Last Minute Hotel Suggestions Needed

[tarheelmjfan]

We have a family member that planned a last minute WDW wedding. We found out two days ago & the wedding is March 26th. She's getting married at Swan/Dolphin Resort. We'd like to stay near that area. I've been pricing hotels. Buena Vista Palace in DS has an excellent rate, but the reviews aren't great. We could book Dolphin Resort for twice the price. Do you think Dolphin is worth that much more? (FWIW, we've stayed at Dolphin & think it's very nice. We just don't know anything about BVP.) We also like Hilton Bonnet Creek, but the rates are high there too. Are there any other, nice hotels in the area we should consider for a better rate? Any help you can offer will be very much appreciated.

PS: We'll be driving up from Miami & will have a car, if we need it.

 

[writerguyfl]

When I stayed at the Buena Vista Palace in December, I ended switching hotels after my first night. The entire property was a construction site, including the lobby. Perhaps some of that has changed in the past two months. Still, I wouldn't recommend it. I'm not a world traveler, but I usually stay between 20-30 nights in hotels each year. The room I had at the Buena Vista Palace was the dirtiest room I've stayed in the past two decades. It was dirtier than the two-star roadside motels I used to stay at when money was tight right after college.

As far as the Disney Springs hotels go, the Hilton Lake Buena Vista is mediocre (and usually overpriced). Both the Holiday Inn Disney Springs and DoubleTree Suites Lake Buena Vista are excellent hotels. All three of those hotels charge for parking. And, the Hilton LBV has a resort fee.

If you're from Miami, you know that March is tourist season and deals are few and far between. Not sure if it helps, but the Disney Springs hotels website lists discounts. Your best bet is probably the Florida resident rates (found under the "Special Offers" tab). That website can be found here: http://disneyspringshotels.com/

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks for the suggestions. BVP is definitely out now. I checked Doubletree after reading your post. It's sold out. I'll check HI next. We've stayed at Hilton LBV. It was fine, except for the horrible bed. We prefer Hilton Bonnet Creek & may stay there. Dolphin is still a consideration for convenience. Then again, the Disney mods would be cheaper than either of those. We don't think the mods are as nice as either of them, but we'll only be there one night.

Since we won't be going to the parks, we don't necessarily need to stay on property or at one of the Disney Springs hotels. Are there any hotels a little further away, but still convenient to Swan, we should consider?

 

[Belle599]

If you are looking for a nicer hotel and have access to lmtclub, I see both Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek and Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress on there for March 26 for less than $200.

If the wedding party has a group rate for the Swolphin it may be easier to stay there and then you can hang out at the Boardwalk.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

If you are looking for a nicer hotel and have access to lmtclub, I see both Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek and Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress on there for March 26 for less than $200.

If the wedding party has a group rate for the Swolphin it may be easier to stay there and then you can hang out at the Boardwalk.

Thanks for the feedback. Since I don't know what lmtclub is, I'm guessing I don't have access to it. It sounds like the wedding party is staying in a lot of different hotels. I'm pretty sure they don't have a group rate anywhere. She literally started planning the wedding a few days ago, so I think they're kind of taking what they can get.

 

[mar21]

There are some hotels off of Palm Parkway that might be slightly cheaper than the Disney Springs Hotels.

 

[writerguyfl]

Since I don't know what lmtclub is, I'm guessing I don't have access to it.

The lmtclub site is an off-shoot of Last Minute Travel. Last Minute Travel is an opaque site like Hotwire where you only find out the name of the hotel after you make a non-refundable purchase. With lmtclub, they list the hotel names; so no guessing. However, it is a membership site. The current annual membership fee is $49.99.

It is actually pretty easy to find a lmtclub promo code that provides a free membership. A Bing/Google search is probably all that's necessary. The promo code I used gave me a lifetime free membership.

Note: With many hotel chains, you give up the chance to earn points or elite-level membership status if you don't book directly with the chain. Depending on your situation, this may not matter.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Lake Buena Vista is a good option.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

There are some hotels off of Palm Parkway that might be slightly cheaper than the Disney Springs Hotels.

The lmtclub site is an off-shoot of Last Minute Travel. Last Minute Travel is an opaque site like Hotwire where you only find out the name of the hotel after you make a non-refundable purchase. With lmtclub, they list the hotel names; so no guessing. However, it is a membership site. The current annual membership fee is $49.99.

It is actually pretty easy to find a lmtclub promo code that provides a free membership. A Bing/Google search is probably all that's necessary. The promo code I used gave me a lifetime free membership.

Note: With many hotel chains, you give up the chance to earn points or elite-level membership status if you don't book directly with the chain. Depending on your situation, this may not matter.

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Lake Buena Vista is a good option.

Thanks so much for all of the tips and suggestions. I'm definitely going to look for a code to join lmtclub for free. That sounds like a great site. I'm also going to look into Homewood Suites & the Palm Parkway properties, before I book anything.

In the meantime, does anyone know what the breakfast for adults is like at the Holiday Inn at Disney Springs? I found a rate that's only $15 more to include breakfast for all four adults. If we decide to stay there, we'd definitely be interested in adding that on, if it's a decent breakfast. That sounds like a great deal. Also, could someone tell me how far the walk is to Disney Springs from HI?

 

[writerguyfl]

http://binged.it/1S8ArJl

In the meantime, does anyone know what the breakfast for adults is like at the Holiday Inn at Disney Springs? I found a rate that's only $15 more to include breakfast for all four adults. If we decide to stay there, we'd definitely be interested in adding that on, if it's a decent breakfast. That sounds like a great deal. Also, could someone tell me how far the walk is to Disney Springs from HI?

I've stayed there but I tend to be nocturnal, so I've never eaten breakfast at the restaurant. As far as the walk to Disney Springs, Bing Maps says it's about 0.4 miles/7 minutes. Here is a link to the Bing map: http://binged.it/1S8ArJl

Disney transportation to/from Disney Spring usually isn't too beneficial for folks staying at the Disney Springs hotels because it goes to the resorts and not the theme parks. But, you may find it useful if the wedding is at the Swan/Dolphin. The Disney Springs bus area is very near the Holiday Inn. You could use the Disney bus to get to the Swan/Dolphin and back. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time.