(For the first page of this review of the Best Western, see this.)
AMENITIES, DINING, AND THE POOL AT THE BEST WESTERN LAKE BUENA VISTA
The Best Western Lake Buena Vista in the Disney Springs Resort Area has been acquired by Drury, and construction is ongoing here.
A new room tower is expected–adjacent to the current tower, and perhaps connecting at each floor to the current tower, although it appears to have its own elevator bank–and I would hope that more is added to the currently weak pool set-up. During my visit in November, all I saw was site prep…
…but in January work had extended to the front parking lot. Expect more significant construction and daytime noise later.
You enter at the port cochere, but check-in parking may vary depending on what is closed for construction. Just grab a nearby spot.
Before construction, the stop for theme park buses (and for Disney Springs in the late afternoon and evening) was in front of the port cochere…
…but on my latest visit the bus stop had been moved a bit to the former check-in parking area.
Inside, most amenities are dead ahead on the first floor.
Here you will find the check in area…
…guest services…
…a business center…
…and a small Disney gift shop.
More from the gift shop.
Beyond this area, on the way to the pool, is a small gym.
DINING AT THE BEST WESTERN LAKE BUENA VISTA
Just off the lobby is an area that serves as an additional gift shop centered on snacks, and also for grab and go food.
Offerings on the hot side include pizza and wings.
Between it and the pool area is the Best Western Lake Buena Vista’s table service offering, the Trader’s Grill.
Trader’s Grill is open for a breakfast buffet ($15.99) and also dinner.
The dinner menu.
When I had dinner here, I was greeted by this kinda illiterate sign. I usually test a restaurant such as this with a steak–popular, and easy to source and prepare well, so getting a poor one can be indicative, but “steam broccoli” scared me off a bit, so I went with fajitas–also easy to do well.
My fajitas were terrific, as was the service. That said, while the Best Western is tied with the Doubletree Suites as the furthest of the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels from Disney Springs, dinner time buses make dinner in Disney Springs easy to manage, and much the better choice.
You’ll find a bar between the restaurant and the pool.
THE POOL AT THE BEST WESTERN LAKE BUENA VISTA
Go past the bar and you’ll find the pool. The bar has an outdoor seating area that’s very convenient to the pool.
There’s not much to the pool–a small swimming area…
…and a good-sized hot tub.
The pool at night.
This pool is adequate, but you will find better options at any other Disney Springs Resort Area hotel, except perhaps the Doubletree Suites, which while better, is not much better.
With the so-so location, dining, and pool, and the prospect for construction noise, I would hold off on booking the Best Western Lake Buena Vista in the Disney Springs Resort Area unless you can find a real deal, at least until the construction here is complete.
And I hope that a part of the construction will include an expanded pool set up with more amenities–in the construction paperwork I’ve seen, the approach to the pool is labeled “Design in Development”….
MORE ON THE BEST WESTERN LAKE BUENA VISTA
OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
- Where to stay–the Basics
- Where first-timers should stay
- Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 160+ stays in them
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