USA TODAY 10Best
Best Amusement Park Hotel: Hotel Breakers in Sandusky
Best Amusement Park Hotel (2019)
A day at a theme park is undeniably fun, but it can be exhausting as well. Staying on property means all your favorite park offerings lie practically right outside your front door, and getting back for an afternoon swim in the pool or to crash in the evening is easier than ever.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Amusement Park Hotel are as follows:
- Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa - Anaheim
- Disney's BoardWalk Inn - Orlando
- Disney's Contemporary Resort - Orlando
- Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa - Orlando
- Disney's Pop Century Resort - Orlando
- Disney's Polynesian Village Resort - Orlando
- Disney's Wilderness Lodge - Orlando
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Orlando
- Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa - Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
- Hotel Breakers - Sandusky, Ohio
Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort
No. 10:
Reminiscent of the late 19th century Arts and Crafts movement, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa in Anaheim offers a luxe option for a family vacation to Disneyland Resort. In addition to a Mandara Spa, award-winning dining, themed pools and a special entrance to Disney’s California Adventure park, guests are privy to Extra Magic Hour, which allows access to one park an hour early on select days.
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World
No. 9:
Walking along the waterfront at Disney's BoardWalk Inn is like walking through turn-of-the-century Atlantic City, thanks to extras like carnival games and Thomas Edison lights strung up along the Coney Island-style boardwalk. The carnival-themed pool includes a waterslide, and guests can easily walk to both Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World
No. 8:
Disney’s Contemporary Resort is easily recognized by its iconic A-frame tower, within walking distance of Magic Kingdom’s main gate. The Monorail breezes right through the hotel, where guests enjoy two resort pools (one with a 17-foot waterslide), two whirlpool spas, a water playground and numerous recreation opportunities.
Photo courtesy of Kent Phillips / Walt Disney World
No. 7:
Fashioned after a Victorian-era waterside resort, Disney's Grand Floridian sits just one Monorail stop away from Magic Kingdom Park. Guests enjoy views of nightly fireworks over Cinderella Castle, a live orchestra playing jazz, ragtime and Disney tunes, a beach pool with a waterslide and access to Senses — A Disney Spa.
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort
No. 6:
A stay at Disney's Pop Century Resort is all about nostalgia — a celebration of fads from the 1950s to the 1990s. Keep an eye out for giant yo-yos, Play-Doh, Rubik’s Cubes, and rollerblades. The Hippy Dippy Pool is getting a facelift in 2019, and the resort will soon offer transportation by gondola to both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Photo courtesy of David Roark / Walt Disney World
No. 5:
Originally opened in 1971, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort feels like a South Pacific getaway, complete with tropical palms, tiki cocktails for the grownups and a luau-style dinner show. The resort is a straight shot on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and a transfer away from Epcot.
No. 4:
Inspired by America's Great Northwest, Disney's Wilderness Lodge features natural trails through pine forests, towering totem poles, roaring fireplaces and rocking chairs overlooking a gently flowing creek. Guests can choose between two pools — one with a 67-foot waterslide, as well as bike and boat rentals, an arcade, campfire activities and movies under the stars.
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World
No. 3:
It’s Orlando but it may feel like Africa because over 200 hoofed animals (zebras, gazelles, giraffes) and birds live across four savannas at the resort. And as if that isn’t enough to wow the kids, the 11,000 square foot pool area complete with water slide, children’s water playground and a wading pool certainly will put Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at the top of their bucket list.
No. 2:
Inspired by the pillars of togetherness, storytelling and family, Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa offers park goers a welcoming place to kick back and relax in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee just minutes from the theme park. Amenities include an interactive splash pad, zero-entry pool and door-to-door transportation to the park.
No. 1:
Located within steps of both Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores, Hotel Breakers was expanded in 2018 to 669 rooms and suites. Guests enjoy waterfront views and a full service beachfront bar, two outdoor pools, an outdoor water playground, fire pits, beach games and an arcade.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning hotels!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Doug Barnes
Doug Barnes is the Owner/Producer/Host of the Read More
Doug Barnes is the Owner/Producer/Host of the Season Pass Podcast. Podcasting on Themed Entertainment for over 11 years, Doug took his lifetime hobby of theme park fun and turned into the largest audio archive of creative stories, career origins, and attraction development, told by the industry creators themselves, on the Internet. Doug has interviewed 500 plus themed entertainment creatives, media, celebrities, and fans; and has moderated multiple convention panels based on themed entertainment.
Doug Barnes
Doug Barnes is the Owner/Producer/Host of the Season Pass Podcast. Podcasting on Themed Entertainment for over 11 years, Doug took his lifetime hobby of theme park fun and turned into the largest audio archive of creative stories, career origins, and attraction development, told by the industry creators themselves, on the Internet. Doug has interviewed 500 plus themed entertainment creatives, media, celebrities, and fans; and has moderated multiple convention panels based on themed entertainment.
John Stevenson
John Stevenson is the founder of Coaster101.com, a... Read More
John Stevenson is the founder of Coaster101.com, a roller coaster and amusement industry website featuring in-depth articles about the fundamentals of roller coaster design, theme park guides, roller coaster reviews, interviews with industry experts, the latest coaster news and more. In 2017, John authored Libertyland: Images of Modern America, a book detailing the history of the former Libertyland amusement park in Memphis, Tennessee, which operated from 1976 until 2005 and was home to the Zippin Pippin, Elvis Presley's favorite roller coaster. John has traveled from coast to coast riding over 230 roller coasters in the US.
John Stevenson
John Stevenson is the founder of Coaster101.com, a roller coaster and amusement industry website featuring in-depth articles about the fundamentals of roller coaster design, theme park guides, roller coaster reviews, interviews with industry experts, the latest coaster news and more. In 2017, John authored Libertyland: Images of Modern America, a book detailing the history of the former Libertyland amusement park in Memphis, Tennessee, which operated from 1976 until 2005 and was home to the Zippin Pippin, Elvis Presley's favorite roller coaster. John has traveled from coast to coast riding over 230 roller coasters in the US.
Monet Massa-Sena
Monet Massa-Sena is the owner of The Theme Park... Read More
Monet Massa-Sena is the owner of The Theme Park Princess and The Memory Makers. She is a former Walt Disney World Cast Member who spent two semesters on the Disney College Program and one semester as a professional intern for the Disney Parks Live Entertainment team. She is currently a social media manager for NowThis.
Monet Massa-Sena
Monet Massa-Sena is the owner of The Theme Park Princess and The Memory Makers. She is a former Walt Disney World Cast Member who spent two semesters on the Disney College Program and one semester as a professional intern for the Disney Parks Live Entertainment team. She is currently a social media manager for NowThis.
Robb Alvey
Robb Alvey is the owner of ThemeParkReview.com,... Read More
Robb Alvey is the owner of ThemeParkReview.com, started in 1996 and one of the longest running and largest theme park fan sites with over 3 million followers. Robb travels to theme parks all over the world each year including Europe, Asia, Australia, and all around the Americas, has visited hundreds of different parks and ridden about 2,000 different roller coasters. His background in theme parks started as a cast member for Disneyland when he was 17 years old and has continued more than 30 years later.
Robb Alvey
Robb Alvey is the owner of ThemeParkReview.com, started in 1996 and one of the longest running and largest theme park fan sites with over 3 million followers. Robb travels to theme parks all over the world each year including Europe, Asia, Australia, and all around the Americas, has visited hundreds of different parks and ridden about 2,000 different roller coasters. His background in theme parks started as a cast member for Disneyland when he was 17 years old and has continued more than 30 years later.
Robert Niles
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of Read More
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, an online consumers' guide to the world's leading theme and amusement parks, read by more than 400,000 people each month. It has been named the top theme park site on the Internet by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines and was a Webby Award finalist and winner of the Online Journalism Award, presented by the Online News Association and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Robert is a former Walt Disney World cast member and has worked as a reporter, editorial writer, columnist and website editor for several newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register.
Robert Niles
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, an online consumers' guide to the world's leading theme and amusement parks, read by more than 400,000 people each month. It has been named the top theme park site on the Internet by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines and was a Webby Award finalist and winner of the Online Journalism Award, presented by the Online News Association and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Robert is a former Walt Disney World cast member and has worked as a reporter, editorial writer, columnist and website editor for several newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register.
