The spectacular pool, which features a 106-foot waterslide along with beautiful, soothing waterfalls, was also one of the only United States hotels to even make the list. And it was a worthy addition -- check out these stats, from the hotel's email press release:

There’s no denying that Walt Disney World is a family friendly place. But after enjoying all the attractions and experiences of Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, many may wonder what’s left for families to enjoy after they retreat to their hotels from the parks. Thankfully, Disney resorts have got you covered with a variety of fun activities to enjoy when your day at the parks is done.

For example, at the elegant Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, families can indulge in a sweet new experience under the stars. In addition to the other activities available at the resort, families are now able to enjoy a little old fashioned fun by roasting marshmallows around a Mickey-shaped campfire. Every evening around 8 pm (the time changes seasonally), guests can gather to roast and snack, gaze at the stars, and sing favorite camp tunes on the shore of Seven Seas Lagoon.

Meanwhile, the moonlit beach will also serve as an outdoor movie theater as a different family-friendly Disney film is shown on a portable screen every night. S’more kits and marshmallows are available for purchase during the campfire and movie.

Families can also enjoy campfire fun at the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, where Chip and Dale join in on the fun, and a different movie is shown than the one at the Grand Floridian.

Not only are these activities perfectly timed for enjoying after a day at the parks, but they’re free! The Grand Floridian also hosts a daily Wonderland Tea Party from 1:30 to 2:30 pm every weekday, with Alice and her curious friends gathering to enjoy a spot of tea - with guests, of course. And great for a bit of fun before heading off to the parks, the resort’s 1900 Park Fare hosts a character breakfast in the morning with Mary Poppins, Alice, the Mad Hatter, Pinocchio, and Geppetto.

In addition, the hotel offers various forms of outdoor recreation like tennis, golf, a jogging trail, and watercraft rentals. Hanging at Gasparailla’s Grill & Games is another fun post-park activity, as the quick-service restaurant offers a game room filled with classic arcade favorites and the latest video games.

And if parents want to enjoy a night on their own, they can leave kids in the care of the Mouseketeer Club, a supervised activity center that entertains the little ones with arts and crafts, computer games, Disney movies, and dinner and snacks.

But ultimately, you’ll want to gather the whole family together for bonfire nights at the Grand Floridian; it’s a fun way to end the day and will definitely serve as a great memory of your Walt Disney World vacation. In order to plan said vacation, check out Walt Disney World tickets on DWTickets.com. And don’t forget to pack some marshmallows.

When planning a vacation to Orlando, Florida, it’s important to pick a hotel that offers more than just a place to rest your head. For the best vacation, you want a place that offers fun when the day at the park is over and a hotel room with unique extras that’ll make certain members of your family extra comfortable. And at Universal Orlando resorts, the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel have gone to extra lengths to make additions that do exactly both those things.

First, at the Loews Portofino Bay, the hotel recently debuted a new hotel suite with a Who – from Who-ville, that is. Little ones will go wild over the newly added Dr. Seuss kids’ suites, which offer a larger-than-life experience that integrates the characters from Seuss Landings at Islands of Adventure into the hotel.

The suites, which were unveiled late last month, capture the spirit of Seuss with a montage of wild characters, fun colors, and unique patterns. Colors, in particular, are everywhere – from the vibrant blue carpeting that’s sprinkled with a pattern of lighter blue dots to the beds, which feature Seussian figures inspired from the Horton Hears a Who book. The two-room suites offer plenty of space from traveling families, and parents will appreciate an added feature that only allows access from the children’s room into the adult’s room and not into the hallway.

Making the suites even more fun are special packages offered by the resort, which include accommodations in a Dr. Seuss Suite (three night minimum), a breakfast of green eggs and ham in Trattoria del Porto for two daily, a special children’s welcome amenity, a set of four Dr. Seuss books, a set of four mini Dr. Seuss themed plush characters, and a souvenir Cat in the Hat photo frame.

If adults staying in the suite find all the Seuss-ness a little overwhelming, they can escape for a night to the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel, where a new celebration will give adults an extra reason to look forward to the end of the week. On ‘Aloha Friday,’ it’s time to break out your favorite Hawaiian shirt or dress as the Wantilan Luau Pavilion becomes the host to a fun, tropical party. Guests will be able to enjoy tasty island cuisine from the resort and Emeril’s Tchoup Tchoup, along with tropical drinks, beer and wine, gourmet coffee, a lei greeting, and more.

And providing the sounds for Aloha Friday will be Volcano Joe and the Hot Lava Band, who’ll perform sounds by your favorite artists – including Jimmy Buffet, The Eagles, UB40, and more. The party kicks off on Friday, April 17, at 6:30 pm, and tickets cost $25.

So if you’re looking for the perfect place to stay while you check out Universal Studios, consider the Loews resorts, which are great for kids and adults alike. Best yet, the resorts offer extra benefits for enjoying Universal Orlando, including express ride access just by showing your hotel room key card. Couple that with Universal Orlando tickets from DWTickets.com, and you have the makings of an Orlando vacation that will make everyone in the family happy.

One of the great things about Walt Disney World is the way it can transport you to exotic and international destinations. And soon, guests will be able to experience a whole new world of international fun at Animal Kingdom. Select rooms at Jambo House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge have been converted into vacation villas, and by the end of spring, those villas will make their debut as Kidani Village – a fresh and unique new option for lodging that will make guests feel as though they’ve been whisked away to Africa.

Kidani Village is the first of four new Disney Vacation Club properties opening in 2009, and these villas are sure to stand out with their intricate African-inspired details. Kidani means necklace, and this Animal Kingdom villa-village is appropriately shaped like a piece of native African jewelry with villas forming the beads, garden-like walkways creating the knots in between, and the lobby representing the jewel at its center.

With Disney’s penchant for storytelling, Kidani Village will make guests feel like intrepid 19th century explorers on an African expedition. The Disney Imagineers designed the new Kidani Village to feel at home in its wild savannah surroundings; each villa features a thatched-roof, hewn-timber structure that seems to emerge organically from the land beneath it, and most villas offer sweeping views of the savannah, inhabited by a variety of African animals.

In fact, the Village will offer views of two savannahs – the Sunset Savannah and the new Pember Savannah – with up-close glimpses of exotic creatures. Guests can see them from special viewing areas throughout the resort, but select room balconies will also yield views of zebras, giraffes, elands, impalas, gazelles, wildebeests, storks, flamingos, waterbucks, and much more.

And though the exterior of the villas are authentically wild and African, guests will find no shortage of comfort in the interior with plenty of home-like amenities like a kitchenette/kitchen. Scheduled for opening on May 1, Kidani Village will offer 340 two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas.

Kidani Village is set to open in phases through the spring and fall, but first to open will be a brand new table-service eatery called Sanaa. Perfect for families, Sanaa will serve up savannah views and tasty foods from tandoor ovens, along with slow-cooked African specialties. The Village will also eventually include Samawati Springs, a themed pool area; Uwanja Camp, a themed water-play area; Survival of the Fittest, a fitness center; Johari Treasures, a merchandise shop, and more.

So if you’ve been toying with the idea of an exotic vacation adventure but wasn’t sure where to go, head to Walt Disney World this spring and check out the new Kidani Village. These timeshare villas are definitely a step above and beyond your average hotel room, and they’re more affordable than you think when you consider the savings you’ll get with Walt Disney World tickets from DWTickets.com. And they’re definitely much more affordable than a trip to Africa!

Only at Walt Disney World Resort can you meet faeries, laugh along with Monsters, train like an astronaut, safari into the wild, and plunge from a hotel elevator. Disney theme parks offer an incredible variety of unbelievable experiences, and in keeping with that specialty, Disney resorts will soon offer more of the same. From rooms that are ripe for pirate escapades to villas that take you back to your childhood tree house, Disney’s latest resort creations will foster adventures that you’ll remember just as much as the ones you had at the parks.

First, families with young swashbucklers can ensure an unforgettable holiday when they book one of the new Pirate rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Designed in the spirit of the film Pirates of the Caribbean, these rooms in the Trinidad South Village area are decked out with pirate ship beds and buccaneer’s accessories for a complete pirate experience. Approximately 380 pirate rooms will be available for guests beginning in January 2009.

You’ll feel ready to hit the high seas on one of two double-sized beds, adorned with a wooden headboard complete with a mast. The swashbuckler décor also includes dressers that look like old crates, and curtains that look like tattered sails complete with a skull emblazoned on them. Rooms also include a table and chairs, a vanity area and bathroom with two sinks, and amenities like an in-room safe, mini-fridge, and coffee maker. The Pirate rooms are also available with a view of the courtyard and woodlands, or a view of the lake or pool.

If pirates aren’t your thing, never fear – you can still have some wild fun at the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. A cherished Disney tradition since 1975, these treehouse villas are currently being revived into brand-new vacation homes specially designed by Disney Imagineers. Taking special care to honor the treehouses’ original octagonal design, Imagineers worked to reconstruct the villas in a way that would lessen their environmental footprint while upgrading them in comfort and style.

Elevated ten feet off the ground and supported by concrete columns, the Treehouse Villas offer breathtaking views of the surrounding woods. And they’re definitely a step up from the rope ladder-accessible treehouse of your childhood; villas feature three bedrooms and two baths and will comfortably accommodate up to nine guests. Cathedral ceilings, granite countertops, and an open kitchen with an island sink and counter area add to the glamorous cabin environment, while flat screen TVs and a whirlpool tub offer opportunities for fun after a day at the parks.

The Treehouse Villas will be available in summer 2009 and will set a new standard for environmentally friendly resorts. Imagineers were able to reduce encroachment on the surrounding wetlands by 70% for each villa, and 65% of materials from demolition were recycled, including concrete and metals.

Next time you have to choose a resort for your Walt Disney World vacation, consider a room that continues the fun even after you return from the parks. With pirate rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort and treehouse escapes at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, you can guarantee a vacation that your whole family will love. You might even find that these rooms have you plotting pirate adventures and sword fighting with your kids – that’s the magic of Disney.

The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and the Loews Royal Pacific Resort, both situated in the heart of Universal Studios Orlando, offer their guests plenty of awesome perks, including pools, dining, shopping, fast lines at Universal and Islands of Adventure, and more. What many don’t realize, however, is that each hotel offers their own attractions and events separate from the park throughout the year.

One such attraction that is a must-see for any guest of the Loews Portofino Hotel is “Musica Della Notte” (Music of the Night). Each night, guests can experience a true taste of Italy with this musical celebration. The fun begins at sunset when the strolling musicians of the Mama Della’s and Thirsty Fish restaurants perform from the balconies overlooking the Harbor Piazza. Musica della Notte showcases a blend of classic opera, romantic and festive music, and pop-opera favorites. One of four different themes pervades the show each night: Broadway Favorites, Viva Italia, Romanza, and Tenors Night.

With the Romanza themed show, you can expect to hear popular love songs with an Italian flavor, including songs made famous by Bocelli and Sinatra. On Tenors Night, the musicians perform classic tenor arias and Bocelli favorites. And during the Viva Italia show, you’ll hear spirited Italian songs that include Neapolitan favorites. The show’s themes operate on a fixed schedule, so you can call the concierge to find out which one will be performed that evening.

Since the show takes place around or shortly after sunset each night, weather permitting, the time of the performance fluctuates based on the time of the year. Currently, Musica Della Notte is being performed at 6:30, but anyone wanting to know when the show will be can call the hotel’s front desk.

The Portofino Hotel is expertly modeled after the Portofino village of Italy, and the Harbor Piazza, in which Musica Della Notte is performed, resembles a town square. Complete with cobblestone streets and outdoor cafés, it’s the perfect setting for the operatic show. Guests can even see Vespas and sports cars parked in the piazza along with faux fishing boats anchored in the harbor. The ambiance is romantic, charming, and classic Italian.

For a truly incredible experience, dine at Mama Della’s and request a table on the piazza when the Musica Della Notte starts. You’ll get a great view, enjoy classic Italian cuisine, and be able to see and hear the show comfortably. And best yet, with Campo Portofino, couples can enjoy a solo night of romance on the Piazza by dropping their kids off at this supervised children’s activity center (for ages 4 through 14 only). Parents won’t have to feel guilty about leaving little ones behind because they’ll have plenty to keep them entertained; Campo Portofino has play mats, an arts and crafts table, storybook corner, computer desks, a movie room, and more.

So next time you stay at Loews Portofino Hotel, be sure you explore the resort, which offers plenty of opportunities for excitement and romance. You’ll love Musica della Notte and the Italian charm of this one-of-a-kind resort.

The winter season is upon us – Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away, and Christmas will be here before you know it. Of course, with the temperature running at an average high of about 79 degrees in mid-November and the palm trees still swinging happily, visitors to Florida may not feel in a very wintry mood. Some might even say Florida’s no place to spend the holidays, with no snow to put you in the holiday spirit. The people over at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, though, have never heard such nonsense. With their ICE! Attraction opening from November 17th to January 4th, 2009, the Gaylord Palms near Walt Disney World proves that you can still have classic winter fun even in Florida.

A walk-through attraction hand-carved from nearly two million pounds of ice, ICE! will definitely make anyone forget they’re in the Sunshine State. The attraction, which is entering its sixth year, allows visitors to experience a winter wonderland with incredible icy landscapes, slippery ice slides, and three-dimensional sculptures hand carved by a team of artisans from China. Combined with over 1,500 fluorescent and fiber optic lights frozen within the ice in over 18,000 square feet of space, the sculptures create a magical holiday experience like no other.

This year’s ICE! theme is “Santa’s Arctic Blast,” which will feature several scenes starring St. Nick, including an oversized “Santa’s Knee” photo opportunity that kids will love. The ICE! castle and slides have also been upgraded to celebrate Santa’s Christmas Eve flight, complete with reindeer and all. And don’t miss ICE’s yearly signature scene, a life-sized Nativity carved completely out of ice. A favorite among visitors, the nativity features dramatic lighting and a narrated soundtrack that brings to life the story of the birth of Christ. It’s a great way to pause and reflect on the meaning of the season.

Every year, 40 artisans from Harbin, China, spend a month in Kissimmee, Florida, to create the sculptures in ICE! out of nearly 5,000 blocks of ice. The artisans are participants in Harbin’s famous annual International Ice and Snow Festival, where sculptors carve a 100-acre walk-through at Zhao Lin Park with ice taken from the Songhua River.

Visitors to ICE! should beware; this is no artificial winter simulation. It really is cold in there! Kept at a brisk 9 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve the ice, the unique structure housing ICE! is also known as the “Florida Fridge,” one of the first of its kind in North America. So lose the flip flops unless you want to have some really cold toes. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are definitely recommended. However, if your suitcase is lacking in fuzzy sweaters, all guests are provided calf-length, hooded winter coats to keep them warm (coats are available in all sizes). Hats and gloves should also be donned and are on sale in the ICE! House Gifts shop, which also features one-of-a-kind holiday gift items.

Whether you’re a hardy winter expert or haven’t ever seen snow, ICE! is a exciting wintry attraction for all. From the incredible artistry and craftsmanship to the heart-warming holiday scenes, there’s plenty to see and enjoy, so don’t forget a cold-friendly camera! You’re sure to have a lot of fun, so long as you don’t lick the ice – no mater how good it looks.