I stayed at a luxurious Disney Springs hotel for just $217 a night, but I'd rather pay more to be closer to the parks

I grew up in Florida, so most of my childhood visits to Disney World were day trips.

Now I typically stay on property because I love the convenience, perks, and theming of the Disney resorts.

But when my husband and I booked a last-minute, one-night trip to Disney World, there was no availability.

I narrowed my search to the Disney Springs-area hotels because they're generally more affordable. They aren't owned by Disney but they're close enough to the parks and still have some perks.

We went with the B Resort & Spa because it had a pool, a coffee shop, and great benefits.

As soon as we arrived at the B Resort & Spa, I knew it was just my style. I loved the colorful furniture and artwork in the lobby, and there were special Disney touches everywhere.

There was a photo-op with a droid from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, 50th-anniversary graphics on the elevators, and lots of Disney souvenirs in the gift shop.

The hotel served Joffrey's, my favorite Disney coffee, in the casual grab-and-go shop. Other Disney benefits include a complimentary shuttle service to the parks and a help desk for assistance with park tickets and planning.

Disney recently started opening the theme parks 30 minutes early for hotel guests, and that includes Disney Springs-area hotels. We were able to get in before the crowds and hop on a couple of rides.

The hotel is about a 10- to 15-minute walk to Disney Springs — the shopping, dining, and entertainment district — but we didn't have time to visit during this trip. We were also given a coupon book with restaurant and shopping discounts that would've come in handy if we were staying longer.

I booked a poolside, standard room with two queen-size beds for $141 a night. With taxes, a $23 a day parking fee, and the $36 a night resort fee, our total came out to $217.63.

You can sometimes find Disney World value hotels for close to $150 a night (minus taxes and parking fees), which isn't much more.

But the coffee shop, full-service restaurant, and poolside room at B Resort seemed more comparable to Disney's moderate resorts, which run closer to $250 to $300 a night.

I loved the deep-blue carpeting and accents and the modern white furniture in our room.

There were some unidentifiable marks on the walls and the glass-top desk was badly smudged. It wasn't that the room hadn't been cleaned prior to our arrival, it just didn't feel like it was quite up to Disney's cleanliness standards.

But I was excited to open our patio door and find we had a poolside room. The doors opened up to a small furnished patio with a gate that opened to the pool deck.

We were steps away from the pool, which would be difficult and expensive to find at a Disney resort.

The pool at the B Resort was impressive. It wasn't crowded, but there was a fun atmosphere with music playing, a pool bar, and plenty of comfortable seating and umbrellas. There was also a kids' area with fun water features.

Even with the savings, I missed being in the "Disney bubble."

If I were visiting Orlando for non-Disney reasons or just doing another one-day trip, I'd stay here again. But for a multiday Disney World vacation, I'd probably choose to stay on Disney property.

There's just something special about arriving and letting the real world fall away until it's time to head back home.

I'd rather spend the extra money and look for other ways to save on my vacation, like having groceries delivered for breakfasts and snacks and opting for mostly quick-service restaurants over sit-down dining. If we're traveling with our three kids, I also usually opt for the cheaper base tickets instead of paying extra for Park Hoppers.