Where is the best place to stay for a value vacation for two adults?

[DragoHarley]

Hello everyone. I have never made a post before so I apologize if I did not set this up right -- and I thank you in advance for any advice you can give me.

I can't afford to go to WDW very often -- so it's like an every 3 or 4 year experience for me. The last time I was able to go was in 2010 and I had a really great time. I did not stay on property though because I thought it would be too expensive so I did not even consider staying at a Disney hotel.

I'm starting to plan my next trip to WDW and it looks like I will be able to afford to go down to Orlando for 7 days in 2013 or maybe early 2014. I am hopefully timing this so that the Fantasyland Expansion will be done as I am very excited about that. It will just be me and my boyfriend going, and we are both in our late 20s.

Can anyone point me to a thread or article that has good advice for planning a 7-day stay at WDW and what hotels I should look at if I want a good value but still be able to stay somewhere cool? Looking at my budget, I am willing to pay up to $160/night for the hotel.

I bet prices will be higher in 2013, but where would YOU look to stay if $160/night was your budget TODAY? I would most likely be going to WDW when it was the cheapest, like in the off season. I think February or March before spring break might be a good time to go if I understand things correctly. Please correct me if I have that wrong.

I think it would be cool to stay somewhere that I would not need to rent a car at all so that I can avoid that expense. I would like to take the Disney transportation from the airport to whatever hotel we stay at, and then take Disney transportation to the parks. I definitely want to go to MK a few times while I am there and would also like to see Epcot for the first time. I am still not sure if I want to go to AK or HS because I don't know if they have things that interest me but I am thinking about it. Are there nice hotels that give transportation to all the parks? I'd like to have one day of fun just at Typhoon Lagoon too because I think that place is really fun.

If I had to boil down what I am looking for, I guess it would be to find the coolest room I could get for $160/night. I live in Chicago and have a view that looks out into an alley so when I travel I think it's nice to stay somewhere that has a nice view out the hotel window -- so I'd like to avoid looking at a parking lot if I can. Maybe something with a view of water as that would be so relaxing.

We plan on staying in the parks until the last possible moment when they close and we can still get transportation back to the hotel so I don't care if we have a view of fireworks or not because we will still be in the parks when those are going off if that's possible.

It would be fun to stay in a hotel that had a really awesome, themed pool too. I would really enjoy that.

I'd also like a place that was more grown-up focused as we won't be going with any kids and I'd like something that was not too cartoon-looking. I don't know how affordable the Polynesian resort is or the one with the French Quarter New Orleans themes, but maybe someone can give advice on this.

I really enjoy this site and love how helpful people are. Thank you all for any help you can give me. I have a very unpleasant job that makes me very unhappy and am unfortunately stuck in it in this economy as I really need to work to stay alive...so planning a trip to WDW next year or the year after is what I do to keep my spirits up. Every time my boss yells at me or calls me stupid or makes me feel bad about myself, I just go home that night and open my "Disney Vacation Planner" notebook and jot down some of the cool things I hope to do on my next vacation. I save up about $100 a month or so towards my vacation fund and I just keep focusing on this positive reward for myself to get me through the bad days I have to endure to make it happen.

I really want to have a great time and stay on property and take advantage of all the cool things that WDW has to offer, so I really need some help looking at a great hotel to stay at.

Thank you for your kind help and ideas and much love from Chicago!

[lazyboy97O]

All of the Walt Disney World resorts offer Magical Express (the airport shuttle) and transportation to the parks, water parks, and Downtown Disney. If you want to do something at another Resort you will have to transfer buses. The rule that Disney gives is that buses run until one hour after the park closes to Resort guests, meaning the buses continue for Extra Magic Hours.

I think you are completely missing out not going to Disney's Animal Kingdom.

For your price range you would mostly be looking at the Value Resorts and maybe even the Moderate Resorts. Unfortunately, you will not really be finding a really cool pool, especially at the Value Resorts. Nothing is spectacular about these views either. The hotels are spread out from the parks, so your view would likely be of the other hotel buildings and maybe the pool area. The All Star Resorts (Value) do not offer any views of a body of water. The Polynesian is a Deluxe Hotel and out of your price range. Port Orleans French Quarter is a Moderate and you may find a room in your price range, and a nice place to stay if you can get a room in your price range. Since you are looking to avoid kids I would advise against the All Star Resorts, as they tend to be where youth groups stay.

Every year Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach close for a few weeks for maintenance, so it is posible that Typhoon Lagoon will be closed on your visit. Blizzard Beach is still fun.

[goofy donald]

Hello everyone. I have never made a post before so I apologize if I did not set this up right -- and I thank you in advance for any advice you can give me.

I can't afford to go to WDW very often -- so it's like an every 3 or 4 year experience for me. The last time I was able to go was in 2010 and I had a really great time. I did not stay on property though because I thought it would be too expensive so I did not even consider staying at a Disney hotel.

I'm starting to plan my next trip to WDW and it looks like I will be able to afford to go down to Orlando for 7 days in 2013 or maybe early 2014. I am hopefully timing this so that the Fantasyland Expansion will be done as I am very excited about that. It will just be me and my boyfriend going, and we are both in our late 20s.

Can anyone point me to a thread or article that has good advice for planning a 7-day stay at WDW and what hotels I should look at if I want a good value but still be able to stay somewhere cool? Looking at my budget, I am willing to pay up to $160/night for the hotel.

I bet prices will be higher in 2013, but where would YOU look to stay if $160/night was your budget TODAY? I would most likely be going to WDW when it was the cheapest, like in the off season. I think February or March before spring break might be a good time to go if I understand things correctly. Please correct me if I have that wrong.

I think it would be cool to stay somewhere that I would not need to rent a car at all so that I can avoid that expense. I would like to take the Disney transportation from the airport to whatever hotel we stay at, and then take Disney transportation to the parks. I definitely want to go to MK a few times while I am there and would also like to see Epcot for the first time. I am still not sure if I want to go to AK or HS because I don't know if they have things that interest me but I am thinking about it. Are there nice hotels that give transportation to all the parks? I'd like to have one day of fun just at Typhoon Lagoon too because I think that place is really fun.

If I had to boil down what I am looking for, I guess it would be to find the coolest room I could get for $160/night. I live in Chicago and have a view that looks out into an alley so when I travel I think it's nice to stay somewhere that has a nice view out the hotel window -- so I'd like to avoid looking at a parking lot if I can. Maybe something with a view of water as that would be so relaxing.

We plan on staying in the parks until the last possible moment when they close and we can still get transportation back to the hotel so I don't care if we have a view of fireworks or not because we will still be in the parks when those are going off if that's possible.

It would be fun to stay in a hotel that had a really awesome, themed pool too. I would really enjoy that.

I'd also like a place that was more grown-up focused as we won't be going with any kids and I'd like something that was not too cartoon-looking. I don't know how affordable the Polynesian resort is or the one with the French Quarter New Orleans themes, but maybe someone can give advice on this.

I really enjoy this site and love how helpful people are. Thank you all for any help you can give me. I have a very unpleasant job that makes me very unhappy and am unfortunately stuck in it in this economy as I really need to work to stay alive...so planning a trip to WDW next year or the year after is what I do to keep my spirits up. Every time my boss yells at me or calls me stupid or makes me feel bad about myself, I just go home that night and open my "Disney Vacation Planner" notebook and jot down some of the cool things I hope to do on my next vacation. I save up about $100 a month or so towards my vacation fund and I just keep focusing on this positive reward for myself to get me through the bad days I have to endure to make it happen.

I really want to have a great time and stay on property and take advantage of all the cool things that WDW has to offer, so I really need some help looking at a great hotel to stay at.

Thank you for your kind help and ideas and much love from Chicago!

I crunched some numbers and the best deal I can see you getting as a whole that fits your ideal situation would be the Caribbean beach resort during the spring savings season, mid to late April. Your budget puts you in the moderate resort range that would net you a room for approximately $135/night, which is the best deal of any resort in this range at any time currently. it also offers a new themed pool, a variety of adult activities along with some family presence, relaxing but also upbeat depending on where you are in the hotel area, and the best array of amenities out of all the moderate resorts. Another option you might want to consider is Coronado springs for about 5-10 dollars more per night, as it has more of an adult focus then CB due to the fact that a lot of conventions are held there, and also a very nice pool. All Disney hotels offer Disney transportation and magical express, however you must book a Disney vacation package for the use of magical express service. You really should check out AK and DHS as they are both phenomenal parks that for sure will have at least a few things your interested in. they are definitely worth checking out especially when you have 7 days to do so. Typhoon lagoon also cannot be accessed with a park ticket, it is an additional charge that is a fairly hefty sum if you are in fact interested. If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask. Hope this helps!

[Barbaraann]

Welcome to MiceChat. I am also from Chicago, and I agree that MiceChat is a great place. I came here in 2005 looking for advice to plan a Disneyland vacation, and I never left. I have been on many vacations since then to both Disneyland and Disney World. MiceChat has helped me plan all of those vacations, and I credit them for making all of those vacations great.

I too am waiting for the Fantasyland expansion to be completed before I return to Disney World. Magic Kingdom has always been my favorite themepark at WDW, and my favorite land has always been Fantasyland. I refuse to return until the construction walls are gone.

Since your vacation is so far away, your top priority now is to save as much money as you can before your trip. There's no telling how much things will cost in a few years. If you are absolutely positively sure you are traveling, you might want to buy your tickets now at today's prices, since the prices are sure to go up before your actual trip.

I have stayed at all types of resorts. Value, moderate, deluxe. I loved them all. Don't write off the value resorts, I had a great time at Pop Century in 2009. I several times did a split stay between a more expensive hotel, and a cheaper hotel, and it allowed me the luxury of sampling many more different resorts. Read about the hotels, all you have to do is Google their names, or visit the WDW website.

I say buy a good guidebook. Birnbaum's is good, and it can give you a good idea about the different seasons and what the resort rates are.

Once you know your date for sure, watch for discounts. Join AAA, and you can get a discount on your room, just for asking when you call for reservations. At least that has always been the case in the past. I almost always never book a package because I spend less booking it separately.

Have fun planning.

[DragoHarley]

Thank you so much to everyone who has replied already -- I REALLY appreciate it.

Can someone answer this question for me too: Is it a good value to book a Disney vacation package?

When I go, I plan on spending almost all of my time at Disney resorts or parks (with the exception of going to the Harry Potter world for a half day or so, which would be my only non-Disney activity while in Orlando).

Is it a smart move to book one of the packages through Disney vacations? For the record, I am not a big breakfast or lunch eater and typically eat just one meal a day with little snacks so a meal plan scares me since I don't think I would eat all that.

Is there a good deal on park tickets through those vacation packages? I have always been intimidated to try booking one because I always thought they were only for "rich people".

[mikelieman]

Do they still PUBLISH Guidebooks? You know... Internet?

[goofy donald]

Thank you so much to everyone who has replied already -- I REALLY appreciate it.

Can someone answer this question for me too: Is it a good value to book a Disney vacation package?

When I go, I plan on spending almost all of my time at Disney resorts or parks (with the exception of going to the Harry Potter world for a half day or so, which would be my only non-Disney activity while in Orlando).

Is it a smart move to book one of the packages through Disney vacations? For the record, I am not a big breakfast or lunch eater and typically eat just one meal a day with little snacks so a meal plan scares me since I don't think I would eat all that.

Is there a good deal on park tickets through those vacation packages? I have always been intimidated to try booking one because I always thought they were only for "rich people".

Vacation packages aren't really a huge deal but it does give you what you want on your list so far. you get your room at the price i mentioned earlier (that price is including 25% for CB and 20% for CS off due to spring savings), park tickets at standard price with park hopper for 6 days (take one day off for universal and typhoon lagoon or dtd), and then you get free magical express service which saves you money on a ride to and from the airport. Meal plan is not included in the vacation package, that's a different thing altogether. With your eating style I would recommend paying out of pocket for food as you will only get ripped off on meal plan. as a whole your really just going to have to eat the ticket price as those are pretty standard, its more convenient and safer buying through Disney and again that's about the lowest the ticket price will get anyways.

[Mouse princess]

You don't need a vacation package to get magical express. All you need is a resort reservation. As long as you are staying on property, they will pick you up from the airport. I rarely book a vacation package and I never had a problem getting magical express transportation.

Happy planning!

[SpectroMan]

$160 a day is more than enough to have a great vacation. Pick a moderate when it's on sale (a good portion of the year) or pay full rack rate ($180 ish) and get free dining for the entire stay when it's offered. You'll have a great time and it's great that you're planning so far ahead!

[DragoHarley]

@SpectroMan --

How do I know when the moderates are on sale? Can you give me a breakdown of the months that are sale periods?

Also, is it really true that there would be FREE dining with the rack rate? If so, that would sound like a good deal because for the extra $20 if food would be included I don't know how I could beat that. But, is that free dining for just one person? Because there definitely will be two of us. I bet we'd probably spend about $30-40 a day on food if we were paying out of pocket...between $15-20/person.

Would paying rack rate and getting free dining be a better deal than us spending $30-40/day on food on our own?

Thank you all for taking the time to answer these questions. I know it must be really obvious stuff to some of you who are really experienced with all this but I kind of need Disney Vacation Planning 101 and so I appreciate all the kindness and helpful advice. You guys rock!

[Barbaraann]

The opinions are varied about free dining. Some people think it's well worth it, especially when it includes a table service meal. Keep in mind that in order to get free dining when it is offered, you must book a package, and you must buy a park ticket for a specific number of days. It used to be one. Not sure what that is now. That sometimes forced a person with an Annual Pass into purchasing a park ticket, that they did not necessarily need. However, that ticket could, at a later date, be upgraded to a longer pass, or another Annual Pass.

If you visit MiceChat often, you will be informed of any good Disney World vacation packages that are being offered.

It is important to crunch the numbers. Figure out the different elements of your vacation, and what they will cost separately, and then learn what the Vacation Package being offered will cost you. Sometimes, you are saving a lot, and other times it is about the same.

Some people like having everything paid for ahead of time. It means carrying less cash. Of course, table service meals require an ADR, or Priority Seating. Not quite sure what they are calling it now. I haven't done that in quite a while.

[SpectroMan]

Drago,

Simply by reading these message boards frequently will give you all the info you need. Also, pay attention to all the ad banners - you'll find travel agents specializing in Disney. Free Dining has a few different levels but in general it refers to 1 snack, 1 counter meal and 1 table service meal per day. That CAN be enough for most people, but at most you may need to supplement with a small purchased breakfast on top of it. Your estimation of 30-40 a day on food if you were paying might be a tad conservative at WDW unless you hardly eat anything. Yes, the Dine plan would cover both of you.

As far as the sales, mousesavers.com is an excellent resource for the current discounts out there (my apologies if I'm not allowed to mention other websites)

[New Orleans lady]

Drago,

Simply by reading these message boards frequently will give you all the info you need. Also, pay attention to all the ad banners - you'll find travel agents specializing in Disney. Free Dining has a few different levels but in general it refers to 1 snack, 1 counter meal and 1 table service meal per day. That CAN be enough for most people, but at most you may need to supplement with a small purchased breakfast on top of it. Your estimation of 30-40 a day on food if you were paying might be a tad conservative at WDW unless you hardly eat anything. Yes, the Dine plan would cover both of you.

As far as the sales, mousesavers.com is an excellent resource for the current discounts out there (my apologies if I'm not allowed to mention other websites)

Any Disney vacation is better than none. Stay at a value resort or travel when the free dining plan or room discount is offered. Enjoy.

[thedude76]

I would start reading Mousesavers:

MouseSavers.com - Disney Discount Source - Disney World Discounts, Disneyland Discounts, Disney Cruise Discounts

for some ideas.

When I went two years ago, I stayed at both a villa and a moderate resort on the property. I had problems with both, so after the Harry Potter expansion is finished, I plan on going back, but I will be definitely staying off property.

The perks for staying on property do not match the poor quality of the on property resort. For example, when I stayed one night at the Caribbean Beach resort, due to last minute planning on my part, the room smelled like a Frebreeze bomb had gone off in it, I found a q-tip under my pillow, and a cheesy shower curtain was used to separate the room from the bathroom. I changed rooms, and I heard kids running above me while I tried to sleep. When I turned the heater on, it smelled like it was burning. Poor show.

I'll take a Hyatt or Embassy Suites over any of the on property offerings.

[louisehira]

My cousin and I went to WDW in May 2010 and plan to return in 2015. We will definitely stay on property and will probably stay at Port Orleans French Quarter again. We chose French Quarter over Riverside because all the buildings have elevators. I read in one of the travel guides that Riverside doesn't have elevators in all their buildings. French Quarter is also smaller than Riverside which turned out to be a real advantage.

When making our reservation, I opted for a water view that cost a bit more and was worth the extra money. Although our room had a side view of the water (a small river), it made for a very pleasant view of the trees on the other side of the river. It was also nice not to have to look at the facade of another building when looking out our window. French Quarter has a nice food court where we had breakfast every morning.

We chose to purchase one of the dining plans and are glad we did. We bought the plan that included one fast service meal, one snack and one table service meal. We found we could use the snack option to purchase a small bowl of soup or a small packaged salad at the food court for a light dinner. We used the table service option for lunch. Character meals require using 2 table service credits so we had to plan accordingly. We did have one table service dinner our last night at Le Cellier at EPCOT. The dining plan worked well for us and we used our last quick service credit for our final breakfast before we left for the airport. We managed to use all our meal credits including all our snack credits.

The Magical Express is a great way to get from the airport to the WDW hotels. It's especially good at the end of the trip as you check your bag in at the lobby of your hotel and send it on its way to the airport. I think we were even given our boarding passes when we checked our bags.

Besides the transportation from your hotel to the Parks, another advantage is package delivery. If you purchase something at one of the Parks and don't want to carry it with you all day, you can have it sent to your hotel. Our packages were sent to the Port Orleans gift shop which was a fast stop from the bus to our room.

Go into the WDW reservation side to check out current room rates, Parkhopper ticket prices, meal plans and airline reservations. I did that a couple of times before making our reservations so I had an idea of what the trip would cost. You can also chat live online with one of the Disney reps. You may be lucky and have a special promotion come up that includes a meal plan or gift card.

Whatever you decide to do, please read the Birnbaum Official guide to Walt Disney World. It has a lot of good advice. I read it seveal times before deciding on where to stay and what restaurants to make reservations for. A lot of the fun is in the planning and planning for WDW is great fun.

I hope you'll plan to come out to California one day and visit Disneyland, the Park that started it all (and don't forget Disney California Adventure). You definitely don't have to stay at a Disney hotel. I have a favorite place to stay and it's right across the street from the Parks' entrances.

Have a wonderful time at WDW. Say HI to Mickey for me!