The Best Orlando Has to Offer
by: Cara Goldsbury
So you’re headed to Orlando... but where to start? You’ll find such
a wealth of fantastic resorts and restaurants it can be difficult to
choose exactly what you wish to indulge in. How best can you plan a visit
in which each day comes with the finest this marvelous vacation spot has
to offer? In order to help you in making the overwhelming decisions of
where to stay and what places to dine, here are what I believe to be
Orlando’s best offerings:
Best Deluxe Resort
On Disney property it’s the Grand Floridian with its upscale
Victorian atmosphere and lagoonside setting facing the Magic Kingdom.
Off-property, hands-down, it’s the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes where you
may never even feel the need to leave the property. At Universal, go for
the Portofino Bay Hotel with its unsurpassed ambience of an Italian
seaside resort.
Best Resort Pool
- Disney's Yacht and Beach Club’s Stormalong Bay, a 3-acre mini
water park
- The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin’s lush grotto-style lagoon
pool
- The Volcano Pool at Disney's Polynesian Resort with its luxuriant
waterfall, smoking peak, and perfect view of Cinderella’s Castle
- The boulder-strewn wonderland at Disney's Wilderness Lodge with its
very own erupting geyser
- The lush fantasyland pool at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress cooled
by twelve waterfalls
Best Home-Away-From-Home Property
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge with its Bay Lake frontage and
national park character or Disney's Beach Club Villas conveniently located
next door to Epcot.
Best Resort Atmosphere
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge where hundreds of animals roam the
savanna and the air is pulsating to the beat of African drums. Running a
close second is Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel where guests are
transported to a romantic, seaside Italian village.
Best Resort Lobby
How to choose? Three of Disney's resorts make the cut: the Wilderness
Lodge, the Grand Floridian, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge, all eye-popping
in their grandeur.
Best Access To The Parks
The Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian with monorail access
to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Ticket and Transportation Center. At
Universal, the Hard Rock Hotel is just a 5-minute walk or boat ride away
to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk.
Best Resort For Romance
Disney's Polynesian Resort whose lush tiki torch-lit grounds and
white-sand beaches with views of Cinderella’s Castle are simply dreamy
or Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel where an evening stroll along the bay
with Italian arias playing in the distance can’t be beat.
Best Resort For Nature-Lovers
Disney's Wilderness Lodge, a nature-lover’s dream of rushing
waterfalls, spouting geysers, and bubbly creeks, all surrounded by stately
pine trees and beautiful Bay Lake.
Best Resort Lounges
- California Grill Lounge found on the 15th floor of Disney's
Contemporary Resort with unrivaled views of the Magic Kingdom and the
Seven Seas Lagoon, great for cocktails, sushi, and a view of the
Wishes fireworks display.
- Disney's Grand Floridian's lobby. Pick up a cocktail at Mizner’s,
then head down to this magnificent oasis to relax in the cushy seating
while listening to the sounds of a big band orchestra or live piano
music.
- Tambu Lounge at Disney's Polynesian Resort’s Great Ceremonial
House. Sip on tropical drinks amid lush foliage and views of the Seven
Seas Lagoon.
- Territory Lounge, a rustic retreat in Disney's Wilderness Lodge.
- bluezoo’s bar at the Walt Disney World Dolphin, the coolest place
around.
- Velvet, the ultra-hip cocktail lounge at Universal's Hard Rock
Hotel.
- Bar America, Portofino Bay Hotel’s sophisticated lounge
overlooking the romantic piazza.
- Top of the Palace Lounge, a sophisticated bar with the best views
around high atop the Wyndham Palace Resort near Downtown Disney.
Best Italian
Palio at the Walt Disney World Swan where the Tortellini con Aragosta
topped with enormous amounts of lobster is amazing, or Portobello Yacht
Club at Downtown Disney for a fantastic, thin-crusted pizza followed by
the Rigatoni with Italian Sausage, crimini mushrooms, plum tomatoes, black
olives, and escarole.
Best Seafood
Flying Fish at Disney's Boardwalk for Potato Wrapped Red Snapper with
creamy leek fondue and red wine reduction, or the newcomer on the block,
Todd English’s bluezoo at the Walt Disney World Dolphin, where seafood
is taken to new heights. Off Disney property it’s got to be Roy’s on
Sand Lake Road near Universal for Roy Yamaguchi’s remarkable Hawaiian
Fusion cuisine.
Best Steaks
Shula's at the Walt Disney World Dolphin, a standout for sensational
Angus beef steaks cooked to perfection, or Vito’s Chop House on
International Drive for the filet mignon stuffed with gorgonzola.
Best Restaurant For Romance
Victoria and Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian, the only AAA
5-Diamond restaurant in Central Florida. Here you’ll savor a sumptuous
six-course meal served on elegant fine china to the accompaniment of
enchanting harp music. Or try Delfino Riviera at Universal’s Portofino
Bay Hotel whose breeze-swept terrace overlooks the resort’s picturesque
bay and piazza. And I can’t forget Norman’s at the Ritz Carlton for
fine dining in plush surroundings all enveloped in the grandeur of an
amazing resort.
Best Restaurant For Kids
Children love the Rainforest Café at the Animal Kingdom or Downtown
Disney where they’re bombarded with thunderstorms and noisy audio-animatronic
wildlife. A close runner up is Whispering Canyon Café at Disney's
Wilderness Lodge; come prepared for plenty of hoopin’ and hollerin’
and please, whatever you do, don’t ask for the ketchup unless, that is,
you like a lot of attention.
Best Character Meal
Cinderella's Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom, a chance to feast in a
fairytale castle with Cinderella, Jasmine, Aladdin, Belle, and Snow White.
Or try the Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom for a tasty, bountiful
buffet hosted by Winnie the Pooh and his friends.
Best Hip Atmosphere
Todd English’s bluezoo at the Dolphin, the coolest spot this side of
South Beach, or Tchoup Chop at Universal’s Royal Pacific Resort, a
knock-em-dead, Asian-inspired beauty.
Best Disney View
Arthur’s 27 at the Wyndham Palace whose drop-dead setting is only
topped by its creative cuisine, or California Grill at Disney's
Contemporary Resort with its picture-perfect views of the Magic Kingdom,
the Seven Seas Lagoon, and the Wishes fireworks presentation.
Best Disney Resort Restaurant
Tough call. My favorites are the California Grill at the Contemporary
Resort (just about anything on their exceptional menu is fantastic),
Victoria and Albert’s at the Grand Floridian (particularly the Chef’s
Table where Chef Scott Hunnel oversees an 11-course meal designed
especially for you), and Todd English’s bluezoo at the Dolphin (try the
miso glazed Chilean sea bass with warm sesame spinach).
Best Universal Resort Restaurant
Tchoup Chop at the Royal Pacific Resort. Wonderful Asian and
Polynesian-influenced cuisine in a stunning setting of bamboo, waterfalls,
and a lotus-filled reflecting pool. Share the Crunchy Shrimp with butter
lettuce leaves and hot & sour chili glaze, move on to the Firecracker
Fresh Fish served with papaya-serrano salsa, Asian pesto drizzle, and
coconut-lemongrass sauce, and finish with a slice of Banana Cream Pie
topped with caramel sauce and chocolate shavings.
Best Downtown Disney Restaurant
Wolfgang Puck’s Upstairs Dining Room for dishes like Szechuan
marinated "Chinois" lamb rack served with a spicy cilantro-mint
sauce or the restaurant's exceptionally great Wienerschnitzel.
Best Epcot Illuminations View
Rose and Crown in World Showcase’s United Kingdom. Set your priority
seating for about one hour prior to show time and pray for a table with a
good view.
Best Milkshake
Beaches and Cream at Disney's Beach Club Resort serves oh-so-delicious
thick shakes and malts in a frosty fountain glass with the extras on the
side in the stainless steel shaker.
Best Pizza
You can't beat the pizzas at Downtown Disney's Wolfgang Puck Cafe
(choose the BLTA with applewood-smoked bacon, mozzarella, roma and
sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, and chopped romaine), Downtown Disney's
Portobello Yacht Club (thin-crusted and smokey flavored), or Mama
Melrose’s at Disney-MGM Studios (don't miss the grilled chicken pizza
with sun-dried tomato pesto, pancetta, and asiago cheese).
Best Breakfast
Spoodles at Disney's Boardwalk. I love the Egg Rotollo, scrambled eggs
with chorizo, onions, peppers, and cheddar cheese rolled in Lavosh
(flatbread) and served with breakfast potatoes and marinated tomatoes.
I could go on and on but I’ll restrain myself and stop here.
There’s a world of resorts and restaurants just waiting to be explored.
And you’ll never even have to leave Orlando to find it!
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