Lake Buena Vista’s hidden resort gem you won’t want to miss

Lake Buena Vista is home to Disney, and that means you have more hotels, motels, resorts, and campgrounds to choose from than perhaps any other trip you will make.

Cypress Pointe is located just off Disney property, which means the money will be in your pocket, not theirs. Sure, you won’t get the perks of an early entry or after-hours parties, but with the money you save, you won’t go nearly as broke when you buy your tickets.

Located just off I-4, Cypress is a cozy, if not convenient, resort under the Hilton brand. On Expedia, you can reserve a room for as little as $104.00 per night, depending on the time of year.

With that, you get a spacious room with a fridge and, in most cases, a full-sized kitchen. You have access to a large pool with a waterfall, a playground for kids, and a restaurant that keeps bringing us back again and again.

The restaurant is adjacent to the pool, just outside of the gate. The cheesesteaks and fries are among the best I have found in the Orlando area, at a fraction of the cost at other locations. This isn’t a sit-down place; you will take your food to the tables at the pool or to your room. It’s quite good.

The best part, aside from the lower hit to your wallet, is the proximity to the parks. There are two ways into Disney from the hotel. Hotel Plaza Blvd. and a backway in off Palm Parkway (my new favorite way to get to the parks).

Disney Springs is only a five-minute drive, depending on traffic, and any of the four theme parks or water parks is 15 minutes tops, even in heavier traffic. No need to get on I4.

If you are going to SeaWorld or one of the Universal parks, the drive is just as easy without getting on I4. Simply head out the back end of the property and follow Lake Street to Palm Parkway. A quick little Google Maps search will get you there.

As for outside food, there is more than enough. Giordanos’ Chicago-style pizza is across the street, as is a Mediterranean place called Juicy Bites, quite good if you are looking for something different.

Regardless of what you are hoping to do while in Orlando, or more specifically, Lake Buena Vista, Cypress Point has you covered. Inexpensive with a high-end Hilton touch. Resort-style stays at a bargain hotel price.

With so much traffic in the surrounding Disney area, this resort offers absolutely minimal traffic holdups that will get you to any theme park in the area quite quickly. Our trip to Sea World took a whopping 15 minutes.