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Old 08-11-2016, 08:07 AM   #1
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Question off property hotels

Good morning, hope I am posting in the right forum....

I am trying to help my friends daughter plan a trip to disney, she is on a tight budget so staying on property right now is not an option, so I am looking for the most DECENT/CLEAN PLACE and reasonable place that has a shuttle bus to TTC for her....
Any help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED.

TIA
Danielle
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Old 08-11-2016, 07:59 PM   #2
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Depending upon her budget, a value resort might be a good choice, especially if she gets a room discount (there are offers right now). She would have all the benefits of staying on site too, and have good transportation, including the free Magical Express from the airport.

Failing that, there are many name brand hotels like Holiday Inn, Best Western, etc. that even offer breakfast or at least kids eat free. I would search Kissimmee or Lake Buena Vista area hotels. She might want to subscribe to Mousesavers.com newsletter, which offers hotel and ticket discounts that can help on a budget. The only one we've stayed in recently has been the Radisson Resort - Celebration, which does have frequent deals, especially through Mousesavers.com. But there will be some cheaper, I am sure.
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Old 08-12-2016, 07:01 AM   #3
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Depending upon her budget, a value resort might be a good choice, especially if she gets a room discount (there are offers right now). She would have all the benefits of staying on site too, and have good transportation, including the free Magical Express from the airport.

Failing that, there are many name brand hotels like Holiday Inn, Best Western, etc. that even offer breakfast or at least kids eat free. I would search Kissimmee or Lake Buena Vista area hotels. She might want to subscribe to Mousesavers.com newsletter, which offers hotel and ticket discounts that can help on a budget. The only one we've stayed in recently has been the Radisson Resort - Celebration, which does have frequent deals, especially through Mousesavers.com. But there will be some cheaper, I am sure.
thank you, i will def. tell her, i have all my pricing worked out for her, and i also notice some of these off prop. hotels charge fee's parking fee's, so if her and her boyfriend are gonna rent a car they have to add that factor in as well.
thanks again
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Old 08-12-2016, 09:57 AM   #4
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My coworker just stayed at Hilton Bonnet Creek and loved it.
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Old 08-12-2016, 11:12 AM   #5
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Be aware that the off site shuttles often run on very limited schedules and sometimes the last run is before the park actually closes. If it only goes to the TTC, they then have to figure time to/from the park they are visiting into their schedule. I know tight budgets, but a value room might still be the best bet when you figure all the transportation issues and costs.
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Old 08-12-2016, 11:19 AM   #6
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It is my understanding that both hotwire and priceline have lots of rooms around Disney, many for under $50. I would not bid on anything less than a 3-4 star.

My other suggestion for any one who wants to do a budget trip in to stay both off site and on. Because we had three kids who would not share beds, we often did a split trip, half on site (usually two rooms in a deluxe) and half in a condo type accommodation, which was usually less that one night in a value for a two bedroom. I never had to pay for parking and we were often quite close to the parks. My boys preferred being off site because they liked being outside of Disney.

We also stayed at Homewood Suites and Residence Inns. Both have free breakfasts and many off evening snacks.
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Old 08-12-2016, 11:36 AM   #7
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If they find an inexpensive place to stay and the shuttle times aren't good, the can try out Uber or Lyft for getting back to their rooms. It's not that expensive and more convenient.

Here is one suggested by someone that nearly always stays offsite and needs to stay cheaply.
Baymont Inn and Suites at 7061 Black Lake Road in Kissimmee. I don't think it has a shuttle though.
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Old 08-12-2016, 01:57 PM   #8
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A stay at a value resort would get them the free shuttle from the airport. If they take into consideration staying offsite means renting a car & parking fees at the hotel, that could add up. Some are $10-11 per day. And as some folks have mentioned some of the hotels have either very limited shuttle times or often limited seating, which would be frustrating. I think I'd have them call WDW and ask for any current deals to consider. Who knows what Magic they may come up with!
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Old 08-12-2016, 02:28 PM   #9
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My coworker just stayed at Hilton Bonnet Creek and loved it.
Yeah, but HBC is not budget. I've stayed there before when they first opened. Got a really good deal, and I loved it, too. Since then, they have jacked rates and added a resort fee, plus they have a parking fee if you have a vehicle ( I used Mears airport shuttle, $34 RT in 2011) . Hotel food is expensive and nothing else within walking distance.

My first suggestion is get a discount at a WDW value. If that doesn't work, try to get a Disney Springs area hotel w/ a Mousesavers discount (usually part of the discount is no or greatly reduced resort fees). Skip the rental car, use the Mears shuttle from/to airport (or do two one way rentals if they can get them cheaper than the shuttle), and use the Disney Springs shuttles for the parks. Shuttles from other hotels are either not free or they take forever IMO.

However, if they have way more time than money, they can stay somewhere on a Lynx bus route and take the Lynx to TTC every day. That takes a LOT of time though.
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Old 08-12-2016, 03:33 PM   #10
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My coworker just stayed at Hilton Bonnet Creek and loved it.
thank you i will keep that in mind and tell her
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Old 08-12-2016, 03:34 PM   #11
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Be aware that the off site shuttles often run on very limited schedules and sometimes the last run is before the park actually closes. If it only goes to the TTC, they then have to figure time to/from the park they are visiting into their schedule. I know tight budgets, but a value room might still be the best bet when you figure all the transportation issues and costs.
exactly!!!
i just spoke to her mom and told her mom that she's so much better off at a value, for the few extra bucks its totally worth not having to hassle with everything else
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Old 08-12-2016, 03:35 PM   #12
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It is my understanding that both hotwire and priceline have lots of rooms around Disney, many for under $50. I would not bid on anything less than a 3-4 star.

My other suggestion for any one who wants to do a budget trip in to stay both off site and on. Because we had three kids who would not share beds, we often did a split trip, half on site (usually two rooms in a deluxe) and half in a condo type accommodation, which was usually less that one night in a value for a two bedroom. I never had to pay for parking and we were often quite close to the parks. My boys preferred being off site because they liked being outside of Disney.

We also stayed at Homewood Suites and Residence Inns. Both have free breakfasts and many off evening snacks.
thank you, if she insist on off site I will also recommend those hotels to her, thanks!
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Old 08-12-2016, 03:35 PM   #13
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If they find an inexpensive place to stay and the shuttle times aren't good, the can try out Uber or Lyft for getting back to their rooms. It's not that expensive and more convenient.

Here is one suggested by someone that nearly always stays offsite and needs to stay cheaply.
Baymont Inn and Suites at 7061 Black Lake Road in Kissimmee. I don't think it has a shuttle though.
cool thank you!!
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Old 08-12-2016, 03:38 PM   #14
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A stay at a value resort would get them the free shuttle from the airport. If they take into consideration staying offsite means renting a car & parking fees at the hotel, that could add up. Some are $10-11 per day. And as some folks have mentioned some of the hotels have either very limited shuttle times or often limited seating, which would be frustrating. I think I'd have them call WDW and ask for any current deals to consider. Who knows what Magic they may come up with!
this is totally what i just told her mom, i pleaded for her to stay on site, lol
her daughter is at work right now, so i told her to please sit her down and tell her all the things i just told you, honestly when i did the math, staying on site was only 60.00 MORE, how can you go wrong, esp. with the transportation to and from the airport and the buses to the parks
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Old 08-13-2016, 09:52 AM   #15
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one option is to stay at a non Disney hotel near Disney Springs. We´d done that a couple of times when we got great rates there. The hotels are walking distance to Disney Springs and from there you can get to the parks.
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