Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort Review: Villas, Fees, Pools and Dining

Location and distances from Orange Lake Resort

Orange Lake sits in Four Corners, close to the Walt Disney World area but not within walking distance of any park. You will need a car or a paid ride for almost everything outside the property.

The official FAQ says the resort shares a border with Disney's Animal Kingdom, but no walking access is published, so do not plan on strolling there. The same FAQ puts the Magic Kingdom entrance at about a 10-minute drive.

The resort itself is large, so where you sleep inside it matters. Moving between villages is covered by the free internal shuttle, described in the transport section below.

Orange Lake Resort rooms, villas and villages

Almost everything here is a villa rather than a standard hotel room. The resort lists 11 distinct types across four villages (17 listings in all), plus The Residences at Orange Lake, with 2,478 units in total.

Villa types and how many they sleep

• Studio Suite: sleeps 5
• 1 Bedroom Villa (also a Clubhouse and a Signature version): sleeps 4
• 2 Bedroom Villa (and Signature): sleeps 8
• 3 Bedroom Villa, 3 Bedroom Lock-Off and Signature Lock-Off: sleeps 12
• 4 Bedroom Villa (and Signature): sleeps 16, 2,575 sq ft, River Island
• The Residences at Orange Lake: 6 bedrooms, up to 20 guests

Lock-off villas can split into separate units, which suits two families sharing. Connecting rooms are not published, so ask the resort if you need them.

The villages: North, West, East and River Island

The four villages are North Village, West Village, East Village and River Island. Each has its own pool area: Splash Lagoon at North Village, Water's Edge at West Village, and the largest complex at River Island. If pools matter most, River Island has the lazy river and the waterslides. West Village is where Breezes Restaurant & Bar and the Marketplace are.

Kitchens and laundry

Villas, including the Studio Suite, have an equipped kitchen. A River Island 2 Bedroom has an enclosed full-size washer and dryer. The West Village Studio only lists access to a full-size washer and dryer, so it may not be in the unit.

Which type to book depends on group size more than view: the 2 Bedroom suits most families, and the Signature versions are the upgrade tier. The resort does not publish a best-view recommendation.

Pools, lazy river and the water park question

There is no branded water park, but the pool setup is big enough that most guests will not miss one. The resort lists seven outdoor pools, all heated year-round to about 82 F.

They are spread out: one at North Village (Splash Lagoon), two at West Village (Water's Edge Main Pool and Stage Pool), two at East Village and two at River Island. River Island also has a kids' wading pool and two hot tubs. The resort site elsewhere mentions four pool areas, so the count depends on how you group them.

Is there an Orange Lake resort water park?

Not officially. The closest equivalent is the River Island Pool Complex: a zero-entry pool, a 1,200 ft lazy river, two waterslides and two hot tubs. Hotels.com markets this as free water park access.

Waterslides have a 48 in. minimum height. The Leeward slide runs 10 am to 7 pm daily and Windward 10 am to 5 pm (seasonal). Splash Lagoon at North Village has its own slide, and IHG mentions The Hippo inflatable slide in the Fun Zone.

Hours, towels and extras

Splash Lagoon, River Island and East Village pools open 7 am to 10 pm, and Water's Edge opens 7 am to 11 pm. Bring towels from your villa. The lazy river is free, but tubes cost $9 for the day at Island Traders or Island Golf.

No pool-only day pass was found. ResortPass, a third-party site, sells only Premium Pool Cabanas for up to 6 guests, at North Village, West Village and River Island.

Breakfast and dining at Orange Lake Resort

Breakfast is not included. Hotels.com lists a full breakfast for a surcharge of about $8-16 per person, a third-party figure, so check the current menu before relying on it.

For a sit-down breakfast, Breezes Restaurant & Bar in West Village serves 8-11 am daily. Currents Cafe handles coffee and sweet treats, and the Marketplace sells coffee and food to go. Since villas have equipped kitchens, many guests cook their own.

Orange Lake restaurants

The resort counts eight restaurants. The official FAQ still says four, which is outdated.

• Stone & Current: new steak and seafood restaurant in River Island
• Paisan Pizzeria
• Breezes Restaurant & Bar
• The Palmer Lounge
• Tradewinds Bar & Grill
• Quick service: Anchors, Breezy Treats, BBQ Shack
• Leeward and Windward Pool Bars, plus Currents Cafe

Stone & Current serves dinner 5-10 pm, with the lounge open until midnight. The dress code is resort casual, with no flip-flops or swimwear. The opening date is not published, so confirm it is open for your dates.

Paisan Pizzeria delivers pizza, wings, salads and sandwiches to your villa from 11 am to 10:30 pm daily, with mobile ordering. It is not classic room service, but it is the nearest thing. The Marketplace, The Surf Shack, Island Traders and Sun Shop cover essentials; off-site grocery stores are not listed by the resort.

Resort fee, parking and what it costs

The resort fee is $45 per accommodation, per night, plus 12.5% tax. It is charged per villa, not per person, so a large group splits it. A 5-night stay adds $225 before tax.

Parking is included in the fee, with a maximum of two vehicles per reservation. IHG describes it as outdoor, controlled-access self parking with 837 spaces, and buses, RVs, trailers and trucks are allowed. Valet is not offered as far as published.

What the resort fee includes

Wi-Fi, parking, RV and trailer parking, boarding pass printing, the on-property shuttle, an in-room safe, water aerobics, fitness centers, sports and racquetball courts, the lazy river, barbecue grills, pickleball, the Activity Center and waterslides. Lazy river tubes are the exception at $9 for the day.

Deposit and other charges

A $115 deposit applies per stay. Credit, debit and room charge are accepted on site, but cash only at the Tickets & Transportation desk and the arcades. Early check-in and late check-out cost extra and depend on availability, with no amount published. Guests found with pets pay a $500 cleaning fee.

Can you refuse the resort fee?

No option to decline it is published, and it covers parking, Wi-Fi and the amenities above. The one exception is a limited-time Florida and Georgia resident rate on IHG that waives the $45 nightly fee. A valid FL or GA ID is required at check-in, and the end date is not published.

Getting to the parks and the airport

There is no free shuttle to the parks or the airport. The resort's free shuttle only circulates within the property, with 22 stops, every 20 minutes, from 8 am to 12 am.

Disney and Universal

Transport outside the resort is arranged by guests for an additional fee. The Tickets & Transportation desk is the place to ask. With Magic Kingdom about a 10-minute drive and Walt Disney World at 3.1 mi, a car is the simplest option for Disney. Universal Orlando is 16.9 mi away.

Orlando airport

IHG states that no shuttle is available from MCO or Orlando Sanford (SFB). MCO is 26.5 mi away, so plan a rental car or a paid transfer.

If you drive, parking is free with the resort fee, which offsets some of the transport cost. No other alternatives, such as ride-hailing prices, are published by the resort.

Golf, spa, gym and activities on site

Recreation is mostly included in the resort fee, and the resort does not publish details for every extra. The fee covers fitness centers, sports and racquetball courts, pickleball, water aerobics and the Activity Center, so you can fill a few days without paying more.

Orange Lake golf resort

Searches for the Orange Lake golf resort lead to Island Golf, one of the two places where you can rent lazy river tubes. Green fees, tee times and course details are not published here, so check the resort's own activities pages before you plan a round.

Spa and gym

The gym side is clear: fitness centers are part of the resort fee. A spa is not listed among the amenities, so do not book Orange Lake expecting a full spa. If a spa treatment matters to you, ask the resort before you book.

Kids and families

Younger children have a kids' wading pool and two hot tubs at River Island, and the Splash Lagoon area at North Village. Older kids can use the waterslides, with a 48 in. minimum height on the two River Island slides. IHG also mentions The Hippo inflatable waterslide in the Fun Zone. Arcades take cash only, as does the Tickets & Transportation desk, so carry some.

Is Orange Lake a hotel or a timeshare resort?

It works like a hotel for guests who book a stay, but the setup is closer to a vacation-ownership resort. You get villas with kitchens instead of standard rooms, 2,478 units, and a resort fee instead of per-person charges.

What that means for your booking

• You pay per villa, not per person, so a group sharing a 2 Bedroom or 3 Bedroom villa spreads the $45 nightly fee.
• Check-in is at 4:00 pm and check-out at 10:00 am, with a minimum check-in age of 21.
• Cancellation terms are not published as one policy. The official offer terms say only that deposit and cancellation penalties may apply, so read the terms at booking.
• Pets are not allowed, only service animals.

The resort does not publish room rates on its pages that we could cite here, and we do not quote any. Compare the total with the fee, tax and any transport you will need to arrange.

Deals: the Florida and Georgia resident rate

The deal worth knowing about is a limited-time Florida and Georgia resident rate on IHG that waives the $45 nightly resort fee. You need a valid FL or GA ID at check-in, and the end date is not published, so confirm it is still running when you book.

On a 5-night stay, that is $225 before tax, plus the 12.5% tax on the fee. It also means parking and Wi-Fi are not charged separately, but check what the waived fee still covers before you assume the amenities are free.

Other ways to keep costs down

• Cook in your villa kitchen instead of eating out for every meal.
• Bring your own towels from the villa to the pools.
• Skip tube rental ($9 for the day) if the lazy river is enough on its own.
• Drive yourself, since parking is free and park shuttles cost extra.

The resort does not publish a general list of deals here, so check the official site and IHG for current offers. Prices vary by villa type and dates.