One of the toughest decisions when you’re planning your Walt Disney World Resort trip? Which resort or hotel you’ll book. It’s tough to decide whether you want to stay in an on-property hotel or one that’s nearby, but not within the Disney World ecosystem. There are pros and cons to each – and different hotels suit different families.
With more than 25 different resort hotels to choose from on-property at Disney World and hundreds of other hotel and resort options in the surrounding area, you have a wealth of options to consider. Whether you opt to stay at an official Disney resort hotel that’s filled with perks or choose a nearby hotel with its own slew of amenities and extras, both can make for a magical Disney World vacation.
Explore Disney World’s Resorts & Hotels
- Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
- Hotels and Resorts Near Walt Disney World
- Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels
Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
There’s truly a Walt Disney World Resort hotel for every type of traveler. Whether you love staying in a luxurious setting with plenty of extra perks and amenities or want to be surrounded by scenes from your favorite Disney films, you can book a resort that’ll perfectly suit your vacation style. But choosing can be tricky – there are so many hotels that it can feel overwhelming to settle on just one.
So, how do you choose? Budget is always a great place to start, and Disney World’s on-property hotels are broken down into three categories based on their pricing and their included amenities: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe.
Disney World Resort Types and Categories
Value Resorts
Toys come to life at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort. Photo by Danny Shuster
Disney World’s Value Resorts balance budget-friendly pricing with plenty of magic. These resorts are particularly kid-friendly, offering larger-than-life theming paired with simple accommodations and basic amenities. They’re a great choice for those who plan to spend the bulk of their vacation in the theme parks.
Conveniently located and the lowest-priced options on Disney World property, Value Resorts offers all of the same perks (like Early Theme Park Entry and free Disney transportation) as more expensive hotels. However, they are very no-frills and do have more limited food and restaurant choices.
There are five Walt Disney World Value Resorts:
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Moderate Resorts
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort offers waterside views (and Skyliner access!) Photo by Brett Svenson
Aren’t sure you want to really splurge on a top-tier Disney resort, but still want something that’s a little fancier than a budget hotel? Disney World’s Moderate Resorts offer the perfect middle ground. With reasonably-priced, middle-of-the-road room rates, slightly larger accommodations than Value Resorts, and family-friendly amenities that are also a step up, these are a great fit for those with a little more flexibility in their budget – and those who want to spend some time exploring the resort itself.
The theming at Disney World’s Moderate Resorts is a bit less Disney-driven and more elevated, featuring architecture and design elements drawn from iconic locales from around the world like New Orleans or the Caribbean. While you may not see characters at every turn, there are still nods to Disney throughout each resort (and of course, you’ll get all of those magical extra perks, too!).
There are four Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts:
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Deluxe Resorts
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a standout Deluxe resort. Photo by Brett Svenson
For those who don’t mind paying more for an extra-special hotel stay, Disney World’s Deluxe Resorts are the perfect fit. As the highest tier of hotel (and the most expensive), Deluxe Resorts offer the largest rooms, the largest array of amenities, and plenty of extra advantages, including a variety of restaurants onsite, valet parking, spas or health clubs, and some stellar theming.
From animals roaming the savannah just outside your hotel room’s windows to a tropically-inspired paradise outside your bungalow door, Deluxe Resorts are a step above all other Disney World resorts. If you want to spend some time at the pool or relaxing at your hotel, a Deluxe Resort is a great option. There’s so much to explore at these resorts that you’ll definitely want to take time outside of the theme parks during your stay.
There are eight Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney Vacation Club Resorts
DVC resorts like Disney’s Polynesian Villas offer unique views and room types. Photo by Laurie Sapp
If you’re traveling with a larger group or want space to spread your family out (or maybe even take a break from each other!), roomier accommodations can be found at Disney World’s Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Resorts. Disney Vacation Club Resorts offers villas, which are a different category of hotel and room.
Also called Deluxe Villa Resorts, many of the Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World – plus a few standalone Deluxe Villa Resorts – offer these more spacious villa rooms with additional “home-like” amenities that turn a hotel room into more of a house-style space. Deluxe Villa Resorts or DVC Resorts can feature villas, bungalows, or cabins, all of which have separate bedrooms, full kitchens, and even a washer and dryer duo.
Don’t need that much extra space? Deluxe Studios are also an option at DVC resorts, and they feature kitchenettes and sleeper sofas versus multiple rooms.
The Disney Vacation Club and Deluxe Villa Resorts at Walt Disney World are:
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Bay Lake Tower
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House and Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Disney World Campground
There’s one more resort type that doesn’t quite fit into the categories above, and that’s Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Here, you can stay in one of the campsites at Fort Wilderness, which is home to 750 acres of Florida forest, which includes woodland trails, natural wildlife like deer, ducks, and armadillos, and familiar amenities like onsite entertainment and themed pools.
At Fort Wilderness, you can choose from four different types of campsites to suit your family’s outdoor style. All are fully equipped and can accommodate tent camping as well as 45-foot (or longer) RVs, with room for up to 10 guests.
Hotels and Resorts Near Walt Disney World
Photo by Courtney Reynolds
Prefer to stay off-property when visiting Walt Disney World Resort? It’s easy to do so and still stay pretty close to the theme parks. While you may not enjoy special Disney-exclusive perks like convenient, complimentary transportation or Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours, you can potentially save money and broaden your hotel options.
Plus, there are simply so many options when it comes to non-Disney hotels and resorts near Disney World. From luxurious, expansive resorts made for the entire family like Evermore Orlando Resort to popular hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton to smaller motels, you’ll find just about every type of accommodation possible (yes, AirBnBs and VRBO houses, too!).
Staying off-property is a great option if you want to explore more than Disney World’s theme parks while you’re visiting the Orlando area. You’ll enjoy a lot of flexibility, and you can divide your time between different destinations with ease, though we do recommend having a car so you can travel with ease.
If you still want to stay on Disney World property but not in an official Disney hotel, you can also consider some “in-between” options. There are a few hotels that are almost located on Disney World grounds (or at Disney Springs), but they’re officially considered off-site hotels and are owned and operated by other entities. These super-close, non-Disney hotels are:
- Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- B Resort & Spa
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
- Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Holiday Inn Orlando
- Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels
Many of the hotels surrounding Walt Disney World Resort are Good Neighbor Hotels. This is a special designation that means a hotel is a partner of Disney World – and must meet certain standards and requirements in order to be called a “Good Neighbor.”
Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels are family-friendly, and they offer a variety of different accommodations from standard hotel rooms to suites to villas. They also all provide Walt Disney World Resort information onsite, feature a Guest Services desk that’ll help you plan your Disney vacation, and offer transportation to Disney World theme parks (though it may cost a fee).
We love Good Neighbor Hotels because they offer a wealth of options. You can opt for a budget-friendly, simple hotel that’s just a place to rest for the night, or you can find a full resort with tons of amenities. Plenty of these hotels also offer perks like free breakfast, in-room kitchens or kitchenettes, and even pet-friendly accommodations. No matter how you like to relax, there’s a Good Neighbor option at Disney World that’ll suit you and your family well.
