Help needed!

PocketSasha

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 16, 2017
Hey everyone!

I'm new here! Not really new, but new as an actual poster. I've been lurking around here now for what seems like an eternity.

The reason I've come to post today is that I really do need some genuine help and advice and that I figured it's really about time that I made an account and started posting (I probably did make an account before with a previous email but eh)


Okay.... so...! My predicament!
I'm looking to take a very last minute... as in 17th-31st October break to Orlando (I'm from the UK) solo.

My probably is that I'm driving myself mad with places to stay and the right thing to do. I can legally drive etc but I don't know if i want the hassle with it? But the more I stress about hotels with adequate shuttles.... the more I'm considering it.

I'm really looking for some advice on people's experiences with staying at hotels with shuttle services to both Disney and Universal as I'm looking to purchase the horror night tickets. That's where my problem lays really is finding the hotels which do the same.
I have not the biggest budget in the world.... but not the smallest either.

Someone help!

Thank you!
 
If you're not confident about the driving I'd use the buses - you could always Uber to anywhere more inaccessible. I won't drive there but DH is more than happy to.
 
The Disney part should be easy without worrying about driving. I haven't had a car at WDW for 10 years, Magical Express and the park buses are fine to get around. I would suggest Riverside or French Quarter for a hotel in the moderate category and POP for value. If you can totally split the WDW and Universal portions of the trip, I would suggest an onsite Universal hotel and just take Uber or Lyft between the two.
 
Well, if you are staying on site, you can use in park transportation most of the time(people on these boards do have a bad habit of assuming you are), but since you sound like you are staying off site, pick a hotel on International Drive, in Disney Springs, or in the Maingate/Kissimmee area you like and use Uber. The two parks take about 30 minutes to get between in normal traffic. You would want to get to the Universal area about an hour early for HHN, since it is a very popular event. The area around SeaWorld is roughly a half way point.
 


Thanks for your advice everyone!

I realise I didn't make myself very clear in my initial post!

I haven't booked my accommodation yet and that was my predicament haha about staying on site or off site and the uses of shuttles to and from parks.

This will be my first ever solo visit to the states. I've only ever been to Florida on family vacations before and we always drove. I'm 26, and am a confident driver in the UK but have never driven in the US before and being my first visit alone, I'm unsure about it!

I've been googling so many different hotels and looking at reviews etc and my head is just overwhelmed with different things!


I was mainly asking to see if people had experience with off site resorts in particular and could recommend specifics in their experience. It's always good to have an account from someone :)
 
Thanks for your advice everyone!

I realise I didn't make myself very clear in my initial post!

I haven't booked my accommodation yet and that was my predicament haha about staying on site or off site and the uses of shuttles to and from parks.

This will be my first ever solo visit to the states. I've only ever been to Florida on family vacations before and we always drove. I'm 26, and am a confident driver in the UK but have never driven in the US before and being my first visit alone, I'm unsure about it!

I've been googling so many different hotels and looking at reviews etc and my head is just overwhelmed with different things!


I was mainly asking to see if people had experience with off site resorts in particular and could recommend specifics in their experience. It's always good to have an account from someone :)

None of the nicer ones myself(I generally stay at no frills options due to price), but I will say one of the best resources you can use is a travel agent, particularly one that specializes in Disney and Universal. I used to work as a travel agent myself and I will tell you upfront that a good agent will know their stuff, so don't be afraid to ask them the hard questions. A good agent helps you find what is right for both you and your budget.
 


I'm doing my first solo Trip in Oct. Im Staying At The Bestwestern Lake Buena Vista In The Disney Springs Area, They Have Every 30 Minute Shuttles To Disney parks And Planning on Using An Uber To Universal For Those Days. I Research Other Off Property Sites And Found The Disney Springs Area The Best For Shuttles.
 
Personally, I would stay near Universal for one chunk and then switch and stay near Disney for the second part. I do find Disney onsite makes transportation very comfortable and seamless so could be worth spending extra.

A lot of people will do Disney onsite for Magical Express to and from the airport. Then switch to Universal for a mid-vacation stay of 2-3 nights and then back to Disney again. Or start at one and end at the other.
 
I'm doing my first solo Trip in Oct. Im Staying At The Bestwestern Lake Buena Vista In The Disney Springs Area, They Have Every 30 Minute Shuttles To Disney parks And Planning on Using An Uber To Universal For Those Days. I Research Other Off Property Sites And Found The Disney Springs Area The Best For Shuttles.

I've heard good things about that Best Western. Reasonably priced too, as are a lot of the mid-range hotels in Disney Springs.
 
@PocketSasha
My dates are pretty similar to yours (19th-28th October), also from the UK, and will be 28 by the time we go.

Can I ask your motivations for wanting to stay off-site and if you want to do anything other than Disney/Universal?

Cost wise (as I've considered it myself) yes staying off-site can be cheaper BUT it isn't as cheap as you might think once you take into account car hire and paying for parking everyday and hotels with shuttles don't always run them at useful times and if you miss the last one that's just tough. Also driving around Disney is a nightmare! It is not particularly easy to navigate especially with all the road works that are going on at the moment.

Honestly, if you've never done Disney before (or for a long time) AND it's your first time solo I would splurge a little and stay on-site. It just takes away some of the stress and solo travellers will tell you how safe they feel around Disney property whatever the time.
 
@PocketSasha
My dates are pretty similar to yours (19th-28th October), also from the UK, and will be 28 by the time we go.

Can I ask your motivations for wanting to stay off-site and if you want to do anything other than Disney/Universal?

Cost wise (as I've considered it myself) yes staying off-site can be cheaper BUT it isn't as cheap as you might think once you take into account car hire and paying for parking everyday and hotels with shuttles don't always run them at useful times and if you miss the last one that's just tough. Also driving around Disney is a nightmare! It is not particularly easy to navigate especially with all the road works that are going on at the moment.

Honestly, if you've never done Disney before (or for a long time) AND it's your first time solo I would splurge a little and stay on-site. It just takes away some of the stress and solo travellers will tell you how safe they feel around Disney property whatever the time.

If you rented a car, it would come out about equal to a bottom level on site resort, but if you use Uber or Lyft you do come out about $10 US cheaper(depending on where you stay) per day because you wouldn't have to pay for parking. Once you are in the parks, though getting around the parks and between resorts(if you have meals at any) are a matter of just waiting on the in park transportation. For AK, HS, and the Water Parks, from MK, it's easiest just to get transportation from the Polynesian, while Epcot you can get to that via Monorail. Of course, on site rooms are scarce because of the free dining promo that Disney had.
 
If you rented a car, it would come out about equal to a bottom level on site resort, but if you use Uber or Lyft you do come out about $10 US cheaper(depending on where you stay) per day because you wouldn't have to pay for parking. Once you are in the parks, though getting around the parks and between resorts(if you have meals at any) are a matter of just waiting on the in park transportation. For AK, HS, and the Water Parks, from MK, it's easiest just to get transportation from the Polynesian, while Epcot you can get to that via Monorail. Of course, on site rooms are scarce because of the free dining promo that Disney had.


I stay on-site and use Disney transportation all the time unless I have an early morning meal at a resort then I will jump in an uber just so I don't have to get up quite so early. Disney to Universal worked out at about $24 last time I went and didn't stay ons-site there.

October (when OP and I are going) wasn't affected by the free-dining offer as it such a popular time of year they don't need to. Only people from the UK have free-dining this month if they booked their trip last year.
 
I stay on-site and use Disney transportation all the time unless I have an early morning meal at a resort then I will jump in an uber just so I don't have to get up quite so early. Disney to Universal worked out at about $24 last time I went and didn't stay ons-site there.

October (when OP and I are going) wasn't affected by the free-dining offer as it such a popular time of year they don't need to. Only people from the UK have free-dining this month if they booked their trip last year.

I was specifically talking about nearby hotels to Disney. Universal does cost a little more because there is a fair amount of distance, so your figure would be about right, since SeaWorld was $15 from the Maingate East area. Thank you for correcting my mistake on that, but the rooms are pretty scarce still(last I checked, though the dates I looked at were pretty random), but worth a look all the same. I had to postpone my trip to October or November. Was supposed to leave on Wednesday for Orlando but didn't quite work out as planned.
 
If you don't want the extra hassle of using hotel shuttles, which adds another layer of timing to your plans, I'd stay onsite at a value resort. You're hardly ever going to be in your room. My daughter always goes to Universal for a day, while at Disney and just books a room there at the more expensive resort because it includes the express park ticket. HHN is a separate ticket event, as you must know, and it really depends on how many nights you want to experience that event. I'm a HHN fan and go multiple days, but don't do Disney and HHN together. Keep it as simple as possible. Staying on site at either Universal or Disney will get you transportation to and from the airport to the park.
 
Since its your first time going solo, i would recommend taking the stress of renting a car and driving out of the equation. Try to book a value resort onsite which we allow you to use MDE to and from airport and use the bus system while in WDW.Then just catch and uber to and from Universal. We do this every trip. I would only suggest a car if you are wanting to visit other places in the Orlando area. A vacation is supposed to be as stress free as possible! Please let us know what you plan on doing!
 
I would just uber everywhere instead of messing with the car.

I second that. Uber has a really great network in Orlando, and they pick up at every park(right at the gates(with MK being at the Ticket and Transportation Center, though the Polynesian is a two minute walk from Magic Kingdom as well, if you preferred to be dropped off there(I took a bus from the Polynesian to Blizzard Beach back in my....my ticker refers to the main parks)) on the Disney property.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts

Top