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Sometimes you just need to book a last-minute trip to Disney World. That was my case last month when I just had to get away. The issue was as I was, on that beautiful Disney World website, my only hotel options were deluxe villas for over a thousand a night. Can’t swing that on a writer’s salary! My beloved Pop Century would have to wait for me. My trusty backup splurge Coronado Springs, adios amigo. I had to find a hotel option that simply was close to Disney World and was not something scary out of the movie, The Florida Project.
I came across Disney Good Neighbor Hotels. These were hotels in the Orlando area that are…say sponsored and vetted by Disney. I saw a Holiday Inn for $101 a night that had no reviews mentioning bed buds so I decided to try it out.
Credit: Holiday Inn
Direct from Disney, this is what “Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels offer value, comfort and quality—so you can rest easy during your vacation. It takes a lot to be a good neighbor. That’s why all of our Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels:
- Offer standard rooms, suites and villa-style accommodations:
- Are AAA-approved
- Meet Disney standards for quality and service
- Have a Guest Services desk to assist you with your Disney vacation planning and ticket purchases
- Provide guests with access to Walt Disney World® Resort information prior to arriving in the Disney Theme Parks
- Are comfortable, convenient and close”
The hotel room was exceptionally clean, even by Disney standards. The staff was friendly, there were activities for kids and a poolside bar, it had a lot going for it. Of course, what it was most missing was the magic! (Sappy, we know) While some Good Neighbor Hotels offer free breakfast, this hotel did not. This hotel did offer pet-friendly rooms which was a bonus.
Credit: DIsney
Compared to my beloved Pop Century, it was lacking. Compared to Coronado Springs, this was a whole different universe. The biggest down side for me was the lack of transportation and food options. With Pop Century you have the skyline and buses. At the Holiday Inn, you have a shuttle bus twice a day. Since I slept in I missed the shuttle and had to pay for an Uber to get me to the parks. Add on if I did my usual go back to the resort for a midday nap or margarita (judge me!), that would not be possible as there is no shuttle during the day. I’d have to pay for yet again another Uber. The price of Ubers back and fourth was enough for me to splurge on staying at ANY value resort compared to a Good Neighbor hotel.
The Holiday Inn did have a tiny gift shop and necessity store that had bottled water and pretty much an entire aisle of ramen noodles and pop tarts. Next door was an Applebee’s restaurant and a 7/11. Compared to Coronado Springs, it is no competition whatsoever, as Coronado has options into the double digits. Three Bridges in Coronado Springs just needs its own sentence because yes, it is that amazing. You can definitely save money on getting groceries and eating on property so if food at your resort is not a big priority, a Good Neighbor resort can be a great option.
Credit: TK Bosacki/Disney Fanatic
Have you ever stayed at a Good Neighbor Resort? Let us know your thoughts!
