Last year I got to visit Orlando Florida, and while I had visited in the past; I’d never really taken the opportunity to vacation and explore the city. I’d always wanted to, but my last trip there was ruined due to Hurricane Frances visiting (a pretty scaring experience, our hotel ended up flooding!). This time I was determined to make the trip worthwhile, and I had an amazing time!
So if you’re curious or ever planning a trip to Orlando Florida; here’s my getaway guide where I breakdown where to stay, where to dine, and what to do!
STAY.
TOWNEPLACE SUITES MARRIOTT
First things first! When visiting Orlando staying in close range to the biggest attractions like Walt Disney World or Sea World will make life so much easier, and the beautiful Towneplace Suites Marriott at Flamingo’s Crossings is the perfect place to stay. It’s located just minutes from the western entrance to Disney World, and what I like to call the quieter side of Orlando.
Brand new and open for a little over a year now, there is no resort fee and complimentary parking, hot breakfast, AND they’ve go a resort style swimming pool and fitness center!
I loved waking up in the morning and heading downstairs to grab hot breakfast and coffee before heading out for the day. Made vacation so much easier, and how cute are these Mickey Mouse shaped waffles?! Geared more towards extended stay, I definitely recommend staying here especially if you’re traveling with the family. The suites have everything you can need on site like kitchen in the rooms, laundry service, picnic pavilions, and gas BBQ. There’s even a pool side bar and grill!
DINE.
Drinks and Bar Food
Located on site this is the hotel’s poolside bar and grill, a casual sports-themed restaurant! I had dinner here my first night and it was pretty good. They’ve got a great variety including burgers, sandwiches, pizza and a great dessert menu! I love their cheesecake! If you don’t feel like going out for dinner, or you just want to lounge by the pool and get drinks then this is the spot!
DINNER
A night out in Orlando definitely requires visiting Disney Springs! Disney Springs is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It’s a beautiful area with tons of shopping and dining , and with four distinct areas there’s plenty to see.
I had dinner at one of the restaurants, Paradiso 37. Their menu reflects the “Taste of the Americas” and features over 37 countries of the “Americas”. Not only that, but they’ve got prime waterfront location so you can dine right by the lake. I recommend ordering their table-side caipirinhas to get the party started! They come with sugar cane and the bar tenders are super nice. At night time they’ve got live music, dj’s, and lots of dancing! Truly a memorable night!
DO.
DISNEY WORLD
Of course you cannot visit Orlando Flordia without visiting Disney World. It was my first time ever visiting Disney World, and with the help of Townplace Suites it was a breeze! There’s an info center in the lobby where you can get all the details on the Disney parks, and they can even help plan your excursion. They’ve also got a daily shuttle that will take you to and from the Resort, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot! If you’re up for it visiting more than one park a day can be a little tricky, but can be done. I recommend taking the time to visit one park a day so that you can really get to enjoy it.
Another excursion definitely worth doing is visiting Epcot for the Epcot Food and Wine festival. I broke down the festival for The Daily Meal, and you can read all about it here! It’ll be back this year through August 31st through November 13th!
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