Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando – Disney Springs Area

A hard part of planning a Walt Disney World vacation is deciding where to stay, especially if you’re trying to keep your costs down. I have good news for you. Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando could be exactly what you’re looking for! It’s located in the Disney Springs area, which means that you’re still right in the middle of the action. It’s an Official Walt Disney World Hotel (not a Good Neighbor Hotel), which gives you the benefits of staying at any Disney-owned property. The fact that it’s gorgeous and affordable makes Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando a perfect choice.

I was recently part of an invited media group that was given a tour of the property. We enjoyed the same hot breakfast that the guests can have, and then saw some of the rooms. I was impressed.

I’ll start with the rooms. We saw a Queen Room with a view, a Queen Room with a balcony, a King Room, and a suite. All of the rooms were spacious. They include the standards like coffee maker, refrigerator, and microwave. One nice touch is that there are two sinks in each room, so two people can get ready at once. The suite that we saw sleeps up to six people, or seven if the children are small. Rollaway beds are available for a small fee. Pack ‘n Plays are free.

Now onto breakfast. A free hot breakfast buffet is included each morning of your stay. You can enjoy eggs, breakfast meats, pancakes, oatmeal, and more. There are also bagels, cold cereal with or without milk, and fruit. You don’t have to eat at a Disney-owned restaurant to enjoy Mickey Waffles, you can have them fresh each morning! The dining area is large and there was no line while we were there for any of the food items, except maybe for the waffles.

Another great extra at Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando is 5:30 Kickback. Each evening from 5:30-7:30 you can fill up on something delicious. Munch on hot dogs, nachos and cheese, potatoes, salad, and rotating items. Adults 21 and older can also enjoy three cocktails. It’s a nice little extra if you’re spending some time outside of the theme parks.

I’m a coffee lover, so I’m happy to share this next bonus with you. KELSO+BROS Coffee is available in the lobby 24 hours a day and it’s complimentary. It’s the same coffee that’s served at breakfast, and it’s very good. Drury Hotels has a deal with the company, so drink it while you can. Self-serve Starbucks is available for sale in the hotel’s Marketplace, but I think that KELSO+BROS is just as good.

There is a large, heated saltwater pool and also a splash pad. There’s live music at the pool bar some evenings, weather permitting.

The Fitness Center is quite large, as is the arcade. There are also plenty of places to just stretch out and relax. One area that I really liked is The City Beautiful Terrace. It was designed by the founding CEO’s widow, Shirley Drury. It’s a great space to sit and unwind.

If you drive, there’s a $25 per day parking fee. That said, there’s no resort fee, like so many other hotels in the Orlando area.

You may wonder about getting to and from the theme parks. That’s easy as well. Drury has its own free buses that run on a set schedule. The schedule is available on the Drury app or you can see it in the lobby. You can schedule your seats on a bus up to two days early, which is recommended if you plan to arrive for Early Theme Park Entry. There’s a QR Code in the lobby that will take you where you need to go to reserve your seats. Priority will be given to those with reservations, but if there are any open seats you can ride without one.

If you plan to turn in early but still want to see fireworks, that’s possible. There is a great view of Epcot from several areas of the hotel. You don’t even need to be on an upper floor. We were told that you can see the fireworks clearly if you’re lounging near the pool.

If you’re thinking of booking a small conference, Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando might be worth looking into. Not only are there several spaces available, Drury owns a lot of the equipment that you might need. They will rent the equipment out for a fraction of what you would pay if you hire an outside company.

Weddings do not yet take place at Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando, but the staff is working on it. We were told some ideas that are in the early stages. They hope to have weddings up and running sometime in 2024.

One thing that I like about Drury Hotels is that the company sees things differently. Many builders will buy a property and tear down the existing buildings to put up a new hotel. Whenever possible, Drury will renovate instead of tearing down. Part of the Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando was an original local hotel, dating back to when Walt Disney World opened in 1971. Instead of starting over, it was renovated to create a beautiful new space. It’s very well done.

Drury Hotels is a family owned company, and always has been. The General Manager of Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando is Thomas Drury, who is fourth generation. That doesn’t mean that he just walked into the position. He earned it, he started in housekeeping when he was just 16 years old.

Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando is the largest of the Drury Hotels, with 602 rooms. I asked the question closest to my heart, it’s pet friendly (for an additional fee.) While it’s affordable at full price, there are plenty of discounts to be had. A few are military, Annual Passholder, Florida Resident, and senior discounts. I really liked the property, and I think that you will as well. If you’re looking for an affordable, yet comfortable, option with lots of extras, consider Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando.