family of 6- cheapest place to stay

[BarbOKW]

Unless you have four kids I don't think you can appreciate the logistics that goes into moving the group of 6 with 4 kids around. We stayed off site once in a wonderful 2 bedroom condo and had a great time. But on our next trip we had 2 connecting rooms at Port Orleans. Although we had less space, we still had plenty of room and the ease of using Disney's transportation rather than our own took so much of the moving the "group" hassels out that we had a much better vacation. Another benefit that we didn't realize before hand was that we all didn't have to leave a the same time. Sometimes either my husband or I would leave with the younger kids and the other would stay with the older ones and see some additional attractions. I've never stayed in one of the All Stars, so I can't comment on the size, but I found the moderates to be great. I'm sure you can get great values off site, but Disney is also offering a lot of discounts, so even if you spend a little more it would be worth it to stay on site.

 

[Belle5]

Funny, I didn't notice any real specific perameters given. (Like under $100, ect.) Really, no need for anyone to be horrified that people would suggest WDW property when this is a Disney vacation planning site. Having said that, I've stayed off property numerous times. If things are really tight and you're very flexible about where you would stay, bidding for two rooms on Priceline might fit the bill. (Probably not going to get that micro and fridge, though.) Personally, with what I save in NOT paying for a fridge, micro, and haul of groceries (let's face it--suites generally cost more) we have more money to spend on food in the parks which gives mom a break from cooking. (I have 5 children and always need 2 rooms or a suite.) Don't forget that although you won't have a micro, keeping a styrofoam cooler in your room filled with complimentary ice, will keep your juice, milk and sandwich fixings cold for breakfasts and lunches. Let us know what you decide. Good luck!

 

[LKS]

On site for our family of 5 really means on the monorail. You could fit in the Contemporary with the baby in a pack n go, but it wouldn't be cheap and you wouldn't get the kitchen stuff. The Wilderness homes are the cheapest on-site digs with a kitchen and we have done that. It was OK, but off-site is possibly cheaper and no less convenient. We have stayed at the HI Family Suites which were great when brand new, but already falling apart the last time we were there (March 2000). Perhaps maintenance has caught up with the wear & tear. They have a full breakfast buffet and kids even eat free at night - a good deal for you guys. The zero-depth entry pool is wonderful, as were the hot tubs at the adult pool. You could get a kidsuite which has bunk beds and a pull-out cot in one room, plus a sofa bed in the LR and a king in the Master. Each ind. room is very, very small, but the total package is pretty good. No stove, but fridge and microwave, as I recall.

That said, we just love the contemporary because it is so convenient for napping or swimming in the afternoon and we take milk, juice and sandwich fixings in a cooler that we add ice to daily. Also cereal, disposable bowls, spoons etc... to do breakfast. Of course, we always end up eating one nice meal out each day so we don't go crazy from PB&J overload. If you don't want to eat out at all, you will need that kitchen!

 

[robinb]

Moose41 said ...
mainey-mouse, i disagree. Renting a 2br at okw isnt incredibly expensive.

You're right. It's insanely expensive! I know that all of us experts can dig up a deal, but rack rate for a 2 BR at OKW is $459 per night for the week before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving week it goes up to $525 per night.

For someone who is "trying to cut costs everyway possible" that's way too expensive.

 

[jesse]

I would also vote for the Holiday Inn Family Suites Hotel. we have stayed there twicw, and while it is not my FAVORITE hotel, and IMHO, not consistent in terms of service, you will have a good time there and it will save you money in the long run. We had four adults and two children in our group, and were quite comfortable. The three TV s helped! The free breakfast will save a great deal, and you'll have the option of bringing it back to your room if you don't want to brave the dining room every morning. Under certain parameters, kids eat free at lunch and dinner. I believe it's in a ratio of four kids to every adult, so you'll be covered. It's VERY close to the parks, I dare say as close as All-Stars and the New Pop Century. you will have to pay parking, is it $7 now? But the commute itself is no problem, since you are already renting a van.

 

[Debbie]

Here's another vote for the Holiday Inn Family Suites.

We are a family of 7, and if you could get away with the microwave (no stove), it would be great. The last two trips we split HIFS with Beach Club(99) and Dixie Landings (00). Both times all five of my kids-5-15- stated that they preferred Holiday Inn Family Suites. The time that it took to get to the parks and Downtown Disney was actually faster than going by bus. And my kids feel that catching the tram everyday from the parking lot is their first ride of the day!

Whatever you decide, I'm sure that you'll have lots of fun. You have lots to research now. Let us know how it goes!

 

[LKS]

If you want to even save on the parking from HI Family Suites, their van service was good when we used it to Epcot. You sign up the night before, but it is free.

 

[violet13]

Wanted to thank you all for your replys... I think we found the lowest cost deal there is to be found so far- , as far as keeping the costs down and getting the very few things we find absolutely necessary....we ended up booking (during low season) using the magic Card at Days Inn/Days Lodge- Florida Mall.- in Orlando....for a family of 6, you get a stove, fridge with freezer, 2 beds, a sofa, a fullsize bath, a swimming pool outside , not sure what else- but (that's enough for us!!)....with tax included less than $45 a night!!!
Now if anyone out there can "beat" this price for a family of 6 with a fridge, stove and pool...please post! !!
...and also asking for your opinions of this particular Days Inn, .....if anyone has stayed there or heard good or bad , we'd love to hear!!! ..thank you so much.

 

[Belle5]

I hope you can get some feedback from someone who has stayed there. I did a search on this site and it is not one of the Days Inns that pops up. (There are lots of other Days Inn's that you will come up on a search.) I do know that it's about 10 miles from the parks which can be tricky when trying to make your way through traffic. When we stay off site I try to get one of the properties that's within a mile or so of WDW.

 

[robinb]

I would be very careful with any Days Inn in the Orlando area. Many of them are real dumps. Plus, the Florida Mall area is a long way from WDW. A real dump of a hotel will ruin a family vacation faster than anything.

Here are a couple of Google searches on your hotel. It doesn't look good .

Google Seach 1

Google Search 2

I would seriously rethink your choice.

 

[LKS]

Florida Mall is pretty far from WDW and Orlando traffic can be horrible. Keep searching. If you are trying to stay under $50, you will have a tough search, but I think you can do better.

 

[robsmom]

I am sure all these negatives comments are depressing you, but if you can possibly change your plans you really should.

Growing up in a family of 6 we often stayed at days inns, holiday inns, best westerns etc. At that time, the Days Inns were a reasonable lower end option. Over the years, however, the other family chains seem to have improved their offerings while Days Inn has gone down hill. I tried one near Atlanta (around 92) and it was really dirty and run down. Last year, DH and I needed a room for a wedding in the middle of the florida Keys. Our options were limited as many places were already booked. I found a days inn on the internet that had pictures that looked great and "had a beach". They wanted $129 a night, so I thought it would be decent. When we got there, I was actually appalled at how alful the place was. The pool (smaller than a backyard pool) was full of leaves and dirt. The "beach" was a cement slap covered with an inch of sand overlooking a small rocky cliff. We had booked a non-smoking room, but were told that they didn't have any available. (strange since there were no more than 3 cars in the parking lot) The room actually smelled. Normally, DH is the vocal one and I try to convince him not to cause a problem. This time, he wasn't feeling well and just wanted to sleep (but not there). I was on a warpath. I left my DH resting in the room, told him not to unpack and headed out. I drove down route 1 and surveyed our options of 4 or 5 places to stay. I really liked how the Hampton Inn looked, but knew it was booked when I called previously. I decided to stop in anyway. They had cancellations and gave us a room for $99 a night. Big Room, very clean. They had a faboulous pool area with great chairs and a really nice outdoor bar/grill run by the Outback Steakhouse. I checked us in and went back to get dear hubby. Went to the desk and told the clerk that the Days Inn was completely unacceptable and that we were leaving. I told him, that we would not be paying anything and that I wanted a full refund for my deposit. Got it all, went to the Hampton Inn and had a great weekend! Sorry for the long story, but the moral is that I have no faith in the Days Inn chain anymore.

 

[ALostBoy]

Hi Violet13,

If you decide to look at other possibilities, my
vote is for the Comfort Suites Maingate East.
I have read great reviews on the property
and it is only about 1 1/2 years old. Go to
Hotelkingdom Then pick the state of florida and
then pick the city of kissimmee
and plug in your dates. Then scroll down
to Comfort suites maingate east. A one
bedroom suite goes for about $ 67.50
plus tax. This property is only about 10
to 15 minutes (depending on traffic) from
Disney on 192. Good luck with whatever you
decide to do.

 

[violet13]

I guess my biggest concern- seeing that this Days Inn does not have a good reputation for cleanliness...is the Florida Mall area a "bad section" of town? high crime? that's my #1 concern???? #2 is it crawling with roaches???? and #3 JUST how bad is the traffic, we plan on driving to Disney, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studious? We still may change our plans once we learn a little more about this place. .......... The "safety" of our children, and our vehicle in their parking lot is our BIGGEST concern. We are used to camping in a tent to save a little $$, so being run down a bit I don' think will bother us.
And is the Days Inn Maingate East THAT much better, more "safer" at all? - I can book that for about another $19 a night, would we be saving a ton of hassle with the traffic staying there? Thanks again!

 

[robinb]

AFAIK, the Florida Mall area is not a dangerous area of town. It is a bit of a drive to anywhere. You can bring up www.mapquest.com and look at a map of the Orlando area.

I stayed at the Days Inn Maingate East years ago and it was a real dump. I think it's been renovated since then, but I'm not sure about the Days Inn Suites next door. Another thing about the Days Inn Suites properties ... they may charge you extra for the "rental" of the pots, pans and dishes. You'll want to call them and find out because that will increase your rate.

Will you be camping on the way to Florida? If so, then maybe the Fort Wilderness campground in WDW is for you. It's under $50 per day and you get all the benefits of being a WDW resort guest.

Here's some more info on the campgroud:

Deb Will's Fort Wilderness FAQ

 

[deena]

about the "Days Suites Maingate East on 192 "......I am assuming this is one you're referring to? on the Orlando Hotels and Attractions board by someone who stayed there not too long ago. I also recall some favorable reviews in the past.

They said their suite was clean, in good condition, and overall accomodations were fine (recall them mentioning they were able to shop at grocery store and cook on the stove) and used the refridgerator so I think you will likely be pleased with booking there and enjoy your stay.

This Days property on 192 is definitely closer to WDW (compared to the one near the Florida Mall logistic wise) and I believe you will most likely run into many more tourists/families vacationing like yourselves at the maingate east because it is so close to all the parks and other attractions.


The Days Suites Maingate East will be like a 5 or so minutes drive to Disney and close to Universal/IOA too so you would indeed be saving driving time by staying here instead.

This location is super convenient also because it is also within neighboring proximity to shopping, supermarkets, and restaurants (even within walking distance).

Although I have never stayed here, I have passed by this property plenty of times due to staying along same street in previous summers (most recently last August) and there always has been a lot of vacationing families staying at the "Days Suites Maingate East" and the property has looked well kept.

Hope this helps.

 

[jesse]

Perhaps someone else has already suggested this, but have you considered trying Priceline? I've never used it, but there are many people on this board who have had great success, and since you are going during the off season, a low bid would seem to have a better chance of being accepted.

 

[LKS]

I don't know anything about the cleanliness of that Days Inn and the FL Mall area looks safe enough from the interstate, but I do know a bit about the traffic. I-4 running through Orlando (which you would probably take to get from FL mall to WDW or US) can become a parking lot during am and pm rush, which from what I can tell last several hours each. It might be heavy traffic that moves, or it might be a disaster - you never know. Just thinking of driving that back and forth every day, in a hurry to get there in the am and tired in the pm, would cause me to book closer to WDW - Kissimmee area. We actually plan our arrival and departure times on our WDW trips to avoid driving it from 3-7pm.

I've never camped at Fort Wilderness, but I agree that if you like to camp, that might be a wonderful option. In addition, they have free things to do - campfire at night etc... that your kids might love. You can probably get a good deal there in Nov. and you can hop the boat to MK.

 

[violet13]

We are now booked for the Days Inn Suites Maingate East, I found the price even a little cheaper on the internet (for family of 6) than a coupon I had out of a Kissemmee book. Got it for $49.95 (plus tax) a night, I think we will be quite pleased....with the short travel distance, the better reviews, 2 tvs, 2 heated pools even, a balcony too! And we can do all our cooking right there in the little kitchen with a stove, microwave and fridge/freezer, they even give you an alarm clock, we never stayed anywhere this nice! Thank you all again!

 

[violet13]

We are now booked for the Days Inn Suites Maingate East, I found the price even a little cheaper on the internet (for family of 6) than a coupon I had out of a Kissemmee book. Got it for $49.95 (plus tax) a night, I think we will be quite pleased....with the short travel distance, the better reviews, 2 tvs, 2 heated pools even, a balcony too! And we can do all our cooking right there in the little kitchen with a stove, microwave and fridge/freezer, they even give you an alarm clock, we never stayed anywhere this nice! Thank you all again!inkbounc