort and have a ticket, you are guaranteed entry into A park. Not necessarily the one you want (unless you want to go into AK). And if you have entered and left a park and do not have a hopper you may not get into anything.

I’m not sure what the actual capacity at each park is. There seem to be some conflicting numbers out there, but once a park reaches capacity the above measures are taken until capacity drops and the park is reopened. I’m not sure which is worse being turned away at the gates or being in a capacity crowd at the park waiting in line for hours to ride your favorite rides. The pictures I have seen of the crowds this week are unbelievable.

How are some tips to help you either avoid the crowds or deal with them.

1. Don’t travel during peak season – to avoid the overwhelming crowds all together travel off season.

WDW is the busiest at these times: President’s Week (February), Spring Break (mid April – mid July, worst weeks surrounding Easter), Memorial Day Weekend, Summer Break (mid June – mid August, peaking at the 4th of July), Thanksgiving week, Christmas Break (week before Christmas – first week of January).

WDW is slowest at these times: January, February (except President’s Week), Fall (after school starts, except Thanksgiving week), between Thanksgiving and Christmas (week after Thanksgiving to week before Christmas).

2. Arrive at rope drop – arrive at the park before it opens. You will be insured entry into the park and it will not fill to capacity most likely until afternoon which means less crowds to deal with in those first few hours.

3. Use the Fast Pass system – You can avoid long waits in ride lines even during peak season if you understand Disney’s Fast Pass system and use it wisely. Please click here to watch my video explanation of the Fast Pass.

4. Have a plan – if you must travel during peak season, have a plan. I have used several planning tools over the years. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Over the next few weeks I will review the following for you: The Unofficial Guide, TouringPlans.com, Tour Guide Mike and RideMax.

If your travel plans are even a little flexible, you may be able to score some vouchers as well.  This  system has worked for us in the past.  Today is further proof of the method. 

Here is how it works:

1. Book your tickets.  If you have a layover (or two) even better.
2. Check in at the airport, proceed to your gate as soon as you can.
3. Once at your gate, speak with the gate agent behind the desk.  Note: You may be at the gate before the agent.  That’s OK.  Just wait for them to show.  Once they do, let then get settled, then move in for the strike.  Ask them "Do you need any volunteers off the flight to [the city you are flying into - not your final destination].
4. Most times they will say "No, but thanks for asking."
5. Sometimes, like today, they say "Yes, we are.  Would you like to volunteer?"

It is at this stage that it gets fun.  Here is what happened with me today (and how it can work for you).

Scot:  Hi, do you need any volunteers off the flight to Columbus?

Agent:  Yes, we do.  We have oversold the flight.  Thank you.  What is your final destination?

Scot:  Richmond, Virginia.

Agent: Let me see, I can get you to Richmond today but it will be late?

Scot:  How late will it be Lori? [I know her name is Lori from her tag and I want Lori to be my friend in dishing out the compensation.]

Lori:  You would get in at 9:40 PM, but let me keep looking.

Scot:  What are you offering for compensation?  [Note: normally it is a travel voucher for $300]

Lori:  $300 plus we can give you some food vouchers since you will be hanging out here.

Scot:  Hmm.  Those travel vouchers spend just like cash when I book another flight with you right?

Lori:  Yes, just like cash.  All I can find is the evening flight.

Scot:  Well, I guess I could do that.

Lori: Great, let me book that.  Thanks so much for helping us out.

Scot:  You are welcome.  I wonder if you might be able to get me on 1st class on the flights that you are booking.

Lori:  Sorry, they are smaller aircraft.  [It is worth noting that many times they will upgrade your flights to 1st class, meaning you are getting paid to fly 1st class.]

Scot:  No problem.  Does your airline have a lounge that I could relax in while I wait for the flight?  [This was my first time to try this one but I figured I would give it a shot.]

Lori:  Sorry, we don’t.  Here are your tickets and vouchers.  Thanks again.

The gate agents love me because I made their job easier.  I love it because I scored 300 bones and some food vouchers ($20).  In addition, I got a few hours to myself in an airport, and I am loving the solitude.

Here are some additional considerations:

1. If they can’t get you out until the next day, they will offer vouchers and will pay for a local hotel room and transportation.  They want you off the plane.  They have sold extra tickets and the guy taking your seat just paid a ton because he booked it late.
2. Sometimes they will negotiate the price.  When you ask what they are offering, pause and say "Well, what is the most you can offer for compensation?" I forgot to do this today!
3. Be nice to them and they will be nice to you.  They have some negotiating power.
4. Make sure the vouchers will spend like cash.  On a past trip I scored 2 round-trip tickets on US Air.  Because they had so many blackout dates, I could not use them.  Ridiculous. 
5. The offer from them may go up.  The best I ever did was on a flight from Guatemala City to Miami.  I volunteered off for a $400 voucher.  They needed more volunteers and (over the speakers) offered $400 to anyone else who would take the deal.  No takers.  They upped the offer to $600 and someone volunteered off.  An agent came to me and said "You will be getting a $600 voucher as well."  That day, I spent 6 hours in the Guatemala airport waiting for a later flight.  I’ll take $100 an hour any day.
6. Your chances are higher if you are flying over peak times. 
7. In this economy, as the airlines cut flights and try to pack each plane, I think we will see more flights oversold. Good news for you and I.
8. Realize that you will get told "no"more than "yes."  In 2007 my family and I flew several flights in the Continental US, Hawaii, and Australia.  None of those flights were oversold.  Go figure.
9. More layovers mean more chances of getting on a full flight.  Go to the desk of every gate of every flight on which you are booked.
10. They will re-route your luggage on your new flight.

Good luck to you, fellow traveler.  Be a volunteer.  Sit on your can and make some coin to put toward your next adventure.

Do you have any other tips and tricks?