Priceline Hotel: 4* Orlando (Lake Buena Vista - Downtown Disney) Buena Vista Palace

[HoyTravelers]

ID needed please!! My travel dates are 6/16-6/19, I desire a 4* and up hotel, close to Disney. I'd LOVE one that enables me to walk to Disney.

Per Hotwire, 100% guest satisfaction. Rate is $115, resort fee of $25/night.

Amenities:

Smoke Free Rooms

Fitness Center

Pool(s)

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-Speed Internet Access

Golf Nearby

Tennis Nearby

Spa Services

Children's Activity Program

Accessible for the blind

In-room accessibility

Wheelchair accessible

Wheelchair accessible common areas

Accessible bathroom

Roll-in shower

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding.

This would be a possible match for Hilton Bonnet Creek.

Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[HoyTravelers]

Thank you.

[AaronJB]

Happy to help - please keep us updated on what you decide.

Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[HoyTravelers]

I think I will bid over on PRICELINE. I see a 4.5* that was bidding for $70. I will post over there next. Thanks!

[HoyTravelers]

I know this is a bit vague, but any help you can offer would be appreciated.

I'm looking at bidding a 4.5* hotel in Disney-Maingate, but I don't see any 4.5* wins here.

Also, when I search for 4.5* on Priceline, there are only 3 hotels listed, none of which are located at Disney-Maingate. It looks like I can start bidding as low as $60. Any ideas??

P.S. - I just read on the web that the PRICELINE hotels listed as Disney-Maingate are actually nowhere near that area and that it's better to go for the Lake Buena Vista/Downtown Disney category. True??

[thereuare]

Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread. If/when you win a hotel using the EDIT TO REPORT WIN button on the lower right corner of this page will automatically move this thread to the correct section of the board (if necessary).

PRICELINE recently did away with the 'Resort' rating and has re-assigned these hotels to a numerical rating. I have just returned from vacation and will try to update all the hotel lists by this weekend. However, a few comments:

1) you can't use the 'retail' listings to determine what you will get when bidding on PRICELINE. The two sides of their service, 'Name Your Own Price' and 'retail', as well as their new PRICELINE EXPRESS product, all use a different universe of hotels and not all properties that participate with one side of their service also participate with the other side of their service.

2) when bidding on PRICELINE you have to be willing to accept a hotel anywhere within the shaded boundaries of the zone. If you only want a specific section of the zone then PRICELINE is probably not the best service for this trip... HOTWIRE will enable you to take a guess as to the property offered but still no guarantees. You can also use our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com if you want to choose a hotel that is within walking distance (it has a good filter system which enables you to quickly see how much more/less it would cost to go/up down in star rating or closer/further from your ideal location)

What is your maximum budget (per nite before taxes/fees) for this trip? Based upon the above do you want to move forward with PRICELINE or do you think HOTWIRE is a better option?

Let us know your thoughts and we'll take it from there.

[HoyTravelers]

OK, thanks for explaining the forum, I didn't get the part you explained at first.

I don't want to pay more than $150/night. We aren't particularly picky about the area, but I thought if I was in the zone, then it would be likely that the hotel would have a shuttle to the park, etc. Also, based upon the wins I see of the 4*, those hotels are acceptable to me. It just seems like you get a much nicer hotel for much cheaper via Priceline/Hotwire.

Back to ID'ing the hotel. I do not understand what you mean by using the "retail" listing to determine the hotel. Do you mean on Priceline's site there is a "retail" area? Meaning the list of hotels you can just book without bidding on? And yes, you can choose your star rating, as well as the area you want. If I choose Disney/Maingate, I have the option of choosing 4.5*. BUT, I don't see any 4.5* hotels listed in their retail area for Disney/Maingate. Confusing.

I thought that if I could see at least a few other wins on this site then I'd get an idea, but everyone on here is listing 4* and not in the Disney/Maingate area.

I'm still leaning towards Priceline as even the 4* wins seem to be pretty good deals.

[thereuare]

Back to ID'ing the hotel. I do not understand what you mean by using the "retail" listing to determine the hotel. Do you mean on Priceline's site there is a "retail" area? Meaning the list of hotels you can just book without bidding on?.... BUT, I don't see any 4.5* hotels listed in their retail area for Disney/Maingate. Confusing.

Exactly my point... you're looking at the 'retail' hotels offered for your dates to determine what 4.5* hotels you may get, but the two sides of their service ('bidding/name your own price' and 'retail') each use a different universe of hotels... the retail side may not offer any 4.5* hotels while the bidding side may (or vice-versa for other star ratings)

Also, just noticed a typo above and perhaps this is the reason for your confusion, the above should read (emphasis added to designate the typo):

1) you can't use the 'retail' listings to determine what you will get when bidding on PRICELINE....

...everyone on here is listing 4* and not in the Disney/Maingate area.

This may have to do with the new ratings/updates as previously there was no 4.5* per se, 'Resort' was treated as a 4.5* in the star rating hierarchy, but with them now doing away with the 'resort' classification and we're seeing a MAJOR re-shuffling of star ratings, i'm sure in time we'll see 4.5* properties reported in this zone. The Omni Championsgate would be at least one possibility in the Maingate zone.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

If you'd still like to give PRICELINE a try first let us know your desired zone(s) and star rating and maximum bid, and if higher star ratings are offered in the zone, are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel OR would the goal be the least expensive hotel at the minimum star rating you selected?

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[yellowdog]

HoyTravelers

Welcome to BetterBidding :)

In addition to above.

P.S. - I just read on the web that the PRICELINE hotels listed as Disney-Maingate are actually nowhere near that area and that it's better to go for the Lake Buena Vista/Downtown Disney category. True??

I'm very familiar with both the LBV-DTD and the Disney-Maingate zones. I have stayed in both many times.

Please clarify what you mean with "Disney area". Are you referring to the parks or Downtown Disney? let us know what you're looking for location wise (what are you going to do?) and I'll point you in the correct direction.

I desire a 4* and up hotel, close to Disney. I'd LOVE one that enables me to walk to Disney.

Disney area is big and you don't walk to the parks from any zone. You'll need a car or you can use the shuttle buses the hotels may offer.

Let us know and we'll go from there.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Yellowdog.

[HoyTravelers]

Hi Yellowdog, thereuare, aaron:

Last night we both (using separate accts) tried bidding first $75, then $85 for the 4* DTD area. We were declined.

We saw a $99 deal for DTD "mystery hotel" on priceline and chose to do that instead. We were assigned the Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa.

At first, I was really disappointed. I thought we'd get the Hilton or Sheraton or Hyatt. It seemed that this hotel was old and outdated. I'm still not entirely sure about it, but I'm thinking of staying.

I know we can't walk to the parks (we plan on MK, Epcot, maybe Seaworld). But we wanted to go without a car and thought that staying in DTD would ensure easy access to us via shuttles.

Do I need to post this win or is it already posted?

Thanks everyone for any thoughts you have on the hotel. I'd love an assurance. LOL.

[yellowdog]

Thank you for sharing your result with the board!

Can you please confirm the amenities that were showing with this Express Deals listing? Thanks :)

Enjoy your stay.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Yellowdog.

PS. The hotel got a great location, just across the street from the Disney buss hub.

[HoyTravelers]

I believe this is it in amenities:

Free Internet

Indoor or Outdoor Pool

Restaurant

Business Center

Fitness Center

P.S.S. - I have heard the location is good as we can take shuttles, and this will save us in having to rent a car.

[yellowdog]

Thanx for the follow-up :)

Have fun with Mickey!

Yellowdog.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[HoyTravelers]

Thanks!! I'm pretty excited!! Appreciate the forum.