Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
With tens of thousands of lodging choices available in the Orlando area, from tents to deluxe villas, there is no lack of variety in price or amenities. Actually, narrowing down the possibilities is part of the fun.
More than 60 million visitors come to the Orlando area each year, making it the most popular tourism destination on the planet. More upscale hotels are opening as visitors demand more luxurious surroundings, such as luxe linens, tasteful and refined decor, organic toiletries, or ergonomic chairs and work desks. But no matter what your budget or desires, lodging comes in such a wide range of prices, themes, color schemes, brands, and guest-room amenities, you will have no problem finding something that fits.
Resorts on and off Disney property combine function with fantasy, as befits visitor expectations. Characters in costume perform for the kids, pools are pirates’ caves with waterfalls, and some, like the Gaylord Palms, go so far as to re-create Florida landmarks under a gargantuan glass roof, giving visitors the illusion of having visited more of the state than they expected.
International Drive’s expanding attractions, including the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye, Madame Tussauds, and a widening array of eateries, are drawing more savvy conventioneers who bring their families along for the fun.
Many hotels have joined the trend toward green lodging, bringing recycling, water conservation, and other environmentally conscious practices to the table. Best of all, the sheer number and variety of hotel rooms means you can still find relative bargains throughout the Orlando area, even on Disney property, by researching your trip well, calling the lodgings directly, negotiating packages and prices, and shopping wisely.
One of the cheapest ways to stay on WDW property is in your own tent or RV, which can be set up in one of four different areas, from bargain-priced tent sites with water and electricity to deluxe RV sites equipped with electric, cable TV, Internet access, water and sewage hookups, outdoor charcoal grills, and picnic tables.
Operated by the U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center, this resort is open only to active-duty and retired personnel from the armed forces, reserves, and National Guard; their families; and others connected with the military. The resort offers standard rooms, family suites for up to eight adults, 23 ADA rooms, and a Wounded Warrior Suite.
