Disney Planning: The Ultimate Guide To Choosing Your Hotel
Planning a Disney vacation can be overwhelming and exhausting!
First, decide if you want to stay on or off property.
Personally, I love staying on property at a deluxe Disney hotel for the convenience of getting to/from the parks.
We have stayed at many of the resorts, but Yacht Club has been our favorite resort by far.
If you ask my kids what their favorite part of Yacht club is, they would say the pool!
Their second favorite part would be the milkshakes from Beaches & Cream.
There is something at the Yacht club for kids and adults of all ages.
The pool area is massive.
There is a shallow area with a sandy bottom, space to dig and build castles, a lazy river, a HUGE waterslide that spans across part of the boardwalk, a whirl pool that is attached to the main pool and of course multiple hot tubs.
We love having the option of walking or taking the boat to Hollywood Studios or Epcot.
There’s so many great dining options since it is so close to the parks and Boardwalk Inn.
We always take a quick walk around the boardwalk to The Pizza Window. It’s a quick and affordable tiny pizza shop with NY style pizza.
Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf course is within walking distance too! This is, by far, one of the best mini golf courses we have ever been to! The course kept my boys engaged and entertained for the whole entire 18 holes!
When staying on property, there are so many options that can fit into anyone’s budget.
An option we like to do, is a split stay- staying at 1 Disney hotel for part of your trip and then a different resort for the second half.
We did this recently and stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge in a room with a Savanna view. Waking up to giraffes outside of your balcony was absolutely incredible.
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Understanding the 3 Tiers of Disney Resorts
Value Resorts for Disney
The value resorts are All Star Movies, All Star Music, All Star Sports, Pop Century and Art of Animation.
If you don’t plan to be at the hotel very often, this is a great option!
These are the most budget friendly Disney hotel. Most rooms sleep up to 4 guests plus a baby and crib.
All star Music and Art of Animation sleep up to 6 guests in the family suite – these properties tend to be very large and spread out!
Price: On average, a room per night is $200-$300.
Transportation: The main way of transportation to/from these locations is the bus. Pop Century and Art of Animation have access to the Skyliner.
Recreation: 1 large main pool, 1-2 secondary pools, arcade, movies under the stars, campfire, playground and games/activities.
Dining: Quick service and grab/go items.
Moderate Resorts for Disney
Moderate resorts are Coronado Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, Caribbean Beach and The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.
These properties are quite large, and are slightly higher in price but have larger rooms and more amenities than the value resorts.
Most rooms sleep up to 4 guests plus a baby and crib.
Port Orleans Riverside and Caribbean Beach have suites to fit up to 5 guests, plus a baby and crib.
Coronado Springs have suits that sleep up to 6 guests, plus a baby and crib.
Price: On average, a room per night is $300-$400.
Transportation: Bus transportation to all parks.
Caribbean Beach has access to the skyliner which will take you to Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom.
Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter offer boat transportation to Disney Springs.
Recreation: 1 large main pool with waterslide, secondary pools, arcade, movies under the stars, campfires, trails, bike and boat rentals, catch/release fishing, horse drawn carriages, crafts, spa packages and so much more!
Activities vary at each resort.
Dining: Quick service and at least 1 table service restaurant.
Deluxe Resorts for Disney
Deluxe resorts are just that, deluxe!
The lobbies are beautiful and open with many fine details.
The convenient location of each of these deluxe resorts is key. Depending on where you stay, you may even be in walking distance of a park!
The deluxe Disney resorts are The Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Beach/Yacht club, Boardwalk Inn, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Riviera, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs.
These Disney hotel rooms are much larger than those at the other resorts!
There are a variety of room types, fitting anywhere between 4 guests (plus a baby) and up to 12 guests (plus baby) at a grand villa.
Animal Kingdom Lodge offer rooms with Safari views, it is pretty surreal to watch the animals roam freely from your balcony.
There is also club level concierge options available!
Club level provides a personalized service that can assist you with park information, dining reservations, transportation information and ticket sales.
They offer complimentary food throughout the day, usually quick breakfast options, select wine/beer, dessert and cordials. Offerings vary at each resort.
Price: The price of these rooms have many factors and range between $400-$900+ per night.
Transportation: Bus transportation to all parks. Walking distance to at least 1 park.
The Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Polynesian have access monorail access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
These 3 resorts along with Wilderness lodge also have boat access to Magic Kingdom.
Yacht/Beach Club and Boardwalk Inn are walking distance of Epcot, but if you didn’t want to walk, you can take the boat or skyliner to Hollywood studios.
You can also take the boat or Skyliner from Riveria to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
Recreation: 1 large themed main pool with waterslide, cabanas, splash pads, sandy bottoms pools, fishing, cruises, basketball/tennis courts, trails, boat rentals, arcades, games, crafts, live entertainment, campfires and so much more! Activities vary at each resort.
Dining: Quick service and multiple table service restaurants. Some even have character dining meals.
Final Words
You can surely save money by staying off property, but the cost of parking and/or travel fees between the hotel and parks can add up quickly.
The ease and convenience that Disney offers when staying on property at a Disney Hotel is definitely one of the best perks.
Setting priorities for your trip will help make your decision of where to stay easier.
If you plan on primarily being at the parks with little time at the hotel, then a value resort may be best for you. If you are planning on having multiple days of hanging out at the hotel then a deluxe resort may fit you better.
We love our resort days as much as we love going to the parks.
We try to partake in as many poolside games and activities that we can.
As much as I love researching and planning my trips, it’s always a good idea to have flexibility and downtime in with your day.
Needless to say, no matter which Disney resort you stay at, the memories you make will last a lifetime.