?? for finding affordable hotels on our way to WDW

[ratow]

My husband thinks his folks pay around $300 a year! Does it depend on where you live? I will ask his mom this afternoon.....

 

[Disneydenise]

I live in central NJ and we pay $42 per year. I have the basic plan but the Plus plan is only $15.00 more for one driver.

 

[skiwee1]

We pay $100 but that is for all drivers in the house and it is the Plus plan. You can get the basic coverage and still get the maps and triptiks though.

 

[jgates]

beep - beep! I'll be honking!

AAA is around $40 per year for one member. We pay $132 or so for AAA Plus for 3 people. Each add'l driver is another fee, but your base driver is the highest cost.

AAA Plus gives you up to 100 miles of towing (not unlimited) and also RV coverage I believe. I would prefer to have a mid=level with the extra miles but no RV stuff.

Besides the two rewards programs mentioned, Holiday Inn has Priority Club and Fairfield/Courtyard, etc have Marriott Rewards.

I have ordered books before and 'shared' them. The one time the AAA gal even shipped them to my aunt for me. Probably a no-no but she was great !!!!

If you have a WalMart atlas, there are some discount codes for motels on the back also.

We also have an Amway discount card (never ordered from them!) but they offered discounts to Comfort Inn - we check Dubuque where mom and dd & I are going at end of Oct - Amway had the best discount we could find! Room rate - $90 - AAA/Senior/WalMart rate - $80.95. Amway Rate - $60!!!!

One thing I have discovered with Fairfield Inn (it has happened about 4 times) is that the direct number to the motel will run you around $4 to $5 per night cheaper than the 800 number. Haven't figured out that one yet!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Comfort Inns/Suites, Quality Inns/Suites, Clarion have Guest Privileges. Check their website - Choice Hotels - for info on the card. After 10 stays you stay free. Also try for internet rates from Choice Hotels, Hilton Honors, etc. . Internet rates are better than some of the other rates. If you check the internet, it will give you the rates to check for- AAA, AARP, etc - plus the chains own special deals. Holiday Inn, I think, has a short term rate - if you wait for the day before, you can get a good rate, but some of them can't be cancelled.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by Deb & Bill
Comfort Inns/Suites, Quality Inns/Suites, Clarion have Guest Privileges. Check their website - Choice Hotels - for info on the card. After 10 stays you stay free. Also try for internet rates from Choice Hotels, Hilton Honors, etc. . Internet rates are better than some of the other rates. If you check the internet, it will give you the rates to check for- AAA, AARP, etc - plus the chains own special deals. Holiday Inn, I think, has a short term rate - if you wait for the day before, you can get a good rate, but some of them can't be cancelled.

I agree with checking the internet first. Most of the time the internet deals have beaten AAA and AARP by at least $10. I always get Marriott and Clarion cheaper for a suite online then paying for a regular room at an AAA or AARP rate by calling the hotel.

 

[zurgswife]

We are going in Oct and driving....here is what I did...

Family of 6....so I refuse to just wing it with rooms.

We are AAA members($42 PA)....I got a trip tik and Tour Books for the areas I needed.

Went to this website http://www.4-driving-directions-road-maps-online-city-state-us-world.com/directions.html got some (more than one) estimates of how long (hours) the trip was going to be..

I figured how far based on this info that we would plan on driving in one day. The first night we are arriving at my dad in NC. The second night we will leave NC around 6 and plan on driving until we reach Savannah....The estamate I got was about 6.5 hours but no matter what we will drive to Savannah.

I looked in the Tour Book and wrote down all hotels with a 3 diamond rating, found out which ones accomodated 6. Then I got on the internet and started researching prices. I have found that lots of times the hotel site will have discount rates that might be different then travelocity, expedia. I went with the best rate at a hotel that fit us....

I then check with others here and else where to see if anybody had any horror stories....

I little more complicated then most might but with a family of six I can't chance not getting proper rooms....

 

[CdnMom2]

This family of 6 thanks you very much zurgswife for a straight forward plan!
Your family has been very helpful with our own planning for this trip on many different threads over the year.

 

[ratow]

zurgswife -
So....which hotel chains accomodate 6??? Calling the 800 # of the Comfort/Quality chain, they always tell me only 4 or 5 people per room (and an extra $10 roll-away bed charge for 5 people).

I will check the hotel web sites.

BTW, do any hotels in the south have indoor pools? If we stay our second night around the GA/FL border in Oct. (18th), will it be warm enough to swim in an outdoor pool?

 

[kel3420]

We drove from Chicago last year with our three kids and just winged it, and it worked out fine. I am one that ALWAYS research travel ad naseum, lol, but I didnt worry about it on this trip. There are so many hotels right along the major highways, and usually pretty cheap, so it shouldn't be a problem. We also had a vague idea where we would end up, but didn't want to stress over having to get to a certain area. For example, coming home, we got stuck in the mountains in a huge downpour, which slowed us down to less than 20 miles an hour, putting us way behind schedule and we never would have made our reserved hotel.

Good luck in whatever decison you make.

Kelly

 

[JesNJakesMom]

I always use www.roomsavers.com when we travel anywhere. You can see all hotels in a given city/state along a certain interstate (I-75) and print out coupons for a number of hotels along your way so you can stop when you want to and know the room will only cost you $xx.xx! With the coupons they don't accept advance reservations, it is available only as a "walk in". So, if you are traveling during a "peak" time hotels may fill up. We usually travel in November, well before Thanksgiving and have never had a problem!

 

[ratow]

jesnjakesmom- I did go on roomsavers.com but all the coupons I saw were for 1-2 or sometimes 1-4 people. We're 7 people (6 if they don't count the baby). Was I doing it wrong or is that what all the coupons are for?

 

[zurgswife]

Clarion Inn & Suites accomodate 6 in Savannah where we are staying....and it was only $67.00 per night....

 

[JesNJakesMom]

Last year they had a coupon for Country Inn & Suites which we used in Georgia. They have suites available for more than 4 people. Based on availability though.

Before you go maybe you could call the hotels you are thinking you might stay at and ask them what they do for more than 4 people in a group. The way I understood it is 1-4 people meaning adults (kids over 12 or something like that).

The only thing I've found wrong with roomsavers is that many of the coupons are only good for certain nights of the week. So, be careful about that. It's one thing they will not even negotiate with you.

Good Luck!

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by zurgswife
Clarion Inn & Suites accomodate 6 in Savannah where we are staying....and it was only $67.00 per night....

That is where we are staying in 15 days. When are you going? We also are getting a suite for $67 a night.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by JesNJakesMom
I always use www.roomsavers.com when we travel anywhere. You can see all hotels in a given city/state along a certain interstate (I-75) and print out coupons for a number of hotels along your way so you can stop when you want to and know the room will only cost you $xx.xx! With the coupons they don't accept advance reservations, it is available only as a "walk in". So, if you are traveling during a "peak" time hotels may fill up. We usually travel in November, well before Thanksgiving and have never had a problem!

Did you know that roomsavers are the ones that print those coupon books for different states that you can pick up at rest areas? I think they are called Travel Guide for NC or whatever state you are in. Anyway if you can't get the coupons printed or something then stop at the first rest area in the state and they will be there. We did this on the way home last May and that is how I got the Marriott for $49 a night! We do not prebook for the return trip and just take our chances. I grabbed one of the books and they have a coupon for it so I stopped there. The clerk had no problem with it and I got a good deal! If you look on the back of the books it tells you to go to their website roomsavers.com for coupons too. Just thought someone might like to know this.

 

[zurgswife]

skiwee1 we don't leave for 28 days.....

 

[colleen costello]

The further south you go, the harder it is to find an indoor pool! I guess the weather is OK for 8 or 9 months, but that doesn't help me in early March...

I use the AAA book and plan obsessively. I am too chicken to travel without reservations -- I would fret the whole way. I imagine Norman Bates and cockroaches, not necessarily in that order! I plot our trip and only book hotels that allow a 6pm hold. There are still some out there! We stay at Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield, and Best Western most often, These offer good rates, pools, and free cereal the next morning. I also try to get a hotel with interior hallways. I watched an Oprah episode long ago, with a safety guy talking about how much more secure you are in this type of building. No one gets in at night without passing the front desk!

Take heart -- it's only stressful the first time. Once you have done the trip you'll know your route and some good hotels. We always go to Macon the first night and stay in a great little Best Western. It's clean, with an indoor pool and free breakfast and it's $39 -- can't beat that.

Good luck! With 5 kids, even a trip across town requires planning!

Colleen