Holiday Inn Resort Orlando – Lake Buena Vista

Why We Like It

Holiday Inn Resort Orlando – Lake Buena Vista is a well-located, moderately priced hotel that offers terrific value. This hotel became a MouseSavers Preferred Hotel shortly after opening in 2012 because we were — and continue to be — super impressed with the amenities, extra large rooms, huge swimming pool, attractive lobby and family-friendly atmosphere. Holiday Inn Resort is run by a top management team that we’ve known for a long time, and it shows. If you’re looking for exceptional value for a family, this is your place.

Located off Disney property, but only one mile from the east entrance of Walt Disney World Resort (about 2 miles driving distance from Disney Springs), Holiday Inn Resort features 496 oversized standard rooms including 59 KidSuites. The hotel offers an attractive, large, courtyard-style pool area, an on-site Applebee’s full-service restaurant with a Kids Eat FREE program, and complimentary daily scheduled transportation to Walt Disney World, Disney Springs, SeaWorld and Universal’s main entrance is included in the daily service fee. The hotel also offers a Pets Welcome program with pet-friendly accommodations.

Note: Through mid-April 2024 improvements are being made to this property which will have minimal impact on guest stays. Some areas of the pool deck may be temporarily closed for safety however the pool will remain open. 

Rooms

The extra-spacious standard rooms have two queen beds or one king bed. Queen rooms sleep up to 4 people in two queen beds (5 people with an added roll-away bed, available for $15/night). King rooms have a pull-out sofa and sleep up to 4. The upscale plush bedding is in warm and cheerful colors, and beds offer pillow choices of soft or firm — a feature not found in most hotels. The contemporary-designed rooms all feature granite and marble bathrooms. Some pool view rooms include furnished balconies.

There are also KidSuites: special, kid-friendly mini-suites designed to give adults and children a little privacy. For those on a tight budget, KidSuites offer a separate area for the kids for about the price of a moderately-priced standard room elsewhere. KidSuites have all the amenities of a standard room, with a king-size bed and a partitioned-off area that includes its own television and one or two sets of bunk beds with twin-size mattresses. Some KidSuites have two bunk beds that will sleep up to 4 (up to 6 people total per room) and some KidSuites have one bunk bed sleeping up to 2, for a maximum of 4 people per room.

All guest rooms at Holiday Inn Resort Orlando – Lake Buena Vista are equipped with:

• 42″ flat-screen TV
• microwave
• mini-refrigerator
• single-cup coffee and tea maker
• wireless high-speed Internet (Wi-Fi)
• telephone with voicemail
• iron and ironing board
• hair dryer
• digital safe

FREE Kids’ Breakfast and Dining Options

Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill is attached to the hotel lobby and offers full breakfast, lunch and dinner. With the Kids Eat FREE program, up to four kids age 11 and under can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner FREE from the Kids Menu at the hotel Applebee’s!* Applebee’s has a huge menu, with something for everyone, and is open 7:00 am – 2:00 am daily. Room service is also available from the Applebee’s menu.

Rocco’s Rockin’ Tiki Bar is in the pool area and is open weather permitting. Lunch and dinner items are available, as well as drinks, so you can enjoy snacks or meals while relaxing outdoor by the pool or in an awning covered seating area.

Pinky’s Market Place and Gift Shop in the hotel lobby offers fresh-brewed Seattle’s Best Coffee, tea and espresso drinks, breakfast pastries, bagels, cereals and fruit, as well as gifts and small sundries.

Many inexpensive dining options and a convenience store are located within easy walking distance of the hotel property.

Amenities

One of the best features of this Holiday Inn Resort is its emphasis on family-friendly fun. The resort has the largest heated pool in Lake Buena Vista, and around the pool area you’ll find outdoor pool tables, table tennis, giant chess and checkers and more. Indoors you’ll find a comfy kid’s movie theater, where family movies show throughout the day and evening. The hotel’s amenities include:

• large heated pool
• kiddies’ splash pad
• two outdoor whirlpool spas
• outdoor pool tables and table tennis in the pool area
• organized poolside games and activities for kids and adults, such as bingo and Dive-Inn Movies (depending on season)
• fitness center (guests must be 18 years old or older)
• arcade and game room with air hockey and video games
• kids’ movie theater
• ATM
• coin-operated laundry facilities
• dry cleaning services
• business center
• concierge desk
• safety deposit box available
• grocery shopping service

Transportation

Scheduled daily shuttle service (included in the daily service fee) is available to Walt Disney World, Disney Springs, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando. If you need a lot of flexibility (for example, if your kids are small and may need to return to the hotel mid-afternoon for a nap), we recommend renting a car (or using Lyft or a taxi service).

Conveniently located self-parking at the hotel is $20/night + tax per vehicle.

You Should Know

This Holiday Inn has 3:00 pm check in and 11:00 am checkout times — an hour earlier and an hour later than most of the hotels in the area!

Rooms receive a daily refresh (towels replaced, garbage emptied, etc.), and full housekeeping (vacuuming, cleaning, beds remade, etc.) is provided after every 3 nights.

Pets are welcome at Holiday Inn Resort Orlando – Lake Buena Vista, and most rooms will accommodate small pets (less than 50 lbs.) for a flat rate of $50, or larger pets (over 50 lbs.) for $75, for any number of days up to 4, then an additional $10/night thereafter. Pets are allowed on property, but are not allowed anywhere in the pool area. Pets must stay in rooms when not accompanied by their owners. Make sure to check with the hotel on any other restrictions.