Review: Margaritaville Resort Orlando

On our first morning waking up in a palatial three-story cottage at Florida’s Margaritaville Resort Orlando, my children and nephew (ages 5, 6 and 8) were brimming with energy. 

They’d had a slumber party the night before and were marching up and down the stairs, chanting an adorable cousins’ anthem — “Rascal time! Rascal time!” they sang, as my father and father-in-law chatted over coffee downstairs. 

“Want to go in the pool?” I asked the kids. 

Within minutes, our multigenerational family of nine was gathered on the cottage’s pool deck, enjoying an al fresco breakfast while the kids splashed happily in the water.

It was the start of a three-night tropical retreat at Margaritaville Resort Orlando, where our family occupied an island-inspired cottage — an accommodation type I highly recommend for families.

Here’s everything travel advisors need to know about the resort and its many benefits for multigenerational groups.

Accommodations at Margaritaville Resort Orlando 

Nestled on 300 acres in Kissimmee near Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the centerpiece of Margaritaville Resort Orlando is its Key West-themed hotel with 265 rooms and suites.  Each feature floor-to-ceiling windows, beach chic decor and a private balcony.

For larger families and groups, the resort also offers villas and cottages, ranging in size from two-bedroom villas to eight-bedroom cottages that sleep up to 18, many with private pools. These are ideal lodging options for guests seeking the space and comfort of a vacation rental home with the amenities of a resort.

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Our family booked an eight-bedroom cottage through Rentyl Resorts, which manages the majority of the resort’s villas and cottages. Adorned in hues of blue and green, the cottage felt like a spacious Caribbean bungalow, with two floors of breezy wraparound porches, multiple living rooms and dining spaces, a fully stocked kitchen, a washer and dryer, a pool, a hot tub and a seemingly endless supply of bedrooms and bathrooms.

Resort Amenities and Family Activities

We had previously sailed on Margaritaville at Sea Islander, and we loved the brand’s focus on family-inclusive activities. To our delight, the Orlando resort mirrors that focus. There is plenty to occupy guests of all ages, including a spa, a fitness center, shuffleboard and volleyball courts, playgrounds, a dog park and multiple lagoon-style swimming pools that comprise a beach club — complete with tiki huts and cabanas. There are also various family-friendly activities listed on the resort’s daily calendar, such as s’mores-making, trivia and bracelet-making. 

One of the highest value benefits, however, is the resort’s access to the adjacent Island H2O Water Park. Resort guests currently enjoy complimentary daily admission to the water park (open from March through October), and we made sure to take advantage of this perk. We reserved a cabana near the park’s wave pool and spent a full day there, floating down the lazy river, screaming our way down winding waterslides on large rafts and snacking in the shade of our cabana. Both the kids and grandparents loved it.

Dining and Entertainment Options

The resort boasts multiple eateries, including an upscale seafood restaurant, an on-the-go outpost and a poolside grill. Our family dined on Chilean sea bass and tangy-sweet Key Lime pie at Euphoria Fish House, ate a quick breakfast in a beautiful sunlit seating area at Provisions and downed burgers and margaritas by the pool at Salty Rim Bar & Grill. There is live music daily throughout the resort that typically features laid-back acoustic sets of Jimmy Buffett songs.  

Another asset of the resort is its proximity to its own walkable entertainment district, The Promenade at Sunset Walk. Just steps from the resort, this main street features a collection of restaurants, shops and lounges, along with an arcade, outdoor lawn games, live music venues and a dine-in movie theater. We filled our bellies at taco cantina El Jefe Tequilas and window-shopped, pausing to watch people on the Sunset Walk Slingshot, a bungee-style thrill ride. 

Transportation and Access to Orlando’s Theme Parks

When traveling within the resort property, everything is accessible on foot. We walked to the restaurants, pools, the entertainment district and the waterpark. There’s also an internal shuttle that will transport guests anywhere on the property if requested by phone, though we didn’t try it.

The resort is a Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel, offering proximity to Disney theme parks, restaurants and entertainment options. We didn’t visit any parks on this visit, but guests can ride complimentary shuttles to many of Orlando’s theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando. All are within a 30-minute drive of the resort.

On the final night of our trip, we drove 20 minutes to Disney Springs, Disney’s sprawling outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex. We posed for portraits at the Disney PhotoPass Studio, raced miniature cars on the interactive track outside The Lego Store and witnessed a meteor shower with animatronic dinosaurs inside T-Rex Cafe.

Before heading back to the cottage, our family stood on a bridge together at Disney Springs, watching the fiery volcano at Rainforest Cafe “erupt” from across the water. We all live in different cities, and the chance to travel as an extended family was precious. It’s a trip I’ll remember forever.