Where to stay in Orlando

The cleanest pick for a first trip that does both resorts: a cluster of Good Neighbor hotels (many with kitchenettes) minutes from Disney's four parks, with Disney Springs' free dining and shops on the doorstep and Universal a 20-minute hop up I-4. The trade-off is that it's hotels-and-car-parks, not a neighbourhood — you stay here for the geography, not the charm.

Best for: First-timers splitting Disney and Universal, families wanting a kitchen near the parks

Orlando's 11-mile tourist spine and the closest base to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and the new Epic Universe, plus ICON Park, the outlet malls and dinner shows. Charmless and traffic-heavy, but you can walk to food and the I-Ride Trolley runs the strip — the convenience pick if Universal is the trip's centre of gravity.

Best for: Universal-led trips, first-timers wanting everything on the doorstep without cooking

Where the private-pool vacation homes and townhouse resorts cluster, 15-25 minutes south of Disney and far cheaper per bedroom than anything central — a four-bed villa with its own pool can undercut two hotel rooms. The catch is non-negotiable: you absolutely need a hire car, and the nightly drives back from the parks add up across a fortnight.

Best for: Large or extended families, villa-and-pool stays, longer trips on a budget

Staying inside Disney property buys free park transport — buses, the monorail, boats and the Skyliner gondola — early park entry, and the easy-mode logistics that matter with toddlers. You pay a genuine premium and lose the cheap-supermarket-food trick, but for a Disney-only trip with no car it removes nearly every daily decision.

Best for: Disney-only trips with young children and no hire car

Disney's planned town just south-east of the parks, with a walkable lakeside Main Street, real restaurants and leafy streets — the rare Orlando base that feels like somewhere rather than a strip. Hotel choice is thin and you'll still drive to everything, but it's the pick if you want evenings that aren't a car park and a chain buffet.

Best for: Couples and families wanting atmosphere and quiet evenings near Disney

Universal's own hotels range from the value Endless Summer resorts to the premium Loews properties, and the headline perk is real: the pricier deluxe hotels include unlimited Express Pass to skip ride queues, which can be worth more than the room premium on a busy day. Best for a Universal-and-Epic-Universe trip; weaker if Disney is the bulk of your days.

Best for: Universal-focused trips, queue-averse families wanting Express Pass