Skip the Disney World Resort? These Partner Hotels Just Won Impressive Awards

There is an unwritten rule that a lot of first-time Walt Disney World planners pick up somewhere along the way.

If you want the real experience, you stay on property. Anything else is settling. The Disney-branded resorts get treated as the only legitimate option, and the moment someone mentions staying anywhere else, a chorus of people online will tell them they are missing the point of the trip. The theming, the transportation, the ability to walk back to your room mid-afternoon. It all gets framed as an all-or-nothing proposition.

That thinking is understandable, and for some travelers it is genuinely the right call. If your whole vacation is built around monorail access to Magic Kingdom or walking to EPCOT from your hotel, a Disney Deluxe resort earns its price tag.

But a lot of guests do not know there is an entire second tier of officially recognized hotels sitting right there, and many of them are excellent. Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels are part of an official partnership with Disney. They offer transportation to the theme parks and often come in at a significantly better nightly rate than comparable Disney-branded rooms.

This week, two of them picked up a stack of awards that make the case better than any online debate can.

Two Good Neighbor Hotels Recognized in 2026 Central Florida Favorites

Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista and Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace have both been recognized by the Orlando Sentinel in its 2026 Central Florida Favorites awards.

The Central Florida Favorites program recognizes exceptional companies and locations across a wide range of industries, from law to dining to gardening. Winners are determined through a public nomination and voting process, which means these are not editor picks. Real people in the Orlando area voted for them.

Both hotels are official Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels.

What Each Hotel Won

Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista took home two honors.

Best Hotel & Resort, Silver Award.

Best Outdoor Dining for Rum Largo Poolside Bar & Café, Bronze Award.

Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace picked up three.

Best Hotel & Resort, Bronze Award.

Best Hotel & Resort Pool, Bronze Award.

Best Outdoor Dining for Shades, Silver Award.

Worth pausing on the dining recognitions specifically. These are not awards for “best hotel restaurant.” They are Best Outdoor Dining across Central Florida, competing against restaurants that are not attached to a hotel at all. Two poolside spots at Good Neighbor Hotels were placed in a regional dining category, which is a different kind of endorsement entirely.

What Hotel Leadership Said

George Stanfield, complex general manager for both properties, spoke about the recognitions.

“It is an honor to accept these awards on behalf of the teams at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace and Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista,” Stanfield said. “Whether someone is visiting for a family vacation, a conference, or a special celebration, our goal is to create memorable experiences that keep guests coming back. I’m incredibly proud of our team for earning these outstanding recognitions.”

What Good Neighbor Hotels Actually Offer

For anyone unfamiliar with the program, here is how it works.

Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels are an official Disney partnership built around value, comfort, and quality. There are dozens of them, and no matter which one you choose, every property in the program:

Offers a variety of accommodations, including standard rooms, suites, and villas.

Provides Walt Disney World Resort information.

Has a Guest Services desk to assist with Walt Disney World vacation planning.

Offers transportation to Walt Disney World theme parks, though a fee may apply.

Many locations also include breakfast, kitchenettes, and pet-friendly rooms. That last group of perks is where a lot of families find real savings. A kitchenette alone can cut a vacation food budget dramatically when you are feeding kids breakfast every morning.

Where the Hotels Are Located

The program spans several areas around the resort, which gives you options depending on how you plan to get around.

Lake Buena Vista has the largest concentration, including Aloft by Marriott Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Blue Tree Resort, Buena Vista Suites, Caribe Royale Orlando, Embassy Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa, Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites Waterpark, and more.

The Celebration and Kissimmee area includes Comfort Suites Maingate East, Delta Marriott Orlando Celebration, Fairfield by Marriott Celebration, Meliá Orlando Celebration, and Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.

International Drive properties include Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando International Drive Convention Center, Floridays Resort Orlando, Home2 Suites by Hilton Orlando International Drive South, and multiple Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites locations.

Other options in the Orlando area include Margaritaville Resort Orlando, The Grove Resort & Water Park Orlando, and WorldQuest Orlando Resort.

Categories range from standard rooms to suites to premium and resort-level properties, so the program covers a wide range of budgets and travel styles.

How to Book a Good Neighbor Hotel

There are two paths, depending on what you want bundled.

For room and ticket packages, call (407) 939-5277 to speak with a Disney Reservations Agent. Guests under 18 need a parent or guardian’s permission to call.

For room-only reservations, book online through the Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels website.

The package option is worth knowing about, because booking a room and theme park tickets together is exactly the kind of thing guests assume is only available at Disney-owned resorts.

Why This Is Worth Considering

Nobody is arguing that a Good Neighbor Hotel replicates walking out of Disney’s Contemporary Resort and being at Magic Kingdom in five minutes. That is a real advantage, and it is priced accordingly.

But if your trip is mostly park days and you are sleeping at the hotel rather than living there, the math changes quickly. Better nightly rates, transportation included in the program, suites and kitchenettes that Disney’s value resorts do not offer, and, in the case of these two Hiltons, award-winning pools and outdoor dining.

Five regional awards between two properties is a solid argument that staying off property is not the compromise a lot of planners assume it is.