There are more than 20 Disney Resort hotels at Walt Disney World and it can be hard to choose which one to stay at for your vacation! I have stayed at 15 of resorts listed and am here to help guide and use my expertise to find the perfect fit for you and your family. (updated Nov. 16, 2022)
There are so many perks to staying on property in a Disney Resort hotel when you are visiting Walt Disney World. Check out my blog post about it here.
There are four hotel category types: Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villas.
Value Resorts
These are your standard hotel room. They are the smallest (around 250 square feet) of all the categories and can sleep up to 4 adults. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s All-Star Music Resort offer suites that can sleep up to 6 adults. The prices start at about $140/night for standard rooms.
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- World Premiere Food Court
- Movies Under the Stars
- Fantasia-themed Pool
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Pool with surfboard motif
- End Zone Food Court
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Guitar-Shaped Pool
- Intermission Food Court
- Family Suite
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney Skyliner Transportation
- Pool with Water Jets
- Everything Pop Shopping and Dining
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Family Suites
- Largest Resort pool in Walt Disney World
- Landscape of Flavors
- Disney Skyliner Transportation
- Dog-friendly accommodations
I recommend Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in the Value category. It has fantastic theming, dedicated buses, a Skyliner station, most of the rooms are suites, and has the best food court of all the Value Resorts. Keep in mind that the Standard Rooms here are The Little Mermaid themed and are about a 10 minute walk from dining and transportation. If that’s a deal breaker, then my next recommendation is Pop Century.
Moderate Resorts
These rooms are typically about 300 square feet. They sleep up to 4 adults, but there are select rooms that sleep 5. There are suite options at Coronado Springs. The Cabins at Fort Wilderness are larger at about 500 square feet and sleep up to 6 people. These rooms start at about $265/night.
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Romance and Relaxation
- Club-access Benefits
- Pool with Waterslide
- Fitness centers
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Pool with a Waterslide
- Disney Skyliner transportation
- Old Port Royale
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- “Rough It” in Comfort
- Come “Home” to Fresh Groceries
- Rent a Golf Cart for 4
- Pool with Waterslide
- Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
- Dog-friendly Accommodations
- Decorate your Cabin
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Pool with waterslide
- Scat Cat’s Club
- Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Royal Guest Rooms
- Pool with Waterslide
- Riverside Mill Food Court
- Dog-Friendly Accommodations
My top recommendation for an adults-only trip is to stay in Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. It’s a beautiful resort, has numerous dining options, the best pool of any Moderate resort, and Gran Destino Tower feels like a Deluxe Resort and has Club Level rooms. My recommendation for families is Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. The grounds are beautiful, it has a fantastic main pool, certain rooms sleep up to 5 adults, it has good dining options and has the Skyliner Hub.
Deluxe Resorts
There are many different types of rooms and sizes in Deluxe Resorts. They range from standard size rooms (about 350 square feet) to suites of more than 1,000 square feet. Most of the rooms will sleep up to 5 people. They start at about $400/night.
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Skyliner Transportation
- Outdoor Water Recreation Area
- Yachtsman Steakhouse
- Ship Shape Health Club
- Dog friendly accommodations
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Pool with waterslide
- California Grill
- Resort Monorail
- Standard rooms, suites, villas, Club-Level rooms
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Exquisite Dining
- Just a walk or Monorail away to Magic Kingdom
- Pool with waterslide
- The Health Club
- The Grand Floridian Spa
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
- Standard rooms, suites, villas, Club-Level rooms
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Pools
- Story Booking Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
- Standard rooms, suites, villas, Club-Level rooms
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Resort Monorail
- Several amazing food options
- Standard rooms, suites, villas, Club-Level rooms
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Ship Shape Health Club
- Outdoor Water Recreation Area
- Beaches and Cream
- Disney Skyliner Transportation
- Standard rooms, suites, villas, Club-Level rooms
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney Skyliner Transportation
- Pool with waterslide
- Flying Fish
- Standard rooms, suites, villas, Club-Level rooms
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Exotic Animals
- Award-Winning Dining
- Pool with waterslide
- Standard rooms, suites, villas, Club-Level rooms
It’s really hard to pick a favorite when it comes to the Deluxe Resorts because they are all so wonderful. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. My top pick in the Magic Kingdom Resort area is Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. It has amazing theming, a beautiful lobby, fantastic restaurants, and prime Magic Kingdom location. My top pick in the Epcot Resort area is Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. It has one of the best locations on Disney property, TONS of dining and entertainment options, nice amenities and theming.
Deluxe Villa Resorts
These are the highest rated rooms at Walt Disney World. Most of the Villas are attached to a Deluxe Resort and share all the amenities. Villas range from studio to 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom options. They range in size from about 300 square feet to 2,500 square feet. Almost all of the Villas have a kitchen, washer, dryer, and separate bedrooms. Most studio rooms sleep up to 4 adults. The 3-bedroom villas sleep up to 12. The studios are your standard Deluxe Resort room, except they have a kitchenette. The other Villa options are much larger and have more than one bathroom. All of these are Disney Vacation Club Resorts, but anyone can stay in them. They start at about $400/night.
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Style, Artistry and Disney Touches
- Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera
- Disney Skyliner Transportation
- A Full Range of Accommodations
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Just like home amenities
- Pool with waterslide
- Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf course
- Health Club
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Just like home amenities
- Pool with waterslide
- Olivia’s Cafe
- Fitness Center
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Villas, Club-Level rooms
- Pool with waterslide
- Sanaa
- Exotic animals
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Cabins, villas, Club-Level rooms
- Pool with waterslide
- Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Cabins, villas, Club-Level rooms
- Boat ride away from Magic Kingdom
- Access to 2 picturesque pools
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Transportation: Boat and Bus
- Outdoor water recreation area (3 acres)
- Close to the Skyliner
- Resort Area: Epcot
- Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
- Villas and Club-Level rooms
- Pool with waterslide
- Skyliner transportation
- Flying Fish
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Pool with waterslide
- California Grill
- Resort Monorail
- Villas and Club-Level rooms
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Villas and Club-Level rooms
- Original Walt Disney World Resort
- Resort Monorail
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Villas and Club-Level rooms
- Pool with waterslide
- Walk or take the Monorail to Magic Kingdom
- Exquisite dining
- Health Club
- The Grand Floridian Spa
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Villas and Club-Level rooms
- Pool with waterslide
- Award-Winning Dining
- Exotic Animals
Just like the Deluxe Resorts, you can’t go wrong with any of these. Of the Deluxe Villas, I have stayed at Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, and Kidani Village. None of those are my top choices because the only transportation to the theme parks are buses. If you don’t mind your only Disney transportation option being the buses, I would recommend Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House. It has rooms with views of animals on the savanna, 3 of the 10 highest rated restaurants in Walt Disney World, and amazing theming. If you want to be in the Epcot Resort area, I recommend Disney’s Riviera Resort. It has Skyliner access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, lots of food options and they’re all amazing, elegant theming, and a calm environment. If you want to be in the Magic Kingdom Resort area, I recommend Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. It has amazing theming, a beautiful lobby, fantastic restaurants, and prime Magic Kingdom location.
There are more reasons than ever to stay at a Disney Resort hotel, where a wide variety of amenities, programs, and exclusive benefits help make a Walt Disney World Resort vacation fun, relaxing, and worry free. To request a free Walt Disney World quote, CLICK HERE.
Hannah Little - Vacation Planner 
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