Orange Lake ResortRental Guest Reviews

Did not meet our expectations

My parents have been bringing our family to orange lake since the resort was newly built. My husband and I rented a one bedroom, while my parents stayed in their usual two bedroom time share with other family members. When I made the reservation I was already aware that my parents were staying in the West Village. I asked that our unit also be in the West Village to allow for easy visiting. Upon arrival however, we were told that our unit was in River Island a long car ride through the resort to visit our family instead of being able to walk a short distance to visit. I explained this at check in and was basically told 'too bad we don't have any one bedroom units in the West Village". We'd driven 14 hours to get there in the first place, so what were we really going to do? Nothing, and they know it. It used to be sort of quaint and relaxing. Over the years it has obviously grown into a massive property with little personalized attention, except for the attempts to get visitors to commit to a tour of the property for freebies. It was REALLY crowded and there is not enough pool space to allow for relaxation away from screaming children and inconsiderate adult vacationers. People were literally elbow to elbow in pools. And the service at the pool bars was SOOO slow. If I never came back there, I wouldn't care one bit. Which is a little sad considering I've been coming to orange lake for more than 20 years with family.

NOT SO GREAT

Refrigerator leaked and ruined much of our food. They finally fixed it on our last full day there. Bed in the master bedroom was so hard that it was impossible to really sleep well - bad back ache every morning. No clean towel service and the washer/dryer in our unit did a poor job so it was hard to keep up with them. They did however delivery us extra towels when we complained. Staff misled husband when he purchased attraction tickets from them, costing us extra money. Be forewarned that you need a room key or charge card for arcade. We sent our teenaged kids there with twenty dollars each and they could not use it. Restaurant on premises was just okay. On the plus side, it is a pretty resort and there are lots of nearby restaurants and shopping and it is close to theme parks. Also it has a shuttle service on property which is nice. Overall we were disappointed and next year we will return to the place we stayed last year where we can rent two units for the same price as this one but have a better experience.

Wonderful stay

Our five-year-old granddaughter's first comment when walking onto the balcony that overlooked the waterpark complex was "This is just gorgeous!" The villa was spacious, clean, and furnished to suit our needs. We especially enjoyed the beauty of the pool areas and grounds. The kids loved riding the shuttle from village to village. For us, four nights just wasn't long enough, as there were so many things going on but not enough time to experience them. We heard about many from people we met while chatting around the pool, etc. It would have been nice to get a master list of activities going on each day. I would definitely recommend the resort pizza restaurant, which was running a great special the night we ordered take-out. Extra charges for tubes at the lazy river and the too strict rules for the slides would be two things management should reconsider.

Good for what it is

My family spent spring break 2015 at Orange Lake. We had gone for the total Disney experience in 2014, wanted to go again, but at a lower cost. We saved 35% by staying off property, a definite positive. Orange Lake pros: amenities and proximity to DisneyWorld, restaurants, and shopping. Kids loved River Island, the pools, and slides. Cons: elevators didn't work for two days. Try checking in at 10 pm with tired kids, 7 pieces of luggage, and bags of groceries. We got no help from staff, who seemingly could have cared less. Customer service is non-existent - Disney it ain't! We stayed in the "recently refurbished" River Island - not particularly clean, rips in some of the dining chairs, and horrendous bleach stains in the hall carpet. Overall, it was a decent to positive experience. Cost and amenities offset other factors.

Great Family Fun

This was our 3rd stay at this resort. It has been a very relaxing and fun stay each time we have stayed. The kids ranging from young to teens have had a great time so much that our youngest wants to live there!

comfortable spacious but smelled like bad everywhere

i have been coming to orlando every year for vacation but this year was different. I always stay in east village, use to be an owner but cancer caused me to give it up cause couldn't make payments. the condo I was in this time smelled like urine everywhere. the microwave was not cleaned and I don't think the sheets were changed from the last occupant. I believe the last occupant had an animal in the condo. it was really bad urine smell behind the couch. there was not enough cooking supplies. the frying pan was really old, no muffin pans, and not enough glasses. I think with the money I paid a night it should have been better. the housekeepers are slacking in their job. this is the first year that I was really disappointed in this resort. I was just there in sept 2014 and it was so clean and smelled good!!!!! the staff was very good and they helped with the value of getting me a ticket for the amusement park. I will stay there again but next time, I will complain to housekeeping!!!!

Spring Training Vacation

We travelled with a family of 7 adults and the accomidations were excellent. The room was extremely functional and comfortable, even with the large group. When we arrived our room was not ready (although we had requested early check in). The attendant took my phone number and said that they would call when the room was ready. We waited at the poolside bar for over an hour and did not receieve a call. Finally we just went to our room and found that it was indeed ready. The front desk NEVER called. Good thing that we went ahead to the room. We did however have an excellent time at the pool side bar - great atmosphere and staff, and the drinks were reasonably priced. We thoroughly enjoyed the lazy river - as a suggestion, maybe lower the cost of the tubes after a certain time of the day? We didn't reach the pool each day until after 4pm and enjoyed the river, but it was not worth $10/pp for only a couple of hours. We found that the resort was well laid out, easy access to shopping, coffee and restaurants. We ate dinner on the resort three times - and while the food was ok - the service was horrible. The staff was not attentive - and had difficulty getting our orders right. No refills of drinks - and even when we asked they forgot and did not bring drinks. Considering the quality of the rest of the resort, I would have expected the restaurants to be top notch as well. There are lots of restaurants off of the resort - I would not recommend eating at the resort.

Better Resorts - As seen from a frequent traveler

We stayed for 3 days and felt the room was very dated. The colors and the furniture seemed like it was pulled from the 70's and the overall experience was average. I will say if you decide to stay or even buy a timeshare here, you best open your wallet. We did not attend the time share presentation, mostly due to the pushy way it was presented. Upon check-in we were required to visit the sales desk so we could have a "parking pass". Then they tell you, you’ll get $150 in cash if you attend. Just more marketing in my eyes and I really did not need the money. After arriving in the room, we noted many yellow stains on the towels and noticed a message light on the phone. What do you know we had two messages, one was a welcome message and the other was a time share sales message. THEN at 9am the next morning, I was woken up by a call from.... YES the sales desk again, asking me to attend ANYTIME while we were there. Again I said No Thank You and asked that they do not call me again. The beds and pillows were like sleeping on the ground and resting your head on rocks. And as we explored the grounds it became apparent that most every "amenity" will cost you extra. We were there for a sports event at ESPN and the best part about the place was the River Island pool area. Basically if you enjoy being pressured to purchase a time share and enjoy paying extra for everything except to swim, then Orange Lake Resort is for you. I have stayed at many resorts in the Orlando area and we will not be returning to this one.

Great Property!

Our family has stayed here at least five times! Not only have we stayed as a family, our daughter's varsity volleyball team and club team have also stayed. With Disney being nearby, Orange Lake Resort is an excellent property to enjoy both short or extended stays. The condos have a great amount of space and a full kitchen. We will definitely be back soon!!

Great resort for family and kids

Many activities for kids and adults. Minutes away from Disney. Good value dining options. Rental Car Hertz on property for convenience.