WWYD? Hotel Question

[TwinPrincessMama]

I finally settled on onsite vs offsite. We were looking at a Marriott or the Swan. I talked to my father and between the two of us we have enough points for a free week or two. So now I have to choose between two Marriotts.

There are 6 of us going. Me and my two kids, my parents, and my sister and her boyfriend.

One is a Vacation Club 3 bedroom (so much bigger & nicer than a standard 3 bd). It's also 20 minutes from Disney Property and then we have to park (and pay for parking).

The other is a Marriott with a 2 bedroom suite with a shuttle to Epcot. They also have studios (connecting or not, I don't care) for my sister and her boyfriend. The studios are about the same price as parking.

So I feel like monetary it doesn't matter what we do but is it worth it to give up the extra space to not have to deal with parking?

 

[Marionnette]

I finally settled on onsite vs offsite. We were looking at a Marriott or the Swan. I talked to my father and between the two of us we have enough points for a free week or two. So now I have to choose between two Marriotts.

There are 6 of us going. Me and my two kids, my parents, and my sister and her boyfriend.

One is a Vacation Club 3 bedroom (so much bigger & nicer than a standard 3 bd). It's also 20 minutes from Disney Property and then we have to park (and pay for parking).

The other is a Marriott with a 2 bedroom suite with a shuttle to Epcot. They also have studios (connecting or not, I don't care) for my sister and her boyfriend. The studios are about the same price as parking.

So I feel like monetary it doesn't matter what we do but is it worth it to give up the extra space to not have to deal with parking?

All other things being equal, I'd take the extra space and pay for the parking. I hate taking shuttles and relying on someone else's schedule.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Ask what the shuttle schedule is.

Many places with shuttles go twice in the morning, one round trip around noon, another round trip late in the afternoon, and twice at night. That is all.

If you miss a shuttle taxis are very expensive.

And once you get to Epcot bus parking, unless you are going to Epcot you have to wait for another bus for AK or DHS or take two monorails to get to MK.

 

[scrapquitler]

All other things being equal, I'd take the extra space and pay for the parking. I hate taking shuttles and relying on someone else's schedule.

I agree with this. If you do decide to use the hotel with the shuttle option, be sure you are VERY Clear about the shuttle schedule before you book the hotel. We stayed at an offsite hotel that boasted 'free shuttle', but it turned out that the shuttle was two times in the morning and two times in the late afternoon/early evening. There was no way to arrive at the park prior to opening or to stay until closing, there was also no way to take a mid-day break. If the shuttle where you are staying is like this, any 'savings' on the parking is not going to be worthwhile.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

Personally with kids, we like staying on property. I've never experienced an offsite shuttle. I would probably go with parking, then your schedule is in your hands.

 

[undertheradar]

Make sure that you are comparing the benefits. The vacation club 3 bedroom will be a 2-bedroom unit plus a lock-off unit. The large unit has a washer/dryer which cuts down the amount of clothes you need to pack.

 

[TwinPrincessMama]

I just wanna say thank you to everyone. I called the first hotel and the shuttle was very limited, so the shuttle is out. So I decided the vacation club made more sense. More room, nicer. We are booking later today!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Buy the driver an annual pass and you can park for free at the themeparks.

 

[csharpwv]

As the PP said - you can park for free with an annual pass. If you are going to be there for 7 or more days, parking alone will be over $100 - so if you are going to be there longer than 7 days, consider buying an annual pass!