Doubling up the holiday hotel

[widget]

Sitting here pondering my navel as you do on a cold wet Sunday evening, I had a dubious thought. If I could afford another trip next year to Florida, do you think it would be cheaper to book a half decent hotel/package say on IDrive and then, if places were available, book a few days at a Disney site once I am in situ. This would mean paying for a hotel room for 2 weeks but only using it for say 9 or 10 days and then taking myself off to Disney leaving the room vacant. This way I would get a package over here and a stay in a Disney hotel cheaper than if I booked in UK a 9 day stay at X on IDrive and 5 days in Disney via the brochure or travel agent.Or would this work out just as/even more expensive than just booking the package in the first place??!? Or is this whole idea completely barmy - in which case I blame the chicken kiev I ate for dinner!! I know that booking all parts myself can sometimes be even cheaper but Id be scared Id miss something important - like inside seats on the plane or summit!!

 

[Mr-D]

Inside seats on the plane ?? Blimey thats posh

Dave

 

[mark&sue]

I guess it depends on the time of year. If it is not during the school holidays it could work out.

We booked 2 weeks at holiday Inn international drive when we stayed in May and stayed Saratoga Springs Resort for 1 night and 2 nights at Hard Rock Hotel during our stay. I am sure it was not cheaper but had to get off International drive!!! We had APs for Universal so got a good deal on the Hard Rock Hotel.

I looked into booking two weeks at the cheapest hotel to see if it worked out cheaper than just a flydrive for next year but it didn't.

We are DVC members and the flights over to Orlando during school holidays are very expensive.

Good luck with your plans. Let us know how you get on. It will be very interesting.



Susan

 

[Chester Copperpot]

Wouldn't It be better value/easier to book pop at aaa rate for your duration & find the cheapest flight via ebooker/expedia than purchasing the package via a travel agent? Or what about enquiring with Dreams Unlimited on this site for a price, I'm sure they could give you a break down of staying x amount of days on I-drive and x in WDW.

 

[Hilary]

Unfortunately, there's no hard and fast rule with this (if there was, we'd all be doing it that way!) - the only way to find out the best price for your plan is to do a lot of leg work and check all the various combinations and options for your particular dates.

Good luck

 

[cazzie]

We have booked a charter flight for next year which may not be as good as say Virgin but is a heck of a lot cheaper (£340 each) and are going to book a hotel seperately. It depends on your preferences, I don't mind going charter as it means we can go from our local airport and after travelling back from Gatwick in Septemember that is a big plus for us it just means we don't get the comfort flying out. We will probably wait till next year to book our hotels and are considering a week at Disney and a week on the I Drive but I am still not sure yet what I want to do so will keep looking.

 

[widget]

Thanks for the info and advice. Im gonna add a little mystery into my life and check out all the options.

 

[Deedee]

Why do you have to stay at a disney hotel why is it so important to every one? My view is if you do the holiday justice you don`t spend much time in the hotel any way. Why waste well earned cash on a posh hotel when you can get exactly the same holiday in a cheaper hotel. I hope no one thinks i am having ago this is not my intention i am just asking a question. I would rather go regularly and stay at an i drive than have to save years to be able to stay on disney.

 

[Frances999]

Why do you have to stay at a disney hotel why is it so important to every one? My view is if you do the holiday justice you don`t spend much time in the hotel any way. Why waste well earned cash on a posh hotel when you can get exactly the same holiday in a cheaper hotel. I hope no one thinks i am having ago this is not my intention i am just asking a question. I would rather go regularly and stay at an i drive than have to save years to be able to stay on disney.

I completely disagree with you. My opinion is quite the opposite, "if you do the holiday justice" then you do take some time out and enjoy the resort facilities which Disney hotels offer. The whole point of the Disney resorts is that the magic doesn't have to end when you leave the park - the incredible theming, friendly CMs and unparalleled service continues at your resort. On top of this you then have all the "extra" benefits such as EMH, transportation, key-charging and resort delivery....etc....etc....etc....

Why waste well earned cash on a posh hotel when you can get exactly the same holiday in a cheaper hotel.

Am I missing something here? Why would the holiday be exactly the same if you weren't even staying at the same resort?

 

[Deedee]

Yes but we do the parks just like you do i don`t go to spend time in a hotel.

 

[Frances999]

Yes but we do the parks just like you do i don`t go to spend time in a hotel.

We do the parks with Extra Magic Hour, Resort Charging, Resort Package Delivery and Disney Transportation for easy access from our resort. Plus we can take a break half-way through the day and not even have to think about getting in a car. Plus, the parks aren't open 24/7, so we all need somewhere to stay - and few places off-site rival the Disney resorts for quality, service and theming. I don't think this holiday experience is the same as somebody staying off-site.

 

[Deedee]

We enjoy driving over there we do all we want to at disney plus we get to see other areas we also drive to the coast.

 

[Hilary]

Deedee, I absolutely respect your choice to stay where you want to stay to enjoy the holiday you want. But that's just the point isn't it? The holiday you want isn't necessarily going to be the same as the holiday I want, and the holiday I want won't be the same as the holiday someone else wants. I'm sure there are plenty of people who can't understand why any of us on these boards want to go to Orlando once, let alone year after year!

Personally, having stayed off-site once and then stayed on-site ever since, I wouldn't want to visit the Disney parks unless I was staying onsite. We stay onsite at Disney for the Disney parks, and in one of the Universal reports to visit the Universal parks. We split our trips now so that we have time away from Orlando, and get to see other parts of Florida as well - a few years ago we could happily spend two weeks in the parks all day,every day - so now we don't only visit the parks and/or sleep! But whether we're in the parks for two weeks or two days, we still always stay onsite for that time because we feel that's the way we can best enjoy our park time.

Like Frances, staying on-site adds to our enjoyment of the parks because the benefits work for us.

 

[Deedee]

i was just answering Widgets question, just because you don`t stay on site doesn`t mean you can not have the same fantastic time as if you stay on disney. We have been 7 times in 10 years which we would not have been able to do if we stayed on site and we don`t feel as if we have missed out on any thing. We have never come home and said oh i wish we were staying on site we could have done this or that. This is just the point i am making. Our hotel on i drive is a decent hotel in a perfect location.

 

[widget]

People purleeze!! Calm down!! I agree with both sides but for me and my kids we just love the whole Disney thing and dont mind paying a bit extra for staying on site. I too stay at the cheapest motel type place on IDrive to even things out so to speak. This year we are 9 days on IDrive and 5 in Disney. Its the best of both worlds. I personally wouldnt and indeed couldnt afford 2 weeks at Disney - not with food, entertainment etc as well but if you are willing to do this then - pretty please take me in your suitcase!!
Deedee has a valid point and has a right to her opinion but maybe its not everyones.

 

[Chester Copperpot]

Also take a look at trying out different months to go on Orlando If possible. I normally go in January to get away from the crowds/heat and also get cheaper flights (just booked Virgin for £280 from Gatwick). How much cheaper are the I-drive hotels compared to the values at aaa rate? Just wondering If you factor in $9 parking, gas, EMH If It Is worth the extra.

 

[jns]

we have just booked a package, first time since the fisrt time we went WHY
because I got one free child place and my 15year is classed as a child which has worked out a lot cheaper then 4 adult prices for flight only about £10 off for the child flight

so do your homework search the net , look at teletext and visit your local travel agent

What peace my hubby is going to have this year as it is all booked
What am I going to look for now on the net

 

[Ware Bears]

Widget, I agree you will just have to check it all out. I spent hours pricing up our first visit and it was cheaper to book a Virgin package. I've just been doing the same in readiness for our next trip, it will work out cheaper for us to book a Virgin package again and then just book a hotel on the gulf coast seperately for a few days ( whilst keeping our room on in Orlando) than booking everything independently. This is because my DD's get teenage prices rather than paying adult flight prices. It works out cheaper ONLY if we fly indirect, I'd rather pay a little more and fly direct.

As for staying onsite at Disney, we can only afford to stay offsite but if our budget will stretch to it we will definitely be treating ourselves to a couple of nights onsite. I console myself with the thought that I can't miss what I've never had!

Good luck with your planning

 

[cazzie]

I would love to stay onsite but I know that DH is not too sure as he thinks it would be a Disney overkill. Whilst he enjoys the parks etc I think he likes what he calls the 'normality of the I Drive'. Also being somewhat middle aged coupled with the resorts onsite that are in our price bracket I think he is worried that it would be too noisy with lots of children (no offence meant to those with children) as its not what we are used to.

I suppose at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference I know that had we booked a good hotel onsite we would not have been able to go for 4 weeks this year, so for me I would sooner have had my two good holidays than have one and stayed onsite.