Disney Springs Area Hotel Spotlight: Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area

Seasoned Walt Disney World travelers are surely aware of the three categories Disney divides its hotels into: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. Of course, there are also plenty of other hotels that populate the greater Orlando area. But not as many people may realize that there are other, non-Disney hotels that are on Walt Disney World property. For example, there are seven hotels located near Disney Springs that offer some of the same perks as Disney, but at prices that compete with or come in lower than even the Value resorts.

Recently, I had the opportunity to tour each of these Disney Springs Area hotels for myself. So, today, I'm kicking off a new series highlighting what each has to offer. To start, I'm going to take a look at the hotel that was kind enough to host me for my stay: the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area.

What to Know About the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area

Location

The Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area is located along Hotel Plaza Boulevard. Specifically, it sits between the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista - Disney Springs Area and the Renaissance Orlando Resort - Disney Springs Area. Guests can utilize the pedestrian bridges to easily and safely reach the shopping and dining district.

In terms of what that means for getting to Disney Springs itself, I decided to do an experiment. As it turns out, it took me exactly 10 minutes from the time I breached the doors of the Holiday Inn lobby to the time I cleared Disney Springs security. Granted, I walk pretty quickly, so maybe it's more like 15. Still, I think this illustrates just how close and convenient it is.

Lobby

When you walk into the Holiday Inn, you'll likely notice some Disney displays. During my visit, there was a Cool Kids' Summer giant ear hat as well as an R2 unit with a Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge backdrop. These small Disney touches definitely help build excitement for your trip.

Stepping into the atrium, I was actually reminded slightly of the Contemporary Resort. I also loved the colorful lanterns that hung above the restaurant. Apparently, these are usually kites, but the hotel has been experimenting with swapping them out seasonally. Either way, I thought they looked great.

Dining

In the heart of the hotel is the Palm Breezes Restaurant, where you can get breakfast. Next to that, you'll find the lounge area, which features lunch, dinner, and drink options. There's also a grab-and-go area with snacks, desserts, and beverages available. In the event the bar is no longer open when you want to check out grab-and-go, you can always head to the front desk to pay.

A major feature of this Holiday Inn property is that kids 11 and under eat free when dining with a registered adult (up to two children per adult). This offer applies during breakfast, lunch, or dinner — as long as kids order off the Kids’ Menu and the adult orders an adult entrée.

Shuttles

One of the biggest benefits of staying on property is the ability to take transportation to the parks. That's true at the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area too — although there are a few differences from what you may be used to staying at Disney-owned hotels.

For one, guests are required to make a reservation for the buses. At check-in, you'll receive the instructions for how to do this (including the code to enter to make sure it's free). In my experience, I was able to book a reservation basically up until the time had passed, so this wasn't a big deal.

Unfortunately, one disadvantage this bus system has to Disney's is that, rather than taking guests directly to the Magic Kingdom, it drops them off at the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC). In other words, leave yourself some extra time to get to MK, as you'll still need to hop onto a monorail or ferry boat after taking the bus.

Speaking of the buses, these double-deckers are an attraction unto themselves. Most guests excitedly headed upstairs, with kids in particular showing enthusiasm for the experience.

As for me, I took the bus to EPCOT, which was the second destination stop after the TTC. Plus, Holiday Inn was the first of three hotel pickups before that. Because of this, while the road there was long, the return trip was short.

Pool

For those days when you'd rather stay in rather than head to the parks, there is, of course, a pool on property. What's more, the pool area features some fun games that kids of all ages can enjoy. It may not be the biggest pool in the world, but it does feature zero-entry and is heated!

The Rooms

When booking the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area, you'll have a few different room options to choose from. First, you can choose between a room with a King bed or 2 Queen beds. Then, you can choose from a few different view types:

• Pool view
• Disney Springs view
• Fireworks view

My room was a fireworks view — and it was as billed. However, while I could certainly see and hear the fireworks, it wasn't the room-shaking experience I've had at some hotels. That was a plus in my book as there were a couple of nights where I wanted to get to bed early.

Something else I truly appreciated about the rooms at this Holiday Inn location was that they came equipped with both a mini-fridge and a microwave. To be clear, this is an actual refrigerator and not one of those "beverage coolers" that some hotels include. Then, having the microwave meant that I could not only keep my leftovers but heat them back up as well. Of course, each room has a coffee maker as well.

Room Rates and Fees

Now, you may be wondering how much it costs to stay at the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area. Well, obviously, room rates will vary depending on numerous factors — but, when I punched up random weekday dates in September, I was able to book a Standard room for $120 per night! And that includes the resort fee.

That resort fee is $39 per night. However, this not only includes the standard perks plus access to the shuttles but also grants you 2 welcome drinks upon arrival (valid for soda, juice, well cocktails, house wine, or beer). It also covers some other amenities, such as complimentary coffee in the lobby each morning – something I was sure to take advantage of.

As for other fees, the hotel charges $25 per night for self-parking or $29 per night for valet.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area. As I said, even though it's not the closest hotel to Disney Springs, the walk was still short and easy. I also appreciated the hotel's relatively compact layout, which made for a quick return to the room after a long day. On that note, having the grab-and-go market available came in clutch for those (near) midnight post-park snacks.

For all of those reasons, I'd recommend taking a closer look at the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area when considering your next Walt Disney World trip. And if this particular property isn't quite right for you, stay tuned to future installments of this series as we explore even more Disney Springs hotel options.