Best hotel for a budget trip

[TwistGrl101]

OK, so we are coming down for our annual Disney trip August 2012. We usually stay at the Beach Club, but are really on a budget this year. We have 3 adults and 3 children. I am wondering if I can save tons of money staying off property even as opposed to going moderate (I won't go value.)

Has anyone used the entertainment book for one of the hotels in Orlando...there are a nice amount of deals listed. Also, what about the Swan and Dolphin, I see they offer teacher discounts...

I have NEVER stayed off property before, so not only do I know nothing about it...but I'm not sure if it is even a good idea?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[TwistGrl101]

May I add that we will NOT have a car...

 

[ccgirl]

OK, so we are coming down for our annual Disney trip August 2012. We usually stay at the Beach Club, but are really on a budget this year. We have 3 adults and 3 children. I am wondering if I can save tons of money staying off property even as opposed to going moderate (I won't go value.)

Has anyone used the entertainment book for one of the hotels in Orlando...there are a nice amount of deals listed. Also, what about the Swan and Dolphin, I see they offer teacher discounts...

I have NEVER stayed off property before, so not only do I know nothing about it...but I'm not sure if it is even a good idea?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you!

With that many in the group, you would need two hotel rooms (depending on the age of the children). Will you already have a car? If not, you need to factor that in the expenses if staying off property (along with $14 day parking). Depending on the time of year, the Swan/Dolphin teacher rate is about $150. Add to that a $12 resort fee. So, a little more than $300 a night for the two rooms. You would need to secure transportation to/from the S&D but you could use WDW transportation once there and walk/boat to Epcot and DHS. But, food gets expensive. Having said that, I find I can get more for my money as far as accommodations by staying off site. Check out mousesavers.com for some great discounts. We usually stay in a 2BR timeshare and have breakfast there before we get to the parks. We bring in lunches and either eat a quick service dinner or go off property to eat.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

We're staying at Bonnet Creek at the end of July. We're getting a 2 bedroom deluxe for $140 night, and that sleeps 8. They do offer a shuttle to the parks, although we plan to drive on our own. It's a timeshare, and we're renting points. I've heard so many good things about this resort, so we're super excited!

 

[ccgirl]

We're staying at Bonnet Creek at the end of July. We're getting a 2 bedroom deluxe for $140 night, and that sleeps 8. They do offer a shuttle to the parks, although we plan to drive on our own. It's a timeshare, and we're renting points. I've heard so many good things about this resort, so we're super excited!

I was going to recommend this one. Though I have never stayed, I have heard wonderful things. It is also on WDW property, I believe, (though not owned by WDW).

 

[Couchy]

The Swan and Dolphin are very convenient. You can walk or take the ferry to both Epcot and DHS. They also use Disney buses to go to the other parks. It is a nice complex with the Grotto pool area and also they have many nice restaurants. You will not have a car so you don't have to worry about the parking costs. There is a daily resort fee.

 

[DawnM]

I agree. BC might be your best bet.

They have transportation too.

I haven't stayed there either, but will at some point.

Dawn

I was going to recommend this one. Though I have never stayed, I have heard wonderful things. It is also on WDW property, I believe, (though not owned by WDW).

 

[leight]

Bonnet Creek is a great option, you can even get a 3 bedroom. But we found that the transportation shuttles are not that great. It might be worth getting a rental car for the week if you chose an offsite option

 

[Shleedogg]

Personally, I don't like to stay off site. Just a preference, I like being immersed in Disney.

With that said, we stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Villages in 07 and loved the resort. It was beautiful, updated, clean and a close drive. Now that we have little ones though, I'd never stay off site simply because of nap time and travel time to and from an off site resort. We got a great deal, a two bedroom in Oct for $535 for a week. My parents own an Interval timeshare and they offer "getaways" to places all over the world. If you know anyone with a timeshare, I'd ask them if theirs offers that option.

My first thought was renting DVC points. You can usually get a deluxe room for the price of a value; then you could still stay at BCV! We just stayed there for the first time last week and fell in love! The problem with renting is that you have to trust the owner. We rented before we bought DVC and had a contract w/ our renter that even allowed cancellations and full refunds up to a certain date. He was fabulous. If you'd like his name and/or contact info, feel free to PM me.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

We stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek last year. There were 11 of us in a 4-bedroom suite (7 adults and 4 kids). It was great! We did not rent a car, we used the Wyndham bus transportation to the parks. It worked pretty well. The only thing we figured out is that we had to get on line for the bus 15-20 minutes before it departed the hotel, in order to fit on the bus. We had no problems fitting on the buses when leaving the parks. Sometimes, in the afternoon, the bus schedule was sparse (like I think the bus left from DHS at 2:00 and the next one wasn't until 5:00) so in one case we just took a taxi back to the hotel because we were ready. It wasn't a big deal.

Anyways...I highly recommend Wyndham Bonnet Creek!

 

[MSSANDRA]

Without a car, I would stay on property. Just not worth the transportation hassles, being stuck in the parks till the bus returns hours latter or have to take a taxi.

Of your options, I would look at the teacher discount at Swan or Dolphin.

Now i will say, we have stayed everything from value to deluxe and we have found, that we really are not that much happier at a moderate than a value. There is a big difference for us from moderate to deluxe, but we just can not justify the money jump from value to moderate. It works for us for a value trip. Two rooms at POP or a family suit at ASM might at least be worth consideration.

 

[Tori 2001]

Hmm...


Normally I would say Pop, but you would need two rooms. Have you looked into the family suites at the new Animation hotel... it should be mostly up and running before summer.