Both of my trips to WDW I stayed on property in a moderate resort and it was worth the extra money to have to not worry about transportation. Disney provided bus service to and from the airport and from the hotel to all parks and DTD Disney. The resort I stayed at last month, Port Orleans Riverside, also has a boat to DTD.
We stayed at the Bonnet Creek when we went. They have a free shuttle and a fun pool. It was kinda nice to go off property and be able to get away from the Disney for a little bit. It was nice to decompress.
Post by revolution on Jun 29, 2013 19:26:11 GMT -5
I would stay on property again in a heartbeat. We stayed at port Orleans riverside in Feb and it was amazing. The theme was part if the magic for dd. One key needed gets me in my room and I can charge everything on it at yhe parks. The food there was great. Transportation to the parks and airport was really easy.
This is he new simple humannteashcans/McDonald's. but I guess less acrimonious. LOL that people are saying they just can't imagine *ever* staying anywhere other than a DVC property. LOL. It is not like the off site properties are in Compton. Would we have children, they will enjoy deluxe accommodations 69 miles from the park. As did I (well, 10 miles, at my day's friend's house, but nonetheless). I do not feel my childhood was adversely affected.
We just did Disneyland, and it was so nice to be at the Disneyland Resort. We were able to get to and from both parks really quickly, LOVED the extra magic hour, and the girls could take afternoon naps. I'd do it that way again.
I'm a bit of a Disney nut, and we travel there at least once every year, so take this for what it's worth:
OHMIGOSH YES YOU HAVE TO STAY IN A DISNEY HOTEL!
Value hotel preference: Pop Century Moderate hotel preference: Port Orleans Riverside Deluxe hotel preference: Polynesian
We are going in Oct and stayng at the All STar movie resort. any tips for us
I know you're not asking me, but I am butting in to suggest - go somewhere else! We stayed at the All Star Movie resort once and we will never do it again. The props they use are cute and the kids loved looking at them (huge Buzz Lightyear, etc) but apart from that, we were very unimpressed. The rooms reminded me of motel 6 room with a theme. Tiny, dingy, dirty-feeling. Everything else seemed OK but the room was a dealbreaker for us. We are FL residents and I think the room was only $75 (or $95) for the night but it wasn't worth even that little amount. We checked out of there and checked into the Nickelodeon hotel instead. We have stayed there several times and like that much better than the value resorts at Disney. The kids have a blast and the rooms are all very large (I think all of them are suites with a small kitchenette area).
And to the original poster the biggest perk to staying at a Disney resort is the transportation (but the value resorts do have longer wait times than moderate resorts... at least in our experience) but most hotels close to Disney offer free shuttle service. If you have kids, I would recommend checking out the Nick hotel. My kids love it so much that my son wanted to stay there instead of going to Disney World for the day (kid, are you kidding me!? lol). If you aren't traveling with kids I would recommend checking out the Swan or Dolphin. They are on Disney property but are not actually Disney hotels. I think they are owned by Sheraton? Anyway they are beautiful. My SIL and BIL often stay there and love it.
When I was a kid, we stayed on the coast and drove in for the day. It was great. We'd also do a day at Cape Kennedy. Things have grown enormously since then so I don't know if that is as feasible now.
I'm a bit of a Disney nut, and we travel there at least once every year, so take this for what it's worth:
OHMIGOSH YES YOU HAVE TO STAY IN A DISNEY HOTEL!
Value hotel preference: Pop Century Moderate hotel preference: Port Orleans Riverside Deluxe hotel preference: Polynesian
We are going in Oct and stayng at the All STar movie resort. any tips for us
October is a great time to go! Try to get tickets for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. If you can, bring your costumes! It's so much fun. Also, if you're staying at any of the All Stars, you might want to rent a car if you won't have your own car. The buses are often full, and it's a long ride to and from most of the parks from the All Star area. Do you have dining reservations already? If not, get on it!
I have lots of tips and could go on and on. October is one of my favorite times to travel to WDW. Enjoy!
I'm a bit of a Disney nut, and we travel there at least once every year, so take this for what it's worth:
OHMIGOSH YES YOU HAVE TO STAY IN A DISNEY HOTEL!
Value hotel preference: Pop Century Moderate hotel preference: Port Orleans Riverside Deluxe hotel preference: Polynesian
We are going in Oct and stayng at the All STar movie resort. any tips for us
We went in January and stayed at All Star Music. Not fancy at all but clean and super cheap, we were happy to be there. I spent some time reading tips on easywdw.com and it was so useful. They have reviews of all the hotels, restaurants, and also recommended schedules and a crowd calendar that shows you which day to go to which park.
Post by stephm0188 on Jun 29, 2013 23:55:43 GMT -5
We've stayed at a variety of places, on site and off. First, keep in mind that the WDW property is large. It covers 40 sq miles. The first year we stayed at a Residence Inn in Lake Buena Vista. My husband was there for work, so I took the kid to WDW because he was free and my 5 day ticket was only $99. The shuttle ran 3x a day, so it kind of sucked planning my day around that. Otherwise, it was fine. I didn't feel like I missed anything.
The next trip was another company trip. We used SPG points to stay at the Swan for free. It's not a Disney hotel, but it is on site and within walking distance to two parks. The location was amazing. I liked the easy access to the hotel and parks. We could go back for a nap or a swim. We could see the fireworks from our room.
The next trip was another company trip, but we did a split stay. The company paid for a couple nights at a Downtown Disney hotel, and we paid to stay a few nights at a moderate Disney resort. The level of service and amenities at the Disney resort far surpassed the non-Disney resort, but the DTD resort wasn't terrible in terms of location.
We're going again this year for yet another company related trip, and we're staying on site. For us, Disney is the entire vacation, and not just one portion of it. We're willing to pay a little more to be close to the parks and have things like their airport shuttle service and extra hours in the parks and easy access to our hotel room mid-day. We drive through the Disney gates and don't leave for a week.
No matter what you choose, you'll have a great time. Staying off site won't diminish your experience in any way, but staying on site can def. enhance it if that's what you're looking for.
Another vote for staying on property. My favorite is Wilderness Lodge. The rooms are great. The resort is compact (so not a lot of walking to get to your room or restaurants). The pool is awesome. And the very best part is the boat that takes you from your hotel to the entrance of MK. With small kids, this is the very best way to travel IMO. We'd leave our room, and within 20 minutes we are inside MK. And, tons of buses to the other parks and resorts for your visits there. That's where we stay typically, although if I can get a decent deal, next time I'd like to try the Polynesian or Grand Floridian.
I second this, my Dad worked for ABC for 23 years and when Disney purchased them, we went down to Orlando a few times because the plan was for my Dad's job to relocate down there (he wound up deciding not to go). Anyway we spent many free nights at the Wilderness Lodge and it was FANTASTIC. Taking the boat over to Magic Kingdom was awesome. The pool was great too. We had a great time. If I was going back to Disney, I'd definitely stay at a Disney resort. Is it necessary? No. But IMO it's part of "the experience."