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Hilton Buena Vista Palace vs Hilton Lake Buena Vista is mostly a choice between a lazy river and bigger group suites. Both are Official Walt Disney World Hotels a short walk from Disney Springs, both get Disney’s 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry, and one shuttle operator runs both hotels’ hourly buses to the four theme parks. The Palace has the Float Lagoon, cabanas and balconies; Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista connects to Disney Springs by its own skybridge and has parlor suites with wall beds that sleep up to eight.
The two are easy to mix up. Searches such as “Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Palace” blend two separate hotels about two-thirds of a mile apart on foot: the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace at 1900 E Buena Vista Drive and the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista at 1751 Hotel Plaza Boulevard.
Quick answer: Book the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace if the pool matters most: it has a beach-entry lazy river, a splash zone and cabanas, most rooms have a balcony, and its resort charge is published at $41 plus tax. Book Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista if you want to step from the hotel onto a skybridge to Disney Springs, need a suite with a wall bed and a table for eight, or have children 5 and under, whose breakfast its resort charge covers. Early Entry and the shuttle schedule are essentially the same at both.
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Hilton Buena Vista Palace vs Hilton Lake Buena Vista side by side
| What matters | Buena Vista Palace | Hilton Lake Buena Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 1,011 rooms on 27 acres | 814 rooms |
| Walk to Disney Springs | Path and footbridge, 5 to 7 min (hotel) | Skybridge from the hotel, about 0.3 mi |
| Standard room sleeps | 3 (king) or 4 (2 queens) | 3 (king) or 4 (2 queens) |
| Balconies | Most rooms and many suites | Select suites only |
| Most per suite | 8 (2-bedroom) | 8 (one 2-bedroom listing says 10) |
| Pools | Heated pool, Float Lagoon lazy river, splash zone, cabanas | Two heated pools, splash pad, whirlpool |
| Free breakfast | None | Kids 5 and under |
| Early Entry | Yes, 4 parks daily | Yes, 4 parks daily |
| Disney shuttle | Hourly at :35, reservation needed | Hourly at :30, reservation needed |
| Resort charge | $41 + tax | Amount not published |
| Parking per night | $38 self, $48 valet, + tax | $38 self, $48 valet, + tax (older page: $35, $45) |
| Dogs | Yes, $75 to $125 per stay | Yes, $75 to $125 per stay |
| Vibe | Pool resort; 120,000 sq ft of event space | Skybridge hotel; 79,000 sq ft of event space |
Both also have 4 p.m. check-in, 11 a.m. check-out and a minimum check-in age of 18. Fees are the hotels’ figures at the time of writing, so confirm them before you book; rates vary by season, availability and how far ahead you book. For other areas, see our guide to the best hotels near Disney World by area.
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace: the pool resort
The Palace is the bigger of the two, with 1,011 rooms and suites (per the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels’ site) in a main Tower and a lower Island Building on 27 acres by the lake. Between the two buildings runs the Float Lagoon, a spiraling lazy river with beach-style entry, next to a heated pool, a kids’ splash zone and rentable cabanas. Most guest rooms have a private balcony, and so do many suites (the hotel’s home page says all of them).
Its resort charge, $41 plus tax per room, per night, covers internet, the Disney parks shuttle, Float Lagoon tubes, a daily sun-care product and discounts on golf rentals, food, drinks and cabanas. Our Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace review has the full room chart and restaurant hours.
Photos from the hotel’s own gallery: tap any to enlarge it, or see the full gallery and current rates on Booking.com.
See prices and availability at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista: suites and a skybridge
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista is an 814-room hotel on Hotel Plaza Boulevard that Hilton describes as directly connected to Disney Springs by a pedestrian skybridge. It has two heated pools, a kids’ splash pad, a double heated whirlpool, a 24-hour arcade and six places to eat, including Benihana and the Covington Mill breakfast buffet.
Suites are its strength for groups: its one- and two-bedroom parlor suites add a living room with a king-size wall bed, a wet bar and a dining table for eight. Hilton’s resort-charge policy lists internet, the Disney shuttle, a $10 arcade card and breakfast for children 5 and under, but no amount (June 2026 capture). Our Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista review goes through the suites one by one.
Check your dates for Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista on Booking.com
Location and the walk to Disney Springs
Both hotels sit at the Marketplace end of Disney Springs. Hilton Lake Buena Vista’s skybridge starts at the hotel, and our OpenStreetMap foot route across it to the Marketplace by Rainforest Cafe measured about 0.3 mile, or 6 to 7 minutes, matching Hilton’s figure.
The Palace says its walk averages 5 to 7 minutes (0.2 mile on its location page), on a path from the pool area to a pedestrian bridge that Hilton’s Palace listing also calls a skybridge. OpenStreetMap doesn’t map that path all the way, so we couldn’t measure it. Its Island Building is the closer of its two buildings to Disney Springs; the Tower is handier for the restaurants.
For the parks it’s close to a draw: the Palace is a little nearer EPCOT, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, and Hilton Lake Buena Vista a little nearer Hollywood Studios, SeaWorld, Universal and the airport.
| Destination | Buena Vista Palace | Hilton Lake Buena Vista |
|---|---|---|
| EPCOT main lot | About 4.5 mi | About 5 mi |
| Hollywood Studios | About 5.5 mi | About 5 mi |
| Magic Kingdom (TTC) | About 5.5 mi | About 6 mi |
| Animal Kingdom | About 6.5 mi | About 7.5 mi |
| SeaWorld Orlando | About 7 mi | About 6 mi |
| Universal garages | About 10 mi | About 9.5 mi |
| Epic Universe | About 9.5 mi | About 9 mi |
| Orlando airport (MCO) | About 19 mi | About 18 mi |
These are rounded OSRM road distances to each park’s guest parking, without traffic. The hotels’ own, shorter figures look like straight lines: the Palace lists Magic Kingdom at 5 miles and the airport at 15, and Hilton listed EPCOT at 2 miles for its Lake Buena Vista hotel (March 2026).
Rooms and suites: balconies vs wall beds
Standard rooms sleep the same at both, per Hilton’s listings: three in a king room, four in a two-queen room. The Palace’s rooms are about 400 square feet with a sitting area, and most have a private balcony; king rooms have a walk-in shower and queen rooms a tub. At Hilton Lake Buena Vista, Hilton mentions balconies only in select suites.
Views are easier to book at the Palace, which sells Disney Springs View and EPCOT Fireworks View rooms in the Tower. Hilton Lake Buena Vista sells Disney Springs View rooms on its top floors; its rooms page mentions fireworks views from selected rooms, but its June 2026 room list had no fireworks-view category.
Suites are where the two really differ. The Palace’s Island suites are steps from the pools, with a sofa bed, a microwave and a private balcony, which the hotel lists for every Island suite type. Hilton Lake Buena Vista’s parlor suites turn the living room into a second bedroom with a king-size wall bed, and its Family Suites add board games and a snack-and-drink cart.
| Your group | Buena Vista Palace | Hilton Lake Buena Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 | Any two-queen room | Any two-queen room |
| 5 or 6 | Island suite with 2 queens (800 sq ft) | Junior Suite with 2 doubles |
| 7 or 8 | 2-bedroom Island Family Suite (1,200 sq ft) | 2-queen parlor suite (1,000 sq ft) or 2-bedroom Family Suite (1,304 sq ft) |
| 9 or 10 | None listed | 2-bedroom suite: 10 or 8 (listings differ) |
Occupancy comes from Hilton’s listings (Palace: November 2025 capture; Lake Buena Vista: June 2026), and some contradict their own text: the Palace’s Junior Tower Suite shows six guests but says five, and Hilton Lake Buena Vista’s one-bedroom king suite shows six but says four. Confirm in writing, or see our guide to 2- and 3-bedroom suites near Disney World.
Pools and recreation: the Palace’s clearest win
The Float Lagoon is the Palace’s headline feature: a spiraling lazy river with beach-style entry and complimentary floats, beside a heated outdoor pool and a kids’ splash zone. The Disney Springs hotels’ site adds a heated whirlpool and a lap pool. The hotel says its pools are heated to 82 to 85 degrees and open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Private cabanas for up to six, with a ceiling fan, mini-fridge, TV and fruit platter, are booked through Resort Pass, and the resort charge takes 10% off. There’s also an arcade off Citrus 28 (6 a.m. to 11 p.m.) and an event lawn with cornhole.
Hilton Lake Buena Vista keeps it simpler: two heated pools, a kids’ splash pad and a double heated whirlpool, with Rum Largo serving poolside from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting. Hilton lists no lazy river or waterslide there, and the Palace lists no waterslide either. Hilton Lake Buena Vista’s arcade is open 24 hours, and the resort charge includes a $10 arcade card. If a lazy river is a must, see our roundup of Orlando hotels with lazy rivers.
Both have a 24-hour fitness center and give 50% off equipment rentals at Disney’s golf courses; neither lists a spa or a kids’ club.
Dining and breakfast
Standard rates include no adult breakfast at either hotel; Hilton Lake Buena Vista’s resort charge covers breakfast for children 5 and under, the only free meal either charge includes. Hours below are from the hotels’ pages at last check.
| Meal | Buena Vista Palace | Hilton Lake Buena Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast buffet | LetterPress, 7 to 11 a.m. | Covington Mill, 7 to 11 a.m. |
| Grab-and-go | Citrus 28, 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. | Mainstreet Market, 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. |
| Sit-down dinner | LetterPress, 5 to 10 p.m. | Benihana, from 2 p.m. |
| Pool bar | Shades, from 11 a.m. | Rum Largo, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Bars | Sunnies, 4 to 10 p.m.; Blue, seasonal | John T’s, from 4 p.m. |
| In-room dining | Breakfast and dinner | Breakfast and dinner |
LetterPress has lake views and serves brunch daily until 1 p.m.; Shades closes at 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Benihana’s own page lists 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, to 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
Neither offered a Disney character breakfast at last check: Hilton’s pages listed it as temporarily suspended at both (May to July 2026 captures).
Disney perks and the shared park shuttle
Disney’s Early Theme Park Entry page (checked October 14, 2026) lists both hotels under “Other Select Hotels”: 30 minutes early at any of the four theme parks every day of your stay, with valid admission, through 2027. Our list of non-Disney hotels with Early Theme Park Entry shows who else qualifies.
Neither hotel gets Extended Evening Hours or Disney’s 7-day Lightning Lane window, so you can buy Lightning Lane passes 3 days ahead, like other off-site guests. If you drive, standard theme park parking is $35 a day, while Disney Springs parking is free.
The shuttle is the same deal at both. Fabulous Buses runs both hotels’ Disney service on one timetable, each resort charge covers it, and you must reserve both directions. Buses leave Hilton Lake Buena Vista hourly at :30 and the Palace at :35; returns leave Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on the hour, and EPCOT and Hollywood Studios at 10 past, until 60 minutes after closing.
- First bus: the hotels and the operator’s hotel pages say 90 minutes before opening, but the operator’s timetable (posted in May 2026) shows first departures at 6:30 and 6:35 a.m. and first returns at 11 a.m. (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom) or 12:10 p.m. (EPCOT, Hollywood Studios). Check your booking.
- Booking window: the Palace says up to 72 hours ahead, as did Hilton Lake Buena Vista’s page in March 2026, but the operator’s pages for both hotels say 48 hours. Book early for Early Entry mornings.
- Limits: no extra runs for separately ticketed events, per the operator; no Disney Springs shuttle at the Palace, which says you walk; and no Universal or SeaWorld shuttle listed at either.
- At the parks: per the operator’s timetable, pickup is at Magic Kingdom’s Transportation and Ticket Center (space C15; Hilton’s March 2026 page for Hilton Lake Buena Vista said C7), EPCOT space 34, Animal Kingdom lanes 3 to 10 and Hollywood Studios space 67.
For the airport, both hotels are Mears Connect stops. Mears lists $17.60 per adult and $14.30 per child aged 3 to 9 from the airport, including its privilege fee recovery charge, and $16 and $13 back, plus a 6% fuel surcharge “until further notice”; children under 3 ride free. Palace guests board downstairs in the bus transportation area, Hilton Lake Buena Vista guests in the outside lane under the porte-cochere.
Resort charges, parking and fees
The Palace publishes its numbers: a $41-plus-tax resort charge per room, per night, and self-parking at $38 or valet at $48 per night, plus 6.5% tax, with in-and-out privileges. If you drive, that’s $79 a night before tax on top of the room rate.
Hilton Lake Buena Vista is harder to pin down. Hilton’s policy lists what the resort charge includes but not the amount (June 2026 capture), and some room descriptions read “38 USD RESORT CHARGE,” so treat $38 as unconfirmed and check the rate breakdown. Its parking policy lists $38 self-parking and $48 valet, taxable at 6.5%, but the hotel’s location page (March 2026) said $35 and $45.
| Charge | Buena Vista Palace | Hilton Lake Buena Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Resort charge | $41 + tax | Not published; $38 in some room text |
| Self-parking | $38 + 6.5% tax | $38 + 6.5% tax ($35 on an older page) |
| Valet parking | $48 + 6.5% tax | $48 + 6.5% tax ($45 on an older page) |
| Dogs | 2 per room, 40 lb combined; $75 (1 or 2 nights) or $125 (3+) | 2 per room, up to 40 lb; $75 (1 or 2 nights) or $125 (3+) |
| Leaving early | One night + tax | One night + tax |
Dog fees are from Hilton.com (June 2026); the Palace’s own site gives no amount. Orange County’s 12.5% hotel tax applies to room rates at both. Hilton Honors points and member perks apply only to bookings made directly with Hilton; on Booking.com, internet comes through each hotel’s resort charge. Our explainer on Orlando resort fees shows what to check in a rate breakdown.
Choose the Buena Vista Palace if…
- The pool is a big part of the trip: the Float Lagoon lazy river, splash zone and cabanas go well beyond two heated pools.
- You want a balcony, or a Disney Springs View or EPCOT Fireworks View room you can book by category.
- You’re a family of five or six who’d like an 800-square-foot Island suite near the pool.
- EPCOT and Magic Kingdom are your main parks, since the drives are a little shorter.
- You want the resort charge spelled out before you book ($41 plus tax).
Compare rates for Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
Choose Hilton Lake Buena Vista if…
- You want to step from the hotel straight onto a pedestrian skybridge to Disney Springs.
- You’re a group of seven or eight who’d use a wall-bed parlor suite with a dining table for eight, or a two-bedroom Family Suite with three bathrooms.
- You’re traveling with children 5 and under, whose breakfast the resort charge covers.
- You’d like Benihana and a 24-hour arcade on site.
- You’ll also drive to Universal, Epic Universe or SeaWorld, which are slightly closer from here.
See available rooms at Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Frequently asked questions
Is the Hilton Buena Vista Palace the same as Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista?
No. They’re two separate Hilton hotels in the Disney Springs Resort Area, about two-thirds of a mile apart on foot: the Buena Vista Palace, with the Float Lagoon, at 1900 E Buena Vista Drive, and Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista at 1751 Hotel Plaza Boulevard. DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, also on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, is a third, all-suite hotel.
Which Hilton is closer to Disney Springs?
It’s close to a tie. Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista connects by a pedestrian skybridge, and our foot route from the hotel to the Marketplace was about 0.3 mile, or 6 to 7 minutes. The Buena Vista Palace says its path and footbridge take 5 to 7 minutes on average (0.2 mile); we couldn’t map that path ourselves.
Do both Hiltons get Disney Early Theme Park Entry?
Yes. Disney lists both under “Other Select Hotels” on its Early Theme Park Entry page: 30 minutes early at any of the four theme parks every day of your stay, including check-in and check-out days, with valid admission, and Disney says it continues through 2027. Neither hotel gets Extended Evening Hours.
Do the two Hiltons share a shuttle to the Disney parks?
They share an operator and a timetable. Fabulous Buses runs the hourly Disney shuttle for both, leaving Hilton Lake Buena Vista at 30 minutes past the hour and the Palace at 35 past, with returns until 60 minutes after park closing. You must reserve both ways; the hotels say up to 72 hours ahead, the operator 48.
Which hotel is better for a family of five or six?
You need a suite at either, since two-queen rooms sleep four. At the Palace, an 800-square-foot Island suite with two queens sleeps six, near the pools. At Hilton Lake Buena Vista, the Junior Suite with two double beds sleeps six, and wall-bed parlor suites sleep six to eight. Confirm occupancy, as Hilton’s listings conflict on a few suites.
How do you get from Orlando airport to the Hilton Buena Vista Palace?
Mears Connect stops at both Hiltons: $17.60 per adult and $14.30 per child aged 3 to 9 from the airport, plus a 6% fuel surcharge at last check. The Palace also points to taxis and Alamo rental cars. By road it’s about 19 miles, roughly half an hour without traffic; the hotel lists 15 miles.
Bottom line
If you’ll spend afternoons in the pool, book the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace; if you want the skybridge or beds for eight, book Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista. Early Entry and the hourly shuttle are the same either way, so add each resort charge and parking to the nightly rate before you decide. To weigh the neighbors, see our Disney Springs Resort Area hotels guide or our list of Hilton hotels near Disney World.
Check availability at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace or compare rates at Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista.
Sources checked in October 2026: Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace FAQ, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista on Hilton.com (June 2026 capture), Fabulous Buses shuttle schedule, Walt Disney World Early Theme Park Entry, Mears Connect pricing.