Late Arrival - 1st Night Onsite or Offsite?

[aka-mad4themouse]

My next trip will be with DS13 and possibly DD14. Our flight doesn't arrive at MCO until 7:30 pm. By the time we get the rental car, the very best I can hope for is getting out of MCO by 8pm and that's if all goes smoothly and we just have carryon luggage.

So, I'm debating whether to use my Hilton HHonors points for a night at the Airport Embassy Suites (with free breakfast buffet) or just head to CSR where I have a room reserved already for $163+. Yes, I'm hoping for a code!

What to do, what to do? My head hurts...

 

[sweet maxine]

The last time I flew into Orlando, my plane arrived about the same time as yours is scheduled to. I had to pick up luggage and get a rental car upon arrival. By the time I had done all of that, I was really wishing I had reserved something at the airport. Instead, I stayed at DTD in one of the hotels there.

I have stayed at the same Embassy Suites at the airport, and it's a very nice hotel. The breakfast is very nice....I remember quite a spread of things to choose from! The rooms are lovely, and I think it's one of the nicest Embassy Suites I've ever stayed at.

 

[Chicago526]

My family drove once to WDW, we got in around 6 pm. We decided (ahead of time) that rather than spend the premium dollars to check in to WDW right away, that we'd just spend the night at Quality Inn for $30 and save the money for shoping!

It wasn't that big of a hassle (of course it helped that we could leave our luggage in the trunk and only needed to bring our overnight bags into the room) to do it this way, and we got a good nights sleep, allowing us to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the next morning when we went to MK, while our bags were held at the bell hop stand. We came back for a nap and were promptley checked-in, then went back to the park for the rest of the day after our little break.

 

[Philadisney]

i'm in a similar situation, except my plane won't be getting in til 10:45 PM. we are staying with someone my friend knows in orlando, i think that if we did not have that option we wouldn't stay in a disney hotel (unless we could get a great rate) the first night. we're basically going to go to the room and crash, so what would be the point of paying for something you're not really getting a chance to enjoy the first night?

 

[CheapMom]

Will Magical Express be up and running when you take this trip? If so I would stay onsite. Otherwise I might stay elsewhere if it saved me a lot of $$$.

 

[hercamore]

The only time we stayed near the airport the first night was January a couple years ago.

We had a ll p.m. arrival which turned into a delayed l a.m. arrival. I am so glad I had a PL room reserved then because I didn't want to drive that 20 miles between MCO and LBV that late at night.

Otherwise, I want to be "done" and "out" of the MCO area and get to Lake Buena Vista, so we can get an early start on the parks.

herc.

 

[2d_star_to_the_right]

We've done it both ways- and overall- unless you get an awesome room rate at your final Disney hotel- it isn't worth it. We now find a cheap hotel on the day we arrive, check in- do some swimming, go to dinner in Orlando- down by CityWalk or Downtown Disney. We generally go to Sea World the next day but we have also gone direct to Disney- we get there early- like 7:30 for check in and our passes and by 8:00 we are generally on our way to our first park. Disney gives you a # to call (you can do so from Guest Relations in any park) and they will tell you what room number you are in so you don't have to stand at check-in again. You can either bring your luggage directly to your room yourself or call valet when you get to the room and they generally bring it over in like 20 min.

just thoughts

 

[TinkerPixxie]

Id stay near the hotel if a cheap rate could be found, if not Id use WDw budget resort and hope for a code. Dont think I would spend good points for a short nite stay. JMO

Tink

 

[DebbieB]

I arrived late on a trip with friends. We stayed at a Sheraton near the airport (a dive) and went to CSR in the morning (we went back to the airport by shuttle to rent the car we had reserved with a great rate before we decided to go the night before because of airfare). We arrived at CSR by 8:30am, so it didn't cut into park time. I think we even waited to have breakfast there. We got connecting rooms right away, except they didn't tell us they were smoking....

 

[SusieJane]

We were there the first part of Dec and left the airport around 8:00 pm. I had gotten a card for $49 a night at one of the value resorts so we stayed that night at Pop. Before we checked in, though, we stopped at DD and ate and looked around a bit. A great deal on the room, a chance to check out Pop Century and free parking the next day at the parks. A great start to a great vacation.

 

[blackforest]

We are going to stay at a hotel near the airport, use their shuttle and not pick-up the rental car until the next day. Saved a whopping amount of money! When we are coming home, we'll do ASmo and spend the day resort hopping, then get up the next day to fly home. Because of the savings on the rental car we get an extra Disney night. We wil be staying at our Marriott time share for the week, and decided to take an extra day!

 

[fran99999]

I may be insane but when I go to disney and arrive late I still stay on property at the hotel I will be staying at. I dont want the hassle of waking up, repacking, driving to disney, going to the hotel, leaving off the bags with bell services and/or checking in.

I want to wake up take my shower and off to my character breakfast, then of to the parks I go. IMHO it is well worth the $$ to open that curtain and know my vacation has already begun. No more hassles until I check out to go home.

 

[laurabelle]

I just did this a couple of weeks ago. Our flight got in at 7:00pm, no checked bags, used National's Emerald Aisle, no wait at POFQ check in at that time of day. We were in our room dropping off our bags at 8:20pm. Made it to Chef Mickey's in plenty of time for our 8:50 PS. I didn't think it was overly late to be arriving, and it saved me the time and hassle of 2 check ins, and we got a good night's sleep, got up and went to the parks. Hopefully your rate will drop and it won't be so much of an issue. I missed out on booking a code for that room by 2 days (yes, I was kicking myself) as it was a last minute trip. I did use a AAA discount, which isn't alot, but it's something.
HTH

 

[Donnask8pro]

I dont mean to sound silly, but.. What does it mean "using a code" Thanks

 

[minkydog]

We have gotten in late too, and we just stay off site when that happens. No reason to spend tons of money for what is essentially a bed and a bathroom overnight. We move over to our Disney hotel the next morning bright & early and hit the parks running.

 

[ceecee]

The past few years we have left late on a Thurs or Fri and usually arrive by 8:00 (once it was 11:00). Since we were staying at ASMo and Pop it wasn't too much more to stay onsite and we just can't wait to get there! At 163.00 a night I would go with the Hilton and use your points.