Where do you stay on Fri., Sat. to save pts.??

[KNWVIKING]

We used to stay off-site the first nite, not so much to save points, but because we drive straight thru the nite to get to Orlando and all we really went is a place to crash. We usually got a place out on International Drive for under $50.00.

If you like International Drive, I'd recommend getting a Starwood Preferred Amex card. The Sherraton Universal, right across from Wet-n-Wild, (the hotel with the globe on top of it) is a very comfortable place to stay and weekend nites are only 2000 pts.

 

[Simba's Mom]

As soon as you said "Marathon Weekend", I knew that PORS would be a great place. I was at PORS one Marathon Weekend. The rooms were nice and quiet. But what was really nice was that there were so many marathoners-I was walking early one morning and there was a bunch of them on an impromptu run (they'd apparently just met there). And in the food court, there were many marathoners and workers talking about the event. I thought then-what a great place to stay!

 

[DSNY FN]

We move over to the All Stars any one of them we actually love it over there it is one of our favourite resorts my favourite is Sports I am fond of it likeley due to the fact that was the first place we stayed at on property. Or we will go to Coronado Springs that is another family favourite.

 

[OKW91]

We visit the sister in law on the gulf coast for a weekend or a week, then back to OKW. We usually do this all winter, gives us about 6 weeks at OKW, nice way to spend the winter!

 

[spiceycat]

you might check with the marathon - but I think they are placing people in the CBR - so you might get a discount with them.

Otherwise I go cheap - they were having a sale (with the travel agency on this website - dreams unlimited) - go to the dis home site and see what type of deals they are having for your arrival -

If you have a AAA membership

there is a new LaQuinta in the Calypso Cay Way area - is having a deal $59 a night - in the 2004 Florida book it is on page 704 at the bottom of the page.

also look at these sites

www.hotelkingdom.com
http://www.hotelmartusa.com/index.cfm
http://www.easyclicktravel.com/SearchHotels.aspx

I have used hotelkingdom - I especially love their dog icon (I travel with my cat - and this tells immediately if he can stay with me)

I also have used priceline - but I really want cheap when I go with them - make sure you take into consideration their extra charges - so you want place a bid to high. Nothing is more irritating to find out later that you could have bid much less and still gotten that resort. Once you go with priceline - that is it - you take what they give you.

there is another site that you can bid on -

also go check on the orlando resorts board - they have a list at the top where people have say where they like a resort or not.

 

[raparker13]

Just stay where are you and book those nights for cash. That's what we always try to do.

 

[thechangingtable]

i am staying at OKW june 2-3 on points and just called dis res for the fri & sat june 4-5 and they quoted $377 for the 2 nights with a fl res rate discount. I am a seasonal pass holder. Does anyone know if I could do better with other discounts out there?

how can I assure I get to stay in the same room the entire time? before check in or at check in? thanks!

christine

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Chalk us up in the 'don't move for weekends' column. For us, that would be too much of a disruption.
As said earlier, look at the points per week, not per night.

Good luck...

MG

 

[Disney Doll]

We usually stay on property, either at a moderate or at the Swan/Dolphin using the nurses' rate if it is available. Then we move to the DVC property on the Monday after the marathon.

 

[OneMoreTry]

Originally posted by raparker13
Just stay where are you and book those nights for cash. That's what we always try to do.

That's what we do, too. We have too many to move, which would eat up a big chunk of our vacation.

If we didn't have so many little kids I would take advantage of the Disney hotel discounts and check out Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[crazywig]

for our first trip home we'll be staying at the Polynesian on the AP rate on fri and sat, then moving to the BWV on sunday.

 

[thechangingtable]

how do you get the AP rate, what is the AP rate (annual passholder?) and is there a code to use when booking to get better rates? thanks!

 

[lenshanem]

Check out mousesavers.com. From there you can click on the link to AP rates that just came out.

 

[thechangingtable]

lensham

thank you so much for that link! i saved $20 off my CRO june 4/5 reservation at OKW when I used FL RES RATE and a DISNEY VISA discount CCA.

yea! christine

 

[DSNY FN]

We have never found moving to be an issue we usually have 8 or more people with us. # are kids and 2 of them were under 3 last trip. All we do is pack up our stuff on the Thursday night call bell services they collect it for us in the morning and send it to the resort we are going to one person goes to the new resort and checks in. You just have the bell services at the new resort put the luggage in the room/s for you for when you get back there later it really isn't a problem at all and no hassle Disney makes it really painless for the move and for what we save on not staying the weekends we can almost stay another week depending on the accomodation we choose.

 

[palmtreegirl]

This last trip we stayed at the Dolphin and then moved into the BCV on Sunday, we got a great rate through Hotwire.

After BCV we moved to the BWV and I really enjoyed moving around, it felt like 3 vacations in 1.

 

[BWVDee]

I love staying at the various WDW resorts beyond the DVC resorts. Some trips we stay totally at a DVC resort but many times we change resorts. We always stay at only Disney resorts/on property. I would gladly try Swan/Dolphin but am always able to get a better deal at a WDW resort. I often plan trips that purposely include a Fri and Sat night(s) just so we can stay in the other resorts. WDW has some really fantastic resorts and we find it a lot of fun to experience them for a few days each trip.
Where I book depends on many factors. Who will be in the traveling trip, what type of trip is it: business/pleasure or just pleasure, the budget etc. Once I determine this, then I shop around for the best rates in whichever resort category I have decided on. I am always able to get some type of discount from the various ones I am eligible for. The pt savings by avoiding Fri and Sat nights easily translates into at least one and many times 2 more trips per year--which is well worth it; plus we really enjoy our little mini trips at the other resorts.
If you plan and pack accordingly, moving from one Disney resort to another is a piece of cake. We love it. Now we are a group of all adults but we have been changing Disney resorts since the kids were preschoolers and it has never been a hassle.
My next 2 WDW trips are ironically, either BWV and Disney cruise or totally all at a DVC resort, but for trip after that we will be staying AKL concierge--enjoying the wonderful lounge offerings, relaxing at the pool, taking in the amazing atmosphere, restaurants, etc., of this resort AND going on the Early Morning Safari, before we move to our BWV villa. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, sounds great to us!

 

[MdmMim]

Another DVCer here who stays "home" on the weekends. I don't calculate my vacations by the day-- I look at the weekly total. So, a studio would be 85 per week or a 1-bedroom, 162. I don't break down point usage by weekday/weekend stays.

 

[karebear1]

We are in the same boat as you. Both my DH and I are planning on walking the half marathon and want to use our DVC points. We've decided to bite the bullt and use the weekend points and stay at the BCV's for that weekend and the following week when the marathon is over- we don't want to have to check out and then recheck into another resort on the same day after doing all that walking!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

As has been already said, we go over to Universal for one weekend of our stay. Our trips are usually 9 days and take in two weekends. By going over to US, we get to enjoy their front of line access for a few days.

So next year we we head down for Presidents' week, we will do US at the beginning of the trip because of the crowds at Disney over that weekend and spend the next 7 nights (which is a little less crowded than the holiday weekend) at the BWV.

HBC