This waterfront charmer with just 115 rooms—practically a B&B by Orlando's bloated standards—is a successful evocation of the Old Florida vibe, down to the verandahs furnished with leather couches and gently swatting ceiling fans. In the rooms, wooden four-poster beds and faux barn wood bathroom ceilings evoke an antique sensation, even if the property opened only in 1999. Service is a priority, and check-in is conducted, in the old style, at private desks. One could wish for slightly larger rooms, deeper bathtubs, or better parking facilities, but there's no faulting the tranquil lakeside location, a respite from the usual din of Orlando hotels. The in-house restaurant might encourage an insular stay despite the fact that Disney's campus is just two miles west, but just outside, guests can ply the Disney-built lakeside quay, which is lined with cafés, boutiques, and wooden rocking chairs.

By far the most interesting Disney-run hotel—and the best choice for guests who aren't enamored of the company's mythology—the 1,307-room property, several miles from the western frontier of the Disney campus, overlooks savannahs stocked with real African game. Giraffes, zebras, ostrich, and other animals roam carefree, and most rooms have a furnished balcony peering over the cud-chewing action (a fraction face the parking lot or animal-free gardens). The buzzy lobby mimics a luxury safari lodge and hosts regular wildlife talks and movie screenings beneath its 100-foot vaulted atrium. Away from the animals, in a secluded grove by the property's three restaurants (one counter-service, two by reservation), there's a pool with a water slide. Rooms are accented with carved woods and mock-Afro fabrics, but are standard in every other way. And if you actually want to do anything—from having dinner (with a reservation) to storing luggage—be prepared to wait in line.

The ne plus ultra of Walt Disney World hotels, the lakeside Grand Floridian cribs directly from the palatial Victorian look of San Diego's Hotel del Coronado, down to the faux-cage elevator in the five-story lobby. You can't pick a more dreamily convenient Disney hotel—it's a single monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom, and four from Epcot. There are tennis courts, boat rentals, seven places to eat (two at the gourmet end), two pools, a spa, and a well-used wedding pavilion. The service is less than solicitous, but the sense of elitism is as well stage-managed as you'd expect (cue the small orchestra in the lobby). Rooms are fairly standard and have the usual dark and tiny Disney bathrooms, but are somewhat embellished by flat-screen TVs and iPod-playing clock-radios. Since they're spread around six buildings, you'll likely have to walk outside to reach yours. Only the few "Lagoon View" rooms stand a chance of having a view of the Magic Kingdom (availability is first-come, first-serve upon check-in), but the park's nightly fireworks are visible to all from the resort's ferry dock.

At this 250-room property, urban sophistication and high art come to a city better known for animal mascots and scampering children. The decor is moody and classic while giving a nod to the city's sugary personality: red velvets, gold leaf, regal purple curtains, and some of the softest beds on offer in the region. Its owner and decorator, entrepreneur Richard Kessler, is courageous enough to adorn the walls with priceless paintings from his personal collection, including authentic Klimts, but he's also affixed his own image in a few too many public spaces. The hotel's Bösendorfer Lounge, named for its $250,000 imperial grand piano, is a popular spot for cocktails, and the hotel's weekly jazz brunch enlivens the property on Sunday mornings. The theme park zone is about 10 miles southwest of the hotel, so this is a good choice for those who prefer to stay well away from the circus.

The seeming isolation of the location of this 1,064-room luxury tower, about two miles east of SeaWorld alongside swampland that will never be developed, lends the property an enviable natural tranquility that nearly all other Orlando mega-hotels lack. That might be enough to lure guests who crave respite from the city's usual hyperactive resorts, however even here, there's a full slate of kids' programs for weary parents. Bathrooms are enormous, with separate tub and shower, and king-size beds feel royally large, even if furnishings are a generic brand of hotel-room luxury. More enchanting still are the grounds: 500 empty acres including a Greg Norman golf course and a rambling, jungly pool area, with a lazy river that rivals the ones at the water-slide parks. The flagship restaurant, Primo, has an ever-changing menu, which emphasizes seasonal ingredients. On the downside, nearly every fragment of service carries a separate charge, including inner tubes for the pool area. Try to book one of the tower's west-facing rooms, which offer stunning sunset views. Next door, the local Ritz-Carlton outpost is a quieter, country club for high-end conventioneers. Marriott guests can use the 40,000-square-foot Ritz spa and its excellent restaurant, Norman's, as well as the pools at both hotels.

Universal's onslaught against the Disney monolith took another step forward in the summer of 2005, when a once-middling Holiday Inn completed a $20 million makeover in the image of Nickelodeon, and reopened as a mega-resort for kids. At this 777-unit all-suite hotel a mile east of Disney's gates, two lagoons gush with towering water slides and water cannons, and a central mall includes a food court and a studio where families can get green-slimed during live game shows. The two- and three-bedroom suites, which are kitted out with microwaves, mini-fridges, and free Internet, treat youngsters to their own bunk-bed areas splashed with giant murals of Nick characters such as Jimmy Neutron and SpongeBob, plus a TV with video games. Mom and Dad get their own grownup bedroom—and a door that closes. Of the two courtyard pools, the Oasis is less noisy.

Re-creating the legendary Italian fishing village amid a buffer of lush vegetation a short stroll from Universal Studios, the luxe Portofino, which is run by Loews Hotels, hugs a private man-made harbor populated with anchored fishing boats, strolling musicians, and shops. Within the grounds, the reverie is embellished by trompe l'oeil murals, eight restaurants (including Bice, a successful Italian chain), three pools, a spa, and 460-square-foot rooms (on the large side for the city) accented with soft green bedding and pale inlaid woods. Universal boasts the property is its most sumptuous, and while it's truly comfortable, it's still at heart a very busy property catering to theme park vacationers. The tariff includes a free ferry to CityWalk, and best of all, the right to join the super-short "Universal Express" queues at most of the attractions at both Universal parks, a bonus that can easily shave hours of waiting time off a day's visit.

Rooms at this lakeside resort have private balconies. Italian-inspired palazzo-style architecture extends to plush seating, thick drapes, and hand-painted Italian furniture. "Dinner at Norman's is wonderful"—the menu showcases dishes with Florida-Caribbean accents. The spa specializes in water therapy.

(584 rooms)