Where to stay to do WDW (MK) precruise?

Looking at an itinerary that would give us 1 day in the MCO area precruise. Where should we stay to do Disney conveniently without paying $200+ for the room? I see rooms as cheap as $32, but I'm assuming those places are either very buggy or very far from WDW? We would be arriving MCO one day at 11 am and leaving the next day at 9pm. Our daughter is 7 and she loves princesses, so I think we'd just do the Magic Kingdom. Looking at the map is so confusing. Do we want a hotel that is near the actual Magic Kingdom or would we still have to take a cab to the Main Gate to get in and then take a bus or monorail to the MK?

Thanks in advance for any light you can shine on this subject!! :D:)

There are other web sites that specialize in WDW vacations. I'd suggest some reading there as your basic question is HUGE .....

you might want to stay IN WDW but under $200 makes this difficult

there are many off site places that offer shuttles to the park entrances around International Drive is a popular area

keep in mind that from the time you leave an off site hotel to get INTO the Magic Kingdom can be an hour of travel time ....

You ARE aware of one day prices and the fact you will lose several hours of the day with an 1100 arrival at MCO {you'll pay big $ for half as day}

Disboards <dot> com is one place to look .....

I was at Magic Kingdom yesterday, lol. Not busy at all week after Labor Day.

Anyways, I would HIGHLY suggest staying on Disney property. They have numerous options. Any Disney property hotel will have readily available round trip transportation to all the parks and what not. Their transportation system is practically legendary. And really, if you want the Disney experience, nothing beats staying AT Disney. They most definitely have options within your budget.

Disney has affordable hotels. Just check out the value offerings like All Star Sports. I stay at Fort Wilderness. And to give you an idea of the transportation system, I met a nice lady and her daughter, who were staying at All Star Sports... who just got off the Fort Wilderness boat from Magic Kingdom and wanted to go to the Chip n Dale Campfire. I gave them a lift on the golf cart to the camp fire. But point is, you can rather easily get around the entire property, which is why staying on site is nice.

You could also look in to the Magic Castle Inn and Suites. The property manager loves children and is a famous actor. (this is a joke, some may get it, do NOT stay there!)

Check out the "value" offerings at Disney, I'm seeing options for under $100 right now.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/#/value/

Yes, it seems like the All Star properties are the way to go if staying onsite. Is there a map that shows where the actual entrances to the Magic Kingdom are, and where each hotel is? That way I could tell if it is worth paying less for the room and a little more for the Uber/Lyft if there are places that are pretty close and much cheaper.

The price per person per day is exactly why I want to save money on the hotel room, LOL! And we definitely wouldn't go to the park on our arrival day, just our departure day. It does seem complicated though. I will check out that other site, but I'm kind of leaning towards a similarly priced cruise that leaves from New Orleans now.

Can you please explain your days in Orlando. I do not get it sorry! Makes it hard to help with ideas. I am in Orlando right now near Disney and do know the lay of the land.

You land by air at 11am on day 1. What are your plans for the rest of the day? Go to an hotel and enjoy the pool or ?

Then you plan to do MK from opening time until when? Departing at 9pm - from where to where?

From the All Star resorts there will be a Disney bus that will take you to the bus area which is right by the front gates of Magic Kingdom.

Here is Disney's official site. You can check your dates and all the prices will come up.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com

Another absolutely fantastic site for all things Disney is

http://allears.net

If you stay at a Disney hotel, round trip bus transportation between MCO and your hotel is included.

Staying on property includes parking at the theme parks (there’s a nightly parking fee for the hotels).

Depending on where you were going the next day, you could stay two nights in Orlando. Fort Lauderdale is a 3.25 hour drive; Miami is 3.75; Tampa is 1.75 hours; and Cape Canaveral is about an hour.

Disney nut here. Definitely stay on property. Art of Animation Value Resort is a real winner. Your DD will LOVE the theming. Heck my DD15 and DS17 love it. Great food court and pool bar. Magical Express is just that...Magical. Little Mermaid rooms are cheap.

If you want to step it up I recommend Wilderness Lodge. Spectacular property. Easy access to MK by fun boat ride. Definitely make MK appointment at Bippidy Boppidy Boo salon in MK. For $45 your baby will have the experience of a lifetime. I know all the tricks on how to save money at WDW. Feel free to PM me if u want to know more. Have fun. It really is The Happiest Place on Earth but you need a plan to make it work. 😂💝

Disney nut here. Definitely stay on property. Art of Animation Value Resort is a real winner. Your DD will LOVE the theming. Heck my DD15 and DS17 love it. Great food court and pool bar. Magical Express is just that...Magical. Little Mermaid rooms are cheap.

If you want to step it up I recommend Wilderness Lodge. Spectacular property. Easy access to MK by fun boat ride. Definitely make MK appointment at Bippidy Boppidy Boo salon in MK. For $45 your baby will have the experience of a lifetime. I know all the tricks on how to save money at WDW. Feel free to PM me if u want to know more. Have fun. It really is The Happiest Place on Earth but you need a plan to make it work. 😂💝

Wilderness Loge is a great place however under $200 is not going to happen unfortunately!

Wilderness Loge is a great place however under $200 is not going to happen unfortunately!

Check out Mousesavers.com for WDW discounts. Some are for general public but you may qualify for some of the other discounts.

Check out Mousesavers.com for WDW discounts. Some are for general public but you may qualify for some of the other discounts.

That is a great website that I didn’t think to put on here, so thanks for adding that. Like you, I’m a huge Disney nut!

Fortunately for me, I’m a Florida resident who was a pass holder for a very long time. I’ve been lucky enough to stay at Disney World a lot, way more than I probably should have! I even rode out Hurricane Irma at the Yacht Club Resort last year when I had to evacuate due to Hurricane Irma!

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista , used their shuttle to from the park without problems. Fast and easy. We booked thru Orlando Vacations

Have fun

Safe sailing

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I would suggest taking a look at Lake Buena Vista Palace. It’s right across from Disney Springs and they offer shuttles. The property was recently renovated and is one of our favorites. I agree with everyone else that staying on property is the way to go. You may also want to check Pop Century prices as well.

If you can find something under $200 onsite I would do that. If not look into one of the Disney Springs hotels. What dates are you looking for?

We stayed at All-Star Sports. When we looked at a cheaper off-property room, but added in transportation costs, that are included when staying on property, it was basically the same. Plus you get 60 day advance fast pass vs 30 day off property.

Are you following up your WDW stay with a Disney Cruise? If you are, I would definitely recommend staying on property and then springing for the WDW bus transportation to/from Port Canaveral. Disney will pick up your luggage from your hotel room and then deliver it to your cruise cabin... very convenient when you’re traveling with little people. Easy and convenient, no hassle.

AirBnB. You can find some great accomidation for good prices but you have to take a taxi/uber to the park.