Full Bloom Blog

In the past year and a half we have traveled to Orlando, FL three times. Two of those times we took the kids with us and one time just Erik and I went for our anniversary trip (I have posts about our anniversary trip – check them out in our Graneys on the Go tab!). One of the trips was a full on big Disney trip with the kiddos and one was just an Orlando family vacation. All three times we visited Disney property but only once did we go into the parks. There is so much to do in the Orlando area that does not require admission tickets! When you’re picking your Orlando hotel there are several things to consider; are you doing Disney parks? How big is your family? How old are your kids? What kind of experience are you looking for? How long is your stay? Below, I highlight the different hotels we stayed at considering some of the things listed above and hopefully this will help provide some insight and help when you’re making your Orlando vacation plans.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Room Size and Layout

We stayed in a regular room with two queen size beds and one pull down twin size beds. It is frequently difficult to find regular hotel rooms that accommodate our family of five so we were excited about the set up and that we didn’t have to put anyone on a pull out couch (which are historically not abounding in comfort). Admittedly though, the room was quite cramped. Aside from the beds, there was a small table with two chairs. Considering we spent almost *no* time in our room though, it really didn’t bother me. It was more of a landing/crashing spot than anything and for that it really served it’s purpose. I give it high marks for it’s bathroom though. It was divided into two areas, a counter with double sinks, storage underneath, and a closet. This area was separated from the main sleeping room with double sliding doors. From inside the sink area there was a another door which lead to the toilet and shower room. Also not super large, but served its function. I enjoyed the counter area being separated from the toilet/shower so that kiddos could brush teeth or I could do hair and make-up while someone was using the other facilities. It made for more efficient departures.

Pool Area

Sadly, when we did our our big Disney vacation and stayed at the CBR, it was way too cold for us to enjoy the pool area. In our last trip however, we spent a day resort hopping and got to see the pool in all its glory. At that point we were not resort guests so we were unable to use it, but here is the run down from an observational stand point. It is all themed like you’re in the Caribbean/Pirates Ship with canons, sprays, waterfalls, and water slides. There are plenty of shallow areas for peanuts to splash and lots of lounge chairs accessible for tired/sunning parents.

Dining Availability

There are three dining locations actually in the Caribbean Beach Resort: Sebastian’s Bistro, Center Town Market and Banana Cabana. Unfortunately, Sebastian’s closed with the pandemic park closures last March and hasn’t reopened yet. We did enjoy one meal there when we were resort guests and it was far and away everyone’s favorite meal of the trip. It’s not cheap but the food was fantastic and the atmosphere is clean and bright. Banana Cabana is actually the pool bar so you can order take-away food or eat at one of the several small tables they have. It’s directly next to the pool so it feels very resort-y and tropical. The food did not astound me, but the atmosphere made up for it. I also HIGHLY recommend the pink guava-colada if you’re a fan of tropical drinks. That alone was a total win in my book. Center Town Market feels very cafeteria-ish. It’s right off of the main lobby and is quick-service (order and take it to your table). Not my favorite food I had on property, but sometimes when you’re tired after a long day at the parks, you are just not that picky.

Accessibility to Disney

One of the huge reasons we landed on CBR verses other Disney resorts was the Skyliner. If you are heading to Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it is a short walk to the Skyliner station and a short ride through the air. There are also bus shuttles available for trips to Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, or Disney Springs. We traveled pre-pandemic for our Disney trip and had an excellent experience with both forms of transportation. In our last trip we rode the Skyliner just for fun and still loved it. We didn’t wait in long lines and they load only one party per cabin so by all accounts- still my favorite way to travel in Disney World.

Overall Rating

If you are doing a Disney vacation I 100% recommend staying on property. You are fully immersed in the experience and they really make everything so family and user friendly. The cost is a little more than some other nice hotels in the area, but the convenience is totally worth it. We LOVED CBR and frequently talk about how if we do another big Disney vacation, we would definitely want to stay there again. One of the biggest assets is the Skyliner. Not only is it a fun way to travel in Disney, it’s easy and quick! We also really loved the tropical feel of the resort. Each resort has distinct theming and since we live in Michigan, we wanted to feel like we were on a tropical vacation! I don’t give the rooms spectacular marks by any means but it was very functional for what we needed, but the grounds and amenities are what absolutely makes this resort worthwhile in our book!

Sheraton Vistana Villas Resort

Room Size and Lay Out

This room is absolutely a 10/10 for me as far as size and layout goes. It was unbelievably comfortable for our family of five and everyone had plenty of space. We had two bedrooms, one room with two double beds that had a full bathroom connected, a full kitchen with full size oven, full size refrigerator, lots of storage, small appliances, dishes and cook ware. Aside from the food, the kitchen was fully stocked. We had a dining room, a large living room with sectional, and a screened in patio with a dining table. The patio could be accessed by the living room or the master bedroom. The master was HUGE! It had a king size bed with plenty of room to spare, a full bathroom with stall shower, sink, commode, and jetted tub, but it also had a bonus sink, counter, mirror area just outside the bathroom which was awesomely helpful and where I got myself together every day. By far my favorite area was the screened in porch though. Erik requested a room with a pool view so after we put the kids to bed in the evening, we would sit out on the patio and enjoy some evening breezes and beverages. I didn’t see many bugs, but I’m sure that’s not always the case and so the screen would be hugely useful. The other amazing aspect of the patio was that it also had a separate key card access door that basically gave us a back door/direct access to the pool area. Once we discovered how it worked, it was a game changer for our vacation life. All in all, if I could use one word to describe this hotel room/villa it would be spacious!

Pool Area

Think condominium pool. The whole area was considerably more relaxed than what I was expecting. While there was a pool side attendant most of the time to over see towel distribution, and occasionally pick up a used towel or move a chair back, it was kind of a free for all. The resort has several pool areas on its grounds but since this one was directly behind our room it was the only pool we used. It had a large almost “U” shaped pool; on one end it had a volleyball net and the other was more open for swimming. Right in the middle was a beautiful waterfall feature that made it feel a little extra tropical and certainly added some beauty. Most of the large pool is about 4′ deep which made my oldest happy and she floated and swam around all day. Giselle, my six year old struggled a little more because there was not much space for her to touch and she is not a strong enough swimmer yet to hang in the deeper waters. There is a smaller kiddie pool which was about 18″ deep (photo’d below on the right). The kiddie pool is where my 4 year old felt the best and he spent most of his pool time in there. Three things that might prove helpful in planning your stay here; 1. The pool bar was not open so lots of people brought their own beverages and refreshments 2. It’s a salt water pool so it’s less chemically… 3. Bring your own floaties – if you want. We purchased cheap-o innertubes and packed them in the kids suitcases. Upon arrival to the hotel, we blew them up and the kids used them a lot! They provided lot of entertainment for my three and the hotel didn’t provide any so it was a win! (In case you’re wondering, we did not deflate/bring them back home with us. That’s the beauty of the cheap ones!).

Dining Availability

This is a bit of a tricky one. While the pool bar behind our room was closed, there was an open bar and grill at one of the other pool locations. I am not one to get fired up about such fare so we did not make it a priority to dine there. The best dining option here in my opinion was my own kitchen. I am a person who cooks a lot anyways, so being able to throw together meals according to our family’s typical dietary preferences was preferable. When I say “dietary preferences” don’t let that mislead you into thinking that we have some kind of fancy standards. Since it was vacation, we took the kiddos grocery shopping and let them pick out lots of food that I would not otherwise allow, but my kids also happen to depend on high quantities of fresh fruit (especially my oldest) so it was nice to have space to store, cut, and serve from. We enjoyed many meals on the porch of our room where we were not as worried about manners, tipping, or paying for food they wouldn’t like. If you have small kids, you know that even on vacation, the best/most successful meals can be at “home”. Not to mention, the most budget friendly!

On the flip side, the resort happens to be about a five to ten minute drive to Disney Springs which has a plethora of dining options. On more than one occasion, we ate our meal at the hotel room/villa and then headed to the Springs for dessert. It’s an easy way to enjoy it all.

Accessibility to Disney

As I just mentioned above, Disney Springs is just a short drive away from the resort. The parks are also a reasonable drive as well – the length really depends on time of day and traffic. Many of the other families staying at the resort were going to the parks. While there is no direct or sponsored transportation from the resort to Disney property, the proximity and flexibility help. One option to consider would be driving to Disney Springs and then catching Disney transportation from there. The buses drop you off very near to the park entrance and that way you’re not wandering through hot parking lots or even paying to park. But then that leaves you at the mercy of the bus schedule so it’s up to you to weigh your family’s specific priorities, needs, and what all around works best for you!

Overall Rating

I was very pleased with our stay at the Sheraton Villas. Since it is a time share location, there are lots of ways that the resort feels very reminiscent of a condo complex. When it came to the size of our room and the convenience of the pool accessibility it was fantastic. The interior of the villa itself was not the most sparkling clean/up to date that I’ve ever stayed in. After my first 24 hours searching for bugs and other signs of uncleanliness in the room, I was able to set that fear aside and enjoy it considerably more (I found no problems). It felt very comfortable and easy for our family to function for the whole week that we were there. If you’ve ever stayed in a traditional hotel room with small children you know the drill of, either everyone has to go to bed at the same time, or you have to hide and be quiet long enough for your kids to fall asleep and then you and your spouse can watch a show on your phone while sharing a set of headphones. It’s a real thing. And we have done that drill a lot. Here though, we put our kids to bed and still had a lot of freedom and space to enjoy. Being able to enjoy time with your spouse on a family vacation can be a big deal.

Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs

Room Size and Lay Out

Only Erik and I stayed at this particular hotel when we visited this past fall, but a mom brain is something you can never turn off so I, of course, had my eyes and ears open for all kinds of details while we enjoyed our stay. We had a room with a king sized bed, a love seat with an interesting table/stool combination, a bathroom with toilet and walk in shower. The sink and mirror were in a separate area, which is always my preference. It was by no means huge, but I thought it was a nice size! Our balcony was pretty small, but the view was fantastic! The same room with two double/queen size would have suited our family fine. The room also had a mini fridge (I’m pretty sure most rooms do now a-days) so Erik and I were able to buy bottled water and other light snacks to keep in the room.

Pool Area

This pool area was a 10/10 for me! It was FANTASTIC. There is a lazy river surrounded by beautiful landscape so you can feel the Florida/tropical vibes. The river connects to a zero entry splash pad type area and plenty of very shallow, little kid friendly areas. I am 100% sure Torsten would have never left the splash pad/ zero entry area. Those are his jam! In addition to the splash pad and lazy river, there is a large adults only pool. So if you need a break from being splashed in the face, you can grab a seat on the sun ledge and relax or just swim some laps. There is a plethora of lounge chairs available surrounding the whole pool area as well as cabana’s available to rent. This is one of the places that one can really feel the scale of the hotel. There is an attendant passing out towels at a stand which also had sunscreen and floaties available for purchase. And if you have kiddos, there are plenty of innertubes for them to enjoy on the lazy river and even life jackets to borrow. One of my favorite things was the service at the adult pool. If you snag a chair surrounding the pool (right next to the pool bar) you can order food or beverages to your lounge chair. There are service staff that make their rounds so you don’t even need to leave your chair to enjoy a poolside mojito. If you are able to drag your children out of the pool (temporarily) the pool side bar, Shades has great dining options and plenty of seating available. They even have a couple fire tables with out door furniture to enjoy some post swimming relax time in the evenings. I really can’t say enough good things about this pool area. It feels high end, tropical, and convenient all at the same time.

Dining Availability

As I just mentioned, dining at the pool bar Shades is a fantastic option, but my preference is always out door dining options. There is also a quick service cafe/convenience store option on the pool level of the hotel (which is lower than the lobby) and a lobby bar/restaurant. There is another restaurant on site there, but it was not open at the time of our visit due to COVID. We however, chose to use the walking bridge to Disney Springs almost every day to pop over and enjoy the wide assortment of dining available there. Sometimes it was for a full meal at Wine Bar George and sometimes it was just a beverage from the rooftop bar at the Coca Cola store. You will certainly not starve or starve for dining options at this hotel.

Accessibility to Disney

Again, as I mentioned just above, there is a walking path and bridge directly to Disney Springs. It’s not terribly short, but I love to walk and any option that gets me out of mass parking garages is my favorite. The only downside to the walking option is that once you walk there, there is still a lot of walking to be done once inside the Springs. We enjoyed the walk there at least once a day every day of our trip though! In addition to being able to walk to Disney Springs, Hilton Lake Buena Vista is technically on Disney property and thus you get the benefit of some free transportation. It is not the official Disney buses, but shuttles are available to all of the parks every day.

Overall Rating

Truth be told, I am kind of partial to Hilton Hotels. Their attention to detail, lay out, finishes, and customer service have always been a positive experience for me. This hotel was no exception to my affinity for the chain. Even upon check-in, our room was upgraded from a parking lot view to the incredible one shown below for free. I would go back here in a heart beat. We stayed in this hotel without the kiddos (anniversary trip) and it was incredibly comfortable and convenient for the two of us. As I imagine the same stay with my three kids, I think the hotel room itself would have been a little tight on space however, I think that would have been their favorite pool area as well. The proximity to Disney Springs and all that that has to offer is definitely worth mentioning again. Other than our mini fridge, beverages, and light snacks we were able to keep in the room, we needed to dine out for almost all of our meals. Comparatively with the Sheraton Villa, we were able to save money and sometimes time by making a lot of our meals in the room. Just something to consider if you enjoy bringing your own food or if you prefer going out to eat. Overall we had an excellent experience at this hotel and highly recommend checking it out for yourself!

Spring Hill Suites Orlando at Flamingo Crossings

Room Size and Lay Out

This room left me with some very mixed feelings. We had a room with two queen sized beds, a pull out sofa, a partitioned desk area, a little coffee bar/mini fridge area, a walk in closet and a very large bathroom. The size of the room was really quite comfortable. Annabelle occupied the pull out sofa and felt like she had her own room with the partition. I loved the coffee bar area set up as there was shelving for storage as soon as you walk in the room so you can set down bags, room keys, and/or masks. Really, my only complaint, was the bathroom. Not even the entire bathroom, just the door really. It was a frosted glass sliding door directly in the middle of the room. So when the peanuts woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, the light illuminated the whole room and woke several of us up. It’s a totally flawed design in my opinion. In addition to the light issue, it does not allow for much privacy. If you needed to use the lou, it still felt like you were in the middle of the room. It was just awkward. And furthermore, the lock on the door was quite tricky and if you were not careful in locking, the door would just start sliding open on it’s own. It definitely looks pretty from a design/aesthetic perspective but it was certainly not family friendly… in fact, I cannot imagine it being comfortable for anyone unless you are a solo traveler. The good news is, we were there only one night and we spent the vast majority of our time at the pool.

Pool Area

This pool area was by far the smallest of any of the hotels that we have stayed at in Orlando. Still though, it was quite nice! I have become a HUGE fan of pools with zero entry. Pools can be a little all or nothing for little kids – you’re either unable to touch, or sitting on the stairs, so the zero entry has been a big game changer for our family. The narrow areas were Giselle’s favorite as she would practice swimming back and forth from one side to the other. It was good practice for her and entertained her for the day. I highly enjoyed the seating ledge that ran the entire perimeter of the pool. It allowed me to be close to my swimming kiddos regardless of where they were but still relax and enjoy it as well.

Dining Availability

Good news! , there is a Starbucks distributor right in the lobby. If you are a big Starbucks fan or require a caramel macchiato to get out of bed in the AM, you’re in good shape here. Also very important to mention, this was the only hotel that we stayed at in Orlando that served complimentary breakfast – and it wasn’t bad. They had *non plastic* eggs, sausage, and Mickey waffles. If you know about Mickey waffles than you know what a huge deal that is. My kids were quickly enamored with Mickey waffles on our Disney trip in Jan 2020 so this felt like an amazing gift to them. Aside from coffee and breakfast, there is a pool bar and restaurant that serves exactly what you would expect a pool bar and grille to serve in FL. While they do not have chair service like I mentioned at the Hilton, the pool area is small enough that it’s not a big deal to walk over. We spent our entire day there pool side, so when it came to dinner, we pulled the kids out of the water and sat pool side with pizza and fish tacos from the restaurant. Later, the kiddos enjoyed ice cream smoothies from the bar – if you visit, I highly recommend them! They were the perfect pool side snack. Aside from these onsite offerings, it would be at least a ten minute drive to find other fare.

Accessibility to Disney

Spring Hill Suites at Flamingo Crossings is technically a Disney affiliate hotel, hence, the Mickey waffles. There is an onsite planning service in case you decide to put together a trip to the parks, but just keep in mind – nothing about Disney can be impromptu or spur of the moment anymore due to their park pass reservation system, but the resources are available! Many of the hotel staff are former Disney employees and you can certainly notice it in their service. This hotel also happens to be a stones throw to Disney property. Unfortunately, all of this proximity and affiliation does not get you transportation to the parks, but it certainly would be a short drive. An honestly, many people prefer to drive themselves to the parks in lieu of waiting for buses anyhow.

Overall Rating

It is worth leading off with the fact that this hotel was easily half the cost of the other hotels we stayed at in the Orlando area. If you are a budget conscience traveler, I highly recommend checking out this option! Pair it with the complimentary daily breakfast with the inexpensiveness of the hotel and you could really come ahead from a money saving perspective.

There are lots of things to consider when booking your Orlando Hotel, but one thing is for certain- you will never be at a lack of things to do to enjoy the beautiful city! Drop questions below in the comments and let me know your favorite Orlando area hotel!