12 Best Off-Site Disney World Hotels that Will Wow You! (For Every Budget)
This article discusses what we consider among the best off-site hotels near Disney World. Each option is Resort’s Gal recommended, based on our experience staying at the resort and our many years of travel to the Walt Disney World Resort.
When you plan a Walt Disney World vacation, one of the top things on your list is deciding where to stay. Often, that decision is based on whether you want to stay on-site or off-site.
Many guests decide to stay off-site for a variety of reasons. For instance, staying at an off-site hotel near Disney World is often more affordable. Not only are some off-site hotels budget-friendly, but many offer extra perks like complimentary breakfast or shuttle service to and from the Disney Parks.
Other guests might need more space than the average resort hotel can provide. You might consider an off-site hotel that offers spacious accommodations within a reasonable price range.
Lately, with the demand for travel shifting from one extreme to the next, finding room availability at the Disney World Resort Hotels can be difficult. You might not be able to find a hotel to match your dates, leaving you to search outside the Disney bubble.
However, when you search for “hotels near Disney World,” you’re quickly overwhelmed with hundreds of options. So, we’ve compiled this guide to help you narrow those choices.
Choosing a Hotel Near Disney World
Before we get into our list, it’s important to note that the surrounding Disney World area has tons of beautiful resorts and hotels. You may or may not be aware, but Orlando had over 74 million visitors last year alone!
I don’t know about you, but that number is a little hard to wrap my head around. Nevertheless, Orlando is one of the most visited cities in the United States. For you, that means excellent hotel options in various price ranges.
Below, we’ve grouped our top options for hotels near Disney World based on those price ranges:
- Budget-Friendly (These options have prices worth your consideration.)
- Best All-Around (Moderately priced hotels with amenities your family will love!)
- High End (Luxury hotels with room service and high-end amenities.)
We ranked these off-site options similarly to Disney Resorts. Disney groups its resorts into the following categories: value, moderate, deluxe, and deluxe villas. If you’re also considering a Disney Resort, we have an article that discusses the benefits of staying in a Disney Hotel.
Location is our number one factor for including a resort on our list of off-site hotels near Disney World. All the resorts on this list will be within a reasonable distance of the Disney Parks.
Since this is a Walt Disney World vacation, you won’t want to spend 30 minutes or more driving to the parks in the morning and returning to the hotel in the evening. However, if you are traveling during the busiest portions of the day, you’ll want to remember that traffic is inevitable.
Other factors include budget, safety, cleanliness, and amenities. While it’s challenging to be the judge of safety anywhere these days–we only include places where we feel comfortable staying.
Since we live in the Orlando area, we often prescreen hotels before deciding whether or not to visit them. Unfortunately, many hotels look nice on paper but have less-than-desirable locations.
List of the Best Off-Site Disney World Hotels
Now that we got those things out of the way, here is our list of the best off-site hotels near Walt Disney World:
- Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott (Flamingo Crossings)
- Residence Inn by Marriott (Flamingo Crossings)
- Drury Plaza Hotel at Disney Springs
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista at Disney Springs
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace at Disney Springs
- Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
- Wyndham Grand Orlando Bonnet Creek
- Orange Lake Resort (Kissimmee)
- Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress (Near Disney Springs)
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando (Bonnet Creek)
- JW Marriott Bonnet Creek
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando (Golden Oak)
*Some hotels below include affiliate links to check the price. We may be compensated if you book a stay through those links. This comes at no cost to you and helps support our business. We pay out of pocket for all of our hotel reviews.
We’ll start with budget-friendly off-site hotels. Note that these hotels are not ranked in any specific order but merely to highlight each one. We have stayed at each of these hotels (except one) and would be happy to return.
#12 Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott at Flamingo Crossings
If you’re familiar with Walt Disney World, you’ve likely heard of Flamingo Crossings. This area is exceptionally close to Walt Disney World.
How close? You can see the gates of Walt Disney World with Mickey and Minnie Mouse greeting you as you pull out of the hotel’s parking lot onto Western Way.
Now, that’s close. Western Way dead-ends into Buena Vista Drive at Coronado Springs Resort. So you’ll be within about five minutes of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. On our last stay, I timed it, and it took us 15 minutes to get to Magic Kingdom and 11 minutes to Epcot.
This Fairfield Inn is only a few years old, which makes it even more appealing. Speaking of bonuses, the hotel offers a complimentary breakfast each morning. They have a few hot items like bacon and oatmeal. Then, cold offerings like cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt, coffee, and orange juice.
It’s not a five-star breakfast, but you aren’t paying a five-star price. This is the kind of thing that dads love, right? In all seriousness, having breakfast at the hotel each morning means you don’t have to worry about paying for it elsewhere.
Additionally, this hotel has no resort fees. However, since our last stay, this resort now charges a daily $10.00 parking fee.
A complimentary theme park shuttle service is also available. Unfortunately, while we’ve stayed here a few times, I haven’t taken advantage of the service.
All off-site hotel shuttles run on a schedule. So, while it is nice to have this option, you are restricted to their timeline. For us, we prefer to drive to the parks. However, you will incur parking costs at the theme parks. So you might use the hotel shuttle when it works for you and then take a car service or taxi at other times.
Probably my favorite thing about this off-site hotel is its rooms. It almost seems contradictory that when you pay less, you get more. But that is the case here.
Rooms at the Fairfield Inn are spacious and come with amenities like a microwave and mini-fridge. On our last stay, we bought groceries at the nearby Target (within walking distance) and prepared several meals in the room.
We have a Fairfield Inn and Suites at Flamingo Crossings review if you want to learn more about our experience with this hotel. Or you can check the rates for this hotel on Expedia.
#11 Residence Inn by Marriott at Flamingo Crossings
A Residence Inn by Marriott sits next to the Fairfield Inn at Flamingo Crossings. This hotel might remind you of a miniature Grand Floridian with its pretty white exterior and red roof.
Those looking for extra room to spread out while maintaining a budget will want to consider this hotel. We spent approximately two weeks at this off-site hotel, and by the end of this stay, I felt as though I could have lived there full-time.
Parking was a breeze! We could pull up near the hotel’s back entrance, enter the building, and immediately catch an elevator to our floor. After late nights in the parks, I appreciated the ease of returning to the room.
We stayed in a studio with a mini-kitchen, living room, dining area, bedroom, and bath. It was more than enough for two people.
Here is another look at the layout of the space. That desk area was a game changer, considering I work while traveling. I had the prettiest view of the pool while I worked.
Additionally, this hotel offers complimentary breakfast. But as of this update, they now charge a $10.00 daily fee for parking. So you’ll want to consider that fee with your budget.
But we still think, given the other amenities at the hotel, that it’s hard to go wrong with this option. If you would like to learn more about our stay, we have a review of the Residence Inn by Marriott at Flamingo Crossings. You can also check the Residence Inn’s rates on Expedia.
Other Off-Site Hotels at Flamingo Crossings
We love the Flamingo Crossings area and plan to stay at other options when time allows. Before moving to the area, we often stayed at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott. It shares a location with the TownePlace Suites.
We have a review of the TownePlace Suites by Flamingo Crossings, a pet-friendly hotel. While we didn’t have a terrible time, I didn’t feel it was a nice enough option to add to this list.
Here are two other newer hotels (we haven’t stayed at yet) that are worth considering:
- Home2 Suites by Hilton
- Homewood Suites by Hilton
#10 Drury Plaza Hotel at Disney Springs
Our newest hotel on the list is the Drury Plaza Hotel at Disney Springs. This off-site hotel near Disney World opened in 2023, and we think it’s fabulous!
Of course, if you’ve stayed at a Drury before, you already know why. But if you haven’t, get ready for the hotel to wow you! Their amenities are so good I almost don’t want to share them with you. I would rather you be surprised during your first stay.
Spoiler alert! They have a complimentary breakfast, an evening reception (dinner), and cocktails. Plus, popcorn and soda are available at various times throughout the day. Of course, you probably won’t be at the hotel for dinner every night. But when you are, you’ll find plenty of options to make a complete meal and a pleasant dining space.
Did I mention we were still in the budget-friendly options? This hotel has reasonable rates and no resort fees. However, they do have a $25.00 daily self-parking charge. So you’ll want to consider that if you have a car.
Our room at the Drury was spacious. It came with a microwave and mini-fridge. You could easily spend an entire week at the hotel and save money on meals with all the amenities.
This hotel is also located within the Disney Springs area. So you can walk to Disney Springs (about a half-mile walk) for dining and shopping. Scheduled shuttle service to the theme parks is available.
I cannot say enough good things about this hotel. For more details, you’ll want to read the entire review of our stay at the Disney Springs Drury Plaza Hotel. Or you can take a quick glance at Drury’s current rates on Expedia.
*The Drury at Disney Springs participates in early theme park entry, which we discuss in more detail below.
#9 Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista (Disney Springs)
Our next option for budget-friendly off-site hotels is the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista at Disney Springs. We’ve stayed at this resort several times and have found it a good value.
Since the resort is located across the street from Disney Springs, you can easily access the shopping, dining, and entertainment venue. Check our dining guide for the best restaurants at Disney Springs if you stay nearby.
This Hilton is the closest hotel to Disney Springs. Years ago, crossing the street to get to Disney Springs was a bit of a hassle. However, in recent years an elevated footbridge was added. So now the short walk is a breeze. (Elevators are available.)
The Hilton Orlando has several other amenities that make it worth our best off-site hotel list. For instance, they participate in early theme park benefits at Walt Disney World.
Early Theme Park Entry: Guests of select hotels can receive an extra 30 minutes in the parks each morning before regular guests. An additional 30 minutes ahead of the crowds puts you at a good advantage for touring. We have an entire list of hotels with early theme park benefits.
Additionally, this hotel offers continuous free transportation to the theme parks. Between being within walking distance of Disney Springs and these extras, the Hilton Lake Buena Vista is an excellent off-site hotel in the budget-friendly category. You can check Hilton Orlando’s rates on Expedia.
*Other budget-friendly options in the Disney Springs area include the B Resort & Spa, the Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista, Doubletree Hilton, and the Holiday Inn Orlando. We stayed at the Doubletree Hilton, and while we thought the hotel was fine, we didn’t have the best experience. As for the other hotels, we have not reviewed them.
This next set of hotels will fall in the middle of our budget-friendly and higher-end hotels near Disney World. These hotels will hopefully provide the best of both worlds without extreme expense.
#8 Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace (Disney Springs)
Our first stop for moderately priced off-site hotels is the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace at Disney Springs. It is not to be confused with the option we covered above (Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista). The Palace Hilton is a step up in amenities from the previous hotel.
Like its sister resort, the hotel is within walking distance of Disney Springs. Guests can take an elevated walking path to access dining and shopping.
This Hilton offers scheduled transportation to the Disney Parks. A schedule will be provided when you check-in. This hotel’s guests can also participate in the early theme park benefit.
As for Buena Vista Palace, expect various floor plans from standard rooms to island and tower suites. We had a junior suite on our last stay and found the room far more spacious than most.
But the wow factor at this hotel is its incredible pool area. Buena Vista Palace’s pool, the Float Lagoon, is a zero-entry pool that provides a lazy river with complimentary floats.
A state-of-the-art fitness center is also nearby for anyone wanting to get in a workout or two on vacation. Here are a few photos of the pool area.
This hotel charges a $39.00 resort fee. Additionally, self-parking runs $25.00 per day. Resort charges are added to your room rate at the time of booking. However, parking charges are additional, so you’ll want to remember to include them in your budget if you have a car.
We have a Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Review if you would enjoy learning more about our experience with the hotel. You can check current rates for the Hilton Palace at Disney Springs on Expedia.
#7 Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
Next, we’ll look at a hotel option we love at Bonnet Creek, the Signia by Hilton. The Bonnet Creek Hotels are conveniently located between the Disney Springs area and Disney’s Riviera Resort.
A convention center connects Hilton’s Signia to the Waldorf Astoria. However, rates are considerably more reasonable at the Signia. We’ll look at the Waldorf a little further down.
That said, resort guests can choose to use either of the resort’s pool areas. Both resorts have excellent pool complexes.
We love the Signia by Hilton because of the spacious guest rooms, amenities, and prime location. This Bonnet Creek area touches Disney property on three sides, so it’s practically on-property.
The Signia has a high-end look and feel. You’ll see lots of references to synchronized swimming throughout the hotel. It’s a fun touch that adds a good deal of interest.
My only complaint is that the resort and parking fees are outrageous. Self-parking runs $35.00 per day (valet is $48.00), and you’ll need to park in their parking garage, which isn’t necessarily close. Make sure to drop off your bags before parking.
Additionally, the resort fee is $45.00 per day, which is one of the highest around. Per their website, the resort fee includes:
Daily Resort Charge will be added to the room rate and includes WiFi; two bottled waters daily; Disney shuttle; access to fitness center and golf practice facility; golf club rental after 2:00 p.m.; pool tubes; 20% off spa services; Kids under 13 dinner included at Harvest Bistro w/ adult entrée purchase.
Don’t get me wrong. This Signia by Hilton is a fantastic resort with excellent dining, shops, and recreation. But you’ll want to know what’s included in the resort fee and take advantage of as many offerings as possible since you paid for them.
As far as the pool goes, you won’t be let down. The resort has a lazy river, water slides, a zero-entry pool area, whirlpool spas, and more. You’ll want to plan an entire resort day when you stay here.
In addition, this resort offers complimentary continuous private Mears transportation to the Disney theme parks. Since it’s continuous, it’s worth taking advantage of this option. When staying here, you can also take advantage of Disney’s early theme park entry.
We have a review of the Signia By Hilton at Bonnet Creek if you would like to learn more details. You can check the room types and rates for the Hilton Signia on Expedia.
#6 Wyndham Grand Orlando Bonnet Creek
While in the Bonnet Creek area, we’ll discuss another option that’s moderately priced while still offering considerable value. That hotel is the Wyndham Grand Orlando. If you enjoy exploring large resorts with multiple pool areas, this off-site hotel near Disney is a no-brainer.
Wyndham Grand Orlando sits across the street from the Signia by Hilton. It has a main hotel and six other towers that are made up of timeshares. It’s a massive property that’s part of the Wyndham Vacation Club.
Guests staying at the hotel can access all the resort’s pool areas, lazy river, and other recreation. Unfortunately, the only downside is the resort fee and parking charges.
If you would like to learn more about this property, try our Wyndham Grand Orlando Bonnet Creek Review. Since the pool area is so tremendous, we have a separate article covering the different pool areas at Wyndham’s Bonnet Creek Resort. If you enjoy pool-hopping, this is the resort for you!
You can check the current rates for the hotel portion of Wyndham Bonnet Creek on Expedia. If you need larger accommodations or some of the conveniences of home, you might check their timeshare program. This hotel also offers early theme park benefits.
#5 Orange Lake
We love Orange Lake and stayed at this Kissimmee resort on our first-ever trip to Walt Disney World when I was a child. That was more years ago than I would care to admit. But after all this time, we still love this resort.
Of all the resorts on our list of hotels near Disney World, this one will be the furthest away location-wise. It’s about 20 minutes from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I drive through this area almost daily and consider it close. However, you will have to deal with some traffic from time to time on Highway 192, which takes up most of the above-mentioned travel time.
Over the years, Orange Lake has considerably expanded. Those who want the entire resort experience will likely enjoy staying within the River Island portion of Orange Lake. River Island is a water park that makes up part of the resort.
It’s an absolutely stunning area with a lazy river you could enjoy for hours. We don’t even need to leave the resort when we stay here! But I’m sure you’ll also want to spend some time at Walt Disney World!
Orange Lake is part of the Holiday Inn Vacation Club (IHG). You can check the rates on Expedia. For more information, try our most recent review of Orange Lake.
#4 Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
We’ve stayed at so many hotels the mere mention of some has me expressing, “Oh, that’s one of my favorites.” But I do have several favorites.
However, two hotels on this list probably tug on my heart a little more than others. One is the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, which is near Disney World and around the corner from Disney Springs.
Hyatt’s Grand Regency Cypress sits on over 1500 acres offering a Jack Nicklaus signature-designed golf course, tennis courts, spa, and recreation area. In addition, the massive pool area features a winding waterway that travels through a cave.
This Hyatt has a waterslide, rock-climbing wall, bicycle rentals, trails, and more! This resort is charming and captured my heart most unexpectedly. I can only imagine staying here will be just as pleasant for you.
The resort provides a free shuttle service to and from Disney Springs in the evening. In addition, a scheduled shuttle service is available to and from the theme parks.
While I’m not a fan of high resort fees ($45.00 daily), the Hyatt has a long list of inclusions in its resort fee. They also have a daily self-parking fee.
What we love most is the peaceful pool area and tons of recreation. You can participate in a bike ride on private trails or climb a rock wall at no extra cost. This is another resort that makes you want to linger by the pool a little longer.
Below is a view from one of the upper levels of the resort. You can see how expansive the entire property is and so many of the activities available. Resort guests are using those tiny yellow canoes on the water!
They have good dining too! You can read more about our stay in our Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Review. Or check current rates for the Hyatt on Expedia.
While we’ve looked at some charming resorts in this review, we’ve yet to cover the luxury resorts near Disney World. The following selections are the hotels that offer high-end amenities with an expensive price tag.
#3 Waldorf Astoria Orlando
We head back to Bonnet Creek as we approach the end of our best off-site Disney World hotel list. Of course, anyone who books a stay at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando will likely be pleased.
As discussed earlier, the Bonnet Creek hotels are surrounded by Disney property on three sides, making all the hotels close to Disney Parks. Additionally, the Waldorf Astoria is on the list of hotels eligible for early theme park benefits.
As for the Waldorf Astoria, you can expect plenty of amenities. The resort has an 18-hole golf course and a glamorous pool area. Guests can also use the lazy river immediately next door at the Hilton Signia.
Waldorf Astoria has been ranked a four-star hotel in the Forbes 2023 Travel Guide. For reference, Disney has no hotels on the list. You can expect an elevated experience while staying here that you wouldn’t find just anywhere.
The Waldorf Astoria Spa is also available. They offer a Himalayan Salt Therapy room and massages, among other things. Guests can purchase various packages and enjoy breathing in the fresh, healing salt air while they relax.
This hotel has a daily resort fee of $45.00. It includes private Mears Coach transportation to the theme parks, complimentary golf club rentals after 2:00 p.m., and access to practice facilities. You can review the entire list of resort fee inclusions with other FAQs.
What we enjoy most about the Waldorf Astoria is the attention to detail. When we arrived, we were immediately provided bottled water, and the valet personally opened the doors at the hotel entrance for us.
Later, at the pool, we were greeted and waited on throughout the day. You can expect a level of service at this hotel that far exceeds most others. We have a review of the Waldorf Astoria Orlando if you would enjoy more details.
#2 JW Marriott Bonnet Creek
We have made it to our last option at Bonnet Creek and the other resort that tugs on my heart more than others, the JW Marriott at Bonnet Creek. If you said–what is your favorite hotel? This is the answer.
Going into this stay, I didn’t think much about it. But I was wowed by so many details. It is such a fun yet sophisticated hotel. Here is a look at our room, which I thought was modern and so comfortable.
Our bath had a separate shower and tub area, a lush cotton robe, and plenty of vanity space.
It remains the best experience I’ve had to date in the Walt Disney World Hotel area. Make sure to check out our JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Review. It discusses extras like brunch, room service, and premium television channels! You can check rates for the JW Marriott at Bonnet Creek on Expedia.
#1 Four Seasons Resort Orlando
Our last option for the best off property hotels near Disney World is also the most exclusive. It’s none other than the Four Seasons Orlando Resort. While we haven’t stayed at this particular Four Seasons, I am familiar with the brand and can offer a few details about this luxury hotel.
The Four Seasons Orlando is located in Disney’s Golden Oak community, which is considered Disney property. Different room views are available at the resort, including park views (fireworks), Golden Oak views, and lake views.
Four Seasons has numerous dining options, including signature dining at Ravello. In addition, Ravello hosts a special character breakfast with Goofy and Pals on certain mornings.
In addition, the resort provides complimentary luxury motor coach transportation to the theme parks and participates in early theme park benefits.
Four Seasons Orlando is well-known for its par 71 championship golf course designed by Tom Fazio. Regarding recreation, the resort has an Explorer’s Island featuring a lazy river, a water play area, and other fun aquatic features.
One of the pools at the resort has an infinity edge overlooking the lake. I think we can all agree, other than the high price tag, it’s an excellent choice, especially for those who like to feel spoiled and pampered. Check the Four Seasons rates on Expedia.
Did any of these hotels near Disney World wow you?
Hopefully, you found our list of the best off-site hotels near Disney World helpful in your Disney vacation planning. The entire Orlando, Florida area is a wonderful place to vacation! Plus, having multiple theme parks within close proximity is like icing on the cake.
As we continue, we’ll add (and sometimes remove) hotels from this list. We’ve spent countless hours preparing and updating it over the last few years. As with life, hotels change from time to time. So, we do our best to provide the most updated resort details.
So, did any of these hotels near Disney World wow you?
Additionally, if you are researching a specific hotel that isn’t on our list, feel free to ask about it in the comments. We are happy to provide feedback based on our experiences.
