Two hotels near Walt Disney World just walked away with five regional awards. Neither one has a Disney sign out front.
Here is why that is worth your attention.
Look, if you have ever planned a Disney World trip, you have heard the rule. Stay on property. Anything else is settling. It gets repeated in every planning group like scripture, and the moment somebody suggests booking elsewhere, the replies pile on. Theming. Transportation. Running back to your room for a nap. All or nothing.
And for some people, that holds up. If your trip lives and dies on monorail access to Magic Kingdom or a walk to EPCOT from your room, a Deluxe resort earns its number.
But there is an entire second tier that most guests never even look at. Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels are an official Disney partnership. Theme park transportation is included in the program. Usually cheaper than a comparable Disney room.
And two of them just got recognized in a big way.
The Wins
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista and Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace both landed in the Orlando Sentinel's 2026 Central Florida Favorites awards.
That program covers standout companies and locations across a wide range of industries, from law to dining to gardening. Winners are selected through public nomination and voting. Not an editor's list. Actual locals picked these.
Both hotels are official Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels.
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista pulled two: Best Hotel & Resort, Silver, and Best Outdoor Dining for Rum Largo Poolside Bar & Café, Bronze.
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace pulled three: Best Hotel & Resort, Bronze. Best Hotel & Resort Pool, Bronze. Best Outdoor Dining for Shades, Silver.
Now look closer at those dining awards, because that is the real story. These were not “best hotel restaurant” categories. This was Best Outdoor Dining in all of Central Florida, competing against restaurants with no attached hotel at all. Two poolside bars placed in that field.
What They Said About It
George Stanfield, complex general manager for both properties, spoke on the recognition.
“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 Actually Means
Quick primer, because a lot of people have seen the name without knowing the details.
It is an official Disney partnership built around value, comfort, and quality, covering dozens of hotels.
Every property in the program offers accommodations from standard rooms up through suites and villas, provides Walt Disney World Resort information, keeps a Guest Services desk for vacation planning, and offers transportation to the theme parks, though a fee may apply.
Lots of them throw in breakfast, kitchenettes, and pet-friendly rooms. That kitchenette detail is where families actually save. Feeding kids breakfast in the room instead of buying it every morning changes the whole trip budget.
Where These Hotels Are Located
The program covers a few zones, so you have options depending on how you plan to get around.
Lake Buena Vista has the biggest cluster: Aloft by Marriott, 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.
Celebration and Kissimmee bring Comfort Suites Maingate East, Delta Marriott Orlando Celebration, Fairfield by Marriott Celebration, Meliá Orlando Celebration, and Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
International Drive features Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando International Drive Convention Center, Floridays Resort Orlando, Home2 Suites, and multiple Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites locations.
Elsewhere around Orlando: Margaritaville Resort Orlando, The Grove Resort & Water Park Orlando, and WorldQuest Orlando Resort.
Categories run standard, suites, premium, and resort, so the price range is wide open.
How You Book
Two routes.
Want room and tickets bundled? Call (407) 939-5277 to speak with a Disney Reservations Agent. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian's okay to call.
Just the room? Book through the Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels website.
That package option surprises people. Bundling a hotel room with theme park tickets feels like something only Disney-owned resorts do. Not the case.
Should You Actually Consider These Hotels
Nobody is out here claiming a Good Neighbor Hotel matches strolling out of Disney's Contemporary and being inside Magic Kingdom five minutes later. That perk is real, and the nightly rate reflects it.
But if you are in the parks all day and the hotel is basically a place to sleep and shower, the math looks different. Lower rates. Transportation is built into the program. Suites and kitchenettes that Disney's value resorts simply do not offer. And at these two Hiltons specifically, an award-winning pool and two award-winning outdoor dining spots.
Five regional awards across two hotels is a pretty solid case that off-property is not the compromise everybody assumes it is.
