Unfiltered Review: Orlando for AAU’s — Flights, Family Fun, Food & All the Vibes

-I Said What I Said

The Trip Overview

We took the whole family to Orlando for a 12-day trip — part family vacation, part volleyball mission for my son’s AAU Junior Volleyball National Championships. We kicked things off with SeaWorld before tournament week began.

Trip Planning Powered by Dream World Destinations

Shoutout to Dream World Destinations for making the travel part stress-free. They handled flights, a family-friendly hotel, and a schedule that gave us vacation time before game time.

Rental Car Disaster: ACE Rent-a-Car

We handled the rental car ourselves — and I wish we hadn’t. We went with ACE Rent-a-Car, and the “free” upgrade was a basic Chevrolet Trax in a weird green color. The guy at the counter looked like the Joker from Suicide Squad, which should have been my first clue things were about to go south. (Sexy but crazy vibes)

We declined insurance (as always), but they charged us for it anyway. The place was dirty — like it hadn’t been cleaned since the day it was built. Management is a joke, they “record” nothing, and the whole process was a mess. Easily the worst rental car company I’ve ever dealt with. Avoid them at all costs.

Flight Experience: Southwest Airlines from Hobby to Orlando

We flew Southwest Airlines out of Hobby to Orlando, and this time we Russian-dolled a checked bag — one inside the other — in case we came back with souvenirs or just needed more space. (Is it just us, or does it feel like you always come home with way more stuff than you left with?)

The plane wasn’t new, but it was clean. No seatback monitors, which was a little disappointing since it was my youngest’s first time on a plane. She didn’t care though — she LOVED it. She’s definitely my little traveler, and I can already tell when she’s older she’ll be go-go-go.

My youngest is 6, we boarded earlier than most, and this was one of the last flights without assigned seating for Southwest, so early boarding was a win. I absolutely love flying out of Hobby — it’s quick, easy, and far less chaotic than other airports. We did have a long wait at baggage check for that big bag, but it was end-of-summer travel season, so no surprise there.

Where We Stayed: La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Orlando — 2/5 Stars

This hotel was OLD AF, but the entire stay came with SeaWorld tickets that included parking, so I figured we’d make it work.

When we arrived, our room wasn’t ready yet, so we took advantage of the location — right next to ICON Park — and drove over to eat at Yard House (more on that later).

When we got back and checked into our first room, it was bad — crumbs on the floor, dust everywhere, and a dirty tub. I took photos, went back to the front desk, and asked for a cleaning or a new room. We got reassigned to a cleaner room, but the TV didn’t work.

They wanted us to move rooms again, but I pushed for them to just swap the TV. They did — but the replacement barely worked and the picture quality was awful. And let’s remember — this was a 12-day trip with a teenager and a 6-year-old. I needed a working TV.

We also had to do laundry during the trip. The laundry room was mobile-operated (no quarters needed, and it alerted me when loads were almost done), but it was $5 per machine. I spent $20 on just two loads.

The receptionist and the maintenance man were absolute gems — the saving graces of this place. Breakfast was your typical free hotel breakfast. I only had a coffee the first morning, and that was enough for me.

Family Fun Before the Games: SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld had its moments, but it wasn’t a slam dunk. We got rained out most of the days we tried to go, so we never spent a full day there. My son and husband rode every ride, while I got on a few. It was nice to spend time with my son before he heads off to college.

We saw both the orca and dolphin shows — dolphins were my favorite. The stores were fine, but the merch was basically the same everywhere.

The biggest fail? Almost no seafood in the entire park. I have dietary restrictions and don’t eat land animals, so this was a huge problem. Only two places in the park served fish, and neither were on the meal pass. I paid extra for one of them anyway, and it wasn’t even good. Huge oversight for a park literally themed around the ocean.

Verdict: Fun for rides and shows if you’re into that, but for me, it’s a one-and-done.

Food + Drink Highlights

🍽 Yard House

My favorite place to eat this trip — I went a few times. The local food in Orlando just wasn’t very flavorful, so Yard House was my safe option. They’ve got a consistent corporate menu and tons of vegetarian options. Highly recommend.

🍕 UNO Pizzeria & Grill

Funniest dining moment of the trip. My husband ordered a personal pizza, and it came out smaller than the kids’ pizza. He was shocked, I couldn’t stop laughing, and the staff even brought him another one on the house. I had the salmon — decent, but not worth a repeat trip.

Extra Stops Worth Mentioning

🏟 Orange County Convention Center – AAU’s Home Base

The convention center itself was very clean and had more food options than your typical tournament setup, but oh boy… the logistics.

• Parking: SO far away it felt like a separate zip code. Trying to pick up handicap passengers was a nightmare. I saw elderly people walking ridiculously far just to get inside — it was rough to watch.

• Escalators: This place has more escalators than I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m pretty sure Ripley’s could list it as “Most Escalators in the World.” At least it’s not stairs, I guess.

• Setup: They really needed more nets between games for safety and better outside signage and directions — the place is massive, and finding your way around could be frustrating.

• Food Options: Adding some seafood vendors inside would be amazing. I was over the land-animal-only options halfway through day one.

• Staff: Most of the staff looked like they hated life. Not sure what was going on there, but it didn’t exactly add to the experience.

🎮 Andretti Indoor Karting & Games

We love Andretti’s, and the Orlando location had way more games than the one in Katy, TX.

🎆 Fireworks Views from the Hotel Over the 4th of July, we could see Disney, SeaWorld, and Universal fireworks from our room — gorgeous.

☀️ The Weather

HOT. Like, shockingly hot — even for this Texan.

City Vibes: The Real Rundown

Orlando felt clean overall, but it’s definitely a tourist machine. Lots to do, but not all of it worth your time or money. The convention center was great, the family fun spots delivered, but there were plenty of letdowns too.

Final Verdict:

✅ Hotel: 2 stars — location was great, service was nice, but the place needs serious updates✈️ Airline: Southwest — smooth, easy, loved flying out of Hobby

🚗 Worst experience: ACE Rent-a-Car — never again

🎢 Best family moment: Andretti’s and fireworks on the 4th

🍽️ Best bite: Lobster garlic noodles at Yard House

🏐 Tournament takeaway: Clean, well-organized venue with good food options

🚫 Would skip next time: SeaWorld and ACE Rent-a-Car