If you’re visiting Orlando this year and bringing the kids, you’ll probably check out Universal Studios or one of the popular Disney attractions. Disney and Universal compete for tourist dollars. Each comes out with new rides and exciting attractions nearly every year.
If you want vacation rentals, Universal Orlando has great ones very near the park. You can also find some not far from the Magic Kingdom and the other Disney properties.
When you book your hotel, you should make sure you’ve found a good one. Let’s talk about how you can do that, and also how you can enjoy your time there once you arrive.
Shuttles to and from the Parks
First, you should check and see whether the hotel or resort you’re investigating has some shuttles that run to and from the parks each day. Whether you want the Disney or Universal attractions, you should book a hotel room with a property that runs shuttles frequently.
That way, you can get a lift to and from the airport and the parks as well. You can get there early in the morning so you can get on your favorite rides right when the park opens. Later in the day, the best attractions have longer lines.
Look at the Online Reviews
You should also look at any resort or hotel’s online reviews before you book a room there. You can learn a lot about any hotel or resort when you Google it and see what comes up.
You might see many poor Google reviews. The individuals and families who stayed there before might post about any negative experiences that they had.
Negative reviews that the hotel or resort did not address online indicate you probably won’t like this location. Even if a customer has a bad time at a hotel or resort, the owners or operators should reach out and ask how they can make up for the customer’s experience.
If the hotel or resort’s owner or operator didn’t even bother doing that, you should go with another option. Many poor reviews likely mean you’ve found a less-than-reputable place to stay, and you should keep looking.
Bring Some Money for Tips
At any resort, you should have employees who will gladly attend to you however they can. The shuttle operators should have a cheerful demeanor, as should the porters, bellhops, and anyone else who waits on you during your stay.
You should keep some small bills on you for tipping. Many times, the workers at these hotels or resorts don’t make very much money at their jobs, and they will definitely appreciate your tips.
They should give you good service regardless, but tipping shows that you appreciate a hotel employee’s effort. They will remember that and fetch your bags or bring your room service order speedily next time you need something.
Check Your Bed Before Sleeping in It
You can also look around your room before you settle in upon your arrival. You should look in the bathrooms and make sure you have clean, fresh towels. You should also look for any spiders, roaches, or any other uninvited guests.
You can pull back the covers and look in the bed before sleeping in it as well. That way, you might spot any bedbugs if you’re unlucky enough to have some.
Even the nicest hotels might have some critters living in the rooms. If you check before settling in, you can often avoid this problem.
What is This Hotel’s Reputation?
If you look on message boards before visiting a hotel, you can learn about its reputation. Some simple research can reveal more than just whether a hotel or resort has good restaurants on the premises or whether they have airport shuttles. It can also tell you about what kind of people usually stay there.
Some hotels have a party atmosphere. You might learn that some hotels or resorts cater to college kids who go there while on spring break. You may also discover that a hotel caters more to families with young children.
If you learn that your hotel often has late-night pool parties with live DJs and rowdy college kids, you might not like that. If you do your research, you can learn all about a hotel’s reputation before you arrive.
If you take the following steps, you should enjoy your time at an Orlando resort or hotel. Ideally, the one you find will give you the experience you crave.
