Magic Castle Inn & Suites
01/09/2005: After extensively searching for a cheap room in Orlando for a trip on a tight budget, I stumbled across for a little place called the Magic Castle Inn & Suites. It seemed too good to be true, but things really worked out well.
Located roughly 3 miles from the gates of Walt Disney World, the Magic Castle turned out to be a great value in the world of
bargain hunters. My first impression of the place wasn't actually great, as the outside was a little beaten, but I feel that this was due to last year's major hurricane group that ran through the area. (Many of the other hotels on the strip looked the same way.) After one night of staying there though, all of that went away, and it was great. There were many plusses about this place, and you really sink into it after a few nights.
First of all, the rooms are cheap. They range in price depending on the season, but they're always affordable. (For instance, there was a published rate of $28.99/night on their website for the time period I wanted to stay, and when I got there, it was $185 for the week on their board out front. Things just kept getting cheaper!)
Besides the price of a room, there are two other major perks that most hotels don't have. EVERY room at the Magic Castle has a microwave and mini-fridge inside. This is totally awesome for anyone who travels with food, or simply has leftovers from a restaurant. (It also makes things quicker in the morning if you decide to keep some quick eats in the fridge before heading off to the parks.)
My only real gripe about the place was the parking lot, or lack there of. We stayed during the off season, and when it was busy on a Friday night, I ended up parking all the way by the lobby. Granted, this was much closer than you'd park at most other hotels (especially Disney ones), but it was still troublesome. I can't imagine where people must park during the busy times. I did manage to find a space without a problem most other nights though.
They offer standard rooms with two double beds, king standard rooms, and king mini-suites with a little half wall and a loveseat. (There was no additional charge for a different kind of room when I stayed, so I obviously went for the mini-suite.) They also claim to offer "full cable service", but don't be fooled. There were 40 channels, 12 or 15 of which didn't even come in at all. Most of the others were fuzzy, and I'd have to say that there were a solid 8-10 good channels. (Of course, these were channels nobody watches like CNN and stuff.) That's OK though. Who watches TV when Walt Disney World is so close?
The bottom line is this. After staying there so cheap, and having the microwave and fridge in the room, I can't imagine staying anywhere else when I'm visiting Mickey and the gang. It was a great bargain. Visit www.magicorlando.com for more information!
In a Nutshell:
+ Microwave & Mini-Fridge in every room!
+ Excellent Prices
+ About 3 Miles from Disney
- Limited Parking near room on busy days
Score: A-
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