Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista????

[riu girl]

First WDW trip in 21 years so please bear with me!!!!
Have booked Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista for (Dec 20 - Dec 23) and was wondering if anyone has stayed at this hotel before and what they think of it.
We got a rate of $36 US/nt including deluxe breakfast and complimentary shuttle.
Was also wondering how far it is to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom?
Would like to have a room with a nice view. Wondering if anyone could recommend an area of the hotel or a room number.
ANY other information on this hotel would be greatly appreciated.
Thank-you,
Suzy V.

 

[MaMudduck]

Hello & Welcome to the DIS board Suzy;

I haven't stayed there but TimNDansMom- stays there every trip she takes to WDW which is a couple of times a year....so it must be a nice place or she wouldn't go back.

I'm sure she'll post in as soon as she sees this and she can answer the rest of your questions.

 

[ChisJo]

How did you get that rate? The best rate I could get was $39/night?
I am staying there this August. I was really debating, but decided after asking many people on this board about this hotel, reading all the reviews about it, going into travel books and seeing the great reviews, that it was worth it.
Make sure you ask for a non-pet room if you are travelling without pets and also ask for a room that does not face the highway.
Otherwise, I am looking forward to my stay here thanks to the great responses from the people here.
Jo

 

[MommaBear]

Is this the one on Palm Parkway? If it is you'll love it!

We stayed for three nights in 2002. People were wonderful, buffet meals were fab, breakfast for 4 was around $11 and it was a huge buffet with both hot and cold! Pool was great, they made sure it was closed by 10 p.m. each night so the noise would not disturb guests. Gated property with security, safes in rooms. We had a family fun suite which worked out well. My boys had there own TV and bunks beds so there wasn't any fighting over what to watch since they had theirs and we had ours, plus a mini fridge in room. Laundry was pricey - $1.75 per load - and so was pop machine - $2.00 per can. We found a Walgreens just down the road and stocked up on juice and pop and stored in mini fridge. You are just minutes from Downtown Disney also!

We loved it so much that we plan on going there next year. We have recently had a new addition to our family, black toy poodle named Angel. My husband will not allow her to be left at home with family when we vacation next year (she's the daughter I wasn't able to give him) so I checked with the Comfort Inn and they do accept dogs. I will have to book a ground floor room this time since she will need to get out quickly for bathroom breaks but last time we were on the 3rd floor over looking the pool and it was a very nice room.

H.

 

[Bea]

I too, would like to know how you got that rate. We are going in March and we got a room for $49.00. If you do a search you will come up with a ton of information (check the Orlando attractions and accomodations board). I did alot of research and came up with this hotel being our best bet. Good luck.

 

[elismom]

we are booked at asm but my daughter works at a comfort Inn and she just told me that we could get a really cheap rate?

 

[riu girl]

On the Comfort Inn reservations web site www.choicehotels.com there is an e-rate guarantee section. How this works :

1. Book your room on the choice hotels web site (the least expensive rate I found on this site was $53.96/nt US for Dec 20 - Dec 23). It is their i-rate (internet rate).
2. Find a cheaper rate posted on line. Inexpensive Orlando rooms can be found at www.itravel2000.com. This is a big travel discount agency west of Toronto. I have booked travel packages with them in the past but they offer NO customer service whatsoever. I would much rather book direct with the hotel if possible. Also by booking with www.itravel2000.com, you have to pay for the room at time of booking!!!! www.itravel2000.com's rate for the same dates was only 40 US/nt.
3. Within 24 hours of time of booking your room with choice hotels (they own about 6 hotel chains including the comfort Inn) go back on www.choicehotels.com and go into their e-rate guarantee section. IN this section you fill out a claim form (easy process). You need to provide them with your confirmation number and the web site where you found the less expensive rate.
4. They e-mail you shortly after with your new rate. This is the less expensive rate you found minus 10%. In my case 40 US/nt minus 10% ( 4US) = 36 US/nt!!!!

I felt that this was a very good rate especially since it includes the shuttle to WDW and cont. breakfast.

ANY HINTS ON THE MORNING SHUTTLE TO MK AND AK IN THE MORNING???? I want to make sure we get a good seat!!! Also, how far is downtown disney? We will have our van with us so should we drive over to it from the hotel? Our first day in Lake Buena will be a short day (therefore won't go to a theme park) but thought we might check out downtown Disney. We have kids 4 and 7, anything they might like to do there????

Thanks again,

Suzy V.
Omemee, Ontario

 

[Bea]

Thank you so much for that information!

 

[ChisJo]

Thanks Rui Girl
That information is great. I only wished that it worked for my dates..
I will have to remember that the next time I book a holiday somewhere!
Jo

 

[CdnMom2]

I like your kind of thinking! Thank you for the great info.

Can't help you with the shuttle info. We were there 1 enjoyable night. Also had a Family Fun Suite facing the pool that we didn't have time to use. DH did take 3 of the kids to some playground equipment while older ill child napped. The kids really liked it. Playground was clean & fun & fenced in. Staff very friendly there.

The hotel is very close to Downtown Disney -- 5 minute drive (less?) I would drive, especially with ages of your kids. Quick & easy drive though.

I think your kids would LOVE the Once Upon a Toy Store & Lego stuff at Downtown Disney. I found purchasing the special Potato Head pieces & just the fun finding & choosing them with the kids was well worth the $. A great souvenir we've enjoyed here for over a year now. I think your idea of heading to Dtn Disney that first short day with them is a great one.

Just noticed you're going at Christmas-time too. They do extra Christmas things there & be sure to check out some of the Disney Resorts decor at this time. Very impressive & free fun!

We also really enjoyed our meal (late-aft lunch after relaxing at Typhoon Lagoon) on our last day in Orlando at Jungle Jim's very near that hotel (at "the CrossRoads" I believe). Our 4 kids were 4yrs to 13yrs & they loved it. We enjoyed it even more than our much more expensive Rainforest Cafe 10pm dinner at Dtn Disney the previous week. Could be a matter of the timing though & the 1/2 price special on Margaritas & a really cute attentive waiter that helped this Commando Mom unwind finally! The Rainforest Cafe at Dtn Disney for dinner your first night (or a cheaper dessert) would be lots of fun though it is quite busy that time of year I hear. Your kids would definitely love it.

Lots to see & do in Dtn Disney that a Search on these boards will show you. Lots of great photo ops with the kids in the stores & with the Lego sculptures, the volcano of Rainforest Cafe...

I think you got a fantastic rate for what you're getting. And thanks again for sharing your methods! Have fun!

 

[riu girl]

As I understand there are five buildings at this hotel. I will book a room overlooking the parking lot and not I-4 as advised. Also wondering if any of the buildings have a view of anything and if so, what building would offer the best view? I have requested a non-smoking room, no pets and will probably request a room on the top floor, but will there be anything to see?????

Thanks,
Riu Girl

 

[jersey shark]

Hello Riu,

Sounds like you've got a great rate ($36/nite), free breakfast, close to WDW....but you seem ultra-concerned about the view....time for a reality-check....I wouldn't expect much in the way of a view...remember....you're staying in basically a low-rise budget motel!

Have a good trip!

 

[CdnMom2]

Parking lot or parkway?
Some nice landscaping on that street that definitely saved it from seeming like a dusty motel hell. But no view worth seeing. We liked the convenience of our ground-floor facing the pool room & it wasn't noisy. Pretty sure there weren't many floors to begin with. I agree with previous poster that it is more like low-rise motel albeit nice location & clean enough (& nicely landscaped).