A Great Time in Orlando!

Discovery Cove - 5 minutes away from the HGVC on International Drive and Vineland, and by far the best bang for the buck of any park I've ever visited

If you're a Disney devotee, Animal Kingdom has the best mix of adult and kid attractions of all the parks in Disney World.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Rent a car unless you're not in a hurry and on a serious budget. Orlando is a drive-around town.

Best Things Nearby:
Discovery Cove

Best Things About the Resort:
New, stylish, and very clean, with a marvelous pool area

Resort Experience:
At the time we visited the Hilton Grand Vacations Club (September of 2005), it was less than 2 years old. In fact, the building that we were in had only been open for 3 weeks!

The one-bedroom unit we had was marvelous, roomy and well appointed. Some of the more notable aspects of the unit include a spacious bathroom with a full shower, a large Jacuzzi tub between the bathroom and bedroom, two TVs, granite countertops in the kitchen, and a screened-in lanai overlooking the lagoon.

The resort has a large pool dominated by a waterfall, with an outdoor bar poolside. Once a week, a current movie is shown in the pool area (they call it a "dive-in" movie). There is also a "quiet activity" room, "family activity" room, and nicely equipped exercise room, along with a small on-site market and deli. The staff is friendly and super-courteous, although one concierge was little more than a polite ticket seller.

The location could hardly be better, as Sea World is only 5 minutes away, with the farthest reaches of Disney World no more than 20 minutes away. There is a free shuttle to Sea World/Discovery Cove and Universal Theme Parks. If your shuttle drive happens to be Bob, you’re in for a treat. He’s knowledgeable and chatty to the point that you might want to just stay on the van. I would probably recommend a car if you’re going to be spending any time at Disney. The Disney shuttle is $10 a person, with only three departures from the resort per morning and three return times. We had one rather unpleasant experience with a shuttle driver at Disney, and that was sufficient enough to motivate me to make an irate call to the shuttle company.

If you’re looking for something other than the parks, there is a factory outlet mall just across the street, and the Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede Dinner Theater is nearby as well.

I’ll assume that you already have an idea or two as to why you want to visit Orlando, so with that in mind, I’ll just mention a couple of "gotta do" things.

First, the best value activity that I’ve encountered in Orlando is Discovery Cove. For one flat fee, you can snorkel with tropical fish and manta rays in a man-made coral reef pool (with all of your equipment provided); have access to lockers, showers, and changing rooms; lounge on the beach; enjoy a wonderful buffet meal; and receive a complimentary photo and 7 consecutive days admission to Sea World! For an additional fee, you can have a 30-minute encounter with a dolphin. Don’t let the price intimidate you; it’s worth every penny!

As for the Disney attractions, Soarin at Epcot is fantastic! The Disney-MGM Studios’ Tower of Terror is a true thrill, and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is not to be missed.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Good

It has good service and excellent food for a corporate chain. I had the salmon and she had the prawns appetizer and soup. Neither of us was disappointed. And as a coincidental note, the hostess was the daughter of one of the concierges at the HGVC.

We had breakfast there, which can be a pricey endeavor if you don't have kids that will fawn over the Disney characters that make visits to each table. The breakfast buffet is good, not spectacular, but with enough variety to satisfy everyone.

Don't bother unless you have at least one child who will love collecting Disney character autographs! The buffet is okay, although I did appreciate the excellent selection of vegetable dishes, but it's still a buffet. That always leaves me a little less than impressed when the price exceeds $15, and this exceeds that threshold.

It has excellent food, with a selection that will please adventurous eaters as well as the more timid types. The kids can be satisfied with spaghetti and meatballs, while the adults can have something a little more pleasing, like a Moroccan sampler. Oh yeah, and I enjoyed the live music and belly dancer as well.

We love zoos, and the animal collection, along with its display here, is excellent. It doesn't rank with the overall diversity of a more serious zoo, like the London Zoo or the St. Louis Zoo, but it's still well worth the visit.

This is still our favorite Disney park! We love the movies, both old and new. Seeing how they're made does little to subtract the magic of them. One show that we could do without, however, is the Extreme Stunt Spectacular (not to be confused with the Indiana Jones show). If you like loud, fast cars, you'll love it. If you're unimpressed with car chases, etc., have a nice dinner while the kids watch it.

I love this place! It's the best park I've ever spent time at. The price might be a little off-putting, but the value that you receive is spectacular! We did the less expensive non-dolphin swim package, as we didn't think that $100 extra for spending 30 minutes with a dolphin was worth it (you might feel otherwise). But with all of the equipment and extras you receive (don't forget, you get 7 days admission to SeaWorld for the base price also), it's a great buy. It is a most un-Disney experience, one to be savored. Also, this park is very accommodating to people with disabilities, and it even has beach-friendly wheelchairs if needed.

Okay, we're beginners at snorkeling. That means that we have neither the nerve nor the experience to be out in the open sea (yet). Discovery Cove (an adjunct park to SeaWorld) gives folks like us (or people with young children or disabilities) an opportunity to get up close and personal with tropical fish and full-size manta rays. The food is excellent, too, and included in the price of admission!