The Ultimate Guide To Staying at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace [In-Depth Review]

With a wonderful pool and a location in the Disney Springs area, the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace was a great spot for my family of 5 to spend the night as we arrived in Orlando for a Walt Disney World vacation.

Property highlights include a heated lazy river and pool, shuttle services to Disney World parks, and a walkway to Disney Springs.

Read this review to see our November 2024 experience at this Disney Springs area hotel, from booking to dining and resort amenities.

Booking Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace

We’d booked a Thousand Trails cabin for a week in Orlando but needed to supplement our 7-night stay with nights at the beginning and end of our visit. We’d stayed at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace several years ago on our first trip to Disney World, and it was on my shortlist for a return visit.

I had a Hilton free night certificate expiring soon, which I earned by spending $15,000 on my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in 2023. I called Hilton to book the night because, although I could see my reward in my online account, it had instructions to call to use the certificate for a reservation. The certificate was valid for a standard room reward, which at this property was 60,000 points. I used the certificate instead of paying points.

Although I didn’t have to pay a resort fee, I did pay for food and parking, which totaled $140 after my $30 food and beverage credit. My Hilton Surpass card benefits gave me $50 of that back as a resort credit. I earned 6,779 in my Hilton account immediately, then 12 points per $1 spent with my Hilton Surpass card for another 1,680 points, totaling 8,459 points earned.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

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An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

Welcome Offer

Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.

165,000 points

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$825

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$150

APR

19.99%-28.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re someone who loves traveling and loves staying in Hilton hotels, adding a co-branded Hilton hotel card to your wallet is almost a no-brainer. From automatic Hilton elite status to up to $200 in Hilton credits every year, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card can be a great fit for Hilton loyalists looking to up their travel game.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12x points per $1 at Hilton hotels
• 6x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants
• 4x points per $1 at U.S. online retail purchases

Cons

• Annual fee of $150 (rates & fees)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
• Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
• Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.
• Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
• Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club^® program is required. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• $150 annual fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Location of Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace

The location is one of the highlights of the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace. This hotel is one of the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels, and it has a footbridge that crosses over to Disney Springs. We easily got to Disney Springs for shopping and dining on foot by taking a 10-minute walk. The hotel had signs along the way to guide us, and Google Maps had good directions, too.

Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace is also great for visiting Disney World parks. Depending on which park you’re visiting, it’s about 5 miles and a 10-minute drive away. The hotel offers a free shuttle service.

We arrived at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace by rental car from Orlando International Airport (MCO). The hotel is just over 20 miles from the airport, about a 30-minute drive, depending on traffic.

Checking In

We reached the hotel at about 5 p.m. and found a spot in the self-parking lot. Then, we walked through the convention center and took an elevator to the lobby floor. I’d forgotten that the parking lot was a hike (albeit indoors) from the main guest areas of the hotel. We may pay the $10 extra for valet next time or at least drop kids and bags at the front door before parking.

Once I got to the front desk, I got into the priority check-in line and was called right up to a front desk agent. I used the priority check-in line with my Hilton Honors Diamond status. The agent briefly reviewed the hotel’s amenities and dining, told me which elevators to use to reach our room, and reminded me of my $30 nightly food and beverage credit.

Planning to swim the next morning, I asked for a late checkout, and the agent graciously granted us a 1 p.m. checkout.

I was given a packet with a hotel map, a Disney Springs savings passport, and a DVDNow rental card.

Resort Fee

There was a daily resort fee of $39 plus tax per night. I didn’t pay this fee because I was on an award stay. The resort fee included:

• Wi-Fi
• Disney World shuttle
• DVDNow rentals

The document I received said the resort fee also included 10% off food and beverages (excluding room service), 10% off cabana rentals, notary services, daily suncare products, and float lagoon (lazy river) access. Including an amenity like the pool as a resort charge item seemed odd. We charged all food purchases to our room and didn’t see a 10% discount — maybe it didn’t apply because we didn’t pay the fee. I also didn’t see suncare products.

Elite Benefits

As a Hilton Honors Diamond member staying at a Hilton resort, I got:

• 100% points earning bonus
• Premium Wi-Fi
• Free bottled water
• $30 daily food and beverage credit

Lobby

There were 2 areas that you could consider the lobby. The first was a true lobby on the second floor, with the main entrance, valet, concierge, bell desk, check-in desk, and lobby bar. The first floor was more of an amenities lobby, with dining, an arcade, and access to the Disney World shuttles, fitness center, pool, and Disney Springs walkway.

Most of the hotel was brightly lit and white, but the main lobby seating area — which blended with the lobby bar seating — was dimly lit even in the middle of the day.

The concierge desk and elevators were to the left of the second-floor entrance.

From the front door, the bell desk was to the right, and the valet was outside.

On the first floor below was lounge and dining seating.

There was also a courtyard across from the fitness center and around the corner from the Disney World shuttle stop.

Guest Room

I booked a 2 queen guest room on the sixth floor. Overall, I was satisfied with the room and particularly liked the view from our balcony, which looked over the lake and pool. However, noise from the lobby bar below was a problem. The room was dimly lit, and we had a hard time plugging in the desk lamp, which was the main source of light in the room.

The beds shared a headboard and nightstand, and textured sections were behind each bed. I liked the rainbow moon phase art. Each bed had a small lamp.

Atop the nightstand was a phone and alarm clock. The alarm clock had a USB-A plug, and there was an outlet with 2 regular plugs and 1 USB-A plug on the headboard.

The nightstand didn’t have a drawer, but it had a deep shelf that was good for collecting electronics and toys.

We were in a connecting room. Next to the door was a small dresser with a TV. Under the TV, there was a DVD player, which we used to watch our DVDNow movie.

Within the dresser were 3 large drawers, a safe, and a minifridge. When we arrived, the safe was locked, and I thought we’d have to get help unlocking it until I tried the code 1-2-3-4, which worked like a charm.

A table and desk with an office chair were in a corner near the balcony door. The desk was nestled under the table, with a lamp, coffee-making supplies, and an ice bucket on top. The lamp wasn’t plugged in when we arrived, and it was awkward to find an outlet behind the desk, which required moving the desk to access it.

Bathroom

The bathroom was next to the entry door and had a shuttered closet, separate vanity, and tub and shower combo behind a door. The separate vanity was a nice feature, as it allowed us to keep the vanity area accessible while others showered.

The vanity area had a single sink and an illuminated mirror with Crabtree & Evelyn soap and wall-mounted lotion.

Under the sink was a storage shelf with towels, extra toilet paper, and a hair dryer.

The main bath area had a tub and shower combo.

Like the rest of the bathroom, the shower amenities were Crabtree & Evelyn.

The closet in the bathroom opened to reveal doors with long mirrors, a hanging rod, an iron and ironing board, a luggage stool, and a shelf with extra bedding. That bedding came in handy with our inflatable mattress so we could sleep 5 in the room.

Balcony

The balcony was small, but the view was good. It had 2 wicker chairs and a small table.

Our view was mostly the lake and pool area. It was very sunny in the morning.

At night, we could see the pool area lit up.

Proximity to Lobby

Once we settled in for the night, we noticed the room was noisy, as the open hallway view down to the lobby brought echoes up to our room.

The Shades lobby bar was below, and it was loud until about midnight. We could almost make out words from the conversations 5 floors below us, which was annoying.

Hot Tip:

We were in the 668-to-687 wing, the only part of the hotel open to the lobby below. If you’re assigned a room ending in a number from 68 to 87, I recommend asking for a different room with a closed hallway.

Amenities

Though the room was comfortable, it was the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace’s amenities that made me book a night here. I wanted to float in the heated lazy river and walk to Disney Springs, and this hotel was perfect for those priorities.

The hotel was easily accessible to Disney World with shuttles and to Disney Springs with a walkway and bridge. There’s also a pool, activity lawn, fitness center, arcade, and laundry facilities.

Disney World

Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace isn’t a Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel, but it is a Disney Springs area resort with Disney World benefits.

Disney World benefits at this hotel include:

• 30-minute early access to Disney World parks
• 50% off equipment rental when you book a Disney Golf tee time
• Disney Springs savings booklet
• Hotel shuttle to Disney World parks
• Theme park entry reservations

We took advantage of the Disney Springs walkway and bridge, which was accessible from a pathway near the pool area,

Once we reached the intersection of Buena Vista Drive and Hotel Plaza Boulevard, we took a footbridge to get over the road. It had tall stairs and elevators.

The shuttle service was available by reservation, with rides to and from the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, as well as another for Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

The shuttle waiting area was around the corner from the fitness center and courtyard.

It had a covered walkway and several benches.

Pool

The pool was extensive, with a main swimming pool, float lagoon with a lazy river, hot tub, and poolside bar. The pool water was heated and comfortable for swimming in early November.

The lazy river was the main reason I booked this hotel. It wasn’t particularly long, but it had a good flow and was relaxing with plenty of floating tubes.

There was a small lagoon pool connected to the lazy river that had an accessible beach-entry pool.

It also had a small splash pad area.

The main pool was surrounded by palm trees and had 6 cabanas. A small flock of ducks joined us in the pool, which was weird and delightful. My kids were thrilled and didn’t want to leave them when it was time to get out of the pool.

A Hilton Grand Vacations salesperson — who I originally thought was a waitress from the pool bar — walked around the loungers and chatted with guests. Not wanting to book another timeshare sales package, we steered clear. It turned out to be a wise decision, as we saw other guests get stuck in a half-hour poolside sales conversation.

There were plenty of open loungers in all of the pool areas, from the lagoon to the main pool.

A small spa was near the lazy river.

A towel stand was in between the main pool and lagoon but was unstaffed when we visited.

However, there were plenty of clean towels and a spot to return towels. We didn’t have to check towels out or back in.

The cabanas had seating and a cabinet with exclusive loungers in front.

Next to the main pool and pool bar was a large activities lawn featuring a few cornhole setups.

Restrooms were around the corner from the bar and facing the activities lawn.

This area also had lounge seating with outdoor couches and a glass fire pit.

Beyond the lawn was the walkway back to the hotel building — and a warning about dangerous animals that could be in the water.

Parking

Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace had on-site parking for self-parking and valet. Self-parking was $25 plus tax, and valet parking was $35 plus tax.

The drive-up entrance was large and covered, with plenty of valets available.

With a second-story entrance and a hike through the convention center from the self-parking lot, the extra $10 for valet would have been worth it.

Fitness Center

The fitness center was on the first floor and had a good selection of equipment, from cardio machines to free weights and balance balls.

There were treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and a Peloton bike.

There were also weight machines, benches, free weights, and kettlebells.

Balance balls and other studio equipment were available near a small mirror area.

Plenty of towels were available.

A water fountain with a bottle filler was near the towels.

Gift Shop

The first floor had a gift shop, which sold necessities and souvenirs from Disney World and Florida.

Arcade

Near the gift shop was an arcade with prize machines, pinball, racing rides, and Pac-Man.

Laundry

The hotel had self-serve laundry, with 4 washers and 4 dryers, a soap center vending machine, and snack vending. All of the machines accepted cash or cards, including tap-to-pay.

DVD Rentals

Each of the elevator banks had a couple of DVDNow rental machines. The rentals were included in the resort fee but had to be returned to the machine before checking out. There were new release movies, including family-friendly selections, such as “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” but that and many of the other new release titles were checked out and unavailable. We went with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Business Centers

The hotel had 2 business centers. The first was in the main tower and had 5 workstations and a printer.

There was also an ATM in the business center.

Another business center — a FedEx storefront — was in the convention center.

Convention Center

The convention center was between the parking lot and the main guest areas. It featured a few ballrooms and an outdoor event center.

Food and Beverages

Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace had a market, casual restaurant and buffet, pool bar, lobby bar, and a sports bar.

Citrus 28

The grab-and-go market, Citrus 28, was a hub of activity and the busiest dining option in the hotel. Here, we grabbed snacks on arrival and had a hot breakfast in the morning. It was open daily from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m.

We almost always faced lines, but with premade food and usually 2 cashiers, these moved quickly.

Hot items on the menu included sandwiches, bowls, and pizzas.

A cabinet featured Starbucks coffee and tea with cream and sugar.

Numerous single-serve cereals were available.

A few coolers were dedicated to bottled drinks, including beer and wine.

Toasters and a cooler with cream cheese, butter, and jellies were close to the counter for those who purchased pastries or bread.

There was also an ice cream cooler — great for the market’s location close to the pool.

A corner of the market was dedicated to necessities, including diapers and deodorant.

We got a spinach-and-feta croissant and a breakfast bowl with eggs, cheese, bacon, and potatoes.

The market had a seating area with several small tables and bar seats.

A small corner near the pool entrance had a view of the lake and a comfy couch.

High chairs were available near the booth tables.

LetterPress

The hotel’s main restaurant, LetterPress, was open daily for breakfast, brunch, and dinner. Its hours were 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., and it offered a breakfast buffet and à la carte menu. The hot breakfast buffet was $30 for adults or $15 for kids, and the continental breakfast buffet was $20 for adults or $9 for kids.

On a previous visit to LetterPress, we enjoyed a Disney character dining breakfast with lake views. We would have repeated it on this stay, but the character breakfast has been discontinued.

Shades

Shades was the pool bar perched at the edge of the main pool. It was open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

There was plenty of covered seating at the bar.

We visited the pool around the bar’s opening time and didn’t see anyone taking orders from the loungers, but it was easy enough to order at the bar. Our drinks were ready quickly, and the snack we ordered awaited us when we returned from setting down our drinks.

The drink menu had cocktails, wine, seltzers, and beer. Nonalcoholic drinks included smoothies, coconut water, bottled still and sparkling water, and soft drinks.

My kids got smoothies because they wanted frozen poolside drinks like the grown-ups had. At $9 each, these were pricey, but the smoothies got rave reviews from the kids and included a serving of fruit, so I’m calling it a win.

The food menu included appetizers, salads, handheld foods, kids meals, and desserts. We had chips and salsa with guacamole.

We enjoyed our cocktails, smoothies, and a poolside snack.

Sunnies

The lobby bar, Sunnies, was open from 4 to 11 p.m. and served drinks and bites, including chicken wings, sliders, and salads.

It had a gaming and seating area overlooking the lake and pool.

Blue

Blue was a sports bar near the convention center. It didn’t appear to be open, and we didn’t see any opening hours posted.

Room Service

Room service was also available from 7 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 11 p.m., with options including pizza and burgers.

Service

We had great service at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace. At check-in, we got off to a great start with a friendly greeting, a room with a nice view, and late checkout. Our room and the entire hotel were sparkling clean. Though there were lines at the market, we didn’t wait long for our hot breakfast. The bartenders at the poolside bar quickly made our drinks with a smile. We felt well taken care of on our short stay here.

Final Thoughts

I’ve stayed at a few hotels in the Disney Springs area, and this is easily my favorite. We rarely return to the same hotel twice, as I like exploring new properties, but I was thrilled to stay at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace again and hope to return soon. I envisioned a heated lazy river with poolside drinks to ease into our Orlando vacation, and the hotel delivered perfectly. With the convenient walkway to Disney Springs, getting the kids hyped for their upcoming days at Disney World parks was easy and fun.