Recommended hotel rooms near the parks cheaper than Value on-site rooms?

[hodad]

My friends are waiting until the AP discounts for Disney resorts are posted in the next month before deciding where to stay for Feb. 26-28, the last two nights of an upcoming split-stay trip they are taking with us. We will be in a Wilderness Lodge DVC studio those nights. Each family will have a car and is flying out of MCO at 5:30pm on the 28th.

If for some strange reason my friends decide a discounted Disney value resort is out of their budget, what are the best hotel recommendations that are convenient to the Wilderness Lodge, Epcot, and the Magic Kingdom but less expensive than on-site value resorts?

 

[HeatherC]

Check out the Marriott Village hotels...they are usually very reasonable.

 

[Marshmelo]

You can find a list of them here:
http://www.mousesavers.com/walt-dis...-and-deals/disney-world-area-hotel-discounts/

 

[Marshmelo]

I was thinking the Holiday Inn seemed like a great value. Extra discount through Mousesavers code as low as $74/nt plus half off resort fee. They have shuttles to the parks plus kids eat all meals free at the attached Applebee's. Reviews are good too.
http://www.mousesavers.com/holiday-inn-resort-lake-buena-vista/

 

[writerguyfl]

I'm sure you saw (on the original post on the Disney Resorts board) the prices I found for the Disney Springs Hotels for those dates. Nothing was particularly affordable.

I just did a quick search on Expedia and noticed that prices are high for February 26-28, 2017. I'm not really sure why. I checked the Orlando Convention Center calendar and didn't see any major conventions. Either some other event is happening or hotels are holding off on discounts until closer to those dates.

Your friends might have to just wait and see if rates drop. Of the Disney Springs Hotels, I highly recommend the DoubleTree Suites and the Holiday Inn Disney Springs. I've stayed 40+ nights at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista. It's a very average hotel that isn't worth the rates (plus resort fee) that they charge. The Buena Vista Palace is finishing up a property-wide renovation. I had a dismal stay there...but that was due to the construction noise. The renovation should be complete by next February. Although, I imagine their rates will skyrocket once they are fully operational again.

 

[hodad]

Prices are probably higher because the 26th is the Princess half-marathon and the 28th is Mardi Gras.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[tsd1202]

It's Mardi Gras!

(I'm from Louisiana)

 

[lildreamer101]

Are there free shuttles to the parks from these hotels? And is it reliable?

 

[halfpintpeggy]

If your friends would like cheaper than the values, I'd say they should check out Priceline & Hotwire. They'll surely find great deals that time of year, just be sure to check for resort fees!