Need some help to decide, please: Desert Palms or Fairfield Inn

[yaya74]

Hi all,

Please help me to decide if you may....
We are going to DLR Nov 1- Nov 4 for 3 nights with two adults and two kids (age 1 and 4).
I have narrowed down to two hotles: Fairfield Inn and Desert Palms.

I am attracted to Desert Palms' free Wifi, free parking and free breakfast. But not sure about the walk and the condition of the hotel...

As for Fairfield Inn, I am attracted by it's location (across the street) and it is owned by Marriott. But it does not offer free breakfast and I am not sure if the hotel offers complimentary parking.

Cleanness of the room is my priority. I have never stayed at these two hotels before....

So what do you think? Thanks for helping!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We have stayed at each once, but that was 5 or 6 years ago. My mother-in-law stays at that Fairfield frequently, and my brother stayed there earlier this year. The Fairfield does charge for parking; I think it's $11 per day.

If it was me I would choose the Fairfield. The walk is slightly shorter. The hotel was very clean when we stayed, and my mother-in-law says it still is very clean and well kept. DH and I didn't like our room at Desert Palms, and it wasn't as clean as I would like. Breakfast doesn't matter to our family since we drive and bring our own, so I'm not factoring that in. Also, since we like to be to the park early, hotel breakfast is sometimes a hindrance since it often doesn't start early enough in the morning.

 

[nwlovely]

We stayed at the FFI in March and enjoyed it. It was definitely clean and it's been recently renovated so everything was fairly new.

 

[yaya74]

Thank you all for the quick reply. Nice to know that FFI has been recently renovated. I guess I am going to go with FFI.

psyched!!!

 

[Girimama33]

I haven't stayed at the other hotel you are considering, but we love, love love the FFI.

I checked your dates, and lastminutetravel.com has FFI at $93 a night. If you can't find cheaper...I thought I would throw that out there. If you do a search, it doesn't show all the hotel names. The FFI is exactly 13.63 miles from airport (it states that in listing) and it is $93 a night. If you call and book through LMT, I have hear they may waive parking fees too.

http://www.lastminutetravel.com//Pa...t=1&hptf=1&hpstf=1&rooms=1,2,2,4,6&sbp=False&

 

[Disneydreamsdancer]

Another vote here for the FFI! We stayed there for the first time this last January and loved it! The staff were lovely and very helpful, the room was spotless and cleaned daily and the free wifi was a big help! The lack of breakfast didnt bother us too much, there is a mini mart on the 3rd floor which sells snacks and breakfast items as well as coffee and hot beverages.
Have a great trip whichever you decide!!

 

[Hayleybot]

I called lasminutetravel to book the ffi and got it for $90 a night and they said that it included the parking. So I'm pretty stoked about that being that most of family is driving in and I booked three rooms for all of us. They were really easy to work with and hopefully everything goes according to plan with the reservations. I too was trying to decide between those two hotels and I went for ffi because of the price I got and the distance to the park.

 

[yaya74]

I have booked FFI for our upcoming trip. Thank you all for the reply!!!

 

[Stinkerbell1973]

I am staying at the FFI from 10/18-10/21....and I need that $93 rate! Haha. I may be calling lastminutetravel.com!

Question - how far of a walk is it from FFI to DLH? I am considering booking dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. We aren't renting a car so I'll be hoofing it with my 8 year old (unless there's a shuttle).
TIA!

 

[PixiePowered]

Slightly off topic,but, does anyone know if a hotel is no longer available (for instance FFI) on lastminutetravel.com does it ever reappear (as available)?

I saw FFI was available for the dates DH and I were hoping to go in October...but a couple days later it wasn't listed. When I look day by day (for availability) it appears that it's just not available ONE of the three days I need. I don't want to book separate hotels...so I was just curious if this has happened to anyone and if the hotel ever became available again. Make sense?

TIA!

 

[Hayleybot]

Slightly off topic,but, does anyone know if a hotel is no longer available (for instance FFI) on lastminutetravel.com does it ever reappear (as available)?

I saw FFI was available for the dates DH and I were hoping to go in October...but a couple days later it wasn't listed. When I look day by day (for availability) it appears that it's just not available ONE of the three days I need. I don't want to book separate hotels...so I was just curious if this has happened to anyone and if the hotel ever became available again. Make sense?

TIA!

I would just call them (lastminutetravel) directly and see if the dates are available.

 

[IBLarsen]

I am staying at the FFI from 10/18-10/21....and I need that $93 rate! Haha. I may be calling lastminutetravel.com!

Question - how far of a walk is it from FFI to DLH? I am considering booking dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. We aren't renting a car so I'll be hoofing it with my 8 year old (unless there's a shuttle).
TIA!

We always stay at the FFI and we always do Goofy's kitchen our first night after check in, so walk directly there from the hotel. The walk to the main gates is about 5-7 minutes. Then you just walk straight down Downtown Disney, Goofy's is at the end, so maybe another 10 min, but even with our children, it seemed totally doable. You know, I think we actually usually say it's 20 minutes for us, but that has been with young children (starting at age 3 our first trip a few years ago) and taking our time, and she never complained. You should be fine with an 8 year old. We stop in some of the shops on the way back, or on the way in if we have time.