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Lynx buses from their website
So this was our dilemma: Disney World and Universal Studios are about twenty minutes from each other by car. We didn’t want to rent a car, and we also didn’t want to spend $80 round trip on a cab or $18 per person on a shuttle that stops at multiple hotels. We figured our best bet was to use Orlando’s public transportation system, Lynx.
I’m really glad we did! We each spent $4.00 on an all day pass, so we wouldn’t have to worry about transfers. I think a one way ride is $2.00. We were able look at the schedule online and figure everything out at our hotel, so it took a little planning, but it was worth saving the money.
All we had to do was take the 8 bus from International Drive, which was one block from our hotel (a couple blocks from Universal) to the Sea World stop, where we caught the 50 bus to the transportation and ticket center at Magic Kingdom. Once you’re at the transportation and ticket center you can take Disney’s buses to wherever you’d like to go.
We left early, so we could get to the parks before they opened, and the trip probably took a little less than an hour. The buses definitely aren’t touristy, and I wouldn’t recommend them to families with small children, but they worked out fine for us. I mean, we all live in Boston, so we’re used to taking the T everywhere. Just make sure you plan your schedule before hand! They don’t run very often, especially late at night.
After a long day at Hollywood Studios (still MGM to me) and Magic Kingdom, we took a Disney bus over to Downtown Disney, and then took the 50 bus from Downtown Disney to Sea World, and the 8 bus from there to our hotel.
Google Map of Universal area/ I-Drive, Universal Boulevard intersection
So, of course, if you’re staying in Disney and want to go to Universal for the day, you can just do the opposite of what we did. For transportation from Disney to Universal, just take the 8 bus to Sea World and then the 50 bus to the stop on International Drive across from Wet and Wild. Walk down Universal Boulevard for about 5-10 minutes to Universal Studios! Easy. Cheap.
Best Western Orlando Gateway. Image from their website.
I’ve been to Orlando an embarrassing number of times, and each time I’ve stayed close to Disney. This spring break, we were going to stay close to Disney, again, until we discovered that now that we’re all over 21, the Pleasure Island clubs and bars are closed. Just our luck. And of course, being spring break, we at least had to do a little “traditional spring-breaking.” So my friends and I decided our best option was to stay closer to Universal Studios so that we could go out at their City Walk.
We found a great deal on the Universal website for one of their affiliated hotels, the Best Western Orlando Gateway. Five nights, flight, and 3 day park tickets to Universal for only $518 each.
The hotel was decent enough, considering the only time we really spent there we were sleeping. The best part about the hotel was definitely its location. It had a free shuttle to Universal that left twice in the morning and returned twice in the evening, but it was also within a 20 minute walking distance of the City Walk/ park entrance. We walked back a few times, and the one night we went out we took a cab back and it was under $10.
We stayed in a a regular room, which was kind of small for the four of us. I feel like we could have found a cheap suite somewhere in the area and would have been a little more comfortable. The room had a mini fridge, which was a nice surprise so we could keep our waters cold.
Unfortunately, we didn’t request a non-smoking room, so we ended up on a smoking floor. I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes, and although it only smelled in the hallway and not in our room, I still feel like all of my clothes smelled.
The pool area was ok. Just ok. The pool was heated, which was nice when it wasn’t so hot, but by the time it got up to 80 degrees the water didn’t cool you off at all! Also, by around 3:00 most of the pool area was covered in shade, which made it difficult to lay out in the sun.
There was a little store/deli/ snack place downstairs where I bought a big bottle of water (1 liter) for $2.50 every morning so I could stay hydrated without wasting my money at the parks. That definitely helped me save some money, especially since I always drink a lot of water.
Hotel Lobby from Best Western's website
On the downside, the staff wasn’t very helpful. Every time we asked them a question, whether it was about transportation to Disney, the Universal shuttle, or a cab to the airport, they just seemed annoyed. When we asked what the cheapest way to get to Disney was, the woman at the front desk responded, “What you didn’t rent a car?!” We replied that we didn’t. We’re not 25 and the extra fees weren’t worth it. So she told us our only options were either an $80 round trip cab or a $18 per person round trip shuttle that we would have to schedule a specific time for and that would stop at different hotels. We asked if there was any cheaper way, like taking a bus closer to Disney, and then taking a cab, and she replied, “Uhh well. I mean it stops a lot. And doesn’t stop at Disney.” Thanks, for nothing. At least my dad knows a lot about Orlando so I was able to call him, and he told us about the public bus.
All in all our stay at the Best Western Orlando Gateway was fine. It definitely is not one of my favorite hotels in the Orlando area, but it wasn’t horrible.
We got special volunteer buttons
Spring break is now officially over, and I’m back in Boston getting soaked by this seemingly endless rain/wind storm. I have a few posts planned for my recent trip to Florida, and I’d like to start by praising Disney’s “Give a Day. Get a Day” promotion. This promotion started in January and offers the first 1 million people who volunteer at an approved organization a free voucher for a 1 day 1 park ticket during 2010.
My friend’s and I started planning our spring break like typical 21 and 22 year old college seniors. Our requirements: beach, sun, pools, relaxation, drinks, bars, repeat. And we wanted to do this for around $500 each. Every trip we found seemed too expensive, though, and we began thinking about Orlando. Of course. As I’ve said before I’m really a 5 year old. I absolutely love Disney World.
We decided to stay near Universal since they have some bars and clubs at their City Walk, and we might as well go out during our last spring break. I just couldn’t fathom the idea of going to Orlando without going to Disney, though, so I insisted that we try out Disney’s Give a Day Get a Day program to get a free day at Disney. I’d seen the commercials and I really think that it’s definitely one of Disney’s best marketing initiatives yet.
We found an opportunity in Lowell, through the Hands on Network, and spent a few hours organizing decorations from an event that the organization, “Community Teamwork”, had recently held. It was definitely worth it. We were a little scared because we volunteered exactly one week before our trip, and it could take up to 2 weeks to receive the vouchers, but fortunately, the day before we left, we got our emails for our free day at Disney.
The vouchers are good for one day, at one park, but you can upgrade them. We decided to add the park hopper option, which cost a little over $55 with tax. It was worth it. We spent a full day (about 16 hours) in Disney and had tons of fun at Hollywood Studios (always MGM for me) and Magic Kingdom, as well as in Downtown Disney.
The promotion is great because once you have one free day at Disney, you’re going to want more. You can’t do everything in one day at one park, so it’s basically just a great way to save $80. And I’m sure Disney realized this.
I just checked out the website, again, though, and they already reached a million volunteers! The program just started in January, so I guess our trip happened at the right time. I was going to recommend it to everyone traveling to Orlando, but I guess now I can’t. Hopefully Disney will bring it back in the future. It was great to give back to the community, save money, and have fun, all at the same time.
I know that most of the deals I have posted have been for Disney World, but I just can’t resist. Other than Cape Cod, Disney World has been the destination of most of my vacations. And, Disney usually have some of the best deals, too.
Today I found a deal that combines 5 nights at a Disney Resort, 5 days worth of Magic Your Way park tickets, and 5 nights worth of a Disney Dining Plan. The cheapest option includes a stay at a Value Resort (one of those All Star hotels with giant football helmets or guitars) and Disney’s Quick Service Dining Plan (two fast food meals and two snacks) for $535 per adult.
For better accommodations, you can choose the same package at a Moderate Resort (Caribbean Beach Resort, Coronado Springs, etc.) with the Disney Dining Plan (one fast food meal, one snack, and one table service meal) for $716 per adult. Not bad, when a 5 day park ticket costs almost $300.
The stay needs to be between October 2 and November 24, so this deal would work best for families with small children that either aren’t in school or can miss a week of school without too many problems. When I was younger, I went to Disney World a few times during the fall, and it is definitely the best time to go. Good deals, shorter lines, and nice weather.
When the economy is bad, what’s the first to go? I’m no economist, but I would think that people start cutting back on unnecessary luxuries like going out to eat and expensive vacations. In the past year I’ve seen the economy’s impact on both the restaurant and travel industries. As a waitress, I’ve noticed a decrease in tips, and as a travel-lover who frequents trip-booking websites, I’ve noticed a huge increase in the number of deals posted.
In other words, even though the economy sucks, if you have the money to spend, now is the time to travel. You don’t even need a lot of money. I promise.
The other night, one of my friend’s briefly mentioned how she wanted to go to Florida (Orlando to be specific), and I immediately asserted that I could easily find some really cheap trips. Even though we weren’t serious about going on the vacation, as soon as I got home I went online and began searching.
My search quickly revealed even better deals than I imagined. As always, I used expedia.com. I’m sure that hotels.com, Orbitz, and Travelocity have similar deals, but for no particular reason I’ve always stuck with Expedia. I think I just have used their website so many times that I’m more comfortable with its format.
Anyways, I searched for 5 night hotel and flight packages from Boston to Orlando, and I found per person prices that are cheaper than the average roundtrip ticket. I used a week in mid August for my search, and then organized the packages by price. Many of 3 and 3.5 star hotels, some of which include free transportation to the Disney parks and/or free breakfast, are less than $300 per person.
For example, the Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration, which is a very nice hotel that I’ve stayed at before, is only $277 per person. For a little extra, you can even stay inside Disney World, at the luxurious 4 star Walt Disney World Dolphin for only $393 per night. I stayed there a few years ago, and it was definitely one of the nicer hotels that I stayed at in Orlando, and it’s nice to be within walking distance of MGM (or Hollywood Studios as it’s now called) and a short boat ride away from Epcot.
There were even a few decent hotels for under $250 per person for the hotel and flight, like the Best Western Lakeside or Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista. How is that possible, when flights are usually at least $200? Thank you bad economy for all of the travel deals.
I’ve been to Orlando way too many times, so unfortuantely I won’t be able to use these amazing deals that I found. Instead I’ll be going to Toronto next month. Why? I’m not sure. We’re only paying $160 each for the hotel though, so I’m not complaining. I don’t even know what there is to do in Toronto, but I’m sure my friend who suggested the trip has some things in mind. In the end, I know it will be fun. I’ve never been there before, and I always enjoy seeing new places. I need to stop automatically thinking of Florida when I think of the word vacation.
I have three addictions: ice cream, Starbucks, and Disney World. Ice cream and Starbucks are cheap, tasty treats, but Disney World is usually a funfilled, expensive vacation. I’m pretty much a five year old. To me, no vacation beats going to magical amusement parks and relaxing in the warm Florida sun. I’ve been to Disney World 7 times in my life (the most recent time was last August), and I already can’t wait to go again.
Today, I just happened to go to expedia.com to check out the latest hotel deals, and I stumbled upon this, one of the best deals I’ve ever seen for Disney resorts. The part about the dining plan is mildly exciting and getting into parks for FREE on your birthday is a good idea, but the hotel deals were what caught my eye. This deal is only good until June 6th, so you better hurry if you want to book your stay. The offer is valid for trips booked through August 8th, perfect for a summer getaway.
I immediately started clicking to find the best hotel for the best price. Although I’ve never stayed at any of these hotels (hotels outside the park are just as nice and MUCH MUCH cheaper), I’ve looked at their pictures, ammenities, and other information countless times, and dreamed of staying there. We did stay at Disney’s Dolphin Resort once, which was very nice, but is not actually part of the Disney brand, even though it’s inside Disney World.
The best deals I found included regular rooms at three moderate level Disney Resorts (3-3.5 stars) for $119 per night at Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside, Caribbean Beach Resort, and Coronado Springs Resort. My choice would be the Caribbean Beach Resort; I’ve always wanted to go there. The rooms at these resorts are usually around $200 per night, so $119 is a good price.
For those who want a little more room and luxury, a few resorts, including Old Key West Resort and Saratoga Springs Resort, have villas from $179.
The value resorts (the Allstar movie, sports, music hotels) are the cheapest at $104, but those places have never appealed to me. Giant guitars and footballs are just a little too tacky. I’d suggest spending the extra $15 per night for a much better stay.
Hopefully some people get to use this great deal. I’m sure I’ll be posting tons of Disney/Universal/Orlando area reviews and deals in the near future.
