Originally Posted By MMfriend I am planing a trip to WDW in August. What good neighbor hotels do you all recommend and why? Would you recommend disney value resorts or the good neighbor hotels? I am on a budget. Also what are the crowds like and the weather like mid to late August? Thanks for you input. I love reading these discussion boards
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 WDW really doesn't have good neighbor hotels like DL has. I would do the Value resorts if you can. Weather, well it's very hot and humid. It's also one of the months with the most rain.
Originally Posted By sharon2 Budget? stay @ Pop Century. A friend of mine stay there every year & LOVES it!! She said she's only paying $78- a nite but, she's a CM so there may be some sort of discount involved.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Also what are the crowds like and the weather like mid to late August?>> Florida kids head back to school in mid-August, so late August is pretty good as far as crowds go. Weather is very hot and very humid -- But Florida is like that all summer. At least August, on average, gets a little less rain than June or July. Have fun!
Originally Posted By sun-n-fun we have stayed off property at a Comfort in on Palm Parkway before. It was fine and I'd prefer it over all stars or PC. The values are just too crowded, too many tour groups. Food courts always seem loud and busy no matter what time you go. If we can't stay at a mod, we choose off proprty. In our experience the further into Aug you go the less crowded it is. Since we don't start schol here until after Labor day, it works out great and we love the heat so it's a win-win. But it will probably rain a bunch just not for long periods of time.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<Would you recommend disney value resorts or the good neighbor hotels?>> If you are referring to the non-Disney hotels that happen to be on Disney property, the ones nearest to Epcot, the Swan and Dolphin, are "Disneyesque." But unless you can secure a fantastic rate, they aren't budget hotels. There are also the hotels by Downtown Disney. They are on-property and offer Disney transportation, but other than that, they don't have any Disney atmosphere at all. If you're on a budget (who isn't these days?!), check out Mousesavers and Allears: <a href="http://www.mousesavers.com/" target="_blank">http://www.mousesavers.com/</a> <a href="http://allears.net/" target="_blank">http://allears.net/</a>
Originally Posted By Mrs ElderP For your dates you may be able to get free dining, which would require a stay on property. However, for us, free dining was worth staying in the values. We brought our own breakfast and ate lunch and dinner at the parks or other resort hotels, so the dining court at all star music wasn't a negative for us. It was just a place to fill our re-fillable mug.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Here is my plug for the Values:>> Free parking at the Theme Parks Value: $11 per day Disney's Magical Express Value: $32 per person round trip ($24 Child) Extra Magic Hours Value: Based on similar programs at Universal Orlando, $20-$46 (average of $33) per person per day depending on time of year. When you look at what all is included with staying at a Disney Value resort, I truly doubt you can find anything that costs less off-site except for a total Roach Motel. Let's check it out (for a family of 4 for 7 nights): Value Resort rate, Peak Time: $122 per night average of weekend and weekday nights. Total: $854. Less Value of Magical Express: $112 Value of parking for 7 days: $77 Value of extra Magic Hours: $924 End result: Unless you can find an off-site motel that will pay you $37 per night to stay there, you will do better at the Disney Value Resort. OK. So you say that Disney's Fastpass isn't really the same as Universal's head of the line pass. I'll buy that. So let's reduce the value by 50% That still gives us a net Disney value Resort rate of $29 per night. Tell me what you get anywhere else for $29 per night. Unlike Disneyland; when you are at WDW there is absolutely no way you can beat the value of a Disney Value Resort.
Originally Posted By FenwayGirl Great analysis RoadTrip! And so true. We would love to be able to stay at a better resort, but with the size of our travel group and the fact that we spend very little time in our room...value works for us!
Originally Posted By trekkeruss The only thing I would disagree with regarding the cost of the Values is the EMH. It is a nice perk, but unlike the Magical Express and the parking, it is not a necessity. Also, depending on one's situation, you might not use Magical Express either (you drove your own car or have a rental) So even though there are benefits to staying at the All Stars or Pop Century, there is no way around the fact that a family can save money by staying off-property. Not everyone can or wants to pull out $854 when you can go off-property and spend $472 ($35/night + $150 rental car + $77 parking.)
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<$35/night>> That is never going to happen... at least not at a hotel that is anywhere close to WDW. I did a search at Travelocity for "Lake Buena Vista Area". The four least expensive hotels were $53, $67, $78 and $84. As for the rental car, if you include the various fees and taxes the least expensive rental car for 7 days in Orlando would be $204.83. I chose late August dates (14-20) to get past WDW's peak time. Using the least expensive hotel and auto rental rate; plus the $77 for parking, and you are at $653. That is only $200 less than staying on-site, and I think that $200 would be well spent. If you place any value on EMH at all ($7.15 per person per day) you are at break-even.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss My $35/night example is not fiction; I have paid that rate. The rental car rate was from a peak time offering through Priceline.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<My $35/night example is not fiction>> I didn't say it was fiction. Do you mind if I ask where it was located and what time of year it was? I priced the Disney Value resort using Peak rates. I know that in the "off-season" you can pick up some real deals. <<The rental car rate was from a peak time offering through Priceline.>> Did that include all the "fine print" charges? The Travelocity car carried a "base rate" of $154, but was $50 more when you added on all the rip-off charges that the rental companies add in Orlando. I’m not saying it is impossible to stay off-site for less than you pay at WDW resorts. My whole point is that the WDW resorts are a better value than many people typically think.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Agreed RT, if WDW is your soul aim. If you want to take in other central Fla attractions, then it's about preferences. Or if you want a quality hotel, the Peabody, Gaylord Palms, JW Marriott, Marriott Vacation Club and Ritz Carlton may be better choices than any Disney hotel.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I went in the beginning of June, and stayed at a place on 192, about five minutes from DAK. The rate was using one of those coupons you get at rest stops. I don't know about the fine print charges for a rental. I suppose you should add in another $50 for gas. But even still, $572 is less than $854. <<My whole point is that the WDW resorts are a better value than many people typically think.>> I wouldn't argue with that; the Values are well, a good value. All I am saying is that you can stay offsite for very little money.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I went in the beginning of June, and stayed at a place on 192, about five minutes from DAK. The rate was using one of those coupons you get at rest stops.>> If I remember my Florida map correctly, that would be what Travelocity classes as the "Kissimmee Area" rather than the "Lake Buena Area" which probably is why I didn't pick up anything as inexpensive. There are a lot of very inexpensive hotels along 192, and they are only a few miles away from WDW's main gate. I just checked Travelocity and the four lowest priced hotels for the Kissimmee area were $32, $33, $33 and $33. You win. ;-)
Originally Posted By trekkeruss WOOHOO, I WIN! But to add to the argument of choosing a Disney Value Resort, a $35 motel on 192 is going to have a lousy pool. Where I stayed it was small, and just plain uninviting. Fortunately, I don't care about that amenity. But if a pool is important (it is my understanding that to kids a pool is often favored above the theme parks) the Values have fairly nice swimmin' holes.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Another popular options by Brits are to travel in large packs and stay at a house off site.
Originally Posted By fkurucz Yoiu gotta hand it to Disney. They rigged the system so that customers either pay $100+ per night for what is basically a Motel 6 room (All Stars, PC), or stay off property, very, very far away. Yeah, I know the Values have amenities you won't find at a Motel 6, but the rooms are at best described as spartan.
