The best Disney resorts don’t have to cost a fortune. While we love Disney World’s flagship hotel, the Grand Floridian, we’d never give it the best overall resort award.
Cost is one reason. A night here could easily set you back $600 or more a night. Yes, that’s the cost for just one chance to lay your head on the cloud-fluffy pillows of the Grand Floridian.
It can also get stuffy in there with so many people walking around in sport coats and skirts. A Walt Disney World vacation is often a family affair after all, best suited to shorts and tennis shoes.
However, a stay at the Grand Floridian isn’t all bad. In fact, it’s one of the best places we’ve stayed when it comes to overall hospitality and cast-member friendliness. The dichotomy between cost, atmosphere and amenities does illustrate an interesting point, however.
Selecting the best Disney resorts is largely a personal affair and depends on what you’re looking for in a vacation experience.
For that reason, we’ve divided our Best Disney Resorts Awards into several different categories, hoping a more granular view of Disney’s vast line of hotels will be more beneficial to your Walt Disney World vacation planning.
So, without further ado, here are our picks for best resorts from the Disney World resorts list.
The Best Bang for Your Buck Disney World Resort
When comparing Disney resorts, cost is one of the deciding factors for most people. You can easily stay at a value resort for under $300 a night by taking advantage of a Disney World Resort Discount, but it isn’t always the best bet for families. Rooms average around 260 square feet, which doesn’t give a family of four much space to move around.
If your family is larger, forget about. You won’t even be permitted in the room.
That’s why we rank Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside resort as the best bang for the buck. Rooms start under $300.00 a night, but that’s before discounts. If you can score one of Disney’s more lucrative offers, you may save up to 25 percent off that cost, compared to a 15 to 20 percent score off a value resort.
For only a modest increase in the cost of your stay, you’ll gain amenities that can’t be beat by many value resorts, including:
- Larger rooms: Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside tip the scale at 314 square feet, giving your family more room to spread out.
- Room for larger families: Several rooms at Port Orleans have been designed to accommodate families with more than two children. A child-size murphy bed makes it easy to pull out sleeping space for a third little one.
- More splash time, fewer crowds: Crowds are a fact of life at Disney theme parks. That means, you’re often looking for a respite from the crush when you head back to your room, particularly when you visit your resort pool. Port Orleans makes this easy with access to 5—yes, you heard that right—5 different pools.
- Beautifully themed grounds: Lush landscapes and meandering pathways make it easy to escape from the hustle and bustle of the parks. If you’re looking for a tranquil place to unwind, you’ll find plenty at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside.
Vacation Planning Tip: To keep your stay at Port Orleans affordable, be sure to book during value season if you can. Rack rates at Port Orleans Riverside can jump to $418 a night during the peak holiday rate season.
Ranking Disney World Port Orleans Riverside
Dining for families: 8/10 You’ll find Port Orleans Riverside offers a great varity of casual dining, including table-service, quick-service and a food court, perfect for meeting the many different food preferences of a family.
Cost: 5/10 As a moderate resort, Port Orleans Riverside isn’t likely to break the bank, but it will be more expensive than a value resort and far less costly than deluxe accommodations.
Overall Family Score: 8/10 with 5 pools, a variety of dining, competitive rates and solid guest reviews, Port Orleans is perfect for the family who wants a little room to move around, with more of the feel of a deluxe resort.
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The Best of Disney Resorts for Spending Time at your Hotel
If you plan to spend time at you’re hotel during your trip to Disney World, you might as well do it at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Just walking into the lobby is an experience in and of itself. You’ll instantly feel central Florida fade away as you give into the call of the African savanna.
That spirit follows you straight to your room where you’ll see wild animals right outside your balcony. When combined with African-inspired restaurants, it’s hard to top the Animal Kingdom Lodge as a place where you’d want to unpack your bags and stay.
Additional reasons why Animal Kingdom Lodge might be the best Disney resort for you:
- Value in deluxe surroundings: Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge offers one of the lowest rack rates in the deluxe resort category, allowing you to take advantage of the higher amenities at a lower cost.
- Additional opportunities to learn about animals: Throughout the day, guides are posted at locations around the resort, usually within view of the savannas, to discuss the animals that live there. Guests might even be able to participate in private safari events only open to guests of the hotel, though there is an additional charge.
Vacation Planning Tip: Standard view rooms at Animal Kingdom are on the budget side for a deluxe resort, but a savanna view room will ring a higher, although worth it, price.
Ranking Disney World Animal Kingdom Lodge
Dining: 6/10 Families with younger children may find the dining at Animal Kingdom Lodge a little limiting as quick service options are limited. However, table service restaurants, while being rich with cultural flair, do offer kids menus for less adventurous eaters.
Cost: 6/10 If you’re comparing deluxe resorts at Disney World, Animal Kingdom can be a real value, particularly if you opt for a non-savanna view room. Even at a bargain basement price for a deluxe resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge will be far more expensive than a moderate or deluxe resort. If you plan to spend more time at your resort than in the parks, the trade-off between parks and onsite amenities may be worth it.
Disney World Resort Offering the Most Immersive Experience
While all Disney hotels incorporate an element of theming, some go above and beyond. For instance, we love the turn-of-the century vibe of Disney’s Beach Club and the way it flows so seamlessly into the nearby Boardwalk Inn.
However, when we’re talking about the best Disney resort for theming, it doesn’t get better than Polynesian Village. Right from the first aloha to the final goodbye, you’ll be immersed in the friendliness and appeal of the Hawaiian Islands.
If you opt out of online check-in, you’ll be greeted with leis and a smile at the front desk. Everyone is part of the family at the Polynesian, so expect to be called cousin quite frequently.
Even the pool is designed to deliver Hawaii to your doorstep. There are few experiences that bring the tropics home like climbing up an active volcano and sliding through its center.
It’s all part of making you feel as if you left central Florida at the monorail station and stepped into the welcome heat of the tropics.
If you’re looking for more reasons to stay at Polynesian Village, consider these perks:
- Fireworks Views: Watch Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach or while swimming in the pool.
- Disney Complimentary Transportation made simple: The monorail departs regularly from the Grand Ceremonial House to the Magic Kingdom. It’s also an easy few-minute stroll to the Transportation Ticket Center where you can board the monorail to EPCOT.
- O’hana Restaurant: One of Disney World’s best eateries is right on the resort. Enjoy all you can eat fire cooked meats, served up with Polynesian-themed side dishes while you watch the fireworks erupt over Magic Kingdom. Little ones will delight in the chance to play Hawaiian games while adults relax over a glass of wine.
- Dole Whip: There is no need to enter Magic Kingdom for this signature treat if you’re staying at Polynesian Village. Simply head down to the Grand Ceremonial House where the staff at the Pineapple Lanai will be happy to whip you up a Dole Whip right on the spot.
Ranking Disney World Polynesian Village
Immersive Dining: 9/10 Very few of Disney’s resorts carry the theme of the resort right across dining. With 2 table service and 1 quick service restaurant featuring Asian-inspired dishes, you won’t have to leave the islands when it comes time to dine. Not to mention the fact that the Poynesian’s restaurants feature some of the most sought after food in all of Disney World.
Cost 2/10 Guests who stay at the Polynesian Village crave the immersive Polynesian experience and are ok with splurging on the cost. This is one of the most expensive properties at Disney World.
Overall 9/10 Overall, we’d have to give Polynesian Village one of our top rankings for immersion and other factors. Rooms here are very large and comfortable, and with fire works views right from the pool, fabulous food and the monoroail to Magic Kingdom out the lobby, it’s hard to fault it on price alone, which is this resort’s biggest drawback.
Most Centrally Located Disney Resorts
For many people, the best Disney World hotel is the one closest to the action. After all, who wants to spend precious time traveling to the parks?
The problem is, there are few resorts that are close to everything. While the Magic Kingdom area hotels offer easy access to this signature park via monorail, you’re distant from Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The same is true for Animal Kingdom Lodge, only in reverse.
That’s why our award for the most centrally located Disney World resort actually goes to 3 resorts: Disney’s Beach Club, its sister resort the Yacht Club, and Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. All are located around Crescent Lake and offer rapid access to most parks.
These resorts are the only hotels within a 3- to 5-minute walk of EPCOT. Disney Hollywood Studios is only a 20-minute walk or a quick ride on the Disney Skyliner. Likewise, you’ll easily reach Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom with no more than a 12-minute bus ride.
These hotels also offer some other perks that make them hard to ignore:
- Room for larger families: Easily make room for 5 in rooms featuring 2 queen beds and 1 day bed.
- Built-in waterpark: Beach Club and Yacht Club are the only hotels on Disney property to offer a waterpark called Stormalong Bay.
- Peaceful surroundings: Garden View rooms are some of the quietest and most tranquil places at all of Disney resorts
Ranking Disney World Beach Club/Yacht Club and Boardwalk Inn
Dining: 9/10 The close proximity of these resorts provides a number of dining options. If you don’t feel like taking advantage of the options in your resort, it’s an easy stroll to the dining options nearby, including those offered along the boardwalk at Boardwalk Inn.
Cost 3/10 You won’t find bargain basement prices at any of these resorts, but when compared to the many options and amenities – including the proximity to so many of Disney’s theme parks – it’s far easier to justify the cost.
Overall 8/10 Location, location, location – that’s what puts the Beach Club, Yacht Club and Boardwalk Inn on the list of best Disney World resorts. It’s a quick stroll to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios with additional boat or Skyliner transportation. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom aren’t far away either at these centrally located resorts.
Best Walt Disney World Value Resort: For Vacationers on the Go
For many, a trip to Disney World is a once in a lifetime experience, so it’s important to soak it all in. Fortunately, it’s possible to enjoy the grandeur of a Disney World vacation without breaking the bank.
That’s one of the reasons we ranked All Star Movies as the best Disney Value resort. Rack rates begin at under $200 a night during value season, and that’s before any available discounts are applied.
But what really sells us on this resort for the budget traveler is the chance to experience the magic adventure of a Disney vacation right from your hotel. It’s easy to do when larger-than-life movie icons are towering over walkways and peering over balconies. It’s a delightful experience for younger guests and even gives the older and more jaded traveler a taste of Disney magic that they won’t soon forget.
Other reasons you might like Disney’s best value resort:
- According to Ally of Magically Mainstreet, cast members at All Stars Movies are the tops, friendly, courteous and the type to go above and beyond to help a guest with any situation.
- WDW Magazine also ranks All Star Movies at the top of their list for budget travelers, citing animated theming across the resort addinug upt to an overall great atmosphere.
- Preferred room options make it possible to be centrally located to all resort amenities, such as food and transportation, for a small upcharge. According to A Disney State of Mind, the slight charge is well worth it.
- In a recent refurbishment, All Stars resorts added murphy beds to all rooms. Since this is a regular mattress that folds into a cabinet in the wall, you’ll be able to add extra space during the day and still get a comfortable sleep at night.
- All Stars Movies is a fantastic resort for guests who plan to spend sun up to sun down at the parks. With clean and comfortable rooms, it’s the perfect place to fall into and exhausted slumber at night and still have plenty of funds left for enjoying the parks during the day and evening.
Ranking Disney World All Stars Movies
Dining: 6/10 While we love a food court for on the go dining and meeting the preferences of children, many guests may miss the lack of table service dining at All Stars. Then again, the on-the-go Disney vacationer is probably eating in the parks anyway.
Cost 10/10 You won’t find many Disney World accommodations at this price point, with the perks and amenities that you’ll find at All Stars Movies. Sure, some offsite hotels may be cheaper, but you’ll have to fight with less consistent transportation, as well as the curse of standing at a rope within a Disney World park, and watching all of the Disney resort guests sail on by, courtesy of Early Theme Park entry. For the small added cost, All Stars is worth it.
Overall 7/10 Small rooms and pared down amenities lower our overall All Stars ranking a bit, but who cares if you’re spending minimal time in your room, right? The presence of a food court and budget friendly rates, make this one of the best Disney World resorts.
Best Disney Resort for Kids or Larger Families
Selecting the best resort for kids is no easy task. Considering that all Disney hotels are family-friendly and cater to children of all ages, it’s hard to pick just one.
To narrow in on the list, it’s important to consider what makes a kid-friendly vacation. Food is one aspect. Most children are limited in what they like to eat, and a vacation isn’t the best time to be forced to try new dishes.
The element of surprise is another. What makes a Disney vacation so memorable are those magical moments you won’t find anywhere else, such as swimming with giant non-stinging Jellyfish or cruising with Crush from Finding Nemo.
These two criteria weigh the scale heavily in favor of Art of Animation. Elaborately-themed suites feature either the Lion King, Nemo or Cars and provide kids with plenty of room to work out the wiggles and deal with the excitement of a Disney vacation.
We’re Disney vacation planners. Contact us at kathleen@mickeyworldtravel.com with questions, and we can help you find the resort that’s best for you. Or, fill out the form to the right, and we’ll provide you with a quote.
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Since each room contains a kitchenette, families can also save some money and easily feed the pickiest of eaters by cooking in, if they don’t find something in the kid-friendly food court that is.
Just walking around this resort provides one eye-popping surprise after another and will keep kids guessing until the very end of your trip.
Ranking Disney World Art of Animation
Dining: 4/10 With only one quick service restaurant and a pool bar, you may want to make sure you fill your bellies in the parks. However, the addition of a kitchenette does make it easy to pick up some items using Uber or Lyft and eat some smaller meals in your room. It’s a great cost saver too.
Cost 7/10 You won’t find value resort pricing at Art of Animation, but that makes sense, since rooms are larger and offer more in-room amenities. For what you get, Art of Animation is fairly priced, particularly if you’re traveling with extended family and can split the cost.
Overall 8/10 Given the competitive pricing, larger rooms and the rooms themed to different Disney Animation classics, it’s hard to go wrong with Art of Animation if you’re traveling with little ones or a larger group.
Best Disney Resort for Adults
The Best Disney resort for adults would be the Grand Floridian. The quiet, upscale atmosphere is perfect for an adult escape. Combine the ambiance with top-rated restaurants and attentive staff, and it’s no surprise that Disney’s flagship resort would appeal to the more mature Disney audience.
Rooms at the grand Floridian, while simply decorated, offer prestigious appeal all wrapped up in Disney style. Even adults will enjoy the welcome packet, complete with towel folded in the signature Mickey-eared shape and letter welcoming you to the resort.
Overall, the Grand Floridian has the ambiance and appeal that should make most older travelers feel like they’ve entered a top-rated getaway without forgetting that they’re visiting Mr. Mouse.
Other reasons adults will appreciate the Grand Floridian:
- Toiletries include the standard H2O products that are available at other Disney deluxe resorts, but also a small toiletry kit including Q-tips, a fingernail file and cotton facial cleansing pads. Terry bath robes are also available.
- If you’re a morning news junkie or just like to catch up on the weather before heading out for the morning, you might enjoy the television that displays right from the vanity mirror.
- In the evenings, you’ll find musical presentations in the lobby. These range from classical pianists to vocalists and are always enjoyable.
Tip: For a more detailed information on an adult stay at the Grand Floridian, check out our Disney World resort review on this property.
Ranking Disney World Grand Floridian
Adult Dining: 9/10 While not adults exclusive, older generations will find a variety of restaurants at the Grand Floridian, with enough culinary flair to excite the biggest foodies. Restaurants at the nearby Contemporary and Polynesian Village are also only a monorail ride away.
Cost 1/10 The Grand Floridian is the most expensive of all the Disney World resorts, but if you’re traveling without kids, you can easily make up the cost by not having to buy theme park tickets for little ones.
Overall 8/10 Across the Disney resorts lineup, the Grand Floridan takes the prize for adult travelers, and while the cost may be high, the quiet atmosphere may just make it worth it.
Best Disney Resorts for Families
This category turned out to be a bit of a nail biter. When I polled my kids about their favorite childhood Disney resort, they were evenly split down the middle. Two picked Polynesian Village. Reasons ranged from the overall theming to the volcano pool (an element that happened to be out of commission for several of our visits).
The other two chose Beach Club for its close proximity to EPCOT and other parks as well as the Storm Along Bay water park. To break the tie, I had to turn to some internet research, but it seems the other online pundits are as divided as we are when it comes to ranking the very best Disney resort for families.
As such, I had to make an executive decision. Based on memories of family trips with young children, I’d have to agree with my now adult kids, and rank both the Polynesian and Beach Club as great resorts for families.
Both offer a variety of transportation options, including bus and boat. At Polynesian Village, you have the added option of the monorail for easy transport to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. The Beach Club, however, counters nicely with the Skyliner and an easy walk over to EPCOT.
Where the Beach Club pulls ahead in the race is with the addition of its private water park, Storm Along Bay. We spent many afternoons filling buckets with sand and floating the lazy river.
Overall, either of these resorts should suit the needs and fancy of most families, but the Beach Club comes with a slightly lower price tag.
Best Disney Vacation Club Resort
If you aren’t familiar with the Disney Vacation Club (DVC), it’s Disney’s version of a timeshare. Disney fans purchase ownership in a DVC resort by way of points. These points are then cashed in for resort bookings, allowing owners to visit Disney World on an annual basis or to bank the points in favor of a longer vacation the next year.
What many people don’t realize about Disney Vacation Club resorts is that they are often open to the general public. Rooms can easily be reserved right through the reservation system of the Disney World website.
Most DVC properties have been built on the site of existing hotels. The Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Boardwalk Inn, Contemporary, Polynesian Village, Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom all share space and amenities with a Vacation Club resort.
In addition, there are three other stand-alone properties: Disney’s Saratoga Springs, Disney’s Riviera Resort and Old Key West. While the rankings are close in this category, Old Key West eventually emerged as the winner of the Best Disney Vacation Club Resort
As the first DVC property ever built, rooms are some of the largest on Disney World property, and all feature water, garden or golf course views. Cast members were some of the friendliest and most helpful that we’ve encountered at any Disney resort, including the Grand Floridian. To top things off, it is one of the cheapest DVC or deluxe resorts to book, making it hard to beat on the budget scale as well.
Overall, we loved the peaceful tropical feel, the quiet atmosphere and the generous space. In fact, it might just be our new go to. Of course, that’s if we decide not to stay at the Beach Club. Or maybe Port Orleans Riverside… or this time it might be back to the Polynesian…
