Where to Stay Near the Orlando Parks with a Toddler (and What the Hotel Room Needs)
Hotels you can book today
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- Homewood Suites by Hilton Orlando Theme Parks
An all-suite hotel with in-suite kitchens, a short drive from the parks.
Check rates at Hilton - Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando International Drive Convention Center
Two-room suites on International Drive, with made-to-order breakfast. Cribs are listed as available on the official page.
Check rates at Hilton
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Where to Stay Near the Orlando Parks with a Toddler (and What the Hotel Room Needs)
A Florida park day with a toddler is easier when the hotel is close enough to go back for a nap, and when the room itself can be darkened and quieted. This page pairs that kind of stay with the gear we cover in the packing guides.
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The packing >list builder also points theme park trips here.
What to look for in the room
The feature that matters most with a toddler is a separate sleep space: a suite, a room with a door that closes, or at least a layout where one adult can stay with a napping child while the other isn't sitting in the dark. A hotel crib or play yard is useful if you'll take a midday break. A mini-fridge helps with milk, leftovers and a cold cup of water.
Ask, before you book:
- Does the room have a door between the sleep space and the living area, or is it one open room?
- Will they put a crib or play yard in the room, and is there a weight or age limit?
- How dark do the curtains actually get? Many "blackout" drapes still leak Florida morning light.
- How early does housekeeping knock, and can you put a do-not-disturb card out for nap time?
A suite with a separate sleep space is the starting point orlando suite separate sleep space. Some families also look at a hotel with a kitchenette or a full fridge orlando hotel kitchenette, which makes an early breakfast and a real midday break easier. If you already prefer a particular hotel brand, a family suite near the parks is also a Hilton-program placeholder orlando family suite.
Stay close enough that a late-morning retreat is realistic. "Near the parks" is more useful than a cheaper room a long drive away, if your plan is to nap in a bed rather than only in the stroller. See >Toddler naps at theme parks.
What the hotel room needs
Even a good suite may need a little help for a toddler to actually sleep:
- A travel crib or play yard Guava Lotus Travel Crib with Lightweight Backpack Design Check price at Amazon if you don't want to rely on whatever the hotel provides, or if you like a familiar sleep space
- A portable blackout shade for the window SUN AWAY Portable Blackout Curtain with Suction Cups Check price at Amazon
- A portable white-noise machine Yogasleep Rohm Portable White Noise Sound Machine Check price at Amazon to cover hallway and ice-machine noise
Check the hotel's crib policy when you book. Many will lend one; some won't, or the one they have may not be what you want.
The park-day bag that goes with the stay
The room is the reset. The bag is what gets you through the long, hot middle of the day.
Start with the >theme park day bag: an insulated cup THERMOS FUNTAINER Water Bottle with Straw, 12 oz (Blue/Navy) Check price at Amazon, familiar snacks Munchkin Snack Catcher Snack Containers, No Spill, 2 Pack (Blue/Green) Check price at Amazon, a hat with a chin strap Sunday Afternoons Kids' Play Hat (chin strap + neck flap, UPF 50+) Check price at Amazon, a sunscreen stick Aveeno Kids Continuous Protection Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50, 1.5 oz Check price at Amazon, a changing clutch Skip Hop Pronto Signature Portable Changing Mat / Changing Station (Black) Check price at Amazon, a wet bag Bumkins Waterproof Wet/Dry Bag (Watercolor Floral) Check price at Amazon, and a slim phone battery Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 (A1229), 10,000mAh USB-C power bank (Black) Check price at Amazon.
Florida heat is the part out-of-state families underestimate. A top-rated USB-C clip-on stroller fan Momcozy Clip-On 4-Speed Stroller Fan Check price at Momcozy and a cooling towel MISSION Original Cooling Towel (UPF 50, microfiber) Check price at Amazon help in a long outdoor line. Never fully drape a stroller with a blanket; it can trap heat. More in >Keeping a toddler cool in Florida heat and >Sun protection for toddlers in Florida.
For getting around the parks, the stroller does more than walk: it's shade, a nap spot and a place to hang the bag. We walk through compact vs. full-size, and what to check on the park's official site, in >Choosing a stroller for theme park days. A compact travel stroller Ingenuity 3D Mini Convenience Stroller (lightweight, compact fold) Check price at Amazon is easier if you'll load it in and out of a car between the hotel and the park. A full-size stroller with a large canopy Graco Modes Nest Stroller - Nico Check price at Target can be worth it if you're doing long days and want a deeper recline for naps.
Afternoon storms are common. A family pack of ponchos Lingito Rain Ponchos Family Pack (6 adult + 6 child), reusable hooded ponchos Check price at Amazon and a stroller rain cover bemece Universal Stroller Rain Cover, clear EVA weather shield Check price at Amazon live in the bottom of the bag. See >Florida afternoon storms.
If you're driving in
If this stay is also the end of a drive, pack the car seat and the in-car kit before you think about the park bag. That's in >Travel car seats for a Florida trip and >Car-ride and line entertainment. For overnight stops along the way, see >Road trip with a toddler.
A short packing list for the room and the bag
- Hotel or travel crib, plus a way to darken and quiet the room
- Insulated cup, snacks, hat, sunscreen, spare clothes
- Stroller, fan, cooling towel
- Wet bag, ponchos, rain cover
- Phone battery
Build a custom list with the >packing list builder, or start from the >free park-day checklists.