Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Lake Buena Vista, Orlando

The 150-room, three-pearl Staybridge Suites Lake Buena Vista is a top-notch, mid-range hotel in a very convenient location. It’s not luxurious by any measure, but it delivers good overall value with clean and spacious apartment-style units with full kitchens and flat-screen TVs with DVD players. The free hot breakfast and free shuttle add value; however there’s no on-site restaurant (only a breakfast room) or bar, and some guests find the lack of elevators inconvenient. Rates are attractive, but there's a lot of competition in the area, including the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area, which offers a good alternative with similar rates plus a restaurant/bar and elevators.

This 1,000-room Hilton is an oasis of adult calm amid frenetic child-centric Disney World -- literally, as it's actually within the gates of Disney. The ample rooms and facilities are modern, sleek, and in great condition, while features and services cater to both business and leisure needs; plus, guests get free access to all facilities at the neighboring Waldorf Astoria.

This mid-range chain hotel attracts budget-minded families with its location near Downtown Disney, free shuttle to all of the Disney parks, and kid-friendly amenities that include a large outdoor pool. Numerous meeting rooms and a solid value also draw business travelers. However, traffic noise in rear-facing rooms and a fee for parking are small annoyances that make considering other options worthwhile.

The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is a self-contained mega-resort situated on 1,500 acres of private grounds in the heart of Orlando's bustling theme park landscape. The 815 modern rooms have balconies overlooking the resort's pool area or Lake Buena Vista -- with views of the fireworks at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom included. Though the property is adjacent to Disney, you'll still need a car to reach it, as well as the other major theme parks, which are all within close driving distance. There are numerous activities here (from boating to biking), but the extra fees can be steep. Though the grounds cannot compare, the updated Marriott Orlando World Center Resort has cheaper rates for similar amenities in a comparable location.

The three-and-a-half-pearl Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas- Lake Buena Vista feels more like a small town than a hotel. With 1,682 apartment-style units, seven pools, three restaurants, a mini-market, and tons of on-site amenities, the property provides a fair share of fun on-site, plus it's within a 15-minute drive of local theme parks. Contemporary, homey villas have full kitchens, living rooms, and free Wi-Fi, but not all have elevator access or outdoor spaces. The Sheraton offers great value for families, but it may not be the best place for couples or business travelers, who may prefer the nearby Orlando World Center Marriott, though it tends to be pricier. 

This large, four-pearl resort is an upscale option a five- to 10-minute drive from the Disney theme parks. The 400 rooms are spacious and modern, done in on-trend colors, and including enormous flat-screen TVs and mini-fridges. A few of the pricier suites feature balconies with nice views of a nearby lake. As a self-contained town of sorts, the resort has four restaurants, a coffee shop, a huge pool, spa, and a fitness center -- not to mention a free shuttle to Disney World. It's ideal for anyone looking for a high-end alternative to one of the nearby Disney resorts, though there's a resort fee per night and parking isn't free. Those seeking a bit more style and personality should consider the nearby, kid-friendly B Resort & Spa, which has lower rates.

Orlando World Center Marriott is an enormous four-pearl convention hotel located in southern Orlando, a 10-minute drive to Disney World. There's a total of 2009 rooms and suites, all with furnished balconies and many with pull-out sofa beds -- though decor is bland. Facilities include 74 meeting and event spaces (including the largest pillar-less ballroom in the country) along with multiple swimming pools, two waterslides, a well-equipped fitness center, and a good selection of activities and amenities for children. There's also an 18-hole golf course with its own steakhouse, plus a number of other restaurants serving American, Italian, and Japanese cuisine. While it's hard to beat this hotel in terms of conference facilities, business travelers may want to also consider the Hilton Orlando, which has direct skybridge access to the Orange County Convention Center. 

The Hawthorn Suites Lake Buena Vista, a Wyndham hotel, bills itself as an all-suite hotel, but there is the executive guest room option for shorter stays. The hotel suits families, with a heated pool, game room, free hot breakfast, and full kitchens in suites. The Hawthorn offers free shuttles to the major parks, including nearby Disney, and gears everything toward fueling up before and resting up after a long day of rides, Epcot, Universal, and Seaworld.

The Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa is a private resort with multi-bedroom, condo-style suites convenient to Orlando's theme parks. Packaged as a family resort, the property has a wide range of amenities that would appeal to parents and children alike, from the spacious accommodations to the full-service spa.

This three-pearl, 275-room condo-style resort provides free shuttle services to and from the Disney theme parks, SeaWorld, and Universal. Additionally, the resort has family-focused amenities including four pools, two hot tubs, multiple sports courts, mini-golf, resort-wide events and activities, and an arcade. The condos include full-size kitchens, screened-in furnished porches, small bathrooms, and pullout couches for extra sleeping space. Guests shouldn't expect regular housekeeping or any on-site dining, though restaurants are about 10-minute walk away, as are grocery stores. The adjacent Grande Villas Resort is a comparable option that has a deli and convenience store on-site.

The mid-range Radisson Hotel Orlando is a reasonably priced tourist hotel that's popular with families visiting nearby theme parks. Its guest services desk sells tickets to the top attractions and the hotel offers free shuttle service to Disney and other parks. A spacious outdoor pool and free parking up the value quotient, as does free Wi-Fi. Its full-service restaurant serves breakfast and dinner but not lunch (most guests are at the parks during the day). Its 196 generic rooms are family-friendly with mini-fridges, microwaves, and coffeemakers. Family Suites sleep up to six. Rates are competitive, but there are many other choices, such as the Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel, which has comparable rates and more dining options.

The 394-room B Resort & Spa is an upscale property with wonderful landscaping that’s within a five- to 10-minute drive to Disney attractions and restaurants, shops, and lakes. Modern rooms have mini-fridges, 47-inch HD flat-screen TVs, free bottled water, and Aveda toiletries. Suites have kitchenettes with full-size refrigerators. American Q restaurant serves barbecue with a modern twist, and artisanal cocktails at their American Q Bar. The full-service Aveda spa offers massages and various treatments, along with a spa-inspired menu. The outdoor "zero entry" pool has a kids' area and fountains, and there's also a kids' club. The hotel offers free scheduled shuttle service to Disney parks. Be aware that there's a daily resort fee, and spa services require an appointment.

A 10-minute drive from Walt Disney World, this mid-sized, decor at this three-pearl resort is a bit old-fashioned, but it can be a great value compared to nearby hotels such as Staybridge Suites next door. Multiple room configurations make Cypress Pointe ideal for families and big groups, and layouts range from Studios with whirlpool tubs to Two- and Three-Bedroom Condos with full kitchens and living rooms. Kid-friendly amenities include an erupting volcano feature in the pool, a huge game room, and a playground. However, most buildings lack elevators and housekeeping is only provided once per week. This is a time-share community as well, and guests have been subjected to hard sells and pitches in the past.

The 120-room Legacy Vacation Resorts-Lake Buena Vista is an upper-middle-range all-suite property located off the I-4 Highway with a calm atmosphere and lovely gardens. Contemporary suites have kitchenettes or full kitchens as well as multiple flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi, plus separate living rooms and whirlpool tubs in some units. Guests should note, however, that housekeeping comes only once a week and there have been complaints about noise due to thin walls. The outdoor pool and hot tub are a highlight for families, while the garden provides lots of well-landscaped green space dotted with flowers and palm trees. Other conveniences include a business center, playground, and a tennis court, but there's no on-site restaurant or fitness center. There are many similar properties in the area, including Quality Suites Lake Buena Vista and Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista, so travelers should compare rates.

The 130-room Homewood Suites by Hilton Lake Buena Vista-Orlando is an upper-middle-range hotel within a 10-minute drive of top local attractions, including Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and SeaWorld Orlando. Spacious suites have fully-equipped kitchens, lots of living space, and multiple flat-screen TVs. The dazzling lagoon-style outdoor pool and hot tub are a major plus, though this is shared with the next door Hilton Garden Inn (as is the fitness center). Other conveniences include free hot breakfast, evening reception several times a week, and a shuttle to Epcot. There are many similar properties in the area, however, such as the nearby Quality Suites Lake Buena Vista and the Embassy Suites Orlando/Lake Buena Vista Resort, so travelers might want to compare rates.