Any Nice reasonably priced hotels & car rentals at Disneyworld?

[dennis thompson]

My wife , daughter & granddaughter are planning to go to Disneyworld in Orlando, can anyone recommend a nice reasonably priced hotel? a car rental?
Thanks
Dennis

[Matt Meiser]

We did a mid-tier on-site hotel (The Caribbean) and I wouldn't do it any other way. We did rent a car, but we really didn't need to. There is a bus you can use from the airport to Disneyworld. Once there, you can take buses that run VERY often to anywhere you want to go. We got a meal package too and I really think we saved a lot of money and we knew up front what we were going to spend on food. It even included a snack each day.

[keith ouellette]

I couldn't recommend a specific hotel but I do know if you are willing to drive 10 to 15 min each day, easy trip down interstate 4, you can save a lot of money on a hotel and still stay in a very nice room.

[Pat Germain]

OK, Dennis, you're hearing from a MAJOR Disney geek here. In fact, I have a twelve page Walt Disney World Guide which I prepared and give to friends who are planning to visit. I'd be glad to email you a copy if you'd like to PM me with your email address. (I take no offense if you're not interested.)

A few points:

- I agree with Matt. Staying "On-Property" is the best way to go. Yes, you can try to save some money by staying outside the area. But then you have to rent a car, pay for fuel and pay for parking. That quickly eats up your savings. If you stay on property, you don't need to rent a car. You can ride a bus, boat or monorail anywhere at WDW for free. And, if you do have a car, you can park for free.

- There are basically three categories of resorts at WDW: Value, Moderate and Deluxe. Among the Deluxe resorts there are Monorail Resorts and "Home Away from Home" resorts. Each of the three Monorail resorts have a monorail station just outside the lobby. Yes, you pay a premium for this convenience. But if it's in your budget, it can be well worth it. The Home Away from Home resorts are part of Disney's timeshare called "Disney Vacation Club". But anyone can book rooms at those resorts. If you're on a budget, I highly recommend a Moderate. The cost is only slightly more than a Value and you get a much nicer, and much smaller, resort. (The Value resorts are gigantic, sprawling complexes.)

- I have stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter and Animal Kingdom Lodge. I highly recommend both. The first is a Moderate and the second is a Deluxe. Port Orleans French Quarter is the smallest resort at WDW. It's also first rate! (My brother and his wife honeymooned there and they loved it!)

- If you stay at a Disney Resort, you get a free ride from the airport and back. This is called "Magical Express". It's a bus. If you don't want to ride a bus, you can book a Town Car for $100 round trip, plus tip. With a town car, you can request a grocery stop to pick up snacks and drinks. I have done this and it was awesome!

- People staying at a Disney resort can also opt for their Dining Plan. For about $29 a day, each person gets one counter service meal, one table service meal and one snack for each night you stay at a Disney resort. This might sound expensive at first, but believe me, it's well worth it. (And it sure beats eating burgers and fries every day!)

- FYI, since Disney started Magical Express, rental car fees have gone up significantly

Standing by for more questions.

[James Jaragosky]

OK, Dennis, you're hearing from a MAJOR Disney geek here. In fact, I have a twelve page Walt Disney World Guide which I prepared and give to friends who are planning to visit. I'd be glad to email you a copy if you'd like to PM me with your email address. (I take no offense if you're not interested.)

A few points:

- I agree with Matt. Staying "On-Property" is the best way to go. Yes, you can try to save some money by staying outside the area. But then you have to rent a car, pay for fuel and pay for parking. That quickly eats up your savings. If you stay on property, you don't need to rent a car. You can ride a bus, boat or monorail anywhere at WDW for free. And, if you do have a car, you can park for free.

- There are basically three categories of resorts at WDW: Value, Moderate and Deluxe. Among the Deluxe resorts there are Monorail Resorts and "Home Away from Home" resorts. Each of the three Monorail resorts have a monorail station just outside the lobby. Yes, you pay a premium for this convenience. But if it's in your budget, it can be well worth it. The Home Away from Home resorts are part of Disney's timeshare called "Disney Vacation Club". But anyone can book rooms at those resorts. If you're on a budget, I highly recommend a Moderate. The cost is only slightly more than a Value and you get a much nicer, and much smaller, resort. (The Value resorts are gigantic, sprawling complexes.)

- I have stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter and Animal Kingdom Lodge. I highly recommend both. The first is a Moderate and the second is a Deluxe. Port Orleans French Quarter is the smallest resort at WDW. It's also first rate! (My brother and his wife honeymooned there and they loved it!)

- If you stay at a Disney Resort, you get a free ride from the airport and back. This is called "Magical Express". It's a bus. If you don't want to ride a bus, you can book a Town Car for $100 round trip, plus tip. With a town car, you can request a grocery stop to pick up snacks and drinks. I have done this and it was awesome!

- People staying at a Disney resort can also opt for their Dining Plan. For about $29 a day, each person gets one counter service meal, one table service meal and one snack for each night you stay at a Disney resort. This might sound expensive at first, but believe me, it's well worth it. (And it sure beats eating burgers and fries every day!)

- FYI, since Disney started Magical Express, rental car fees have gone up significantly

Standing by for more questions.

When my family goes we rent a time share or condo. You can get them dirt cheap compared to a good hotel. last year we got a four bedroom time share at $ for the week. and it was within walking distance of Disney. It also had many facilities on the property for use, like free fishing gear, pool, tennis ect.

[Curt Harms]

When my family goes we rent a time share or condo. You can get them dirt cheap compared to a good hotel. last year we got a four bedroom time share at $ for the week. and it was within walking distance of Disney. It also had many facilities on the property for use, like free fishing gear, pool, tennis ect.

I was in the Orlando area about a month ago. Was able to find a coupon for Payless car rental that wound up $85 for 5 days. They REALLY gave me a hard sell for their insurance. The insurance would have been almost as much as the rental which I'm sure is the idea. I just said no.