Sleeping in Style: Choosing the Perfect Disney Resort for Your Stay
Our Miniseries is expanding and Part 2 will be spread across the entire month! That means… April is Walt Disney World Resort Month on Park Life Planning!
Contemporary Resort (Deluxe)
One of the most difficult parts of creating your Disney budget is choosing the perfect place to stay during your vacation. There are so many options that it can seem incredibly overwhelming. Let’s get rid of the overwhelm and replace it with magic while we break down the types of Resorts available to you!
Before diving into the Disney Resort options, I do want to mention that there are many off-property options that are available to you. There are so many benefits to staying on-property, that I rarely would recommend staying off-property. Examples of these benefits are (subject to change):
Use of the Walt Disney World transportation system to move around the Walt Disney World Resort
The ability to charge purchases to your Resort bill
Early Morning Entry, which allows Resort Guests to enter Parks 30 minutes early
Extended Evening Hours, which allow Disney Deluxe and Disney Deluxe Villa Resort Guests to stay in the Parks past closing on certain evenings
Early access to purchase Individual Lightning Lane
Access to add the Disney Dining Plan to your Resort stay
The ability to book dining reservations for your entire stay at 60 days from check in
NEW in 2025! Disney Resort guests can enjoy a Disney Water Park on their day of check in for free (included in their stay!)
Disney Resorts pricing is actually fairly comparable to off-property options, as well. I won’t be diving into the off-property options today, but if this is something you’d like me to explore more in future articles, just let me know!
So, let’s get to it! In today’s blog, we are going to walk through the different categories of Walt Disney World Resort available to you just to get familiar with them. The remaining three blogs of the month will explore each category more in depth, including why they may or may not be a good fit for your family.
Walt Disney World has three main Resort categories - Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts & Villas. In addition, there is also Fort Wilderness Campground. This one is really in a category all of it’s own and is a really fun way to stay at Disney!
Fort Wilderness Campground ($)
Fort Wilderness is a fantastic option for those that are very budget conscious and enjoy RV camping. Disney’s hookups are top notch and the Campground has tons of activities, including horse back riding, wagon rides and campfires. Fort Wilderness is also home to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, a high spirited dinner show with great food and even better entertainment.
Don’t have an RV of your own, but want to stay at Fort Wilderness? No worries! There are some amazing companies that rent RVs and deliver to Fort Wilderness. They hook up the RV before you arrive and offer packages that can even include groceries. Definitely something to check out!
Value Resorts ($$)
Value Resorts are super family friendly and have incredibly strong theming throughout the Resorts. Kids of all ages will love seeing themed decor at every turn and will be immersed in the fun of it all. (How could you not be when you are surrounded by giant statues?!)
The Value Resorts have basic amenities, smaller accommodations and are generally a no frills style Resort. Because of that, they are an especially great option when you plan on spending most your day at the Parks and are using the Resort mainly for afternoon naps, swimming and sleep. Each Resort offers meal options at an on-site food court.
As the most affordable of all resort options, these are popular with families and large groups. I love the magical theming of these resorts and there are some hidden gems that make these Resorts even more fun! More to come on these Resorts in next week’s blog!
All Star Movies Resort (Value)
Moderate Resorts ($$$)
Moderate Resorts are the middle tier Resort category. The theming is a little less bold (no giant icons!), but is still immersive throughout the Resort. You will find nods to your favorite Princesses, Pirates and more throughout these Resorts.
While Moderate Resorts are a step up from the Value resorts, they stay budget friendly for many families, especially families of 5. These rooms are larger than Value resorts and often include a pull down Murphy bed to allow for 5 occupants in a room. The Resorts typically offer both food courts and full-service restaurants on-site.
The pools at these Resorts also come with an addition - water slides! Seems like such a small thing, but my kids adored these slides and we spent hours on them. (Their favorite was the Port Orleans - Riverside slide!) Look for more information on this fantastic category of Resorts in our blog in a couple weeks!
Coronado Springs (Moderate)
Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts ($$$$)
The Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort category is the top tier of Disney Resort. Each Resort is uniquely themed and has features that are only available at that Resort. Theming is immersive, not only with Disney characters, but also with the overall theme of that Resort.
Deluxe Resorts offer larger rooms and multiple configurations of rooms for larger families. These Resorts also offer expanded amenities and entertainment that cannot be found at other Resort levels. The amenities available vary from Resort to Resort and can include spa services, holiday displays, entertainment, a mini water park and wildlife viewing. There are also typically multiple full service restaurants available to choose from and some even offer Character dining!
These Resorts are an investment, but are an amazing experience when your budget allows. They are often very close (walking distance!) to one or more Parks, have additional transportation options and some have viewing of Park fireworks at night. We will explore these Resorts in depth in our blog in the coming weeks!
Wilderness Lodge (Deluxe)
Phew! That was A LOT of information. This really just skims the surface of choosing the perfect Resort. If you have stayed at a Disney Resort, what is your favorite Resort category and why? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
For extra help choosing the perfect Resort and booking your dream Disney vacation, I’d be happy to help! You can request your FREE quote from Dreams By Design with Katie T. at https://dbdkatiet.myflodesk.com/quote. Remember, all booking and planning services are offered at no cost to you!
“It all begins with dreams.”
