How to Choose Your Disney Resort

Deluxe, Moderate, Value or Villa?  Concierge service or food court?  Bus or monorail?  Palm trees or the Pacific Northwest?  Spa or pool slide?  After you have determined when you will visit the house of The Mouse, the next thing you will need to choose is your Disney resort hotel.  Where you will stay during your Disney World vacation is probably the biggest decision you will have to make when planning your trip.  With over 20 different resorts to choose from, each falling into one of the aforementioned categories, choosing the best resort for your family can be quite a challenge.  I can help you find the perfect resort for your Disney vacation while helping you get the absolute best Walt Disney World package deal possible.  And when you book with me, I will continue to research the latest Disney savings offers and apply those savings to your reservation even after you book!

The first thing to note is that no Disney resort hotel is the “best.”  Every family is different and what makes a resort perfect for one will differ greatly from another.  There are three factors that all families should consider when choosing a Disney resort –

1. Your Vacation Budget:  The Disney resorts are grouped into four pricing categories – Deluxe Villas, Deluxe, Moderate, and Value.  There are multiple variables to keep in mind when considering each category.  The four resort levels are outlined in detail below.
2. Your Cast of Characters:  Are you a family of five?  A honeymooning couple?  A multi-generational group with kids, parents and grandparents?  A group of women heading off on a girls’ getaway?  The members in your travel party play a large part in determining which Disney resort will be the best for your vacation.
3. Amenities & Theme:  If a full-service restaurant, turn-down service and luxury accommodations are essential for you on vacation, you will be thrilled with the top-notch amenities of Disney’s Deluxe resorts.  On the other hand, if you have kids who love to run to the food court with their refillable mugs, pose in front of colorful, larger-than-life Disney icons and are delighted by a fabulous pool even without a pool slide, the Values are a perfect choice for your family.

Let’s take a look at the different resort categories.

Disney’s Deluxe Villa Resorts:

• Maximum occupancy depends upon Villa type
• 339-2491 square feet (from studios to 3-bedroom grand villas)
• Spectacular theming, lush landscape, grand lobbies, on-site table service restaurants, food court, health clubs, luxuriously appointed guest rooms, concierge service available, balconies or patios, beautiful, feature-pools all with themed pool slides, full-kitchens
• Bus, monorail and boat transportation available
• 2013 rates begin at $327/night*
• Best for – large families, families who enjoy having a home-away-from-home while on vacation, parents who would like to have a separate sleeping space for their children

Disney’s Deluxe Resorts:

• Maximum occupancy 4-5 guests
• 344-440 square feet
• Spectacular theming, lush landscape, grand lobbies, on-site table service restaurants, food court, health clubs, luxuriously appointed guest rooms, concierge service available, balconies or patios, beautiful, feature-pools all with themed pool slides
• Bus, monorail and boat transportation available
• 2013 rates begin at $279/night*
• Best for – Honeymooning couples, adults looking for a romantic, relaxing environment, families who enjoy luxury amenities, services and accommodations

Disney’s Moderate Resorts:

• Maximum occupancy 4-6 guests (including Fort Wilderness Cabins)
• 314 square feet (504 square feet for Fort Wilderness Cabins)
• Beautiful theming and landscaping, on-site table service restaurants, food court (except Fort Wilderness), comfortable, well-themed guest rooms, lovely, fun pools all with pool slides, multiple “quiet” pools
• Charming river and lake-side locations
• Bus and boat transportation available
• 2013 rates begin at $162/night*
• Best for – Couples looking for a romantic resort on a lower budget, families seeking the magic of an affordable, yet beautifully-themed Disney resort, families who aren’t seeking luxury but for whom resort services and amenities are still important

Disney’s Value Resorts:

• Maximum occupancy 4 guests (Art of Animation and All-Star Music Resorts’ Family Suites accommodate up to 6 guests)
• 260 square feet (520 square feet in the Family Suites)
• Whimsical, colorful theming, lovely landscaping, food court, comfortable guest rooms, large, fun feature pools as well as two smaller pools
• Bus transportation available
• 2013 rates begin at $85/night*
• Best for – Families who want a fun, fancifully-themed resort with all the Disney magic for a great price, larger families for whom an affordable suite or two-standard rooms would give them the space to spread out more comfortably, families with kids who will enjoy the casual atmosphere at the value resorts

*Remember, my job is to get you the best Disney deal possible!  You never know what great saving offers Disney might release for your travel dates and I am always on the lookout for potential savings.

With all of these factors, how do you choose?  Let’s take a look at three, hypothetical families headed to Disney World.

The Smith Family

The Smiths are headed to Disney World for the first time.  They are a couple with two children ages 5 and 7, a boy and a girl.  Money is always a factor, so the Smiths are taking their kids out of school for a few days in order to travel during Disney’s value season to take advantage of lower prices and crowds.  They plan to stay for 5-nights.  They want to visit all four theme parks but still make time to relax by the hotel pool.  They plan to eat most of their meals in the parks, so a full-service restaurant isn’t important to them, but they will eat lunches at the resort.  And while their kids love to swim, they don’t feel like having a pool slide will make that much of a difference to their fun and enjoyment.

Best Resort?  Disney’s Pop Century Resort

With the huge, colorful statues of the Jungle Book’s Mowgli and Baloo smiling down over the resort’s Hippy Dippy pool, complete with psychedelic daisy fountains, an extensive food court, and comfortable rooms all with two double beds and a refrigerator where breakfast and snack items can be kept, Disney’s Pop Century Resort is ideal for the Smith family.  The kids will love the groovy theme, doing the Hustle with the cast members in the food court each day, and hopping on the bus to the parks.  And their parents will love that they get to fully enjoy Disney’s charm and world-class services at a fantastic price tag.

The Miller Family

This is the Miller family’s third trip to Disney World.  They previously stayed at the All-Star Music and Pop Century Resorts and are looking to try a Moderate this time.  The Millers have two boys, ages 11 and 13, who love to swim.   They are planning on coming to Disney World for a week during the kids’ summer vacation.  Now that their kids are older, they plan to spend more time in the parks, but still enjoy taking afternoon breaks to relax, swim and enjoy their resort.

Best Resort?  Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

A pirate-themed room at the Caribbean Beach Resort is the perfect spot for the Miller family to lay their heads during their Disney vacation.  Situated around Barefoot Bay, a 42-acre lake, the white sand beaches, bright, pastel buildings, winding paths, and extensive food court at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort transports guest to a tropical paradise.  With it’s water cannons, spray showers and slides, the Fuentes del Morro feature pool is sure to be one of the highlights of their trip, while bike and boat rentals, fishing, hammocks, beaches and playgrounds round out the numerous options the Millers will have for family fun and relaxation.  And when they’re ready for the parks, a ride on a Disney bus will deliver them right to their destination.

The Parker Family

As a special surprise, the entire Parker family has decided to spend the Christmas holidays in Disney World.  Their cast of characters consists of two sets of parents, 5 kids between the ages of 3 and 9 and the grandparents.  This is a trip that the grandparents have been looking forward to treating their kids and grandkids to for quite some time and they want to make it as special and memorable as possible.  The elder Parkers enjoy comforts and beauty offered by a high-end hotel, but know that wherever they stay has to be fun for the whole family.  They also know that their 3-year old granddaughters will need to nap each day while the rest of the family swims or stays in the parks, so they’d like a resort with the easiest park access, especially to the Magic Kingdom where they plan to spend most of their time.  Finally, they hope to eat at some wonderful restaurants during their vacation as family meals are something that everyone enjoys.

Best Resort?  Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Villas

Built to replicate the grand, national park lodges of yesteryear, the Wilderness Lodge is one of the most spectacularly themed resorts on Disney property.  It is also the resort that truly comes to life during the holiday season with it’s magical lobby complete with towering Christmas tree and roaring fireplace.  In order to accommodate the needs of each individual group in the Parker family while allowing for lots of shared common space for family time, staying in one two-bedroom and one one-bedroom villa is a  great choice.  The grandparents can share the two-bedroom villa with their son, daughter-in-law and 3-year old twins while their daughter, son-in-law and three children can take the one-bedroom villa.  The Wilderness Lodge also boasts an amazing location on Bay Lake near the Magic Kingdom allowing the family to take a short boat ride between the park and the resort as well as giving them access to all of the fantastic dining options at the other 4 Magic Kingdom Resorts via boat and monorail.  The Lodge itself has several dining options including Roaring Fork, the hotel’s food court, Whispering Canyon Cafe for family fun, Artist’s Point, featuring a signature dining experience as well as the Territory Lounge, one of the best in Disney World.  The resort also has a gorgeous pool with a slide and an erupting geyser as well as a river that wends its way from the lobby through the resort grounds ending in a cascade into the pool.  Finally, the Cub’s Den, one of Disney’s Children’s Activity Centers, is right on-site which will allow the Parkers to drop the kids for a night of games and head out for an adult only dinner should they choose to do so.

Now that I’ve finished writing this post it makes me want to head straight to one of the resorts at which I’ve yet to stay since each of the Disney resorts has so much to offer.  The resort that may have been perfect for our last trip might not be the one that’s best the next time around–that’s the beauty of having so many fabulous choices!  All of these resorts have their own special style and character making your stay at a Disney resort a truly special part of your Disney vacation.

Still unsure about the best resort for your upcoming Disney vacation?  Get in touch with me today!  I have lots of great information to help you to narrow down your choices and I love helping families find the perfect resort match for their Disney stay. Email me at gina@mickeytravels.com or call me today toll-free at 1-888-762-4142

I hope this helps you with your vacation planning and I’d love to hear from all of you about your own experiences.  How do you choose your Disney resort?  What factors do you consider the most important when making your decision?  Do you have a favorite?