Good neighbor hotels?

[dancingirl21]

We are considering going to WDW for spring break. We went to DL the first week of January this year and stayed at the Grand Californian, and loved it. We have never stayed on property at WDW.

We said we would go back to WDW in a couple of years and go all out - stay at one of the Deluxe resorts.

Has anyone stayed at a good neighbor hotel? Is it easy to get to the parks? I priced out Beach Club and it’s about $1800-$2k more than a good neighbor hotel, which is significant, but maybe more worth it?

Maybe another option is a moderate resort.

We may scrap the whole idea but I am trying to think through options.

[quesyrah]

The moderate resorts are a fantastic option, especially the Caribbean Beach which is on the skyliner.

I love the convenience of staying on property and think it’s well worth the cost. The deluxe resorts are nice, but the moderates are where I find the most value.

[susiebw]

We've only been to WDW once, and I hope to never have to go again, so convenience was the primary motivator in our decision making for that trip. That said, we stayed at Beach Club and the location and pools were great and totally made it worth the cost for us. IF we were to ever go again, we'd stay at Polynesian for the same reasons.

[mrsslocombe]

I have only stayed on property, so I am biased. But I would price out Swan Reserve-you get the benefits of a deluxe Epcot resort but it's usually about 30% cheaper than Beach, Yacht, etc. FYI Beach Club is almost done renovating their rooms, so they will be freshly done for 2024.

I think the moderate resorts are fine though too! I'd pick Caribbean Beach for the Skyliner, though Port Orleans French Quarter is my favorite moderate resort in terms of a property, atmosphere, etc.

[nsl]

The problem with off-site resorts at WDW is that the property itself is so enormous you wind up spending a ton of time waiting for a bus, riding a bus, and then waiting for a bus again if you're offsite. We've pretty much decided the only hotels we're staying at in the future are the Crescent Lake properties because you can walk to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and both the Boardwalk and the Swan/Dolphin properties are midrange price-wise and have solid amenities. The Skyliner really extends this range, and I'd happily stay at Caribbean Beach in the future and use that in lieu of my feet for the walkable options.

[zarapipe]

dancingirl21 sorry for the late reply. We stayed at the Drury at Disney springs in april and it was fantastic. So close to
Wdw that the drive was zero problem at all. They also offer busing but we had a car. They also offer free breakfasts and snacks in the afternoon that can basically make a meal. Rooms were new and clean. Service was wonderful.