off property disney springs resort - with same perks??

[wendlle]

Is it possible to stay off site at disney springs and still feel like we are onsite?

I want to have transport to the parks and that overall disney vibe.

I always stay on site but now we need more than a studio the pricing is getting out of control especially with the very weak Aussie Dollar.

We are looking at visiting again in May 2025 and researching options.

Even though we usually rent DVC i'm finding it out of our price range.

 

[DJFan88]

Even the ones that run transportation, their shuttle services do not run as many times as disney so that will be inconvenient- and that cant drop you at MK door.

The only ones who could have what your describing is Swan/Dolphin.But i dont know their prices or room categoried.

Have you considered an AoA suite? Our family of five had good space and i appreciated my closed door bedroom at night. 2 bathrooms.

 

[maxiesmom]

How many are in your family? The All Star Music have suites that sleep 6, and are much cheaper than the AoA suites. Around $100 a night cheaper.

 

[OKW Lover]

Is it possible to stay off site at disney springs and still feel like we are onsite?

I want to have transport to the parks and that overall disney vibe.

I always stay on site but now we need more than a studio the pricing is getting out of control especially with the very weak Aussie Dollar.

We are looking at visiting again in May 2025 and researching options.

Even though we usually rent DVC i'm finding it out of our price range.

Just a technical point - the hotels along Hotel Plaza Blvd are on site. As you know though, they are not Disney hotels.

Those hotels do offer transportation to the parks but you should check the frequency of the shuttles and if there is an extra charge for the service. Also be aware that their shuttle to the MK will drop you off at the TTC, not directly at the MK.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Look at the swan and dolphin or the value resorts. Staying offsite is not the same in terms of transportation; but, if you rent a condo offsite you might opt for more time at the resort and also a trip to universal. If you are renting a car then it doesn't matter. The larger space makes the resort much more enjoyable- and you have flexibility to visit other places. There are zero incentives to stay onsite except ease of transportation

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

Swan or Dolphin for sure (technically Bonnet Creek - but on the Friendship Boats line). Not that I’m telling you to, but have heard that since they’re right next door to Yacht Club, etc., people routinely take the 5 minute walk to the Disney hotel and take the Disney-provided buses.

Priceline has a tool, “express deals” where they don’t name the hotel being booked until after booked, but there’s an associated 10-20% or so further discount with the mystery hotel. They do have photos of the rooms. If one were to familiarize self with the stock room photo of a room at those hotels, it’s easy to spot when/if Swan or Dolphin are available as expressdeals. (There are sites out there that get into more detail on this). Can also add a first timer coupon to save an extra 10%, up to a couple hundred USD.

 

[Jim Libasci]

We Stayed at the Hilton Palace for the 1st time in Dec. We wanted to try their Epcot Fireworks view rooms. We really liked it. We could see all the Disney fireworks from our balcony. they had hourly bus pickups at Tickets and Transportation for Epcot and Magic Kingdom and then the regular parking lot for Animal Kingdom and Hollywood. It was a short 10-15 minute walk to the Disney Springs busses if we wanted to go to the close resort to whichever park we wanted. We used the hotel savings to turn a 4 day park hopper into Annual passes and we plan on staying there for a few days before our cruise in June and next December.

 

[Tom_E_D]

Swan or Dolphin for sure (technically Bonnet Creek - but on the Friendship Boats line). Not that I’m telling you to, but have heard that since they’re right next door to Yacht Club, etc., people routinely take the 5 minute walk to the Disney hotel and take the Disney-provided buses.

Priceline has a tool, “express deals” where they don’t name the hotel being booked until after booked, but there’s an associated 10-20% or so further discount with the mystery hotel. They do have photos of the rooms. If one were to familiarize self with the stock room photo of a room at those hotels, it’s easy to spot when/if Swan or Dolphin are available as expressdeals. (There are sites out there that get into more detail on this). Can also add a first timer coupon to save an extra 10%, up to a couple hundred USD.

The room photos used on Priceline Express deals are generic room photos that have nothing to do with the hotel. They use the same photos for multiple hotels.



There are ways to get an idea what hotel you are getting in a Priceline Express deal. I recommend this article: https://touringplans.com/blog/priceline-deals-a-blast-from-the-past-returns/
EDIT: While the examples given in the article compare Disney hotels to their Priceline Express matches, the method of comparison works for non-Disney hotels too.

There is also a Priceline Express deals thread on Disboards where you can ask questions: https://www.disboards.com/threads/priceline-express-deals.3598657/

 

[Tom_E_D]

Is it possible to stay off site at disney springs and still feel like we are onsite?

I want to have transport to the parks and that overall disney vibe.

I always stay on site but now we need more than a studio the pricing is getting out of control especially with the very weak Aussie Dollar.

We are looking at visiting again in May 2025 and researching options.

Even though we usually rent DVC i'm finding it out of our price range.

Others are pointing out that the Disney Springs hotels do not have the full benefit of the Disney transportation system. Let me point out they do not have all the perks of a DVC resort. You do not get Extended Evening hours or the ability to buy ILLs at 7:00, for example. The Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve get those two perks, but may not be less expensive than a DVC rental.

Also, there are reports of changes coming to the Genie+ booking system and the rumors concerning the possible details indicate those staying "onsite" may get to book earlier. You may want to see if that happens before committing to a hotel that may not get that benefit.

 

[nursejackie]

I looked at staying off site once for a few nights but add in 'resort' fees (rip off charge I had not heard of before) and parking then it bumped the nightly price right up. Ended up renting points for SSR and got all the usual deluxe benefits as well.

 

[HopperFan]

THIS^

I stay offsite often but it’s been awhile since I’ve stayed in a Disney Springs hotel. Add the rates plus resort fee plus parking … they just aren’t worth the cost to me - because of the lack of Disney perks.

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

The room photos used on Priceline Express deals are generic room photos that have nothing to do with the hotel. They use the same photos for multiple hotels.

Respectfully, while it might potentially be true at times, from my experience this is not so. As for Disney-area, they very clearly have photos of the Swan for some listings, and very clearly have photos of the Dolphin for others. In the ‘fine print’ before booking, they even indicate that Marriott policies such as X, Y, Z apply. In doing the Express Deals on various occasions, I’ve found this to be true pretty universally; for example, one listing would indicate that IHG policies apply, while another would list that Hilton policies apply. Clearly the booking would be for that brand, and the photos match the respective hotel.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I looked at staying off site once for a few nights but add in 'resort' fees (rip off charge I had not heard of before) and parking then it bumped the nightly price right up. Ended up renting points for SSR and got all the usual deluxe benefits as well.

I agree with this. I stayed at the B Resort once (had a bad experience too) and it was initially cheaper than the All Stars but the added resort fee and parking bumped it up to being around the same price, if not slightly more expensive. At that point I would rather stay at one of the All Stars to get the Disney perks.

 

[Tom_E_D]

Respectfully, while it might potentially be true at times, from my experience this is not so. As for Disney-area, they very clearly have photos of the Swan for some listings, and very clearly have photos of the Dolphin for others. In the ‘fine print’ before booking, they even indicate that Marriott policies such as X, Y, Z apply. In doing the Express Deals on various occasions, I’ve found this to be true pretty universally; for example, one listing would indicate that IHG policies apply, while another would list that Hilton policies apply. Clearly the booking would be for that brand, and the photos match the respective hotel.

Good point about the "fine print." I know they use generic photos for many of their listings. I'm surprised they use hotel-specific photos for the Swan and Dolphin Express Deals. But even if they do, you'd have to recognize the photo to know it is that hotel. You can't figure it out by comparing it to the non-hidden deal since the non-hidden deal has photos of the outside of the hotel and the Express deal has a photo of the room.

 

[Tom_E_D]

View attachment 853829

And look what happens when I repeat the search; the room photo changes.

 

[2minny]

Disney property has really gotten so expensive, I understand trying to find ways to save money. We stayed at a Disney friendly Hilton (not disney springs area), during the Wine and Dine marathon. We found it very nice, pricing was great, shuttles to the parks, rooms were extremely nice. You won't get the "Disney feel", but if the budget doesn't allow an on site property, then Disney friendly properties are a nice alternative. We have also stayed at airbnb's with a large group and rented a vehicle for much less than a disney property. It will not be as wonderful as a Disney on site property, but it will be a great alternative and aren't you at the parks most of the time anyhow? Everyone has their opinions, some would rather off site before on site budget hotels - too chaotic, some prefer budget on site convenience to off site. Just decide what works best for your family! Hope you have a wonderful trip, whatever you decide!

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

And look what happens when I repeat the search; the room photo changes.

View attachment 853833

It looks like they’ve implemented a layer of deterrent to try and limit people from doing it

Now, on the Express Deals, one needs to click “reveal image” to see an actual hotel room image. See below. I tossed in a random week in July. To me, worth it to save $44/night, plus a bit in tax.


Ratings and number of reviews give the generic Express Deal away, comfirmable when revealing the image. They got a little shiftier!

 

[wendlle]

thanks for all the helpful replies.
There are 4 in our group, 2 adults and 2 kids (5 and 8 at time of writing this)

I've used priceline before and are familiar with how to find out about what hotel they have for their "mystery" pricing, that is a good option and I wasn't aware it worked for hotels at WDW.

I'll check swan and dolphin as I do love Boardwalk Villas and they are close by, so the area is one that I really enjoy.

 

[mmouse50]

Don't know if you were planning on buying ILL - be forewarned if you are staying on what I call Hotel Drive - you can't buy any ILLs until the parks officially open. With the exception of the Swan/Dolphin and Shades of Green