First Night: The Dilemma

[MaryFMac]

We are driving for our vacation this year, as we only live approximately 10 hours away, and we're two adults who can (for the most part) handle being in the car for extended periods of time

Last year we booked a hotel (think Masters Inn, Econolodge) for less than 40.00 a night for the evening of our driving day. This was fine: we dropped off an overnight bag, went to the world until 10:00PM or so, crawled into the bed, and got up at 6AM to check in at CSR.

This year, I had a harder time finding the under-forty dollar hotel without horrendous ratings (most through AAA were around 50 dollars), but I did find Pop Century for 84 dollars through AAA.

I have gone back and forth, trying to decide if the on-property stay for the first night is worth 40 dollars more than our typical first night stay... In any case, we'll be transferring to AKL first thing the next morning and heading to the parks.

I finally booked it, but now I am having remorse...

Help me decide!!

 

[ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

We do the same thing, we drive up late the night before and check in somewhere in Kissimee. When we can we just stay at the Super 8. Great thing about it is, with triple A we have gotten a rate between $40-50. Theres a Bennigans literally 10 steps away from the lobby and we usually arrive right in time for happy hour!

So we check in, head over to bennigans, have a few drinks and talk about whats to come and snack a bit, head over to the room and just crash. This also prepares us because the super 8 room is NOTHING like the room we're going to stay in the next day.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Personally, I'd rather wake up in my room for the week. It's worth the additional cost for me. Once upon a time (translation=when money was tighter and we bought length of stay passes), we would stay off-site the first night if our arrival was late. Not any more. If I had to do so, I would just save the money on something else to do with the trip.

 

[MaryFMac]

Unfortunately, staying at the AKL the first night isn't an option we're considering.

Would you stay on property vs. off if, hypothetically, your resort was booked for your arrival date?

 

[robinb]

I would stay at the All Stars or I would use Priceline. You can probably book a 3* hotel for less than $50. Check out www.biddingfortravel.com for more info on how to bid properly.

 

[Jalva22]

We had intended to stop at Gainesville on our drive down a couple of weeks ago. We still felt fine, though, so we called and reserved an All Star room with an AP rate instead. We drove over to AKL to preregister early next morning. I had Pop as an option, but chose the All Star instead because it is very close to AKL and I knew we'd be in a hurry that morning. If the extra money over offsite isn't a big deal to you, I wouldn't hesitate to do that again.

 

[D&R love Disney]

We are doing something similar. For the first time ever, we are flying in late. Our flight gets in around 9:30 pm. We are only there for 4 nights total but no way was I spending $$$$ to stay at CR 14th floor just to sleep the first night. We are trying AS sports for the night them changing hotels. Lots of savings doing this and I have no problem changing hotels.

 

[MaryFMac]

Does anyone know if they will transfer luggage if you have two seperate reservations?

 

[robinb]

Does anyone know if they will transfer luggage if you have two seperate reservations?

Yes. That is the major advantage to staying at a value resort your first night. All you need to do is leave your luggage in your room near the door and let bell services know. They take it to your new resort as if by magic.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

We only live a few hours away but I usually book one of the Values for our first night. I love to check-in early then head over to the parks, I hate driving though Orlando's morming traffic.

Have a great trip.

 

[vanyel]

If you have your own car, I'd probably try to find something off-site.

Reasons: check in is often quicker and since you're just sleeping there, why take the time it can take for a wdw resort check-in.

I found the Comfort Inn right near dtd for $39 through expedia last year. It was fine for a night, minimum investment in time for the check-in/out, and close to dtd.

There's nothing wrong with staying at a value the first night though, if that's what you choose - just telling you my view. This time we get in early so we're heading straight to our resort - CSR.

 

[grimley1968]

Yes. That is the major advantage to staying at a value resort your first night. All you need to do is leave your luggage in your room near the door and let bell services know. They take it to your new resort as if by magic.

I have to admit this makes a lot of sense. I'd go with this plan of yours. $40 really isn't that much, when you consider all the conveniences you'll get for it, including the free bus ride to the park of your choice when you decide to wake up that first day.

When we stayed at BC last summer, we stayed offsite the first night, since that saved us well over $100, and we didn't get there until late at night anyway. No need to pay over $100 for the ambience of BC for that night if we weren't going to enjoy any of it at 11 PM at night.

But if it's only a $40 difference in your case, AND you get the free luggage transfer, it sounds pretty good to me.

 

[Avalanche]

We give ourselves two days to drive (14 hours) but usually do it in one. We usually stay at one of the Downtown Disney resorts. I call from my cell around Jacksonville to check on rates. We have paid between 40 and 70 bucks. (This has been the end of June or early July)

 

[MEK]

IF you just want a cheap hotel room for 1 night try bidding on priceline or try hotwire. One time I arrived in Orlando late in the evening and didn't plan on checking into my resort until the next am. I stayed at a Comfort Inn on Irlo Bronson Blvd (9800 or something like that). Go to choicehotels.com and enter orlando. It is the very last hotel that comes up in the list of choice hotels because it is the most distant. It is $45.00 / night for the internet uses rate. It seems like it would be far from DW, but at night or early am it took maybe 10 minutes to get on site. The room was fine for one night and it had a frig. There is a grocery store located right down the street for stocking up on drinks, snacks, ect. It was one of the name brand grocery chains and the prices were reasonable.

___________________________________________

Just a crazy thought!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I'd do Priceline, personally. Pack one of your smaller bags with essentials you'll need that first night and leave the rest of the luggage in the car for when you check into AKL. Save money on a room that night and take yourselves out to dinner with the money you saved. You can def priceline a hotel for $40 or under and it'd be decent.

Get up first thing in the morning and drive to AKL. You still don't have to move your baggage if you leave most of it in the car and have the bellhop tote it to your room from your car when you arrive.

That's what we'd do. But I've stayed value at Disney and won't ever do it again, so I'd rather pay half the cost and stay offsite.

 

[dmslush]

We live in Tennessee, so it is about the same distance for us, a couple of hours longer though. What we decided to do was leave extra early, getting to AKL about 3pm. This would give us time to check in, shower, nap and then we have a PS at Boma at 8. After that, we would just look around the lodge and stuff.

 

[pandora174]

I would stay at the All Stars or I would use Priceline. You can probably book a 3* hotel for less than $50. Check out www.biddingfortravel.com for more info on how to bid properly.

My vote is for Priceline ! We have in the past stayed off property the first night to just eat a meal & then crash or to head to SW before going to Disney. & for around $50 or less we got a 3 star hotel which was very nice ! I also recommend the biddingfortravel website since it gives you an idea what hotel you might get & what people are paying for them.

 

[cpayne1997]

We are doing that same thing. We live in Atlanta so our drive is about 8 hours or so and we have 2 small children. The first night we got a room at ASMovies and then it is off to CR!!!!! We always just pack an overnight bag and leave our big luggage in the car. That is the easiest thing for us. I LOVE staying on site form the moment I arrive, I just stay in the value resorts.