Margaritaville Resort Orlando ~ Why Your Family Will Enjoy this Beautiful Resort

“Changes in latitude; changes in attitude”. From the absolute second I stepped into the gorgeous lobby of the Margaritaville Resort in Orlando, I knew we were in for a fabulous family vacation.  I mean, how can you not be excited when you see a ginormous flip flop and margarita glasses hanging from the ceiling?  Plus, being greeted with a fun welcome drink….I knew we were going to be in for a good time!  As a frequent Orlando traveler, this is the first time I have stayed at a local Orlando hotel EVER for more than one night. It was a fantastic experience, and I can’t wait to share it with you!

First, the guest rooms are fantastic. And to be honest, they are about at the same nightly rate as a Disney moderate resort.  In turn, I felt like these were a bit nicer, although they are brand new in comparison to the Disney resorts.  That being said, the rooms were really nice.  We had two queen, connecting rooms, for the 5 of us. Each room had two queens, a nice sized dresser, and a split bathroom.  So in one part of the bathroom was the shower and double sink. Then, the toilet was separated by a door.  So essentially two to three people could be in the bathroom area at the same time and not be in each other’s way.  The floors are a nice hardwood, and there was a nice little kitchenette as well.  We had a refrigerator and a coffee maker, as well as good cabinet space.  All the rooms face a pool, which adds to the atmosphere.  Our balcony was a good size, with two nice Adirondack chairs and a small table.  

 

Secondly, the pools are really nice. They are not super spectacular as far as having water slides or anything.  They are zero entry, and there is a fun sand area for kids to play in. The servers at the pool were very attentive, as well.  We found the pools to be spacious, and relaxing, and towels are provided.  There are plenty of chairs, and we rented a poolside cabana for two of our days.  BEST THING EVER!  Having a shaded space, with very comfortable chairs literally steps away from the poolside was priceless.  We really enjoyed that aspect. Our daughter is old enough to play in the water without us being RIGHT there.  So, it was great to relax in the cabana while she played in the pool.  I mean, who doesn’t love cheeseburgers in the paradise of a pool cabana?!

There are some plentiful dining options here. Sunset Walk is where you fill find a lot of good sit down restaurants and shopping. We did not venture to that area, though. However, I can see how it will be great options for guests as the area grows with dining and shops. The On Vacation dining location was good.  They had basic breakfast buffet each morning, and it was very good.  Somewhat pricey, but good if you want hot selections, and service.  

Your other option is the Provisions grab and go place off the main lobby.  We had a quick breakfast there one morning, and then grabbed a pizza one evening after returning from Disney Springs.  The menu is limited, but it serves the purpose of getting something quick.  My only dislike about Provisions is that I did not find it very kid friendly.  There was not a kids’ menu to speak of, and the only “kid friendly” option was pizza. However, one evening our daughter wanted chicken tenders, so we ordered them from room service. That was very nice and a good option if you need something more kid friendly.  

Aside from the Salty Rim Pool Bar ~ which has amazing food ~ is Euphoria.  This is more of a “fancy”, sit down location, off the main lobby. They have a nice bar area, and then a very eclectic dinner menu.  They only serve dinner at Euphoria, so keep that in mind.  The bar area opens at 11AM, and they serve a small plate type of menu then.  But, the full menu doesn’t begin until 5PM for dinner.  They did have kid friendly food on the menu, which was great.  Pastas, steaks, chicken, salads are on the dinner menu. All of it was very good.

Margaritaville Resort puts you in great proximity to the H20 Live Waterpark.  All along, I thought H2O Live was part of Margaritaville, but upon talking to the employees, it is entirely separate.  However, you can walk to the waterpark from the resort, and it makes for a great day of fun for your family! You can purchase H20 LIVE tickets from the Margartiaville website.  Our family enjoyed a cabana here, as well.  Which I would HIGHLY recommend if you are going to be there all day.  The sun gets so intense, and it really gives you a nice place to camp out.  Also, they will bring ice for the cooler that is provided in your cabana, and there is a refrigerator with stocked waters for guests who rent the cabana.  

Margaritaville is also a good off site option if you are visiting the Orlando theme parks. They do run shuttles to both Universal and Disney, which is great.  We did not use them, but we did see them a few times a day.  I will say, I am still a huge onsite Disney resort gal. Margaritaville is in decent proximity ~ we could see Animal Kingdom Lodge from our building at Margaritaville. It did not take us long at all to get to and from Magic Kingdom for the Villains After Hours event. BUT, if I was doing more than one day of a Disney park, I would for sure stay on site.  Driving back and forth more than once to the parks is not something I would love.  The convenience of being on site cannot be beat. I would stay here again, and only do one day of a park or an after hours event, and maybe Disney Springs. 

Margaritaville is a great resort if you want a few days to relax and chill out ~ perhaps before or after a cruise.  I could not spend an entire week there, but could spend a long weekend or a few nights. Overall, I think it is great for families, but especially for adults who are looking for a nice and relaxing getaway. My teenagers enjoyed it, and they took full advantage of the teen club, playing games and hanging out.  But, our family would not have lasted here for an entire week. I would definitely like to revisit it again, after the Sunset Walk area is more complete. 

Will you be visiting the Margaritaville Orlando Resort?