Choosing where to stay
- Three resort tiers. Walt Disney World Resort has more than 25 Disney Resort hotels in three tiers. Each tier comes with Early Theme Park Entry and longer booking windows for dining and Lightning Lane.
- Value resorts. Value Disney Resort hotels cost the least. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort add Disney Skyliner access and family suites.
- Moderate resorts. Moderate Disney Resort hotels offer bigger rooms and table-service dining at a mid-range rate.
- Deluxe resorts. Deluxe Disney Resort hotels add top locations, Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, and monorail or walkable park access.
- Start with budget. Start your choice with budget and group size. Then narrow by park priorities and how you like to get around.
Walt Disney World® Resort has more than 25 Disney Resort hotels. They fall into three tiers: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. The right one depends on your budget, your group size, and your plans. Below, we explore each Walt Disney World Resort tier, the perks of staying on site, and the key factors that help families pick.
Why stay at a Disney Resort hotel
Every Disney Resort hotel comes with perks that off-site hotels do not offer.
The biggest perk? Disney Resort hotel guests get a head start on every part of their trip.
Early Theme Park Entry puts your family in the parks 30 minutes before the general public. That happens every day of your stay. It is the best time to ride popular rides with short waits.
The advantages go beyond the gates. On-site guests book dining reservations through My Disney Experience 60 days before check-in for their full stay. That means up to 10 days of reservations in one booking window. Off-site guests book 60 days out one day at a time. Popular restaurants can fill up before they can even try.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass follows the same pattern. On-site guests book up to seven days before arrival. Off-site guests start three days ahead of theme park entry. That head start matters during busy seasons when return times sell out fast.
Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Disney Resort hotels add one more perk: Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. On select nights, those guests stay in the parks after closing. They can enjoy select rides with smaller crowds.
For first-timers
Value Resort hotels
Five Disney Resort hotels make up the Value tier:
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort. Movie-themed with larger-than-life character icons across the grounds.
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. Music-themed with oversized instruments and one of two Value Disney Resort hotels with family suites.
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort. Sports-themed with the lowest nightly rates on site.
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Vivid character theming with family suites that sleep up to six and Disney Skyliner access.
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Retro pop culture theming with Disney Skyliner access to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
All five offer the lowest nightly rates on site. They share a similar setup: food court dining, themed pools, and standard rooms with two queen beds.
What sets them apart is theming and park access. Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort link to EPCOT® and Disney’s Hollywood Studios® by the Disney Skyliner. This gondola system gets you there in about 20 minutes. The three All-Star Disney Resort hotels use buses only.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort stands out for larger families. It has family suites that sleep up to six adults. Each suite has a master bedroom, a living area that turns into sleeping space, and two full bathrooms. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort also has family suites at a lower nightly rate.
Standard rooms at Value Disney Resort hotels are smaller than rooms at higher tiers. They work well for families of four or fewer. If your group is bigger, family suites or a Moderate Disney Resort hotel may be a better fit.
For large groups
Moderate Resort hotels
The Moderate tier has four Disney Resort hotels:
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Tropical island theming with Disney Skyliner access to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Spanish-colonial theming with a convention center and the rooftop dining at Gran Destino Tower.
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—Riverside. Southern charm with Royal Guest Rooms and a boat ride to Disney Springs.
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—French Quarter. Compact, walkable grounds with a New Orleans feel and a boat ride to Disney Springs.
They sit between Value and Deluxe in price and room size. Rooms are bigger. Each one has at least one table-service restaurant plus a food court.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort links to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios by the Disney Skyliner. It is the Disney Skyliner hub station. All transfers start here. That makes it one of the best-connected Moderate Disney Resort hotels on site.
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—Riverside offers a boat ride to Disney Springs. It is a relaxing way to reach the shops and dining. The resort also has Royal Guest Rooms themed to Disney royalty.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort has a convention center and a more grown-up feel. Its Gran Destino Tower adds a rooftop restaurant and lobby lounge to a Moderate-priced Disney Resort hotel.
Moderate Disney Resort hotels are a strong middle ground. Families get more space, better dining, and beautiful grounds. The nightly rate stays well below Deluxe pricing. For trips of five or more nights, that savings adds up.
For multigenerational groups
Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort hotels
Deluxe Disney Resort hotels offer top locations, many table-service restaurants, and Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. The Deluxe tier includes:
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Monorail and walkway to Magic Kingdom Park with elegant Victorian theming.
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Monorail to Magic Kingdom Park with tropical South Pacific theming.
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Monorail to Magic Kingdom Park with a modern look and walkable distance to the park.
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Walking distance to EPCOT with Stormalong Bay, one of the best pools on site.
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Walking distance to EPCOT and boat service to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Savanna views from guest room balconies with giraffes, zebras, and other wildlife.
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Pacific Northwest lodge theming with boat service to Magic Kingdom Park.
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Boardwalk entertainment district location within walking distance to EPCOT.
Deluxe Villa Disney Resort hotels offer studios and multi-bedroom villas with full kitchens:
- Disney’s Riviera Resort. Disney Skyliner access to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios with European-inspired theming.
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Monorail access and connected to Disney’s Contemporary Resort by skyway.
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Rustic villa accommodations near Magic Kingdom Park.
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Waterfront cabins and villas in a wooded setting.
Three Disney Resort hotels sit on the monorail loop with Magic Kingdom® Park. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are two. Disney’s Contemporary Resort is the third. Step onto the monorail and you reach Magic Kingdom Park in minutes. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa also has a walkway to the park.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort are a short walk to EPCOT. Both also connect to Disney’s Hollywood Studios by boat. Disney’s Beach Club Resort has Stormalong Bay. Many families call this sand-bottom pool the best at Walt Disney World Resort.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge sits near Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. It offers a savanna view from guest room balconies. Giraffes, zebras, and other wildlife roam right outside. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has Pacific Northwest lodge theming and boat service to Magic Kingdom Park.
Deluxe Villa Disney Resort hotels offer studios and villas with full kitchens. Disney’s Riviera Resort and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort are two options. One-bedroom and two-bedroom villas suit larger groups or longer stays. Cooking some meals in the room saves money on dining.
For young families
Do you have to stay at a Deluxe Disney Resort hotel to have a good trip?
How to choose the right Disney Resort hotel for your family
With more than 25 Disney Resort hotels, the choice can feel like a lot. These five factors narrow the list fast:
| Factor | Value Resort hotels | Moderate Resort hotels | Deluxe Resort hotels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nightly rate | Lowest | Mid-range | Highest |
| Room size | Smallest (standard rooms) | Larger | Largest |
| Dining | Quick service food courts | Food courts + table service | Many table-service restaurants |
| Transportation | Bus (Disney Skyliner at 2 resorts) | Bus (Disney Skyliner at 1, boat at 1) | Monorail, boat, Disney Skyliner, walk |
| Extended Evening Hours | No | No | Yes |
Budget. Start here. Disney Resort hotel rates change by season and tier. A lower-crowd week can bring Moderate pricing close to Value rates during peak season.
Group size. Standard rooms at Value Disney Resort hotels fit four guests. Families of five or more need family suites or Deluxe Villa rooms with separate bedrooms.
Park priorities. A monorail Disney Resort hotel puts you closest to Magic Kingdom Park. If EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are the focus, pick a Disney Skyliner or EPCOT-area Disney Resort hotel.
How you get around. Some families love the Disney Skyliner. Others prefer the monorail. A few want to walk. Match your Disney Resort hotel to how you like to travel.
Dining style. Families who eat most meals at quick service spots do fine at a Value Disney Resort hotel. Families who want sit-down dinners should look at Moderate or Deluxe.
A Good Story Vacations travel advisor can match your family to the right Disney Resort hotel. Advisors book Disney Resort hotels every day and know which ones work best for each type of trip.
Off-site hotels and Good Neighbor Hotels
Staying off site is an option. But it means losing Early Theme Park Entry, the longer dining reservation window, and the longer Lightning Lane window. Those perks matter most during busy seasons.
Walt Disney World Good Neighbor® Hotels are off-site hotels that Disney has vetted. They offer scheduled bus rides to the theme parks. Guests can buy park tickets at the front desk. But they do not include Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.
Off-site hotels work for families splitting time between Walt Disney World Resort and other Orlando spots. They also suit large groups that need many rooms at a lower rate. For a full Disney trip, the on-site perks tip the balance toward a Disney Resort hotel.