Description: I always have a very nice stay at this hotel. This really is probably the best Holiday Inn I've ever stayed at. It's extremely family-friendly (obviously due to its very convenient location to the major Orlando theme parks). They even have a kid check-in!
Accommodations:
The rooms are your basic Holiday Inn room--very clean and basic. I would suggest requesting a view of the pool, but it's completely up to you. Being a college student, I took cost over view and was completely fine with it.
Pool:
The pool is very nice and a very clean area. The colors around the hotel make it a wonderful scene. At the time I visited, there was a steel drum band playing by the pool, and there is a pool bar with snacks and alchoholic and non-alchoholic beverages. It's a great way to catch some rays!
Hotel Attractions:
There is a little convenience store inside where you can get most snacks and breakfast foods and small meals. This is a great stop right before you head to a theme park. There is also a little arcade and a gift shop.
The Shuttle Issue:
Yes, they do offer shuttles to the theme parks. I used them to travel to the Disney theme parks. A few problems with this: They do not stay as late as the Disney shuttles do, meaning you do not get to appreciate all of the Disney night shows--you're basically hauling your butt across the Seven Seas Lagoon, making sure you don't miss the last shuttle. Extremely annoying. They are also usually late or early, never on time. They also travel to other hotels sometimes, and when you are tired and beat you still have like, five other hotels to stop at before you get to your own. The last time I stayed here I did not have a car so there wasn't an option. If you are willing to pay the outrageous parking fees, take a car... you don't want to miss the fireworks!
Overall, I have stayed at this hotel probably three or four times and always have had a pleasant experience; I recommend it to families who want to avoid the Disney resort hullabaloo (even though I love Disney resorts) and go by their own schedule.
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