Near Disney World Hotel Review: Residence Inn at Flamingo Crossings
It is the age-old debate for Disney travelers: is it actually worth staying off-property to save some cash, or do you lose too much of the magic? On our last trip, we decided to step outside the "Disney bubble" to see if the savings were worth the trade-off.
We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott Orlando at FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center. It is located just one stoplight away from Disney property, and after our stay, it quickly became our new favorite off-property stay for a Disney World trip!
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The Flamingo Crossings Location
The Flamingo Crossings area is growing fast, and for good reason. The Residence Inn is in a prime spot because it is within walking distance of a Target and several restaurants. This is a huge win if you want to grab snacks, ponchos, or a quick meal without paying theme park prices. While you are technically off-property, you are so close to the action that it hardly feels like a commute. Each drive typically takes less than twenty minutes!
Here is a breakdown of the typical drive times we found:
Disney's Animal Kingdom: This is the closest park, taking only about 9 minutes to reach.
EPCOT: You can usually make it to the EPCOT parking lot in about 10 minutes.
Disney's Hollywood Studios: Expect a quick drive of around 11 minutes.
Magic Kingdom: Even though this is the farthest park from the hotel, it still only takes about 14 minutes to arrive.
Disney Springs: If you are heading out for dinner or shopping, it typically takes about 15 minutes.
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The Room at Residence Inn by Marriott Orlando
Our room at the Residence Inn by Marriott Orlando at FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center blew us away, especially compared to what you usually get at a Disney Value Resort.
Because it is a Residence Inn, the rooms are set up as true suites with full kitchens. Having a full-sized refrigerator, microwave, and stovetop was a game changer for keeping our own snacks and drinks ready for park days. The space was incredibly generous, giving us plenty of room to spread out our luggage and relax.
The bathroom was another major win. The lighting was excellent, the water pressure was great, and it actually had a real door! If you have stayed at a Disney resort lately, you know the struggle of the sliding barn doors that offer zero privacy. And we loved the seperate “getting ready” area outside of the bathroom too that definitely helps when you’re sharing a space!
One of our biggest surprises was how quiet the room wasthroughout our stay! Compared to the Pop Century resort on Disney property where we heard all of our neighbors through the walls, exterior hallway, and the connecting doors at all hours into the middle of the night, the sound proofing in this hotel is impressive! We never heard a peep from any neighbor at any time. Getting quality sleep on a Disney vacation is crucial, and the peaceful environment here really delivered.
In addition to great space, we noticed that there were a lot of plugs of all sorts throughout the room, which is super helpful when charging so much gear to survive summer in the Disney parks! With classic American wall plugs, USB ports and USB-C ports, there were many places and ways to charge phones, magic bands, and several personal cooling fans at the same time!
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The Hotel Perks and Amenities
If you are looking for value, the Fairfield hits the mark. Here are the main perks we enjoyed:
Free Breakfast: They serve a full hot breakfast every morning, along with free coffee and tea, which helps keep that Disney magic alive without the extra cost. Grabbing a free meal here before hitting the parks is a huge savings, especially for families! In addition to free breakfast, there’s also unlimited free tea and coffee in the lobby and breakfast area which saves another $6 per cup!
Marriott Bonvoy Points: Unlike staying at a Disney-owned resort, you can rack up (or use!) your Marriott points here.
The Pool: The pool area is large and perfect for a mid-day break from the Florida heat. It was not crowded and provided a great spot to relax outside the parks!
Fitness Center: There is a fitness center on-site if you haven't logged enough miles at the parks. (Though after clocking 22,000 steps in the parks, we didn't check this out for ourselves.)
Free Shuttle to the Parks: There is a daily scheduled shuttle service to the Disney World parks that is available to all guests at no additional charge! If you're in no rush, it's a fabulous free resource.
Trade-offs of staying Off-Property: Transportation and Timing
We do acknowledge that there are a few things you give up by staying here rather than staying on Disney property. You won't find any Disney theming in the hallways or rooms (though you’ll still find it in the elevators), like there is while staying at a Walt Disney World Resort. You also lose out on Early Theme Park Entry, which is a perk reserved for those staying on Disney property.
However, if this isn't your once-in-a-lifetime Disney vacation and if you're not a “must-ride-everything” or a morning person, the extra 30 minutes to rope drop one ride before everyone isn't make or break. We found we could still rope drop and ride plenty before everyone finally gets to the parks!
The biggest hurdle is probably the transportation. While the hotel offers a daily shuttle, it runs quite infrequently compared to Disney resort buses. If you are trying to hit rope drop or stay late for the fireworks, the shuttle schedule probably won't cut it. Instead of flying, we like to drive to Disney and park our own car at the parks. It gave us the flexibility the shuttle lacked.
If you aren't driving your own vehicle, we highly recommend budgeting for rideshare services like Uber or Lyft. Waiting on a shuttle that only comes around every now and then for many guests is a quick way to burn through your precious vacation time!
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Is It Worth It?
When it comes to value for the price, this stay beats out Disney's Value and even most Moderate resorts! It is significantly cheaper per night than a Disney Value Resort, yet the room feels much more spacious, relaxed, and functional. We definitely took advantage of the free breakfast and the full kitchen, which saved us a ton of money each day!
For us, the pros clearly outweigh the cons. And we’ve now stayed at every single Marriott property in Flamingo crossing, and this one’s our favorite! If you want a spacious, quiet, and budget-friendly home base that is still mere minutes away from the parks, this is it. We loved everything about it, and it has easily become our new favorite off-property stay for a Disney trip!