Walt Disney World
By Laura Lea Miller
Whether you prefer to stay on-site at an official Disney property or want to seek refuge outside the theme parks, here are some hotel standouts to consider for your next family vacation in Orlando.
Photo Caption: Pool of Tranquility at Disney's Polynesian Resort in Orlando
All Disney properties cater to families, with special menus for kids, free transportation to the theme parks, extensive recreational facilities, and, in some cases, character meals and kids' clubs.
Set high atop the trees, Disney's Treehouse Villas make roughing it a stylish and comfortable affair for families. Located within Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, the upscale yet casual treetop cabins offer all the comforts of home (think plasma TVs, full kitchens, and cozy bedding) and unparalleled views.
More Info: tel. 407/934-7639; https://disneyworld.disney.go.com
Photo Caption: A new type of adventure welcomes guests with the Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World Resort.
If you're going to stay on WDW property, you can't beat these Value Resorts: Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, All-Star Music Resort, All-Star Sports Resort, and Pop Century Resort.
Each themed resort -- from a 47-foot-tall Buzz Lightyear sculpture at the All-Star Movies Resort to a four-story Rubik's Cube at the Pop Century Resort -- is sure to impress and amuse the kids.
More Info: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts
Photo Caption: Find larger-than-life movie magic at Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, one of the popular value resorts at Walt Disney World Resort.
It's hard to beat the Nickelodeon Suites Resort, with its themed kids' suites and character breakfasts. Two water park-style pools -- complete with slides, flumes, squirters, fountains, and more -- ensure the action here keeps going.
More Info: tel. 407/387-5437; www.nickhotel.com
Note: Since publication, Nickelodeon has removed its sponsorship from this property. The water play area remains, but themed kids' suites and character events are gone.
Arguably the best pool in O-Town is at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort. It's a half-acre, lagoonlike pool that flows through rock grottoes, is spanned by a rope bridge, and has 12 waterfalls and two steep water slides.
The Lazy River at the JW Marriott (tel. 800/241-3333) finishes a very close second. It's a 24,000-square-foot stream winding through small waterfalls and rock formations.
At Disney, squish your toes in the sand-bottom pool of Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht Club Resort.
Photo Caption: Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Polynesian Resort, Contemporary Resort, and Bay Lake Tower not only offer waterfront access to Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, but they're also right on the WDW monorail, providing quick and easy access to the parks.
More Info: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts
Photo Caption: White sandy beaches, palm trees, and traditional South Seas longhouses are all combined in Disney's Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World.
The whole family can watch the Magic Kingdom's Wishes fireworks display from the comfort of your room if you book one on an upper floor on the west side of Disney's Contemporary Resort.
Disney's Bay Lake Tower offers an unobstructed view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks (and the starlit sky above) from its rooftop lounge while park-view rooms on the upper floors allow families with little ones to watch in the comfort of their room -- and in the comfort of their pajamas.
From boardwalk-side rooms at Disney's BoardWalk Inn & Villas, you can catch the fireworks during Epcot's IllumiNations. And you have a front-row seat for the action at SeaWorld from the upper-east-side floors at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld.
Photo Caption: You'll find new room décor at Disney's Contemporary Resort.
Whether you prefer to stay on-site at an official Disney property or want to seek refuge outside the theme parks, here are some hotel standouts to consider for your next family vacation in Orlando.
Photo Caption: Pool of Tranquility at Disney's Polynesian Resort in Orlando
Set high atop the trees, Disney's Treehouse Villas make roughing it a stylish and comfortable affair for families. Located within Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, the upscale yet casual treetop cabins offer all the comforts of home (think plasma TVs, full kitchens, and cozy bedding) and unparalleled views.
More Info: tel. 407/934-7639; https://disneyworld.disney.go.com
Photo Caption: A new type of adventure welcomes guests with the Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World Resort.
Each themed resort -- from a 47-foot-tall Buzz Lightyear sculpture at the All-Star Movies Resort to a four-story Rubik's Cube at the Pop Century Resort -- is sure to impress and amuse the kids.
More Info: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts
Photo Caption: Find larger-than-life movie magic at Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, one of the popular value resorts at Walt Disney World Resort.
More Info: tel. 407/387-5437; www.nickhotel.com
Note: Since publication, Nickelodeon has removed its sponsorship from this property. The water play area remains, but themed kids' suites and character events are gone.
The Lazy River at the JW Marriott (tel. 800/241-3333) finishes a very close second. It's a 24,000-square-foot stream winding through small waterfalls and rock formations.
At Disney, squish your toes in the sand-bottom pool of Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht Club Resort.
Photo Caption: Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando
More Info: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts
Photo Caption: White sandy beaches, palm trees, and traditional South Seas longhouses are all combined in Disney's Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World.
Disney's Bay Lake Tower offers an unobstructed view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks (and the starlit sky above) from its rooftop lounge while park-view rooms on the upper floors allow families with little ones to watch in the comfort of their room -- and in the comfort of their pajamas.
From boardwalk-side rooms at Disney's BoardWalk Inn & Villas, you can catch the fireworks during Epcot's IllumiNations. And you have a front-row seat for the action at SeaWorld from the upper-east-side floors at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld.
Photo Caption: You'll find new room décor at Disney's Contemporary Resort.