Best alternative to Poly offsite? Need to save money

[ChicagoJ]

We have reservations at Poly and really looking forward to it, but we're hoping to save some money and thinking of switching to an offsite hotel. We want something really nice, but less expensive than poly. Also, are there any offsite hotels that still allow you to book ADRs at 180 days and fast passes at 60 days?

 

[HopperFan]

Everyone can book ADR at 180, it's the plus 10 you lose. Since I rarely book before 60 days, this has never factored.

FP+ at 60 days can be booked at the Disney Springs hotels through 2018. www.disneyspringshotels.com There are a variety of ways to get discounts there.

What is the actual top rate you are looking to pay? ... that would help folks narrow your search.

 

[SteveH]

Depending on how much you want to save I'd encourage you to check out the Swan/Dolphin. It's technically still on site, not owned by Disney but comes with most of the major perks. Often called the deluxe at a moderate price.

 

[msb578]

The two posts above cover all of the non-Disney hotels that have 60-day FP+.

Except, that is, for Shades of Green- which is only open to Military/DoD; and the Four Seasons- which believe it or not, sometimes beats the Poly on price and is arguably a better dollar-for-dollar value.

 

[ChicagoJ]

Depending on how much you want to save I'd encourage you to check out the Swan/Dolphin. It's technically still on site, not owned by Disney but comes with most of the major perks. Often called the deluxe at a moderate price.

Thanks! If we stay at swan/dolphin, cam we still do disney dining plan?

 

[SteveH]

Thanks! If we stay at swan/dolphin, cam we still do disney dining plan?

No that's a Disney resort only option, same as room charging with magic bands. But transportation, EMH, FP, etc are all the same.

Here is the ongoing, S/D Resort thread, chock full of great info and users that can help you out with specifics. Page one offers a lot of details too.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...olphin-resorts-information-questions.3264274/

 

[msb578]

There is no Magical Express at any of these hotels. But the way I look at it, DME is simply a charge bundled into the Disney room rates.

 

[ClapYourHands]

What is it about the Poly specifically that you like? The theming? The easy access to MK? The pools? The restaurants? The rooms themselves?

None of the off site hotels has the kind of theming the Poly does, and you'll have to bus or drive to MK.

The Swan/Dolphin has the best location - walking/boating distance of Epcot and HS. The rooms are nice, and it has good pools. Be aware that the Dolphin has 2 double beds, whereas the Swan has 2 queen beds, but the prices fluctuate so that sometimes the Dolphin is more expensive. The Swolfin also has (limited) character dining.

Depending on how much you want to save, you can book at the Disney Springs hotels for much less than the Swan/Dolphin, and still enjoy 60-day FP and EMH, but the hotels themselves range in how "nice" they are. Some like the B are more upscale, but others are much more ordinary like the Holiday Inn. While they all have pools, none is really resort-like with the kind of extensive pools you'll find at the Poly. You don't say how many are in your party, but if it's an adult trip, something like the B might be nice. If you have kids, I believe two of the others (can't remember which) have character dining. There's a great shuttle bus to the parks, and you're walking distance to the Disney Springs shopping, dining, and nightlife.

If you want more upscale resort feel, something like the Waldorf Astoria or the the Hilton Bonnet Creek (share which are next to each other and share onsite amenities) might be worth a look. No EMH or 60-day FP, but definitely great pools, upscale rooms, and great shuttle bus schedule.

 

[writerguyfl]

No EMH or 60-day FP, but definitely great pools, upscale rooms, and great shuttle bus schedule.

You did a fantastic job of laying out the differences involved with the hotels you mentioned. I do have to add a qualifier to the "great shuttle bus schedule" comment.

The Hilton Bonnet Creek/Waldorf Astoria shuttles work well if you plan on spending your entire day at the theme parks. But, there are usually huge breaks in the schedule in middle of the day. For example, if you want to go to either Epcot or Disney's Hollywood Studios tomorrow afternoon, your options are 1:30pm, 3:30pm, and 6:30pm. That huge 3 hour gap can be a major issue if you're used to the more continuous buses offered by Disney or the Disney Springs Hotels.

Hilton Bonnet Creek/Waldorf Astoria Shuttle Schedule: http://www.bonnetshuttle.com/

 

[DaisyDuck001]

What is it about the Poly specifically that you like? The theming? The easy access to MK? The pools? The restaurants? The rooms themselves?

None of the off site hotels has the kind of theming the Poly does, and you'll have to bus or drive to MK.

The offsite Polynesian Isles and Liki Tiki both appear to have Polynesian theming. I have not stayed at either, so I can't comment on how good they might be. But if that theming is important to you, these two places could be worth some research on your part, OP.

 

[BigredNole]

I'll just through this out for offsite. Search for the best deals you can find. I scored a 3BR/3BA resort for the price of 1 night at the Poly for 7-nights. The best part of it? I can still go to the Poly and enjoy 99% of what is there without paying them tons of money. My rental next month is about the same price as the parking fees alone. That tells you a lot.

Now, with that said, there are some things you do have to overlook. At the Poly, you have a level of expectations from the people that do stay there. At the offsite places, especially timeshares, you will get some people that you would not normally associate. When there are rooms available, they open it to local and semi-local people that are lower on the education scale. They get them in with a low 2-3 night rental, suck them in to the timeshare meeting, and quickly scam them into purchasing. Easily avoidable people and has never had an impact on any of our offsite stays. Just look for the classier timeshare places if that is what you are going for.