Trip Report: Westgate Lakes offers a fun and relaxing spring break getaway

You may know Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa as time-share resort. While that is true, it also serves as a great hotel resort right on one of Orlando’s big beautiful lakes. They also have a new water park, on-site mini golf, restaurants, and more, and they’re centrally located between all of Orlando’s theme parks. They recently invited us out for a two night stay to see all they have to offer.

Westgate Lakes Resort Arrival

We arrived at Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa a little before 6 p.m. last Thursday. Finding the lobby was a bit confusing as they have two entrances off Turkey Lake Road. Be sure to take the one closest to Dr. Philips Hospital when checking in or visiting. After checking in, depending which building you’re in, you may need to exit that entrance and go through another entrance to get to your building like we did. It was a bit confusing, but it’s a huge complex with many buildings and rooms.

After parking in front of the building, we gathered all of our luggage and our small dog (Chewie) and headed up to our One-Bedroom Deluxe Villa. This is one of the few Orlando resorts that allows dogs. There is a fee, and restrictions apply. So check the rules before bringing your dog along.

We opened our door to a full kitchen with a small bar area. There also was a six-seat dining room table and a nice living room that overlooked a nice-sized balcony with a table and chairs as well as a couple of lounge chairs. Our balcony overlooked the large beautiful lake the resort is on. The balcony is screened-in, which is nice for keeping bugs out, and our dog in, but isn’t great for looking out of or taking photos through.

The bedroom had an entrance from the living room and a door from the balcony. There were two closets and a washer and dryer. There was a large hot tub between the bathroom and the bedroom. The bathroom had two sinks, a walk-in shower and a separate toilet room. If you have this set-up. be careful with the door as it opens outward toward the sink, so if someone is standing there, they could get hit. But other than that issue, the room was well-laid-out. There was an option to add the adjacent rooms to make a two- or three-bedroom suite. That would be perfect for large families.

After looking around the room and unpacking. We were getting hungry, so we walked to the other side of the resort for dinner. It was quite a walk to get to the lobby and food area, as we were in the building furthest from it. But we enjoyed the walk with our dog. If you have mobility issues, request a room closer to the lobby.

We went Cordovano Joe’s Pizza, which is inside the resort’s Marketplace store. I sat outside with the dog while my husband Matt ordered our pizza. The area by the shop and restaurants had nice tables and chairs both inside and out. There also were a few fire pits in this cute area. While waiting for the pizza, we took turns browsing the store. More than just a gift shop, the Marketplace has cute souvenirs and clothing, but also a small grocery items to stock up on needs. Next to the pizza counter is also a custom-made sandwich deli.

After the pizza was ready, we walked back to our room just in time to see the sunset. We had a beautiful sunset view and later on, could see fireworks at Walt Disney World across the lake in the distance. It was the perfect end to the day.

Water Park Day

We slept in, which is unusual for us. The bed was really comfortable. We got ready and went down for breakfast. There isn’t a sit-down restaurant for breakfast but there is a coffee shop called Sid’s Bistro inside the lobby and they offer Starbucks coffee, breakfast sandwiches, waffles, and more. Although we were only staying for two nights, many guests stay longer and save some money by making breakfast in their rooms after buying groceries from the resort’s Marketplace or Walmart just down the street. There also is a Publix, Target, and 7-Eleven a short drive away.

After breakfast, we walked around the property with Chewie. We walked down a winding path to a dock leading to a small island called Sunset Key Island. It was a cool area with a grass, sand, and a few hammocks. There also was a large tiki hut with chairs, rocking chairs and gliders to relax in. We sat and enjoyed the cool breeze for a bit while viewing the lake.

Today was our day to visit their new Treasure Cove Water Park. There are seven heated swimming pools and hot tubs around the property that all guests are welcome to enjoy, the water park is a separate admission. Westgate vacation owners get in free, but other guests pay $20 per person. They also offer a discount on multi-day passes.

When we visited in the afternoon, the park wasn’t overly crowded, but it was quite popular. We suggest you grab a spot early to set down your towels and belongings. They do have lockers for rent. I stayed with our stuff while Matt enjoyed the waterpark. I enjoy just sitting and relaxing at times. I had a lovely talk with a woman from Canada sitting nearby. She was visiting with nine of her 13 children and her parents. It was their last vacation day, and they were having a great time.

My husband went down the two slides, and enjoyed the wave pool and lazy river. It’s a small water park, but they pack a lot of fun into it. Here’s an overview video, plus point-of-view videos Matt recorded with special permission down the slides.

There is also a tiki bar called Rikki Tiki Tavern and the Buccaneer Galley Snack Bar selling typical poolside fare like chicken nuggets and burgers. I ordered virgin pina coladas for Matt and I. They were delicious, and included fruit and gummy bears on top!

We didn’t end up having time to enjoy them, but the resort also has an 18-hole Pirates Miniature Golf course, bikes and peddle boats for rent, plus fishing and more activities.

We ate dinner at Drafts Sports Bar & Grill with our son and his fiancee. The menu had a wide variety of options such as BBQ, burgers, salads, and more. We each ordered something different. We all had leftovers because we started with a loaded tater tot appetizer called Tachos. We also tried different nonalcoholic drinks. All were good. We were too full for dessert, though some looked tasty. See Drafts Sport Bar full menu here.

After dinner, we checked out the arcade next door. It is rather large for a resort arcade and features lots of fun redemption games. They also have a small bowling alley. We also enjoyed one of the fire pits just outside the arcade then walked back out to Sunset Key Island. We found some chairs and a hammock just in time for a beautiful sunset.

Checkout day

For our final morning at Westgate Lakes Resort, we got ready and walked to Sid’s Bistro for coffee, tea, and breakfast. We ate outside at some cute little tables. We walked back to our room to get our luggage to the car.

Unfortunately the elevators took a long time and by the time we returned to our room, it was just past the 10 a.m. check-out time, so our keys wouldn’t open the door to our villa. Luckily we didn’t have to walk back to the front desk, as when we first checked in, they texted us and said to text back if we needed anything. So we texted them and they quickly wrote back saying they’d give us another hour to check out, and we could reactivate our keys at a kiosk on the bottom floor of our building.

Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa is a nice family resort. We enjoyed our stay and recommend it as a great central location for Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando. Although we were hosted, the price of our one-bedroom villa would have been about $200 a night. You can also save about 40% if you agree to take their resort tour and consider buying into their vacation ownership option. But that’s just an option and you won’t be hassled about buying one if you just want to enjoy the resort as a hotel option.

If you have any questions about the resort, or if you have stayed there, let us know your thoughts below. You can find more information about the resort at WestgateResorts.com. If you’re looking for a stay, you can book at the link, or get free help with your booking through our travel sponsor, MEI-Travel.