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Do you book hotels ahead for the road trip down?
I'm not sure if I should just plan a general area I think we may stop for the night, or definitively pick a city. I'm reluctant to book ahead of time in case I can't make it that far, or if I think I can keep going. So, do you book your hotel stop over for road trips to wdw, or do you just stop wherever you need to, for the night?
June '97 Offsite
July '99 Contemporary Resort
Sept. '11 Off-Site: First Family Trip with our kids
May '12 Pop Century: Trip with my girls
February '15 AoA plan in the works for the family
Mom to DDs 9/05 and 5/08 and DSs 3/10 and 1/13
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I do just because I want to know what I'm getting in to. I like to look online see the reviews and everything, plus a lot of times you get a discount for booking in advance.
~Beth~
1st trip Nov. 24, 2006-ASmovies (4nights)
Nov. 25, 2007-ASMovies (6 nights)
Sept. 6, 2008-ASMovies (6 nights)
Nov. 28, 2009 ASMovies (7nights)
Nov 28, 2015 AOA (7 nights)
December 10, 2016 AKL/Pop (7nights)
Nov. 25, 2017 AsMusic (8 Nights) Next Trip March 4 AsSports (4 nights)
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I do book a hotel ahead of time. We are AAA members and they do it for you!
I had a problem finding a room a few years ago on a road trip to Florida, and we wasted a lot of time stopping going in and out of hotels.
Julie
Next Up:
Summer 2018... WE ARE BACK!!!
2 families
4 teenagers and Larry
Taking on the parks!
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We don't make reservations, because we often go further than we think we will. We have never had trouble getting a room.
Jennifer (aka Mickey'sGirl)
INTERCOT Staff: Guests with Special Needs, Dining and Disney Characters
Last trip: March 2016 - Fantasy
Next trip: Aug 2017 - Aulani
I am a Galactic Hero once more!
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We don't make our reservations ahead of time. I'll usually use the GPS to find hotels in the area when we feel like we'll be stopping soon. I just go with a trusted brand. Hampton Inn is what we try to use. I've yet to stay in a dirty Hampton Inn and we've used them all over the country. Rates are usually around $100 a night, the rooms are clean, the beds comfy, and you get a great, free, hot breakfast in the morning. If we can't find a Hampton other brands we like are Comfort Inn and Holiday Inns. If we think we'll make it all the way to WDW I'll call and book a room on the road. We've never been left without a place to sleep and we've always managed to find good, clean, safe, places for the night.
Denise
Resorts we've stayed at in 20+ trips: ASMo, ASMu, ASSp, PC, CSR, CBR, POR, POFQ, WL, AKL Jambo, AKL Kidani, Poly, Contemporary, BC, YC, BWV, OKW, SSR, Swan, Shades of Green, Vero Beach, Disneyland Resort
Next Trip: ???
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If you are planning to stop along a major interstate, you will have so many options that having a reservation in advance is not necessary. My husband just drove cross country from CA to VA and never had an issue stopping wherever he needed to and getting a room at his first choice (Holiday Inn Express).
Plus, as others mentioned, not making a reservation allows more flexibility in case you need to stop sooner or want to keep driving longer than you planned.
Natalie
INTERCOT Staff: Disneyland Resort-California, The Water Cooler
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I do only because I use my credit card travel points to pay for it, and so you have to book in advance. We've driven down enough times to know where we like to stay & how far we're able to get each day.
~ Carolyn ~ aka "CANADA!"
Every year since 1979! Annual Passholder in CANADA!
* Old Key West
* Saratoga Springs
* Boardwalk
* Coronado Springs
* Contemporary & Bay Lake Tower
* Caribbean Beach
* Port Orleans Riverside
* Fort Wilderness
* Pop Century
* All Star Music Movies & Sports
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Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inns are our hotels of choice en route too. Really clean bedding and a good breakfast bar.
Jennifer (aka Mickey'sGirl)
INTERCOT Staff: Guests with Special Needs, Dining and Disney Characters
Last trip: March 2016 - Fantasy
Next trip: Aug 2017 - Aulani
I am a Galactic Hero once more!
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We've done both. But I really don't like to be locked into having to drive certain distance, or stop if we'd rather drive a few more hours!
The first time we drove to WDW, our experience was horrible, it rained & rained & rained, 9 hours on the raod & we only drove what should have been about 5 hours, so much water on the roads, & it seemd that all of the interstate in GA was under construction, driving conditions were terrible! So we decided to call it a day early & not make it to WDW that evening as planned & found a hotel, & when we left in the early AM, the rest of the trip was a breeze! I always plan - maybe too much , but sometimes for us - it's in everyone's best interest to deviate from "The Plan"!
Shari
-"There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow..."
'02 - All Star Movies
'04, '05, '06, '10, '11, '16, '19, '21 - Pop Century
'08 - Offsite/Pop Century
'13, '21 - Offsite
'17 - Port Orleans/French Quarter!
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We only stop on the return trip and yes we reserve our room ahead of time. However, we usually go during the Christmas season so you probably won't have a problem unless its during a holiday.
Dec.11-18, 2021 Port Orleans Riverside
Jan. 25-Feb. 1, 2017, Port Orleans Riverside
Oct. 29-Nov.4, 2014-Yacht Club
Dec. 17-23 2011-Wilderness Lodge
Dec. 20-30, 2008-Pop Century
Dec. 25,2005-Jan.1, 2006-Coronado Springs
Jan. 1-7, 2003-All Star Movies
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If you have internet access on the way down, you can hold off. You can usually get a great deal through that Negotiator web page. You may also get some from that Hotels website as well.
Otherwise, just book ahead.
1 Week at Wyndham Bonnet Creek 06/17/17 - 06/24/17; 1 Week at Orange Lake Resort 06/24/17 - 06/30/17; 1 week at OKW 12/03/17 - 12/10/17
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We book ahead when we travel with the pooch!
When its just us human travelers we wing it.
"One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation, right at the start of everything thats new, one little spark lights up for you!"
ºoº
Mom to our little Prince Everett and Princess Adelaide
August 2020 Caribbean Beach!
Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.
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I have only ever driven the 19 hour trip from michigan straight thru... So originally this december trip i promied my fiancee (will be new wife on trip) that I would make stops both before and after.
So i used mapquest and figure out how far I could get along my route in a certain amount of hours (pretty much the maximum she would tolerate) then i found a cheaper priced hotel in that town and made reservations.
But, we found very reasonably priced airfare so we cancelled those ressies and are now saving 38 hours in a car
** Engagement Trip: 10/9/10 - 10/18/110 - (Fountains)
** Honeymoon Trip: 12/9/11 - 12/14/11 (POLY) & 12/14/11 - 12/19/11 (BWI)
** Two Year Anniversary w/ family: 11/8/13 - 11/17/13(Fountains)
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We do on the way down. I do this because everyone is so excited to get there, noone thinks of how we'll all be feeling after a 20hr drive. Once we decided to drive through and the first day was a complete waste. Everyone was so exhausted that even though the adreniline was flowing, it only got us through the first few hours. If I book the hotel, we are forced to stop and continue the next morning. We arrive in Disney around noon and we hit the ground running!
On the way back we wing it. We never know when we're going to need to break, so we carry our AAA card and hope for the best.
Debbie
Feb 87- off site/Nov 98-Poly
98- Disney Magic Inaugural Cruise
Jul 03-off site
Sept 05/Aug. 11/Nov '20 -Pop Nov 08-POR
Aug 09/May 10-ASMu
Nov. 09-Disneyland/California Adv.
Aug. 12- OKW
Aug 13 SS
Oct 14 AKL/AoA
Oct. 18 POP
Aug 19- Movies
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The one time we drove to Disney we just winged it. I would never do that again. I didn't look into anything. A few hotels that we stopped at had no rooms available and the one that we ended up with was not very nice at all.
Rita (aka NJGIRL)
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Originally Posted by buzznwoodysmom
I just go with a trusted brand. Hampton Inn is what we try to use. I've yet to stay in a dirty Hampton Inn and we've used them all over the country.
You must not have stopped at the one in SC that we stayed in then.
We had stayed in very nice Hampton's in DC and VA prior so we figured that they were all nice, but that one was not.
The other problem we encountered on that trip was finding a non smoking room without a reservation.
On the way down we stayed in a dirty Holiday Inn and the way back was a dirty Hampton Inn, both were in SC.
Rita (aka NJGIRL)
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We use Best Western because we belong to their travel club. I keep their directory in the car and when I feel I have done enough driving for the day, I pull over and look for the next BW on our route. Most of them give a free breakfast, and I have never gotten a bad room.I think that the cost varied between $60-90 per night.
PETE FROM NYC
DISNEY NUT SINCE THE 1950s.
I AM POOH SIZED AND PROUD OF IT.
FORGET ABOUT THAT OTHER FAT GUY ON TV.
I AM THE REAL KING OF QUEENS
TWELVE TRIPS FROM 1975 - 2007 all by plane
Drove down 2009,2010,2012,2014.
DVC since 9/09. We own at BLT.
Next trip: 11/1 to 11/12. BLT
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Really great tips and advice. Thanks so much everyone!
June '97 Offsite
July '99 Contemporary Resort
Sept. '11 Off-Site: First Family Trip with our kids
May '12 Pop Century: Trip with my girls
February '15 AoA plan in the works for the family
Mom to DDs 9/05 and 5/08 and DSs 3/10 and 1/13
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We do. Sometimes you can not get a discount as a walk in and have to pay rack rate. Plus last trip north in Georgia while we were checking into a Holiday Inn Express another couple were turned away as walk ins.
39 trips to WDW (before I stopped counting and bought a house in the WDW area), 1 to DL & 5 DCL
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When I go on road trips, I use my iPhone to make reservations in a city I am approaching. It saves me the hassle and time of going into hotels that are booked, and since I know what I'm paying, I don't look like a cheapskate by turning down a $300 room at a Quality Inn. I've never understood why major chains like Holiday Inn don't have Vacancy/No Vacancy signs.
1988- Off site
1989- Off site
1990- WDW Hilton & Swan
1997- Dixie Landings (now Port Orleans Riverside)
2005- Shades of Green
June 2006- Pop Century
Jan 2007- Disneyland- Disneyland Hotel
Jan 2010- Disneyland- Double Tree Orange
Oct 2010- Disneyland- Off site
Sept 2011- All Star Sports
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