Deciding where to stay when you visit Disney World can be a bit overwhelming. Staying onsite makes sense but how do you choose the best Disney resort for your family?
Disney offers a variety of resorts and hotels to fit every budget. The real question is, how do you know which one will be the best resort for your family? Here are the things you need to consider before booking your next trip to Disney World.
How to Pick the Best Disney Resort For You
Which park will you spend the majority of your time?: Choosing a resort that is closest to the park that you are going to spend the most time means you will spend more time at the parks and less time on a bus. Since no one goes on vacation to ride transit, resort location should be at the top of your decision list.

Determine Your Budget: How much of your vacation budget do you intend to spend on lodging? It is worth your time to figure out a budget for each line item of your vacation: getting there, lodging, park tickets, food, etc. This is going to play a huge part in the resort that you choose. There are over 25 Disney World Hotels to choose from all ranging in price. There are the Value Resorts, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villas. If you plan to spend all the time at the parks then “cheap and cheerful” value resorts may be the way to go. If you want a fun vacation for the kids but you also want to feel pampered at a resort, then a deluxe resort may be for you.

Review the Amenities: If you plan to spend every waking moment at the parks, your resort doesn’t need to offer you a lot of amenities. However, many families like to take a day off in the middle of their trip for some rest and relaxation. If that sounds like you, make sure your hotel or resort has enough amenities to keep you entertained and fed. Hotel amenities such as the pools, water slides, and activities hosted at the resort are things to consider. For example, Animal Kingdom Lodge has multiple restaurants, a pool, campfire activities, an arcade, movies under the stars and a playground.

Decor: While all of the Disney resorts have Disney related decor, some are a little more in your face Disney than others. Love Little Mermaid and Cars? Head to The Art of Animation resort. Want something a little more rustic and not as “Disney”? The Animal Kingdom Lodge may be more your speed. Many of the value and moderate rooms are more on the extravagant Disney side while the deluxe rooms and villas are a bit more subdued.
Party Size: The size of your party and whether you all want to stay together is another thing to consider when choosing a hotel. If you have four or less in your party, you can easily stay in any of the resorts. Large parties make a deluxe villa or other condo-style resort a possibly better choice.
With over 25 Disney World resorts to choose from, it can be really hard to pick out the best Disney resort for your family. The great thing is that you are at DISNEY so you know you will have a great time. All the resorts have plusses and minuses but they all bring the magic of Disney alive.

The Best Disney Resort Can Be Different Every Time You Visit
We’ve stayed at The Art of Animation, Old Key West Resort and The Animal Kingdom Lodge. Each was perfect in its own way. The Art of Animation is cheap and cheerful and decorated to the nines with Disney. The Old Key West resort was condo style and perfect for our blended family. The Animal Kingdom Lodge was over the top coolness with safari animals grazing outside our room. One family, three very different “best Disney resort” for us at the time depending on who was travelling with us, our budget and the vacation we were looking to have. So remember, there is no wrong answer!

Walt Disney World Resort List
Value Walt Disney World 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
- The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Moderate Walt Disney World Resorts
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Deluxe Walt Disney World 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 Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Walt Disney World Deluxe Villas
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – 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
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
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