Where you stay in Orlando, Florida all depends on what you are coming to Orlando for! Orlando is a popular tourist destination, but also a popular destination for people on business trips or on stopovers. With so many options and reasons for people’s visit to Orlando, it can be difficult to figure out exactly where to stay.
Orlando Hotels Near Disney World
First of all, the majority of people who visit Orlando are doing so because they want to visit one of the many theme parks in its vicinity. For example, Walt Disney World Resort – with its four theme parks and assorted other attractions – is incredibly popular and located near Orlando. SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Studios Florida, along with the Holy Land Experience and even Gatorland, are other theme parks that attract visitors from all across the globe. So if you are planning on visiting any one of these parks, you need to be aware of which one it is specifically, and where it is located.
For example, some may make the mistake of assuming that all or many of these parks are connected. This isn’t so; Walt Disney World is not the same as Universal Studios Florida. If you buy a ticket for Walt Disney World, you are strictly gaining entrance to that park. So make sure you know which park you have bought or are buying admission for before doing anything else. Secondly, discover where that park is located. Walt Disney World Resort is not actually located within the city of Orlando! Many people do not realize that and book a hotel located in Orlando, only to discover that they have to travel all the way to Lake Buena Vista, which is around twenty miles away from Orlando.
Of course, you can always stay in Orlando if you are headed to Walt Disney World Resort (and one of its incredibly large four separate parks) – especially if you are going to be frequenting other places in Orlando! But if you want to be as close as possible to the Disney parks, it is probably best to book a hotel in Lake Buena Vista itself or in a nearby area such as Kissimmee.
Downtown Orlando Hotels
If you are primarily visiting other theme parks that are actually located in Orlando or more directly near it (such as SeaWorld Orlando or Gatorland, among others), you can stay pretty much anywhere you wish to. If you find a great hotel deal on a hotel in downtown Orlando, take that! If you find an even better deal located somewhere else inside of the city, take that! Just be aware of where you are staying in relation to where you want to visit. Obviously, if you intend to explore the city as a whole and not just stick to visiting one or more of the amazing theme parks, you have a bit of room to play with as for location.
Now, if you are only staying in Orlando overnight for whatever reason (perhaps there is a stopover in your flight, or you are on a business trip, etc), you may want to consider finding a hotel near the airport. One, it will save you money, especially if you are not planning on venturing into Orlando – or, if you are, not venturing into Orlando repeatedly – and it will be convienintly near your pending flight. There are two different airports in the vicinity of Orlando; Orlando International Airport, and Orlando Sanford International Airport. Again, you will want to check exactly where your airport is located and which hotels are adjacent or close to it. You don’t want to make a mistake and book a room near Orlando Sanford International Airport when you actually have a flight coming out of Orlando International Airport. These small but ultimately annoying or costly mistakes can put a damper on any trip. You want to enjoy your stay in (or near!) Orlando, no matter what the purpose of the stay is!
The Orlando Area
Orlando is a large city. It is the “center” or the hub of the Greater Orlando area, which encompasses cities and suburbs such as Kissimmee, Sanford, Tavares, Winter Park, Oviedo, Clermont, and Altamonte Springs. Some may think they are staying in the actual city of Orlando, Florida when they are in fact staying in the Great Orlando Metropolitan area. Getting a hotel in downtown Orlando may be a mistake if you are actually supposed to be in Kissimmee, or Lake Buena Vista for Walt Disney World! Now, this is not necessarily a huge misstep, nor a bank-breaking one, but it can be inconvenient to travel when you had not intended to. Be sure of where it is you are supposed to be staying before booking your hotel. If you have questions, don’t be afraid to call up different hotels and ask them about where exactly they are located, and what is near them.
International Drive
Most theme parks and attractions, with the exception of Walt Disney World Resort, are located off of International Drive, a tourist strip found outside of Downtown Orlando. This is also an ideal place to grab a hotel if you are visiting Orlando for its variety of theme parks. Figure out the distance between the place or attraction you are aiming to visit and its relation to International Drive. You can save yourself time and money by doing some quick research. It is worth it to call up a hotel, do an internet search, or look at a map in order to find you the best hotel in the most ideal location for your individual needs.
You should have enough information to determine where you should or would want to stay in Orlando, depending on the kind of trip you are taking. No matter your destination, the city of Orlando has many wonderful things to see and explore, so don’t limit yourself with preconceived notions of where you absolutely have to be. Look around and find the best hotel for your budget, as well as location. It isn’t hard at all and you will be happy you did!