Off site, one night question

[Mich Mouse]

Hi All,

We are not arriving until after eleven p.m. at MCO on our upcoming trip. I really do not want to spend the $ on the Wilderness Cabins for that night. (300 a night....Presidents week...Yikes!!!! Where are the AP codes??)


Can anyone suggest a nice, clean but not expensive off property place for the night? We'd like to be as close as possible to WDW.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

For the one night and as late as you are getting there, I would use Priceline and bid on a 3 or even 2*. I have gotten some decent & clean places cheap thru them.... and if it turns out to be the worst place you have ever been, it will really only be a matter of hours.... you can get a 2* for as little as a $20-25 bid for the night . Make sure you use the Disney Zone when you check which zone....go onto www.biddingfortravel.com and you will see a list of hotels that have come up...there will also be reviews on them as well as a board that has the latest wining bids.... it is a very useful web site for Priceline bidders.

 

[SB in KY]

Actually I would again suggest using Priceline...but I would bid on a room in the MCO area....if you bid for a 3* room (probably get one for $38 to 43/night before taxes and fees) you will not be disappointed....all of the 3* hotels that Priceline uses in the MCO area are very nice (Hyatt inside the airport, HI Select, Marriott, Sheraton Suites, Renaissance and Crowne Plaza) and all have 24/7 complimentary shuttle service that is quick and efficient.

That way you can call the shuttle while the family is picking up the luggage and you don't even have to mess with picking up the rental car until the AM (what you save in a days worth of car rental will almost pay for the hotel night sometimes).

I would steer clear of the 2 or 21/2* properties in either the MCO or WDW area...in the MCO area the hotels all seem nice enough, but their shuttle service may not be 24 hours, Several of them quit at 11PM (and then if your flight is late you are stuck)...in the WDW area the 2 and 21/2* properties are pretty yucky...not all of them, you might get lucky, but some are pretty nasty and I always seem to get the lower end properties from Priceline with few exceptions.

Last Spring Break I made an early Priceline bid and we got the Hyatt inside the airport for $36!! We have also gotten HI Select, Marriott and the Renaissance and Sheraton Suites at other times and they were all very nice and had excellent shuttle service....we have never had to wait more than 4 or 5 minutes for the shuttle. Last fall my youngest was in bed asleep less than 45 minutes after we walked off the airplane (and we were at the HI Select)!!

It seems like we always wind up getting a late flight in and after years of dragging tired cranky kids through the rental car lines and driving out to WDW and arriving so late and having to move all the stuff in etc, etc...we finally hit on the Priceline by the airport thing....and for us it is such a nice, no hassle way to begin the trip. Off the plane, grab the bags, and we are at the hotel in a couple of minutes. Next AM I hop the shuttle back to the airport while they all sleep, get the car and by the time I get back everyone is ready to start the vacation.