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Buena Vista Palace
Category: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels [Edit]
1900 E Buena Vista Drive, PO Box 22206Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
(866) 397-6516
$99 for Fall Esacpe
Dinner for two, bottle of wine, spa offers, subject to availability, must book online.
http://tinyurl.com/BVP...
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
49 reviews for Buena Vista Palace
Review Highlights
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"...value and close proximity to the parks and downtown Disney." In 18 reviews -
"The front desk was very helpful and friendly when we were..." In 8 reviews -
"Quick ride to the Magic Kingdom." In 2 reviews
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49 reviews in English
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Review from Lelia S.
Oldwick, NJ
4/12/2012
We had a great stay at this resort during Spring Break. It was a bargain at $119 per night plus the $17resort fee. I didn't mind the fee considering it covered parking, Disney shuttles, wireless internet and the usual resort amenities. Plus with the Winter escape package, we received a $75 resort credit.
The staff were all friendly and super helpful. Danielle at the front desk really made our stay special. On the second night we added a room and ended up movimg.to the 8th floor where we had a fabulous view of Epcot and both the Epcot and Magic Kingdom fireworks every night. The reason we added the room was for space. The rooms will sleep 4 comfortably but we had 2 kids and 3 adults. There is no sofa or pull out, just a smal corner chair. I had hoped ee could squeeze into a single room but we were much more comfortable in the joined rooms.
We had a light dinner in Kooks. It was true to the sports bar theme and the food was decent. I had the sliders (bacon cheeseburger, crabcake, and one other). All were tasty and pretty filling. Kids played with the Xbox Kinect so we didn't mind the short wait for food to arrive.
We also opted for in room dining after an exhausting day in the parks. We ordered 2 medium pizzas. Although they said it would take 35-40 minutes. It took closer to an hour and 10 minutes. So it was around 9pm but tey were tasty and did the trick, plus it was on the resort credit so it's hard to complain. Just keep in mind they are kind of sall. It was fine for a late night snack but if you want dinner, go for the family meal (4 pizzas).
Overal it was a great stay. We enjoyed te facilities and the proximity to Disney and convenient shuttles made it worth the very reasonable price tag. One note - we have stayed on Disney properties twice in the past. I would say the rooms are nicer here but the amenities are slightly less extravagant. That being said, it's comfotable and about a quarter of the price. Save your.money for the park tickets. Oh and check out http://www.mousesavers... for discounts! They saved us a small fortune. -
Review from Victoria B.
Canyon Country, CA
4/23/2012
The Buena Vista Palace is a mix of very good and whoo... not so good.
I stayed here for 11 nights in April 2012 and I've stayed here several times in the past ten years. The first room they put me in was an adjoining one on the 11th floor - the carpet on the 11th is grungy and in need of shampoo (or just replacing). I asked for a non-adjoining given the length of my stay and was put on the 21st.
Turns out, the families and kids on excursions are put on the lower floors and the business travelers are mostly on the higher floors. As a result, the higher floor rooms are cleaner and quieter. Not that quiet though - I could still hear the elevator dinging down the hall.
If you're planning on going to Disney parks, consider buying your tickets at the official Disney store on the first floor. If you buy a full price one day one park ticket ($91), you get the benefit of bypassing the ticket booths at the park.
BUT... if you want less than a full day (enter after 2pm, about $65, or enter after 4pm, about $52), they sell discounted part day tickets if you're attending a conference. (Just so you know... they didn't ask for any kind of proof when I bought the tickets. "Are you attending a conference here?" "Yes." "How many discount tickets would you like?")
For those who are confused about the free self-parking: it's outside the conference center, which is to the left before you go up the ramp to the front entrance. Yeh, it's a bit of a schlep, but it's not that bad IMO (better than paying how much?!! for valet parking). Enter the building through the conference center to get to the front desk - for heaven's sake, do NOT climb the outdoor stairs to the front entrance. It's too hot and humid for that.
There's a free bus to the parks, but we had an issue with getting back to the hotel. They told us the bus would collect us at the Magic Kingdom by the bus parking spaces 1 to 6 (it's at the far end of the lot, since the bus is not a Disney Magical bus). Okay. We waddled down there with very sore feet and swollen knees after a long day and after the parade, so a lot of people were around.
Half an excruciating hour later (Hot! Sweaty! Wet benches from torrential downpour!) the bus pulled up with "OUT OF SERVICE" in its banner. Unprintable language as the bus barreled past the 1 to 6 parking spaces (and us), headed for the front entrance, flipped the banner to saying "To Disney Hotel Row" and welcomed a horde of people aboard. Wait, dammit, wait!! Running and cussing, we just managed to catch it before it left.
We drove to Epcot the next day. Hey, another hint: if you have mobility issues (say, bum knees or whatever) but aren't so bad you need handicapped plates, let the parking people know. They'll put you in a close up spot that's not handicapped.
To me, there's another drawback in that the rooms have fridges but no microwaves. Downtown Disney (and the Earl of Sandwich, a sandwich... no other word for it than factory, they make and sell so many) are walkable.
Don't take a cab from the airport! unngh. Take the Mears shuttle or rent a car, which tends to be quite reasonable in Orlando.
There are better places to stay, but it's all right. Not spectacular. -
Review from Lauren H.
Holbrook, MA
4/1/2012
Just stayed there for a "destination wedding". Yes, it is pricey. Yes, there are some things you get charged for that you probably shouldn't (or at least not for as much as you are charged). I am not a frequent spa-goer, so tend to think that a trip to a hotel spa is a wee extravagence that I am treating myself too on a rare (but blissful) basis and therefore just plan for the cost accordingly. Never noticed any unusual/bad odors while we were there... I found the decor to be just peachy. Staff knew our names by day 2 of a 5 day stay (although that could have been due to our daughter introducing herself to everyone in sight anytime we walked around... she's 2) and it was nice to have a "kiddie pool" for her to splash around in that was a perfect depth (1 1/2 feet). .
Only bad thing: Maybe I could have guessed this but there was zero mention when we checked in of the fact that the room keys/cards can apparently become deactivated anytime they're within the vicintiy of a credit card or cell phone. We actually had never encountered this issue before at other hotels, so did not think about it until someone (not a staff member) mentioned it as a possible cause for our randomly being locked out of our rooms from time to time. Huh.
Other than that, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a classy, "non-Disney" hotel while still being on Disney property. -
Review from Alison M.
5/6/2012
I stayed here recently for a weekend at Disney and would probably do it again. the rooms are less kitschy then other Downtown Disney/ Buena Vista Park hotels. It's a very clean, modern looking hotel room, which I found to be a nice change. The room was fairly quiet except for one instance at 6 am when we were awakened by our neighbor's family discussion on why they weren't getting a dog. BTW It was an adjoining room. When we checked in we got a credit for food/ beverages at the hotel which was cool, but food there was so ridiculously expensive at the mini market and cafe that I still felt like we were getting ripped off even though we had to use the money or loose it. We ended up using the credit at the onsite restaurant Outback for dinner and it turned out to be a solid and tasty meal after a long day at the parks. Another nice thing about this hotel is that it has a constant stream of shuttles to all the parks. They say the shuttles come every half hour and that's about right. Just not exactly on the half hour. We found it to be much more convenient then driving or having to plan your day around the two scheduled shuttles other hotels have.
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Review from John P.
Charlotte, NC
2/25/2012
In searching for a location to hold an annual meeting, I made the mistake of checking this place out. While it looks great from the outside, this place is a dump. I don't think the carpets have been updated since the late 80's... from the looks of them and more importantly, the smell. Every place you go in this hotel has a different smell... and not in a good way. The breakfast area smells like 5 year old grease, the rooms smell of wet dog, their "good" restaurant will burn your nose, and the remainder of the hotel smells like day 5 of a college spring break.
Spend the extra money and stay somewhere else... anywhere else! I would highly recommend:
1) The Hilton across the street
2) Hilton Bonnet Creek or Waldorf Astoria (connected)
3) Yacht or Beach Club
4) Doubletree (down the street)
5) The back seat of your car -
Review from Jenil S.
San Diego, CA
4/24/2012
I did not like this hotel. Parking was too far away. You had to go throught the convention center and a flight of stairs and around several corners to get to the elevator. The rooms have no microwaves and the fridgerator is too small to even hold leftovers. The maids were not friendly and was annoyed when I came back to the room while she was cleaning. No HBO and hte concierge gave us directions that wre very misleading. There is no continential breakfast, no complimentary breakfastt. The food at the resturant is very expensive and so is the spa treatments. Wifi is $10.00 a day. This place is no palace! Save yourself some money and stay at a Hamplton Inn
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Review from John L. H.
New Orleans, LA
12/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The Buena Vista Palace is a nice hotel.
We were headed to Disney and needed a place to stay before moving to a Disney hotel. This hotel was one of the Downtown Disney properties, was four stars and seemed reasonably priced ($119).
The check in process was a breeze, as was valet parking. Our room was a double-queen with a balcony and couch. We didn't pay for the view of the Disney Park, but in the distance we could see something that looked like Epcot.
The hotel is in the Downtown Disney area, but isn't really that close. We tried driving there and all of the parking areas were full, so we just went back to the hotel.
The room was nice and comfortable. I would stay here again if I weren't going to Disney, but not if I planned on visiting the parks.
Note: Make sure to get the free wi-fi password at check in.Listed in: Off Disney Property
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Review from Keila N.
12/16/2011 9 photos
This hotel is located inside the Disney World property. There are a lot of hotels inside the Disney World property, but I thought this was the best place to stay if you're visiting any of the theme parks.
Reasons why I enjoyed staying here:
1. You can do laundry on the second floor for $7.25 ($3 for wash; $3 for dry; $1.25 for detergent);
2. It has two luxury bathrobes inside the closet;
3. It provides free in-room wifi access (code will be given at check in);
4. It gives you coupons to use at Downtown Disney;
5. Downtown Disney is within walking distance;
6. Bus to Epcot and Universal Studios come to the 1st level; and
7. There's a kiosk to print out airline tickets on the second floor.
$75 per day for resort feeListed in: Orlando, Florida
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Review from Allison K.
Whittier, CA
3/18/2012 4 Check-ins Here
This is a perfect location hotel !!!It has everything you need for a perfect family vacation ! From clean rooms and sheets to two swimming pools a hot tube ..meters away from downtown Disney ... Basketball courts , free wifi, a play area for kids, arcade, restaurant and mini market ..shuttle to the Disney parks ... My experience at the hotel was great the reason, I didn't give 5 stars is because the front desk was very rude when I came n, however the amenities make up for it ...
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Review from Vivian H.
2/25/2012
I don't particularly like to stay at big chain hotels or in a commercial place like Disney, but this was for work, so I am not going to complain too much.
You will be on the grounds of Disneyworld, so everything is very close by. The Disney Marketplace was within walking distance.
Just a note, if you are coming from the Orlando Airport, take the shuttle! I made the mistake of taking a cab and my bill came to $80 all together with tip. Never again!
Here are my notes for this place:
-They charge $16.95/day for a resort fee. This includes gym, parking, internet, the packaged coffee in your room. Whatever. Can't they just include this in the rate/night?
-They have Outback Steakhouse (yuck) on the first floor.
-They have Kooks Sports Bar, also on the first floor, which has 48 TVs. My head was spinning. They are open late until 2AM.
-Concierge is very helpful. You can get info about outlet mall shopping here.
-They have a small cafe on the first floor, but they will charge you $3.25 for a cup of regular Starbucks coffee. What a joke.
-They have two boutiques and an arcade on the first floor.
-The outdoor pool is nice which includes a kiddie pool and a hot tub. There is a pool snack bar and an actual bar.
-Walking distance to Disney Marketplace (or otherwise known as Downtown).
-A spa salon on the first floor, but overpriced.
-They have computer terminals on the first floor, but the computers were so slow!
-There is a kiosk to print our your plane boarding pass on the third floor.
-Baggage check is on the third floor.
-Guest laundry on the second floor.
Overall, not bad place to stay for a work conference, but I probably wouldn't stay here on my own volition. Too mainstream, too gimmicky, and too much of a rip-off for my taste. -
Review from Cristina C.
Orlando, FL
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Buena Vista Palace is my go-to hotel when I need to get away from home for a few days and pretend I'm on vacation.
I'm not really going for the location. While it's nearly across the street from Downtown Disney, as a local I have no need to go to Mickey's Evil Shopping Empire. If you're not from around here, knock yourself out. It's a good mile-long walk.
I'm not really going for discounts to the parks or as a base camp after going to theme parks. As a local, I don't really go to theme parks. If you're not from around here and like theme parks, there's a shuttle to Disney. Knock yourself out.
The hotel is in itself my destination, and I like it.
Pros:
-Modern rooms with absolutely no floral patterns anywhere
-Spa items in the bathroom
-Balconies in every room
-A staff that isn't overly friendly but doesn't spit in your face
-Affordable
-Never crowded
-Awesome pool that appears to be open 24 hours
-A poolside bar so you can drown out the screams of children with alcohol
Cons:
-Absurd parking situation. If you're smart, you'll cut through the convention center and laugh at the poor suckers in suits who are stuck working
-A bit nickel-and-dimey. Resort fees and a food shop that is ridiculously overpriced
-Huge deposits. I booked with a debit card on my last trip using http://Hotels.com. The hotel felt it necessary to put a $350 hold on my debit card which took five days to come off. I was not warned upon check-in about the hold, and this bothered me. I'd recommend using a credit card
The debit card hold was an irritant that might make me look elsewhere in the future, but this is a good stay in the area for a vacation or, in my case, a staycation. -
Review from Michael L.
San Diego, CA
8/14/2011
The good: Super comfortable beds, great location, nice clean rooms, friendly staff.
The bad: Parking is waaaay far from the lobby. The showers are mega death ray powerful. The water shoots out of the shower head so strong and fierce that if you jump in unprepared, it feels like a laser is slicing through your body. I made the mistake of facing the showerhead, turning it on full blast, and took a piercing shot of water right to my johnson. It was funny as far as dick jokes go. -
Review from Joe A.
Woburn, MA
4/9/2012
Awsome place to stay! We stayed in the main building which is the tall one. very clean and new looking. Beautiful views!
Wish somebody would have told us about the pool, sauna, and locker rooms in the spa. We founds out about it on our last few days there.
We stayed there for about 4 nights and then switched hotels to a place that was close to universal studios called the point orlando. After one night there, we canceled our reservations and re-booked at the buena vista. The management was nice enough to give us a discounted rate ( approx. $80/night) and let us return to the nicer hotel. I think he just felt bad for us.
they have shuttles to wherever you want to go and their location is inside the disney park so everything around the hotel is clean and beautiful. This place is right across the street from downtown disney which is where we ate all day everyday.
Great place. If we go to Florida again my wife wants to stay here again. -
Review from Amanda S.
Melbourne, FL
11/12/2011
Overall, this hotel was average or met most of my expectations. The rooms were clean, but small. My room did not have a bathtub, which might matter to some. The king bed room has a small desk, small closet, and small vanity area, limited storage, and awkwardly placed electrical outlets. Overall great location, within walking distance to Downtown Disney and other restaurants and attractions. Bus service was never on time and very slow, it took nearly 45min to drive 6 miles from Epcot to the Hotel at 8pm. I did appreciate the Balcony view of Epcot, request this and you can see the fireworks from Epcot and Magic Kingdom to avoid the late crowd of people leaving the park.
Although the hotel was nice, I can't give it a great review because of hidden fees and extra charges not outlined online when I booked, upon arrival to the reservation desk I was told I must pay an extra $22 to receive a promotional package I was told was included in the price I already paid. The promotional price was $89 a night, but after all the fees and extra charges a nightly rate was over $125. I was left rather unsatisfied with the outcome as I was stuck with a bill I didn't agree with after arguing with managers around the hotel. So, you have been warned.
Dinner at the Outback was very nice, quiet, and speedy. -
Review from Dave J.
San Jose, CA
2/5/2012
This place reeked of mold! all of the conference rooms we awful because it just circulated the mold in the air. In my bedroom the shower curtain reeked like body odor that's how bad the mold was. Woke up the next morning wheezing from the circulated air conditioning. When I checked out I even told the front desk how bad it was and the lady said oh I will make a note of that for our staff, and she didn't write anything down and went right back to what she was doing. Overall I would not recommend anyone stay here until they fix the mold issue!
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Review from Rick B.
12/9/2011
To "damn with faint praise", I'd say "not bad for a resort".
So I ought to qualify that thought to start with: I find that "resort" hotels tend to over-charge compared to similar hotels orientated at business travelers, and have inefficient and/or poor customer service. I therefore normally only go to these places if, as in this case, I'm at a conference that is located there, or alternatively where there are no other full service options (some holiday destinations).
I should also situate the appreciation to say I had absolutely zero interest in any of the "attractions" (Disney et al) in the vicinity: even as a young child I found Disney's lead character - Mickey Mouse - irritating in his best known form (not a lot of people know that very early cartoons had him as a more acceptable - less "syrupy" - character).
So, for this property:
The Good:
- The rooms are quite good, have normal business amenities (wired internet, laptop safe), and provide bathrobes (a discretionary extra I quite like)
The Bad:
- Customer Service (to deal with minor "glitches") was generally lackadaisical, but I would pick out one member of the Front Desk team - "Rebecca from New York" as very helpful - as the exception that proves the rule
- The Valet Parking staff are some of the rudest I've ever had the misfortune to encounter, trying excessively hard to scam people into using their unnecessary service (my contention remains that if you've trundled your luggage from baggage reclaim to rental car counter to parking lot at one end of a journey, why do hotels believe you suddenly loose this ability at the other end and so need Valet Parking and Bell Service?). When I finally - and not thanks to the (then) obscured sign or aforementioned Valet staff - located the self parking, it is a bit of a mess: scattered around, and with poor walking routes back to property due to lack of bridges over streams
- Predictably, the charges for incidentals (sodas from the shop, guest laundry, etc.) are excessive: about twice what I'd expect to pay at a similar level of hotel in a major city location
- Unless you get a bundled rate - which my conference organisers had fortunately secured - they will charge a $19.95/day "resort fee" to get Internet etc.(another one of those little "features" I deprecate at "resorts") which is NOT quantified in advance on any of the literature
- And a final little trap - unlike most business hotels, check out is 11:00 (not 12:00) ... which meant I was a little surprised by housekeeping banging on my door at 11:05 asking why I hadn't left, when I thought I had an hour left of working at desk time!
The Ugly:
- Nothing to warrant this level of disapproval, hence my original "not bad for a resort".Listed in: Staying
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Review from Grace C.
3/7/2011
It was a decent hotel for its price. We were "upgraded" to a lake view room so we got to enjoy the sunrise the following morning on our balcony.
The bathroom was smaller than I imagined for a "four star" accommodation. I was happy with the room overall.
I was not pleased to see that the sliding chain lock on our door was broken. There were two holes in the door where the lock used to be.
The pros of the hotel is that it's very close to the parks. It is also across the street from Downtown Disney. The hotel lobby was very beautiful and modern. The front desk was very helpful and friendly when we were checking in. We could checkout by calling the operator and leaving our keys in the room.
The cons: the parking lot is very far from the main building so unless you resort to valet parking, you would need to walk a fair distance between the hotel and your spot. The pillows were not comfortable and way too soft. The resort fee is approximately $17 per day. The TV channels were not very clear. -
Review from Julia W.
4/25/2011
My fiance and I were going to be in Orlando and doing the "disney" and Universal parks. We went over Memorial Day weekend and knew it might be a little busy.
We chose Lake Buena Vista due to it being a 'downtown disney' resort as well as value. The Downtown Disney hotels had free shuttles to and from the Disney parks (where we'd be seeing 3-4 parks). We ended up getting a rental car for the whole stay as we wanted the option to leave early and for Universal trips.
We got in pretty late on Thursday night and our room was ready. There is 'free' parking but the one downside is that it is not near the entrance to the hotel. We were never able to find parking in the lot closest to the door and had to park a ways out and walk in. Most of the time, I'd be fine with this but it was a very wet weekend in Orlando.
We had to haul our stuff up the long escalators as well as elevators to get to our room. I enjoyed our room as it was very large and had a fridge (which we used for bottled water and some snacks).
The one downside to the room (which other reviewers had mentioned) is that the rooms 'are' super thin. We had a neighbor next door who was partying (we could hear bottles clinking) at 1am as well as slamming doors in the halls all hours of the night. We did our best to ignore them but it definitely didn't help us sleep after a long day at the theme parks.
They also did not have breakfast included for the price that we paid for the room. I know some 'lower' end hotels provide breakfast (even if continental) but ours did not. We ended up buying breakfast items at the grocery store and eating them in our room before heading out for the day.
I really enjoyed the bathroom setup as the sink was separated from the bathroom so you could still use it while the restroom was occupied.
Overall, it wasn't a bad stay although the noise was a concern as well as the parking. We did not end up using the shuttles at all so I can't speak to that. -
Review from Irene Y.
3/10/2011
Expedia had a promotion for this hotel and after extensive research, we decided to give it a shot. Very comfortable and luxurious rooms. The room was large and had a mini fridge, tv, and a beautiful view of the lake.
They also had excellent pool facilities, was directly across from downtown disney, and had complimentary shuttles to all the parks (leaves every 30 mins). My only complaint is the hidden resort fee that is added to the bill. ($20 bucks a night). Ugh..
Overall I'd give it a 3.5 since we had a great stay until I saw the bill :/ -
Review from Jenny B.
Frankfort, IL
7/23/2011
I was so excited to visit Disney since the last time I was down there was over 10 years ago. We had a "free" stay at this hotel so we were pretty excited and was told that it was a Hilton hotel, which we felt was a good brand.
When we arrived we paid about $30 extra a night to have a "Fireworks" view. When we got to the room we couldn't believe how small it was. We felt pretty uncomfortable so we asked the front desk to switch rooms.
After trying 3 different rooms, we ended up offering to pay $90 extra a night to stay in a "water view suite"....WHAT A JOKE! All I could see out the window was the corner of a pool that looks like it wasn't updated since 1970. There were two double beds that looked like the sheets/comforters weren't cleaned and the table looked like a dog chewed the edges.
All of the walk ways were pretty run down and things just weren't in the best shape. I felt like they tried to cover up the ugliness the best they could but it didn't work.
Basically...I would never recommend this hotel....We end up packing out things and drove to the beach for a real water view! -
Review from Wolf G.
Westbury, NY
1/12/2012
Ever since my mom and I have come to the Walt Disney World Resort, we have stayed at this hotel every time we have visited with one exception when we stayed at the Hilton in Downtown Disney and we even stayed at this hotel when it was owned by Wyndham. We choose to stay here as the rooms are nice, the amenities are plentiful, and it is on Disney property without the Deluxe Disney Resort price tag. Like always, my mom and myself chose to stay in the Island Suite for around $279/night as it is roomy enough for us to stretch out after a long day in the parks. On January 4th, 2012, we arrived at the Buena Vista Palace where Dolan and Sean greeted us in a friendly manner and Sean the Bellhop got our bags up to our room quickly. We were checked in in less than ten minutes by Rebecca from New York, who was very friendly and chatty as well! After checking in, we went to park our car as we did not want to valet. Once we parked, we made our way to Room 4424 in the Island Suites building, which was clean with little to no wear and tear. We found the pressure of the showers to be excellent and the beds were very comfortable! When we were not at the parks having a magical time, we enjoyed the swimming pools, which were kept at a nice warm temperature, immaculate, and well maintained, despite the fact that they seemed like they were constructed in the Reagan era. I also enjoyed soaking in the pleasantly warm hot tub to soothe my body after long days at the theme parks. I should also note that the pools are open 24 hours, making them perfect for swimming anytime. My mom and myself enjoyed the fitness center as well, which had equipment that worked well, was a nice size, and was clean. While we rarely ate the hotel as we bought groceries and usually ate at the parks, there were certain exceptions in which we used the hotel to eat. At the Watercress Mini Market, I bought Starbucks coffee for my mom which was delicious, but overpriced at $3.99. While most of the room service items were expensive with their markups and different surcharges, the Pizza special was an exception as I had a Whole Pizza and 2 liter Diet Coke for $13 with the 20% surcharge and it was high quality as well! Also, we ate at the Watercress Cafe for breakfast before we left on our last day for the airport, which was reasonably priced at $21 in change and had delicious food. In addition, from bellhops to maids to maitenance people to the concierge to the front desk, everyone served us with a smile! Checking out was easy as we were able to call the front desk to check out without having to trek to the front desk. All in all, I recommend the Buena Vista Palace as a deluxe resort to stay at on Disney property without the Disney Deluxe Resort price tag!
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Review from Josh U.
Metairie, LA
9/17/2010
When traveling to Orlando I've always stayed at Disney or Universal resorts. However on this trip I was able to get a really good deal on a room at Buena Vista Palace ($100/night).
The room was very modern and looked to have been updated somewhat recently. However it felt a bit tattered. The only real complaint here is the parking situation. I chose to park the car myself instead of using the valet option. The walk to and from the hotel was by far the longest walk I've ever had at any hotel.
Overall at $100/night this was a great value. -
Review from Shannon B.
Seattle, WA
9/13/2010 3 Check-ins Here
On Disney property, adjacent to Downtown Disney - location can't be beat!
The hotel upgraded some things recently and it shows. The room interiors are now updated and have a chic feel to them, and the beds and bedding are very comfy and great for sleeping.
Good cleanliness overall, but the fact that someone else's oily forehead mark stayed on the window glass of my room for THREE DAYS before the window was cleaned kinda grossed me out. And, it made me wonder what else they skipped over in their cleaning.
Room service was good, the restaurants appear solidly decent and the service was timely. Valet service was friendly without exception as well. I enjoyed the pool twice, and again, great service from the woman overseeing the sundries and towels hut. Loved being able to watch the exotic birds strut/gambol/walk across the lawns while I relaxed and read my book. -
Review from Eric L.
Monterey Park, CA
12/29/2010
This was a nice hotel that is basically across the street from Downtown Disney. We got a good deal from Expedia. Our room was in the second building which is kinda a long walk from the main building. Also, the parking lot was also a long walk from our room. But we didn't have to use the car too much because they have shuttles that take you to the theme parks every 30 minutes. The rooms were nice and clean.
My only complaint is that the internet stopped working while we were there. I contacted the front desk and they said that the technician came but couldn't fix the problem. And they didn't offer any apology of any kind. Since I was on vacation, I didn't mind too much but it would suck if you were there on business and really needed the internet. In this day and age, it can't be that hard to fix the wi-fi at a hotel. -
Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
2/2/2008
This Hotel is located in the "Downtown Disney" resort area hotel row, actually on Disneyworld's property, albeit some distance from attractions. There is a bus to Disney World. The Hilton Orlando Resort is also a part of Downtown Disney, as well as the Doubletree Guest Suites, Regal Sun Resort, Holiday Inn, and Royal Plaza.
The BV Palace is part of the Luxury Resorts "LXR" collection of more upscale settings. Similar hotels belonging to this affiliation include The Boulders in Carefree, AZ, The London NYC, Carmel Valley Ranch, CA, The Saratoga in NY, Georgetown Inn, in DC, and several properties in Puerto Rico, Florida and the Florida Keys.
What do you get in a "Luxury" Hotel that you may not get in a business hotel?
A) 2 terry bathrobes
B) Larger and more bath products
C) Finer, more elegant appointments, rich wood, clean lines/patterns
D) Slightly better and larger bath towels
E) 4 pillows instead of 3
F) Less riff raff other guests
G) Spa, Golf, or both
H) Larger grounds
This place has a full service spa. Examples from their price list:
Massages in either 50 minutes or 80 minute sessions:
Swedish 100/150
Deep Tissue or Aromatherapy 110/165
Shiatsu 120/170
Hot Stone 130/180
Mother-to-be or Cranial/Sacral 120
Facials 75 - 150
Body 75 - 175
Manicure (50 min) 50; Pedicure 65
Full hair Salon with cut, color, treatments
Also full nail salon, waxing, tanning, and kid treatments
Actually, the Buena Vista Palace is pretty reasonable for supposedly being Luxury. Winter time specials can be had for $139/nt. Normally a room is between $169 - 199. Suites from $200 - $299
This place is more for couples than families. There are better choices for families in the area. There is a convention center for meetings, with many meeting rooms. Self parking is free but out of the way. Valet is $15/day. There are 2 restaurants and 2 bars on site. Service is average. Buena Vista is also the name of Disney's Film distribution arm. I think they used it for their hotel properties. There are at least 2 other hotels named Buena Vista. One is the high rise Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort, lower end adjacent to this one. The other is mid range Buena Vista Suites, next to the Caribe Royal. This is the Palace, the better of the three.Listed in: Wanugee! Hotels, Wanugee! Orlando
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Review from Melissa F.
Sarasota, FL
2/7/2011
I will start with the good...
- Beautiful hotel inside and out.
- Walking distance to Downtown Disney.
- Quick ride to the Magic Kingdom.
- Close to the highway.
- Clean hotel room and bathroom.
- Could buy tickets to Disney in the hotel.
- Many restaurants to choose from.
- Lots of TV stations
- Price was pretty cheap $99 a night
- It was a safe place to stay.
- Had many amenities.
- They had CEILING FANS! Thank you GOD!
The bad...
- The sheets were so hard and loud. The sounds kept me up all night. If you bring your own sheets you might be fine.
- The air wasn't working, they fixed it though.
- The phone couldn't call guest services. Could never get the message that was blinking.
- Shower handle came of and almost hit my fit. It didn't but it was close and heavy!
- The feather duvets are nice, BUT it is FLORIDA and the duvet was the only blanket you had. So, it was either a paper sheet that was hard or a soft duvet that made you sweat all night. Florida needs light blankets.
Overall...
It wasn't a bad hotel, but when you can't sleep it kind of overshadows everything. I brought my own pillow and still couldn't sleep. My husband and son didn't either. The location was amazing and so convenient. If I could have slept nothing else would have mattered because the location was great and price was decent. I don't like to pay a lot for hotels in Orlando because you are barely there, but a comfy bed is a must so I might need to spend more next time. -
Review from Mary Beth H.
Jackson Heights, NY
2/19/2009
I stayed at this hotel while working for a dance convention/competition on site, in the hotel's ballrooms. My employer arranged to pay for my room tab, along with my 12 coworkers' room tabs.
As with most hotels, the Buena Vista Palace required me to put down a credit card to cover "incidental" costs. Upon doing this, I asked the woman at the desk if the room charge was going to be put on my credit card, and she said, "Oh no, this is only to cover room service."
When I checked out of the hotel, my balance was 0.00, and my employer was charged for my stay, per usual.
Six months later, the Buena Vista Palace Hotel has charged my credit card $850! I never would have known, had I not looked at the transactions on my credit card bill. My coworkers received the same charges, as well!
Apparently, the dance company I was working for, skipped out on their bills, and the Buena Vista Palace went after all of us who were working for them. Every one of us that checked into the hotel had been charged for our week-long stay.
When we tried to dispute the charges, we were told by our card companies that we signed a paper that says we would pay for our rooms if our employer didn't cover the costs!
The people running this hotel are deceitful human beings. There's no better example of an overpriced, "take your money and run" sort of hotel, than this. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Bradenton, FL
8/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very nice view. Clean, modern style rooms. My husband and I will definitely stay here again.
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Review from Carrie U.
4/17/2008 4 photos
This hotel is located right across from Downtown Disney, yet seemed secluded. Maybe it was the nature preserve to the right of the property, or the lake bordering the back. Whatever the reason, I had a relaxing time here. I had a great view of the lake and part of the nature preserve. (stayed in a lake-view room on the 22nd floor)
Apparently the rooms were recently renovated. They are really nice. They didn't finish painting the exterior of the building, however. They cut corners and forgot to paint the undersides of the ceilings over the balconies.
Keeping it concise:
Pros:
-24 hour (heated) pool/hot tub
-Great toiletries
-Nicely furnished rooms and stuff to use (bathrobes)
-Nice landscaping
-Nice housekeepers (ran into them a few times, always asked if I needed anything)
- Resort fee actually got you something (at least 2 waters a day, spa usage (sauna, steam room, gym)
-Free internet (you can get a coupon at the front desk with a code for free internet)
Cons:
-No (free) airport shuttle. No Magical Express.
-No "key to the world" Disney pass
-No parking pass= no hopping/visiting Disney resorts (boardwalk, port orleans..)
-Convenience store not open late (inconvenient!)
-Resort fee
-Expensive bar/restaurants
-Lots o suits (business people) bring down the party atmosphere
-Even though Downtown Disney is across the street, getting there is like playing Frogger/ you still have to walk across the entire parking lot
-Small tub. Had to ask for one
Oh yeah: Skip the spa. The staff is really nice and friendly, but the facilities are in desperate need of renovation. -
Review from Lucas P.
Lake Buena Vista, FL
11/1/2011
Neat, clean and helpful staff made this a pleasant stay while we visited Disney.
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Review from justin m.
Naperville, IL
9/5/2008
We stayed here for 4 nights at $159/night.
Location was good, $58 cab ride from the hotel. Various buses will take you to the nearby attractions and downtown Disney is walking distance.
Had a cockroach in our hotel room, hotel comped us $75.
Restaurants on the property are bad (Steakhouse was terrible, sports bar is neutral)
Internet access is $12.95/day.
Decent workout facility, treadmills and free weights.
Overall, decent not great. Cockroach and poor onsite restaurants lead us to a 2 rating. -
Review from Ronald J.
Tallahassee, FL
8/24/2011
So I'm going to talk about the hotel. Is really great! The rooms are very spacious. The service was good. The handicapped accommodations are some of the best I've seen. They have a full bar with a good scene.
The hotel has an Outback in it. The menu was limited.
The room service had a better menu than the Outback. The prices seemed high, and the wait for room service was 2 hours. But, I would recommend hotel. -
Review from Linnette L.
Los Angeles, CA
7/22/2011
Pretty terrible. Nice lobby and conference room, but that's about it. Low quality customer service--I've had much better.
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Review from Andrew G.
San Francisco, CA
6/13/2008
I had a lovely time at this property last weekend, and plan on staying here as an actual registered guest when I return next June. I didn't intend on sampling so many rooms, but one thing led to another and I kicked my Starwood-whoreness to the curb.
I didn't try the spa facilities, but I did try the pool. At noon. at 3pm. at 3am. and at 6am. My what a nice facility, at all hours of the day. We never were really admonished after-hours pool use, as some other hotels tend to do, rather, the hotel staff was very professional and allowed us to play music, swim, and converse amongst ourselves. The music got kinda loud in the afternoons, but there was some special event happening so I'll excuse that.
My friends were mostly in the back building next to the pool. I spent a couple of nights in what seemed to be a high floor double queen. The amenities looked nice, and the room looked like it had a recent remodel. The bed was fantastic and comfortable, although I think we had a few too many blankets for the hot humid air. Plenty of soft pillows as well, although I think we lost one.
The two level suite I viewed appeared to have the same stuff, just much much bigger (duh!). It had nice balconies on both levels, upstairs being very private (if you can slip out with others noticing) for spending time with someone special, or perhaps some sun bathing. There was a nice full bathroom downstairs, which really lacked in privacy when showering, but I suppose that's my fault for opening the door at the wrong time.
I got the opportunity to meet some of the staff, they were very dedicated and took great pride in ensuring guests had a comfortable experience.
Cell service sucks in the conference center, come on, the state is flat! -
Review from Heather M.
Menlo Park, CA
7/26/2009
I stayed here for a conference for a week in July. The setting was attractive and you could not beat the fact that you were in walking distance from Downtown Disney. They offer shuttles for free to the various Disney parks. The gym was nothing spectacular but there were enough treadmills and a variety of weight training machines. I was traveling alone and felt safe. They have on-site car rental. They helped arrange a shuttle back to the airport and the food was average.
The following is what I experienced during my week stay, 1 out of 4 staff were helpful and in general the staff seemed to be annoyed. My room door had been left open by housekeeping and it took three phones calls to the front desk to stress my concern and to feel like they understood that the door was broken. The worst was part was there were cockroaches in my room, and when I reported my findings I was told that they would "make a note". I would recommend that you make appointments for spa before 5:00pm, I felt rushed out because they wanted to close (i.e. the spa attendant would not give me a pair of spa slippers since i was wearing flip flops and she took my away from me as I was getting dressed).
I would not stay there again as I feel there are other hotels that would provide much better service even if I have to pay more. That said if you know that you are going into an average hotel and not the "luxury" hotel it is presented as than maybe you would not be disappointed. -
Review from Henrik C.
1/23/2010
This hotel is located inside the Disney Property in Orlando. It is thus in an ideal location if you want to explore the different theme parks at Disney. Easy access to a variety of places, especially great if you go there with kids.
Went there for a conference. The cab ride from the airport is ~$56-60. The hotel is a bit run down. The layout of the hotel is at best confusing. I am sure it is fun to run around the place if you are on vacation. For business, maybe not.
The room are spacious but the bathrooms are tiny and really not up to present standards. Beds are soft and of good size and quality. The TV/cable selection is minimalistic. There is no mini-bar (really!)
The room prices are ~ 160-220, which is to be expected for a facility on Disney land. However, there are quite a few better options at that price, so be choosy.
Went to their restaurant for breakfast. The food is greasy - the omelet was close to swimming in fat. Not a great experience and the service was barely seen.
The conference facilities are pretty good for groups up to 200-300 people. Obviously there are easy ways to entertain the rest of the family while you attend a conference. So if you want to make a mixed vacation / conference it could be an OK place, but regular conference attendance there are many other better places around Orlando.
Would I go back? Not, if I can avoid it. -
Review from Sam H.
Redmond, WA
6/11/2007
Summary: The room was nice, but the hotel itself sucked.
If you're not going to Disney and you're in Orlando, this is not the place for you. There's NOTHING to do around the hotel, which has been recently renovated. Despite that, the hallways around the lobby smell like urine.
My room itself was nicely equipped... nothing extraordinary, but pleasant.
Also, when I was there a gay pride convention was happening. The men were wearing nothing but speedos everywhere and there was a lot of... umm... public affection around the pool and in the lobby areas. My friend got hit on in the elevator.
If I were there with my family I would have been livid. Also, I didn't book that far in advance... it would have been nice to put out a little warning for conservative folks like me.
If I were headed to that vicinity, I'd stay at the Residence Inn about a mile from Disney. It has excellent rooms and great staff and the rooms were cheaper last time I was there. The only reason I didn't this time was because I was at a Microsoft convention. -
Review from Chris S.
Arlington, VA
8/6/2009
Be prepared for lots of kids but that is a given considering you are on Disney property.
Rooms were decent size, flat panel TV's, all rooms have balcony's. Pool is open 24/7, there is a Bar and restaurant/snack shop at the pool.
Overall, good hotel for the price. Where else can you be within walking distance to downtown Disney for only $99. -
Review from Grace M.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
Ants, late room service, dirty bathroom, and poor customer service.
I have found two large ants in my room. Yuck!
My room service was supposed to come within a 1/2 hour period but it came 10 minutes after the period. No apologies just a really lame "oh".
I had the hotel call a cab for me but when I got outside no taxi. They said there was one earlier but it was for another lady. They called another cab and when one came they gave it to someone else whom they say was waiting 10 minutes. I was waiting 15 minutes and I called 45 minutes earlier!!!
And, the showers hurt. The pressure is so hard it's like pins and needles.
I don't recommend this hotel. -
Review from Craig M.
Orlando, FL
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Old pool, update from 5 years ago is nearly worn out. Nothing palatial about it (honestly, I expected it to look like a palace - lol). It's nice for $99/night. Shocking that they charge a resort fee - especially since everything resortish is old and dilapidated. However, they put on a nice event and congrats to the newly married couple.
