Choosing the right Disney Resort hotel to stay in during a Disney vacation is important. Your Resort hotel is where you will relax, freshen up and spend time away from the Disney Parks. While your budget will likely influence the Disney hotel you choose to stay in, what you want from the Resort will also affect your decision.
Deluxe Resorts
Guests can choose between three classifications of Disney Resort hotels when visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. A Disney Value Resort, such as Disney’s Pop Century Resort, is the cheapest hotel on Disney property. The five Value Resorts to choose from offer comfortable Guest rooms in Resorts that have fun theming and amenities that make for a pleasant stay.
A Disney Moderate Resort, such as Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, is the category that offers a little more luxury without splurging. The five Moderate Resorts to choose from provide bigger Guest rooms than Value Resorts and additional amenities to make for an excellent stay in a Disney Resort hotel. The most expensive Disney Resort hotels fall into the Deluxe Resort classification.
Disney Deluxe Resorts are exquisitely themed and offer the most luxurious accommodation to Walt Disney World Resort Guests. Guest rooms are spacious and have access to a private balcony. Each Deluxe Resort has a selection of restaurants to dine at, access to at least two modes of Disney transportation, and a range of activities for Guests to enjoy. Most of the Disney Deluxe Resorts are part of the Disney Vacation Club. Guests are able to stay in standard Guest rooms, as well as Studios and Deluxe Villas. Guests of Disney Deluxe Resorts have the additional benefit of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. They have more time to spend in select Disney Parks beyond the Early Theme Park Entry that all Disney hotel Guests receive.
The Disney Deluxe Resorts are:
- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Polynesian Village Resort
- Contemporary Resort
- Wilderness Lodge
- Beach Club Resort
- Yacht Club Resort
- BoardWalk Inn
- Riviera Resort
- Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Saratoga Springs Resort
- Old Key West Resort
But which of these Disney Resort hotels do we recommend skipping, and those to stay at instead? Keep reading to find out.
Skip: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Contemporary Resort is an original Walt Disney World hotel. It’s proximity to Magic Kingdom Park makes it appealing to many Guests, as well as being the Disney Resort that the Disney Monorail passes through. Disney’s Contemporary Resort also has an excellent choice of full-service restaurants to dine at, including California Grill and Chef Mickey’s.
While Disney’s Contemporary Resort is a great hotel to visit, it’s not our preferred Deluxe Resort to stay at. The reasons for this are:
- Cost – Disney’s Contemporary Resort is generally one of the most expensive hotels to stay at on Disney property. Depending on the time of your visit and the length of your stay, you can be looking at a five-figure cost.
- Guest rooms – despite being one of the most expensive Disney Resorts to stay at, you’d expect every Guest room to have a fireworks view. However, this is only available for rooms in the famous A-frame of the Disney Resort. Most Guests don’t realize that many of the rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort are located in the Garden Wing of the Resort, which only offer a view of Bay Lake or Seven Seas Lagoon.
- Access to EPCOT – due to access to the Disney Monorail, Guests of Disney’s Contemporary Resort may be limited to using the Disney Monorail to travel to and from EPCOT theme park. While the Disney Resort is only one stop from the Transportation & Ticket Center, Guests must change the line to get to EPCOT. When leaving EPCOT at Park close, Guests may encounter long lines for the Disney Monorail to travel back to the Magic Kingdom Resorts.
- Theming – despite being one of the original Walt Disney World Resort hotels, we can’t help but pass on the theming of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We much prefer the other Deluxe Resorts that offer much more immersive theming.
- Shared buses – during the day, Guests traveling from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs may use Disney buses that service more than one of the Deluxe Resort hotels. Typically, Disney’s Contemporary Resort shares bus routes with Disney’s Wilderness Lodge during quieter periods of the day.
Stay: Disney’s Riviera Resort
Disney’s Riviera Resort offers an excellent alternative to Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Topolino’s Terrace offers rooftop fireworks viewing just like California Grill. All Resort rooms are Studios or larger due to Disney’s Riviera Resort being a Disney Vacation Club Resort. As such, Guests have a more luxurious stay in spacious rooms with additional facilities. These include a separate bathtub, shower, and kitchenette. Disney’s Riviera Resort also has excellent amenities for Guests. These include pool areas, quick-service and full-service restaurants, and access to another mode of Disney transport. Disney’s Riviera Resort is also just a short walk away from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Additionally, Guests have easy access to two Disney Parks rather than one.
You may want to consider another crunch point when choosing between Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Riviera Resort – cost. Save money by choosing to stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort. You will then have a little extra to spend on other luxuries in the Walt Disney World Resort.
Skip: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
One Disney Monorail stop from Magic Kingdom Park is Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It’s the place to stay if you’re looking for a Resort that exudes elegance and charm. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has an excellent choice of quick-service and full-service restaurants, luxurious amenities for Guests to enjoy, and is so close to Magic Kingdom that you can enjoy the fireworks, accompanied by music, every evening from the marina.
We adore Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, but there are just a couple of things that may have you considering staying at another Disney Resort hotel:
- Cost – you can generally expect Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to be the most expensive hotel on Disney property. We love to take an immersive staycation at the Disney Resort rather than staying there for an entire Disney vacation.
- Location – if you plan on spending most of your time between the Resort and Magic Kingdom, then Disney’s Grand Floridian is the ideal place to stay. However, you can expect some traveling time when visiting the other Disney Parks and Disney Springs.
- Access to EPCOT – Guests of Disney’s Grand Floridian may be limited to using the Disney Monorail to travel to and from EPCOT theme park. Guests must get the Disney Monorail to the Transportation & Ticket Center, then change the line to get to EPCOT. When leaving EPCOT at Park close, Guests may encounter long lines for the Disney Monorail to travel back to the Magic Kingdom Resorts.
- Shared buses – during the day, Guests traveling from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs may use Disney buses that service more than one of the Deluxe Resort hotels. Typically, Disney’s Grand Floridian shares bus routes with Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, during quieter periods of the day.
Stay: Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
An alternative to Disney’s Grand Floridian is Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. As an EPCOT Resort, Guests of Disney’s Yacht Club Resort have easy access to not one Disney Park but two. Guests are within walking distance of EPCOT and can travel to Disney’s Hollywood Studios using the FriendShip Boats. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort’s Guest rooms are spacious with New England-style theming. You can take advantage of the restaurants in not one but three Disney Resort hotels. Disney’s Yacht Club is next door to Disney’s Beach Club Resort and across Crescent Lake from Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
Furthermore, Guests of Disney’s Yacht Club have access to their very own water park. Relax at Stormalong Bay, a sand-bottomed pool with its own lazy river. A stay in Disney’s Yacht Club generally costs less than in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Which Disney Deluxe Resort will you stay at during your next Disney vacation? Do you have a favorite Deluxe Resort? Which one do you return to again and again?
