Orlando Accommodation & Lodgings
For Families like Yours!

Orlando accommodation options are endless. What kind works best for families? Where in Orlando should you stay? How much are you going to have to spend?

As you can imagine, we've stayed in many places during our many trips to Orlando. Villas, Condos...you name it, we've tried it.

We've always done our research and chosen carefully. We have to say, we've never been disappointed.

Because there are so many options, we've broken our family guide into separate pages. Please feel free to browse through our pages on Orlando lodging, Orlando motels and Orlando villas at your leisure. If a themed Orlando hotel or an upscale Orlando condo is more your thing, we've provided pages on those styles of accommodation as well. Just click onto the blue hyperlinks as you read through this page.

If, like ourselves, you have visited before and you know what Orlando lodgings you require, we recommend you still have a browse through our guide. Orlando is evolving at a rapid pace and you might find something a little special that you missed on your last visit. We did!

How to Choose Orlando Accommodation for Your Family

After a decade of reserving Orlando accommodations, we've got the process down to a science! We ask ourselves a series of questions before each trip to determine where we should stay and the type of lodging we should choose. Here, in no particular order, are the questions we recommend you ask before booking:

• How much do you want to spend?...Orlando accommodations range from expensive and luxurious lodgings to discount places.

• What areas of Orlando do you want to be close to?...Is it important to be within walking distance of Kissimmee? Many families prefer to stay close to the theme parks.

• How much space do you need?...How many of you are going to Orlando? Motels and even hotels have proven a bit awkward for our family. After all, there are 8 of us! It can make more sense to rent an entire condo or villa.

• Do you have any special requests?...Some discount places may not be willing to accommodate you if you require anything special.

• What amenities are important to you?...Look at everything from fitness facilities to swimming pools (Do you like a public pool, shared or private?) to entertainment options.

• How do you like to handle meals?...Does your family prefer to eat in the hotel or dine out? Is buffet style the only way to go?

• How will you get around?...If you have a Orlando car rental, you can stay anywhere. Otherwise, keep in mind that taxi fares may affect your budget if you stay too far away and buses aren't handy.

Orlando Accommodation Locations: Where to stay?

1. International Drive is situated close to Universal studios, SeaWorld, and Discovery Cove. A short drive or shuttle bus trip gets you to Disney.

2. Lake Buena Vista is minutes from the thrills and excitement of Walt Disney World resort.

3. Kissimmee offers good value lodgings, whilst being conveniently located. The 192 takes you straight to Disney's Maingate.

Since our first visit fourteen years ago, the choices of Orlando accommodation have increased ten fold. Millions of dollars has been spent to build new Orlando hotels and Orlando motels.

Upgrading facilities in and around Orlando, including the Kissimmee and International Drive areas are constantly ongoing.

Above is the fantastic "Swan and Dolphin Hotel" situated in the Lake Buena Vista and Disney area. New hotels, resorts & villa communities are becoming available each and every year.

Disney Resorts:

Let the magic of Disneyworld make this a vacation to remember! A themed Disney hotel of your choice makes a perfect family vacation. There's a themed Orlando hotel for everyone, from the world class Floridian Hotel, to the superb Yacht Club, to the magic sounds of the south Pacific at the fantastic Polynesian or the incredible tones of steel bands around the Caribbean Beach Resort.

Hop aboard the Disney mono rail, which passes through the Contemporary Resort below and the camp site grounds of Fort Wilderness. It's the facilities of a resort combined with the magic of Disney!

Disney prices range from economy to extravagant luxury resorts. Try a resort with All-Star Sports, All-Star Music and All-Star Movies. Each room depicts either a sports, music or movie theme. Prices range from $80 to $140 per night. These normally are the best prices you will find in an Orlando theme park resort. See our theme park resort page Orlando accommodation/Walt Disney Hotels for more information.

Universal Resorts:

Close to the Universal Studios area, you'll find the superb Portofino Bay Hotel. This re-creation of the Italian city of Portofino is authentic down to the cobblestone streets and sidewalk cafes. A stay in this Orlando hotel gives you the ambiance of the real seaside resort village of Portofino.

There are 750 rooms, 45 suites and many amenities for the whole family to enjoy. The Beach Pool, Villa Pool and Hillside Pool provide hours of fun in the sun for the kids and yourselves. Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific Resort are also in high demand. For further details, we recommend you view our Universal hotels page.

Villas and Condo's

Privately owned Orlando villas (our personal choice) and Orlando holiday condos are available by the thousands. These Orlando lodgings give you that 'being at home' feeling in friendly gated or non-gated residential areas. Many of these areas include fantastic Orlando golf courses and superb lake views.

These two styles of accommodation allow you to get away from the crowds and chill out around your own pool to 're-charge those batteries' and top up that sun tan.

Sharing with another family or families reduces your accommodation budget by half or more if so desired. Here's the family 'chilling out' around the pool.

If you are not too concerned about where your Orlando accommodation is located (After all, how much time will your family be spending in your room when there's so much to see?) or you're on a tight budget, take a look at our Discounted/Orlando late deals pages. There are a lot of good options and you may even find a late deal.

Just like your local paperboy

When you're booking Orlando accommodation, you don't want to use old news and information. We will keep updating our site via our RSS feed. Simply click onto the RSS feed above and follow the instructions. It's an easy way to stay on top of what's happening in Orlando, free of charge.