Help! Where to stay if arriving LATE the night before??/

[Tinkerbell2]

We MAY arrive about 11 or so the night BEFORE our reservation. So if thats the case we dont want to spend the $150 to stay at AKL if we dont get there till 12 or 1 am...so we wanted to find someplace cheap the night we arrive...BUT I dont know where to look. If we find someplace cheap by the airport then how would we get to AKL in the morning.

I called about the all-stars but even there was like $99 plus tax and we wanted something CHEAP...

I know I can find a cheap place but I have NO idea how we would get from one to another....we were planning on taking the shuttle from the airport to the hotel. So if we took a cab Im sure that would cost a fortune....

HELP...what have you guys done in the past???

 

[colleen costello]

I am thinking of going down a night early at Thanksgiving time. We'll get in real late so I don't want to spend the money on a WDW poroperty. I am currently checking out the rates at the Downtown Disney hotels. They are very close and the next morning you'd be ready to head to AKL. There are a bunch of them and prices range; one was offering basic rooms beginning at $39. Check out Mousesavers.com; many of the DD hotels are mentioned there. I would rather get away from the airport on arrival night and be close to Mickey when I wake up the next morning!

 

[Tina]

Can you take advantage of any of the code rates on mousesavers.com? We're arriving late on our first night in May. Originally we had an All-Stars for $83 (including tax), but now we've lowered that to $66 with the AP rate.

 

[BrianD]

Yeah, since you won't have a car, I would really recommend trying to get on to Disney property that first night, so that you get then just rely on Disney transportation the rest of the time. They will even transfer your luggage from one resort to another free of charge. Try an All Star with a discount rate. You can even book it online at disneyworld.com.

 

[Dancind]

We almost always take a flight that gets into MCO at about 11 p.m. And I always book a room at a 3* hotel near the airport through Priceline for that night. I've been able to book them for about $40, and the 3* hotels all have airport shuttles. If you want to get to AKL via Mears, you would need to take the shuttle back to the airport the next morning (I think). If you're arranging for a towncar, they would pick you up at your hotel. We always rent a car, and like to pick it up at night since there are more upgrades late in the day! Diana

 

[LoriR]

On our last trip, we too arrived around 11:00pm the night before our ressie at WDW. We stayed at the Hawthorn Suites near the airport. You can just call their free shuttle from a phone bank near the baggage claim area. I spent $69 for the night but that included a full hot breakfast buffet the next morning. I just arranged for our towncar to pick us up there in the morning, well rested, well fed, and ready to hit the parks!

Lori

 

[Michelemouse]

We always use Priceline for our pre-WDW night. We usually drive down and get there late in the evening.

You can use Priceline for hotels near the airport or near WDW. We always bid the WDW Vicinity zone and have been very pleased with the results. I know many people who have bid the airport zone and been equally pleased.

We generally bid $35 for a 3-star hotel in the WDW zone. So far we have gotten the Hyatt Orlando 3 times and the Sheraton Safari, Renaissance World Gate and Hotel Royal Plaza once each. With the tax & $5.95 Priceline fee we usually pay $45.00 for the one night. I am sure you could bid less if you went with a 2- or 2.5- star hotel. With Priceline you pick the zone you want and the star-level of the hotel and then you must take what you get. We have used them many, many times and never been disappointed with the results.

Just another option.

 

[Tinkerbell2]

These towncars you guys are talking about...whats that? They will pick us up at one hotel and take us to AKL and then return us to the AP from akl? Where do I find out about that and whats the cost?

Thanks!

 

[Dancind]

There are a number of companies that provide this service, and I'm not up on the most preferred company right now. You can find out all about it by visiting the Transportation Forum here on the DIS boards. Diana

 

[Emy'sMom]

Last year (September) when we drove to WDW (16 hrs from Indiana ) we weren't sure if we'd have the energy to make the drive all the way through without stopping for the night. I went ahead and booked a night at the All*Star Music Resort for $60/night (that was with tax) as a bit of incentive to get is there in one day. I figured if we didn't make it and I had to cancel I wouldn't lose a big chunk of money. It worked. We checked in at the ASMR at 8pm - had dinner at the food court - then went to bed. We headed over to the Polynesian the next morning.

We were able to get the $60/night rate because I had an AP. If the room had been $99/night I probably wouldn't have done this. I'm not familiar with any of the off-site properties but other posters have given some good ideas of where to stay.

Enjoy your trip!

Debbie

 

[Kimickey]

We are doing the same thing you guys are doing in August. We are arriving a day early getting into MCO around 10pm. As well as leaving a day after our package ends to take full advantage of our park tickets. Plus the flights were cheaper. Anywho, we are staying at the Contemporary (SOG rate) deluxe room (whatever that means) for $85 including tax for those two nights we are not on the Dream Maker Silver Package.

I would suggest trying the DD hotels. Or depending on when you are going try waiting for some to the codes to come out and see what they are offering.

 

[colleen costello]

How was it driving straight through? We have never done it. We get to Macon and I am near-death... that's as far as we've gone so far.

How early do you leave Indy? Do you share the driving? I love the idea of getting there in one day, but I am not sure us wimps could do it...

Thanks.

 

[mkymouse4ever]

We are in the same boat! Or should I say plane? We land at 12am so really do not want to get crummy room left overs so will go to poly next morning, We decided to try the all stars, hopefully will get ap rate / or code but it gives us an opprotunity to try another property at wdw we had not been to at all yet! Also I like the extra secruity disney has that is not always as available elsewhere. The move from AS will be much easier in the morning to poly, we will move ourselves but hoping for that good parking lot view near the car so I don't have to haul my luggage far! (that is my actual request).

MKY

 

[Mom+4]

We also will be arriving in Orlando around midnight. I recently bid $25 on Priceline for a 3* in the airport area and won the Marriott Orlando Airport. The going rate for that room is $99 with an internet special. My total price including tax and Priceline's fee is $33. After I got the confirmation from Priceline, I called the Marriott directly, and they had already received my reservation, and guaranteed me a non-smoking room with two beds. They also told me there is a free shuttle to and from the airport 24 hours a day.

Good luck to you.

 

[Lisa AF]

colleen costello, We live in central Ohio and drive in one day. We leave around 3 AM. Our DDs think it wouldn't be vacation if we didn't get up in the middle of the night. They love it!!!! There is hardly any traffic in the wee hours. We started doing this when they were small so they would sleep. They are 8 and 12 and I'm the only one who sleeps now. My DH and DDs are singing . By the time we stop for breakfast we have 5 or 6 hours under our belt.
We use to stay at a cheaper hotel in Jacksonville and then just had a couple of hours the next day to our Disney hotel. Last year we rented a villa and the price was so great we went straight there. It was about 1 1/2 longer than i could stand to be in the car!!!!

 

[Vinnie The Pooh]

I would consider staying at AK that night. I think that by the time you pay for a cheap room and pay fortransportation to AK you would be approaching the cost of the AK for the night and any extra you end up paying would probably be worth waking up at AK and heading out to the parks as oppossed to waking up, checking out, getting transportation and then checking into AK. I am sure half your morning would be gone at that point. Something worth considering. We stayed off site one night for the samr reason and wished we hadn't.

 

[colleen costello]

Can you all tell me a bit about Priceline? I have never used it. It sounds like you bid a price, a "level" (3 stars) and a zone -- mine would be "near Disney." We usually stay on-property the first night, mostly at the moderates, before switching to DVC on points. But at Thanksgiving time we are going down and may arrive late -- 10pm or so -- and I would rather not spend $100. I'd love one of the DD hotels. Is "3 star" like the AAA 3-star, meaning clean and safe but not fancy, like a Holiday Inn? I don't want to share the room with insect visitors!

I would go to the AllStars but am concerned that a lot of the buildings could be miles from the parking lots -- anybody know about this? Are there bellhops available there?

Thanks!

 

[DNSDisney]

If you want cheap, try Howard Johnsons they start at about 30. a night via Hotelkingdom.com . We stayed there our first night last yr and are thinking about leaving early and staying there first night this yr. so we won't be so tired after driving. Hotel kingdom has the cheapest rates always it seems. It isn't a disney hotel but it was clean when we visited.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

For info on bidding on Priceline check out Biddingfortravel.com. They have lots of information on how to go about bidding and they also have information on what hotels are routinely won in any given "zone" and the prices.

We just went down in March/April and I used Priceline for the first night and the last night. I bid for 3* near the airport and got the Renaissance Mariott and the Sheraton Suites. Both had shuttles to and from the airport. We used Yourride towncar to get to the port for our cruise then had a rental car when we returned to Orlando.

 

[Aubrey]

Our plan isn't necessarily "cheap" but it does make our travel experience a bit easier on the kids. We generally arrive late from the west coast and take an internet special or AAA rate at the Hyatt Regency that is right in the airport terminal. It runs about $99 and after a long flight and being cooped up, the kids are happy to walk to their room, order room service and conk out without benefit of shuttles and restaurants. If we arrive early enough while waiting for room service to bring dinner, they take a quick dip in the pool which is nothing to write home about but is a nice break after flying and is open until 11pm. If you call the bell desk, they will even meet you at the luggage carousel with a baggage cart. The same helpful service is available when you depart if you have an early morning flight. Last but not least, if the hotel is not overbooked, they will sometimes give you a second room for family members at half price if you ask at the desk. For us, it works better than starting off our vacation with a cranky night of hauling bags and looking for dinner.