Where to stay in Orlando on a budget.
Visiting theme parks in Orlando is not the most frugal vacation destination, but it makes wonderful memories with your kids, and sometimes trading money for memories is worth every penny. This is especially true when you have teens. There are few opportunities left to make these special memories.
You can save money on lodging, as well as make your vacation more enjoyable. While you probably won’t be able to negotiate the price of your theme park tickets, you will be able to save on transportation, lodging, and food. The good news is there are many places to stay to choose from. Here are some options for where to stay in Orlando.
Rent an Airbnb
A frugal and convenient option, is to stay in a condo, apartment, or house. You can save hundreds of dollars per night. Usually, these will be much larger spaces, including multiple bedrooms so that your family can sleep comfortably. Teens especially love to have plenty of space. A kitchen with basic dishes is helpful for saving on food costs, as well as making it possible for everyone to eat healthier while on the trip. This is especially helpful with teens and kids who are seemingly always hungry.
You will have a short drive to the attractions, so you will need to have access to a car. There are other advantages to having a car on your vacation, such as, being able to go to the grocery store, and visiting multiple attractions. For example, it is difficult to visit Universal when you are staying at a Disney hotel and do not have a car.
Orlando is spread out over a large geographic area. Having your own car will allow you to go to the places you want, when you want.
Many places are about a 10 to 20 minute drive from where you want to go. You can use sites like airbnb to assist in locating the right place. Be sure to read the reviews left by others. There are tons of options between $75 and $150 per night.
These accommodations usually include free parking for your car, if you happen to arrive in Orlando with your own car already, or you plan to rent one, free parking is a must. Some of the hotel options, including all of the hotels on Disney property, charge extra for parking.
Travelling with a small family, or a very large one, there are affordable options for families of all sizes. Here are a couple of options, and there are many more.
For a family of 4-6, here is a cute Mickey themed two bedroom townhouse. It has a great pool area that includes water slides for the kids. It is a great price, too, at only $90 a night. Your kids will love the Mickey themed rooms here.
Here is another themed home with a Star Wars bedroom for your kids. Little kids and teens will both love it. It is a bit more costly, at $174 per night. It does sleep 8 guests, so it is still a budget friendly and fun option for families of this size.
Smaller families may want to choose a one bedroom, such as this one. It is a bit smaller and more simple, but has a pool, is near Disney World parks, and has good reviews. Rates run about $75 a night.
Larger groups or families can choose a large house. This one is a four bedroom in a gated community. For $124 per night it is still very affordable with a ton of space.
Orlando Hotels
Your second option, is to stay at a regular hotel, but not a Disney owned hotel. You will still need access to a car, unless your hotel offers free transportation. Orlando has so many hotel options, you are able to choose the one that suits your family best when deciding where to stay.
If your hotel does offer free transportation, make sure to check the departure times before reserving a room. It can be a real headache and extremely stressful trying to get to a specific place at a specific time in order to catch the shuttle. Free shuttles to and from the parks are not always what they are cracked up to be, so I still suggest renting a car or bringing your own car on the trip. If you do decide to go with a free shuttle, make sure you call the hotel and understand all of the details regarding when the shuttle runs, and where you have to catch it. You don’t want to ruin your day by unexpectedly missing your ride and not having transportation.
A nice family hotel with a beautiful pool for the kids and free breakfast can be found for as low as $90 per night. I suggest looking at sites like hotels.com to do a general search. Always visit each individual hotel website as well to learn more about each place. There might also be a price difference, or different rooms available when you make your reservation.
The Best Western Plus Universal Inn has free breakfast, free parking, and has refrigerators and microwaves in the room. At under $100 per night, this is a great frugal option for smaller families.
Disney World Resorts
The last option, is to stay at a Disney owned hotel. This is not the most frugal option, but it may be worth spending a little extra for the added ambiance. Staying at a themed hotel that is part of Disney is an experience. It is really only a great option if you plan on spending most of your vacation at a Disney park. Prices vary from $150 all the way up to $1500 per night. Ouch. For this option, definitely check options out directly on the Disney resorts website to get all of the details.
The main benefit to staying at a Disney resort is the transportation available to the Disney parks. You don’t need a car. In fact, you will have to pay extra for parking, so this may not be the best option if you are bringing your own car.
These rooms most likely will not have kitchens available unless you splurge for an expensive room. Keep this in mind, but you can still bring some non-perishable groceries with you. No room in your suitcase for food? You can still have groceries or fast food delivered to your room if you want.
It may just help your nerves to not worry about driving around and parking during your stay. Teens may even be able to roam the parks on their own while parents rest back at the room. Older teens should be able to navigate around a theme park using the theme park map. Transportation at Disney World can be complicated, but savvy teens should have no problems. The point of the trip is for families to spend time together. However, sometimes parents need to re-charge.
Keep in mind that there can be long lines waiting to get on whatever transportation your particular hotel offers. Be prepared to wait. Depending on where you are staying, there is the monorail, busses, and a boat that travel from the parks to the hotel and back.
Stay In An RV
The last option, is simply to stay in your RV when visiting Orlando. If you have your own RV, or are renting one, and will be driving to Orlando, this is a fantastic way to enjoy the theme parks and the city. You will have all the comforts of home in your own RV, your own kitchen, and your own bed. There are quite a few RV parks in the Orlando area, but you will definitely want to reserve a site in advance. Many RV parks are on the outskirts of the city, so you may have to drive a little bit farther to the attractions you want to visit.
Disney even has their own RV park, Fort Wilderness. Fort Wilderness Resort is not a budget friendly option, but it would be a fun splurge for the kids. They offer so many activities within the campground, such as horseback riding, archery, and swimming. Fort Wilderness has sites for the largest RV’s all the way down to a tent. That’s right, if you really want to combine camping and Disney World, you can stay in a tent. You are even allowed to bring your pet. Remember, you will need to leave Sparky behind while you are experiencing the magic at theme parks, so make a plan ahead of time.
In the end, the option you choose when deciding where to stay in Orlando will be the one that is best suited to your own family’s individual needs. What will you be doing in Orlando? This will determine where you want to stay, and which type of accommodations you choose. Choose a comfortable option that suits your budget. Once you decide on the best place to stay, you can begin to plan a strategy to save on food during your trip.
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