Reflections from an Off-Site Stay - March, 2015

I've traveled to Disney World many times since my first visit to Central Florida in 1979 and have been fortunate that most of those trips included a hotel stay on Disney property. In the early years and even with some trips in adulthood lodging was chosen by my parents (who also covered the costs). In recent years, as the cost of Disney vacations continues to outpace inflation by a considerable margin (and I've had to pay for my own rooms) I've chosen to look at how to save money on what have become frequent visits to the park. I've also become fond of driving during my stays, as a way to save time and avoid getting stuck standing on Disney buses at the end of a long night. Thus, when planning a Disney World visit in March it seemed like the right time to venture off of the Disney property for my lodging.

If you don't count a three year stretch when my family stayed at different resorts in the Disney Village Hotel Plaza (on-property, though not Disney-owned resorts) the last time I stayed off-site when visiting Disney World coincided with the time when President Reagan was shot, so it's been quite a while. As a child, I enjoyed my two stays at the Howard Johnson's Main Gate, which was located on US 192, just outside the Disney property line, but being a child I didn't take copious notes on those trips. I remember spending a lot of time in the swimming pool, using the putting green, and ending most days in the game room. As a kid, you couldn't ask for much more. As an adult, things like safety, efficiency, quiet, cost, and comfort become more important. I put those to the test with a three night stay at the Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista early in March, 2015.


THE HOTEL

My off-site stay was a success and will probably have an impact on my future Florida vacation planning. You can read my more detailed review of the Clarion, but for less than half the price I would have paid to stay at Disney's cheapest hotel (one of the All-Star Resorts) during the same time period I got a larger, more comfortable room, with better amenities, including a microwave and coffee maker. Internet access was not as fast as I've grown accustomed to in recent Disney visits (which has improved considerably in the last year or two) and noise reduction was downright poor, but after the first night I was so tired that I probably could've slept in the middle of the highway, so that turned out not to be a problem. The pool area wasn't as well-themed as any Disney value resort, but it also wasn't as crowded during the day. Service certainly wasn't Disney-caliber, but beyond checking in I had no direct dealing with the staff, so that didn't affect my stay. Overall, I'd consider my hotel experience to be a slight upgrade over a Disney value resort at a considerably lower cost.







WHAT DID I MISS?
You do lose out of a number of conveniences when staying away from Disney property, namely:
• No Disney's Magical Express transportation to and from the airport
• No Disney Resort Airline Check-In / Bag Check
• No 60 Day Window to Make FastPass+ Reservations
• No Extra 10 Days to Make Dining Reservations
• No Free Parking on Disney property
• Limited Bus Transportation to/from the Parks
• No Access to Extra Magic Hours
• No Additional MagicBands
• No Room Charge or Package Delivery to Resort with Disney Purchases
• No Priority Access to the Parks on Peak Days (only applies around Christmas, New Year's, and Independence Day)

In the case of my March trip, I didn't miss any of these perks to staying on property. I mentioned in my introduction that I prefer to rent a car when visiting the parks, so other than trips to the Magic Kingdom I seldom rely on Disney transportation. That means not having Magical Express and the less than ideal bus transportation that my off-site hotel provided had a negligible effect on my travel plans. During my three nights at the Clarion I drove to the Magic Kingdom (TTC) twice, Epcot twice, and Animal Kingdom once and my travel times to all those locations were almost identical to what I experienced driving or using Disney transportation when staying on-site. The exception was a considerably longer trip to Animal Kingdom, though that is mostly because many of my recent on-site stays have been at Disney's All-Star Resorts, which are located only a few minutes from Animal Kingdom. In this case, staying on-site would have saved me a couple minutes in travel time, but not enough to make a meaningful difference for comparison purposes.

I realize not everyone enjoys driving while on vacation, so if that's you, then transportation challenges associated with an off-site stay may be significant. For me, since I would be renting a car and driving anyway and travel times are similar to staying on-site, I would be quite content to stay off-site again, feeling confident that I could get where I needed to go in a reasonable amount of time. My hotel was located near the Crossroads shopping center, minutes from Downtown Disney, so if you chose to stay somewhere farther away from Disney World, then your travel times could be higher. However, since a wide variety of reasonably priced accommodations at nearly all quality levels exist on the periphery of Disney property I think the travel time comparison with the Clarion would be comparable. Another possible concern for some would be paying for parking. Disney charges $17 per day for automobiles (and slightly more if you're driving a camper, bus, or tractor trailer), which could eat into your savings when staying off-site. I have an Annual Pass, which includes free parking, so this wasn't an issue for me, but is an important consideration for most visitors.

Other Disney resort perks, such as the extra time to have FastPass+ and dining reservations, have been a factor for some trips, but that has seldom been the case for me. In December, when traveling with a friend's family, which included his five year old Frozen-obsessed daughter, the extra window to make FastPass+ reservations ensured that all five people in the traveling party could get FastPass+ to meet Anna and Elsa at the same time. However, with no one in my traveling party that wanted that coveted FastPass (I was traveling solo) I was still able to reserve ride times for every attraction I wanted, including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Wishes, and Illuminations when I my FastPass+ window opened. As far as dining reservations, I seldom seek out pre-rope drop breakfasts or other high-demand dining locations, and for this trip I was planning to eat most of my meals in Epcot to sample the Flower & Garden Festival Outdoor Kitchens, so dining reservations weren't a priority. Additionally, I booked this trip on relatively short notice, so I was well inside the 180 day window when anyone could make dining reservations, so the extra ten days resort guest have to make their ADRs would not have mattered.

For some having a MagicBand may be of measurable value. I already have one in each color that Disney offers hotel guests, so another band wasn't very important to me. Having stayed on site a number of times over the last year, it was a minor inconvenience to have to reach into my wallet for the hotel key, rather than just tapping my wrist against the door, but given the choice I'm not sure I'd pay more than a few dollars a night for that feature. What I did miss a little bit were the room charging privileges that come with the MagicBand when staying on-site. Since I planned to pay for most of my Disney purchases with Disney gift cards, and those cards were in $50 increments, I had to carry around my stash of cards and keep track of how much money was left on the one I was actively using. Had I been staying on-site I would have charged all of my purchases to the room and could have brought my gift cards to the Front Desk and paid in one long transaction. Another potentially useful plus to staying on-site, though one I've hardly ever used, is the ability to have purchases in the parks delivered to your resort (so you don't have to carry things around the parks). Not having that didn't bother me, but not being able to charge items to my room was a slight inconvenience, though it is another thing for which I wouldn't pay more than a couple dollars a day.


WOULD I STAY OFF-SITE AGAIN?

Yes. There are certainly circumstances that make an on-property stay a reasonable value for me, including my next trip, which will be during Star Wars Weekends, when early access to FastPass+ may be valuable, as will Disney transportation during a time when the odds of getting stuck in the remote recesses of the Hollywood Studios parking lot are higher than normal. However, having experienced the considerable cost savings of an off-site stay, with minimal increases in transportation time, I can see many instances where I will be content to spend my nights at a nearby off-property hotel. The money I save will allow me to pay for more upscale dining, additional entertainment like backstage tours, or just to allow more frequent visits to the park, all of which outweigh what I might lose out when staying off-property. There are some advantages to staying off-site, too, including larger hotel rooms and more in-room amenities than you would have on property. Additionally, the ease of access to off-site dining can provide even more cost savings. For those who prefer to stay in the Disney "bubble" that may not sound appealing, but for others, eating some meals away from the Disney property (and Disney prices) may be the best way to make a trip economically feasible. Of course, off-site stays also work best when you are willing to drive and require a cursory knowledge of the local roads (or a close relationship with your GPS), so for some that may be more of a hassle than they want on their vacations. For me, I'll be excited to return to the All-Star Resorts for my next on-property stay, but I'm also looking forward to trying out some more hotels close to the Disney property. They were good enough for my first visits to Disney World and it appears off-site lodging will also be part of my future travels.

Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista - Room 1110

I spent three nights at the Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista from March 7 - 10, 2015. I will share my experiences from that stay and pictures of the hotel room below.

HOTEL DETAILS
8442 Palm Parkway
Lake Buena Vista, USA 32836
http://www.clarionhotel.com/hotel-lake_buena_vista-florida-FL445

PRICE
I booked my room just over a month before trip using a Priceline Express Deal. When booking Express Deals, you do not know the hotel where you will be staying until after you book and pre-pay for the reservation, but I did know the hotel location would be on or very close to the Disney property. I paid $196.29 for three nights, including all taxes and fees.

INITIAL IMPRESSION
The property is a short way from Fl-535 (Apopka Vineland Road), not far from Downtown Disney, on a road the runs parallel to I-4. The driveway to the hotel doesn't stand out very well among other shopping centers and hotels on Palm Parkway, but I had previewed the drive using Google Maps, so I didn't have any trouble finding the entrance. I was stopped at a guard shack and directed to the lobby, where there was plenty of room for check-in parking.

Once inside the lobby, there was no line to check in when I arrived just after 10:20 PM, which was good, since there was only one person at the front desk. Another guest arrived shortly after I did and another clerk appeared then began to assist her with the check-in process, but that employee soon disappeared to "the back" and still hadn't returned when I finished checking in. After I had my room key I had another strange experience, after a friendly greeter in a wheelchair suggested the person at the hotel attractions desk give me a "Welcome Packet". I soon realized this was some sort of Wyndham timeshare scam and had to quickly figured out how to extricate myself from the situation. Before I left I was offered free tickets (though I'm not sure what they were for) and then $100 in food (I didn't ask where) after I said I had an annual pass. If you stay here, I suggest declining the "Welcome Packet."

I'm not sure if the map I was given to find my hotel room was peculiarly designed or just the arrows to my room were poorly drawn, but it took longer to find my room than it should have. The signage around the hotel isn't very clear either, but once I found the room I had no problems getting back to it again. The hotel has outdoor corridors, so check-in is the only time you pass through the lobby area.






THE ROOM / AMENITIES
I was mostly happy with my room, as it was clean and the bed was comfortable, with the biggest problem being noise reduction. The room offered many amenities, including a large (by hotel room standards) refrigerator, a microwave oven, hair drier, iron, and coffee maker (unlike Disney "value" rooms, which leave out the coffee maker). The room was on the small side, but no worse than a Disney value room. Counter/desk space was comparable to a Disney value resort, though a little easier to access, because it didn't require storing things on top of the television. Speaking of the television, I was pleasantly surprised to find Stacey's Disney Must Do's available at this resort.

The air conditioning worked well, but lighting was a little below par. Not disturbingly dim, but not as bright as I would have liked. Keeping light out (and passers-by from looking in) was difficult for the first night, until I discovered the curtains were backward compared with most hotel rooms I've stayed in (with the heavy curtain hiding behind the lighter liner). Internet access was mostly functional, though slower than I've experienced in recent years at Disney resorts, but on a par with what I've experienced in midrange hotel rooms in other parts of the country.

The bathroom was tiny, similar to what you would find in a Disney value resort. A separate room for the toilet and shower, with the sink outside, is helpful when sharing the room with others, as was a sliding door that provides a changing area after you've showered. This is also similar to Disney resorts, though there was more counter space at the Clarion than you find in Disney value resorts. My biggest concern with the bathroom facilities was widely varying water temperature, which was only warm enough for my first shower when I turned the heat up full blast, and barely lukewarm for my second shower (on Sunday morning around 6:30 AM). After those two showers, I had no trouble with water temperature. Water pressure was also sufficient and the resort offered four sets of towels, which was an ample supply for my stay.

Noise reduction was the only area where this room performed poorly, as I would rate this somewhere between poor and horrendous. It doesn't help that the hotel is located just across a small lake from an Interstate Highway (I-4), but it doesn't have to sound like you're sleeping in the middle of the road. Additionally, I heard every suitcase that rolled past or any conversation taking place outside the room as if people were right next to my bed. My travel plans meant that I was exhausted enough to be able to sleep after the first night and I woke up early enough each morning that rush hour hadn't begun (on the highway or outside my room), but if you're planning a restful vacation with a lot of time in the hotel room, then request a room facing away from the highway or consider staying elsewhere.

The resort also featured two swimming pools and a children's play area. I did not try any of these features, but the pools seemed sufficient to accommodate the guests on site, never appearing overcrowded when I returned to the property for afternoon breaks.

PARKING
Parking wasn't ideal, but not terrible. When I arrived, I found a spot several rows away from where I thought my room was, since there were no spaces available near the hotel building. In the middle of the afternoon the lot was nearly empty, but finding a spot near the hotel was difficult when returning from the parks in the evening. However, even when parked in the farthest remote location in the hotel's lot, I was still closer to my room than I would have been in most Disney resorts.

LOCATION / TRANSPORTATION
I had to drive to the Magic Kingdom one day. In the morning, I was planning to arrive for rope drop and ended up parking about four rows from the TTC, then had almost no wait for a monorail, so I ended up arriving at the Magic Kingdom entrance 33 minutes after I left the hotel. That's not far out of line with my average travel time taking buses from Disney resorts to the Magic Kingdom (29 minutes 40 seconds, over 18 trips since 2010). In the early evening, I drove to the the TTC again, and the whole trip from hotel to turnstiles took only 26 minutes. My other car trips from the Clarion included twice driving to Epcot, taking 14 and 12 minutes (compared with an average of 11 minutes 14 seconds driving time when staying on-site) and one trip to Animal Kingdom, which at 22 minutes was considerably longer than my average travel time staying on site (12 minutes 35 seconds), though my frequency of stays at the All-Star Resorts and their proximity to Animal Kingdom affect that number.

The map below shows the location of the hotel in relation to the Disney theme parks, with a route to the TTC highlighted (click on the map to see a larger version of the image).

I believe there was a shuttle bus available to the Disney parks, but I did not use that service, so I can't offer any comment on how efficient or on-time it was.






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