Last month, my husband and I were fortunate enough to have a 2-night anniversary getaway. While we were gone, my in-laws took our kids to Orlando in order to have a getaway of their own. I can’t call it a vacation because with two small kids in tow, even the suggestion would be laughable. That said, they had a great time and my daughter even wrote about her experience.
I promise, I didn’t give her any instructions on what to say. This is all her, and the jokes (and opinions) are her own as well:
“The hotel trip was awesome!I loved it. I got to go in the pool. You know what? I went in a time machine and traveled to downtown Disney. We saw dinosaurs. They were cool. Ice Age is coming! Woolly mammoths!
Hey, I got a joke. Do you think mammoth is male or female? Female! Mamm-oth, get it?
Hey, there is another joke. What do you call a saber tooth when it looses a tooth? Answer: Saber toothless!”
I think it’s pretty clear that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Not sure if that’s a good thing…
The technical details
The reason we chose Holiday Inn Orange Lake Vacation club (see TripAdvisor reviews) was due to the fact that we had 2 certificates from past IHG promo, redeemable at any property in that chain. This particular place is interesting because they let you use points (or certificates) for 2-bedroom/2- bath vacation rental that fits 8.
I have no idea why because they do have basic rooms for sale. It’s one of great mysteries, and IHG is full of those. But in this case, it really worked out to our advantage since my sister-in-law was coming as well, and sharing one hotel room would be less than ideal. I doubt everyone would still be alive by the end of the trip.
This resort occupies a huge area, and there are several wings. When they checked in, my in-laws found out that they got upgraded due to Platinum status which comes free with Chase IHG MasterCard. (Read about best hotel cards here) I’ve made no secret that I’m in love with that credit card because the perks continue long after the bonus points are used up.
Many of my friends and relatives have signed up for it via my recommendation. BTW the renewal certificate that you get annually (after paying $49 fee) is also redeemable at this resort. Be aware, this place does have blackout dates around major holidays.
You can also choose to redeem 35,000 points per night. It’s not a spectacular redemption, but if you are flush with IHG points, it’s certainly something to consider. Of course, you’ll get a 10% rebate just for being a cardholder. The upgraded unit my in-laws got would have cost them $239 (plus tax) per night. The price can be as low as $159 (plus tax) for their lower end 2-bedroom rental. Orange Lake resort is located within 20-minute drive from Magic Kingdom.
There are pools, lazy river and all kinds of activities for kids, so check the link to TripAdvisor for more. Let me do a quick photo tour of the unit:
I would say that it’s a spectacular deal for $49 per night, wouldn’t you? It is a timeshare resort, so expect them to try to lure you to attend a presentation in exchange for “free” gift or food voucher. Whether you decide to go is up to you, but I would never in a million years buy a timeshare. If they do a hard sell, just ask them if the price will work out to be $49 per night, maintenance fees included. Spoiler alert: It’s more than $49.
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
We stayed here with my parents and got the 2-bedroom upgrade. It was huge. We only stayed one night so we didn’t get to take advantage of all the amenities. We hope to go back.
@Jennifer I hope you go back. My in-laws loved it. I didn’t include the photos of the pools since my focus was on the unit, but feel free to click that TripAdvisor link.
Looks really nice! I love the idea of getting a 2-bedroom anything when I travel with my kids!
@Holly It is very nice! I actually stayed in a non-upgraded 2-bedroom unit about year ago, and it was very comfortable. This one looks much better, though, and the view of the lake is gorgeous. I have no idea why IHG lets you redeem points and certs for 2-bedroom units when they have basic rooms available, but it’s a nice perk. Probably the best value near Disney on points at the moment.