Let’s Rank the Walt Disney World Resorts Part II
Okay, I’ve done the easy part.
I’ve ranked the Value and Moderate Tier resorts at Walt Disney World.


Photo; Disney
You get what you pay for at Disney, which means that some hotels are, by nature, a bit better than others.
Don’t get me wrong. Until my dying breath, I’ll argue that all official Disney resorts are cathedrals and worth the money.


Photo: Washington Post
Still, the reality is that Disney has created the Deluxe Tier to signify the best of the best.
So, now I’m going to rank the best Walt Disney World hotels. And you’re probably not going to like it.
All devout Disney fans show extreme loyalty toward their favorite resorts because that’s where we’ve made our unforgettable vacation memories.
10. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort


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I’ll start with two caveats. The first is that this is only my opinion. When you want a second opinion, you should speak with a MickeyTravels agent.
These agents possess so much Disney knowledge that they put me to shame. So, I’ll defer to their expertise.


Photo: WDW Magazine
I’ve spent over 100 nights at Walt Disney World’s official hotels, which is a lot.
However, they’ve booked thousands of nights. I can’t compete with that.
Second, I’m excluding The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort because Disney is currently razing many of them to rebuild anew.


Fort Wilderness Resort
I couldn’t fairly judge cabins that will look substantially different a year from now.
So, why do I rank Saratoga Springs “last” among the Deluxe Tier properties?
The answer comes down to personal preferences. I want to stay close to Disney theme parks.


Photo: D23
The central selling point of Saratoga Springs is its proximity to Disney Springs.
I love that option, but it holds limited value for my vacation needs.


Image Credit: Disney
Also, as I mentioned with Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort last time, I don’t enjoy the spaced-out Disney resorts as much.
Some guests love that isolation, but I stress about bus routes too much.
9. Disney’s Riviera Resort
I recently discussed my favorite hangout spots at Walt Disney World. This hotel’s lobby made the list because it’s so welcoming and comfortable.
Also, the logistics at this hotel are exemplary, with the Disney Skyliner carrying guests directly to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Sometimes in life, you meet the seemingly perfect person, but it just isn’t a good fit.
That’s how the Riviera is for me. I loooove visiting here for a couple of hours, but it’s not where I want to spend the night.
8. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge


Photo: Disney
I’m so impossibly conflicted about Animal Kingdom Lodge.
As a Disney Vacation Club member, I’m acutely aware that it’s arguably the most popular of all hotels in the program.


Photo: Disney
As an animal lover, I lose my mind anytime I book a Savannah View room here.
The joy of waking up, staring out my hotel window, and seeing animals playing beneath me is pure Disney magic.


Photo: Resorts Gal
Alas, I tend to spend the least amount of time at Disney’s Animal Kingdom when I’m at Walt Disney World.
So, the resort close to this park does me the least good.


Photo: Disney
When I book a room here, I’m thrilled with the Savannah View, the restaurants, and the hotel lobby. But I don’t love the logistics.
Usually, when I choose Animal Kingdom Lodge, I’m booking a Split Stay where I Resort Hop.
This isn’t the place where I hole up for a weeklong vacation, even though I really like it.
7. Disney’s BoardWalk Inn


Photo: Disney
Conversely, I find many of the amenities at BoardWalk lacking relative to other Deluxe Tier resorts.
Since Disney’s BoardWalk resides beside the hotel, the amenities are intertwined.


Photo: Disney
For this reason, the hotel itself lacks the high-quality restaurants and stores you’ll find at other Walt Disney World properties.
Despite this modest negative, the BoardWalk Inn remains a five-minute walk away from the Disney Skyliner and the International Gateway entrance to EPCOT.


Image Credit: Disney
This place is ideal for a stay during an EPCOT festival. Somehow, there’s a resort that’s even better, though…
6. Disney’s Old Key West Resort


Credit: Disney
I’m a Parrothead through and through, so the idea of staying at a hotel celebrating the classic South Florida lifestyle is my everything.
Somehow, management at Old Key West knows it, too. Whenever I sit by the pool here, a Jimmy Buffett song inevitably plays.
While I find the combination of Disney classics, modern pop hits, and Margaritaville favorites a bit inconsistent, I don’t care.
I love this hotel and especially its ridiculously spacious rooms. When friends are traveling with large families, I strongly endorse the one-bedroom villas.
These hotel rooms are, no joke, larger than my first studio apartment after college.
5. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Friends, if you stay at any of the hotels we’re discussing today, you’ll enjoy a memorable vacation. That’s especially true of anything in the top six.
At Wilderness Lodge, you’ll discover one of the homiest vacation destinations on the planet.


Photo: disneypix.com
Disney themed the hotel to make it as rustic as possible. You’ll notice this fact when you enter the lobby, which offers a log cabin vibe.
While you roam the grounds, you’ll discover nature at its finest, with pristine woods located by the water.
In a way, Wilderness Lodge feels like a throwback to a time that never really existed, the folk hero version of Abe Lincoln’s log cabin lifestyle.
Plus, the restaurants here are excellent, and there’s a boat that will take you directly to Magic Kingdom’s front gate.
4. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa


Photo: Disney
Now, the criteria have grown even more challenging, and my personal preference matters that much more.
As I type this, I realize that I was spending the night at this hotel a year ago at this moment.
All things being equal, I’d happily return to the Grand Floridian and bask in its ambiance.


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The throwback Victorian-era hotel lobby includes an old-timey (but functional) elevator and a classic stairwell that seems straight from an Academy Awards broadcast.
As for the dining, you’ll find literally THE best restaurant in the United States here.


Photo: Kent Phillips || Victoria & Albert’s
Oh, and the Grand Floridian is one of three hotels on the Monorail Resort line. So, you’ve got quick access to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.
Honestly, I should like the Grand Floridian more than I do. I guess that at my core, I’m not a suit-wearing kind of person.
Spending a lot of time at the Grand Floridian makes me feel a bit more self-conscious than I typically would.
Then again, I once saw a Hall of Fame pitcher at the Grand Floridian, and he looked like a hobo. Everything’s relative, I guess.
3. Disney’s Beach & Yacht Club Resort
Here’s the only non-monorail resort that earns a spot in my top three.
Somehow, Beach Club and its twin feature logistics that are every bit as good, if not better.
When you stay at this hotel, you can exit the hotel lobby and be on the Disney Skyliner in five minutes.
Similarly, you can use the International Gateway to enter EPCOT’s World Showcase in roughly the same timeframe.
So, you can enjoy all the amenities of the BoardWalk and EPCOT, or you can take the Skyliner to the Riviera or one of the other hotels or Hollywood Studios.
In short, you’ve got easy access to the best of Walt Disney World. Plus, you get to swim at Stormalong Bay, unquestionably the best pool in Orlando.
In fact, Stormalong Bay is so good that Disney reserves access for guests staying at the Beach & Yacht Club.
Everyone else will envy you for getting to swim there because the pool really is that exceptional.
2. Disney’s Contemporary Resort


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I’m a simple man. I want to be where Magic Kingdom is.
Okay, EPCOT is technically my favorite theme park, but when I’m in the mood for rides rather than hanging out, Magic Kingdom claims my heart.


Photo: DIsney
When I stay at the Contemporary, I’m a ten-minute walk away from Magic Kingdom, and when I’m not in the mood, I can take the monorail instead.
Then, while I’m spending time at the hotel, I enjoy spectacular amenities like Bayview Gifts and Chef Mickey’s.


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There’s even an arcade on the Grand Canyon Concourse, the fourth floor where the monorail station’s entrance is.
Finally, we have The Incredibles rooms, which are among the best-themed hotel options


Photo: DIsney
In short, there’s plenty I love about the Contemporary, which is why I try to stay here frequently. But alas, it’s not…
1. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Anyone who has read my writing isn’t surprised by this. I often refer to my love of the Polynesian, which is my favorite hotel on the planet.
At this resort, I can swim in a Lava pool, dry off and walk 50 feet to order a Dole Whip, and then visit a bar with glow-in-the-dark drinks.
As for the food, I’m an evangelist for all three of ‘Ohana, Kona Café, and Capt. Cook’s.
Then, there’s BouTiki, my favorite store at Walt Disney World, even ahead of Bayview Gifts.
While I’m at the Polynesian, I somehow feel like I’m vacationing on an exotic island.
The only thing that shatters this illusion is the sight of Magic Kingdom across the water.
The Polynesian is my bliss, and I heartily endorse it to anyone heading to Disney.


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