Getting a Room in a “Booked” Hotel - and For a Discount

I have a friend who told his kids he was taking them to Disneyland off season and that he’d book them a room at the Disneyland Hotel. Even though he timed the trip for October (supposedly one of the slowest times of the year) he discovered the hotel was booked solid! None of the many tours or packages he surveyed had any rooms at any price.

Through a rather unconventional method, he not only got a room–but also received a rate at less than half the standard room rate. How’d he do it? Simple. He went to the local Anaheim visitors and convention bureau website and saw what conferences were being held at the hotel at the same time he wanted to go. By simply mentioning the event, he was able to reserve a room at a discount price.

He also claims strategic searches in Google can yield events that match dates and times desired at booked venues. For example:

“disneyland hotel” “october 10,” 2005

While I suppose this technique can be effective in a pinch (and might actually help a meeting planner who is short on attendees), it’s not something I’d use everyday to find discount lodging…