Florida - Anyone have any hotel advice?????

[Mond]

Hi

we are going to florida in October - with gradnparents and brother.

We have a baby and 2 six year olds and 2 nine year olds.

I have no idea where to stay adn any advice greatly appreciated.

I am looking at sheraton vistana on lake buena vista.

I def want a shllow / zero entry pool for the baby but also somewhere nice for the grandparents - not sure Disney hotels are for them as they would prob like some time out from disney after a long stay at the parks?

The Disney Hotels are beautiful and not too overly disney. We've stayed at All Stars Sports and we adore Port Orleans Riverside. That way you would be able to use the transport and leave the parks and go back later if you wanted to.

If not Lake Buena Vista is a good place to stay. Don't have any recommendations hotel wise as we've always stayed on site or in a villa.

Check out hilton at bonnet creek. It's amazing.
Brilliant pool, zero entry on one side.

I cannot recommend the place enough, I've been twice.

port orleans riverside - not really Disney-fied, just a lovely place to stay with the bonus of the fabulous Disney bus service to the parks (free) and the boat service to Downtown Disney.

I stayed at the Sheraton vistana many years ago, around 16, and it was lovely then. Imagine its been upgraded and the location is good, easy access to the main parks and shopping complexes

I have booked my holiday with Ocean Florida and booked to stay at the Hilton Orlando on destination parkway. It is closer to Universal than Disney. However, I see it is more a conference hotel and maybe I should ask to change to Bonnet Creek.

Has anyone stayed at either or both?

Obviously I won't change if i will incurr a charge. But i am now worried it will just be me and my partner surrounded by a bunch of serious business people!

hi

im just concerned about hte baby pool not being near the big pool with the slide at port orleans as I have kids of both ages! akthough port orleans is my first choice

MOSagain With sheraton vistana, is it really huge - ie? is it a massive trek to teh swimming pools as everything with 3 kids is a mission? - or do they come and get you in little buggies and take you there?

PS. will look at prices for bonnet creek - whats the lcoation at bonnet creek like?

Bonnet creek is on Disney but it isn't owned by them. There is a free bus to all the Disney parks and amazing views out of the bedroom windows.
If you google it you will get a map of the location.

If you go though virgin you get free parking and breakfast included. They will always price match aswell.

I booked my hotels through virgin and my flights through BA.

I saved £800 by them price matching.

Mond, as I said it was years ago that I went and it was a huge resort spread over a large area. I know its been updated since I stayed there as wasn't Sheraton before. Are there not details on website/brochure?

Port Orleans is lovely. We stayed in the French Quarter in March. As well as a big pool, there is a little pool for babies/toddlers. Plus you can use the ones at Riverside. As others have said, it's not really Disney-fied and the boat to downtown disney is great. One of our favourite memories of that trip is a boat trip back to the hotel from DTD at night, stargazing. It was amazing.

We've also stayed at Animal Kingdom lodge, that was amazing.

I second the Sheraton, but the Vistana Villages on I Drive - the quieter end near Sea World.

We have stayed there three times. Not hotel rooms, but apartments with one or two bedrooms, dining area and a full working kitchen.

Hi. I'm currently backpacking around the US with my 3 year old. We went to Disney in June. Stayed at the Quality In. & Suites, Maingate, Kissimmee. Great location. Near Disney but off site so you can get away from it. I gave it a full review on my blog - sallyhutchinson1.wordpress.com/ - hope it helps!

Mond, we have been to hotels and villas in Orlando and I would recommend a villa rather than a hotel. This is my own personal experience of going when I too had a nine year old and a two year old in the party along with grandparents. The little one got tired, it is an exhausting holiday for them and she needed to go to bed earlier than the nine year old, I find hotel rooms too restrictive for that reason as someone needs to be in the room with them whereas in a villa everyone has their own rooms, your own private pool and most probably a games room to keep the older ones amused. In a villa you can eat a quick breakfast and be at the parks for opening, spend all morning when the wee ones are up for it then head home for the afternoon for a chill out before heading back to the parks late afternoon/early evening when it is cooler and also a bit quieter. The only park this doesn't work for is the Animal Kingdom as it closes early. The draw back to this is, of course, you need to hire a car and the travel time to and from the parks twice a day but I think it is outweighed by the freedom factor and also the removal from Disney for a short while each day. Many villas are very close to the parks though so it is not too bad. Also take your own push chairs for the wee ones or buy a cheap one from Walmart when you arrive as the ones you hire from Disney are not suitable for little ones who may require more shade and also more comfort for a nap.