May 11 saw the debut of the 602-room Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with 17,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
The centerpieces of that space are two ballrooms of 4,300 square feet and 4,700 square feet, both divisible by four. The smaller ballroom has a 1,300-square-foot terrace just outside its exterior doors, while 2,800 square feet of prefunction space sits between the ballrooms. One floor above is a 5,200-square-foot space for exhibits or receptions.
The property also has two restaurants, an outdoor pool with a 20,000-square-foot elevated deck overlooking a lake (photo at bottom), and shuttle service once an hour to and from Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. An official Walt Disney World Hotel, the Drury also offers its guests early entry to the parks as well as unobstructed views of the nightly fireworks show at nearby Walt Disney World Resort.
The hotel is three miles north of the Marriott Orlando World Center and half a mile from the Disney Springs district, which features 100 shops, more than 50 quick-service and table-service food outlets, more than a dozen lounges, and 18 attractions, shows, and events.
The Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando is 16 miles from Orlando International Airport, a 25-minute drive. In addition, attendees from South Florida can arrive at Orlando’s airport via the new Brightline high-speed rail, which takes 3.5 hours from Miami. Hourly trains between Orlando and Miami will stop at Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach.
