10 Over-the-top Orlando Resorts That Are Just As Much Fun As The Theme Parks

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Orlando may be best known for its incredible theme parks, but it's increasingly a city where the hotels and resorts are becoming attractions in and of themselves. When you stay at one of these over-the-top fun hotels in Orlando, you might even have a hard time peeling your kids away for a day at Disney World or Universal Studios.

Everything at Villatel Orlando is designed around Aqua Bay, a whimsical water park with candy-colored water slides, a lazy river, a massive resort pool, and a wet playground for youngsters. The fun doesn’t stop there, though. A dry playground and Top Golf simulator treat families who want to stay dry, while kids will swoon over the themed bedrooms found in every villa that have slides, game rooms, and bunk beds inspired by the Wild West, Outer Space, and Exotic Safaris, among other designs.

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In addition to spacious villas that feature between four and nine bedrooms, Villatel Orlando has Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy Resort. This means families can use points to book the two- and three-bedroom accommodations complete with full kitchens and roomy living spaces.

Family-friendly Gaylord Palms Resort is renowned for its breathtaking atriums, intricately themed environments, and built-in activities. At the heart of the resort is a vibrant water park area featuring a zero-entry pool. Families in search of more adventure can zoom down thrilling water slides, ride the current of a rapid river, and challenge themselves on a surfing simulator. Younger kiddos will enjoy their own dedicated aquatic playground.

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Beyond the water, you can meet baby alligators and other critters, go on a virtual safari, or check out the arcade. There are seasonal events all year long, from an Easter garden adorned with colorful, oversized eggs to the resort’s annual ICE! exhibit, featuring themed ice sculptures, sledding, and more. 

Situated within the 1,100-acre Evermore Orlando Resort, Conrad Orlando gives guests access to a private 20-acre tropical beach, a tranquil crystalline lagoon, and a huge pool. Kayaking, paddle boarding, and an enormous family water slide are available on-site, along with plenty of other aquatic activities. Cliff jumps of varying heights and rope swings over a deep blue swimming hole are a highlight of a stay for many kids.

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Other activities include beach bashes, campfire singalongs, and sandcastle-building tournaments. The hotel has a great kids' club that is more than just a place to park the kids for a few hours. The club's rich programming focuses on Florida’s diverse landscapes, history, and wildlife. Kids might learn about pirates one day and wetlands and alligators the next.

The largest Marriott property in the world is bound to have something for everyone. You might find it hard to pull your kids away from the Orlando World Center’s River Falls Water Park, which has inner tube water slides and a lazy river spanning more than 500 feet. The on-site Falls Pool Oasis has a lagoon-style pool with waterfalls, winding water slides (the resort has seven total), and a kids' splash zone.

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Head to the 18-hole mini-golf course or oversized lawn games for a change of pace. On weekends, revel in activities such as Gatorland animal encounters, scavenger hunts, and poolside movies. At night, grab a good seat for the laser light show. You can even see Disney’s fireworks right from the hotel.

At the Mediterranean-style Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek, kids never need to get out of the water. The resort features a pirate-themed outdoor play space, with multiple swimming pools, water slides, two lazy rivers, and a splash pad for littles. A dry playground, mini-golf course, and outdoor movies are among the other family-friendly amenities.

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On-site pizza delivery service and an ice cream joint make indulging easy. Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek also hosts organized activities all day long, including karaoke, face painting, and bingo.

Guests at The Grove Resort & Water Park Orlando can spend their days at the resort’s Surfari Water Park, which features a lazy river, thrilling water slides, a splash park, and a FlowRider Double surf simulator. Families who like water sports can head to the on-site Lake Austin for kayaks, paddle boats, fishing, and pontoon tours.

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Lake Austin is also a great place for nature lovers to explore Central Florida’s diverse landscape. The Grove Resort hosts events all day long, including scavenger hunts, karaoke contests, fishing tournaments, and arts and crafts.

While many Orlando resorts flaunt water slides and dreamy pools, Caribe Royale takes a one-of-a-kind approach. Its Stadium Club, an upscale sports bar and interactive experience, melds cutting-edge technology with competitive fun in its simulator suites. Here, families can play more than 10 sports and games using real equipment and settings customized for their body type for an experience that’s almost as real as it gets. Favorite activities include pro-level golf and zombie dodgeball.

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Good ol’ family fun can be enjoyed outdoors, at the pool with a water slide, dry playground, arcade, biking and walking trails, and private lake with a pier for catch-and-release fishing. Equipment such as fishing gear and bikes are free to rent.

Located at the headwaters of the Everglades, J.W. Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes is a 500-acre luxury resort with wall-to-wall family activities. Along with fireworks displays and a giant pool, this hotel has a fun water park with three water slides, a lazy river flowing for a quarter mile, and a poolside eatery. Its roster of family-friendly experiences also includes archery, falconry, fly fishing, and an escape room.

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The hotel also embraces each season on its very own farm. A fall festival with pumpkins and hayrides turns into a sparkling winter wonderland—complete with a mini Christmas market and afternoon tea with a visit from Santa. Hotel guests can use the Ritz Kids club at the adjacent Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes. The kids’ club is a great place for little ones to hang out when parents want to visit the spa or have a date night sans children. 

Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek may be nestled on a peaceful 482-acre nature preserve, but the resort is anything but boring. Families can spend the afternoon at the hotel’s lagoon-style pool and a three-acre lazy river. Scuba-diving lessons are available for adventurous spirits. At night, the pool also hosts movies under the stars.

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Craving something a little more hands-on? Special experiences might include pizza-making classes and seasonal events like Easter egg hunts. Note: Families are welcome to use the pools, kids’ club, and kid-friendly golf course at Signia’s sister property, Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

If your kids are dreaming of days in the pool, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress can’t be beat. The resort boasts a half-acre pool featuring a swim-through rock grotto, waterfalls, a waterslide tower, and a suspension bridge. The pool alone can keep families busy all day, but the property also has plenty more to offer including a lakeside white sand beach and bike rentals.

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Water sports, including canoes, sailboats, paddleboats, hydrobikes, and kayaks, are available on-site. Families who want to stay on land can explore the resort’s other amenities, such as a poolside shaved-ice stand, Build-A-Buddy workshop, and family events during the holidays. 

10 over-the-top Orlando resorts that are just as much fun as the theme parks originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.

Gina Kramer also contributed to this story. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. FamilyVacationist.com and TourScoop.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using the FamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology, we review and select family vacation ideas, family vacation spots, all-inclusive family resorts, and classic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop covers guided group tours and tour operators, tour operator reviews, tour itinerary reviews and travel gear recommendations. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission.