Non-Disney hotel for one night?

[NorthCarolinaDisDad]

The Mrs, my 6yo and my 2yo, and me are staying at Fort Wilderness Satuday June 13-19. Our original plan was to drive half way from NC to Orlando on Friday, finish up the drive Saturday in time to check into the Fort, and then have some evening time over at the MK. However, on a beach trip during Memorial Day, the kids had a pleasant surprise for old dad. They no longer have to stop every hour or two for the bathroom, and they can ride without fighting now (makes me weep with joy).
I am now thinking I can get an early start that Friday and drive all the way to Orlando. Mapquest puts the trip at a tick over 10 hours. So I figure I can make it in 12 with lunch and gas stops.
Can someone suggest a good hotel within 20-30 minutes of Disney that is convienent to I-4 and whatever road I need to hit Saturday morning to get to Fort Wilderness? Would love to keep the hotel cheap but nice, especially since I am already paying for a week in the cabins at FW!!!

 

[yasuern]

For just one night I would attempt Hotwire.com

I on almost every trip hotwire 1 or 2 nights prior to checking into our WDW resort.

after you search your date you can narrow the search down by general areas

if you uncheck all but areas
LBV/DTD
Disneys Main gate
and
Kissimee

I am sure you will be less than 30 minutes from Fort Wilderness

I did a quick search for check in 6/12 and check out 6/13 and found many good deals

I have never had a bad experience through Hotwire but remember that you will not no the name of the hotel until you book it and at that point there is NO cancellations - you are stuck with what you get - but again been Hotwiring for a number of years and NEVER have had a bad experience.

Sue

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I agree. We love HW for 1 nt stays. I wouldn't go below 3-3.5* just to be on the safe side. There's a website that keeps track of people's "wins" thru Hotwire and often can tell you what hotel it will be before you buy. They've been correct for me many times.
They also keep a hotel "list" so people don't keep posting the same questions over and over.
Here's the list:
http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=67&

Here is the forum if you'd like to ask about something not on the list.
http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showforum=78

The good thing about HW vs. Priceline is that PL only guarantees a room that sleeps 2. HW allows you to enter kids in your search so you'll get a room that can sleep 4 if needed.

A quickie search showed a 3.5* in LBV/DTD area for only $55 + tax. Lots of great deals that you won't get a roach motel, kwim?

 

[CyndieGrams]

I had about the same dilemna as you, but we're driving a little farther (from Virginia) and it will be late saturday afternoon when we leave. So we are driving part-way on saturday and then the remainder on sunday (June 14th). We are staying sunday night at the Gallerial Palms Orlando -- I posted a thread about it in this forum last week. We got a "family room" for $59/night. It got really good reports on trip advisor and the responses on this thread were also good.