While there are so many good reasons to stay on property at Walt Disney World, I recently had the opportunity to experience one of the Disney Good Neighbor Hotels. Disney Good Neighbor Hotels must meet certain standards and have many benefits that allow you to fully experience Disney at a bit of a lower cost. Many of you have hotel rewards points and this would be a great way to use them. I stayed at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort. It is so close to Disney Springs that you can see it from the hotel.
There is a walkway that crosses the highway that connects the resort hotel area to Disney Springs and Wyndham is the closest Disney Good Neighbor Hotel to the walkway! I stayed during the holiday season and the hotel was beautifully decorated. The lobby, though smaller, reminded me of a Disney Value Resort. There was a small bar area, a coffee shop and 24 hour grab and go area, two television viewing areas – one usually had the news on and the other a Disney movie, a business area with computers and two printers, three guest relation desks and a Disney gift shop as well as an ATM machine and of course the front desk.
There is no Magical Express service provided to and from the airport but, you can check your luggage straight through to the airport upon check out. Other amenities include a fitness center, small game room, tennis courts, basketball and sand volleyball, a beautiful pool with a kids area, a pool side bar, and a wedding pavilion. The rooms are fairly basic but do include in room safes and a refrigerator. Again, I would compare this to a Disney Value resort but it has not been updated as recently. Bus service is provided to the parks every 30 minutes starting one hour prior to park openings. You also still have the benefit of making fast passes prior to your visit and participating in Extra Magic Hours. You are not provided with a magic band, like when you are staying on property, but you can purchase one and link your tickets and all of your fast passes to it.
The convenience of having Disney Springs so close is a major selling point of this Disney Good Neighbor Hotel. I walked there for lunch and dinner at several points during my stay. The dining possibilities are practically endless! Everything from food trucks to high end dining options abound. I even took advantage of the close proximity of the AMC theater on a cold day. I was definitely able to take advantage of all Disney Springs had to offer by staying so close to it.
A large Lyft from the airport, for a family costs
about $45 each way. Also, there are “resort fees” that are added on top of your price per night so keep these things in mind if choosing to stay at one of the Good Neighbor Hotels.
Over all it was a very nice experience! If you are interested in learning more about planning your Disney visit around a Disney Good Neighbor Hotel, I would love to help you plan.
Contact Tammy to book your vacation!
Here are some more great pictures of the pool, lobby, and other areas of the hotel.
