Orlando World Center Marriott: A Great Family Staycation Option in Orlando

Last weekend, the kids and I did a staycation at the Orlando World Center Marriott. One of the great things about living in Orlando is being able to stay in a great hotel, that’s fun for the kids, and not have to drive too far from home. We had just as much fun on this staycation as a vacation where we have caught a plane to fly somewhere.

Orlando World Center Marriott

Orlando World Center Marriott is one of the largest hotels in Orlando with over 2000 rooms. A convention center is attached to the hotel expanding the hotel’s footprint. The hotel is split into 3 towers, East, West and North with each tower having different views of the property. We stayed in the West Tower which was the closest to the newly refurbished water park, but it was a bit of a hike to the main lobby.

The Rooms at the Orlando World Center Marriott

As my kids get older, I am more cognizant of the size of hotel rooms. Teeny tiny hotel rooms, lead to unhappiness all around. Luckily the rooms at Orlando World Center Marriott were quite spacious, with a comfy chair in the corner where I could curl up with a book when the kids went to sleep. Our room also had a balcony, where I could sit out in the morning before it got too hot. It was a great place to have a cup of coffee (or some wine) and enjoy some quiet time before the kids wake up or after they have gone to bed. Our balcony overlooked the water park, while other balconies overlooked the pool area.

The room also had a split bathroom, which was very much appreciated, which meant two people could be in the bathroom at the same time – one in the shower and one getting ready in front of the mirror. When you are traveling as a family of 3 or 4, the ability to have multiple people get ready at the same time is much appreciated.

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Pool and Water Park at Orlando World Center Marriott

If my kids can be in the water all day, then they are truly happy no matter where they are. At the Orlando Marriott World Center, they were able to have tons of water fun between the gigantic pool and the newly renovated water park. My son and I took it easy and hung out in the lazy river for quite some time, just floating around. My daughter on the other hand went directly to the water slides. She rode two of them, enjoyed them both, but then declared the steps too steep to do the third slide.

There are three slides in the water park – one is a single slide, one is a double slide and one is for single or double riders. One slide had a spin feature in the middle and one was a launch raft ride. Based on the laughs (and the screams) adults and kids alike were having a great time.After hanging out at the water park for a bit, we made our way over to the pool. The pool is a large wraparound pool and allows each group to have their own space and not feel crowded by others. I was able to float without hitting anyone and the kids and I were able to play Marco Polo and not get in the way of anyone else in the pool.

Other Activities at the Orlando World Center Marriott

After leaving the pool, we stopped to play some lawn games which were set out right by the pool area. My son wanted to play ping pong, so we did that for a bit, and then moved over to a game we had never tried before called Ladder Toss. We spent quite a bit of time playing this game before heading back inside. Other games set out on the lawn included Connect 4, checkers and cornhole.

The hotel also offers fun family activities every day including trivia, bingo, water balloon toss, scavenger hunt, Gatorland Experience, arts & crafts (most are an extra charge) and movie nights on Friday and Saturday. The hotel also has a laser light show at the pool every night. Unfortunately, it rained both nights of our stay, so we were unable to see the show.

There is a small arcade on the lower-level of the arcade, which offered a variety of games, and definitely got lots of usage while we were there.

Dining at Orlando World Center Marriott

Orlando World Center Marriott has six main eateries where you can dine. Latitude and Longitude is the main breakfast restaurant offering a buffet and made-to-order items. We ate breakfast here both days and enjoyed a pretty good breakfast buffet. For dinner, the hotel has three options, Mikado, a Japanese steakhouse; Siro, an Italian restaurant; and High Velocity, a sports bar. Not all of the restaurants are open every day. The first night we were there, only High Velocity was open for dinner. We ordered some typical sports bar snacks and enjoyed watching a hockey game and basketball game simultaneously.

There are two more options where you can grab food that are not full-service restaurants. The Falls Bar and Grill is located by the pool and is open during the day for lunch and snacks. Downstairs in the hotel, is The Pantry, where you can buy snacks, salads, and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and they also have a small menu of grilled items.

Go or No Go

We would definitely recommend the Orlando World Center Marriott as a fun staycation for the family. The pool and the water park will keep the kids enthralled for the entire day. If they still have energy after the pool, there are a lot of fun family activities offered all day long to keep everyone engaged.

Disclosure: We were provided with a complimentary stay in order to facilitate this review. However, all opinions are our own.