For the Beyond Imagination Vacations team, an integral element of the vacation experience is staying in a great hotel and being whisked away from the troubles of everyday life. No beds to make. No meals to cook or dishes to clean. No trash to take out.
When vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort, staying at an on-property hotel is a no-brainer. It keeps you enveloped in the “Disney bubble” after leaving the parks, and offers incredible benefits exclusive to Disney hotel guests. Considering there are nearly 30 hotels from which to choose, it can be difficult to narrow down your selection. We’re here to help, of course. Today on the blog, we’re sharing our five favorite hotels at Walt Disney World Resort.
Before we dive into our list, we thought we’d share some reasons for staying on-property. Primarily, the exclusive benefits Disney offers its hotel guests far outweighs any savings from staying at an off-site hotel! Guests receive complimentary MagicBands, an all-in-one digital theme park admission ticket, charging mechanism, hotel key and much more, as well as access to Disney’s Magical Express, a motor coach service offering free roundtrip service to and from Orlando International Airport. The Disney hotels also provide free bus service to its theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs, the dining, entertainment and shopping district. Select hotels offer unique modes of transportation including water taxi, your own two feet (more on that below) and Disney’s signature rail way in the sky, the Monorail. Let’s not forget that Disney hotel guests can make their FastPass+ selections 60 days in advance, as opposed to 30 days for offsite visitors. Trust us, that month makes a difference when trying to secure FastPass+ for the hottest attractions like Flight of Passage and Slinky Dog Dash. And if you stay club level, you can make FastPass+ selections 90 days out from your trip at an additional cost.
Many visitors think that staying at a Disney hotel is out of financial reach, but there is a hotel to accommodate every budget. The Value hotels, like the All Stars and Pop Century, allow guests to remain immersed in the magic of Disney after they’ve left the parks at a wallet-friendly price point. The Moderate hotels are a step above the Values - offering on-site table-service restaurants, more entertainment options and other amenities not found at the Values. The Deluxe hotels are for guests with larger budgets; these resorts offer interior room entry, rather than outside entry like the Values and Moderates, fine dining and character meal experiences, and special transportation options.
Enough about the reasons why to stay on property and how you can make it happen financially! Let’s get to the list of our five favorite hotels at Walt Disney World.
Art of Animation
Bright. Bold. Bodacious. Art of Animation is a Value resort adored by families with little ones as huge, colorful sculptures dot the landscape. Fans of Ariel will live out their princess dreams in one of the hotel’s Little Mermaid guest rooms. Kids of all ages will have a blast at the Big Blue Pool, one of the best pools on Disney property, which features underwater speakers. Art of Animation is a great option for guests needing additional space than provided in a traditional room. Its suites accommodate up to six adults and have a separate master bedroom, two bathrooms, a dining table that converts into a double bed, a double sleeper sofa and kitchenette with microwave. Bonus - the family suites are themed after modern classic Disney films like The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Cars.
Sally and Lightning McQueen greet guests at Art of Animation
For people who don’t like waiting for buses when there is valuable park time to be had, Art of Animation could be the hotel for you as it has its own dedicated bus line. Later this year, Art of Animation will be one of four hotels connected to Hollywood Studios and Epcot via the new Skyliner gondola system. Finally, Art of Animation’s food court, Landscape of Flavors, pleases a variety of palates with Mongolian-inspired dishes and standard theme park fare like pizza and burgers.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Animal Kingdom Lodge is a gorgeous retreat amid the frenzy that can be Walt Disney World. We would stay here without stepping foot in the parks for a chance to relax in the hotel’s rustic, elegant décor. And where else in Orlando can you experience a private safari from your own balcony? We love kick starting our day with a cup of coffee, watching the animals graze, and capping off our night with a glass of wine, hearing the animals communicate with each other. If you’re not lucky enough to secure a savanna view room, no worries! The hotel features plenty of public spaces for animal gazing.
Savanna view room at Animal Kingdom Lodge
As a Deluxe resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to Jiko - The Cooking Place, a signature dining experience. Wine lovers rejoice! The restaurant features an extensive South African wine collection, and offers unique culinary events like wine tastings and dining with Disney animal specialists.
Painting our dessert at Jiko - The Cooking Place
Beach Club
Location, location, location. Fans of Epcot’s slate of seasonal festivals will want to book a stay at Beach Club which is within walking distance of the park and Hollywood Studios. And if you’re too tired for walking, the hotel offers water taxi service to the two parks. A Deluxe resort, Beach Club transports guests to the New England seaside, a breezy elegant place but not stuffy - it is Walt Disney World, after all.
Imagine hiding for a little while in these chairs, perhaps reading a book, flipping through the pages of a magazine or just people watching in the lobby
When staying at Beach Club, you will want to build in at least one day to splish, splash and swim at Stormalong Bay, a three-acre water park. The area features an expansive sand-bottomed pool; a shipwreck replica with a 230-foot-long waterslide, one of the highest slides at any Walt Disney World hotel; a lazy river; three whirlpool spas; and an elevated tanning deck. When it’s time to come up for air, take a break at Beaches & Cream, an old-fashioned ice cream shop where you can cool down with thick milkshakes, flavored sodas and the cult-classic “Kitchen Sink.” Beach Club and its sister resort Yacht Club share the water park, dining venues and other amenities. So if Beach Club is booked up, don’t hesitate to grab a room at Yacht Club!
Feeling beachy at Beach Club
The Contemporary
The granddaddy of them all. Disney’s Contemporary Resort offers something that no other hotel can - walkability to the “Most Magical Place on Earth,” the Magic Kingdom. A Deluxe resort, the Contemporary is known for its signature A-frame architecture and the iconic Monorail zipping through the hotel itself. With just one transfer on the Monorail line, guests will quickly find themselves at Epcot - giving them easy access to two of the four theme parks.
Disney’s Monorail traveling through the iconic Contemporary Resort
California Grill, one of the best restaurants on Disney property, finds its home at the Contemporary. If you time it just right and get a table by the window, you’ll have unrivaled views of the Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After fireworks. Don’t fret if your dining reservation was earlier in the evening. Save your receipt to access the California Grill Lounge or viewing deck to enjoy the fireworks without the crowds. If character dining is more your speed than fine dining, the Contemporary houses one of the most popular character meals, Chef Mickey’s, which features the Fab Five - Mickey Mouse, Minnie House, Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy.
Our favorite spot to catch Happily Ever After - after a delicious meal and with no crowds
Port Orleans French Quarter
Last but not least, we present for your consideration, Port Orleans French Quarter. And we don’t love it just because one of us on the Beyond Imagination Vacations team calls her hometown New Orleans - although the hotel does a great job recreating the cobblestone streets, gas lamps and wrought-iron balconies that defines the Big Easy. And the activities make us a bit homesick too - live jazz and blues at Scat Cat’s Club, and romantic horsedrawn carriage rides.
The charming Port Orleans French Quarter lobby, y’all
As one of the smallest Moderate resorts, we love the intimate feel and more compact footprint, especially after a long day at the parks. When you’ve chowed down on enough Mickey beignets and Creole-influenced food at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory, Port Orleans French Quarter offers a fun and convenient way to check out the plethora of cuisine options at Disney Springs via ferryboat. Port Orleans French Quarter is a leisurely stroll along the river to its sister resort, Port Orleans Riverside, which has additional options for dining, drinking and jammin’ to live music. It’s like two resorts in one!
Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite Walt Disney World resort?