HIFS Tips and Offers

[IrvineCA]

I'm using the PLAUSA scratch lotto offer to reserve a room at Holiday Inn Family Suites. The rate dropped from $169 to $109 for my last week of June reservations. This includes kids eat free, breakfast for the family, 2 adult dinner buffets a night, and 20% off kids over 12. This seems to be a fantastic place for kids to stay. Does anybody know of a better offer for HIFS?

Has anyone stayed there that might offer some tips?

 

[toystorymom]

We will be staying there next week using this same deal, which I think is a great one! There will be 6 of us so the free breakfast alone is worth alot. I think that currently this is the best offer out there, and I really looked. Originally we were going to book with the seniors rate which was about $125 (I can't remember exactly) but that didn't include the 2 free dinners.

I think my kids are really going to love it there and I hope your family does too. Have a great trip!!

 

[IrvineCA]

Good luck on your trip. Please let me know how it turns out. This is the first trip for my family. Where are you planning on getting your scratch off tickets? I asked the lotto reps, and they told me I could get them at Keys Gifts at the Orlando Airport. Unfortunately, they close at 10 p.m. and our flight arrives at 9:30 p.m. Just to make sure I am able to get one that night, the lotto reps sent me a map of where to find them in Orlando. The seven-elevens will be open 24 hours.

I believe the HIFS breakfast buffet starts at 7 am. I understand it gets very crowded, so I would arrive early or be prepared to wait about half an hour in line. Also, I read the dinner buffets are between 5 - 10 p.m. Therefore, try to come back to the hotel for an early dinner if you plan on watching the fireworks and fantasmic shows at WDW.

Let me know how the weather is. We are from Orange County, California and are not use to the Florida heat, so any tips on staying cool will be helpful. I already bought the small fan misters. I think I'll buy the cooling bandanas I've been reading about. We will use the HIFS refrigerators to freeze our water bottles.

I read some where that you cannot take rolling backpacks. That's a shame because I hate to walk all the way back to lockers, and there is a lot to carry around.

Are you getting a rental car? We reserved one with Dollar rental for $209/week for a minivan. We were going to get a mid-size, but with that rate we decided to be more comforatable with a minivan.

I'm a government employee and was able to get our 4 day hoppers for WDW for only $181 per person. The 5th day we are going to KSC and using the 40% off scratch off deal. The 6th day, we are planning on taking it easy and enjoy Downtown Disney and walking around the resorts and the Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

Have a safe and wonderful trip!

 

[Robinrs]

I stayed at the HIFS during their BOGO deal in January 2001. It was fairly new then and worth every dime. I loved having the separate sleep areas and the 3 tvs! A week without Spongebob is a week in heaven, I say!

The whole experience spoiled me terribly. I haven't been able to stay in a hotel room since. I loved their free breakfast buffet and all of the little extras like the train that circles the hotel and the karaoke at night.

It's a great hotel, you'll have a wonderful time!

 

[js]

I'm with robinrs. I was at HIFS for October during BOGO offer with my husband and two children and it spoiled us very much.
Now, when we are staying at a hotel for vacation, we must get two adjoining rooms, also, just returned from a cruise, where we would not stay 4 to a cabin (and my kids are small 8 & 4), and decided to spend the extra money and get a connecting room for the kids.
Booked another RCI cruise for next Easter and got two rooms again!
ALL because of HIFS I would stay there again in a minute. Well worth every penny.

 

[WDWKim]

I know that some (could be all) of the hotels in Disney World offer all you can drink cup for 8 or 9 dollars. I read a long time ago in one posting that HIFS offers the same thing. Can anyone verify that and if so who is it that offers it. I think this is a great idea...........don't know if you get it in the "food court" area, the store on the premises, etc.? Don't see it mentioned on their web site anywhere.........

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Yes, they have a refillable mug. You can get it in the little convenience store in the lobby area. I can't remeber the price of it, though.

 

[toystorymom]

I'm so glad to hear all these great things about this place!

IrvineCA, our plan is to definitely hit the breakfast buffet early and avoid the crowds. We have young children and we consider it "sleeping in" when they stay in bed until 6:00.

We are driving so we won't need a rental car. I think that $209 for a van sounds like a good deal.

I got my lottery ticket this weekend. A friend of mine has a sister who lives in FLA and she was kind enough to send me one. She knew exactly what ticket I was talking about and picked one up that same day. I don't think you will have any trouble. Perhaps I could try to find some when we are there next week, I'd love to help out some fellow Dis members.

I've got my mister fans and aqua cool bandanas too. Thank goodness for these boards, I would have been so unprepared and overwhelmed without all the help here. Thank goodness we'll have a stroller to help lug all this stuff around too!

I'm hoping to survive the heat as well. We're New Englanders and it hasn't gotten out of the 70s too often this year. We are going to be in for a major change I think!

Wishing you a safe and wonderful trip too!

 

[IrvineCA]

Toystorymom:

Please find out how much it is to rent a stroller at the parks. My kids are too old for strollers (13, 11), but I always tend to carry a lot of stuff. Since I can't bring a rolling backback inside the parks, I may put everything on the stroller.

For your information, I sell discount attraction tickets for my company's Welfare and Recreation Association. If you ever need discount California tickets, feel free to contact me. Currently, I can sell Disneyland tickets for $32 and California Disney Adventure tickets for $27.

Can't wait to read your trip report.

 

[IrvineCA]

Thanks everyone for sharing your information! What was the BOGO deal?

 

[tink2dw]

Thanks to Foodlover I just learned this:

Holiday Inn Family Suites
Stay one night and get 50% off your second night for each night of every two-night stay (up to 10 consecutive nights). When booked at the non-discounted rate from April 15, 2002 through November 17, 2002.
heres the link to the Bass Hotel site
http://www.sixcontinentshotels.com/holiday-inn?_template=save50.html

 

[js]

The BOGO, was the buy one night, get one free. Now they do the buy one get one 50% off.

As far as the refillable mugs, I didn't purchase them for us since there was a fridge in our room. We made a quick stop at the store, got water, juice boxes, juice and soda and filled the fridge. No need for the mugs.

Can you give me more info. about the lottery tickets? We are going again in Oct. and will look into the 50%. Can I use the lottery tickets in connection with the 50% off? Thanks.

 

[toystorymom]

js - the lottery ticket gives you a discount on the HIFS Family Value Package. It includes the suite, breakfast buffet, and kids eat free program, plus it includes 2 free adult dinner buffets each night (+ other adults eat for 20% off). We were originally quoted a rate of $159 but with the lottery ticket it is $109 each night. All you have to do is present 1 losing "Play FLA USA" scratch ticket when you check in.

I looked into the buy one get one 50% off. It averaged about $130 a night for our dates and that didn't include the dinners. I'm not sure about combining the 2 offers.

 

[MK Familystone]

We have stayed in at a moderate to upper price resorts at WDW since 1977 and never enjoyed the feel, room, ammenites that HIFS offered.
I will never return to WDW until the MAGIC of HIFS is there. Clean, tasteful rooms for all members of THE FAMILYwhen you closed the front door it was QUITE, not a sound from the pool nor people walking past the suite. We have gone to Disney Resorts for may a aniversary and each time the experience diminished in Magic. HIFS IS WHAT DISNEY SHOULD HAVE BECOME.

 

[tink2dw]

MK Familystone- I gree!! We stayed at HIFS the moved to All Star Music. WE should have never left HIFS!! WE had more room even with 3 adults,1 teen,and a 2yr old in a crib. Than 2 Adults and 1 teen were super cramped at All Stars.

We had better service at HIFS,too. The meals were cheaper.
And I loved our WDW themed room!!

And now that Dh is 50 we get Senior Rates!! Yaaaaaa!!

 

[FoodLover]

Just FYI, I was told yesterday by the Holiday Inn Family Suites that the lottery promotion (Family Values package that includes dinner for $109) is supposed to be for locals, i.e. Florida residents.

Just didn't want anyone to show up at check-in and be disappointed!

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[IrvineCA]

Thank you for your tip. I'll have to check on this. When I made reservation with the hotel, they didn't mention this to me. I also contacted Florida Lotto to see where I could purchase the scratch off tickets and encouraged me to use the ticket. They knew I was from California. In fact the Florida Lotto Website description of the hotel did not mention that it was for Florida Residents. It just states:

"Family values package. $109 suite night includes breakfast buffet, two adult dinner buffets/night; kids 12 and under eat free. Scheduled Disney shuttle and a themed three-room kidsuite."

 

[IrvineCA]

I just called the hotel, and they told me the deal is for everyone. You just need to bring in a Florida USA scratch off ticket when you arrive at the hotel.