Anyone been to Disney World?

[Samantha Puppy]

Actually, I should ask - has anyone here ever stayed on the Disney grounds at one of their resorts? I've been to the theme parks 3 times but I've always stayed at a hotel off grounds. My best friend and I are looking to spend 3 days/4 nights ON Disney grounds in August, but we're not sure where to stay.

I've been looking around Trip Advisor and I think Coronado Springs looks neat. It's the type of hotel you definitely wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. She, however, is looking at Port Orleans - Riverside. Both hotels look nice to me BUT I'm sure I could go to New Orleans and find a hotel similar to Port Orleans. I wan't something distinctively Disney since this is the first - and possibly last - time I'll ever be on Disney grounds.

Anyone got any insight? We're looking at the moderate resorts - nothing like the Grand Floridian.

Thanks!

[cfuh]

We stayed at the Contemporary. We loved it cause you get into the park a bit earlier than the normal crowd and riding the monorail was so convenient. We booked ours through AAA.

Hope you find your place and have a great time!!! =)

[Logan]

I'm going to have to ask my husband where we stayed the last time we were there. It was one of the hotels in Lake Buena Vista, but I simply can't remember the name. :o It was not terribly expensive and we had bus transportation to everywhere we needed to go. If I had major dollars to spend, I would probably stay at the Polynesian Resort or the Contemporary.

I worked down there one summer when I was in college and fell in love with both of those hotels, but it has grown so much since then. I worked for them the summer of 1982...darn, I'm dating myself, here, but it was a wonderful experience, and there was only the Magic Kingdom at that time. Epcot opened that fall. It is still one of my favorite places to visit and vacation.

[GraciesMommy]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Kissamee..I would love to stay on the actual grounds

[IRescue452]

I hear it a lot better staying on the grounds, but I've only stayed in hotels outside of DisneyWorld. I probably won't have the experience of staying on the grounds ever because I hated Disney World. But different people have different tastes so go have lots of fun.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

We were there in 99 and we stayed at All Star MOVIE Resort!

It was awesome. I really think that staying at a Disney resort added to the whole experience. The restaurants, the decor in the rooms, the music on the buses - EVERYTHING!!!

Check out the 101 Dalmations Block (http://hotels.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=hotels&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fdisneyworld.disney.go.com%2Fwdw%2F resorts%2FresortLanding%3Fid%3DAllStarMusicResortL andingPage)

I want to go back again SO BADLY - I guess I am just a big kid inside!!!:o

[Cincy'sMom]

We've been to Disney World several times, but never stayed on the grounds. Last year, some friend of ours spent part of the week over at the Grand Floridian, and oh my gosh is it gorgeous!! We skipped out on the parks to spend an afternoon/evening there and it is awesome. The restaraunt was great, the pools are cool,a nd they have live jazz in the center of the hotel.

I know that doesn't help you, since you said not the Floridian, but it si the hotel hotel on Disney preoprty I have spent any time at!

[buckner]

When I was younger, we went twice and stayed in Disney. While I don't remember much, my parents had a lot to say about the hotels and such. For one, unless you're looking into a condo type of deal, most of the hotel rooms were quite small - even for 2 adults and 2 children! Plus, the price of a room for one night is two to three times as much as a normal hotel outside of Disney. Last Spring Break, we all went back to Disney World again, this time staying outside of Disney. We rented a house - seriously, a house with a private pool, garage, backyard, several bedrooms, baths, etc etc - for half as cheap as one of the smallest hotel rooms going in Disney. Does that make sense?

The first time we stayed in Disney, we stayed in All Star. The rooms there were EXTRA small and the room was pretty expensive. The second time we stayed in Disney, we stayed at the Carribbean (sp?). The second time around, we had a big water park type of thing somewhere on the grounds. Along with the water park, there was a mall with a food court. The food there was outrageous in cost, but very yummy.

The perks of staying on Disney grounds? You get into the parks earlier than the normal public. You can trolley to the parks instead of driving/parking. It's a bigger convience, really, with the parks. When we rented the house, that's what we missed - the convience of just getting up and hopping on a trolley. However, if you are going to stay in Disney and go to the parks, I suggest a park hopper. This lets you go to any all the parks you want to go to each day. If you decide to go to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM in one day, you'll only have to pay the price of the park hopper - not individual tickets for each park. You're going in the summer, correct? I don't know if you've ever been, but unless it's raining out there, sometimes that weather can be pretty miserable! With a park hopper and staying on Disney grounds, you can leave at any part of the day, go back to your room, eat/refresh/take a nap, and then hit the parks back up at around 5 or 6 when it's not so hot. I highly recommend doing this, also.

So all in all, if the convience is more important to you than the space, than stay on Disney grounds. However, prices for those hotels are outrageous. Good luck deciding. Hope I helped a little.

[Samantha Puppy]

Originally posted by buckner
I don't know if you've ever been, but unless it's raining out there, sometimes that weather can be pretty miserable! With a park hopper and staying on Disney grounds, you can leave at any part of the day, go back to your room, eat/refresh/take a nap, and then hit the parks back up at around 5 or 6 when it's not so hot. I highly recommend doing this, also. I've been to WDW 3 times and Florida probably 6-7 times, so I'm pretty familiar with the weather... We will also do a park hopper as that is what we did when we went in '97.

We picked a time of year when the prices won't be too bad. Most of the moderate resorts are priced around $149 a night. My friend is a Florida resident and gets a discount which will be about $80 per night, so price isn't that big a deal to us. We can't afford the Grand Floridian but the moderate resorts (Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans, etc.) aren't bad at all with that discount.

I've just never had the experience of staying ON Disney grounds and once I go back with my husband and kids it'll be even more expensive so I doubt I ever will again. We definitely want to stay within the campus. We've done the hotel-outside-of-the-park thing. :)

Thanks for your help.

[dukedogsmom]

Do you know that I only live about an hour from there and I got so sick of it that I haven't been in probably 20 years or more. I got tired of it while in school because the band went every year. I did get to see the underground one time, which was pretty cool. They've got restaurants and all kinds of things there.

[cocker_luva]

i dont remember where we stayed on the grounds, but it was great!!!

[Samantha Puppy]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
Do you know that I only live about an hour from there and I got so sick of it that I haven't been in probably 20 years or more. I got tired of it while in school because the band went every year. I did get to see the underground one time, which was pretty cool. They've got restaurants and all kinds of things there. You're only an hour away! Come say hi!! ;)

[CamCamPup33]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
Do you know that I only live about an hour from there and I got so sick of it that I haven't been in probably 20 years or more. I got tired of it while in school because the band went every year. I did get to see the underground one time, which was pretty cool. They've got restaurants and all kinds of things there.

That's EXACTLY why i don't want to move to Orlando! My dad has been talking about it, but i said No way because i would be so sick of disney.

----

Everytime my sister goes to Disney she stays in the hotels on disney grounds. I, have never been to one of those hotels but from what she says, they're really really nice. As for which ones, i'd have to ask her.. Hope you have fun! :)

[slleipnir]

I've been there twice. Once I stayed at the Disney resorts, although I can't really give any suggestions lol

A friend of mine seems to know everything there is to know about Disney though :o

[Suki Wingy]

I did for the first time summer '03 We were gonna stay at the French Quarter hotel, but since it was undergoing some major construction, we got to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge for the same price!!
This was our least fav. part, it was like 95% 100% humidity!!:p ;) :p LOL!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/sukiwingy/mgm2.jpg
My mom, my sister, and me! ^
My all time best part of the trip was Epcot's Ice Station Cool, sad, I know. I want to name my future show dogs after all the drinks!!

[CathyBogart]

Blech...crowded, noisy places aren't my thing!! My BF wants to go to Disney World....but I'd much rather cruise around the everglades with only one or two other people.

[Cincy'sMom]

Originally posted by Suki Wingy
My all time best part of the trip was Epcot's Ice Station Cool, sad, I know. I want to name my future show dogs after all the drinks!!

Last summer when we were there, they still had all the drinks, but had taken all the ice out!!! What fun is that?

[manda_moo87]

I went to Disney World 8 years ago, it was great! :D I'm hoping to go again in the next few years. We didn't stay on the grounds though.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Originally posted by GraciesMommy
We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Kissamee..I would love to stay on the actual grounds

OMG!! We stayed at the very same place!! it was in 1995:)
WHAT a coincidence!!

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Oh, yes! My family has been twice to Disneyland, and twice to Disney world, and on a Disney Cruise, which takes you to the Bahamas.

It was just A BLAST!!!:) :) :) But statying on the Disney grounds is better than staying in a regular hotel, IMOO, I just think it's more fun. I mean, they have Disney gift shops, and stuff like that. Sorry, I'm no help!

[dukedogsmom]

I know this is old but I thought you still might find it interesting.
http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/WDW/MagicKingdom/Secrets/General/Underground.html

[Cincy'sMom]

I haven't been in the tunnels, or seen a lot of what is mention on that site, but performing at Disney's several times, I have been "backstage", been in the "cat members" entrace (at least one or two of them), and seen some other intersting things...the floats for the parade, put away, characters partially dressed, etc. And of course, we always buy our water and soft drinks out of the cast members vending machines backstage...much cheaper then they are in the park!!

No camera are allowed backstage, so I don't have any pictures onthe computer. We did get to "break" the rule, a few years ago when we were given a "Mouscar" (like an Oscar, but from Disney). At that time, they let us take a few pictures inthe cast dressing rooms, but that was before I had digitial, so those aren't on the computer.