Book hotel early or wing it when driving down to WDW?

[harleyquinn]

Hi all!

This is stupid question, but do you book your hotel before you leave or just stop when you need to?

We've always booked ahead of time, but this time we are driving with a 13month old. I'm afraid we'll need to stop before our normal 10 hours. It seems to me that it would make more sense to just stop when we need to.

I've just never taken my chances like that. I'm afraid I'll overpay or get a crap place or both.

Our drive is normally 17 hours.

Maybe I should try and research a couple of options?
TIA!

 

[emlutz23]

We are driving down for the first time in August and I already have a hotel room booked in Savannah. I figured if I took a chance, there might not be anything decent available. But like most hotels, I have until 6pm on my check-in day to cancel without penalty. So if we don't make it that far or we think we can push on, there's flexibility. With a little one, I would say research what hotels are near your normal 10 hour stop and maybe something a little earlier too (maybe 8 hours from home for example). You can probably book both without paying and then decide which will work once you're driving. Just be sure to double check the cancellation policy of each hotel so you don't end up being charged for a room you didn't need.

 

[harleyquinn]

That's a great idea! I had no idea that the cancelation policies went that late! Guess I'm used to Disney's window and not the "normal" world.

 

[emlutz23]

It is nice! We are staying at a Sleep Inn in Pooler, Ga (Savannah airport area) and their cancellation policy goes all the way up to 6pm that day! So just be sure to check the policy before you book! Good luck!

 

[pepe of ohio]

Our first bunch of trips we driving trips and after the first one without advanced reservations, we wouldn;t do the trip with out them. Too many times we'd pass an exit with what we wanted only to get to the next with a not to good pick or no vacancies. It made our trip easier and stress free knowing we had a reservation at such and such for the night. With the age of cell phones it's esy to cancel one if you feel like driving further. It seems that most travelers stop at the same time at the better motels and if you wait, well you're picking second best for forced to travel longer looking for a vacancy at your choice one. We checked our route and used the AAA tour book to seek out what we desired and made reservations from there. Like I said, easy to male and cancel but hard to find one when driving, tired and getting dark.

 

[cey]

I prebooked our hotels on the way down and was very glad I did! The more popular hotels book up fast, especially the ones on Trip Advisor with good reviews and free breakfasts On our return trip, I prebooked the night before we left and got the last hotel room at our fav in Florence SC. Once you have driven a couple of times, you can pretty well judge how far you can drive and plan accordingly.

 

[Brian Noble]

Be sure to double check. Most hotels do go to 6PM local time, but some can be as early as a day before.

If I pre-reserve, I get something that I'm pretty confident I can make. I might go with something a little closer than you did "pre kid".

 

[keishashadow]

OP - many properties ive priced (choice, days inn & marriott) have a same day cancellation of 4 pm...as previous poster stated, check individual hotel for their policies

re choice properties: ive noticed that when im signed into my rewards account with them, only a $1 is charged to CC to hold the room; naturally ud need to cancel to avoid being charged the full night if not using.

 

[kamik86]

Thanks everyone for posting this... We weren't planning to prebook stuff but now I'm thinking that we should and just know the policy if we make really good time or don't think we will get that far.

We were thinking of doing our drive (24 hours of total driving time - because one of my sisters refuses to just FLY) over 3 days with a stop around Fredericksberg VA and then one south of Savana.

My husband and I were thinking about flying and just meeting them but the problem is that of the 9 people going only 5 drive and 2 of them are my husband and I. So if we dont' go there aren't enough people to take two seperate shifts in the two cars going down.

 

[Pembo]

We never book in advance and we've driven 3 times with 3 kids under 10. Stop at the rest stop and get a Roomsavers book with coupons. We have stayed at newer hotels for $59 a night and never had a problem with finding a nice hotel.

 

[ironz]

Just wanted to add my cautionary tale....I would definitely pre book!!

Several years ago, I was driving from Washington, DC, to New Orleans. I knew I would be spending a night on the road, but was going to wing it and see how far I got.
I started at about 4 pm, figuring I'd get a good 6 hours on the road and find something. At about 10 pm I started looking. I was about an hour north of Bristol, TN. Little did I know there was a NASCAR event that weekend, and people come from everywhere! Nothing at all with vacancies an hour north of Bristol. The hotel clerk I talked to said it would be worse as I got closer to Bristol, so my best bet was to go back north. I didn't want to backtrack, so figured I would get past Bristol and start looking again.

Got to Knoxville area ( I think--wherever Dollywood is)....nothing.
Got to Chattanooga, TN....big basketball tournament in town....no vacancies.
Finally pleaded with a hotel desk clerk to find me the next nearest thing...2 hours later (at about 4 am), I was finally getting into a bed in ALABAMA!

Mind you, this was in the days before cell phone/internet availability....but as a woman driving alone...all through the night...it was more than unnerving.

Book a room! Check the cancellation policy as other posters have listed.

 

[mamapajama]

The last time we drove, we didn't make a ressie and that was a HUGE mistake. The only vacancy was a really digusting EconoLodge. We will make ressies at places that allow you to cancel before 6 and then cancel the one we don't want.

 

[harleyquinn]

Thanks everyone!

 

[luvthatdisney]

We also reserve a room in advance now due to a problem we encountered several years ago.

We drive down from NC and would usually find somewhere to stop between Jacksonville and Daytona. We passed Jacksonville and started checking hotels off each exit, ALL booked. I was horrifed! Could not find anything at all. We finally found out it was bike week in Daytona and everything for miles and miles around were booked.

We drove on to WDW - granted it was late at night and the kids were asleep, but... We made it to WL at 2:30am. DH said he would see if we could add on an extra night to to stay there. The CM at the front desk told DH that he would let us into our room then, but he would have to walk us up and open the door as he could not issue keys to us until the next morning. He told DH just come down down in the morning and check in as nothing had happened. DH did, got our keys, so we got an extra night at WL for FREE!

Bad situation turned out good for us. But I am sure that was a one time thing, probably would not get that lucky again!