Alright. You've found the perfect time of year to visit. Now the next question is, where will you stay? The Walt Disney Resort has ~30 different hotels to choose from ranging from Value to Deluxe. They all offer complimentary transportation to/from the parks, magic bands (which we will get into a little later), extra time in the parks, early access to FastPass+ planning, and complimentary transportation between your resort and Orlando International Airport (via Magical Express). Also, if you make any purchases while in the parks, you can have them delivered to your resort where you can pick them up at a later time. All room rates are for 2 adults and 2 children. Most rooms only sleep 4, but there are several options that offer more space. In addition, there are numerous off-site resorts, hotels, and motels nearby. Some people even choose to rent a home during their stay. I'll cover these options in part 2b.
Feeling overwhelmed yet?
When choosing a Disney resort, it comes down to this:
How much do you want to spend?
How much time will you be spending at your hotel?
How many people will be staying with you?
Keep in mind that recently Disney implemented new resort parking fees. The fee schedule is as follows:
Value- $13/night
Moderate- $19/night
Deluxe- $24/night (valet is $33/night)
Value vs. Moderate vs. Deluxe
I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the "Disney" resorts are going to come with a hefty price tag; especially the deluxe resorts. The starting rates I list below are according to Disney as of the date of this post.
Value:
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort- starting at $110/night
Disney's All-Star Music Resort- starting at $110/night
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort- starting at $110/night
Disney's Art of Animation Resort- starting at $155/night
Disney's Pop Century Resort- starting at $127/night
The Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort- starting at $55/night
If you pick a good time of year to go, you can stay at one of the Value resorts for a fair price, but I have seen them sky-rocket to unreasonable prices. They come with all the perks I mentioned before, but the rooms are smaller, the hotels are a bit further from the parks, and the furnishings are "lower end." These hotels are more like "motels" in my opinion, but just due to the design. Meaning: the room doors are accessed from the outside.
The All-Star hotels are right next to each other; seemingly like one giant hotel. They are one of the furthest hotels from the parks. Each has its own themeing, food court, pool, and play areas. All-Star Music also has family suites that sleep up to 6 adults. Pop Century is very similar to the All-Star Resorts, except the buildings are themed to different decades. It also has a food court and pool, amongst other amenities. Art of Animation is right next to Pop Century. This resort has different themes within the rooms: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo. The Little Mermaid rooms are standard rooms that sleep 4. The other 3 rooms are Family Suites that sleep up to 6 adults. If you have a big family, these rooms might be right for you. It is also ideal for families with younger children since the rooms are very themed! Might not be right for your teenagers. Art of Animation also has rooms available to bring your furry friend along with you! The Fort Wilderness campsites are just that- sites; you would have to bring your own tent or camper. Amenities are available at the campsites (ex. showers, water, picnic tables, etc). You also have close access to a convenience store, and the Hoop-dee-doo Review dinner show. There also many outdoor recreational activities that are available (some included, some for a fee).
Moderate:
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort- starting at $204/night
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort- starting at $208/night
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter- starting at $222/night
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside- starting at $222/night
The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort- starting at $334/night
Although moderate resorts are more expensive than the value resorts, they have a few perks that put them above the Value resorts. Most of them are closer to the parks, which cuts down on your transportation time. They are also larger than the value (with the exception of the family suites at the value resorts).
Caribbean Beach is actually very close to Pop Century and is currently in the process of expanding. Keep this in mind when planning, as some of the restaurants and activities are closed during the refurbishment process. The buildings are very brightly themed and the rooms have a nice tropical vibe. They even have pirate themed rooms. Note: these rooms are more expensive, and further away from amenities within the resort. Some of the rooms have a child-sized Murphy bed bringing the room max to 5 people. They have multiple pools, beach volleyball, bike rentals, and a Pirate Adventure Cruise (extra cost).
Coronado Springs is on the west side of World Drive, and features Spanish colonial/southwestern themed buildings. A couple things to keep in mind for this resort: it has a convention center which adds to the busy-ness of the resort; and starting in Fall 2018 the hotel will be undergoing refurbishment. It has 3 leisure pools, a spa, and a fitness center. There are several different kinds of rooms, including large suites.
Port Orleans- French Quarter and Riverside. These two are right next to each other but are labeled as separate hotels. They each offer slightly different theming and resort amenities. Both offer pools and restaurants, horse-drawn carriage rides (additional cost), fishing (additional cost), and jogging trails. Both the hotels offer water-taxi transportation to Disney Springs. Only at French Quarter will you find Mickey Beignets! The French Quarter rooms all sleep 2-4 people. Riverside rooms will sleep 3-5 people as some of the rooms have child-sized Murphy beds. Riverside also offers Royal Guest rooms with touches of Disney Magic all over the room. Some of these rooms are also dog-friendly.
The Cabins at Fort Wilderness are for those of us who like the idea of "glamping." The cabins are nestled within the Fort Wilderness Campground, but offer everything a resort room can give. The cabins have air conditioning, electricity, a full bathroom, a kitchen, a living area, and a bedroom. You pull your car straight up to your cabin. No need to walk long distances with your luggage. You can event rent a golf cart to help you get around Fort Wilderness. A perk that this location has, is that you can take a boat to Magic Kingdom. No other Moderate Resort has this feature. The bedroom in the cabin has a queen bed and a bunk bed. In addition, there is a double size sleeper sofa in the living area bringing the total occupancy up to 6.
Deluxe:
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge- starting at $345/night
Disney's Beach Club Resort- starting at $401/night
Disney's BoardWalk Inn- starting at $439/night
Disney's Contemporary Resort- starting at $411/night
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa- starting at $586/night
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort- starting at $485/night
Disney's Wilderness Lodge- starting at $332/night
Disney's Yacht Club Resort- starting at $401/night
Now on to the more expensive of the resort types, Deluxe. These resorts offer larger rooms, nicer furnishings, and higher-end dining. Many of these are much closer to the parks as well. Some provide monorail/boat transportation to Magic Kingdom, and some provide boat transportation to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is located the furthest from the Parks. It is relatively close to Animal Kingdom but further out from the other parks. Some of the rooms provide views of animals like zebras and giraffes so it feels like you are on a safari! These come with a higher price tag of course. The resort offers a couple of pools, and a kid's clubhouse. At the kid's clubhouse, you can have someone watch your kids (ages 3-12) while you enjoy an evening on your own (additional cost). Beach Club/Yacht Club is located between EPCOT and Hollywood studios. You can walk to either park from here or take a boat ride. Bus transportation is provided to access the rest of the parks. The hotels are right next to each other and offer shared amenities. There are a couple of pools, and you don't want to miss Beaches and Cream which has the kitchen sink on their menu! The rooms are nicely furnished and recently updated. You are also a hop skip and a jump from Boardwalk that has many restaurant options and nighttime entertainment. Room can sleep from 4-7 depending on the room type. Some rooms have a Murphy-style children's bed. Beach club has a kid's clubhouse (Sandcastle club), and Yacht club provides dog friendly accommodations. These hotels are popular during EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival, so prices may be higher during this time. It may also be more difficult to book. BoardWalk Inn is also located between EPCOT and Hollywood studios. You can walk to either park from here or take a boat ride. Bus transportation is provided to access the rest of the parks. Rooms sleep 2-6, and the resort has a pool. BoardWalk provides the most in regards to restaurants and entertainment. The actual boardwalk has over 10 eateries/bars, and is home to Atlantic Dance Hall and JellyRolls dueling piano bar. There are even arcade games. This hotel is popular during EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival, so prices may be higher during this time. It may also be more difficult to book. Contemporary is slightly older than other resorts, but is the only resort with a monorail running right through it. You can walk from your room to the monorail without ever having to go outside. This particular monorail takes you right to Magic Kingdom. If you take the Monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center, you can hop on the EPCOT monorail. Rooms sleep 4-8. The resort has a pool, motorized boat rentals, jogging trails, and a popular dining location, Chef Mickey's, where you can dine with your favorite classic Disney characters. It also has the California Grill where you can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks if you time your dinner just right. Grand Floridian is also very close to Magic Kingdom, and has its own stop on the Monorail. Amenities are similar to those found at the Contemporary (ex. pools, boat rentals, etc). Rooms sleep 3-8. The Grand Floridian is home to the famous "Victoria and Albert's" restaurant. It has received a AAA Five Diamond Award® every year since 2000. Reservations must be made well in advance, and are difficult to come by. There are several other dining options to choose from. Be sure to stop by during the holidays to check out the decorations and gingerbread house. The Polynesian is decorated in the style of the South Pacific. It truly makes you feel as if you are in a tropical paradise. This too has its own stop on the monorail loop. Like Animal Kingdom Lodge, they offer a kid's activity center (Lilo's clubhouse). All the room types here sleep 5 with a murphy-style kid's bed. There are a few pools, and several restaurants to choose from at this resort. Be sure to watch the Spirit of Aloha dinner show. This is also the only resort to offer the famous Dole Whip®. Wilderness Lodge is located close to Magic Kingdom, but you reach this park by water taxi instead of by monorail. If you've ever stayed at the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park, you will notice a resemblance to this hotel. The resort is very rustic and nestled in the trees along Seven Seas Lagoon. Rooms sleep 4-6 and some have bunk beds. There are several dining options and 2 pools. Deluxe Villas: (just when you thought I was done)
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort- starting at $488/night
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge- starting at $418/night
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge- starting at $440/night
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House- starting at $346/night
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village- starting at $398/night
Disney's Beach Club Villas- starting at $445/night
Disney's BoardWalk Villas- starting at $439/night
Disney's Old Key West Resort- starting at $352/night
Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows- starting at $503/night
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa- starting at $348/night
The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa- starting at $571/night
All of these villas, with the exception of 2, are located within other resorts. Amenities will be the same as their host resort. Room sizes range from studios to 3 bedroom villas. Studios will have a kitchenette, while all other size rooms will have a kitchen with a oven/stove, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, sink, and washer/dryer. These rooms are ideal for families who will want to save money on food, or plan on staying for a while and would like more "home" comforts.
Old Key West is near the Disney Springs area and has its own water taxi to take you there. This is the only villa resort to offer a studio with 2 double beds rather than a bed and a pullout. There is a large pool, and a coupe of restaurants. You really feel the "keys" vibe here both in the building design and the furnishings.
Saratoga Springs is also in the Disney Springs area, and depending on which area of the resort you end up in, you can actually walk there. This resort has rooms that range from studio to a 3 bedroom. One of their 3 bedrooms is a tree-house villa where you have your own tree-house building that is elevated off the floor (something to keep in mind for those who have mobility issues). The tree-house sleeps up to 9 people. There is also a spa located at this resort. The resort also has a couple of pools, walking trails, and other outdoor recreation activities.
Club Level: One last thing to consider for the on-site hotels. Some of the hotels offer club-level rooms (additional cost):
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Beach Club
Boardwalk Inn
Contemporary
Grand Floridian
Polynesian Village Resort
Wilderness Lodge
Yacht Club
Club level provides the following (dependent on resort):
Evening turndown service
Secured key access to the club-level lounge, serving refreshments 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily
Complimentary fax assistance
Access to Concierge service
Complimentary health club access
Complimentary newspapers in Club Level lounge
Personalized Front Desk and Guest Services
There's obviously way more to each resort than what I have described, but I hope the basics will get you started! Happy Planning!!
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