When choosing a discount Orlando hotel for your family vacation, honing in on your family”s top travel priorities is key. If your crew operates by the “time is money” creed, proximity and transit time to the theme parks might be of chief importance, while if you”re strapped for cash, you might put major value on free budget-stretching perks like complimentary breakfast, free parking, Wi-Fi, theme park shuttle service and onsite entertainment for the kids.
If you”re traveling with teens, you might reason that the amount of square footage and number of bathrooms in an accommodation can “make or break” a vacation and are worth allocating a portion of your budget towards. Similarly, if you”re a “nester,” having in-room access to the conveniences of home–like a furnished kitchen and a washer and dryer–may be the secret to your holiday enjoyment. Thankfully, with around 450 Orlando area hotels to choose from, there are plenty of properties where you can fulfill all of these budget travel wishes — in some cases, simultaneously!
These Orlando accommodations represent the finest budget offerings for some of the most common family travel needs, and include recommendations for those visiting Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando.
1. Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa
Opened in 2005 and adjacent to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, this condominium-style property is minutes from area theme parks and offers spacious accommodations, a pirate ship pool with a “plunge slide” and shallow play areas, family-friendly dining options and an onsite spa where you can treat your young royalty (ages 4 to 12) to a Princess Makeover or a Pirate Takeover.
Families have a choice of one- to four-bedroom condo suites, all of which feature a full kitchen, a washer and dryer and a living room with a private furnished balcony. One-bedroom, one-bathroom suites are a spacious 800 square feet and sleep four. Two-bedroom two-bathroom suites are 1,084 square feet and sleep six. Three-bedroom (1,250 plus square feet) and four-bedroom (1,800 square feet) suites accommodate up to eight and 10 guests, respectively.
Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa also offers a game room and organized children”s activities. A daily resort fee covers Wi-Fi, parking, use of pool towels and daily shuttle service to Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Orlando theme parks. Housekeeping services are available for an additional fee.
2. Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
You won”t get front-of-the line Universal theme park attraction access by staying at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Universal Orlando Resort”s budget-priced lodging option. However, if you”re looking for cool retro theming and access to other perks like early theme park entry, complimentary theme park shuttle bus transportation and resort-wide charging privileges at a fraction of the cost of booking a deluxe accommodation, a stay at Cabana Bay might be right for you.
Room options include 300-square-foot standard rooms, which sleep up to four, and 430 square feet family suites, which feature a kitchenette, a living area and an extra-large bathroom; they sleep up to six.
Cabana Bay offers plenty of family-friendly draws, including a food court and themed pools with fantastic features like a lazy river, zero-entry access, a waterslide, splash pads, a sandy beach and organized poolside activities. An onsite bowling alley and game room offer all-weather fun. There is an additional charge for tube rentals at the lazy river, as well as a daily parking fee. Guests enjoy access to themed pools, kids” clubs and other amenities at Universal”s three upper-end hotels.
3. Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas – Lake Buena Vista
Offering an action-packed family vacation, just a stone”s throw from Walt Disney World Resort, Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas-Lake Buena Vista strives to be your family”s vacation home-away-from-home.
The lushly landscaped 135-acre property features seven heated swimming pools, five children”s pools, four playgrounds, two game rooms, mini-golf and multiple sports courts. Pool parties, arts and crafts, candy bar bingo, sunrise movies and “mermaid and dolphin” swimming experiences are among the fun-filled family activities.
Lodging options include one-bedroom, one-bathroom villas, which are 324 to 471 square feet and accommodate up to four guests. These units offer a kitchenette, a washer and dryer and a separate living area. For larger families, 1,025 square feet two-bedroom villas sleep six to eight. Two-bedroom units feature two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, a living room and a private screened patio or balcony.
Onsite parking is free. For rental guests, shuttle service to Walt Disney World Resort, which is just 3 miles away, is complimentary with advance reservations. Shuttle service to Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando is available for an additional fee.
4. Floridays Resort Orlando
Bring the kids to Floridays, where you”ll find lots of space, friendly service and the comforts of home — all for a bargain price. Two resort pools, including a family pool with interactive fountains and a manmade beach and an onsite restaurant are welcome sights at the end of a long day at the theme parks. Scheduled activities — from arts and crafts to dive-in movies and DJ pool parties — help to keep the kids happily engaged while mom and dad get a needed break.
Fully furnished two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites sleep six comfortably and are around 1,020 square feet and contain a full kitchen. Three-bedroom, two-bathroom suites are around 1,300 square feet and add two twin beds in a third bedroom to sleep eight. All suites feature a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and a washer and dryer.
A daily resort fee covers resort-wide Wi-Fi, parking and scheduled shuttle service to Disney (Epcot), Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica. “Refresh” housekeeping service, which includes towel replacement, garbage removal, and bed making, is complimentary. Pets 25 pounds and under are welcome for a fee.
5. Staybridge Suites Lake Buena Vista
Less than five minutes from Downtown Disney, this award-winning, all-suite property features an attractively designed pool area, free breakfast, mid-week happy hour, free Wi-Fi and spacious accommodations, all at budget-friendly prices.
Two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites average 750 square feet and sleep up to eight. One-bedroom, one-bathroom suites (550 square feet) sleep up to four and feature a king size bed in the master bedroom and a double sleeper sofa in the living room. All accommodations at the Staybridge Suites Lake Buena Vista feature a full kitchen, a dining area and a separate living area. A guest laundry facility is onsite. Free Walt Disney World Resort transportation (one-round trip per guest per day) is included in the nightly rate.
6. WorldQuest Resort Orlando
For a fraction of the cost of a stay at a theme park resort, you can spread out in a spacious two-bedroom, two-bathroom or three-bedroom, three-bathroom villa-style suite at WorldQuest Resort Orlando. Situated just 2 miles from Walt Disney World Resort, the property features a large heated pool with a Tiki bar, free parking and complimentary Walt Disney World theme park (Epcot Ticket & Transportation Center) shuttle service. World Quest is 8 miles from SeaWorld Orlando and 12 miles from Universal Orlando Resort.
Accommodations are equipped with a fully furnished kitchen, a washer and dryer, a furnished balcony and a living and dining area. Several levels of optional housekeeping services are available for a fee. There is a $39 end-of-stay cleaning fee for stays under four nights.
7. Residence Inn Orlando SeaWorld
If you”re looking for extra space for your large family in the full-service atmosphere of a familiar hotel brand, Residence Inn SeaWorld offers one of the best values in Orlando.
At the Official SeaWorld Orlando Hotel Partner, guests enjoy complimentary hot breakfast, free parking, theme park shuttle service and exclusive SeaWorld Orlando front-of-the-line perks. Family-friendly recreational offerings include a basketball court, a game room and a tropically landscaped, zero-entry pool.
Suite accommodations are especially spacious for the price, and feature full kitchens. Families can choose 616-square-foot family suites, which have one bedroom and one bathroom and sleep and up to five, or 900-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites, which sleep up to seven.
Free shuttle transportation to SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, Discovery Cove and Universal Orlando is provided. There is a pool bar, as well as a Pizza Hut Express onsite. Guests can also take advantage of pre-arranged grocery delivery service.
8. Blue Heron Beach Resort
Overlooking spring-fed Lake Bryan and less than 1 mile from Walt Disney World Resort, this peaceful condominium-style complex makes a relaxing base for families looking for extra elbow room at affordable prices on their Orlando area vacation.
Offering one- and two-bedroom condominium-style suites, Blue Heron Beach Resort features a large outdoor pool area with a heated pool, a tiki bar and a separate gated kiddie pool, and a game room. Guests can take advantage of water sports rentals, delivered to the resort dock by Buena Vista Water Sports, as well as miniature golf at Hawaiian Rumble, adjacent to the property.
One-bedroom, 885-square-foot family suites sleep four and feature a unique layout, with a king size bed in a master bedroom and a set of bunk beds located in a front corridor. Spacious 1,261- to 1,347-square-foot Two-Bedroom and Sunrise suites sleep up to eight guests. All deluxe suites are equipped with a washer and dryer and a full kitchen. Nearby, there is a Publix grocery store, as well as Cici”s pizza, Subway, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts outlets.
Mid-week housekeeping tidy service is available on a per diem basis. A daily resort fee covers Wi-Fi and shuttle transportation to Epcot and to SeaWorld Orlando. Shuttle service to Universal Orlando, which is 8 miles away, is provided for a fee.
9. Drury Inn and Suites
Families visiting Universal Orlando theme parks rave about this budget-friendly property, which offers more than the usual amount of free perks for traveling families. Guests enjoy free hot breakfast, free cocktail hour and dinner with kid-friendly food options, free soda and popcorn from 3 to 10 p.m., free parking and free shuttle service to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Aquatica and Wet ‘n Wild.
Accommodation options at the 238-room Drury Inn and Suites include standard rooms (king or queen), which sleep up to four and two-room suites, which sleep up to six with two queen-size beds in the master bedroom and a queen size sleeper sofa in the living room. All rooms contain a microwave and a mini-fridge. Pets are welcome (up to two per room) for a $15-per-day cleaning fee.
An indoor/outdoor pool keeps the kids entertained. A Whole Foods Market is conveniently located across the street from the property, and Chick-fil-A and Wendy”s are nearby.
10. Hampton Inn Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Free hot breakfast with Mickey Mouse waffles, free parking, free Wi-Fi and complimentary theme park shuttle service are among some of the most popular guest perks at Hampton Inn Orlando Lake Buena Vista.
Located within a mile of Walt Disney World Resort, the hotel offers 147 guestrooms, a fitness center and daily scheduled shuttle service to all four Disney parks, as well as Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores. Guestrooms feature one king size bed or two queen beds and are equipped with a microwave, a mini-refrigerator and a coffeemaker.
After a day at the theme parks, the kids can swim in the outdoor pool, then enjoy fresh-baked cookies and hot chocolate, which are available every evening in the hotel lobby.
Source: http://www.aroundtownkidsfrisco.com/blog/10-affordable-orlando-resorts-families/
