Where to stay in Orlando….
Well hello there – hope you’ve all had a good week. Since we re-booked our hotel for next year’s trip last week we got to thinking about all the fabulous places we have stayed and which ones we liked best. We have tried a fair few options, locations – hotels, self-catering, condos, villas and full on luxury villas, and each have their merits. The location for us is all important – (specifically speaking about the Orlando area) we have stayed around International Drive, in Disney Hotels, in Kissimmee and in Davenport.
If you’re planning a trip to Orlando you need to ask yourself what your plans are and whether you want to stay at the heart of the action, whether you want to be fully immersed into the Disney or Universal experience, or whether you would prefer to be in a quieter area after a day at the theme parks. Maybe you’re not keen on driving when you get there, so maybe inside theme park property where free transportation is provided might suit you better, or maybe International Drive because there’s usually transport provided to the main theme parks by the hotels and there’s also the I-Drive Trolley to get you up and down International Drive very cheaply. The answers to the questions will determine your best option for your holiday. There are so many options there absolutely will be the perfect place for you. We thought we’d share our experiences in case you’re wondering where to book, and hopefully reading our pros and cons and our thoughts on each place might help you to investigate further and decide what you want to do. Plus for us it’s a trip down memory lane as we recall our many many fabulous holidays in the sunshine state.
Both of our first visits were in a previous life, before we met each other, and many many years ago. Rob went on a couple of family holidays with his two young children and stayed around International Drive area in a hotel. It was the Quality Inn International and it is still there today, but now it’s called the Rosen Inn. It was perfect for them, the I-Drive trolley came in very handy and it was easy to wander along International Drive and find somewhere to eat that the whole family could enjoy. There are a lot of options for evening entertainment so you don’t have to wander too far from the hotel to find something to do. That is still the case around I-Drive – in fact it has been spruced up no end and with the arrival of Icon Park and new restaurants and attractions it is actually a very sought after place to stay. Most of the hotels have decent pools and facilities and are usually pretty reasonably priced. The only downside we can see to staying in this area is that there is no escape from the bright lights and busyness. I-Drive rarely sleeps so if you’re expecting a silent dark night’s sleep with no traffic noise then this may not be the place to stay for you.
Staying in a large hotel is ok. Actually it’s great if you’ve never been to the area before. It’s a lot less hassle to stay in and a better base for your 1st trip in the area. We were pretty central to everything here, we could walk to loads of restaurants, and there was loads to do in the local(not as much as now mind you…). The rooms were. A decent size, a family of 4 fitted comfortable in a room. 2 double beds and a sofa and a little kitchen area was adequate for our needs. The only bugbear was after a day of walking and walking you really needed your own space, and unfortunately the room seemed to creep in on you as the days went on, for this we ended popping out each night to get out the room, we saw loads of I-Drive because of that reason. Would I stay in a room like this again? Yes & no, yes because it was handy for most things, and no because if there are 4 people you do need quite a bit more room. We’ve seen that folks seem to take a lot more stuff with them on holiday now, and a “family room” just wont cut it anymore.
My first visit was with extended family – six adults in total, and we stayed in a three bedroom condo in the Kissimmee area. It was a lovely two storey condo, we were on the second floor and there was a communal pool and games room, and it was in a lovely landscaped area. The condo itself was possibly a little small for six adults, but it was my first time there so I didn’t know that at the time. We had a hire car for six adults, and only my uncle drove so I don’t really remember exactly where it was. I know we were prettyhere central for all of the theme parks and lots of other attractions, restaurants and we went here there and everywhere. I fell in love with Orlando immediately.
My next couple of trips we spent staying in Walt Disney World hotels. The All Star Resorts. The pros of staying in Disney property were of course being right in the action, the cute and kitschy themed rooms and hotel areas, fantastic pools, Disney transportation and early park hours. The cons for me personally were that there were just too many people around all the time, and the food. I think the Disney food has come on a lot since we stayed on site – there are many more options and you can go to any resorts to eat, but we seemed to stay around the All Stars resorts certainly for breakfasts – and I found it to be too canteen like and on a massive scale. That’s not to say that the food was bad, it wasn’t – it was good quality, and the service was great, there were just too many people and too much noise for me personally. But again, if your kids are Disney fans and you want to be at the heart of the action, it is perfect, and of course there are a multitude of resorts and hotels to choose from. There’s bound to be the perfect place for your trip. Food options are way better than they used to be, and the transportation has changed a lot with the introduction of the Skyliner. As well as eating a lots of Disney resorts there’s also Disney Springs which has changed extensively in recent years and is now a destination in itself. Restaurants, shops, bars and attractions, all in beautifully landscaped surroundings. This opens up a lot of nearby dining and shopping options if you’re staying in a Disney resort and I think this makes it much more appealing than it was 15-20 years ago. Also we’re pretty sure you can fine less full in your face Disney Resorts – certainly the middle to higher end resorts are much less Disneyfied and much more themed to a geographical location – such as the Riviera resort and Wildnerness lodges etc. Sadly we have no experience of these higher end resorts as they are out of our price range generally, but if it’s an option for you we’re sure you’ll find just what you’re looking for whilst staying on Disney Property.
I was lucky enough to have the use of a family vacation home for the next 10 years or so, again in a previous life before Rob and I were together. The vacation home was on Highway 27 in the Davenport area. This has become a firm favourite area for us to stay in probably because I know the area so well and it has just about everything we need for our vacations. It’s close to the theme parks, it’s well served by good roads, there are supermarkets and restaurants very close by but you do also get away from the hustle and bustle of the theme park days. It’s quiet and peaceful and at night it is very dark and good for an excellent night’s sleep.
Along the 27 there are loads of different developments – and we have stayed at a fair few. We have stayed at Calabay Parc, Highlands Reserve and Hampton Lakes and have loved them all. Some amazing properties and we have had some fabulous holidays at all of them. They are all in the same area and so suit us very well in terms of location. I guess our preferences are based on how amazing the particular houses were that we stayed in on each resort. The house we had in Calabay Parc was amazing! Perfect in fact. It was a five bedroom five bathroom property with it’s own pool and a Mickey shaped hot tub. It was spacious and beautifully decorated and had two lounges and a games room. We had an amazing stay here. Highlands Reserve is also a top choice for us. We have stayed here a few times in slightly smaller properties than the Calabay Parc resort but this resort is based around a golf course so has a lovely outlook and lots of open green spaces. There are larger and smaller properties in Highlands Reserve. Most have their own pools but there’s also a communal pool and tennis course, and of course golf! Amazing stays here and we love it. I think this is absolutely my favourite place to stay, although the house at Calabay Parc is my actual favourite property to stay in. I want to live there actually – why wouldn’t I. Hanging on for that lottery win!
what we love also when staying in a villa you get to meet a cross section of the community, the house we first rented on Highlands Reserve I got talking to the next door neighbour, he turned out to be a Brit living and working there at the golf course as one of the club Pro’s. Talk about loving the dream eh. And the “other side’ of the villa was a local law enforcement officer. He was fascinated by the cost of fuel in the U.K. he had visited a year before and wasn’t waxing lyrical about the sights inn London and Stratford upon Avon. He was saying how expensive the fuel had gotten in Orlando (at that time it was nearly $3.00 a gallon…yes A GALLON) we we’re just nodding and trying not too laugh to much…
We have also strangely not yet stayed at a Universal Resort – so we can’t really comment on those specifically. There is a lot more choice of hotels etc as they have developed their resort areas a lot over the past few years. It is definitely something we will look at in the future – that view of waking up facing Volcano Bay is definitely on our to-do list.
So our next trip is going to be us trying a new middle ground option – on Disney property but a not a Disney owned or themed hotel. Some of the perks of staying on Disney property are available to us but it’s not full in your face 24-7 Disney. Although to be fair who doesn’t want a bit of Disney 24-7 magic in their lives at the moment. But anyway – it’s a new thing for us and a bit of a leap, especially for me, as I am firmly set in my “villa” way of thinking. I keep thinking it’s going to take a lot to sway me from my favourite way to holiday in Orlando, but that’s the joy of it – you just never know do you. Try something new and you might like it better than anything else. It doesn’t do to get completely stuck in your ways because you could be missing out. So in the interests of finding a new fantastic we’re off to see what we think of staying in Disney Springs. Can’t wait – only 321 days ……but who’s counting! We are! AGAIN!
Have a great week folks – there won’t be a blog or vlog next weekend as we’re off on a mini adventure, but of course we will be filming that ready for the following week. We’ll be posting our usual daily updates, news, happy memories and fun photographs throughout the week to keep us all going. Wonder how many raptors will fly into Universal this week, or if anyone will hop onto the Barnstormer for a peek at the Tron ride. Who knows what the week will bring.
Stay safe all – see you soon.
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