What's the most I can skimp on a hotel?

[MithrilMaiden]

I want to do Disney World in January. To cut to the chase, the last thing I would want to do on a vacation is rent a car. So, I need a hotel from which I can either walk to the Disney World monorail, or get a shuttle over there that arrives before the park opens, and leaves after the park closes.

A hotel that close to Disney is, naturally, not going to be the cheapest option. I do expect to pay more for a hotel because I won't drive to Disney World. But how cheap could it be? Having a private room instead of a hostel dorm is a splurge for me. So, I'm willing to get poor quality accomodations (though I do want a private room for this trip), but I don't expect low prices. I just want to go as low as I can, given my location needs (and my adamant refusal to use AirBNB, for reasons not really relevant to this forum). What could you recommend?

 

[Upatnoon]

Your cheapest options will be a Disney value resort or a Disney Springs-area hotel. Disneyspringshotels.com

If you don't mind camping, you can also rent a campsite at Fort Wilderness. What you pay there varies by season. During a cheaper time, about $100 a night.

Staying at a Disney value hotel or the campground would give you free transportation from the airport and all the Disney transportation you want.

The Disney Springs Hotels have a free shuttle to the parks, but no free transportation from the airport.

What you pay for a room will vary by season and what kind of discount you can get. When shopping, don't forget about taxes and resort fees, which are charged by the Disneysprings hotels.

If you go during a cheap time, I would suspect you can get a value room for under $150 a night.

mousesavers.com is a great place to study up on the costs of a Disney trip.

You didn't say how many people are traveling. With a larger group, the economics of staying off-site increase substantially. Renting a car can be a big money-saver.

 

[MithrilMaiden]

Is Fort Wilderness an official Disney property? That does sound like an attractive option. I haven't been camping in too long, but I have all my kit, and if I get the benefits of having booked a combination resort and park trip for camping, that'd be cool. I'm very cold tolerant and it's Florida, so I doubt January camping would be unbearable. On the other hand, camping is fatiguing to matter what, because of the lower quality of sleep, so I have to consider that.

I'll be traveling solo. I really don't want to rent and park a car. I'm okay paying a bit more not to do that, I just want to see what the cheapest options are when renting a car is off the table.

I'll look into the Disney Value Hotels prices tonight.

 

[Upatnoon]

Is Fort Wilderness an official Disney property? That does sound like an attractive option. I haven't been camping in too long, but I have all my kit, and if I get the benefits of having booked a combination resort and park trip for camping, that'd be cool. I'm very cold tolerant and it's Florida, so I doubt January camping would be unbearable. On the other hand, camping is fatiguing to matter what, because of the lower quality of sleep, so I have to consider that.

I'll be traveling solo. I really don't want to rent and park a car. I'm okay paying a bit more not to do that, I just want to see what the cheapest options are when renting a car is off the table.

I'll look into the Disney Value Hotels prices tonight.

Fort Wilderness is an official Disney property and you get all the benefits, including a free magic band, 60-day fastpass+ and free Magical Express from the airport.

This board has a large camping section filled with info.

Be aware that you may have to pay extra luggage fees to transport your gear depending on the airline you choose.

 

[HopperFan]

I want to do Disney World in January. To cut to the chase, the last thing I would want to do on a vacation is rent a car. So, I need a hotel from which I can either walk to the Disney World monorail, or get a shuttle over there that arrives before the park opens, and leaves after the park closes.

A hotel that close to Disney is, naturally, not going to be the cheapest option. I do expect to pay more for a hotel because I won't drive to Disney World. But how cheap could it be? Having a private room instead of a hostel dorm is a splurge for me. So, I'm willing to get poor quality accomodations (though I do want a private room for this trip), but I don't expect low prices. I just want to go as low as I can, given my location needs (and my adamant refusal to use AirBNB, for reasons not really relevant to this forum). What could you recommend?

First, what is your nightly budget ... that will help direct you.

Disney is fairly contained and any shuttles coming from outside are minimal and usually can't get you there before or after closings. You would need to book a private car. "Poor" accommodations are def not near the parks.

The monorail is not what you might think it is ... it is to provide transportation to Disney Deluxe hotels to a couple parks, and those who drive to MK.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Are you willing to use Uber/Lyft? If so, you can find some very inexpensive hotels in the Kissimmee area that would probably be about a $10 ride each way (less in non peak times; more if you’re trying to hail one after fireworks).

 

[MithrilMaiden]

Yea, I've had to use Uber before. $20-$30 in Uber fares is cheaper than renting, driving, and parking a car for the day, and I hate driving, so that's what I did in Anaheim.

It's hard to set a nightly budget, because I know I need to accept a higher rate than I usually go for, but I don't know how high. I'll go through the Disney value resort options tonight.

I don't think camping will work. I forgot to mention that, since I'm from California, I'm taking a two to three week trip, and while I haven't allocated how many days to Disney World, I can't see it being the majority of the trip. I want to go to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which I understand to be within day trip distance of Orlando (and if I do rent a car, it'll probably be for one day only just to go see that), and then rest of the trip will be New York City (I'm from California, so my plan is to fly from San Francisco to New York, New York to Orlando, and Orlando back home). With NYC in the picture, lugging camping gear is a no go.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Yea, I've had to use Uber before. $20-$30 in Uber fares is cheaper than renting, driving, and parking a car for the day, and I hate driving, so that's what I did in Anaheim.

It's hard to set a nightly budget, because I know I need to accept a higher rate than I usually go for, but I don't know how high. I'll go through the Disney value resort options tonight.

I don't think camping will work. I forgot to mention that, since I'm from California, I'm taking a two to three week trip, and while I haven't allocated how many days to Disney World, I can't see it being the majority of the trip. I want to go to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which I understand to be within day trip distance of Orlando (and if I do rent a car, it'll probably be for one day only just to go see that), and then rest of the trip will be New York City (I'm from California, so my plan is to fly from San Francisco to New York, New York to Orlando, and Orlando back home). With NYC in the picture, lugging camping gear is a no go.

To be honest, the campsites can be as expensive or more expensive than offsite budget offerings.

 

[missnic]

I would check out the hotels on Palm Pkwy and Uber to the parks. We stay at TownePlace Suites frequently (actually spending a night there this weekend before moving to Royal Pacific), but there are quite a few up that way that are in the $100/nt range that are clean and comfortable. Or check out anything on I drive or 192 if you're not too picky. You'll find a wide range of prices and quality.

 

[ZJ5/9D47]

Staying on-site will give you better access to fast passes and free transportation to and from the airport. January is really expensive at Ft Wilderness since the weather is better but in September the rates are ~ $60 per night pre-tax. It is over twice that for a value resort in January. The marathon (and half, 10k, and 5k...each on different days) takes place in January and drives up room rates.

I own a coffin tent and use that at Disney. I can fit everything into a carry-on sized backpack but it must be checked because of the poles and stakes. Just an option in the future if you like camping and traveling via flying and Uber.

On-site hotels all have nice laundry facilities which will help if you are traveling light.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Depending on your dates ( not nye,mlk) you may be able to get a value hotel like all star sports around 100.00..
After you decline mouse keeping you gain 10.00 a day
The reason i say stay on property is the driving thing. Off site Shuttles can take a long time to travel. Or if you add up uber/ lyft you are right back to the 100.
There are some hotels near by that have shuttles, they are very old and run down. But they are safe and somewhere just to crash. We had friends stay at the serlageo and thats exactly what it was a place to crash for 25.00 a night.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I really like Hotwire. I've gotten pretty good at decoding the opaque hotels, so I know exactly what I'm booking before the hotel is revealed. I like that I can select an area on the map, and it will give me hotels in that area. The Disney Hotels (and a few others) are in the Bonnet Creek section. Just below that is the maingate/Kissimmee area. That area has a lot of bargain hotels, and if you do your homework and check back semi-frequently, you can easily book a clean basic hotel for about $50/night. There are some that are even cheaper, but you’ll need to read the reviews yourself to determine your risk tolerance (not dangerous, just unclean, bad AC, poor service, etc).

 

[disneysteve]

I agree with staying offsite and using Uber to get around. That will be way cheaper than a Disney "Value" resort. Just because they call them Value doesn't mean they're cheap. There are tons of decent hotels/motels along 192 in Kissimmee just a short Uber from the parks and they'll take you any time you want.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I agree with staying offsite and using Uber to get around. That will be way cheaper than a Disney "Value" resort. Just because they call them Value doesn't mean they're cheap. There are tons of decent hotels/motels along 192 in Kissimmee just a short Uber from the parks and they'll take you any time you want.

Yes, but...

For a shorter trip, you have to also factor in the Uber from the airport. If you’re only going for 1 or 2 nights, taking DME and staying at a value MIGHT be less expensive than offsite hotel, daily Uber to/from the parks, and the longer Uber to/from MCO. For a longer trip, the nightly difference in rates is more than the cost of transportation, and offsite is always the cheaper option.

I’ve seen people on the Priceline/Hotwire thread snag Value resorts for under $100, but those rates are very hit or miss. Unfortunately, the regular rates have gone way up in the last year or so. There are nights when even the All Stars are over $200, which is not really a bargain. So it doesn’t hurt to watch rates at Disney resorts, but usually you can do much better than that offsite.

 

[disneysteve]

Yes, but...

For a shorter trip, you have to also factor in the Uber from the airport. If you’re only going for 1 or 2 nights, taking DME and staying at a value MIGHT be less expensive than offsite hotel, daily Uber to/from the parks, and the longer Uber to/from MCO.

That's a fair point. Those one-time expenses like the transfer to and from the airport take a much bigger bite out of the budget on a short trip. On a longer trip, the cheaper rates offsite offset it. Heck, if you're doing an extended stay offsite, like a couple of weeks, even the cost of a rental car can be offset by the lower rates.

 

[MithrilMaiden]

Yes, but...

For a shorter trip, you have to also factor in the Uber from the airport. If you’re only going for 1 or 2 nights, taking DME and staying at a value MIGHT be less expensive than offsite hotel, daily Uber to/from the parks, and the longer Uber to/from MCO. For a longer trip, the nightly difference in rates is more than the cost of transportation, and offsite is always the cheaper option.

I’ve seen people on the Priceline/Hotwire thread snag Value resorts for under $100, but those rates are very hit or miss. Unfortunately, the regular rates have gone way up in the last year or so. There are nights when even the All Stars are over $200, which is not really a bargain. So it doesn’t hurt to watch rates at Disney resorts, but usually you can do much better than that offsite.

Well, how's the public transportation from MCU to likely offsite hotels? I wouldn't want to use Orlando public transit to get to the parks before open, or return after close, but to get to and from the airport is a different story. I generally use public transit for most things while traveling (Which works because I usually go to Europe, and my favorite American spots are places like Seattle and Portland.), with Disney being the odd one out there (Even then, that was just Anaheim. In Tokyo I stayed in a hostel in Akihabara and took public transit to the Disney Monorail to access the parks, and in Paris I'm staying in an offsite hotel within a reasonable walking distance of the parks.).

I'm very big on always booking everything direct with the airline or hotel, so Priceline and Hotwire are not for me. That's probably my Tripadvisor roots speaking, but I don't trust third parties. A third party is the airline or hotel's customer, not me, and as soon as there's a problem or a change, I can't deal with the airline or hotel directly.

 

[Upatnoon]

Well, how's the public transportation from MCU to likely offsite hotels? I wouldn't want to use Orlando public transit to get to the parks before open, or return after close, but to get to and from the airport is a different story. I generally use public transit for most things while traveling (Which works because I usually go to Europe, and my favorite American spots are places like Seattle and Portland.), with Disney being the odd one out there (Even then, that was just Anaheim. In Tokyo I stayed in a hostel in Akihabara and took public transit to the Disney Monorail to access the parks, and in Paris I'm staying in an offsite hotel within a reasonable walking distance of the parks.).

I'm very big on always booking everything direct with the airline or hotel, so Priceline and Hotwire are not for me. That's probably my Tripadvisor roots speaking, but I don't trust third parties. A third party is the airline or hotel's customer, not me, and as soon as there's a problem or a change, I can't deal with the airline or hotel directly.

Public transportation is great on WDW property, but generally horrible elsewhere in Florida. It is built around people owning cars. The shuttle services are in decline as ridesharing takes over.

I've never tried it, but I've read it takes 3-4 hours to take a public bus from the airport to the Disney area. Then the chances are you still won't be near your hotel.

Mears offers a shared shuttle for around $40 RT from many Disney-area hotels to the airport.

Also, time is money sometimes it is worth paying more than what you are used to. My advice is to just book a Disney value hotel and you won't have to worry about transportation at all.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Well, how's the public transportation from MCU to likely offsite hotels? I wouldn't want to use Orlando public transit to get to the parks before open, or return after close, but to get to and from the airport is a different story. I generally use public transit for most things while traveling

The public transit in Orlando is the Lynx system. You can google and get PDFs of the maps.

It’s not a particularly efficient way to get from MCO to an offsite hotel in the Disney area. Like most sprawling US cities, Orlando was built with private cars as the primary form of transportation, and the public options are rather limited. Don’t expect European-level public transportation in Orlando (though you’ll be fine in NYC where the subways and buses have a much more extensive network).

You might be at a point in your life where you have much more time than money, and if you’re willing to invest a few hours of your time to transfer over a few different buses, you can probably get to where it’s a less expensive Uber/Lyft to your hotel.

 

[Brett Wyman]

The All-Stars are regularly priced very close to a camp site. I think your best option is to find the cheapest All Star, take MDE, and internal buses. Bus service at the Disney Springs hotels stinks to say the least.

 

[disneysteve]

My advice is to just book a Disney value hotel and you won't have to worry about transportation at all.

I understand what you mean here, but I'd point out that Disney transportation has its flaws too. You can sometimes spend an extended amount of time waiting for a Disney bus. Except for Magic Kingdom, using Uber can be a cheap and much faster way to get from your onsite hotel to one of the parks. I don't know if this applies to the OP, but also keep in mind that there is no direct transportation between Disney hotels. If you're at All Star Sports and want to go to the Polynesian, for example, using Disney transportation could easily take you 60 minutes or more. Or you could take a $10 Uber and be there in 10-15.