Kid-Friendly Resort Only Minutes from Orlando Attractions

It's not every day a kid can ask SpongeBob SquarePants to pass the syrup across the breakfast table. Yet at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort character breakfast, the time-honored pairing of breakfast and cartoons gets an interactive makeover: cartoon stars—including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer—pause for photos with pint-size diners, and break into song as guests as munch on a smorgasbord of fresh fruit, waffles, cooked-to-order omelets, and pancakes. The sensory feast extends to the rest of the family-friendly activities at the 24-acre resort: an onsite 4-D movie experience immerses its audience with wind, water, bubbles, and scents, and an arcade proffers 3,000 square feet of amusement with a host of interactive games.

Two outdoor water parks dot the landscape with a Lagoon zero-depth entry pool, an Oasis Olympic-style pool, interactive water toys, and a total of 13 slides and flumes. At Studio Nick, audience members often become the stars at nightly live shows such as "Family Improv" and "Karaoke." The Mall houses a 3,000-square-foot arcade and the Kid's Spa where youngsters can get their paws dressed up with mani-pedis and gossip about the upcoming lollipop shortage.

Bright, cheery walls speckle the interiors of the 485-square-foot two-bedroom kid suite. In the family room, a multicolored sofa converts into a sleeper sofa, across from a 32-inch LCD flat-screen TV mounted on a wooden panel. Parents can retire to a private master bedroom, while siblings slumber in a set of bunk beds or twin beds.

Orlando: Warm Climes and Family-Friendly Parks

Nickelodeon Suites Resort's shuttles whisk lodgers to the surrounding theme parks, situated only minutes away, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and Wet n' Wild. The storied Walt Disney World campus encompasses four theme parks and two water parks with its multitude of rides, restaurants, and shows. The 500-acre Animal Kingdom transports guests to lush ecosystems: they can rescue an elephant during a safari ride, encounter a yeti atop Mount Everest, and travel back millions of years on the ride Dinosaur. Or feel free to explore the earth's rich variety of cuisine, culture, and asphalt sealing techniques over at Epcot's World Showcase, which looks in-depth at 11 nations including Mexico, Norway, and Japan.