Best off-site hotel shuttle?

[ackitty]

Hi everyone!

My boyfriend and I will be visiting WDW 1/22-1/27. I'd prefer to stay on-site, as we will not be renting a car and it would be nice to take advantage of the Disney transportation system. However, the budget-minded part of knows that off-site accomodation would be cheaper. I am worried that many hotels' "free shuttle service" is neither free nor remotely convenient.

Can anyone recommend a good value off-site hotel with reliable free transport to the parks? Or perhaps a non-Disney hotel within walking distance to Downtown Disney? I assume if we stayed at a hotel like this, we could walk to DD and catch the WDW brand buses from there?

Thanks experts!
Jennifer

 

[pampam]

We've stayed at the Travelodge Maingate East, 5711 Irlo Bronson Highway many times.( 10 or 12) The shuttle service is quite good. For the first 4 shuttles of the day they would go to a specific park. For example, MK. If I wanted to go to Epcot early, I would catch the MK bus, and take the monorail to Epcot. It worked out very well for us. However, we haven't stayed there for about 4 years now, because with the codes we get here on the boards, it's cheaper to stay on site.