The Mega World of Disney World Resort Options

When it comes to planning your Disney World Vacation- there is no shortage of hotels to choose from. In fact, there are over 25 choices just glaring at you, waiting for you to make the perfect choice. Do you want something fancy, beach themed, sport themed? Do you want your family to stay in a place that reminds you of your favorite Disney movie? Do you want to wake up in a lodge that makes you feel like you're at a historic National Park? Do you want lots of Disney theming staring you in the face? A little? Do you want to see zebras out the window? (Yes, that's an option). Do you want to feel like you're in Hawaii... New Orleans... Key West... Coney Island at the turn of the century? And did you know you can even camp at Disney World if you want?! I mean, they have seriously thought of everything.

The first thing when deciding which resort to book is to look at your budget. How much are you willing to spend on what you want? Is this a once in a lifetime trip and you're willing to spend more for the hotel of your dreams? Or are you a Florida resident who's just looking for a quick weekend away? Are you celebrating a special occasion? Do you have multiple families coming? Are you planning on spending all your time in the parks or are you looking to have some relaxing resort pool days? These types of questions will help you narrow down what you're looking for in a hotel.

There are also different tiers of resorts to choose from: Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villas.

The Value resorts are the most affordable Disney Resorts and they include: Art of Animation, Pop Century, All Star Sports, All Star Music, and All Star Movies Resorts. The value resorts will be the easiest on your wallet but they will also be lacking the most in amenities, have lots of people, and be the furthest from the parks. (In case you didn't know- Walt Disney World is huge and depending on where you're staying, you will need transportation to get to most, if not all, of the parks you wish to visit). Thankfully, Disney offers free transportation to all of the parks for Walt Disney World Resort guests. With that however, due to the large amount of guests at these resorts, you may be waiting for a while in the bus line. Art of Animation and Pop Century do also have access to Disney's Skyliner though (for access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios)! A huge plus and your kids will probably like riding the Skyliner just as much as they like going on rides if they're anything like my kids.

A few other pros and cons: The value resorts also do not have sit down restaurants, water slides, or hot tubs. Art of Animation's Finding Nemo pool however is a favorite among kiddos (as is the heavy Disney theming and family suite options).

The Moderate resorts are the middle tier Disney World Resorts and they include: Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach Resort, and Coronado Springs. While the moderate resorts do not have elevators at all of their resorts, they do have slightly larger rooms and more amenities (think horse drawn carriages, boat and bike rentals, etc... ). They also offer a sit down restaurant option, bar/ lounge and more counter service menu options than the value resorts. Most of the French Quarter rooms were also just refurbished (who doesn't like a new room?). Caribbean Beach Resort is also on the Skyliner route (easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios).

The Deluxe resorts are the top tier of Disney World Resorts and offer the most amenities and food options. They include Disney's Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Polynesian Village, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk Inn and Animal Kingdom Lodge. I'm also going to include the Deluxe Villas in this category. They include Disney's Saratoga Springs & Spa, Old Key West, Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Animal Kingdom Villas, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Wilderness Lodge, Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge, the Riviera, Boardwalk Villas, Bay Lake Tower, the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian, Beach Club Villas, and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort.

The Deluxe resorts also have elevators (except for Old Key West) and multiple options for pools, dining (both restaurant & quick service), and transportation (except Animal Kingdom and some of the DVC villa options). Access to bus transportation is also easier to access and generally has shorter wait times. We stayed at Beach Club Resort in August and only had to wait for a second bus once- which at Disney World, is saying something. Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk Inn are all within walking distance to Epcot (amazing!) and a short boat ride or Skyliner trip to Hollywood Studios. The Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Contemporary all have monorail access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. You can take a boat or bus from Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom. The multiple transportation options are so nice and really make a difference.

In addition to larger rooms, beautiful interiors, and nicer pools, the Deluxe resorts also have the major perk of extended evening hours at select parks throughout the week! All Disney World Resort guest get the benefit of half hour early entry to the parks, but only Deluxe Resort guests get the added bonus of extended evening hours. We lined ours up with our day at Magic Kingdom and the wait times just plummet. It was amazing.

As you can see- there are a lot to choose from and I didn't even hit everything in this post. But that's why using a travel agent like myself can help. I have first hand knowledge on each of the hotels and can help you find the resort that best fits your needs and within your budget. My services are also completely, 100% free- so what are you waiting for?