Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
94
Credit or Debit?
Tips
If you use your debit card (instead of a credit card) as collateral against any pur-
chases you may make during your stay, your card may be charged anywhere
from $50 to $250 (or more)
per day,
whether you actually charge anything to
your room or not. This policy can seriously deplete your checking account, leav-
ing you with far less funds than you realize or planned on—and you won't see a
credit back to your account until
up to 10 days after
you have checked out of your
resort. Though WDW does not (at least for now) follow this practice, and no
charges are applied to your account until you check out, other resorts in the area
do. Be sure to ask exactly what your hotel's policy is regarding debit and credit
charges the minute you check in (or before you arrive).
like cabins) each offer 504 square feet of space, enough for six people once you pull down
the Murphy beds, and they also feature kitchens and daily housekeeping service. Cabins
also feature an outside deck with grill. Roughing it Disney style isn't so rough, with all
the comforts of home. Nearby Pioneer Hall is home to the popular
Hoop-Dee-Doo
Musical Revue,
which I review on p. 332. In addition, there are plenty of outdoor rec-
reational activities, including horseback riding, fishing, swimming, a petting farm, and
playgrounds. The nightly campfire and marshmallow roast, followed by a Disney movie
shown right in the great outdoors, is a big hit with families.
3520 N. Fort Wilderness Trail (P.O. Box 10000), Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000.
&
407/934-7639
or 407/
824-2900. Fax 407/824-3508. www.disneyworld.com. 784 campsites, 408 wilderness cabins. $43-$116
campsite double; $265-$410 wilderness cabin double. Extra person $2 campsites, $5 cabins.
Children 17 and younger stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Self-parking free. Pets $3 (full
hookup sites only), $13-$18 at the on-site kennel.
Amenities:
Restaurant; grill; lounge; dinner show;
character dining (seasonal); babysitting; bike rentals; extensive outdoor activities (archery; fishing; horse-
back, pony, carriage and hay rides; campfire programs; and more); 2 outdoor heated pools; kids' pool; 2
lighted tennis courts; watersports equipment rentals; WDW Transportation System; transportation to
non-Disney parks for a fee.
In room (cabins only):
A/C, TV/VCR, hair dryer, kitchen, outdoor grill.
4
4
“OFFICIAL” HOTELS IN
LAKE BUENA VISTA
These properties, designated “official” Walt Disney World hotels, are located on and
around Hotel Plaza Boulevard, which puts them at the northeast corner of WDW.
They're close to Downtown Disney Marketplace, Downtown Disney West Side, and
Pleasure Island. The boulevard has been landscaped with enough greenery to make it a
contestant for Main Street, U.S.A.
Guests at these hotels enjoy some WDW privileges (see “The Perks of Staying with
Mickey,” earlier in this chapter), including free bus service to the parks, but
be sure to
ask when booking
which privileges you'll get, because they do vary from hotel to hotel.
Their locations put you close to the parks, and even closer to the action of Downtown
Disney, but, unlike the resorts on WDW property, which occupy their own completely
separate areas, the hotels here are set along the tree-lined boulevard. Traffic can be a
frustration, as the boulevard is a main access route to Downtown Disney from the