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Which Resort to you Consider to be the Best in Orlando?

Darlene

Darlene

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
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Location
Salt Lake City
Which resort do you consider to be the best in Orlando, other than the Disneys? Why do you consider this resort to be the best? What resorts in Orlando have you stayed at? We have stayed at:
1. Disney's Polynesian Village (not a t/s) when the kids were little, and loved it and the location (not the price).
2. We have stayed at Orange Lake, and thought it a good resort. The units are older, and it's just too big to walk to get to things.
3. We have stayed at Disney's Old Key West Resort, and really liked the location, units, and Disney shuttle. Definitely a 10.
4. We have stayed at HGVC on International Drive. We liked the new units, and the location. The kids loved the pool. I would rate a 9+++
While I liked Disneys' Old Key West the best, I would trade to go back to HGVC in a heartbeat.
Darlene
 
disney's OKW now has a slide - so your kids might like it better.

have you tried Disney's beach club villas.... now the rooms aren't as large as OKW in any way.

but they have access to SALB - storm a long bay - the pool at BC/YC. if you haven't seem it yet -

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=542

the only thing I didn't like was the sofa - it is water proof because of SALB - but it feels like sand paper.....too rough for my taste....
 
you would probably also like the Marriott - there are several of them...

Grande Vista
Cypress Harbour
Imperial Palms
Sabal Palms
Royal Palms

Horizons

oh forgot the best thing about the BC is you can actually walk to both Epcot and Studios - there is a boat - but walking is generally faster.
 
Fairfield Bonnet Creek

is probably my favorite non-Disney resort near Disney World. You can't beat the location. The rooms are really nice. The service is really great. And the resort amenities are excellent. And, they have free broadband internet access in the rooms.

Old Key West is my favorite Orlando area resort when price is not an object. Gotta love being on Disney property and those really huge rooms.

The Fountains is my favorite for weekend trips due to Bluegreen bonus time. They too have huge rooms.

OLCC is my favorite Country Club resort. That is when you are travelling with golfers and theme parks are not an issue.

The Grande Vista is my favorite Marriott. Cypress Harbour is right behind that Grande Vista. These resorts would be my choice for a primarily Universal Studios trip.
 
Is There Still A TUG Orlando Top 10 List?

I remember seeing a TUG Orlando Top 10 Resorts list, but I haven't seen it lately.

Is it still there?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
 
If you go to the Orlando reviews page and click on "rating" it will sort the list according to the rating.
 
I don't think there is any one resort that I would think of as Orlando's best because there are so many different vacations styles that this is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. The key is to find a resort that matches your vacation style. I like OLCC but I also like Disney's Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Saratoga Springs, Sheraton's Vistana Resort, HGVC Tuscany Village, etc. There are a lot of choices and most of them are good.
 
I vote for Marriott's Grande Vista as number one

Summer Bay is number two--love that whirlpool bathtub and the grounds. Cypress Harbour is number 3. We also really liked Vacation Village at Parkway and would rate that one as #4. I forget all of the resorts we have seen and need to try all of them over again!
 
Hmmmm.....well if we are not talking timeshares, then I'd have to say Grande Lakes Orlando (Ritz Carlton), followed by Wyndam Palms.

Grande Lakes is just an incredible resort experience. Talk about luxury and beyond gorgeous grounds. .....sigh..... Now if I could just figure out a way to live there permanently.
 
I have read the reviews. The obvious winners are the Disney resorts, but exchanges are hard to come by. Its seems like the Marriotts are the next most popular. I just wanted to see if perhaps I had missed a 'diamond in the rough'.
Darlene
 
Marriotts are pretty easy to get with any red week.

Perhaps they are not available this summer because people have already grabbed them, but I can get a Marriott every time, with a little planning, and the off-season weeks are always available.

What are you using to exchange? Is it an II resort?
 
how about Cypress Pointe?

now it isn't HGVC, Disney or Marriott - few things are.

but the reviews I have seem are almost excellent...

they are so good I am trying it this year....

so Spicey is going back to FW this December. :(

It is about as close to WDW as you can get on the DD side - about mile from SSR.

on Silver Lake is getting some nice reviews again. It is on the other side close to AK
 
I can get any of the Marriotts. There are no Disney available, not surprising, but I can pull 25 different resorts with II for the timeframe with an AC. I have seen a couple of 1 bedroom OKW, and Sarasota Springs weeks available, but I doubt that 2 bedrooms get deposited very often.
Darlene
 
Darlene said:
I can get any of the Marriotts. There are no Disney available, not surprising, but I can pull 25 different resorts with II for the timeframe with an AC. I have seen a couple of 1 bedroom OKW, and Sarasota Springs weeks available, but I doubt that 2 bedrooms get deposited very often.
Darlene
Click to expand...

the 2-bedroom don't get deposited often - but they do get deposited....

I had to talk myself out of a 2-bedroom OKW in Sept, 2006 - the problem it would be using a 2007 year..... besides I have 2-bedroom for that stay..... :eek:
 
Orlando has a lot of nice resorts. There are the older established ones, the ones that sorta showed the way for the others, and then there are the newer, fresher ones.

It is a lot like Branson in that regard, where there are many very nice resorts to choose from.

With just a few that would not be considered high-quality. But even those have their admirers, and owners. We stayed at two resorts in SW Florida in January that would likely not be held in high regard by some outsiders. They are not pretentious, more like a pair of your most comfortable shoes. They are both sold out, with reasonable, stable prices in the resale market, and their owners are tickled pink with their places.

Orlando has plenty of resorts for all and it seems unfair, perhaps short-sighted, to single one, or even a few, out.
 
1. HGVC Seaworld
2. Cypress Harbor Marriott
3. Grand Vista Marriott
4. Sheraton Vistiana Resort Cascade/Lakes only (distant 4th)

Never stayed on Disney prop. :(
 
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