Downtown Disney

[vabaers]

I am looking for recommendations on Downtown Disney Hotels vs Port Orleans Riverside. Any comments on the Downtown Best Western and Royal Plaza would be appreciated. Is location of Downtown Disney better than going off site?

 

[CleveRocks]

The hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd. (like the ones you mentioned) ARE off-site hotels. They are NOT Disney resorts and you will NOT be considered a Disney resort guest if you stay at one of them.

No Disney Transport to and from those hotels. No room charge privileges throughout WDW. No Extra Magic Hours.

The are sited on land owned by WDW, but they aren't Disney resorts

You get the picture.

 

[nbodyhome]

The Hilton does offer EMH, and it's a very nice hotel. Great beds, toiletries, very nice lobby, internet cafe and walking distance to DD. I would not consider the DD hotels off-site, they are on Disney property but aren't owned by Disney. The Hilton often comes up on Priceline, but they also have deals through their own site sometimes. I am not sure if the DIS has good prices for them too.

 

[ccigliano]

To add to what CleveRocks said:
NO MAGICAL EXPRESS, no sending packages back to the hotel from the park cause you just don't wanna carry it, no heading back to the resort for lunch or a swim in the middle of the day and head back to the parks at night, I can go on and on. I have stayed off-site twice, the first time because it was the first time and I didn't know better, the second time because it was free and a Marriott and I had an annual pass the parks were really free too. Just my two ¢.

 

[nbodyhome]

Why no going back to the hotels to swim? The hotels are on Disney property, not across the country.

There is no Magical Express, definitely true. But some of the hotels are very nice - and worth staying at if you get a good deal. If the choice was to stay offsite, or at Downtown Disney, I'd stay at the latter. Hotel vs. hotel, I like the Hilton better than POR for amenities. BUT, you have to weigh everything - of course. POR and the Hilton and HRP (the two I'd most recommend in DD) are all a bus ride from every park. I would stay away from the Grosvenor, bad reviews and I wouldn't pay anything to stay there (or be paid to stay there again). You also might find a deal at the Swan and Dolphin.

Anyway, look into all of your options. I really do like the Hilton, and if you did stay at DD, I'd take that one for the EMH. But you might get a Disney owned hotel for the same price that you'd prefer.

 

[byoung]

The hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd. (like the ones you mentioned) ARE off-site hotels. They are NOT Disney resorts and you will NOT be considered a Disney resort guest if you stay at one of them.

No Disney Transport to and from those hotels. No room charge privileges throughout WDW. No Extra Magic Hours.

The are sited on land owned by WDW, but they aren't Disney resorts

You get the picture.

I agree for me I love being onsite.

 

[langin]

We stayed at the DoubleTree in Aug 2005 and all the Downtown Disney hotels were list on the sheet to send packages to your hotel (next day), but you would want to double check to see if it's changed since then.

And we went back to our hotel most days for a mid afternoon swim and it was just as close as any other hotel all around WDW, depends where you are , which park you are visiting, MK is pretty far from most resorts...

 

[MiaSRN62]

I am looking for recommendations on Downtown Disney Hotels vs Port Orleans Riverside. Any comments on the Downtown Best Western and Royal Plaza would be appreciated. Is location of Downtown Disney better than going off site?

I think a DD hotel is better than going offsite for sure, unless you get something like a timeshare property (2 bedroom villa) or rental home. But for comparing just hotel rooms, I would go with DD or a wdw resort.
Found these reviews for Best Western and Royal Plaza :
http://www.mousesavers.com/bestwestern.html

http://www.mousesavers.com/royalplaza.html

Not sure which dates you are looking at or room rates.....but I normally like to be in a wdw hotel when I'm in disney world. I like to take advantage of Extra Magic Hour, package delivery and things like that. I find these perks invaluable especially during the busier times (summer and holidays). Also, there are "rumors" of a free dining promotion for Aug/Sept this year if staying at a wdw hotel. You didn't specify when you were going.

POR is very nice for all the wdw onsite perks/disney transportation (which will probably run more frequently than the DD hotel busses). Also, the DD hotel busses, where the MK is concerned, drop you off at the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center) where you'll need to board the monorail or ferry to take you into the park. The POR MK bus will drop you off right outside the gate to the MK park (eliminating the need to use the monorail or ferry). Saves time and crowds....not sure it this is important to you. Also, the DD busses will drop you further from the gate at the other theme parks than the wdw busses will.

POR will be a very heavily themed resort---fun pool with a pool slide (themed as well). If you have young children, they will appreciate this. Also, I find the grounds/property/landscape at POR to be really beautiful. I just love the ambience there. There's a convenient food court area with refillable mugs (for one flat rate) at POR. Nice for when you return back to the room late and want a snack. Not sure you will get that "disney feel" at the DD hotels.

But if you're getting a good price at Best Western or Royal Plaza, I have read mostly positive reviews. And Royal Plaza offers a free hot breakfast to kids 10 and under which is a nice perk. Again, not sure if you have children. The rooms will be bigger than your POR rooms.

So you'll have to decide between onsite perks/themeing vs roomier accomodations (and Royal Plaza will most likely be a more deluxe feeling room with pillowtop mattresses from what I've heard).

I have stayed at POR (twice), but never at any of the DD hotels. I'm pretty much going by what I've read for the DD places from reviews and other websites. Even though I'm partial to staying at a disney hotel, I tried to be objective in my post. The DD hotels really do look pretty nice.