Have you ever been so darned undecided as to which hotel to book?

[sillyminny]

We have booked airmiles for Jan for 12 days but we just can't decide where to stay. I am usually extremely decisive but this trip I just don't know what to decide. I keep looking at the US dollar then looking at the vacancy rate and I keep hoping something awesome will happen. Please tell me you have felt this way at some time!!!
Elaine

 

[allshookup]

I made and cancelled about 5 different hotels before deciding on Courtyard by Marriott for this past Aug. I couldn't pass up the $20 rate!

 

[marty Jay]

Allshookup,

We are thinking of staying at the Courtyard Marriot this November. The price has gone up to $39. I was wondering what you thought of it. Did you find economical places for breakfast around there. Any thoughts or comments about it to help us determine where to stay would be great. We are trying to decide between The Courtyard and All Star Resorts.

Thanks for any info.


Marty Jay

 

[sillyminny]

Why oh why don't they have this in Jan 2003...boo hoo!

 

[allshookup]

Well I know people on these boards rave about the place, and I hesitate to disagree. It's true for $20 per night it's hard to complain.....but I did not like the way I was treated by the front desk personnel. When checking in, I had reiterated my request for a room overlooking DD, and instead of acknowledging my request, the desk clerk simply called a supervisor over and told her my request. The supervisor looks at me and says (not too nicely mind you) "if you want a view of DD, you'll have to wait till 4:00pm". That was fine with me, we checked into our room when we returned from MK and when we did, I was dismayed to find out that the balcony overlooking DD I requested was a solid balcony. This meant my children had to stand on chairs (inside the room of course) to see the view. There were also no chairs out there, because who in their right mind wants to sit and stare at a wall? After a day or two of discussion, DH and I decided to request a room w/ a railing balcony. DH and I just love being able to sit on the balcony after putting DS and DD to bed. When I made the request to be moved to a another room to a different desk clerk than the one that checked us in, I got a patronizing, "you don't want to see the fireworks at night?" I replied, "I would like a balcony I could actually sit on".

I was also informed by security our first night there that "absolutely no alcohol was allowed by the pool". I believed this to be the truth until I saw the Tiki Bar there a few days later! Plus the pool closed at 11:00. Not a problem for most I know, but in August we like to take a dip after returning from the parks just before retiring for the night.

Oh and while I am on a roll. For the most part the transportation worked fine, but the first night the bus didn't show up for 1 1/2 hours after MK closed.

On the other hand, the rooms were clean, tho not beautiful. The mngrs recep. from 4-6 everday was great! Free beer, wine and snacks. The people were very friendly during the recepts. and the kids loved Tipsy the Parrot! The restaurant had a very good breakfast buffet and my kids ate free!

So I guess what I am saying is....not all these things are bothersome for everyone, but I just thought I'd share my personal experience. Sorry so long!

 

[WDWorld]

Hi,

Why not spend 6 days in a resort and 6 in another. I love this way to split my trips and it allows me to visit more resorts.

 

[SandraC]

Our first on site trip April 2001, I absolutely knew we would stay at CBR. But then I learned that I could get the govt' rate at the S&D and discovered CSR. I already booked CBR, but wondered if I made the right decission. I DID! I'm glad I went with my gut and heart and stayed at CBR. The next trip we stayed at CSR. Glad I tried it, but wouldn't do it again. Next trip we are splitting the trip between two WDW resorts, but haven't picked which one. I am leaning towards CR or WL and one other. So I know how you feel! S

 

[E.Jane]

You are definitely not alone! Everyone is watching the exchange rate and desperate for the best bang for their buck. I have spent every day and night for the past 2 months trying to finalize my selection.

I booked a room at the Hard Rock Hotel, but now I'm thinking I'd prefer the Portofino...... *sigh* this will go on a while yet, I know!

I must admit, however, that I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for. If all you are looking for is a place to rest your head, I don't doubt there are lots of hotels that can offer the most budget-conscious traveller plenty of choice. But I always figure that a trip to WDW is not something that happens every year, so when it does, I want EVERYTHING to be special, including the hotel. Because despite what other people say about not spending much time at the hotel, we in fact do. 8 hours of park-walking is enough for me, and I thoroughly enjoy going back to a nice hotel with beautiful pools and lots of choices for eating.

And Disney has, historically, offered great deals for their resorts in January. Just keep an eye on mousesavers.com!

 

[DSNY FN]

All I can say is I am glad I own a DVC membership it makes all the headaches go away you just call down and book a room wherever you like and you don't have the big dollar figure to pay out when you get there Disney takes care of all the financing etc. I much prefer the small monthly payment of 126 dollars US to paying a lump sum of about 1500 to 2000 when you get there.