THIS IS THE ONLY PHOTO IN THIS POST NOT TAKEN BY DYLAN DUNCAN
Westgate Town Center (Website), a Kissimmee resort located just minutes from Walt Disney World, offers a budget-conscious option for families visiting Central Florida’s theme parks, though its surrounding location comes with some drawbacks worth knowing before booking.
Orlando Shine was recently invited by Westgate Resorts to spend two nights at the property. The stay was complimentary, but our feedback below is honest, as always.
The resort sits about ten minutes from Walt Disney World property, with most other area theme parks a 10 to 20 minute drive away. For guests who’d rather not leave the property at all, Westgate Town Center offers enough onsite amenities to make that possible, a detail that matters more once you know what’s immediately outside the gates.
Westgate set us up in a one-bedroom deluxe villa, a good fit for a couple or small family. The unit includes a private bedroom, a full kitchen and living room area, a full bathroom, and a washer and dryer, and sleeps up to four guests. Whether or not our building had been recently renovated, the room felt new and was clean throughout our stay.
One of the resort’s biggest draws is Shipwreck Island Water Park, located onsite. Our visit fell in the middle of Florida summer, and the water park closed multiple times each day due to weather, so we weren’t able to use it, which wasn’t really their fault. The resort’s restaurants and arcade helped make up for it.
The location that puts the resort so close to the parks is also its biggest drawback. Westgate Town Center sits in a stretch of Kissimmee shaped by the “close to Disney” tourist trap, surrounded by knockoff theme park merchandise shops and lower-quality chain restaurants. Traffic around the resort was heavy enough that we wouldn’t recommend driving anywhere nearby, and walking wasn’t much better. The outdoor common areas also reeked of marijuana for most of our stay.
For travelers weighing this against a Disney or Universal property, the tradeoff comes down to price versus location. The room itself was spacious and comfortable, and the resort’s amenities are extensive, but the surrounding area would give us pause before booking here for a longer-than-average theme park trip.
If money is tight, or if you’re a Central Florida local looking for a low-cost weekend getaway, Westgate Town Center is worth considering.
