BarryHom
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
- Messages
- 14,159
My goal for 2004 is to find the cheapest hotels to stay at and videotape them for the DIS Meets 2004 video. It'll either be a surprise that a found a nice place for cheap or I will have a hilarious video of roaches and rats running around!
I decided to head into Orlando on a last minute trip. There wasn't time to use Priceline or Hotwire. If you drive down I-192 in Kissimmee, you can't throw a rock without hitting a hotel. I decided to hit I-192 after a visit to Disney-MGM Studios to find a place for the night.
A lot of hotels down this road charge you a rate for one person and then so much for each extra person. This charge tended to be around $5 to $20. The worst offender with this charge was the Travelodge Suites across from Old Town. They charged $32.95 for a single person and $20 for each extra person. So a family of four would be charge $92.95! For that amount, you might as well, pay about $10-$15 extra and stay at the All-Stars!
The cheapest hotels can be found around Mile Marker 13, near the Super Wal-Mart. Hotels here generally run around $20 during slow periods. I almost settled down to the Gator Motel for $20, but out of the corner of my eye I saw the Magic Castle Inn and Suites for $19.99. They were AAA approved and I remember a lot of people here asked about the place, so I decided to be the sacrifical lamb and check it out.
The rate for a night was $19.99 with a $5 extra person charge. I was the only one who stayed in the room. I asked for a AAA discount, but I couldn't get one. The hotel had a restaurant next door, but it looked very closed. No matter -- there are plenty of places to eat down I-192!
My room was 112, which was around the corner from the front office. I had to drive by the dumpster o' doom to get to the room. The room itself was pretty clean. The bathroom was clean. Towels were clean and well-stocked. Soap was available, but no shampoo. The room had a fridge. I didn't use it, but it looked clean too! The carpet looked kind of old. The only bad thing about the room was chipped paint on the door. With the rate I was paying, I didn't really care. It won't be the Portifino for $19.99 a night! The room had a connecting door, which I could hear slight mumbling from the neighbors next door. I had two beds in the room. One bed had a squeaky spring. The other bed was firm and comfortable. Guess which one I slept on? The shower and toliet worked rather well. The TV had all the typical cable channels.
The motel had a pool and a playground. I didn't check them out. The parking lot was kind of sparse. I guess everyone went home after the holidays. That's why my rate was so low!
The room was very ordinary and a generic motel room, but it was an overall nice room. I lucked out this time because I got a nice room at a cheap price. I'm not sure how long my luck will last, though.
Total cost with tax: $22.68
I decided to head into Orlando on a last minute trip. There wasn't time to use Priceline or Hotwire. If you drive down I-192 in Kissimmee, you can't throw a rock without hitting a hotel. I decided to hit I-192 after a visit to Disney-MGM Studios to find a place for the night.
A lot of hotels down this road charge you a rate for one person and then so much for each extra person. This charge tended to be around $5 to $20. The worst offender with this charge was the Travelodge Suites across from Old Town. They charged $32.95 for a single person and $20 for each extra person. So a family of four would be charge $92.95! For that amount, you might as well, pay about $10-$15 extra and stay at the All-Stars!
The cheapest hotels can be found around Mile Marker 13, near the Super Wal-Mart. Hotels here generally run around $20 during slow periods. I almost settled down to the Gator Motel for $20, but out of the corner of my eye I saw the Magic Castle Inn and Suites for $19.99. They were AAA approved and I remember a lot of people here asked about the place, so I decided to be the sacrifical lamb and check it out.
The rate for a night was $19.99 with a $5 extra person charge. I was the only one who stayed in the room. I asked for a AAA discount, but I couldn't get one. The hotel had a restaurant next door, but it looked very closed. No matter -- there are plenty of places to eat down I-192!
My room was 112, which was around the corner from the front office. I had to drive by the dumpster o' doom to get to the room. The room itself was pretty clean. The bathroom was clean. Towels were clean and well-stocked. Soap was available, but no shampoo. The room had a fridge. I didn't use it, but it looked clean too! The carpet looked kind of old. The only bad thing about the room was chipped paint on the door. With the rate I was paying, I didn't really care. It won't be the Portifino for $19.99 a night! The room had a connecting door, which I could hear slight mumbling from the neighbors next door. I had two beds in the room. One bed had a squeaky spring. The other bed was firm and comfortable. Guess which one I slept on? The shower and toliet worked rather well. The TV had all the typical cable channels.
The motel had a pool and a playground. I didn't check them out. The parking lot was kind of sparse. I guess everyone went home after the holidays. That's why my rate was so low!
The room was very ordinary and a generic motel room, but it was an overall nice room. I lucked out this time because I got a nice room at a cheap price. I'm not sure how long my luck will last, though.
Total cost with tax: $22.68
Anyway, I'd much rather spend my money in the parks!! 
