Where to stay at Disney World Resort Florida?
It's important to know which area to book a hotel or apartment near Disney World in Orlando to enjoy what the theme parks have to offer.
The five most popular areas among tourists traveling near the parks are:
- Disney Resort Orlando Hotels – Breakfast with Mickey and a monorail straight to the Magic Kingdom
- Four Corners – The best resorts (not Disney's)
- SeaWorld Orlando Area – Great resort hotels not far from the park
- Lake Buena Vista South – Good motels at affordable prices
- Old Town Amusement Park Area – Closest to Disney World at motel prices
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels near Disney World Orlando…
Click here for a combo ticket to three parks at Disney World, including 24/7 travel agency support…
Map of Accommodation Areas at Disney World
Here’s everything you need to know about lodging areas between Orlando and Kissimmee – to choose the perfect base for your stay.
Lodging and hotels are an important part of the vacation and leisure experience at Disney World parks. Since it's impossible to see all the parks in one day, and since Walt Disney designed the experience so that evening entertainment and resort lodging are part of the fantasy, finding a hotel near the theme parks is a must.
- Inside the Disney World resort, there are almost 40 hotel resorts and vacation hotels where you can sleep and have breakfast with Mickey Mouse
- These resorts are connected to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot and are part of the park experience
- Around, there's also a large abundance of lodging options – standard American hotels and motels in Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista, and Orlando
This guide is designed to pinpoint the exact lodging locations within the Disney World Resort and Orlando to maximize your magical kingdom experience. The park's themed hotels offer an optimal experience for kids, but you can save quite a bit by staying outside the vast park complex.
Click here for a list of 10 great themed hotels within the Disney World Resort…
Click here for 6 luxurious resorts near Disney World Orlando…
Click here for a list of 5 great motels for family lodging near the Disney parks in Orlando…
The 5 Best Areas to Stay with the Family at Disney World
Disney Resort Hotels in Orlando
The ultimate and most complete Disney experience!!! The resorts within the massive park complex are without a doubt an important part that completes the fantasy experience of Disney World. These are top-level hotels with the best locations, well connected with all attractions of the Disney World Resort, using all the amazing transportation means born from Walt Disney's creative mind. The hotels offer perfect vacation options, like pools, food, and a complete guest experience. These are experiential and unforgettable hotels for kids and perfect for the whole family.
Click here to check availability and prices at the Disney World themed hotels…
Advantages – The best location, Disney World in your veins 24/7 (and very high hotel standards).
Disadvantages – It costs a pretty penny!!!
Overall hotel quality – Best there is for vacation and guest experience, best in the world for kids.
Four Corners
The hotels and resorts at Four Corners, at the western edge of the Disney World Resort, ride on the immense success of the park and offer a good to high level of vacationing (just without the Disney brand). In Four Corners, there are several resorts and hotels from brands like Hilton or the luxurious Westgate Resort, along with many smaller resorts with pools. Right on the park's eastern border, there's a line of motels and hotels that really capitalize on the Disney brand, offering a Disney-like vacation that's not quite Disney (and at a much friendlier price).
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels near Disney World Orlando…
Advantages – Very close to Disney World and high-level vacation resorts at a really good price
Disadvantages – Not Disney!!
Overall hotel standard – Large and good vacation hotels as well as quite a few small hotels and motels that are also generally good
SeaWorld Orlando Environment
SeaWorld is a typical Floridian blend of a marine zoological park with an amusement park touch. The park opened in the early '70s as part of Orlando's major boom following the opening of the Magic Kingdom. Around the park, there's a lineup of three and four-star hotels, many of which are really good.
These hotels take advantage of their proximity to Disney World along with a nice open area nearby SeaWorld, which is also considered a popular park (for Americans who come to Disney World every year and want to change things up). Around the park, you'll find great hotels such as Hilton Garden, Staybridge Suites by IHG, the Renaissance Orlando Resort, and more.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels near SeaWorld Orlando…
Advantages – Good value resort hotels (compared to the amazing ones inside Disney World)
Cons – These are not the Disney World brand hotels and can sometimes be expensive
Overall Hospitality Level – Good to excellent resort hotels
Lake Buena Vista South
The large cluster of hotels in Lake Buena Vista South mainly includes motels and three-star hotels. These are generally good accommodations, many of which have been renovated and offer a really nice stay, less than a fifteen-minute drive from Downtown Disney. The hotels in the area are generally resorts with pools, trying somehow to compete with the incredible quality of Disney brand hotels within the park, just for a much more wallet-friendly price.
Click here to find a place to stay in Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee…
Pros – Great location and really good hospitality level
Cons – The newer hotels aren't exactly cheap despite the location, so a bit of luck and vigilance are needed when booking to snag a good deal.
Overall Hotel Quality – Some are good and some less so; it's important to focus on the good ones and book them in advance at reasonable prices.
Old Town Amusement Park Area
The Old Town amusement park west of Kissimmee is a nice place that recreates a Floridian town with some rides. The park itself isn't particularly interesting, but the location is fantastic for those who want to reach Disney World quickly from their accommodation.
On Highway 192 and around the park, there are many motels from top-known brands such as Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites by IHG, Super 8, Fairfield Inn by Marriott, and more. Many of the motels were built in the 80s along with the amusement park, and a significant portion of them are not renovated.
Click here to find accommodation in motels in Old Town and Lake Buena Vista…
Pros – Location!!!! Very affordable price, just a 5 to 10-minute drive from all of Disney World's parks.
Cons – Mostly older motels and unrenovated, some are really bad, so it's important to pay attention to reviews before booking.
Overall Hospitality Level – Standard motels, generally not impressive but the prices are good and the location is overall excellent.
How to Find Accommodation in Disney World, Florida?
How to Find Accommodation in Disney World for the Whole Family?
To find the perfect place to stay for kids, simply go to Disney's website and book a spot at one of the brand hotels inside the park. It's a perfect experience for kids, but there's a very significant downside for parents – the price.
Outside the park, at much more reasonable prices, you can find thrilling experiences for kids in excellent hotels and resorts.
Since staying in Florida can be pricey and the park admission fees are incredibly high, you might want to skip the resort experience altogether and stay in basic motels, most of which are actually quite decent. Save all the fun with the kids for the theme parks themselves.
The two most attractive lodging options for families in Disney World:
- The Disney World resort brand hotels located within the park area (there are various levels of resorts, from three to five stars, including the Four Seasons luxury. Most are at a four-star level). The cheapest cluster of Disney brand resorts is located west of the ESPN Sports Complex, right next to the Four Corners hotels. As you move closer to Downtown Disney and Epcot, the prices for the brand's resorts increase.
- The American motels surrounding the park areas are an ideal accommodation solution for families. Motels often have two king or queen beds, so the whole family can stay together in a spacious room at a very attractive price.
Motels near Disney World
- Close to the Disney World Resort, no more than a fifteen-minute drive away, there are hundreds if not thousands of motels.
- The motels are situated near major transportation routes such as the I-4 and Highway 192.
- The motels are a very convenient lodging option for those arriving with a rental car, mainly because of the parking (not that there's any parking problem at the hotels around Disney World).
- Between Disney World and Orlando are several main clusters of motels, where you can find all the well-known brands like Motel 6, Super 8, or the motel brands of large chains such as Marriott, Hilton, and IHG.
- The motels offer a nearly uniform standard of large and comfortable rooms, two large beds, and a fairly basic breakfast.
Important information and tips on finding the perfect accommodation at Disney World
First, search for information about the hotel online
Before booking a hotel in Orlando or the Disney World Resort, it's highly recommended to invest some time and read what previous guests have thought about it. There are dozens of booking websites online, all of which have the option to leave hotel reviews. Whether you're booking through Booking.com, Expedia, or even via a local agency, take some time to learn about the hotel you're planning to visit.
It's essential to read reviews on Booking.com (reliable since only those who have stayed can write a review) or TripAdvisor (less reliable – open to anyone who wants to write).
- Look for reviews in your language – Most accommodations abroad won't bother to fake reviews in a language other than English. If you see a review in proper language (not a Google Translate version), assume it's a genuine review. Reviews in any language usually cover things of interest to all language speakers.
- How many reviews were written about the hotel? – If there aren't many reviews, it's suspicious. Focus on hotels with hundreds of reviews.
- Filter out suspicious reviews – The review fabrication industry is a big business. When you're reviewing a hotel, be skeptical of overly positive reviews (no hotel will write bad reviews about itself).
- Identify reliable reviews – The most reliable reviews are the balanced ones. If you see both good and bad points combined in the same review, consider it credible.
- Notice recurring patterns – If numerous reviews mention the hotel is noisy outside, then unfortunately it probably is noisy outside. On the flip side, if many reviews say the bed is super comfy, then great, it really is comfy… Sleep tight.
Guy's hot tip – Explore the hotel street with Google Street View
Google Earth software has opened up for us travelers the chance to preview our destinations. If you're staying inside the park, you can learn a lot about the atmosphere and the magic that awaits you. If you're staying at more budget-friendly motels in Orlando and Kissimmee, it's worth taking a tour with this useful tool, through which you can check out the quality of the hotel and its surroundings.
Check the quality of the hotel or motel, do the windows open or are they filthy? Check the condition of the building from the outside, is it renovated? Are there any broken doors or windows, etc.?
Also check out the hotel's immediate surroundings. Is the street where the hotel is located overly busy? Or on the contrary, is the street deserted or neglected? Surprisingly, there are quite a few flops in motels around Disney World; some are really outdated and others are in poor condition. That's why it's not worth taking a risk. If you don't like the look of the hotel or its surroundings, it's better to find another place near the park (and there are almost endless lodging options within less than a twenty minute drive).
Good night????
