How to use priceline??

[DisneyPolve]

We are driving to Disney at the end of July. We don't check-in to Disney until the 25th, but we will arrive on the 24th. I want a hotel extremely close to Disney, but don't want to pay $100+ for a place to sleep for an evening. My only problem is that DH is a little of a hotel snob, so I have seen many posts of people getting great deals at great hotels near Disney. But when I went to Priceline, I wasn't quite sure what I need to do to guarantee a nice hotel at a great price. Any suggestions or tips extremely appreciated!

 

[Upatnoon]

We are driving to Disney at the end of July. We don't check-in to Disney until the 25th, but we will arrive on the 24th. I want a hotel extremely close to Disney, but don't want to pay $100+ for a place to sleep for an evening. My only problem is that DH is a little of a hotel snob, so I have seen many posts of people getting great deals at great hotels near Disney. But when I went to Priceline, I wasn't quite sure what I need to do to guarantee a nice hotel at a great price. Any suggestions or tips extremely appreciated!

Go to biddingfortravel.com and/or betterbidding.com and all your questions will be answered.

 

[TheSixOfUs]

A few things to know about Priceline:

1. Reservations are non-refundable when you use Name Your Own Price.
2. Rooms are only guaranteed to accommodate a maximum of 2 people.
3. No guarantee which amenities your hotel will have. (e.g., shuttle, pool).

If #2 or 3 above is important, I suggest you use Hotwire instead. You will pay a bit more but still get a great deal. Plus you can book rooms for up to 4 people and you know what amenities the hotel has before you book.

HotelDealsRevealed.com is another good Priceline and Hotwire 'helper' website.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

If you have your mind set on something "extremely close to Disney" forget Priceline. They have zones but that doesn't mean you will get "extremely close", just means that you will get somewhere in that zone.

 

[Detailor]

Go to biddingfortravel.com and/or betterbidding.com and all your questions will be answered.

This is great advise for advise on Priceline. Take the time to read everything in the FAQ section on Hotels about how to bid and use "free re-bids." Also look at the recently won bids in the Disney area - this can work as a bidding guide for you.

I assume that by "extremely close to Disney" you mean not downtown Orlando or the airport or other such areas that might be fifteen-twenty miles away from Disney World. I think that three areas would satisfy your desire to be in the area: Lake Buena Vista-Downtown Disney (a rather large area that runs from about Central Florida Parkway to the northeast, down to the Osceola Parkway and then over onto Disney property and the hotels that are just outside of Hotel Plaza Boulevard in the Downtown Disney area), Disney Maingate - Celebration (an even larger area including Celebration, the area along SR 192 in Kissimmee, and down toward Davenport on either side of I-4), or the West Disney area (a rather small area along the western-most part of SR 192 that includes several timeshare resorts and a few hotels).

Remember that not all hotels and resorts participate with Priceline (or Hotwire) and you should check the Interim Orlando Hotel List at the biddingfortravel website to see what users have reported as participants or the site owners indicate as possible participants (usually based on other hotels of the same chain participating in other areas of the country). I think that the Lake Buena Vista area would provide you with the greatest likelihood to be relatively close (within a fifteen minute drive) to Disney as it looks like most of the hotels are adjacent to Disney and that is where the largest number of hotels in that area are located anyway.

On the maximum 2 guests thing noted by another poster: a standard Priceline room is set up for two guests in a king or queen sized bed - and some hotels only have that set up - but most hotels have two double bed rooms that will accommodate more than two guests. We've used Priceline dozens of times and have always called the hotel in advance of our stay to arrange for a two bed room and have never been denied such a set up. While I suspect that luck won't bear out forever I think you chances of getting a room with more than one bed are favorable.

In my experience a good Priceline win will be 50% to 60% of the retail price and most Priceline hotels are very recognizable chains.

Happy bidding...

Dick Taylor

 

[pamjb]

Are you flying into Orlando? If so, you may want to consider a hotel near the airport. I have used the bidding advice on biddingfortravel.com several times for those trips when we have a late arrival into Orlando. I have gotten the Hyatt inside MCO twice and the Marriot which is about 5 minutes from the airport. I paid under $55 (including all the Priceline.com fees) each time. I also was able to call and request double beds for one of our stays at the Hyatt and didn't have any problems at all. I always bid for at least a 3.5 star.
From what I understand, you may have to pay resort fees for those hotels nearer to Disney, which may bring the cost higher than what you would pay to be slight distance away.

 

[FSUFanChris]

We are driving to Disney at the end of July. We don't check-in to Disney until the 25th, but we will arrive on the 24th. I want a hotel extremely close to Disney, but don't want to pay $100+ for a place to sleep for an evening. My only problem is that DH is a little of a hotel snob, so I have seen many posts of people getting great deals at great hotels near Disney. But when I went to Priceline, I wasn't quite sure what I need to do to guarantee a nice hotel at a great price. Any suggestions or tips extremely appreciated!

How many adults and children? Just for the night of the 24th?

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Also watch TravelZoo.com everyday!

 

[leebee]

IT's definitely too complicated to explain here how to use Priceline for hotels; check out biddingfortravel and betterbidding for a full tutorial, then if you have specific questions I bet there are dozens of folks here to help you! (I think b4t has more info but the mods are nicer on bb.)

It's true, Priceline only guarantees bedspace for 2 people, but I have found that to only be an issue in some of the big cities (Boston, San Francisco, NYC) where many hotels have tiny rooms with 1 double bed for BIG money. You can and will get these sometimes on Priceline. However, any time we have bidded for an airport hotel (in Orlando and elsewhere), we have always won a chain (Marriott, usually) hotel that has 2d or 2q rooms. I just call in advance and ask for a 2-bedded room, and it's never been a problem for us (although ymmv)

 

[DisneyPolve]

How many adults and children? Just for the night of the 24th?

2 adults...husband and me and 1 child 9 yr old boy. Now Iam starting to second guess using it. We will only be there one night and then transferring into CSR.

 

[taliategan]

If DH is a hotel snob, you should probably bid 3.5* star and above. Many offsite hotels around Disney have resort or parking fees - if you bid at this level or above, you will have to factor an extra $ 10 to $ 20 a night for these charges. You pay these charges directly to the hotel. These charges are not included in your bid, and you do not know what they are until after you have a successful bid and check with the hotel. You may also consider the SeaWorld/Convention Center zone. A little farther from Disney than some of the other zones mentioned (about a 15 minute drive to Downtown Disney area), but there are many nice 4* and 3.5* hotels in this zone, most of them by the Convention Center, and you can normally get a successful bid at a lower price in this area than the Lake Buena Vista/Downtown Disney zone. Prices will vary depending on dates and what hotels may have Priceline rooms available on your date. I normally check the betterbidding hotel list for zones and star rating in that zone. If I find a zone at a star rating that I would be comfortable with any of the past reported hotels wins in that zone, I bid that zone. You can be upgraded to a higher star rating if a higher star hotel is at a price lower than a hotel at the star rating you are bidding.

 

[FSUFanChris]

2 adults...husband and me and 1 child 9 yr old boy. Now Iam starting to second guess using it. We will only be there one night and then transferring into CSR.

Use Hotwire. Give me a couple of hours and I'll find you some hotels and tell you which ones are which.

 

[FSUFanChris]

OK...

• Goto Hotwire.com
• Put in 7/24 to 7/25 with 2 adults and 1 child.
• Look for the 3 star hotel "Disney Main Gate - Celebration area hotel" for $35. It should have 8 different ammitities (smoke-free, breakfast, fitness, pool, buisness, laundry, high speed, golf).
• Enjoy!

That is the Baymont Inn and Suites. I just stayed there and it is the only place I will stay in Orlando now. All rooms have mahogany furniture and a 42 inch plasma television. The best part is, you can get to Disney in less than 2 minutes "the back way." Just take Sherberth Rd and you are at Animal Kingdom in 60 seconds.

Also, be prepared for a $5 "resort fee." Parking is free, though. You will love it for $40 total!

Also, after you reserve it, call them and ask for a room "Pool side, 1st floor." The courtyard is quite peaceful.

 

[altus]

Price it $69, you will get it

 

[altus]

But stop at 3

 

[DisneyPolve]

OK...

• Goto Hotwire.com
• Put in 7/24 to 7/25 with 2 adults and 1 child.
• Look for the 3 star hotel "Disney Main Gate - Celebration area hotel" for $35. It should have 8 different ammitities (smoke-free, breakfast, fitness, pool, buisness, laundry, high speed, golf).
• Enjoy!

That is the Baymont Inn and Suites. I just stayed there and it is the only place I will stay in Orlando now. All rooms have mahogany furniture and a 42 inch plasma television. The best part is, you can get to Disney in less than 2 minutes "the back way." Just take Sherberth Rd and you are at Animal Kingdom in 60 seconds.

Also, be prepared for a $5 "resort fee." Parking is free, though. You will love it for $40 total!

Also, after you reserve it, call them and ask for a room "Pool side, 1st floor." The courtyard is quite peaceful.

Thanks so much!! Went ahead and booked this morning

Hotel
Hotel rate per night: $35.00
Nights: 1
Rooms: 1
Subtotal: $35.00
Tax recovery charges and fees $11.49
Total price: $46.49

 

[FSUFanChris]

Thanks so much!! Went ahead and booked this morning

Hotel
Hotel rate per night: $35.00
Nights: 1
Rooms: 1
Subtotal: $35.00
Tax recovery charges and fees $11.49
Total price: $46.49

Awesome! It was, in fact, the Baymont Inn and Suites, right? Don't forget to call them and ask for a room "Pool side, 1st floor." Also, don't be surprised about their $5.18 resort fee when you get there.

 

[DisneyPolve]

Awesome! It was, in fact, the Baymont Inn and Suites, right? Don't forget to call them and ask for a room "Pool side, 1st floor."

Yes it was!!! You must have a magic ball or something!!
The pics of the hotel are great, everything looks new/remodeled and most importantly clean! Bonus is being so close to Disney for early check-in on the 25th!


The address of the hotel was listed as: I am assuming that is the Baymount Inn you were talking about.

Baymont Inn and Suites Celebration
7601 Black Lake Road
Celebration, FL 34747 US

Thank you,
Joi

 

[foreUT]

OK...

• Goto Hotwire.com
• Put in 7/24 to 7/25 with 2 adults and 1 child.
• Look for the 3 star hotel "Disney Main Gate - Celebration area hotel" for $35. It should have 8 different ammitities (smoke-free, breakfast, fitness, pool, buisness, laundry, high speed, golf).
• Enjoy!

That is the Baymont Inn and Suites. I just stayed there and it is the only place I will stay in Orlando now. All rooms have mahogany furniture and a 42 inch plasma television. The best part is, you can get to Disney in less than 2 minutes "the back way." Just take Sherberth Rd and you are at Animal Kingdom in 60 seconds.

Also, be prepared for a $5 "resort fee." Parking is free, though. You will love it for $40 total!

Also, after you reserve it, call them and ask for a room "Pool side, 1st floor." The courtyard is quite peaceful.

Great instructions. Sounds like this is a nice place to stay, especially for those of us that arrive late and need a safe, close accommodation.

 

[FSUFanChris]

Yes it was!!! You must have a magic ball or something!!
The pics of the hotel are great, everything looks new/remodeled and most importantly clean! Bonus is being so close to Disney for early check-in on the 25th!


The address of the hotel was listed as: I am assuming that is the Baymount Inn you were talking about.

Baymont Inn and Suites Celebration
7601 Black Lake Road
Celebration, FL 34747 US

Thank you,
Joi

That's the one! It's not a $150 hotel room, but it far exceeded our expectations for a clean, safe place to stay for the night. The plasma tv and furniture is a huge plus. Make sure to call them and get that "1st floor, pool side" room.