whats at lake buena vista?

[disneyholic family]

We stayed there when it was Comfort Inn, Xmas 2006. One if worst places we have ever stayed, picked up my shoes one morning and a cockroach jumped out, room was filthy.
Now its had a refurb we are considering staying a night next month, Its a freebie so thought I would give it another chance. I can stay there or Orlando Vista free or pay £19 at Courtyard by Marriott. Will decide tonight.

the most disgusting hotel we've ever seen was the Comfort Inn in Nassau.
We've never actually stayed at one, so i don't know if there are any others like that one (we booked it just so we could use the pools at Atlantis).

 

[chmurf]

Our rooms were always very clean.

The rooms facing the Outlets can be quite noisy as it is directly facing the I4 and trucks do get loud in the middle of the night (but you hardly hear them after a day at the parks ... you're too busy sleeping )

One thing to be wary of is the "welcome package" you are supposed to get at check in.
the clerk at front desk will give you a white and blue vouchers to get a welcome package at the "guest relations" on the other side of the lobby.
This welcome package is merely an invitation to get yourself caught into a timeshare salesman's net.
We never bothered. We've got better things to do than spend hours in a timeshare sale just to get hypothetical free 1 day tickets or a breakfast at CR ...

sorry this thread has become a Clarion Inn thread, but here are the pictures of our room last October (stayed one night before moving onsite)

 

[wayneg]

Our room was nothing like that, no wardrobes etc.
I will try find a pic this afternoon, I hope I took one.
It was Xmas, they were tuning people away while we checked in. I suspect they had rooms they mothballed for busy times and we got the worst they have to offer uncleaned. I could write my name in the dust.

I think we need to try it again.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Hi thanks for all the info on and around the Clarion! We were going to go back to WDW in 2015 and stay on site, but decided we were desperate to go back, so to go next year it had to be off site!
I did send myself half blind reading hotel descriptions and reviews, but we are really pleased with our choice.

I had read about sweet tomatoes as well, so I think we'll be visiting there too!

The cici's buffet - can I ask, is it just pizza as my DD doesn't eat pizza. I'm hoping that will change in the next few months to give her more kid menu options, but she won't be persuaded at the moment!

Thanks

Claire

 

[chmurf]

The cici's buffet - can I ask, is it just pizza as my DD doesn't eat pizza.

it is mostly pizza.

There are 2 dishes of pasta you can choose from. And there are also a couple of sauce (I think one is marinara and the other is cheese * kind of mac&cheese sauce)

there is also a dish of salad, olive, tomatoes (bite size), carrot sticks, and a few other items you can make a salad out of. And a few sauces.

There are about 10 different types of pizza, ranging from peperroni, spiced ground beef, spinach (this one is very good), mac&cheese pizza, and 2 or 3 dessert pizza (cinnamon mostly)

note that the restaurant on Palm Parkway uses purified water and whatever they use to purify that water tastes awful. The tea (sweet tea) tastes like horse-p***, but even the soft drinks (Hi-C, Sprite, etc) taste awful too

as was previously noted, you can get a BOGOF coupon in many ads pamphlets you can find almost everywhere (there might even be some among the booklets you can find by the door of the Clarion's Lobby.
There are terms and conditions for that coupon. You need to buy 1 full buffet and 2 large beverages and you get the second buffet for free.
With the beverages we manage to eat for less than $15 (incl tip) 2 adults and 1 child.

you'll find many pictures of the buffet on google images. But the "salad" and "pasta" bar is pretty small. Some of the pictures might be misleading since all Cici's do not have the same offerings
the one on palm parkway has a salad bar that looks more like this :

so don't expect to make a full meal without pizza. Cici's is about pizza, the rest is just cheap sides.

 

[clareyfairymouse]

Im sat at my desk daydreaming about Olive Garden bread sticks, mmmmm!!!
The cast apartments are out this way so we used to eat around here all the time.
There's an Outback behind the Premium Outlet Mall, next to Publix and there's a Bahama Breeze on Vineland Avenue.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Thanks again Chmurf! Unless my DD develops a love of pizza in the next few months I think we'll have to give that a miss unfortunately!

Olive garden is definately on our to do list - especially as its just up the road, so I'll make sure I have some breadsticks in honour of another Clare

I'll definately turn into a coupon clipper while we are there and will be signing up to the different restaurants to get the voucher emails!

Claire

 

[wayneg]

Our room was nothing like that, no wardrobes etc.
I will try find a pic this afternoon, I hope I took one.

I take pics of every room but don't have one of this place, I guess I was so disgusted with it I didn't want reminding.
Found one online which is how it looked when clean but it was very basic, dirty & $10/nt internet access. Glad it has improved.

 

[chmurf]

Unless my DD develops a love of pizza in the next few months I think we'll have to give that a miss unfortunately!

Then I would strongly recommend Giordano's. It's more exepensive than Cici's but they have a good selection of alternate offerings (not a buffet though)
Their deep dish pizza is really worth it. (even if it takes 40 minutes to bake)

there are often coupons on restaurant.com.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Then I would strongly recommend Giordano's. It's more exepensive than Cici's but they have a good selection of alternate offerings (not a buffet though)
Their deep dish pizza is really worth it. (even if it takes 40 minutes to bake)

there are often coupons on restaurant.com.

Thanks again Will take a look

Claire

 

[bex7583]

We stayed there when it was Comfort Inn, Xmas 2006. One if worst places we have ever stayed, picked up my shoes one morning and a cockroach jumped out, room was filthy.
Now its had a refurb we are considering staying a night next month, Its a freebie so thought I would give it another chance. I can stay there or Orlando Vista free or pay £19 at Courtyard by Marriott. Will decide tonight.


Can't wait to eat there again

the courtyard marriot was another on my list , where have you found it at that lovey £19 price?

 

[wayneg]

the courtyard marriot was another on my list , where have you found it at that lovey £19 price?

I have 9,500 American Airlines airmiles, can get a free night at a couple of LBV hotels or discount off more expensive places, Courtyard would be £19 + 9,500 miles.
Used some more for a free night near Naples earlier in the trip.

 

[bazzanoid]

Nothing to contribute, just wanted to say I love the way the mobile DISboards app shows the first part of the most recent reply on the forum screen. Checked in on here yesterday and this is what I saw:

 

[maggiemae]

I'd highly recommend this map

(Drat - dont have enough posts yet to add a link - just add the usual in front of orlandomaps.co.uk )

Its like aproper OS map - everything to scale (lots of the free maps you pick up in Orlando aren't we found) and lists all the hotels, restaurants, major shops etc.

Definitely well worth it.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Thats funny Bazzanoid! My DD will starve then!!

Claire

 

[bex7583]

Nothing to contribute, just wanted to say I love the way the mobile DISboards app shows the first part of the most recent reply on the forum screen. Checked in on here yesterday and this is what I saw:

great stuff we love pizza !!