About Choosing a Hotel at Walt Disney World

Location and price will be your biggest considerations in deciding upon a hotel for your Disney trip. The closer you are to your ultimate destination, the less hassle and traffic you will have to endure. Of course, proximity to Walt Disney World also comes with a price. However, in recent years WDW has made staying at an on-site hotel more affordable with the All-Star Resorts. Hotel Location Options: Lake Buena Vista is the city in which WDW is located. You can still get free transportation to Walt Disney World, but it is a little more difficult without a car, and the hotels are also higher priced. Kissimmee/U.S. 192 is very close to Walt Disney World and the hotel prices will be half the price of on-site or Lake Buena Vista hotels. There are shuttle services available, but you will need a car. In Orlando, the International Drive area and downtown Orlando both have numerous hotels and offer shuttle services. It is farther away from WDW and more congested. Disney World hotels and resorts are very convenient, and have special perks associated with them, such as early entry into theme parks. See additional website information about WDW hotels. Off site hotels, especially in Kissimmee which is closer to WDW than Orlando, will be half the price of the closer hotels. However, transportation costs in terms of money and time should be factored. At the Walt Disney World hotels you would not need to rent a car or pay transportation costs unless you wanted to visit other areas. For those who want to completely immerse themselves in Disney's World, an on-site hotel is a good choice. Getting the Best Deal: Call the hotel AND the 800 number for the best price. Ask if there are any specials. Don't be enticed into a room with a water view. It won't be worth it. The busiest seasons are the costliest. They are: Summer, Easter, Spring break, Christmas week and holiday weekends Ask about the hotel's amenities such as free breakfast, pools, restaurants, etc. Disney World TIP: Note in advance where the shuttle from your hotel drops you off (our hotel had only one trip going and one coming back, maybe because it was during low season), For instance, my hotel dropped us off at Magic Kingdom and picked us up at Epcot. Be sure to now how to get to your shuttle at the end of the day. At the entrance/exit of every park there is a "bus information" boot where they will tell you the letter and number of parking for each bus and which hotels they serve. It's a good idea to ask this at your own hotel to save you time. In low season be advised that there is only one trip per day. You won't want to miss your shuttle. A taxi will charge you around $17 dollars per car (our hotel was only 2 miles away from Disney!!) So if you take a taxi, figure out which park is the closest to your hotel so you travel the less miles as possible and from there use the FREE transportation provided by Disney.

---