Which Factors Should You Consider When Booking a Disney Hotel
You’re ready to go on your dream Disney vacation. You’ve fantasized about it for a while and want everything to go perfectly.
All that remains to do is book your Walt Disney World hotel. But where should you pick?
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I can’t answer that for you, although I definitely have strong opinions.
Instead, I’d rather help you find your own choice by holding a quick strategy session.
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Here are the key factors to consider while choosing a Disney resort.
Vacation Priorities
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Let’s start by acknowledging the obvious. Your vacation priorities won’t be the same as mine.
Everyone differs in how they approach a Disney visit.
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Some guests prefer to spend all their time at the parks. Others will hang out at their hotels more and enjoy the amenities.
The problem for first-time guests is that you may not know which approach will work best for you.
I realize that nobody wants to micro-analyze their vacation before it begins.
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Still, I’d suggest that you speak with your traveling party and discuss your expectations.
One of the strangest phenomena about a Disney theme park is that time seems to pass differently.
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An hour can feel like a day, but a week can feel like a day. Once you’re curled up in the Disney Bubble, time no longer makes sense.
Disney provides so much tranquility and comfort that it’ll wreck your normal daily routine.
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Personally, I suggest breaks outside the parks, but not everyone agrees.
This discussion matters because you won’t need a nice hotel room if you don’t plan to be in it much.
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Conversely, you should book somewhere with better amenities if you expect to spend more time at the hotel or in your hotel room.
Just talk over your plans with your traveling party before booking. It’ll only take a few minutes, and it’ll establish expectations for your vacation!
Location and Logistics
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Once you’ve settled on your vacation plans, a couple of other priorities come into play.
Which theme parks do you plan to visit the most, and do you mind spending time riding Disney transportation?
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You can save quite a bit of money by staying at a hotel that’s off the beaten path a bit.
When you take this approach, you will spend more time on Disney transportation, though. It’s a trade-off.
Military Disney Tips
Some Disney resorts solve the problem with improved logistics. And I tend to select these resorts because I’m lazy.
For example, when I stay at Disney’s Contemporary Resort or Disney’s Beach Club Resort, I can walk from the hotel to the park. It takes less than ten minutes.
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Similarly, the Contemporary resides on the Resort Monorail line. I can wake up in the morning, get dressed, and take the elevator to the monorail station.
Then, I can ride my favorite form of transportation straight to Magic Kingdom.
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Alternatively, I can change monorails and ride to EPCOT. It’s so convenient.
At Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort or Disney’s Pop Century Resort, I save money on the hotel, but I can ride the Disney Skyliner to two parks.
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The Disney Skyliner system connects EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to five resorts via gondola ride. It’s a magical experience.
You’ll find that location and logistics play key factors in enhancing your theme park visit.
Price
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Something else you’ll decide is how much you want to spend on your hotel.
Obviously, you should stay at an official Walt Disney World resort. The in-park amenities are worth their weight in gold.
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Still, you’ll discover a lot of price fluctuation in terms of Disney hotels. Management has separated the options into three tiers.
You’ll spend the least on Value Tier resorts, but you’ll receive the fewest amenities.
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Meanwhile, many believe that the Moderate Tier provides the best bang for the buck.
You won’t gain the best amenities at these properties, but you’ll get a TON of value for a reasonable price.
Finally, the Deluxe Tier lives up to its name. These hotels double as cathedrals for Disney lovers.
They’re majestic in design and overflowing with amenities. You can’t go wrong with any of these places, and you’ll definitely get what you pay for.
Room Size
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I just mentioned the three tiers of Disney resorts.
For the purpose of this section, you can think of them in a different way: Small, Medium, and Large.
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I randomly picked a standard room from each tier, and here are the results.
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort rooms come with 260 square feet of space.
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You can contrast that to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, where a standard room covers 314 square feet.
Finally, we have Disney’s Beach Club Resort, which includes 381 square feet.
So, you can tell how much more space you get in the hotel room for each tier.
Image Credit: Disney
How much should that matter? The answer depends on the size of your traveling party and its composition. Adults need more space.
I’m about 6’2”, 225, so I prefer having more space in the room. If you’re traveling light and/or are smaller than me, it won’t matter as much.
Theming
I recently ranked the various Walt Disney World resorts based on their theming.
Something that became clear to me while doing so is how much a resort’s theme impacts its perception.
My “home” resort is Disney’s Caribbean Beach. Credit: Disney
For example, you know everything you need to know about Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort based on the name.
Staying here mimics a trip to a Caribbean beach. Similarly, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort doubles as a Disney vacation in the South Seas.
Disney turns impossible concepts like these into a reality. And they’ll matter more when you’re spending plenty of time at the hotel.
Even at the various All-Star Resorts, you should still pick the one whose concept appeals most to you. It’ll brighten your day a bit when you notice the theming!
Views
Again, this one won’t matter much to you unless you plan to spend a modest amount of time in your room.
Presuming that you won’t grab-and-go for breakfast and then spend the day at the parks, your view matters, at least some.
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How much depends on your preferences. But I can say from personal experience that the right view can make a trip more magical.
Let’s say that you look out your window and see animals playing in their natural habitat, a savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Wouldn’t you love that?
Our viewing spot!
Similarly, several Disney resorts feature rooms overlooking the parks.
For instance, all three monorail resorts provide inimitable views of Magic Kingdom. Most Walt Disney World resorts offer pool views as well.
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So, you can sit on the balcony/patio and relish the gorgeous sights that surround you!
One final tip: You can save yourself plenty of aggravation by speaking with a MickeyTravels agent instead.
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These Disney experts provide their services free of charge, and they’ll know which Disney resort will suit your needs!
They might even find you a better deal than you could find on your own!
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