Cheap Hotel For our 1st night

[robbyk1005]

I am going to the world in April of this year with my wife and another couple. We are arriving very late (around midnight) on our first night. We don't want to waste our hard earned Disney dollars on a Resort Hotel for only 1/2 a night. Does anyone know of a very cheap hotel, close to the Magic Kingdom where we can rest our weary bodies? Our plan is check in around Midnight and get up early and hit the MK at rope drop. Then we will leave the MK in the afternoon to check in to our resort and return later for fireworks. I found a few online but I thought perhaps some of you have done this before.
Thanks in advance for your help.
-Rob

[teri]

Get thee to BiddingForTravel.com and use their strategies to do a Priceline bid. Look at the prices people are paying for hotels around WDW. Check out their hotel reviews. Cheaper than you can imagine.

[robbyk1005]

That site rules! You are my new best friend.
Thanks!

[efoxx]

you didn't mention how you are arriving. but consider this. if you are arriving around midnight by plane it will easily be between 1-2 am before you get to a hotel near WDW. if you are renting a car it could be even later. you mentioned that you wanted to get a early start the next day, this could give you as little as 4-5 hours after what will have been a long day before. and if you are taking Mears or another shuttle then you will have the added problem of getting to WDW from your first nights stay.

if any of this is true you may consider the following.

there is a hotel right on the airport, heck it is right in the terminal. we have stayed there on 3 occassions when we arrived late. since you don't have to travel more then 100 yards or so from the baggage claim to the front desk then you can be in your room 10 min after you get your bags. in bed much earlier maybe hours earlier. this makes getting up the next day easier.

the next morning it is no problem either renting a car, or taking the shuttle as there is hardly any arrivals before 8:30 am. having done this before we have always gotten to WDW before 9. it may be worth the cost of the room, about $110 a night last time we did it.

[spookrepitus]

I thought about doing that when I had similar circumstances, but couldn't stomach the thought of spending over $100 for a place to crash for a few hours. That, and I finally decided that at least there would be no traffic to contend with between the airport and the resort area in the middle of the night. Also, we almost missed our connecting flight in New York, which would have left us out $110 instead of $29. I was sorely tempted, though, for all the reasons that you mentioned.

My personal experience: our flight got in about 11:30, we rented a car and got to our reserved room at Motel 6 Maingate West at 1:00am. It was cheap, safe, and clean. We got up at 7:00am and were checking in at the Contemporary by 9am, and in the parks well before 10.

[hbquikcomjamesl]

For my own part, I considered, on several separate occasions, spending my first night in a cheap hotel as close as possible to the train station, then catching a cab to WDW first thing in the morning. (Or in the case of a Saturday night arrival, getting off the train in Winter Park, and spending the first night in a hotel convenient to St. Richard's, then going to WDW that afternoon). I decided to stick with going directly to WDW this last trip, though, and if I were to repeat last November's itinerary, and the transfer were quicker (I think I was either the last, or second-to-last dropoff), I'd probably catch a bus directly to PI as soon as I was checked in, and unwind for an hour or so in the Adventurers Club.

I never got as far as researching whether there even were any cheap hotels near the Orlando or Winter Park train stations. As it turns out, though, there are a number of hotels near the Orlando station (not many cheap ones, and especially not within a distance I'd want to walk in an unfamiliar town at night, in a suit, dragging luggage, but one whose rates supposedly start at $90), as well as a Travelodge in Winter Park, a short cab ride from the station and within walking distance of St. Richard's, that I'd probably use for a Saturday night arrival, if I could find a cost-effective way to get myself and my bags from Winter Park to WDW. Somehow, I suspect that a 20+ mile cab ride would be a bit pricey.

[uncle al]

Based on the fact that you are from CT, I assume you are flying in - best advice is to stay near the airport or as a previous post suggested - bite the bullet- and stay in the hotel right in the terminal. If you are sold on the idea of staying at a "cheap hotel" right outside the gate. I suggest don't do it. First, there aren't any - what I consider- good cheap hotels right outside the gate. In most instances our arrival is a late one. We have stayed at a Days Inn and a Comfort Inn (I believe it was a Comfort Inn) thinking that we were only going to sleep and hit the parks first thing - save a little money. Well...... after some research I discovered that rates at one of the on-property economy hotels is comparable to the rates we found at the two previously mentioned hotels. In April (depending on the exact dates) there are special rates available at both economy (like All Stars) and moderate resorts (like Port Orleans Riverside or Coronado Springs) on property. Check www.mousesavers.com for those rates. The long and short of what I am saying is- if you're going to stay right outside the gate you should also check rates at hotels on site. Then you can have bags transferred to your resort- take bus to park- enjoy your day- go to your resort in the middle of the day- check-in, unpack, relax, enjoy the pool, etc... Then head back to the parks for a great evening.