What to Consider When Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World | Accommodations

Disney has three basic resort tiers (with the exception of a few random outliers) - value, moderate, and deluxe. They all have their perks and (depending on your perspective) drawbacks. For example, the deluxe resorts are generally going to be closest to the parks and have more transportation options. One of my favorite resorts is Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. It's a deluxe resort on the monorail line. We enjoy it because a lot of our time is spent at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, both of which are accessible via monorail. That comes at a cost, though.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

On the flip-side, Pop Century is a resort in the value category. Value resorts are bright, well-themed, and great for families with young kids. They also have the least expensive rates. For transportation, though, you are limited to the buses (until the new gondola system is fully operational this fall). I don't generally mind the buses, but they can be a little slow. Luckily, the My Disney Experience app now has a feature that will show you when buses will arrive at your resort! We utilize this all the time! If we are going to Hollywood Studios and know we have 20 minutes before the next bus arrives, we aren't in a rush trying to get to the bus stop.

Disney's Pop Century Resort

Are you wanting something a little more relaxed but not quite as expensive as a deluxe resort? The moderate tier of resorts boasts a wide range of options, including cabins at Fort Wilderness! One of my favorite moderate resorts that I recommend to clients all the time is Port Orleans Riverside. Port Orleans is actually made up of two resorts - Riverside and French Quarter. They are both gorgeous, but Riverside grabs my heart a little more. 

Port Orleans Riverside

If you are not wanting to stay on Walt Disney World property, you have endless options in the surrounding areas, and while you may save some money on your accommodations, you do miss out on the extra benefits that resort guests have. 

These include:

• The ability to book Fast Passes at 60 days prior to your trip instead of just 30
• Complimentary MagicBands (if you want them otherwise, they're at least $13 in the parks)
• The ability to have your purchases sent back to your room (We never lug souvenirs around with us -- it's fantastic)
• The use of Disney's Magical Express, the complimentary transportation from Orlando International Airport that also includes delivery of your luggage to your room. When we fly, we check our bags in at our local airport and the next time we see them is in our hotel room.
• Disney Dining Plans (more on this in a future post)
• Extra Magic Hours (every day one of the parks is open an hour earlier or stays open an hour later just for resort guests)
• And being in the "Disney Bubble" - which is the idea that you are fully immersed in the magic from the time you check in until the time you check out. 

There are 25+ resort options, so no matter what your travel party situation is, I can help you find a resort. I can find things for large parties, for families with more than two kids (I have 3, so I know what it's like to find a room that sleeps 5), and more.