Good Budget Hotel WDW

[Silvana]

So I'm starting to plan a WDW trip in 2020 and everything I "know" about planning I have to change. I need help!

Background: I've gone to WDW 3 times in the past. Each time we stayed at the Pop Century and had the dining plan. We find that the one QS and one TS plan worked the best for us. It wasn't perfect but it was better than the DDP. I need to rent an ECV to get around the parks and have always used Apple as it was the less expensive that was a WDW partner.

This time, due to the redecoration of the value resorts and cost, we want to stay off-site. Also, because of the cost and the 'not quite right' fit of the DP, we are going to pay out of pocket. And because Apple no longer seems to carry the bigger ECV I'm going to have to rent from somewhere else that will deliver to the hotel. Adding to this is the new need to rent a vehicle that can either carry the whole ECV (which doesn't break into pieces and we can't lift due to weight) or also renting a trailer that can haul the ECV (if that is a thing?)

That is where you come in!

I need a hotel, at least 3 stars, under $80 a night
I need a new place to rent the ECV
I need ideas/suggestions for rental cars and/or trailers.
I need ideas of how to pay OOP for restaurants not with Disney (As I'm using a combo of my Disney Visa/Sam's club) to pay for most the food and the park tickets with Disney Gift Cards)

 

[Marshmelo]

So I'm starting to plan a WDW trip in 2020 and everything I "know" about planning I have to change. I need help!

Background: I've gone to WDW 3 times in the past. Each time we stayed at the Pop Century and had the dining plan. We find that the one QS and one TS plan worked the best for us. It wasn't perfect but it was better than the DDP. I need to rent an ECV to get around the parks and have always used Apple as it was the less expensive that was a WDW partner.

This time, due to the redecoration of the value resorts and cost, we want to stay off-site. Also, because of the cost and the 'not quite right' fit of the DP, we are going to pay out of pocket. And because Apple no longer seems to carry the bigger ECV I'm going to have to rent from somewhere else that will deliver to the hotel. Adding to this is the new need to rent a vehicle that can either carry the whole ECV (which doesn't break into pieces and we can't lift due to weight) or also renting a trailer that can haul the ECV (if that is a thing?)

That is where you come in!

I need a hotel, at least 3 stars, under $80 a night
I need a new place to rent the ECV
I need ideas/suggestions for rental cars and/or trailers.
I need ideas of how to pay OOP for restaurants not with Disney (As I'm using a combo of my Disney Visa/Sam's club) to pay for most the food and the park tickets with Disney Gift Cards)

Check Mousesavers, they tell all the really great deals. Also check Undercover Tourist.

 

[Alesia]

Houses tend to be cheaper than hotels in Orlando. And having a washer and dryer is super convenient. Also multiple bedrooms and bathrooms

Check out VRBO.com or HomeAway.com

 

[kaytieeldr]

Hotel ? See the central Florida Forum on this board.
For the ECV, check the wdw FAQ into the top of this forum for featured - not partner (because there is no such "partnership" vendors.
You will need to contact the car rental agencies directly to determine if they have vehicles that can transport the ECV as well as whether they have or even allow trailers on their vehicles.
Your question about paying for food confuses me why would you not pay for food the same way pay for food anywhere else - credit card cash, etcetera?

 

[Chickinvic]

So I'm starting to plan a WDW trip in 2020 and everything I "know" about planning I have to change. I need help!

Background: I've gone to WDW 3 times in the past. Each time we stayed at the Pop Century and had the dining plan. We find that the one QS and one TS plan worked the best for us. It wasn't perfect but it was better than the DDP. I need to rent an ECV to get around the parks and have always used Apple as it was the less expensive that was a WDW partner.

This time, due to the redecoration of the value resorts and cost, we want to stay off-site. Also, because of the cost and the 'not quite right' fit of the DP, we are going to pay out of pocket. And because Apple no longer seems to carry the bigger ECV I'm going to have to rent from somewhere else that will deliver to the hotel. Adding to this is the new need to rent a vehicle that can either carry the whole ECV (which doesn't break into pieces and we can't lift due to weight) or also renting a trailer that can haul the ECV (if that is a thing?)

That is where you come in!

I need a hotel, at least 3 stars, under $80 a night
I need a new place to rent the ECV
I need ideas/suggestions for rental cars and/or trailers.
I need ideas of how to pay OOP for restaurants not with Disney (As I'm using a combo of my Disney Visa/Sam's club) to pay for most the food and the park tickets with Disney Gift Cards)

We always rent a 4 bedroom/3 bath villa (detached house) with it's own private pool and hot tub in a gated community (Emerald Island Resort) about 10 minutes from the parks - for $100/night lol. So much cheaper than Disney and you get so much more space, etc. We eat a lot of meals off property for very reasonable prices. We just drive along Irlo Bronson near our rental villa and there's loads to choose from.

There are also several condos/townhouses you can rent for even less.

 

[neatokimmo]

A few questions..
What time of year?
Are you flying into Sanford or MCO?
How many park days are you doing?

 

[Searc]

You wouldn't be eligible for the dining plan, anyway. You have to be an on-site guest to get the DDP.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We always get a timeshare...oops i mean vacation club lol from www.skyauction.com no meetings or anything a week was 400 full kitchen ( i choose Sheraton vistana) take the shuttle they are wheelchair accessible so no parking fee no car rental

 

[mel2014]

Have you thought about staying at a Disney Springs Hotel and using a combination of the free shuttle bus service and accessible Minnie Vans for transportation to/from the parks? While the hotels there won't be under $80/night, you can find B Resort/Best Western/Wyndham Garden for close to that and I think you would come out ahead on the transportation cost -- renting a car that can accommodate an ECV plus paying for parking at the parks seems like an expensive proposition.

 

[neatokimmo]

Have you thought about staying at a Disney Springs Hotel and using a combination of the free shuttle bus service and accessible Minnie Vans for transportation to/from the parks? While the hotels there won't be under $80/night, you can find B Resort/Best Western/Wyndham Garden for close to that and I think you would come out ahead on the transportation cost -- renting a car that can accommodate an ECV plus paying for parking at the parks seems like an expensive proposition.

That is what I was thinking too, by the time you pay for an expensive rental car, you might as well stayed on site in a value or a Disney Springs place.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Agree with what others have said. The larger ECV will not break down for transport so you will need to rent a vehicle which is able to accommodate it. This will be very expensive. By the time you are done paying for that, you might find staying at Pop to actually be more economical.

 

[tobikaye]

1. I need a hotel, at least 3 stars, under $80 a night
2. I need a new place to rent the ECV
3. I need ideas/suggestions for rental cars and/or trailers.
4. I need ideas of how to pay OOP for restaurants not with Disney (As I'm using a combo of my Disney Visa/Sam's club) to pay for most the food and the park tickets with Disney Gift Cards)

1. I would do a search on Travelocity just to get a list of options and then check the actually websites for those companies. Not knowing time of year can make a big difference. I know I could book a room in August for $$$ and then in January for $$.
2. disABILITIES FAQ : Post #2 lists a number of options.
3. You may need to research rental companies for wheelchair lift/ramp vehicles. These are typically more expensive though.
4. Cash/credit cards/gift cards (VISA/MC/Amex). If you know which restaurants you are eating at off site from WDW, you can see if they have gift card options.

I am going to agree with the posters that suggest checking the rates at the DS hotels that have shuttles to the parks. Other than during the early morning hours, you could then use DS as a transportation hub to get to your resort. This may be more than $80/night, but even a regular rental car would probably be about $30-40/night. Once you increase the need for either a vehicle that has a lift or ramp, or even the additional rental of a trailer, you are looking at probably +$100/night for a vehicle or vehicle/trailer option.

 

[siren0119]

RE: Hotel - you may want to start watching the Priceline Express thread here on the DIS - we booked the Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista as an Express deal (literally right next to Disney Springs) for $49 per night, it came to $75 per night with the resort fees. There are good tips and tricks in that thread to help figure out what hotel you are getting in the Express listings, and for us it was worth rolling the dice and sacrificing the refundability of the stay.

 

[Silvana]

Thank you all for the advice. There were quite a few questions and I don't know how to do the small quote so I'll answer what I can here.

Time of year: May, specifically where we would be at Disney (so not check-in/out day) on the 13th and 14th
Staying at the Pop (or other value): I love the Pop and it would have been my first choice. But With the remodel it looks too small and I can't risk it. If I pay for 11 days and the ECV won't even fit in the room with the bed down I'm going to be a very, very salty individual.
Dining Plan: I am aware I would not be eligible if I stay off-site. Which leads to...
How I am paying: So originally, before I found out they had redone all of the Value Resorts, the plan had been to book an All-Star and just eat out of pocket. We really wanted to try it and see who it worked for us. Since we would be staying at Disney and using their transport, we would eat (as we have every time before) every meal somewhere Disney. Thus we would use gift cards to pay for everything. Now, with the redecoration being a thing, staying somewhere off-site with a car opens the possibilities to eat somewhere other than Disney. Paying for that with a gift card, or I should say a Disney gift card isn't possible.
Flying into MCO and 6 Park days. No water park.

The DS hotels seem to be up the alley of what I was looking for and I will chase that a bit further. Also, the suggestion (or that is how I read it, sorry if I'm wrong) to rent points might not be a bad idea and bears looking into.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But With the remodel it looks too small and I can't risk it.

If I pay for 11 days and the ECV won't even fit in the room with the bed down I'm going to be a very, very salty individual.

The room ,size has not changed.

The floor space has not changed substantially.

The ECV will fit near the door and window.

 

[Silvana]

The room ,size has not changed.

The floor space has not changed substantially.

The ECV will fit near the door and window.

It doesn't look like it can. I always drove it straight in and put it next to the table and chairs. It fit and there was space to walk by and go out. That space isn't there anymore. It is taken by the weird coffee hutch thing that I think also holds the fridge. I looked in the Disability thread but didn't see any pics of ECV's in the new rooms.

 

[lanejudy]

It doesn't look like it can. I always drove it straight in and put it next to the table and chairs. It fit and there was space to walk by and go out. That space isn't there anymore. It is taken by the weird coffee hutch thing that I think also holds the fridge. I looked in the Disability thread but didn't see any pics of ECV's in the new rooms.

It does fit. Do you plan to use both beds? If not, leave the murphy closed and you'll have plenty of space. If you do use the murphy, you'll want to close it each morning when leaving the room. That gives you plenty of space to maneuver into the room. Then you can park the ECV beside the window easily and still be able to open the murphy bed.

There are pictures, but probably a couple of years old now since that's when the first POP rooms were renovated. I'll try to dig some up.

I think you are going to have significant challenge trying to find a rental vehicle to meet your needs. I don't know that anyone on the disABILITIES Forum has reported finding a trailer for a rental car, and if you need a ramp to load the ECV those are expensive vehicles ($2K or more for a weekly rental). If you stay off-site are you figuring in the cost of the rental, plus the cost of parking at the offsite resort (some charge parking), plus the cost of parking at the parks?

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[lanejudy]

Here is a thread with some pictures, post #19 (this is an accessible room, but the space between the murphy and the window is the same as a regular room) :
https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...modeled-pop-century-rooms-seems-hard.3659697/

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh! I think the OP isn't aware the accessible rooms actually are a bit larger, since the return bumper out the doorway to be parallel to the walkways!

 

[ClapYourHands]

How I am paying: So originally, before I found out they had redone all of the Value Resorts, the plan had been to book an All-Star and just eat out of pocket. We really

But they have not redone ALL of the Value Resorts.

Pop has been remodeled, and AS Movies, but the others have not. If you want a regular, non-renovated room, you shouldn't have a problem booking one at AS Music.

Also, have you asked about this over on the disABILITIES forum? I think the folks over there might be able to set your mind at rest (or at least answer your questions) about the accessible rooms on property.