Tell Me Everything..Comfort Suites Maingate East

[Emme]

We are planning to stay here the week before Easter and got a rate of $59 a night. I have trouble with the search here, so anyone with any info on this place let me know please...

I checked mouseplanet and it got excellent reviews but would love to here your opinion on it's rooms (king suite), breakfast, pool, location...

Thanks so much!!

Emmy

 

[winterman]

Excellent location - about 2 miles to Disney gates. Plenty of restaurants and supermarkets in the immediate area.

The continental brakfast is very good. It has a large selection of pastries, bagels, english muffins, waffles, fresh fruit and cold cereals. Several kinds of juice and coffee are available. During our 7 night stay, we ate at the hotel on six mornings.

The rooms are adequate size, we are 2 adults, with a small sofa area and mini kitchen area with refrigerator.

The pool is attractive. There were plenty of towels and lounge chairs.

We were extremely satisfied with this hotel and the price is great. We would return there if there is another trip.

 

[wdwcustar]

Comfort Suites Maingate East is an EXCELLENT offsite hotel! We stayed there for 8 nights last July and had a marvelous time. We liked it so much, we are splitting our trip to WDW next year between Swan and Comfort Suites! We had two queens on the first floor and, even with two beds, we had TONS of room.

The breakfast in the morning is very good, and I highly reccomend the blended juice. My dad is an early riser, so he would go eat, and then when my mom and I got around, he'd eat again with us. Also, if you are a coffee drinker, they have coffee available 24 hours in the breakfast area. If the thing is empty, just ask at the front desk.

This hotel got the Gold award for service and, while the lady who checked us in was a bit testy, everyone there was just wonderful, including the folks at the attractions desk!

The one flaw, and the reason we are staying on site part of the time, is the bus service. We used the service every day and, if you take the earliest bus every morning, you'll get the the parks in PLENTY of time, even if you have to transfer to Disney busses at the TTC. Here's the flaw: the day we went to Magic Kingdom, the bus was scheduled to leave the TTC at 10pm-- right when the fireworks were supposed to start. And you do need to be there about 10 minutes early or they WILL leave without you. This was the only real big problem we had, and it was not the hotel's fault. Just ask for a copy of the schedule at check-in, and if you have to, call a cab or drive...

The pool is very nice and is open 24 hours a day! The hot tub is also nice, but CAN get crowded at peak times (I.E. When the last bus gets back for the evening). If you need a snack, the individual pizzas from the poolside bar (Barracuda Bart's) are very scrumptious and fairly reasonable. We had a great view of the sling-shot and skycoaster from our room, which I enjoyed immensely, since I'm a big fan of these rides, but my parents wouldn't let me ride.

Old Town is within walking distance, but after walking there, I don't think we'd go again, unless my parents were gonna let me ride. There is also a Pirate Putt-Putt course which is within walking distance that also looked very interesting. Pretty much as soon as you leave the Disney property at night, you can tell where the hotel is, as the sling-shot and SkyCoaster really light up the night sky. It's a bit of a drive to the I-Drive attractions, but we made a trip to Belz twice and cannot really complain.

As you can tell, I LOVED our stay at CSME and if you have ANY more questions, post them here or e-mail me at jaydubs11@hotmail.com !! Enjoy your trip!

Jeff Walker

 

[Emme]

Thank you both for your in-depth descriptions, just a couple more questions please...

Can you hear noise from Old Town? Also, is the property landscaped? Can you suggest a floor/area that I should request? Thank you so much! I am trying to get excited about this property

Emmy

 

[leebee]

Emme, you SHOULD get excited about this property! We stayed there 2 years ago (Ithink, maybe 3 yrs...) and found it perfect for our family. You don't hear the noise from Old Town OR rt. 192 as the property is set pretty far back from both. I'm not sure what you mean by "landscaped"- I remember it as being simply a large building with parking out front and a pool out back. There was plenty of space for DH, DD and myself, and even when my sister and 3yo niece joined us, it was OK (sister's a bit messy for DH's taste, wet towels on the bathroom floor, etc.) The room had 2Q beds in the sleeping area (along w/closet and ample bureau space). Sleeping area is separated from "living area" by a half-wall. Living area has double sized sofa bed, round table with two chairs, coffee table and 2 end tables- maybe an easy chair too? Don't quite remember. The kitchenette is a 4ft. high fridge with good freezer, with a sink/counter area on top of it w/a coffeepot. Above this was adequate cabinet space and a microwave. The bathroom was large-ish; I hate those minibathrooms where the floorspace is about 3ft. square! Anyhow, this had shower/tub, toilet and sink, with plenty of counter space. Suite was clean, housekeeping good, plenty of towels, etc. The breakfast is amazing, juice/coffee/milk/tea, cereals, b'fast breads, bagels, waffles/pancakes, fruits, etc. We didn't use the shuttles so can't help you there. Since it was January, we also didn't use the pools, but someone else posted about that- and I do remember seeing a water mushroom in the kids area. There were a few negatives- there are only two elevators, so sometimes the wait can be a bit long. There ARE stairs, but one of the stairways leads directly outdoors, which is a bit disconcerting if you're trying to get to b'fast in your sweats! Also, b'fast can be VERY busy, even in January when we were there. Sis and I decided it was easier to make a mom's foray in the early a.m. (actually kinda nice- we'd leave dds and dh sleeping, have coffee and then transport b'fast food to room- nice, easy friendly start to our day!) and get stuff to eat in the room. We did eat in the dining area as it's good-sized, but found it to be pretty packed most mornings. Ummm...take out pizza and hot dogs from bar area were pretty good, reasonable by hoter/WDW standards. No, it's not WDW resort with themeing, etc., but it's also not $$$$$$$ per night for two beds, a table, TV and bathroom. (only 1 tv per suite, on a bureau in the sleeping area, could be turned to be viewed in living area without too much problem). Get psyched, woman! You will find that CSME is a great bargain and you WON'T feel like you're "slumming" for the sake of your budget!

 

[wdwcustar]

Hey there!

To answer your question, you cannot hear Old Town from anywhere inside the resort... at night, if you are out in the parking lot, you can occasionally hear the screams from the SkyCoaster, but this is not a problem at all and it is VERY fun to watch!

Landscaping: The front of the hotel is very nice looking with palm trees, a fountain, etc. In the pool area, there are more palm trees and stuff, but there is a decorative fence (the best I can describe it.... similar to what you would find around any pool area) and beyond that, it's pretty wild. There's a large flat area that you can hear frogs in and just KNOW is swarming with bugs, although we never saw any bugs flying/crawling in the pool area. Beyond this flat area is woods, so if you are looking for disney landscaping/theming, you are not going to find it hear, but as was said before, you are definitely not going to be slumming it. Also, from the pool area, you can see the roller coaster at Old Town.... as a roller coaster enthusiast, I loved this veiw. I dunno, I guess it kinda makes you feel like you really are on vacation, not just at a hotel, when you can see the rear part of Old Town.... that's just me though.

A comment on what was said above: Yes, the breakfast area can get pretty crowded, but it's really a matter of chance. We went down there about 20 after 7 every morning and never had a problem finding a place to sit or had to wait in a long line. Our bus left shortly before 8, so I have no further experience with the crowds.

As far as room location, like I said, we stayed on the first floor, by request as my mom is afraid of heights. I would HIGHLY recommend a first floor suite because the Ticket/Theme Park desk was just down the hall along with the breakfast area, lobby, bus stop, etc. It also makes it convenient for going to the pool/bar and the coffee area. Also, if you find that the breakfast area IS too crowded, you can just take the stuff back to your room! I liked not having to mess with elevators or anything.

A problem with the first floor rooms: there is a large metal grate-type-thingie over the window. I suspect that it was for privacy issues, but it could have had something to do with hurricanes or weather, I really don't know. We could still see through the grate, and it didn't really pose a problem for us in the least, but if you think not having an unobstructed view from your suite will be a problem, request to be higher up!

I love the hotel.... Be excited and ask questions! I'm happy to help!!!

Jeff

 

[Emme]

Jeff and Leebee...THANK YOU! I am psyched now! Also, Jeff thanks for letting me know about the bars on the windows...I think I'll ask for 2nd floor, LOL.

That's why I love the Dis forums soo much, everyone has so much info ready to share.

If anyone can add more please do, the more I know the better!!

Emmy

 

[chach]

There is some great info in these post. I was looking
for a reasonible place for the 5 nights at the end of February.
This resort seems to have everything I am looking for. My
only question is if the Pools are comfortably heated ?
thanks

 

[wdwcustar]

Glad I could be of help to everyone here!

As for the pools, I regret to say I really don't know if they are comfortably heated. We were there in July, so heating water was definitely NOT an issue... According to the Choice Hotels website, the pool IS heated though, so you should be alright. Also, the Jacuzzi is right near by and is often NOT crowded.

Like I said before, this hotel got the Choice Hotels gold award for service excellence, so if you have a problem (I.E. pool heated too much/not enough) just mention it to the Front Desk.

Here's another tip I just thought of. Right next to the Front Desk, there is a small gift and sundry shop. There's some excellent general Florida merchandise in there as well as many food/drug items. In the back of the shop, right next to the soda fridge, there's a small mini-freezer containing Ice Cream Novelties. I think they were about a buck a piece (not really sure on this one too.... if anything, it's LESS than a buck). These make an EXCELLENT treat after a long, hot day at the park.

A note about the bus service. According to everything you read, you need to make "reservations" the day before to use the bus service. I use the term "reservations" very loosely. The folks at the theme park desk were very nice and they will give you the "reservation" slip any time you need. They usually have the desk staffed starting at about 7am, so you can even get the little slip the morning you are using the bus if you have to (We did this one morning). Also, the bus drivers are very nice and I've even seen them let folks on who didn't know they needed a boarding pass. Most of our drivers were very attentive and amusing, absolutely FILLED with Disney trivia. Transportation is great (minus the few problems I mentioned above).

Again, feel free to ask questions! I'm happy to help!

Jeff

 

[Emme]

OK Jeff, your gonna plan my next trip, are you a travel agent...LOL. It's a pleasure to read all the wonderful things you write.

The ice cream tip is exactly the kind of stuff I need to know!! This is like our 6th trip to Disney but I love to learn new tips and tricks! Thanks again and keep em coming

Emmy

 

[wdwcustar]

Well Emmy, you did say tell you EVERYTHING.... Maybe we should change the title of the thread to "Comfort Suites FAQ"! LOL!

I'm thrilled that I can be such a help and ya know what, maybe I should be a travel agent!! Actually, most people on the boards are surprised that I am only 17 years old... and I'm a guy. Honestly, I don't know very many 17 year old guys that are as "into" Disney as I am.

More tips you say... alrighty ma'am! I don't know if you are a pass holder, you already have your tix, or what your situation is, but here are some hints about the theme park desk at the hotel: First off, if you are looking for DISCOUNT tickets, you won't find them at the hotel unless you are willing to do a timeshare, even though that's not the way it is advertised. If you don't want to be pressured into timeshare presentations (although they really weren't that pushy), make sure you visit the ticket agent on the far left of the desk. They are the ones that specialize in the Disney parks, however you can go to any of the agents for your bus reservations.

While tickets ARE full price at the hotel, however when we were there, if you bought a 5 Day Park Hopper Plus, you got the regular amount of plus features and they added a few more on. We opted for the 4 Day Hopper... Oh well! (Spent 5 days anyway... 5th day "On The House" as we where there when EPCOT closed due to power outage). Also, the ticket agents have ALL the brochures for Disney, Universal, Sea World, Bush Gardens, etc. The DO have the park operating hours brochure, however they do NOT have the daily sheets given out at the parks regarding special show times, etc.

I don't know if you have any children that this would apply to, however there IS a small childrens wading pool next to the big pool with a mushroom-type-waterfall-thingie. While the main pool is open 24 hours a day, they do shut off the water-mushroom at night, although at what time I am not sure.

While I loved the resort, I don't want to give you all the positives and no negatives. The hotel asks that you leave your room towels in the room and use the towels provided in the pool area for pool use. Well, needless to day, some guests are slobs, and will throw their wet, used towels anywhere within a 5 foot radius of the laundry bin. While housekeeping DID make an effort to keep the clutter under control, they can, obviously, not patrol the pool area 24/7... Again, if it gets to be a real problem, let them know at the front desk.

A few extra notes: Your room key IS required to enter AND EXIT the pool area! Keep this in mind! Also, if you want to use the exercise room, you must be 18 years or older and you can ask for the key at the front desk. You will have to provide some ID then...

Okay, here's a tip (like the ice cream one) that I just thought of. If you're kids are getting antsy (assuming you have kids...) and they don't wanna swim, and they don't wanna watch what Daddy or Mommy is watching, there are PUZZLES in the breakfast area all day long. Also, there is a television in this same area, so it could provide a nice "getaway" from the room if necessary. There also might have been coloring books there, but DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR THAT ONE! I, personally, was not too interested in the puzzle situation. Don't forget, if you have to go down with the kids to do puzzles, there is coffee in the B-Fast area 24/7 and, I forgot to mention above, there are also Tea Bags in a variety of flavors in that area also.

Happy Saturday!
Jeff

 

[luvtogo12]

My family of 5 stayed here in November and we loved it! If and when I return to Disney, this will be my first choice of hotels.

The shuttles to Disney were fantastic, a quick and pleasant ride. However, if you plan on going to Universal, Islands of Adventure or Sea World, I do not recommend the shuttles. Between the numerous stops at various Hotels, it is a minimum of an hour both ways. I think I am being a little conservative when I say a minimum of one hour. This was the only draw back to this Hotel and since we decided not to rent a car, I really have no right to complain about the shuttles at all.

We used the pool only once and it was heated to a very comfortable level. Of course, there is always the hot tub!

We got this Hotel for 42.50 a night thru Hotelmartusa.com. A fantastic deal!

Have a great trip!