This week’s topic was to pick our favorite resort hotel in the Orlando area. We weren’t looking so much at the rooms, but instead at the entertainment and dining options that the hotels offered. What is your favorite?

Amanda
I found it very hard to pick my favorite resort. There are pieces and features of lots of resorts in town that I love, so picking just one that has everything I’m looking for is tough. When surveying the best of the best my mind invariably drifts to the various Disney resorts. But should I pick Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge with its amazing views of the African savannah right from your private balcony, delicious zebra dome desserts at their Boma restaurant, and amazing theming and attention to detail? Or should I pick Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground where you can camp in a rustic cabin, ride horses or Segways, and enjoy an old-fashioned marshmallow roast at the nightly campfire? And don’t even get me started on why I love Disney’s BoardWalk, with easy walking access to Epcot, a bevy of great dining options, and the fun of their dueling piano bar, Jellyrolls.

There are so many resorts to love, but when I think about which one has captured my heart the most my mind always takes me back to Disney’s Polynesian Resort. While I love every resort along the Seven Seas Lagoon, the Polynesian seems the least pretentious of the bunch. While it may not have luxury dining options like the California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort or, well, any of the restaurants at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the all-you-can-eat deliciousness of O’hana is something that can’t be surpassed by any of these other hotels’ restaurants. Schedule your dinner there for the same time as the fireworks and you’re treated to spectacular views from your table. The South Seas flair adorns every inch of this classic Disney resort, and you can even attend a nighttime luau. You get a lei when you check in and everyone greets you with a warm “Mahalo.” The entire place is covered in beauty and understated class and, best of all, you’re just a short monorail ride away from the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or a massage at the Grand Floridian Spa.

Jennifer
By far my favorite resort in Orlando is Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. Why? Because it’s so much more than a place to spend a night. Aside from the regular resort amenities - restaurants, shops, pools, etc., the resort is attached to a real ol’fashioned boardwalk that features a live piano bar, dance hall, ice cream and candy shop and several places to dine. It’s best to hit up the boardwalk on the weekends, as even more entertainment appears Friday and Saturday nights, including strolling magicians and the opening of arcade games.

Chad
When it comes to entertainment and dining at resort hotels, there’s really no comparison to the options found at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. You’ve got the ESPN Zone, Flying Fish, Spoodles and Big River Brewery restaurants (along with a pizza stand, bakery and candy shop), and entertainment at the ESPN Zone arcade, the piano bar Jellyrolls and dancing at the Atlantic Dance Hall. You can even watch the Epcot fireworks from the boardwalk every night. There’s also a Wyland art gallery where you can peruse or purchase paintings, sculptures and murals depicting ocean life with a touch of Disney.

If the Boardwalk Inn doesn’t qualify because it’s more of a hotel that’s attached to a nightlife district, I’d have to either pick the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studios or the Ritz Carlton off John Young Parkway. Portofino Bay is probably the most beautifully designed hotel I’ve been in and their offerings include wine tastings, great dining and one of the more romantic nighttime settings out in their plaza. The Ritz Carlton has its spa and golf course, two great options for any couple looking to get away for the weekend.

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