Where do you like to stay the night before you check into your DVC resort?

[JoEllen]

I'm planning our December 2002 trip to BWV for my 12 yr old DD and me. Since we will be arriving late on a Saturday I think we will stay on cash somewhere else for that night and check in early at BWV the next morning.

We've never tried this before and I want to make sure we stay somewhere safe. I'll probably reserve at the Coronado or Carribbean Beach. But, I'd like to know where other DVC folks like to stay when they don't check into DVC the first night. Also, wondered if AP rates are available in December since we will have our Annual Passes.

We'll be renting a car so offsite is an option too.

Thank-you for your ideas.

 

[WDWguru]

The whole Downtown Disney area is pretty good, and affordable. It's sorta on-site, too, in that you get use of Disney's bus system and can purchase LOS passes, etc. I've stayed in the Courtyard Marriott a few times. Regular rates are usually between $50 and $100, but they had a sale earlier this fall with rooms as low as $25! There's also a very nice Wyndham over there.

 

[jmminarik]

Howdy,

Of course, this is just my opinion, but we recently stayed at the Econolodge Hawaian Resort the days before we left for Vero Beach and I'd avoid it if you could. The first room smelled of mold. The 'second' room was better, but smelled of bleach. I'm still trying to figure out where the 'Hawaian' theme came in!

In retrospect, we should have just gotten rooms at one of the AllStars. They were only $55.00 when we made our econolodge ressies, and at least you can expect a level quality based on the Disney name. Since all you'd be doing in the 'other' room pretty much is sleeping, there's probably not much need to pay the rates at one of the moderately priced resorts.

Hope this helps,
Joe

 

[lampy]

We like to try a different suite resort each time before our stay. I like Vistana, Marriot's, and next time we may try a Florida Vacation Home. You can usually get them for around $150 a night and it is a nice treat.

 

[SnowWitch]

Dec 2000 We tried the All Star Sports because we waitlisted and two of our nights didn't come available. It was clean, cheap, and cramped with four But would certainly do it again if it were a budget trip.

June 2001 we had spent a week at the HRH then went to VB for a week then came back to Orlando, we spent a weekend at the AKL before checking into the BWV. We loved it!!! We could sit and stare at those animals all day. Not to mention we love Boma. We are going Dec also and we are driving, we thought we would go down on a Sat and checking at the AKL and enjoy the view and Boma then check in at the BWV's the next morning!!!!

So AKL is definitely my choice!!!!!! I would never spend a week there and have to tour parks but I'm more than happy to find an excuse where I can spend a night or two.

 

[DaveH]

I stayed at All Stars all the time before joining DVC. Your DD would probally like the large icons and such there. It is a basic hotel room and they have a food court at each. Nothing fancy but I enjoyed it.

 

[Terry S]

We just stay at the ASMovies our fist night in. We are not DVC members yet (we plan to when BCV opens), but we still stayed the last few years our first night at ASMovies because we get in pretty late and hate to waste a night at a deluxe and then we move to Beach Club in the Morning. (Next year we will move to BCV) We do the ASMovies partly because the kids love it there and second because its cheap and clean. Also, we don't have a car while we are there and the ASMovies moves our luggage for us to Beach Club.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Our guests booked ASM for the night before, but we decided to splurge and do a Savannah view AKL room on a great AP rate.

 

[Muushka]

We have stayed at HIFS, Dixie Landings, ASMu, and just anyhing on 92. We also stayed at AKL prior to checking in to VWL this past December. However, we had AP rates, that made a difference.

We are now AP-less (due to extremely high prices), and this spring we plan on staying at either Portifino Bay or Hard Rock at Universal (where our AP cost $99). We go there anyway, this way we sill be on site and get the front of the line priveleges.

Next week we (my sister and I) are doing a non-Disney Orlando (and WPB) trip. Staying at HRH and riding the coasters! I will see then which we will choose for the spring trip.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Staying at the Swan or Dolphin can still give you that wonderful excited first class Disney feeling when you drive up. With one of their specials, we stayed for $129, and it was well worth it.

Check out the specials board on this site, it's wonderful. We stayed at the Homewood suites which is very close and very nice through a special offer found on this site, but it wasn't the same as the last stay in the Dolphin.

 

[Margie J]

This December I stayed at AS Sports for one night. I've also stayed at hotels on Palm Parkway, like the Hampton Inn or Sierra Suites before/after my DVC week. Tried the Parq Corniche near SeaWorld once also.

I once stayed at the HI Maingate West, which I'd never do again. The location was ok but I didn't feel completely safe there. Ditto for the Silverleaf Suites near USF.

 

[Jimbo]

The one time that we were in this situation we stayed at the Hyatt that's inside the airport. They've got a really nice indoor pool, and a decent sandwich shop. It saved us the trouble of finding our way to another hotel that first night, and meant we didn't need to rent a car for that night either.

 

[rbuzzotta]

I gambled and used Priceline.com and got the Grosvenor at DTD for the evening before our DVC stay. We got it for 40. Since we arrived late and got up early it was just fine for us. the room was clean.

 

[TiggerFreak]

Last Oct, 10 of us stayed our first night at "Sheraton Four Points Lakeside." I had seen an online banner on another Disney related site, quote "Newly remodeled", 5 minutes from main gate.
After staying at OKW & VWL, this place was a dump. Cheap, dirty, noisy, run down ....

DW and I will be down this weekend so I can run the Half Marathon. I had a reservation for this friday at Sheraton, with 2 more nights at OKW, but after our stay in october, I canceled and got a room at CBR. Cost twice as much, but at least the bathroom will be clean. Next October maybe we will try *** or ASM, maybe POP if open by then.

 

[Kelly&John]

How late are you coming in to Orlando? If it is really late, I would choose one of the airport hotels - Renaissance, Holiday Inn, Marriott, and Hyatt are all very nice.

If you have a little time, I would check out the AP rates at WDW. We stayed at Fort Wilderness the night before checking into our DVC unit. It was wonderfull. Fort Wilderness Cabins have a complete kitchen, living room and bedroom areas. Almost as good as a DVC unit!

Good Luck with your decision.

Kelly

 

[buckylarue]

We did the same as Jimbo this trip. We were meeting my partner's sister, and the year before her flight had gotten delayed so she missed out on the towncar ride to the resort, so this year we both booked at the Hyatt in the airport for the Saturday night, and had Tiffany pick us up at the hotel's valet parking area on Sunday morning. It was nice not having to haul our bags in and out of a cab the first day!

 

[eva]

We are totally spoiled so we try to stay somewhere that has suites or villas. We have stayed at Vistana in Lake Buena Vista before and totally enjoyed it. This May we are staying at the new Vistana Villages opened by Sheraton on International Drive. They are brand new and owned by the same company that opened Vistana in LB. We found out about it because they called and tried to offer us a deal to tour the place. I'm not much for that so I got on Expedia and found a great rate of $99 a night for a 1-bedroom and $124 a night for a 2-bedroom. I thought that this was a great deal because Sheraton has them listed for nearly 2 1/2 times that per night. We actually decided to stay both weekends of our trip there. So it will be:
2 nights at Vistana Villages
then 5 nights GV at OKW
then 2 nights Vistana Villages
then finally 3 nights at Vero
Yipee! I can't wait!