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Where to Stay Near the Orlando Parks with a Toddler (and What the Hotel Room Needs)

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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:

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:

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

Build a custom list with the >packing list builder, or start from the >free park-day checklists.