staying offsite

[mickey's minnie]

hi all, if you were staying offsite at disney with 4 kids,where would you stay?they will be 4,8,11,13 when we go.I'm thinking I can save quite a bit by staying offsite.but i've never been so am unsure where to look at.and what are the closest hotels to the parks and do they all offer bus transportation?thanks for the info

 

[robinb]

People with large families like the Holiday Inn Family Suites. It's really close and I think it includes breakfast.

f you plan to go in the next month or two they have a buy one get one free special through 2/28/02 : http://www.sixcontinentshotels.com/holiday-inn?_template=night_free.html

 

[CindyAnn]

Hi Mickey's Minnie. I would second the idea of HIFS. We spent the first two nights of our last trip to WDW there, and they have a closed room with king sized bed, curtained bunk room (upper bunk, lower bunk, and pull out single bed) in addition to a pull out sofa in the small, but adequate living/kitchen area. It's very close to WDW, with almost no traffic on the route, and the free buffet breakfast offered every morning is a definite plus!

 

[mickey's minnie]

thanks you guys!!!!!! I have been looking into this and I think this is probebly where we will stay.I would like to stay onsite,but their prices are a little pricey for us.is there transportation to the parks from here?this will be our first trip so I don't know much LOL or should I look into renting a car?we will be there for 10 days 12/09/02-12/19/02 and is the one at maingate east or west better? LOL the man at holiday inn told me they have a thing going with hertz rental so should I rent the car when I make the room reservations or can I do it when we get there?thanks again

 

[robinb]

So, did you get the 2 for 1 deal?

I understand that there is transportation to the parks, but you may want to look into renting a minivan from the airport. Transfers would be pretty expensive to begin with and having a car when staying off-site really helps. Plus, you have the ability to drive to off-site restaurants and not pay $$$ Disney prices. Head over to the Transportation Board for help with booking a cheap minivan. I've seen some really good deals over there lately.

 

[mickey's minnie]

robinb,no not yet we re not going til next year I'm just looking will book the first of the year.

 

[robinb]

oops! I didn't notice the YEAR on your dates .

Go ahead a book now and keep on checking back. IIRC, the HIFS had a special last year at the same time.

 

[cdntowdw]

I've never stayed here, (but they were next door to the HIMGE where we stayed last month) but for a larger family I would check out Tropical Palms. They have these great little cabins with sleeping lofts for the kids. Check out their website. You would need transportation though. We had a rental car when we were visiting in November 4 days off-site, 3 days on-site and would not have been without it in either case.

 

[CindyAnn]

Hi again Mickey's Minnie. HIFS has very limited shuttle service - nothing like the bus service offered at on-site hotels. I like having a car even when we're on-site, but at HIFS I think it's essential if you want more freedom. We got good car rental rates through National last year, and they're located right at the airport - no shuttle bus necessary!!

As far as I know there is only one Holiday Inn Family Suites - not to be confused with the Holiday Inn Maingate East or Maingate West locations, which are much older and are not "all suite" hotels. There are approximately a bezillion Holiday Inns in the area, so it does get confusing. It's located 1 mile from the Epcot Center entrance to WDW. You can check out this link for more info.

 

[mickey's minnie]

cindyann,thanks for clearing up the holiday inn issue about the gates, I was wondering about that.I think we probebly will get a rental.cdntowdw,thanks for the info I may look into the palms,robin,I tried to book yesterday but the man at holday inn told me they only book up to 50 weeks so will book in another few.I appriciate all your help this is going to be an adventure in it itself planning replanning booking rebooking and the list goes on and on and on LOLI have learned so much from these boards I can't even imagine going without the help of you all. now we are getting 7 day hopper passes is this the thing to do ? I want to take them to the ocean for a day and we will need a couple of days to rest so is the 7 day HP okay ?as we will not be going back within the year. thanks again

 

[cdntowdw]

Happy planning...I spent 8 months on this board prior to our trip in November and with the help of everyone our vacation was a great success. No "bad" surprises. And quite a few "good" surprises, i.e. got into room at ASMO at 10:00 a.m., great room location as well. Loved the HIMGE for an off-site hotel, king room with fridge & microwave, all we needed for our days in the parks. Their pool water was wonderfully warm - as compared to ASMO. Brrrr.
Planning is half the fun, so relax and enjoy!!!

 

[ChiTownZee]

Don't forget, when comparing places HIFS has an unlimited, hot and cold breakfast. They even have take out dishes if you want to send one member of your family to pick up breakfast for the rest. This can save a large family a lot of money each morning.
I do think it might get a little tight with 6 people, especially for 10 nights, depends on the people. But even with 2 kidsuites, it would be considerably cheaper than 2 Disney room.

We love staying at HIFS.

 

[4disneyfans]

I WOULD RECOMMEND SUMMERFIELD SUITES WHICH ALSO HAS A VERY NICE CONT. BREAKFAST THAT IS FREE.CAN ALSO BE TAKEN BACK TO THE SUITE. HAS A FULL KITCHEN AND CAN GET TWO BEDROOMS PLUS THE LIVINGROOM HAS A SLEEPER SOFA WHICH IS COMFORTABLE!! CAN ALSO SAVE BY GOING TO WALMART AND BUYING UP PIZZA,DRINKS ETC.
HAVE SEEN RATES ON THESE BOARDS AS CHEAP AS $79 BUT WE USUALLY PAY BETWEEN $100
AND $120 FOR THE LARGE TWO BEDROOM. CAN PULL UP SITE JUST BY ADDING .COM BEHIND IT.
USUALLY GET BETTER RATES BY CALLING 800*OH, MY KIDS LOVE THAT IT HAS A VCR IN THE LIVINGROOM AND LOTS OF BREAKFAST ITEMS. CAN ORDER HOT ITEMS FOR A MINIMAL CHARGE.THERE IS ONE IN LAKE BUENA VISTA THAT PROVIDES FREE BUSES TO WDW BUT HAVE NEVER USED IT.