Looking for suggestions for one night at a DS hotel on May 18.
One-night Saturday stays are generally the most expensive. A quick glance at rates shows the following (in approximate distance from Disney Springs...near to far) for refundable/changeable reservations, with my thoughts:
- Hilton Lake Buena Vista: $137 plus $35 resort fee and tax [very mediocre hotel, I'd never pay that much)
- Hilton Buena Vista Palace: $149 plus $34 resort fee and tax [on my personal "do not return" list due to a shockingly dirty room, other people have had far better experiences)
- Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista: $152 plus $25 resort fee and tax [Just say no! horrible reviews, normal prices are around $80]
- Wyndham Lake Buena Vista: $179 plus $25 resort fee and tax [tower rooms that share amenities with the "Garden", much better reviews, but still overpriced]
- Holiday Inn Disney Springs Area: $149 plus $22 resort fee and tax [my second favorite hotel, great service, a little pricey for the room quality]
- B Resort and Spa: $205 plus $30 resort fee [no personal experience, seems expensive when compared to "normal" rates]
- Best Western Disney Spring: $150 plus $14 resort fee and tax [old property in need of renovation, which is just starting to happen, way overpriced]
- DoubleTree Suites: $127 plus tax - NO RESORT FEE! [my favorite of the bunch, all rooms are suites, great service but furthest from Disney Springs]
If you don't mind walking, the DoubleTree Suites is the clear choice here, as far as I'm concerned.
Every night between 6pm and 3am, the hotels have a shuttle that runs a loop. It hits all the hotels and goes to the far end of Disney Springs (beyond the House of Blues and Cirque du Soleil theatre). So, you could walk to Disney Springs and use the bus for your return trip.
Ideally, we'd like something walkable to DS but I'm not opposed to Uber or a hotel shuttle. We're not super fancy but would like something decent, that isn't too pricey.
There aren't many hotels that have free shuttles to Disney Springs. Most only go to the theme parks.
None of the nearby hotels have any great discounts. You'll pay a slight premium (about $10-20) more to stay at one of the Disney Springs Hotels. In my mind, it's worth it.
We'll be heading to the hotel from the airport so bonus points if there is a decent (free) shuttle for that as well (no idea if those exist).
None of the non-Disney hotels in the Disney World area have free airport shuttles. They are simply too far away from the airport to provide that type of service.
Of course, the main reason Disney provides the service because they don't have guests to leave Disney property. That way, they can charge $13 for a burger and fries that you could get for $8 at a nearby, off-site restaurant. Cha-ching for Mickey!
ETA: Also wondering if the DS hotels will hold your bags like the Disney and Universal resorts as we'd like to explore DS a bit the following morning.
All of the Disney Springs Hotels will offer that service. It should be free, but the custom is to tip the Bell Staff member when they return your items.
Final Recommendation: Book a refundable and/or cancelable reservation. Then, periodically check rates. I watch rates at the Disney Springs Hotels often. They tend not to offer great discounts until a few weeks out.
Also, periodically check the Disney Springs Hotels marketing website. You might stumble on a special rate that way. Their discounts are usually seasonal. The current promotion ends at the end of March. The spring special should appear at some point in February.
http://disneyspringshotels.com/
