Planning a 5 day trip to Disneyworld with a 6 and 8 year old this winter. Recommendation on where to stay without spending a fortune. Thanks.

Try the All Star, Music or Sports WDW hotels, they are the value hotels in Disney. They run about $79 during the before xmas.

Kathy,
We are an 1:15 from Disney so we go frequently and don't want to spend a fortune since we are so close to home. We got a room last weekend at the Grosvenor Resort at Disney in Lk Buena Vista in the Downtown Disney area. I got it for $45 @ night through Priceline.com. I have been fortunate, this was my 3rd stay in the disney area through priceline.

I suggest you get the AAA book and check out the lodging listings--Depending on the season you can get a comfortable room for under $30--If you don't have AAA let me know and I will send you at least one listing-I think it is Magic Cottage and they have a web site

If it is important to stay on-site, I agree that you should check out the All Star properties. If you will have a car and don't mind driving, there are so many cheaper places to choose from, it is mind boggling! We stayed in a very nice 1 year old 4 bedroom rental home with private heated pool for $100/night last November. It took us 5 minutes to drive from the driveway to the parking lots. I found it on the internet and then did lots of homework and checking it out before reserving. We didn't miss staying on-site one bit - we were good and ready to leave Disney behind after being there all day long!

Kathy,

Here's a vote for staying on-site. We made our first family trip when our kids were 5 and 7. Staying on site makes such a difference in terms of flexibility: you can much more easily get from the hotel to the parks and vice versa.

I know there are plenty of people in the other camp, who rave about off-site, but we're on-site die-hards. We get up early, go to the parks, making sure to go to that day's early opening for pass holders. Then we leave after lunch for rest and swim at the hotel, and return to the parks in the late afternoon. Staying on-site facilitates this schedule. Disney can be overstimulating to younger kids, and you'll probably find that staying a full day is just too much. Even half a day can be very tiring for kids that young, and it's great to be able to hop on a bus or monorail and be a short distance from "home." We usually rent a car for even greater flexibility.

We've never stayed at the All-Star resorts, but I've read many positive things about them, despite their supposed small room size. Dixie Landings/Port Orleans is a good moderate hotel complex, and many people like the Caribbean and the Coronado. If you can get a Magic Kingdom Club card, you can get a discount.

For much more Disney-specific information on these topics, I suggest you visit two other sites, if you haven't already: wdwig.com and wdwinfo.com. Both are unofficial sites offering lots of info--more than you'd ever possibly want to know about Disney!

Good luck, and enjoy your trip!

We went mid-January. The parks are pretty quite at that time. The problem with staying onsite is the cost of meals. Not cheap. We stayed at the Holiday Inn family Suites in Lake Buena Vista. Not the cheapest around but you get a free breakfast buffet and you are right outside the gate to Disney. The place is wonderful. Travelling to and from is no problem. I could not beleive how people who stay on-site go off site for breakfast. What a time waster. The free breakfast is excellent. It made getting to the parks so easy in the mornings. Whatever you decide, if your not going during Christmas, don't worry about being off-site, its a breeze and you can come and go as you please.

what is the web site for all star lodging please. Can't find it anywhere. thanks

Hi
We have stayed in the Grosvenor resort three times and for my money it is best value. Runs a shuttle to all Disney Parks and is an easy 10 minutes(over estimate) walking distance to Disney Village, West Side, etc. Here you have a selection of theme restaraunts, cinema complex, Disney Stores etc. We recommended to friends this summer and they are now converts ;-)

I'd suggest checking out www.floridatravelusa.com, they have a good breakdown of all the disney resorts. It can get very confusing when visiting the disney website.

Jennifer, I totally agree...I cannot navigate the Disney site without getting lost and/or confused. I have never been able to successfully go to any of their lodgings immediately. You'd think they'd be more user friendly.

KATHY.......
UNLESSYOU PLAN ON SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN YOUR ROOM, ITS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE TO STAY OFF SITE BUT CLOSE BY...OUR FAMILY LOVED STAYING AT TROPICAL PALMS RESORT..CLOSE TO DISNEY...AFFORDABLE...ADULT AND KIDDIE POOL..CLOSE TO RESTAURANTS, SUPERMARKETS, AND OLD TOWN...AND SAVE MORE WITH AAA...WE REALLY ENJOYED IT...AND YOULL LIKE SPENDING MORE TIME IN THE PARKS AND LESS TIME IN THE HOTEL