Why a Game Room Makes or Breaks Your Orlando Vacation Rental
You've spent the day battling crowds at the theme parks. Your feet ache, the kids are sunburned, and nobody can agree on a restaurant. This is the moment that separates a good vacation rental from a great one — because at a great rental, the fun doesn't stop when you walk through the front door.
Why Do the Best Orlando Vacation Rentals Have Game Rooms?
If you've browsed vacation rentals in Kissimmee or Orlando, you've probably noticed that game rooms are everywhere in the listings — but the quality varies wildly. Some properties throw a dart board on a wall and call it a game room. Others go all in with pool tables, foosball, and arcade machines.
The reason game rooms matter is simple: theme park days are exhausting. After 8+ hours of walking, standing in lines, and wrangling kids through crowds, nobody wants to pile into a car again for evening entertainment. A well-equipped game room gives your group something to do together without leaving the house — and it's often where the best vacation memories are made.
For families with mixed ages, game rooms are especially valuable. Teenagers and adults can compete at the arcade while younger kids wind down. It fills that gap between "back from the parks" and "ready for bed" that hotels simply can't address.
What Is a Polycade — and Why Is It Better Than a Regular Arcade Cabinet?
Most vacation rentals that advertise an "arcade" have a single-game cabinet — usually a cocktail table with one classic game loaded on it. There's nothing wrong with that, but after a few rounds the novelty wears off.
Our home at Parkside Retreat features a Polycade — a premium wall-mounted multicade that packs dozens of titles into one sleek, modern cabinet. Instead of being stuck with one game, your group gets a full arcade library spanning retro classics and modern favorites.
The Polycade isn't a cheap emulator box either. It's a purpose-built arcade system with a large HD screen, authentic arcade controls (joystick, buttons, and all), and a curated game library. The retro-styled cabinet with its rainbow side panels and LED backlighting looks great in the room — it's a real conversation piece.
What Games Can You Play on the Polycade?
The game library has something for everyone. Here's a taste of what's loaded on our Polycade:
Retro classics that parents and grandparents will remember:
Pac-Man — the original 1980 arcade legend that needs no introduction
Asteroids — Atari's iconic space shooter
Metal Slug — the beloved run-and-gun side-scroller
Modern titles that kids and teens will gravitate toward:
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 — fast-paced tag-team fighting with Marvel superheroes and Capcom legends
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 — SpongeBob, Leonardo, Reptar, and more in a platform fighter the whole family can pick up
Disney's Castle of Illusion — a beautifully reimagined platformer starring Mickey Mouse
Cuphead — a run-and-gun masterpiece with stunning 1930s cartoon art and notoriously challenging boss fights
The mix of old and new means everyone in your group — from a 6-year-old to a 60-year-old — can find something they enjoy. And because it's a multicade, you're not limited to one game per stay. You can play Pac-Man after breakfast, run through Metal Slug after the parks, and settle a Marvel vs. Capcom tournament before bed.
What Else Is in Our Game Room?
The Polycade is the centerpiece, but it's not the only thing in the room. Our game room also features:
Foosball table — great for quick competitive matches
Sectional sofa — plenty of room for spectators or anyone who just wants to hang out
Superhero-themed decor — Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman wall art that sets the mood
Should You Book a Vacation Rental with a Game Room?
If you're traveling with kids, teenagers, or a large group — absolutely. A game room adds a dimension to your stay that hotels and bare-bones rentals simply don't offer. It turns "downtime" into bonding time and gives everyone something to look forward to at the end of each day.
And if the game room happens to have a Polycade loaded with dozens of titles instead of a single cabinet in the corner? Even better.
Book Parkside Retreat and Play on Day One
Our 6-bedroom vacation home in Storey Lake is just 10 minutes from Disney World, and the game room is ready to go from the moment you check in. No quarters needed.
Visit stayparkside.com to check availability and book your stay.
