Staying off-site first night?

[remfam5]

We live in Oregon and won't be getting to Orlando until late (9pm). Has any one ever stayed by the airport or anywhere else really cheap for that first (WASTED) night and then transfered on-site?

We are going on a surprise visit and staying at the Poly, but I just hate to spend $400/nt on the first night just to sleep.

[snowglobe girl]

We learned a valuable lesson about doing that the first year - I'll spare you the horrible details, but it ended in my DH demanding our money be returned within 15 minutes of checking in. If I were you, I would book one night at one of the value resorts - I love Pop Century and All Star Movies. Depending on the time of year, they have offered deals where we have paid as little as $49 a night - the most we've paid is $99 a night. You don't have to worry about cleanliness, quality, and safety by staying on-sight. Plus that kind of sets the mood for your trip and you can feel like it has already started!! Just my opinion and what we do now.

[madalex]

We have stayed offsite for the first night in the past (at the Courtyard Marriot near Downtown Disney) and it worked out just fine. I have also considered (but never actually done, due to various trip logisitics) staying the first night at a value resort and then going to our deluxe resort for the rest of the trip.

Either way saves money from (as you said) spending several hundred dollars just to sleep.

[Camp Rd. Lady]

Why not stay at one of the value resorts your first night. You can take advantage of the free magical express transportation and disney will transport your luggage to the poly the next day. No need to find your way around at night. :moped:

[Simba's Mom]

Although we've never done it yet, we're staying off-site for one night before we check in to OKW in May. We're staying at Buena Vista Suites, with an excellent rate through Dreams Unlimited. Another hotel that got good reviews was Country Inn and Suites. But when I'm solo (and without a car), I've stayed at the Value resorts the first night when my plane arrives late.

[MrShiny]

What we have done is use our Hilton Hhonors points to stay one night at the Doubletree at Downtown Disney. If you are in the Hlton program, it's pretty easy to amass the 20,000 points needed to stay one night there. If you are in other programs, you might look into theirs.

This worked out really well (as we were staying on DVC points, it was fantastic!).

Now the place that won't save you money but will save you time is the Hyatt at the airport. It looks really nice, and being just the other side of Security, you can't get closer to the airport. Balance that with saving a day's rental on a car perhaps.

[Cindy's Mom]

Excellent suggestion on staying at the values.....WOW!

[MareQ]

I can understand not wanting to waste money on that first night because we too got in late out our last trip. We arrived at the hotel just before midnight.

For a few months beforehand I struggled with what to do that first night - did I want to waste 29 points(DVC members) on a late night like that - it certainly woud have been "cheaper to go with a value etc.

Then I started to think... Arriving late to begin with - checking in to a hotel - dealing with all of the suitcases - digging out pj's, clothes, toiliteries etc - getting up the next morning and packing that little bit of stuff up again - then dealing with bags, checking out - getting to the other hotel - checking in - etc. The thought of it was just too much and I decided that the hassle of it all and the wasted time just wasn't worth it to me. I decided that I just wanted to get there - get my room, unpack, go to sleep and the next morning when I woke up I wanted my vacation to start - I wanted to get up and get ready to go to a park ASAP not get up and get ready to move.

Obviously go with what is best for you but IMO it's worth $400 to me to get to start my vacation a few hours earlier :)

Having said that - if you do choose to go with a less expensive route - I'd definitely go with an onsite hotel as opposed to offsite - much less hassle with the baggage and you'll already be in Disney when you wake up :)

[kilee]

The Hyatt at MCO (it's right at the airport- so no shuttles or anything) wouldn't be a bad option- and it always gets good reviews.

[mbb]

The Hyatt at MCO (it's right at the airport- so no shuttles or anything) wouldn't be a bad option- and it always gets good reviews.

I think that's what we're doing our next trip. Our possible?? flight is arriving at 11:30 at night, it would be after 1am by the time we get the car, and drive to well, wherever we're staying, onsite or off:teeth:
....Hyatt - before and after.

I'll just pack the needed overnight stuff in the carryons, that way the other suitcases can stay packed.

Up early, get the car, and off we go:)

Same for reverse...it looks like the flight we want is leaving at 8am, and I'm not doing the "pack til 1am, sleep for 2 hours, then up at 3am, leaving at 4:30am for the airport, car rental return, after a long last day at WDW" marathon..

I'd rather have the car all packed, head for WDW, have a nice last dinner at WDW, then head for the airport, return rental, and sleep until 4:30am...catch the elevator, and join the cattle call line for security :teeth:

Every time we go, I get a little better at figuring it all out - for the next trip!! :rotfl:

:sunny:

[ttfn3]

Since you are getting in so late and arriving from the West Coast, staying near the airport is a good idea. We have stayed at the Hyatt MCO and my DS had a BLAST watching the people in the terminal. In fact, he keeps asking if we can do this again. We have also stayed at the Embassy Suites near the airport. They have a really nice full breakfast that is included.

There are also a lot of options closer to Disney for way less than $400. That price would be way too steep for me for just a few hours. You can always checkin early at the Poly the next day.

[Lewisc]

The 3* hotels on Priceline offer complimentary 24 hour shuttle service. Most of them are just N of the airport.

Check biddingfortravel.com

[Kayleebug]

We almost always stay somewhere else the first night because we arrive so late. We have bid on 4 Star and Resort hotels on Priceline, and stayed 1 night at the Peabody and another time got the Hilton in DTD. We're staying at one of the Double Tree hotels this time for 1 night for a total price of $72 with a AAA discount.

[basketrn]

We have the same delimma for our March 06 trip. I went back and forth on what we wanted to do. I finally decided to do the priceline thing. I got Marriott Orlando Airport for 65/night (spring break).

The reason to do this was I could take a shuttle to and from the airport. We don't get into Orlando until 11pm so we will take the shuttle to Marriott. Then in the morning we will take the shuttle back to the airport and use Disney Magical Express to our resort.

[ccw]

Is using the free Magical Express service important to you? If so, the Value Resort for the first night would not be a bad option and, while not as spacious as some of the offsite places (esp. the suites), who cares for one night? No way would I spend $400 that first night.

[stacy6552]

I'd stay at a Disney value the first night. The service is always better and Disney will move your things for you. So all you do is pack and call and then head out for the day to where ever and your things will be waiting for you at the Poly at the end of the day.

[DiscussDisney]

Any of the Hampton Inns or Fairfield Inns are a great choice for a night. Easy check-in with no lines. Free Breakfast the next morning. Have a great trip.

[WishingUponAStar]

every time I go to Disney I usually stay at the marriot. It is a really nice hotel. You micght want to spend a day to relax their they also have a lot of fun activites for kids. The food is great and the hotel is beautiful. Heres a link


http://www.marriottworldcenter.com/

[coachyo]

I say stay on site. :banana:

Now with that said, there are many variables to that.

Are you renting a car? It's easier to get yourself around and faster.

What are the ages in your party? Any real young ones that staying up late would make a really bad start? Maybe you do need to get into a room and get them in bed. Then maybe offsite close is important.

Do you plan to hit the parks the 1st day? If so, unless you are getting up really early and checking out early and then in early you are going to loose a lot of time. Especially if you end up eating before you arrive at your new hotel on property.

We stayed off site last time and it was a huge mistake. The place was nasty and we lost so much time on our real vacation. Getting up in the am and eating and heading out and then checking in and then getting unpacked and set up in our new digs that 1/2 the day was wasted. Now $ was a big factor in us stay off last time. We were at AKL and didn't want to spend all that $ for the 1st night either. From what we learned to now if we had to do it over we would stay at a Value and then have everything moved for us. I would pack just as others said with a carryon ready for us for 1 night and the rest could be sent right on to my other place. In the AM call and have my carryons sent and I'm off to the parks! :cool1: If you don't have a car. If you do have a car take it yourself if you really need it at a certain time. Now all you have to do is come back to check in and set up at the new place and you didn't mess with the hassle of offsite and lost time at the world.

We are staying at POR in June this time and we won't arrive at POR until around 7:30-8:00pm. I thought about staying value the 1st night but the money was't that big a difference and it's worth not having to mess with the moving stuff. But for about $300 difference like it sounds like it would be for you I would stay at the value.

Hope I didn't bore you or anyone else with my rambling. :yay:

Good luck,

YO

[Amyrlin]

We are flying in from the UK, if we were going straight to Disney I'd go for a value, but as we are going to Universal first and will get into orlando about 8pm we will book a 3 star for the night, much cheaper and that way we do not waste a night on a good hotel that we will be to tired to appricate.

[mommyceratops]

DH and I stayed at the Hyatt at the airport one time when arrived late. It was nice and we were glad we did that. Last thing you want to do after flying is wait another hour before you get to bed.

[keishashadow]

Although I'll probably "cave" and stay our 1st night @ AS, I'm actively searching for a clean, basic, lower-priced alternative.

We'll be changing rooms twice during our week-long stay. Our AAA rate for the standard is $95 (no bargin IMO). Almost a $30 (or 37 percent) increase from same time period in '03 - quite a jump in price.

The AS's check-in lines/wait times have grown worse each time I visit. Really don't want to spend an hour waiting for room keys for just 1 night. We've tried checking in @ different times during the day, just have never seemed to hit it right.

Since EMH aren't a factor for us the 1st day & we have a rental, I don't see the difference in the AS's location and once of the many outside the maingate or DTD area.

[remfam5]

Thanks for all the help! It sounds like it is about 50-50 for staying at a value or by the airport. I will definitely have to figure out what's best for us!
We have 2 kids (9 & 6) and aren't to worried about "missing" the opening of a park that day. We'll probably go to Epcot and walk around the World.


But, has anyone stayed at the airport, then taken all your luggage back to the terminal and taken Magic express to your resort??

Thanks again--- you all are so Helpful!! :thumbsup2

[MickeyP]

I personally haven't. Call them and ask if you can still do ME. You're staying at the Poly, if they don't like it, hang up, call back and tell them you're arriving the next day. That way, you'll get a different operator.

[MartDM]

We do exactly what you are describing every time we come to Orlando. We take the 5pm flight and get in around 10pm so we have a full day the next day.

We've stayed at the Crowne Plaza at the airport which was very nice and have also stayed several times (using Hilton Honors points) at the Homewood Suites near the convention center, which is also nice.

Unless you can find a comparable price on site, you might just as well stay near the airport so you can get settled in quickly and have a restful evening in anticipation of your next big day :)

[poohraedopey]

We have stayed offsite for the first night in the past (at the Courtyard Marriot near Downtown Disney) and it worked out just fine. I have also considered (but never actually done, due to various trip logisitics) staying the first night at a value resort and then going to our deluxe resort for the rest of the trip.

Either way saves money from (as you said) spending several hundred dollars just to sleep.

We are planning to stay here this trip our first day. Not sure what time we will get to orlando as we are driving in but my plan is to hit the outlets and DTD the first day so we are staying there. We did the courtyard our hole week the first time hubby and I went and we loved it. Our last night we stayed at the Airport Sheraton in a suite which was really nice too. We had to be at the airport at like 5am so that worked really well.