DTD Hotels....walking distance?

[houndmom]

Are there any Downtown Disney hotels that are actually walking distance to Downtown Disney? Is it possible to stay at these hotels without renting a car? Which is the nicest?

Thanks,
houndmom

 

[Art 1]

Are there any Downtown Disney hotels that are actually walking distance to Downtown Disney? Is it possible to stay at these hotels without renting a car? Which is the nicest?

Thanks,
houndmom

Yes, quite a few.

 

[joelkfla]

The Hilton, the Wyndham, and the Palace are closest to DTD. (Make sure you've got the right Hilton or Wyndham; there are several of each in the Orlando area.)

All of the DTD hotels have free shuttles to all 4 Disney parks, which is easier than walking to DTD to get to a park. The shuttles run every 30 minutes. Disney does not provide direct bus service between DTD & the parks -- a change of buses is required. And DTD buses do not start running early enough to get to the parks by opening time.

The Hilton is the only DTD hotel to participate in Extra Magic Hours, which allows guests to enter a select park one hour before opening or stay 3 hours after closing on certain days.

You may also want to look into the Swan & Dolphin. They are within walking distance of both Epcot & Hollywood Studios, and share the same bus service as Disney resorts. Although located right next to Disney resorts, they are privately operated and usually have lower rates than comparable Disney resorts. They also participate in Extra Magic Hours.

 

[AboutTheMouse]

What about the Holiday Inn? Walkable to DTD? If so, how long does it take?

 

[joelkfla]

What about the Holiday Inn? Walkable to DTD? If so, how long does it take?

Yes, it's under half a mile. The furthest DTD hotels are about 2/3 mile from the DTD Marketplace.

 

[PrincessCastMember]

I recently returned *sigh* from an amazing trip with my boyfriend to the World. We stayed for the first half of our trip at the Hilton Orlando, located close to Sea World and the second half at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton on Hotel Plaza Boulevard (within walking distance of Downtown Disney). We stayed there because we thought the location was great, I also had a discount to stay there and we heard about the transportation to the parks. Now, yes, the location was great for DTD shopping, but everything else left much to be desired. The staff was quite aloof, the rooms and the hotel look like they haven't been updated since the 90s and the pool was really sad. There were leaves and sand all along the bottom of the pool and hot tub. Not surprisingly, we did not once see any guests in the pool or hot tub. The front desk also boasted a pool side bar. We tried to visit it several times, but it was never open.

I would definitely suggest trying one of the other Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels over the Doubletree.

On a side note - the Hilton Orlando was incredible!

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I recently returned *sigh* from an amazing trip with my boyfriend to the World. We stayed for the first half of our trip at the Hilton Orlando, located close to Sea World and the second half at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton on Hotel Plaza Boulevard (within walking distance of Downtown Disney). We stayed there because we thought the location was great, I also had a discount to stay there and we heard about the transportation to the parks. Now, yes, the location was great for DTD shopping, but everything else left much to be desired. The staff was quite aloof, the rooms and the hotel look like they haven't been updated since the 90s and the pool was really sad. There were leaves and sand all along the bottom of the pool and hot tub. Not surprisingly, we did not once see any guests in the pool or hot tub. The front desk also boasted a pool side bar. We tried to visit it several times, but it was never open.

I would definitely suggest trying one of the other Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels over the Doubletree.

On a side note - the Hilton Orlando was incredible!

Sorry to hear about your experience at the Doubletree Suites. I've looked into this hotel as a possible offsite choice since they offer reasonably priced suites that can accommodate our family and are technically on "Disney property". Was the shuttle service to the parks decent? Also, is this hotel actually within a "reasonable" walking distance to DTD (under 10 minutes)? Thanks.

 

[PrincessCastMember]

Sorry to hear about your experience at the Doubletree Suites. I've looked into this hotel as a possible offsite choice since they offer reasonably priced suites that can accommodate our family and are technically on "Disney property". Was the shuttle service to the parks decent? Also, is this hotel actually within a "reasonable" walking distance to DTD (under 10 minutes)? Thanks.

I love your Disney nametag countdown in your signature!

I actually did not use the shuttle service because we rented a car. From what the Front Desk told us, the shuttle would come every 30 minutes. I had been told by several friends the shuttle is not very reliable and it makes multiple stops. So, instead of having a shuttle dedicated just to MK or just to EPCOT, their shuttle drops off at EVERY park, so if you're on a tight schedule, it may not be the best option for you. Yes, the walking distance was perfect. It is one of the hotels on Hotel Plaza Boulevard that is farthest from DTD, but my boyfriend and I found the walk to DTD very easy and very enjoyable. You can also walk to the plaza (can't remember the name of it) easily as well and there are some good dining options there: Chevy's, Uno's, Perkins, etc.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I love your Disney nametag countdown in your signature!

I actually did not use the shuttle service because we rented a car. From what the Front Desk told us, the shuttle would come every 30 minutes. I had been told by several friends the shuttle is not very reliable and it makes multiple stops. So, instead of having a shuttle dedicated just to MK or just to EPCOT, their shuttle drops off at EVERY park, so if you're on a tight schedule, it may not be the best option for you. Yes, the walking distance was perfect. It is one of the hotels on Hotel Plaza Boulevard that is farthest from DTD, but my boyfriend and I found the walk to DTD very easy and very enjoyable. You can also walk to the plaza (can't remember the name of it) easily as well and there are some good dining options there: Chevy's, Uno's, Perkins, etc.

Thank you for this information

 

[aquagreenpbc]

Buena Vista Palace Gets my vote! Modern rooms and a quick walk to DTD. Stayed there for Christmas twice and had a great time. Parking can be a pain at times though. The parking lot is quite the hike from the hotel entrance, and when it's busy you may have to park pretty far out. Overall though, I think Buena Vista Palace is a great choice as far as DTD hotels go. I was NOT impressed at ALL with Royal Plaza. The hotel itself seemed a bit dark, dank, and dated. We also had a wash cloth mishap I'll never forget.

 

[heartse]

FWIW, we have had GREAT experiences every time at the DoubleTree that was mentioned. Everything is clean, the beds are comfy, and the pool was perfectly fine. Now, i haven't nor feel the need to use a pool-side bar, but I am guessing it's open during the peak season only.

As far as the staff there, we found them to be spectacular! We went most recently over Labor Day weekend, which happens to be my daughter's birthday (the reason we were going down). I requested that they had balloons in the room for us when we arrived for her birthday. Not only were there balloons, but a cake as well. The front desk staff have all been very helpful the numerous times that we have been there... and the restaurant staff are great. There's one in particular, Karen I believe, that is just fantastic!

As for the shuttle, all the DTD area hotels share the same shuttle, so no matter where you stay it will always be the same. It was a little slow, but we didn't really mind. They don't stop at EVERY park... there is one just for MK, one for Epcot and HS, and one that does MK and AK.

 

[nichanda]

The Whydam, Holiday Inn, Buena Visa Palace and Hilton within the DTD hotels (on Hotel Plaza Blvd) are easy walks to DTD (as long as you do not have any mobility issues). Royal Plaza, Best Western & Doubletree are okay walks too, but not as close as the other four. If you google map the location, it gives you a good idea. Obviously Hilton and the Palace are the closest.

 

[FLCyndi]

Loved the Wyndam-right across the street from DTD. Stayed last Thanksgiving for $59 per night. Plenty of parking, safe, clean and updated.

 

[Colette]

I agree with the Wyndham. Just got back and it was the first time ever, staying off-site, but we were trying to save some money. It was wonderful-so close to DTD, walking, nice rooms, great staff, easy parking and regular busses to the parks, so will definately do it again-saved so much.........