Need help with cheap resort!

[KellyNY]

Hi everyone,
My DD and 2 of her friends consider going in August. They are all 19-20yo students and are looking for something super cheap with free transportation to Disney parks.
I need some help here. We stay onsite so I am lost here.
Thanks in advance.

 

[sasbok]

The last motel we stayed at was very affordable & comfortable, with free breakfast buffet.
I would consider staying there again any time:
Quality Inn: 2945 Entry Point Blvd, Kissimmee, FL 34747
Less than 10 min from WDW.

 

[alice99]

Hi everyone,
My DD and 2 of her friends consider going in August. They are all 19-20yo students and are looking for something super cheap with free transportation to Disney parks.
I need some help here. We stay onsite so I am lost here.
Thanks in advance.

When we travel cheap we always use Priceline..... we bid on 3 star hotels and have always stayed for less than 50$ per night.

One time we got the Grosvenor on Disney property (opposite Downtown Disney shopping) for 38$ per night! That was probably our best deal.

The only problem is it's a surprise, which resort you will get.... so transportation is an unknown.

 

[torinsmom]

Can they go during free dining and stay onsite? The free food may offset the cost of a Disney value room. You didn't give dates, so this may be impossible, but if they could go during the value season dates of free dining, weekdays are $92 and weekends are $107. If they did a 5 night trip, Sun pm-Friday am, they would pay $721 with tax, so $240 per person and that would include food. 5 day base tickets are $267, so you are talking $507 for room, tickets and food. Add in the perk that they can go back and forth as much as they want on the buses, and use the morning and evening extra hours, and this may be a better deal than an offsite room, which would probably cost $50-$60 with tax per night. If each girl spent $30-$40 on food per day, they would already be at the same price.

If they can't go during that time, there still may be codes available to reduce the price of staying onsite. I don't see them paying much less than Disney prices if they want assurance of a reliable shuttle and even then, the shuttles are usually only running 1-2 times a day.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

I might book a hotel on Hotwire, Priceline or lastminutetravel.com. You can use betterbidding.com as a resource if you choose to book this way.

Using these sites I have booked the Hampton Inn on Palm Parkway for $56/night plus tax - very nice, Hawthorne Suites Palm Parkway for $63 - nice with a kitchenette. I usually choose Lake Buena Vista area but you can get even cheaper rates in the Maingate area.

Transportation being an issue Downtown Disney area may be a good option. Hampton Inn and other hotels on Palm Parkway do have shuttle service provided but it is very limited IMO. I did use it however - plus there is a public bus that goes from Palm Parkway to Disney - Lynx - it was good service to the TTC - mostly tourists and cast members.

Also on Palm Parkway - Clarion LBV, Quality Suites, Extended Stay Deluxe, Holiday Inn Express.

 

[swilshire]

The real problem may be finding a hotel that will allow a group of young people that age to check-in. If Disney allows it, which I'm not sure they do, one of the on-site properties would be safer in my mind.

Sheila

 

[KellyNY]

They go somewhere in August, we are watching filights and they are crazy high now. My original plan was Free Dining but they want to make it even cheaper. One of the girls said she needs it cheaper, so here we go. I honestly do not see how we can get hotel with transportation and make it cheaper. I aslo noticed some hotels require check in over 21yo but one of them will turn 21 in July, I hope 2 others can be younger to check in. I was thinking about Priceline and such but we have 2 other people and their parents to all agree on something. I also saved a search on Disney.com, maybe I will get a PIN.
Thank you for all the suggestions, please keep them comming!

 

[torinsmom]

They go somewhere in August, we are watching filights and they are crazy high now. My original plan was Free Dining but they want to make it even cheaper. One of the girls said she needs it cheaper, so here we go. I honestly do not see how we can get hotel with transportation and make it cheaper. I aslo noticed some hotels require check in over 21yo but one of them will turn 21 in July, I hope 2 others can be younger to check in. I was thinking about Priceline and such but we have 2 other people and their parents to all agree on something. I also saved a search on Disney.com, maybe I will get a PIN.
Thank you for all the suggestions, please keep them comming!

Any chance they could take the train? I would think that would be cheaper than flying. With needing guaranteed transportation to the parks, I don't know that they will get out much cheaper with food and hotel than they would onsite with free dining. If they had a car, they could definitely get a good deal through Priceline, but then again, they would have parking to pay for as well.

 

[KellyNY]

Any chance they could take the train? I would think that would be cheaper than flying. With needing guaranteed transportation to the parks, I don't know that they will get out much cheaper with food and hotel than they would onsite with free dining. If they had a car, they could definitely get a good deal through Priceline, but then again, they would have parking to pay for as well.

We thought about train, price is practically the same, so weird, I thought it would be cheaper. No matter how I turn it, I do not see that off site will save them money. I also remember previous years I saw more discounts on expedia, maybe it is still too early for August.

 

[alice99]

We thought about train, price is practically the same, so weird, I thought it would be cheaper. No matter how I turn it, I do not see that off site will save them money. I also remember previous years I saw more discounts on expedia, maybe it is still too early for August.

The train, many times is more expensive. some people are train buffs, and do it for the experience..... others are afraid of flying and will spend whatever it takes to get there.

 

[itsMichelle]

They go somewhere in August, we are watching filights and they are crazy high now.

I don't know what area of NY you're from but I know my mother and I just booked our flight for our trip in June. We watched the airlines for about a month in advance hoping the prices would dip and they just kept steadily increasing. We were able to find an American Airlines flight for 250$ each round trip, that was the cheapest non-stop we could find.

Have you tried searching Kayak for the flights? That's how we eventually found ours. We searched up and down for a cheap flight and couldn't find it, tried Kayak by recommendation from my father and sure enough they had a flight within our desired price-range.

 

[torinsmom]

The train, many times is more expensive. some people are train buffs, and do it for the experience..... others are afraid of flying and will spend whatever it takes to get there.

It's lots cheaper than flying from NC. I guess it's a longer trip from NY and the price goes up.

OP, maybe suggest they do a shorter trip.Leave NY early in the morning so they have most of the day when they get there. Then book a flight as late as possible for departure day. So, maybe get there early Sunday morning, have Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights and then tour the parks on Wednesday and leave late that night. This way, they could do only 3 nights at a resort, but get close to 5 days of parks in. Their dining credits would be good from checkin until midnight of the day they check out. They would get less credits, of course, but they could eat cheap for the other meals(Kids meals, share meals, etc)

 

[KellyNY]

It's lots cheaper than flying from NC. I guess it's a longer trip from NY and the price goes up.

OP, maybe suggest they do a shorter trip.Leave NY early in the morning so they have most of the day when they get there. Then book a flight as late as possible for departure day. So, maybe get there early Sunday morning, have Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights and then tour the parks on Wednesday and leave late that night. This way, they could do only 3 nights at a resort, but get close to 5 days of parks in. Their dining credits would be good from checkin until midnight of the day they check out. They would get less credits, of course, but they could eat cheap for the other meals(Kids meals, share meals, etc)

That is the plan, arriving early and leaving late. They plan now 4 nights 5 days but if they go with FD they will need more nights, if I remember correctly.

Does anyone know if flights go much cheaper like a month out or not. I always thought that flights are cheaper about a month out and go much higher like 2-3 weeks before the date, but I was watching June flights, just to see patern and I do not see it anymore. Did it change?

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Staying onsite and free dining would sure make things easier - staying off site can be a pain without a car. Good luck and hope they have a great time!

 

[spiceycat]

have you tried renting a reservation from a DVC member.

these are all studios - it has a kitchennet

OKW - 2 queen beds
sun-thur in Aug 1-15 is 14 points per night, August 16-31 is 16 points per night - Sept is definitely cheaper at 10 points per night

AKV - value - this is hard to get - 1 queen bed and a double sleeper sofa
Aug 1-15 is 10 points per night, August 16-31 is 13 points per night
AKV - standard - easier to get
august 1-15 is 13 point per night august 16-31 is 16 points per night

now you need to multiply the points - the price per point. it varies anywhere from $8 to $14/

for OKW it should not be more than $10 - for AKV it could be less or more.

then the girls get Disney transportation and that includes DME - which otherwise they would have to arrange for transportation from the airport. This does NOT include free dinning. You only get free dinning when you pay rack rate and you buy your tickets from Disney.

the only place that I would suggest besides DIsney - is Wyndham bonnet creek and the DD hotels. sometimes you can get a 1 or 2-bedroom for below $600. (sometimes) this will give them more room. WBC has transportation that is surpose to be better than most.

You can also try the transportation board for rates on rental cars -say if they stay in a Motel 6 - which is doable - then they might have money for a rental car.

with offsite places you also have to watch for the extra fees... which can come as a shock because they often don't advertise these fees and they hit you with them when you check in.

 

[KellyNY]

have you tried renting a reservation from a DVC member.

these are all studios - it has a kitchennet

OKW - 2 queen beds
sun-thur in Aug 1-15 is 14 points per night, August 16-31 is 16 points per night - Sept is definitely cheaper at 10 points per night

AKV - value - this is hard to get - 1 queen bed and a double sleeper sofa
Aug 1-15 is 10 points per night, August 16-31 is 13 points per night
AKV - standard - easier to get
august 1-15 is 13 point per night august 16-31 is 16 points per night

now you need to multiply the points - the price per point. it varies anywhere from $8 to $14/

for OKW it should not be more than $10 - for AKV it could be less or more.

then the girls get Disney transportation and that includes DME - which otherwise they would have to arrange for transportation from the airport. This does NOT include free dinning. You only get free dinning when you pay rack rate and you buy your tickets from Disney.

the only place that I would suggest besides DIsney - is Wyndham bonnet creek and the DD hotels. sometimes you can get a 1 or 2-bedroom for below $600. (sometimes) this will give them more room. WBC has transportation that is surpose to be better than most.

You can also try the transportation board for rates on rental cars -say if they stay in a Motel 6 - which is doable - then they might have money for a rental car.

with offsite places you also have to watch for the extra fees... which can come as a shock because they often don't advertise these fees and they hit you with them when you check in.

That is intersting. I do not think we will do it for kids but I am interested myself. I will need to hang around DVC board. I have no idea where to even start. Thanks for pointing it out. I never thought it is that affordable.

 

[ajpa]

How about taking a bus instead of flying? I think Greyhound does that routes (NY - Orlando), and they do web discounts & student discounts.
But they will need a taxi for something from the bus station to wdw.