Help me Decide where to stay

[KrzyKtty]

So I am planning a quick WDW weekend in mid August 17 -20. Go down late Thursday evening, then return on Sunday. From looking at past years, I have a very good chance of a MNSSHP being that Friday the 18th, and my kids school normally starts that Monday August 21st. Technically since neither schedules are known, this is a bit of a risk, but historical records are a bit in my favor.

The goal would be to go to MK that Friday for Tron and MNSSHP, then Saturday Epcot for the Food and Wine festival, and Guardians (our favorite ride last time).

Where should we stay? Normally we love staying in the Deluxe hotels, but since we will be just doing parks till we drop most days, I'm not sure it is worth it. However, the convenience of the transportation would be nice. For example if we stayed at the Poly or Contemporary, we could ride the Monorail to both and not worry about busses. Beach Club we could walk to Epcot, but would need a bus for MK. If we did Art, we could ride the Gondola to Epcot, but would need the bus to MK. So while it seems silly to spend a lot of money on a Deluxe hotel for only transportation, it is a nice perk considering the short nature of the trip?

Thoughts? Should I save the money and just deal with the busses, or splurge for a hotel that is closer and has nicer transport options?

I would make this a poll, but don't remember how.

 

[Marionnette]

I would stay at the Poly. Maybe rent DVC points to save a little money. Walk from the Poly to the TTC for the Epcot monorail. The DVC buildings are close to the TTC. And I would take the boat to MK from Poly or grab the monorail at TTC since it will be less crowded than the Poly station. For me, the easy transportation options make it worth spending a few extra bucks when you're taking a short trip.

 

[JIMINYCR]

POFQ is our go to resort when we want to save some money by going Moderate instead of Deluxe. Bus service has improved, the resort is situated pretty much mid distance from the parks. The boat service is convenient to DS. The resort is fairly quiet most times without noisy kids running amuck. My only complain is the lacking of a TS dining and the small food court with limited choices but with a 10 min walk up the path to PORS you can get a solution to that.
Save some money if you need to. Go Deluxe if money isnt an issue and you want the convenience of walking to MK and monorail service.

 

[KTK]

Go with a deluxe resort - location, location, location. Plus better dining options.

 

[yensid1967]

Even though you seem to have the money to stay on property in a Deluxe resort, why not stay offsite nearby and save a lot of money? If you stay in a Deluxe resort, you will be throwing money away...because you will only be in the room to sleep and shower, maybe nap. But if you want to spend that kind of money, them do what pleases you!

 

[Eric Graham]

We've always liked the Beach Club. You can take a quick walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios, or take the boat if you'd like. You only have to take the bus to MK. They have a very nice pool at Beach Club as well. And, Cape May has a pretty good seafood buffet and character breakfast as well. Happy travels!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Shorter trip = trying to get the most out of your time. If it’s in the budget, I’d pick the resort that offers greater convenience.

 

[NelleBelle]

If it were me, I’d stay at a deluxe where you can walk to a park. Maybe consider the swalphin? They’re generally a better deal than a Disney deluxe and is still considered deluxe with all same perks (except for the bus to MK).

 

[RoadiJeff]

Even though you seem to have the money to stay on property in a Deluxe resort, why not stay offsite nearby and save a lot of money? If you stay in a Deluxe resort, you will be throwing money away...because you will only be in the room to sleep and shower, maybe nap. But if you want to spend that kind of money, them do what pleases you!

Exactly. We once stayed at a high dollar AKL Savannah room where we could go out on our balcony and see the giraffes and other wildlife walk right by us. We were not in the room all that much during the day to get much benefit from it.

Right now, I'm staying offsite at a new hotel that just opened about 6 months ago. I have a nice king suite for around $100 per night, not too far from the parks. Free parking, free breakfast each day and free shuttles to WDW and Universal.

 

[Weather_Lady]

You didn't mention if the budget was a concern. If so, keep in mind that the Swan/Dolphin tend to be far less expensive than the Disney deluxes, and are walking distance from EPCOT (and HS) and you get the same entitlement to extra evening hours and that extra 30 minutes in the morning as the Disney-owned deluxes. To get to MK without having to stop at the TTC (which the bus from the Swan/Dolphin does), you'd want to walk to the Boardwalk or Yacht Club and board the bus to MK there.

Another option to save money might be to rent DVC points for a studio at Beach Club, Poly, Contemporary, or GF, but that comes with its own set of potential issues to weigh (payment required up front, preferred dates/categories may already be unavailable, and you won't be able to easily cancel if your plans change). If you're willing to work within those parameters though, the cost savings can be appreciable.

 

[yensid1967]

Exactly. We once stayed at a high dollar AKL Savannah room where we could walk out on our balcony and see the giraffes and other wildlife walk right by our room. We were not in the room all that much during the day to get much benefit from it.

Right now, I'm staying offsite at a new hotel that just opened about 6 months ago. I have a nice king suite for just a few dollars over $100 per night, not too far from the parks. Free parking, free breakfast each day and free shuttles to WDW and Universal.

Please PM me and let me know what hotel! I have my go-to brand, but a nice inexpensive switch would be nice!

 

[RoadiJeff]

Please PM me and let me know what hotel! I have my go-to brand, but a nice inexpensive switch would be nice!

PM sent

 

[yensid1967]

PM sent

Thanks! Have a great trip!