help me with my Disney vacation!

[tinatark]

Thanks to these boards, along with Mousesavers and a few othe web sites, I've made great headway in planning our March 16-23, 2003 vacation to Disney. Now, I need a little help from you seasoned Disney professionals! I would love any advice/comments about the hotels I've listed below, along with any other info you may find useful...

Some Facts: Family of 4, parents, sons, 7 & 9 traveling - flying in to MCO 3/16, departing 3/23; we plan to buy 4 or 5 day park hopper passes, as we also would like to visit Sea World, Universal, etc... Important factors for our hotel are a nice (heated) pool area, lounge, nice room, proximity to Disney. We have not decided yet whether to rent a car or use hotel transportation to the parks, and taxi's to anywhere else we visit.

We would like to stay on site, but we would also like to keep our hotel bill around $1000. We had considered the Carribbean Beach Resort, but after reviewing it more here, and in the Unofficial Guide to Disney 2003, I'm not so sure that's where we'd like to be.

Off Site Hotels I'm considering:

Caribe Royale, a suite for $938, + taxes

Radisson Resort Parkway, a regular view room for $623, pool view $ 705 + taxes

Sheraton Vistana Resort, 2 bedroom villa, $909.30 + taxes

Hotel Royal Plaza, Lanai Room, $945 + taxes

Holiday Inn Family Suites, kid suite $905.45 + taxes

Thank You!

 

[PartyofSix]

Okay with your 1000.00 hotel budget this is what I'd do. I'd get me two rooms at the Best Western LBV in DD. Right now you can book them for $25 each on Priceline. With taxes and fees the rooms will be 65 a night. I'd stay there 4 nights and do Disney Up. Then I would take and move to HRH. You can get entertainment rate there for around (est) 139.00 or so. Your kids will love you so much for this! FOTL access will spoil your family rotten and you'll be saying why did I go to Disney? You just show your room keys and move straight to the front of the line. Very little wait time if any! I'm talking 2-3 minutes! The HRH is amazing and the pool is wonderful. It has a hugh slide and it's a zero entry beach pool. (We love the PBH, But your boys may like the themeing better at HRH.) So if you figure 150.00 for HRH for three nights and 65 a night for two rooms at BW your seven days will run you approx 645.00 that includes taxes! The HRH will spoil you guys and the beds there are amazing!!! You may can get even lower than the rate I mentioned, someone just booked for 129!! The Best Western is clean the rooms are large and they have balconies. After you win the bid on priceline call them and you can upgrade to two queens and a pull out. They tell me the rooms are quite large I'm going this weekend so I'll get to see for my self. I've heard nothing but good things on the boards about BW. It offers shuttle service to Disney. When you get over to HRH they offer you shuttle service to SeaWorld and I'd maybe do seaworld my last day there as the HRH will stow your luggage for you! As far as making the trasfer over there there are a lot of options. I know there is a coupon on the Dis board somewhere for like the Happy Limo service it may cost you 40 bucks or so to trasnfer but look at the accomadations you'll be getting for the money!!! Good Luck in your Planning.

 

[tinatark]

I'm sorry, I must have not stated my family # correctly - we are a family of 4, including me, hubby, 2 sons - 7 & 9.

Sorry if I wasn't clear!

BTW, we've checked the HRH on their web site, no availability for the time we're there - of course, they may be like Disney reservations and just not be booking that far in advance online yet!

 

[PartyofSix]

You did state the number right the first time. I just saw where you were looking at two rooms suites so I was giving you something comparable with what you were pricing.LOL As far as HRH don't desparate on that call back everyweek and check again. Or you may want to look at the PBH you can get a garden view or bay view there for 159 ent rate. That place will blow your mind! The service is top notch you'll feel like there only guest! It's simply amazing. They have a pool with a slide and two more to boot! There are shops and resturants there that are really good. Flippers Pizza delievers there and it's a great $$ saver so you could justify the move up.LOL The rooms there are the biggest rooms on property! And they have kids' suites too but that'll blow your budget!

 

[Rpsemont]

I think PartyofSix has a great idea BUT you can't guarantee you'll get BW LBV with Priceline. SO... I'd be tempted to bid a 3* Priceline WDW area hotel for one room for 4-5 nights. YOu can probably succeed with a $35 bid. Taxes, Etc might bring total cost to under $200. And you probably have a 50% or better chance of getting either a hotel really close to WDW and or one with a nice pool. Do the other nights on site at Universal. RENT A CAR with the savings. (I would never to Orlando or WDW without a car) If you end up with a place without a great pool you'll have extra money to do a water park. We've been to WDW 5 Times and still find that most days we start out early and get back late and never spend any time at the hotel.
As a baseline backup while you think about this, I'd take the Radisson. We've never stayed there, but I hear it's recently remodeled and the pool looks great. You MUST rent a car though. From the Radison, the drive to WDW is a cinch. I think we made it in about 12 minutes - door to door to MGM. (From the HYatt, right next door to the Radisson). The drive to Universal is about 25-30 minutes. Use the valet parking at Universal. Well worth the extra $5 or so. You could also do the Radisoon and "double book" with a single night on site at Universal. Just take a quick ovenight bag with you. We're hoping to do this in Feb. with our Baselne being a priceline hotel.

 

[anne60]

if you stay off site - i would definitely get a car. i also echo others comments about the value of the FOTL perk at universal/IOA, it makes the extra $$ and the inconvenience of switching hotels well worth it, and the hotels (at least PBH and HRH) are both really nice!

 

[erinch]

we spent 2 weeks at the Vistana 2 years ago and were very pleased. The pools are marvelous. Although we were in an older section, the landscaping was mature and lush and we were in a great location for Disney, Universal and Sea World.

The kitchen/fridg laundry saves a lot of $$$

 

[jacrazy]

I ditto enrich -- Vistana Resorts pleased me beyond my best expectations. A real Gold Crown resort. I would suggest a rental car though.