Hotel Reviews Archives - Laughing Lindsay

Disney Animal Kingdom Resorts Guide

May 27, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Today, I am continuing my look at the Walt Disney World hotels with the Animal Kingdom Resorts!

Animal Kingdom Resorts

Having already posted the Magic Kingdom Resorts Guide, Epcot Resorts Guide, and Disney Hollywood Studios Resorts Guide, this is my last resort guide for the four theme parks at Walt Disney World! Once again, I am going by Disney World’s website for this list of hotels as this is how they designate these resorts. Unfortunately, there’s no special transportation connecting these resorts. There’s just bus transportation to take you the parks here.

All Star Resorts

Disney has three All Star Resorts – All Star Sports, All Star Movies, and All Star Music. Each of them is considered a value resort and offer the lowest priced rooms on property. All of them also feature giant statues that fit the resort’s theme to designate different areas of the resort. I wrote a Disney’s All Star Resorts Overview post a couple of years ago if you would like a closer look at these three resorts. I’ve also posted a separate Disney All Star Sports Review from my solo Christmas stay in December 2024.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe/DVC resort. I’ve stayed here only once and it was almost a decade ago. That’s why I haven’t posted a separate review of it. If I ever return, I will post a review of it. However, it is typically one of the cheaper Deluxe options at Disney. It can still be pricey, especially those Savannah view rooms. It’s just typically cheaper than most of the other Deluxe resorts. This resort is built around an artificial savannah that has real animals! It’s the perfect location for animal lovers as you don’t need a park ticket to enjoy the animals here! Also, the food is pretty good here too!

Coronado Springs

Lastly, there’s Coronado Springs! This is another sprawling moderate resort that I’ve covered a few times: Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Review and Gran Destino Tower – Disney Coronado Springs Resort Review. It also has the distinction of being the very first Disney World resort I stayed at! It has several good food options as well! I would stay here more frequently if it didn’t have so many bus stops.

Disney Animal Kingdom Resorts

So, there you have the Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom Resorts! Which one are you staying at? Do you have a favorite?

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate Review

May 6, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Last month, my husband and I were able to stay two nights at the fabulous Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate! Today, I am giving my review of that experience.

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate

There are two hotels on the Biltmore Estate property. The Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate is the more moderate resort with slightly cheaper rates than The Inn. Located in the Antler Hill Village, it gives you easy walking access to the shopping and dining there. It also makes it super convenient to visit the House and Gardens since you are staying on property.

Village King Bed

We booked a king sized bed room for this trip and enjoyed having the huge bed! The mattress and bedding was super comfy. I was also impressed with how quiet our stay was. No complaints about noise here. The room itself is nice without being too much. It takes a basic hotel room and adds some little touches to upgrade the experience.

The bathroom is really nice. There’s a huge shower that is great for relaxing in. The sink is outside the bathroom, allowing two people to get ready in the morning. There’s also a mini refrigerator in the room. A microwave is located in the lobby.

Overall, this room provided a very comfortable two night stay for us.

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate Location

This hotel is perfect for visiting The Biltmore. There’s a complimentary shuttle bus that takes you over to the house/gardens. However, there’s also free parking. We chose to drive around the estate instead of waiting for the shuttle. It was nice to not have to traverse Asheville while visiting though. Also, I was pleased with the amount of parking available. When we came back to the Hotel after 10 PM after Luminere, there was still plenty of parking available.

This hotel is technically located in the Antler Hill Village. That makes it a great option for folks wanting to enjoy the Village’s dining, shopping, and activities. Village Social is the restaurant located on the second floor of the hotel. We enjoyed breakfast here both mornings and dinner once. It was so convenient and tasty!

Hotel Package

While you can simply book a stay here, the Biltmore also offers various package deals. We booked the Estate Escape Offer Package. This included breakfast at Village Social both mornings as well as length of stay tickets to the Biltmore House. I highly recommend booking any of the packages the includes breakfast. I also highly suggest you try the Pecan Waffles at the Village Social.

Although, I will note that Saturday morning had a 25 minute wait for breakfast. Friday morning had no wait. So, maybe head down to get on the waitlist early if you are visiting on the weekend.

Also, the tickets with the package allowed us to visit the House at our leisure. That meant that we didn’t have to make a reservation at the house and could go in whenever. That was nice.

Pros

Nice accommodations – This hotel is a very relaxing resort in the mountains of North Carolina. What’s not to like?
Location – It’s located in the Village and is walking distance to everything it offers. Plus, it makes visiting the Biltmore House and Gardens easy.
Peaceful – This was one of the quietest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. It was awesome.
Book a breakfast package – I like that you can book a package to prepay for breakfast and it’s convenient to eat in the hotel.
Comfortable – It’s easy to get a good night’s rest here. The bed is very comfy.
Cookie/Wine Hour – There’s a Wine Social from 5-6 PM and Cookie Hour from 8-9 PM in the lobby. We enjoyed those on Friday night and then spent some time sitting at the firepit.

Cons

Pricey – While this was cheaper than staying at the Inn, it wasn’t a cheap trip. You can definitely stay somewhere cheaper off property.
Few hooks – I know this is random and tiny. However, I would like more hooks for towels in the bathroom and a coat rack in the room for jackets/hats/purses.

Should you stay at the Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate?

I really enjoyed our stay here and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other folks. If you can afford it and want to visit the Biltmore, this is a great way to do it. Have you ever stayed here?

Disney Hollywood Studios Resorts Guide

April 15, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Today, I am continuing on with my Walt Disney World hotel series with the Hollywood Studios Resorts guide!

Hollywood Studios Resorts

Previously, I published a Magic Kingdom Resorts Guide as well as an Epcot Resorts Guide. Today, I wanted to highlight the hotels closest to the other theme park on the Skyliner – Hollywood Studios! There is a good bit of overlap with the Epcot resorts due to the Skyliner. In fact, 1/2 of these hotels are also on the Epcot list. I’m going by Disney World’s website for grouping and they put a couple of hotels in both theme park locations. So, I’m going to cover them in both posts!

Art of Animation

First up, we have Art of Animation. I most recently stayed here in December 2025 with my mom. I posted a Disney World Little Mermaid Rooms Review covering the standard rooms in the Little Mermaid section of the resort. However, there are family suites in the rest of the resort. I’ve not had the pleasure of staying in one of those rooms yet. Nonetheless, you can read my overall resort review here.

This resort is great for fans of specific Disney/Pixar movies (Little Mermaid, Cars, Finding Nemo, or Lion King). I love that it’s on the Skyliner too. It’s a fun theme that immerses you in the Disney bubble. It’s considered a value, but is priced higher thanks to the theme/popularity and suites.

Caribbean Beach Resort

Next up, is Caribbean Beach Resort. I posted a complete Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review a few years ago. It’s a sprawling moderate resort on the Skyliner. It has fun, beachy vibes. My biggest complaint about this resort is its size. There’s multiple bus stops here. However, I did enjoy Sebastian’s Bistro the one time I ate there.

Pop Century

The other value resort on the Skyliner, is Pop Century! I’ve stayed here multiple times. It has fun retro vibes and is the most affordable resort on the Skyliner. You can read my entire Disney’s Pop Century Resort Review to get a better idea of what it’s like to stay here. I think it’s ideal for adults visiting Disney on a budget or for people on a budget who want access to the Skyliner.

Riviera Resort

Lastly, there’s the Riviera Resort. As I stated in the Epcot Resorts post, this is a fancy DVC/Deluxe resort. As such, I haven’t stayed here. However, I have visited a few times and really enjoyed the character breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace. I also appreciate its compact layout.

Disney Hollywood Studios Resorts

Those are the four resorts that Disney considers to be HS resorts. So, which one is your favorite to stay at? Do you like staying on the Skyliner?

Epcot Resorts Guide – Walt Disney World

March 18, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Today, I thought I would provide a look at the Epcot Resorts or the resorts that Disney says is located nearest this theme park at Walt Disney World.

Epcot Resorts

I began looking at theme park area resorts last year with my Magic Kingdom Resorts Guide. Today, I am continuing that series by moving over to Epcot! Unfortunately, I have not had the privilege of staying at most of these resorts. However, I have visited most of them and have an idea of what they are about.

Beach Club

The one resort in this bunch that I have stayed at is Beach Club. It’s a deluxe resort with DVC villas. I was lucky enough to stay here a decade ago when I was invited to Disney Social Media Moms Celebration! I enjoyed my stay here and would love to return again someday. Unfortunately, price has been a hindrance on my return. It was so convenient to be walking distance to Epcot! Plus, it’s now walking distance to the Skyliner and Hollywood Studios! This is an upscale beachy vibes place. I can also recommend the Cape May Café Breakfast Character Meal here.

Additionally, they usually have a gingerbread carousel here during the holidays. The theme changes from year to year, but it’s always great.

Yacht Club

Yacht Club is located directly beside Beach Club. It looks very similar to the Beach Club, however it’s more of a muted grey color than the bright blue of Beach Club. I’ve not had the pleasure of staying here, but I did enjoy Ale and Compass Breakfast back in December 2024. Once again, I can recommend it for its location and close proximity to Epcot and the Skyliner. However, it is an expensive deluxe resort as well.

While they don’t typically get a gingerbread creation during the holidays, they display a nice train set. It’s fun to watch the train go around the village.

Boardwalk Inn

Another deluxe resort I haven’t stayed at is Boardwalk Inn. It is located across from Beach and Yacht Club. As such, it is also walking distance to the Skyliner and Epcot. I used to enjoy breakfast here when they had a character breakfast. My mom enjoys visiting as it reminds her of the boardwalk in New Jersey.

Swan/Dolphin Hotels

Technically, the Swan/Dolphin hotels aren’t owned by Disney. However, they are often grouped in with Disney resorts as they receive lots of the same perks as staying on property. Plus, they are located close to Epcot. I’ve never actually stayed at either one, but have heard nice things.

Riviera Resort

Yet another deluxe/DVC resort that I haven’t stayed at, but is located close to Epcot is Disney’s Riviera Resort. I have visited this resort twice for Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast, which I really enjoyed. I also like how compact this resort is. Plus, you are always close to the Skyliner. That makes a ride to Epcot and/or Hollywood Studios super easy.

Caribbean Beach

Lastly, Disney technically considers Caribbean Beach an Epcot resort. It’s the only moderate resort on this list and I’ve actually stayed here! You can read my Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review to get a better idea of what this resort is like. However, it’s a sprawling resort with several bus stops. Although, it does have easy access to either Skyliner line with quick transportation to both Hollywood Studios and Epcot! I also enjoy Sebastian’s Bistro here.

Should you stay at Epcot Resorts?

If you have the means to stay at one of these deluxe resorts, I say go for it. It makes visiting Epcot so easy when you stay at one of these resorts. Personally, I typically pick a value on the Skyliner over Caribbean Beach. However, that’s just my preference. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the deluxe/DVC resorts on this list though.

So, which resorts on this list have you stayed at?

Disney World Little Mermaid Rooms Review

February 4, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Back in December, my mom and I spent four nights in a Disney World Little Mermaid Room at Art of Animation. So, I thought I would provide an updated review of the experience.

Disney World Little Mermaid Rooms

The last time I stayed in these rooms (and this resort) was back in 2019! I shared about that experience in my Art of Animation Resort Review. Since it had been several years, I thought I would offer another glance at those rooms since I had my mom with me, who had another perspective.

Standard Room

These Little Mermaid rooms are the standard rooms at this resort. All of the other sections feature family suites. I’m still hoping to stay in one of those rooms some day. However, they are always so expensive. Maybe someday. Nonetheless, I really like that these rooms come with two regular queen sized beds. That’s become more important as my mom and I both get older. My mom has back issues and needs a good mattress to sleep on. I’m not old yet, but am getting older and appreciate a regular bed too.

The Little Mermaid theme was perfect for us. The animated film came out the year I was born. So, it was definitely nostalgic for us to stay in this room. Plus, being an older film, my mom actually knew who all of the characters were. Besides, who doesn’t love sleeping in a clam shell?

We also enjoyed using the Skyliner for transportation to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. However, the real problem with this stay was the walk. My mom really struggled this trip. We were thankful to discover several benches along the walk to the Skyliner for my mom to sit and rest. Several of them had nice views of the lake too. Unfortunately, it is just too long of a walk for my mom now.

Pros

Fun theme – It was so much fun to show my mom the little themed details in the room.
Nostalgic movie – We were happy to be staying in a room with characters/setting from my childhood. It was great for bonding.
Two real beds – Again, I hate that Disney has put pull down beds in the value rooms elsewhere. I love having two real beds here.
Skyliner access – I’m a big fan of the Skyliner. It’s so convenient.
Fun character waffles – You can get Mickey/Minnie waffles at lots of places. This is the only place I know of that gives you random character waffles.
On-site Perks – I’m partial to the perks of staying on-site including 60 days advance dining reservations, early park entry, and free park transportation!

Cons

Far removed – These rooms are located in the back corner of the resort and are far removed from everything. It’s definitely not ideal for anyone with mobility issues.
Long walks – Again, expect long walks coming and going. It doesn’t matter if you are taking the bus or Skyliner. It’s a bit of a hike. There are benches to rest on, though some are in smoking sections.
Price – These are the most expensive standard value rooms on property.

Are the Disney World Little Mermaid Rooms worth it?

I think these rooms are great for millennials to stay in. However, I encourage you to use judgement when bringing boomer parents/grandparents due to all of the walking here. Personally, I love staying here by myself. It’s just a little too much for my mom. If you like this movie and/or want access to the Skyliner with two queen beds, then I recommend checking it out.