Good Neighbor hotels to get 60-day FP booking! Update: AND EMH!

[j2thomason]

I friend and I were discussing this the other day and we both agreed that the good neighbor hotels should get some perk, but not the same as on site hotels. Maybe they should get a 45 day window instead of 60.

 

[tlmadden73]

It's clearly a move to get more traffic into DS. And honestly, DS probably needs it. I'm pretty sure I'll be booking a stay at one of these next year since i always travel with at least 6.

The main problem with Disney Springs is that it is so far AWAY from the parks and most of the resorts. The bus ride from MK area to DS is sooo long. The bus ride from say Pop Century to DS (while closer) just isn't really convenient once you are back at your resort.

I only ever hit Disney Springs on my arrival day on the way INTO the WDW area (whether staying onsite or offsite). It's nice to get a fun Disney "hit" on your fist day as it is conveniently off the freeway. But once you are "in" the bubble or at your offsite condo/hotel) .. Getting in/out of Disney Springs is out of the way and no direct transport to the parks.

Imagine if it was on the land between MK and Epcot and on the monorail line!

I enjoyed CityWalk at Universal because of how it was attached and gave you some different options to eat on your way in or out of the parks. I am guessing Disneyland is the same with Downtown Disney.

So while there is a lot of great options to eat and shop there (I mean World of Disney alone is worth it), it takes a lot of effort to GET there once your vacation has started.

 

[wareagle57]

• Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort
• DoubleTree Guest Suites by Hilton Orlando
• Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Palace
• Hilton Orlando Resort Lake Buena Vista
• Holiday Inn Orlando
• Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
• Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista

Are there any websites that do a good breakdown of the size of the rooms or pictures/floorplans? I've looked at 3 of these from Disneyspringshotels.com so far and they are pretty awful at showing what you are actually getting with the rooms.

*edit* I just found where mouse savers breaks them down decently well. Although still not exactly what I'd like.

 

[sachilles]

You've hit the nail on the head for me, about the biggest negative about Disney springs is location relative to transportation. It's just not convenient to get there. It would have made more sense to be in the boardwalk area. That's why I think the Boardwalk area/epcot is prime for more development. Also think it makes a lot of sense to connect the springs to any non bus transportation project.
I enjoy the springs, and it's great if you are at saratoga or even OKW or POR, but it's still kind of limited for OKW and POR as the boats while enjoyable, aren't a quick option.
I really think the springs would have been a better development on the water between DHS and Epcot, or on the penisula between Contemporary, Wilderness and Poly. Hindsight being 20/20.

 

[hakepb]

Does a map of that proposed monorail route exist? What little you can tell from that it looks like it goes towards what is now saratoga, and I would assume west to link up with epcot, maybe going through the space that is now Port Orleans.
Its funny to see how WDW has developed year after year. Especially when there have been long range development plans, that get derailed by a few things and it evolves.

I’m sure one exists, but I haven’t seen it.

I know my SSR paperwork mentions that the monorail easement still exists

 

[jlwhitney]

The main problem with Disney Springs is that it is so far AWAY from the parks and most of the resorts. The bus ride from MK area to DS is sooo long. The bus ride from say Pop Century to DS (while closer) just isn't really convenient once you are back at your resort.

I only ever hit Disney Springs on my arrival day on the way INTO the WDW area (whether staying onsite or offsite). It's nice to get a fun Disney "hit" on your fist day as it is conveniently off the freeway. But once you are "in" the bubble or at your offsite condo/hotel) .. Getting in/out of Disney Springs is out of the way and no direct transport to the parks.

Imagine if it was on the land between MK and Epcot and on the monorail line!

I enjoyed CityWalk at Universal because of how it was attached and gave you some different options to eat on your way in or out of the parks. I am guessing Disneyland is the same with Downtown Disney.

So while there is a lot of great options to eat and shop there (I mean World of Disney alone is worth it), it takes a lot of effort to GET there once your vacation has started.

Since the new bus stop, and only being one I have found it so much easier to get there and back. With how crowded Disney Springs get they don't seem to be hurting for people to get there. Plus the purpose of it is not just for those staying on property but for a place for other local and tourists to go as something to do.

 

[akadada]

This is frustrating news in that we (meaning some of us on-site guests) fell for the idea you pay a premium for 60+ FP and EMH... but the location of these properties still doesn't compare to on-site and I simply view this as an opportunity for folks who can't afford on-site or don't want to justify the moderate and low over-priced Best Western's when you can now stay at a real Best Western for half the price. So glad there's more options. When we come back again in 2-3 years after SWL and TSL are built, I'd probably consider staying at one of these given the 60+ FP.

NOTE: the news release said this just for 2018 from what I read. . . I wonder if they're trying to increase attendance during the period prior to TSL and SWL launch . . .I'm wondering if park attendance is still down and this might boost it.

 

[PDXmouse]

We're arriving 1/26. The FP+ access won't affect us, but the additional people at EMH will. I'm a little grrr about it all.

There are a lot of interesting hypotheses. The one about driving traffic in 2018 prior to the new lands sounds reasonable.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Are there any websites that do a good breakdown of the size of the rooms or pictures/floorplans? I've looked at 3 of these from Disneyspringshotels.com so far and they are pretty awful at showing what you are actually getting with the rooms.

*edit* I just found where mouse savers breaks them down decently well. Although still not exactly what I'd like.

Look directly at the hotel websites!

 

[halfpintpeggy]

The main problem with Disney Springs is that it is so far AWAY from the parks and most of the resorts. The bus ride from MK area to DS is sooo long. The bus ride from say Pop Century to DS (while closer) just isn't really convenient once you are back at your resort.

I only ever hit Disney Springs on my arrival day on the way INTO the WDW area (whether staying onsite or offsite). It's nice to get a fun Disney "hit" on your fist day as it is conveniently off the freeway. But once you are "in" the bubble or at your offsite condo/hotel) .. Getting in/out of Disney Springs is out of the way and no direct transport to the parks.

Imagine if it was on the land between MK and Epcot and on the monorail line!

I enjoyed CityWalk at Universal because of how it was attached and gave you some different options to eat on your way in or out of the parks. I am guessing Disneyland is the same with Downtown Disney.

So while there is a lot of great options to eat and shop there (I mean World of Disney alone is worth it), it takes a lot of effort to GET there once your vacation has started.

It's not far if you drive, we stopped using WDW transportation for several reasons - one of them being that it usually takes SO long to get anywhere. No way am I wasting an hour & 1/2 to get to a dining reservation lol.

 

[j2thomason]

It's not far if you drive, we stopped using WDW transportation for several reasons - one of them being that it usually takes SO long to get anywhere. No way am I wasting an hour & 1/2 to get to a dining reservation lol.

We hardly ever use the buses either. We do take the bus to MK so we don't have the extra step of having to ride the ferry or monorail, but we drive to all of the other parks.

 

[wareagle57]

Look directly at the hotel websites!

Are the Disney Springs Hotel websites, not the hotel websites?

 

[CampbellzSoup]

It's not far if you drive, we stopped using WDW transportation for several reasons - one of them being that it usually takes SO long to get anywhere. No way am I wasting an hour & 1/2 to get to a dining reservation lol.

Absolutely. Rental car prices are so dirt cheap in Florida too:

 

[TheMaxRebo]

While I also don’t like the fact that Disney resort guests will be paying a premium for what remains only a few resort-only benefits (many of which we don’t/wouldn’t use), I DO like that a couple of these hotels offer sleeping spaces for larger families (at least up to 6) for a reasonable price. Even better if they would work a deal with the Flamingo Crossing TownePlace Suites and SpringHill Suites.

Fully agree - the larger size (e.g. more people) thing was one specific thing I was excited about the new value resort that Universal is building - so this definitely helps counter that a bit for me.

 

[MommaBerd]

I also think this may be a test run before the crush of people in 2019 (and 2020). WDW is just not going to have the hotel capacity for the likely crowd of people visiting.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Mouseavers is saying on their website you can book their savings on these DS hotels and get EMH. You do not get the 60 day FP+ unless you book a package through a Disney Travel Agent.

So passholders who stay at these resorts don’t get the 60 day benefit?

I just booked our February stay fastpasses and could not get FOP fastpasses on 60+2 - and I was on at 7 am. Not even a single available. I was able to get them on 60+5.

With these hotels getting 60 days, I dread trying to get fastpasses for our Easter week trip.

 

[HopperFan]

Are the Disney Springs Hotel websites, not the hotel websites?

I think they meant go to the actual hotel's websites rather than just the www.disneyspringshotels.com website.

 

[Roxyfire]

Absolutely. Rental car prices are so dirt cheap in Florida too:

Are they? Any time I've looked I've been rather shocked by the price per day plus a huge fee per day as well. Even with Costo or other discounts it's more than I'm personally willing to pay. Maybe my threshold is too low, but also I'm 100% ok with the buses, I'd rather spend the money on other things.

 

[Lesley Wake]

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[Lesley Wake]

So passholders who stay at these resorts don’t get the 60 day benefit?

I wonder if it will be something like booking a ticketless package through Disney. You would probably have to book via phone or include a ticket in the original booking and then call in to have it removed. Works something like for APs who want the dining plan, they need to book a package, but can make it a package without tickets by calling in.