Does anyone have recent experience staying at either the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace or Hyatt Place Orlando? We have never stayed off site before but are looking for a hotel where we can rent a car and drive to the parks. Our biggest priority is staying at a property that is clean and feels relatively updated.
Any reason you’re thinking of those 2 particular properties? They are very different properties from different brands.
The Hilton is a huge full-service property within Disney Springs, with EMH access and 60+ day FPP perks. It has a huge pool, has lots of amenities, and is within walking distance to the DS restaurants/shops. I’m almost positive they charge a resort fee and a parking fee.
The Hyatt Place is just outside Disney Springs and I’m sure much smaller in size. And unless I’m mistaken, does not have EMH or 60 day FPP access. I’ve never stayed at this particular one, but it probably has much less to offer in terms of amenities and pool size/quality. I doubt the HP charges a resort fee or a parking fee.
Both are on the moderately upscale side and I’m sure will be clean and safe. It probably depends on what you’re looking for in a hotel. But, for me, the deciding factor between these two is the EMH and 60+ day FPP access. If priced the same, I’d go for the Hilton.
Thank you for your response terp05. I can get great rates on both properties but the Hilton is not well rated on TripAdvisor and the Hyatt is. That is honestly the only reason why I paused before booking the Hilton, especially with the pros that you already listed in your response. I wanted to see if anyone on here had some recent stays at either to help me decide
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Gotcha. I stayed years and years ago at this Hilton (before it was actually a Hilton) and thought it was fine. It’s very convenient for a non-Disney hotel. I’ve never stayed at the HP. I bet the HP is almost brand new because the Hyatt Place line is a fairly new addition as a whole, so there is that to consider.
I believe this Hilton is the one with the lazy river, right?
I haven’t stayed but a friend has and really liked the hotel.
SillySamsMom - Yes I believe the Hilton is the one with the lazy river. terp05 - Since staying at the Hilton (prior to it being a hilton) any recommendations for an alternative property to look at? We have a reservation at the Caribbean Beach but are looking off property so we can save money on the nightly rate and rent a car. We are taking both sets of our parents as a once in a life time trip so we are trying to make this a very nice experience while staying within a budget.
Well, I may not be the most unbiased source, because I am pretty loyal to Marriott and have only stayed on points in Orlando within the last 10 years…
But, we’ve done the Marriott World Center and, most recently, the JW Grande Lakes. The World Center is much like the Hilton: large conference-style hotel, a little impersonal, but lot’s of amenities and really close to the parks. I’d stay there again for the location and the predictable quality.
The JW is awesome because of the lazy river, the really nice accommodations, and onsite amenities. The downside is that it’s about a 20 min drive to WDW or Universal. It can run between $200-400 night, so it’s not inexpensive, but the quality for the same price as a Disney moderate is incomparable.
I probably would never pay for the JW out of pocket (too expensive), but I’d stay at the World Center again if looking for an off-site hotel.
ETA While I’ve never done it, I have contemplated staying at some of the Marriott Vacation Club properties (Grande Vista, Vistana, Harbour Lake), which are bookable through Marriott the same as any of there other properties. These are all 1 and 2-bedroom condos with full kitchen. Sometimes they are really affordable, like $200-300, and can fit 6-8 people comfortably.
In the end, I think I’d much prefer to stay onsite at CBR over an off-site property because of all the extra perks and the feeling of staying “in the bubble.” But paying for what I assume is 3 rooms would get expensive!
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I haven’t stayed at either hotel, but the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace is a MouseSavers Preferred Hotel, and they are pretty good about vetting their picks.