Hi all, I'm trying to get the gears going for next year's trip and I'm looking for some help with ideas for accomodations. No matter how much our family loves staying in the park, we just can't shell out the money for it this time around. If you're wondering why we're going when money's tight, the answer's simple.. we can still afford to have a great time regardless if we have to be a little frugal in some areas. My question is can anyone recommend the cheapest hotel/motel that has shuttle service to and from the parks. I know places have shuttle service to the parks but do they pick up as well? At the same bus stops/different ones?? We don't need 5 star heated in-room pool or anything really fancy, we only really sleep at the hotel the rest of the time we're at the parks. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks friends,
F.R.
We stay at the Doubletree Suites when we stay offsite. It has pretty decent bus service, and is closer to the parks than lots of onsite resorts, and it's across the street and down a little from DTD. They have bus service to Downtown Disney until 2 most of the time. Their drop-off at MK is out by the TTC, so you still have to ride the ferry or monorail to get into the park. They have set pick-up places just like other resorts. If you end up driving, you will have to pay 10.00 a night to park. If you fly, you'll have to get a taxi or shuttle to get to it. The easiest way to get to MK and not have to ride the ferry or monorail is to go over to DTD and catch the bus to the Contemporary. It will drop you off close to the park. It's not even a five minute walk from where the bus drops you to the front gate. We take the bus straight from the hotel to get to the other parks if we don't drive, which we usually do. We have annual passes, so parking is free for us. (No matter where you stay, you can save the parking fee at the parks by driving and parking at DTD and riding the bus to any resort and taking their bus to the parks you are going to that day; Contemporary for MK, Animal Kingdom Lodge for AK, and Caribbean Beach for HS and Epcot. I wouldn't do this unless you need to save the 14.00 for parking each day, but it will work. A bus driver gave us this advise when we had ridden a boat to DTD and wanted to get to a park later that day. We didn't realize there weren't any buses straight to the parks from DTD and we didn't want to go back to Port Orleans before we went to Magic Kingdom.)
All rooms are suites. Which is great with kids. You have two tv's, a large bathroom and dressing area. The beds are queens and comfy. We haven't used the pull out couch in a couple of years, but it was fine then.
You have a fridge, small but bigger than in the values or mods, a microwave and sink in the kitchen area and a nice size table and chairs. They also have a laundry area. They also give you a 20.00 food voucher if you don't have housekeeping everyday. (Well they did in May.) We have stayed there for from 79.00 a night with AAA to 119.00 per night. We've never paid more. I would book at whatever the current price was and then watch the site daily until they had a discount. I've started with as high as 219.00 or 239.00 a night and ended getting the 79.00 per night by the time we went. As soon as I would catch the price down, I would call and get the new rate. I changed it three times once. Look them up online. Make sure and look for the one on Hotel Plaza Blvd. so you get the bus service to the parks. They give you some amazing warm chocolate chip cookies when you check-in.
Check all the way up until you the day before you leave, just in case the price goes down even more.
However, as someone else said, if you watch for a discount or free dining, you could stay onsite at a value for a very reasonable price. The money you save on food and parking will make up for the little extra over 75.00 per night. We just paid 97.00 for weekdays at the new Art of Animation in the Mermaid rooms. That's full price, by next August they will surely be giving discounts or free dining.
