Airport Hotel

[TamaraQT]

Honestly, are the airport area hotels/motels really that questionable and sketchy as some of you are describing? It just sounds like hotels in that area would be hard for people to get to. I would imagine the area to not be so "tourist-y" that sketchy people would stand out to police and security in the area. The idea there are "shuttles" running day and night to transport people to and from the airport, doesn't make me think the area to be questionable on safety. I have NEVER had the opportunity to stay at one so I am just curious and would just like more people to chime in with their experiences.

Personally, I stay offsite from Disney. My family prefers timeshare resorts. However, there are times we arrive the day/night or so before check-in and we will stay in a hotel/motel type accommodations for a night or two. Red Lion was one of our favorites. I have wondered about possibly staying at one closest to the airport so that is why I am so curious.

 

[Pooh's World]

Honestly, are the airport area hotels/motels really that questionable and sketchy as some of you are describing? It just sounds like hotels in that area would be hard for people to get to. I would imagine the area to not be so "tourist-y" that sketchy people would stand out to police and security in the area. The idea there are "shuttles" running day and night to transport people to and from the airport, doesn't make me think the area to be questionable on safety. I have NEVER had the opportunity to stay at one so I am just curious and would just like more people to chime in with their experiences.

Personally, I stay offsite from Disney. My family prefers timeshare resorts. However, there are times we arrive the day/night or so before check-in and we will stay in a hotel/motel type accommodations for a night or two. Red Lion was one of our favorites. I have wondered about possibly staying at one closest to the airport so that is why I am so curious.

I have seen two separate things of note on two different trips.

1. Wawa

I was filling up the gas to my rental car before returning it to the airport.
As I fill up the gas, an itinerant (I don't think they are homeless, but I will leave the description at that) appears right behind me into my personal space and says excuse me. As I turn around he asks me for some money. He seemed nice in used car salesman type of way but felt something was off. It felt like he was trying to occupy my attention, either to pull some scam or possibly have a compatriot take something from inside my unlocked rental car while he distracts me. I told him I don't have any money but he kept trying to continue to the conversation as long as possible.

2. Homewood Suites

The second time I entered the Homewood Suites and as soon as I go past the sliding doors at the entrance there's an itinerant sleeping on the white bench at the entrance. Snoring. This is unacceptable for a hotel, and actually I've never seen that inside the front door of a hotel lobby before.

The only conclusion I can draw is the police/security in this area are more lack and don't enforce things. Because I have not witnessed this type of behavior on I Drive, LBV, WDW, Disney Springs, etc.
I also think maybe these con man/bad people know that most people in the airport area have a plane to catch, so by the time a target realizes something went wrong, they are too much in a hurry to catch there plane or are already on their plane and back home.


The LYNX bus has a bunch of stops there, so it easy to get to but the LYNX bus goes everywhere in Orlando so I don't really see that as an issue.

 

[Pooh's World]

Personally, I stay offsite from Disney. My family prefers timeshare resorts. However, there are times we arrive the day/night or so before check-in and we will stay in a hotel/motel type accommodations for a night or two. Red Lion was one of our favorites. I have wondered about possibly staying at one closest to the airport so that is why I am so curious.

And to be more specific this is the area around S Semoran Blvd the first arear north of the airport.

I feel that if you would be staying just slightly east (maybe a mile east) on Conway or filling gas at the Race TRAC on Judge Rd that it's less sketchy as the sketchy people seem to prey on the area around Semoran Blvd.

 

[Woodview]

To Pooh's World

I am surprised that you Left your car Un Locked ....Bad Idea anywhere in any country.

Did you report the snoring person to Reception ? If not why not

 

[Pooh's World]

To Pooh's World

I am surprised that you Left your car Un Locked ....Bad Idea anywhere in any country.

Did you report the snoring person to Reception ? If not why not

Well I am right next to my car, filling up my gas tank.

Do you normally lock your car when you are right next to it filling up gas? I don't.

 

[Woodview]

Well yes But here in Europe we fill up First & then Pay inside the service station Kiosk


There are very few filling stations that you pay by card at the pump.

 

[Pooh's World]

Well yes But here in Europe we fill up First & then Pay inside the service station Kiosk


There are very few filling stations that you pay by card at the pump.

In the US almost every gas station you just pay by card at the pump. In fact, I haven't seen a pump where you can't pay by card in ages.

 

[CarolynFH]

Well I am right next to my car, filling up my gas tank.

Do you normally lock your car when you are right next to it filling up gas? I don't.

After one of my staff members was carjacked in a busy gas station at evening goin' home time, I do. I live in a large city, though, where it's not rare to read reports of thieves reaching in from the unlocked passenger door to grab a purse on the front seat or pushing the owner aside and driving off, etc., so maybe it has to do with personal assessment of risk.

 

[Dancerdre]

I agree. There's a whole food court. The convenience of the Hyatt MCO makes it worth sacrificing any free breakfast some other hotel might offer. It is incredibly convenient if a late flight is delayed.
We were scheduled to fly down on a Friday night at 9 pm and due to arrive 11:30pm. This after a full day of work/school. We felt it was worth it to wake up in FL with a good night's sleep.
There were t-storms along the whole east coast that wreacked havoc on flight schedules. We didn't take off until after midnight, arrived at 2 am. We were so happy to just stagger to our room. They'll even fetch your luggage and bring it up to your room. We didn't opt for this but it's available, or it was pre-covid.

do you know if you could take the magical express the next day? We are looking to do this but haven’t seen if we would be able to hope on the magical express.

 

[CarolynFH]

do you know if you could take the magical express the next day? We are looking to do this but haven’t seen if we would be able to hope on the magical express.

Assuming you'll be arriving in 2021 and staying at a Disney hotel (not an offsite hotel such as the ones discussed on this board), yes, you can, just call DME at 866-599-0951, give them your Disney resort confirmation number and tell them approximately what time in the morning you plan to travel from MCO to WDW. Many people have done exactly that. If you have more questions about DME, check the Transportation board, https://www.disboards.com/forums/transportation.16/.

 

[hrhdhd]

Well I am right next to my car, filling up my gas tank.

Do you normally lock your car when you are right next to it filling up gas? I don't.

Yes, I do. Always.

 

[heresabe]

Actually that is the same "sketchy" area the Homewood Suites is across the road from Embassy Suites and the Wawa is further down that main road.

Not precisely true...Wawa and Embassy Suites are not on the same road.

 

[Pooh's World]

Not precisely true...Wawa and Embassy Suites are not on the same road.

Embassy is off that road main road. Basically you would use Semoran Bldvd to go anywhere from Embassy

 

[heresabe]

Embassy is off that road main road. Basically you would use Semoran Bldvd to go anywhere from Embassy

That is correct...but Embassy Suites is a full block from Semoran and the immediate surroundings near the hotel are fine, even a lovely lake within a short strolling distance.

 

[Dancerdre]

Assuming you'll be arriving in 2021 and staying at a Disney hotel (not an offsite hotel such as the ones discussed on this board), yes, you can, just call DME at 866-599-0951, give them your Disney resort confirmation number and tell them approximately what time in the morning you plan to travel from MCO to WDW. Many people have done exactly that. If you have more questions about DME, check the Transportation board, https://www.disboards.com/forums/transportation.16/.

Thank you so so much!

 

[heresabe]

Assuming you'll be arriving in 2021 and staying at a Disney hotel (not an offsite hotel such as the ones discussed on this board), yes, you can, just call DME at 866-599-0951, give them your Disney resort confirmation number and tell them approximately what time in the morning you plan to travel from MCO to WDW. Many people have done exactly that. If you have more questions about DME, check the Transportation board, https://www.disboards.com/forums/transportation.16/.

Yes, I will confirm that. There have been times when I have not directly gone to a WDW Resort upon arrival. I've either had a rental car or I've stayed offsite before Disney---in those cases DME is able to program an open-ended arrival time on the day of your choosing. I think Disney Customer Service can do so as well.