Best Hotels in Orlando for Families and Theme Parks Tickets

BEST HOTELS AND RESORTS IN ORLANDO

Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Disney’s Pop Century Resort – This Disney Value Resort Hotel is a celebration of 20th-century pop culture, with a focus on iconography of the “Classic Years”—the 1950s through the 1990s. The buildings are fashioned as time capsules of the way Americans lived, worked, and played during these five decades.

Icons include jukeboxes, bowling pins, and Lady and Tramp (from the Disney movie, Lady and the Tramp) near the 1950s buildings; Play-Doh, Duncan Yo-Yos, and characters from The Jungle Book near the 1960s buildings; Big Wheels and eight-track tapes near the 1970s buildings; Sony Walkmans, Rubik’s Cubes, and Roger Rabbit near the 1980s buildings; and laptop computers and cell phones near the 1990s buildings.

The resort has 3 heated pools with themes, a children’s pool (unheated), an arcade, and a playground with a Goofy water feature. In addition there are laundry facilities on site and a 7,000 square foot (652 square meter) retail area in the resort’s Classic Hall. Guests receive complimentarybus transportation to and from Walt Disney World Theme Parks, Water Parks, and Disney Springs® Area.

This hotel is nonsmoking except in designated outdoor areas.

Free area shuttle Express check-in Free theme park shuttle Elevator/lift ATM/banking Breakfast available (surcharge) Free airport transportation Gift shops or newsstand Shopping on site 24-hour front desk Poolside bar Laundry facilities
Restaurant Express check-out Tours/ticket assistance Total number of rooms – 2,880 Free WiFi Self parking (surcharge) Arcade/game room Outdoor pool Supervised childcare/activities (surcharge) Children’s pool

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort is 1 of 5 resorts offering Disney fun at family-friendly prices. Located at Walt Disney World Resort, this 1,920-room hotel is comprised of 5 buildings themed around popular Disney movies, such as Fantasia and 101 Dalmatians. Larger-than-life icons from the films decorate the courtyards and public areas. One outdoor pool continues the Fantasia theme while another is located in a Mighty Ducks’ ice hockey–themed area.

There is also an arcade on site, along with a gift shop and laundry facilities. A food court with five stations offers a variety of American fare in a casual atmosphere.

This Walt Disney World Resort Hotel is close to the two other Disney’s All-Star Resorts, and is a mile from Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, two miles from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Resort guests can take advantage of the complimentary motorcoach transportation throughout the resort.

Express check-in Number of outdoor pools – 2 Free theme park shuttle Elevator/lift Free airport transportation 24-hour front desk Poolside bar Restaurant Express check-out Tours/ticket assistance Year Built 1999 Free WiFi

Self parking (surcharge) Dry cleaning/laundry service Babysitting or childcare (surcharge) Smoke-free property Safe-deposit box at front desk ATM/banking Breakfast available (surcharge) Gift shops or newsstand Shopping on site Laundry facilities Total number of rooms – 1,920 Number of floors – 3 Arcade/game room Number of buildings/towers – 5 Multilingual staff

Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Disney’s Contemporary Resort is located on Bay Lake and the hotel’s main outdoor pool—which is shaped like Mickey’s ears—overlooks the lake. The resort has a marina where guests can rent sailboats, Hobie cats, and pontoon boats, or arrange a fishing excursion. Other water sports include parasailing, water skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing. A playground and game arcade are also available. In addition, the resort has interactive water fountains, which kids enjoy. Guests can use tennis and volleyball courts, and a fitness center offers Cybex and cardio equipment as well as a dry sauna. There is 24-hour room service, a hair salon, gift shop, and merchandise shops are located within the resort.

The resort offers 90,000 square feet (8,361 square meters) of meeting space with support including a business center, banquet facilities, exhibit space, ballrooms, and audio-video equipment. A sleek monorail whizzes through the center of the building, transporting guests to the Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot. Complimentary transportation is also provided via motorcoach to other Walt Disney World Theme Parks, both water parks, and Disney Springs® Area. The resort also offers complimentary a complimentary airport shuttle.

Number of outdoor pools – 2 Free theme park shuttle Elevator/lift Number of bars/lounges – 2Free airport transportation 24-hour front desk Marina on site Poolside bar Spa treatment room(s) Conference space Business center Porter/bellhop Tours/ticket assistance Coffee shop or café Dry cleaning/laundry service Free WiFi Self parking (surcharge) Sauna Babysitting or childcare (surcharge) Valet parking (surcharge) Health club Children’s pool Safe-deposit box at front desk Free area shuttle Spa services on site Luggage storage Hair salon Breakfast available (surcharge) ATM/banking Number of restaurants – 3 Concierge services Gift shops or newsstand Shopping on site Laundry facilities Spa tub Total number of rooms – 1,008 Television in common areas Arcade/game room Wedding services Tennis on site Multilingual staff

THEME PARKS

Universal Studios

Hang on tight. Your heroes are about to burst through the screen and yank you into the story. You’re the star here and you’ll disappear into one jaw-dropping adventure after another. Dodge evil villains. Defend the earth. Face a fire-breathing dragon. Wander into animated worlds where characters you love are suddenly right beside you. Go beyond the screen, behind the scenes and jump into the action of your favorite films at the world’s premier movie and TV based theme park.

Get to the fun faster with a Universal Express™ pass. You can skip the regular lines* at most of your favorite rides and attractions, now including both lands of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™. (Separate theme park admission required.)

Built on 107 acres (43 ha) and 101 acres (41 ha) of land, respectively

TICKETS

Both parks feature several attractions and shows based on movies produced by Universal Studios. After several delays during construction, Universal Studios Florida opened to the public on June 7, 1990. One of the most popular additions to the resort is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an incorporation of the Harry Potter franchise. Opened in 2010, part of the Lost Continent area of the Islands of Adventure park was re-themed to Hogsmeade. Also, a replica of Hogwarts was constructed, with a dark ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, located inside. In 2014, an area themed after Diagon Alley opened in the former location of Jaws within Universal Studios Florida. This addition included Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, as well the Hogwarts Express attraction based on the Hogwarts Express that allows guests to travel between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley without actually having to exit either park.

Walt Disney World

Take Center Stage in the Worlds of Movies, Television, Music & Theater

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, during construction of the complex. Without Disney spearheading the construction, the company created a resort similar to Disneyland, abandoning experimental concepts for a planned community. Magic Kingdom was the first theme park to open in the complex, in 1971, followed by Epcot in 1982, Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1989, and the most recent, Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998.

TICKETS

Today, Walt Disney World is the most visited vacation resort in the world, with an average annual attendance of over 52 million. The resort is the flagship destination of Disney’s worldwide corporate enterprise, and has become a popular staple in American culture.

Seaworld

SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park and marine zoological park, in Orlando, Florida.

It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. SeaWorld parks also feature thrill rides, including roller coasters like Kraken and Manta at SeaWorld Orlando and Steel Eel and The Great White at SeaWorld San Antonio. Journey to Atlantis, a combination roller coaster and splashdown ride, can be found at all three parks.