Back from HIFS - Review and Pizza Hut Coupons

[mango]

I spent last week at the HIFS with my 6 and 8 year old. My parents joined us for a few of the days. First, the good. Great, very helpful staff. My kids loved the hotel and the room. It as nice that the hotel had things going on after the parks closed. The face painter was great and the kids liked the magician too. The free breakfast was okay (lots of options) and very convenient. The pool area was nice and the kids liked the free putt-putt, shuffleboard and ping pong. I joined the Holiday Inn Priority Club (free) and received a late checkout time (2:00) and a coupon for soda and popcorn.

The not so good: I thought the lunch in the restaurant was terrible. The shuttle transportation was not very good. It was infrequent and does sometimes book up. If you want to go back to the hotel in mid-afternoon, you have to take a taxi. We did take the shuttle back at 12:30 one day, but it took 45 minutes from Magic Kingdom to get back as it goes to all of the parks before heading back to the hotel. Our room was very noisy at night. We faced the pool, and I wish I had requested a room away from the pool as others on the board have suggested. The layout of the room was okay, but beware if you are a light sleeper and are sleeping in the living room area that you may not get much sleep.

For those of you with larger families that want to stay off-site, it has a lot of good points and is definately economical. However, we had a car part of the time, and even on the days we had a car, I thought the whole transportation issue was a drag. For that reason, I would not stay off-site again.

I will try to answer any questions that anyone has. Also, I have 6 coupons for free Pizza Hut Party and will be glad to mail them to the first 6 people who contact me (mango90@nc.rr.com). Note that you can use them if you have already made your reservation, as you need to mention the coupon when you make your reservation.

 

[MrsMud]

Thanks for the review, Mango. I'm glad you liked HIFS, and then
sorry that you didn't We have stayed there twice and loved it. Had a rental car both times and thought it wasn't a problem. No experience with the shuttle. No problems with noise, but we were on the second floor both times, and away from the pool.
I TOTALLY agree about the food. The breakfast is not spectacular, but is absolutely fine, convenient, and free! The Club Car is awful! I am surprised that they haven't made strides to improve the quality of their food, especially since they get such good reviews in other areas. I'm sure it all boils down to money, but I think if they had to do away with the kids eat free in order to improve the meals, it would be worth their while. Maybe now that Nick is pouring money in, it will improve.

 

[curlyjbs]

Welcome back Mango!

Any first hand news about the upcoming Refurbishing at HIFS??


Curly

 

[mango]

They had not yet started on the refurb, but they were advertising it quite a bit. Several of the staff members menioned it and seemed excited about it. I am not sure when they will begin work.

 

[TNJulie]

Hi Mango
We also stayed at HIFS last week (22-26). Your review was right on the money. Boy it turned off cold too. 3 year old insisted on going in the pool though.
The face painter lady kind of freaked my daughter out some way or another so there was no face painting for her. Tried everyday but she wouldn't have anything to do with it.
We were disappointed that we couldn't get out free picture.
We went Sunday morning but she said she was booked up all day and we were leaving early Monday morning.
Late Friday night my daughter got really sick. Was up all night with her. Thought maybe a bug was going around the hotel. Did any of your family get sick? In all 4 out of 6 of us got sick. Flu like symptoms. Just now getting over it.
The hotel is really nice. Great for kids!!!!! Would definitly stay there again!

Julie

 

[lovemypresley]

We were at HIFS from the 22-25 too and we were fine until my 3 yr old daughter went swimming Sat about 4pm. It was heated but getting out, she was shaking (It DID turn cold!) We went and napped in our room and when she woke up, she was on fire. 102 fever that quick and she had no symptoms prior? I got scared, because I had read where people got rashes and flu like illness after swimming in the pool. Sunday, she started coughing..each day it's been worse..cough, runny nose, congestion, and fever..and now hubby and I both have it and it's horrible. Took her to the dr. yesterday and she has Bronchitis now. I wonder now if the hotel had anything to do with it??

 

[mango]

Sorry to hear you both had sick family members. My parents left early because they also got sick during our stay. They had flu-like symptoms too. After a full week, they are just now getting better. They got sick on our 4th day there. My kids and I never got the full-blown sickness, but my son has had a stuffy nose for the last week.

 

[disneyfor3boys]

If you still have any pizza coupons left, I'd love to have one! PM me if it's not too late! Thanks so much,

Laurie

 

[TNJulie]

I was there with my 3 yr old, sister, bro-in-law, mom and dad.
Daughter got sick Friday night about 12:30 and threw up all night long and into the morning every 30minutes and a few more times on Sat and Sun. Poor girl didn't have anything left in her. Also had fever and chills along with it. Sunday night it was my moms turn. Same things with her. On our 17 hour drive home it was my dad's turn. Made for an interesting drive home with 3 sick people in the truck. Monday night when we got home my sister got it.
Now here's the kicker. My hubby didn't go, had to work, we got home monday night, Wed. night hubby got it worse than any of the others. So far bro-in-law and I have dodged it. Fingers crossed!!
So sorry for all the other families who had to go thru all this sickness and hope everyone gets better real soon!
Oh, daughter went into the pool Thursday afternoon and played on their jungle gym and we had pizza from pizza hut at the hotel.

Julie

 

[lovemypresley]

Originally posted by TNJulie
Oh, daughter went into the pool Thursday afternoon and played on their jungle gym and we had pizza from pizza hut at the hotel.

Julie

wow...this is too weird. Do you guys think it's just coincidence or all this sickness/rashes are anything to worry about? As far as the hotel, we only ate the breakfast buffet there, one night hot dogs from A&W, the last night Pizza Hut. So just that and the swimming in the family pool and mainly the toddler pool. I wonder if they have sick building syndrome???
Mango, what symptoms did you parents have? I tell you...we have never been this sick. Husband doesn't have it as badly as we do.

 

[kessieann]

I am also just back and replied to the other post on HIFS and illness. I also became extremely ill. My husband even said he does not ever remember me being that sick. I really was thinking it was something I ate. I did not swim in the pool because it was so cold. My dh & dd did not become ill at all. I don't think I had a fever but I was definitely living in the bathroom most of the night and the next day. I did have the hotel buffet the night before but I think it may have been bad mayo I had earlier the day before at Blizzard Beach. It is so hard to say. Dh was wondering if it could have been something like the Norwalk Virus that they had on those cruise ships. I just don't know.

 

[lovemypresley]

Originally posted by kessieann
I am also just back and replied to the other post on HIFS and illness. I also became extremely ill. My husband even said he does not ever remember me being that sick. I really was thinking it was something I ate. I did not swim in the pool because it was so cold. My dh & dd did not become ill at all. I don't think I had a fever but I was definitely living in the bathroom most of the night and the next day. I did have the hotel buffet the night before but I think it may have been bad mayo I had earlier the day before at Blizzard Beach. It is so hard to say. Dh was wondering if it could have been something like the Norwalk Virus that they had on those cruise ships. I just don't know.

oh no. ok, This is def. getting weird. There are other posts on HIFS illness, too? We are still sick and it's been a week now. I wonder if we should all call and let them know..maybe if we all call, they could check into it.