Advice on where to stay night before we check into DVC

[ilovediznee]

We will be arriving at Disney late in the evening and then checking into BWV the next day - in December. Should we:
-stay off site to save some money
-get a room at a value resort to be on WDW property???

I know that if I stay on WDW property they will transfer my luggage but I don't really need that. We will have a bag just for that one night, sleep and get up and go to our resort to check-in, so I'm wondering if it would just be easier to be on property.

Please advise.

Thanks - Diane

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have done both...the criteria seems to be if we'll be having a rental car anyway because it's a Saturday night, and we want one for church on Sunday, or if it's a Friday, and we won't have a car and so we need Magical Express. That's the way we do it!

Bobbi

PS. When we do stay off site, I've gotten some good prices from Travel Zoo specials.

 

[justcruisin]

We're staying a POP the night before we check in at BWV. For $92, we get that *magical* feeling. We'll swim or go to DTD our first night.

 

[Granny]

I agree with Bobbi...it depends on whether you will have a car, and what time of night you are arriving.

We tend to arrive late at night on a Saturday (we drive) so we spend the first night off-site at a nice resort/hotel. Then Sunday I head over to check in to the DVC while the family hangs at the pool at the off-site resort.

 

[ilovediznee]

We are driving from SC to Florida - it takes about 6-7.5 hours. We are picking up our daughter from school and leaving from there - about 2:45.

Sorry, I should have put that in my original one. We'll get there about 9 or 10 - and will need to stretch out - that's why I was thinking about just staying at Disney to make it easier and I know of the resorts. Take little one swimming to get some of the car ride out of her. But it will be December, so maybe just a walk.

Thanks - Diane

 

[apulk]

Generally when we go to WDW on points we are arriving (air or car) on Saturday afternoon or night. We have always stayed on-site to officially begin our WDW experience. Most recently -- probably the past 3 years we have gotten two rooms at Pop Century and then made arrangements to have our luggage moved to whatever Vacation Club resort we were staying in.

Basically we would pack whatever we needed for that one night and next morning into one bag and just kept the others by the door. Sometime that day they would be moved to the other hotel. Couldn't be easier.

andy

 

[Esteri]

We're coming in on the late night flights out of CA. Hey - they were "cheap" using miles! So, technically, we arrive on our check-in date (at 12:30 am!) Rather than running the risk of not having a place to crash - we decided to stay offsite for the night and then check in when we wake. Because of our arrival time - we'll have a rental car - so offsite wasn't an issue.

After much looking online I settled on the Ramada West Gate? Got a "kids suite" with a bunk bed for about $65. They seem to have a pretty decent pool play area in case we decide to use it. I haven't stayed there before, but the reviews online were good.

Hum.... I should probably inquire about late check out.

 

[wirki]

Generally when we go to WDW on points we are arriving (air or car) on Saturday afternoon or night. We have always stayed on-site to officially begin our WDW experience. Most recently -- probably the past 3 years we have gotten two rooms at Pop Century and then made arrangements to have our luggage moved to whatever Vacation Club resort we were staying in.

Basically we would pack whatever we needed for that one night and next morning into one bag and just kept the others by the door. Sometime that day they would be moved to the other hotel. Couldn't be easier.

andy

I talked to someone today about this.Asked about staying a Pop. She told me that I would have to stay with my luggage and travel with it to WLV because of security. Is this true??

 

[MarylandPizzaman]

We do this all the time.
We use Holiday Inn Sunspree Lake Buena Vista. It is located right outside disney property and there is a super wal-mart right up the street!
They have a huge pool that now has a video screen for the kids and they have rooms with bunk beds and partitioned walls so the kids have thier own TV and you have yours.
It is well worth the money to stay here. We stay at BWV and check in on our first DVC day by 7:00 AM and have yet to not get a room upon arrival!!!!

 

[newholidayx2]

I spent the wknd of 4/20-22 at Pop before switching over to BCV for 5nights
Spending 2 nights at Riverside w/DS15 before switching over to VWL for 5nights in Aug
In Nov? well its my 50th bday so spending 2 nights mbr cash disc BCV before 5 nights using points at BCV

 

[goofy4tink]

I talked to someone today about this.Asked about staying a Pop. She told me that I would have to stay with my luggage and travel with it to WLV because of security. Is this true??

Nope, I've never heard that before. I've switched from one resort to another several times. They take my luggage, I go off for the day, I checkin at the new resort later in the day, my luggage shows up after 5 or 6.

To the OP, I would be very tempted to stay at POP for that one night. It's not too far from BW...about an 8 minute drive. I love being on-site from the first minute....just adds to the fun. Besides, it's a nice way to check out a resort you might not ordinarily stay in.

 

[photobob]

We're staying at Pop on arrival day and getting up early the next morning to check in at BWV.

 

[wirki]

Nope, I've never heard that before. I've switched from one resort to another several times. They take my luggage, I go off for the day, I checkin at the new resort later in the day, my luggage shows up after 5 or 6.

That is what I thought too. Good to know it was just another well informed CM.
Thank you
Debbie

 

[HockeyKat]

We also drive and use Sat as driving time, so not worth the pts for that night and will be doing cash ressies.

If you have an AP, you can sometimes get an AP rate on rooms, making value as low as $60 and mods as low as $100. We have stayed either mod or at the Radisson Celebration which is very nice. DH won't do value so I can't comment there.

 

[smacky1]

Out of curiosity, do you book your room through Disney, or do you use a discount website. Does DVC off discounts for rooms that are not DVC??

 

[HockeyKat]

I book my room through the Annual Passholder website, disneyworld.com/passholder. There is also a number on there that you can call, which I recommend since the availability on the phone seems better than the web. You have to have an active AP or a voucher to use this site. Discounts can be $30-150 per night depending on room/type and season, and include DVC resorts.

There is usually a code for the AP discount, found on the website or on mousesavers, that you can use with regular CRO... if you call the "hotline" they seem to know it already.

You can also book with the code found on mousesavers through CRO if you are planning on buying an AP before you stay, because you are allowed to book "speculatively" and must show your AP on check-in.

The DVC room discount is limited and only available for DVC resort villas, and I believe it has to be booked through MS.

HTH!

 

[smacky1]

Thanks for the info HockeyKat!

 

[mommym]

It seems a recurring response that people pick POP when doing a one night stay before DVC. Why POP over the All Stars? Aren't all the values similar but with different theming?

 

[HockeyKat]

It seems to me, from anecdotal evidence of course, that POP is way more popular than the AllStars. I have never stayed in either, and likely never will, so I am not sure why... maybe the theming is better?

 

[wirki]

The reason I picked Pop over Allstars is because Pop does not share a bus with anyone. Although I am thinking of staying at Allstars before our next trip just because I have never been there. We'll see. I like to say I will stay at a value but I really just want to add a night on at WLV

Debbie