If you’re planning a holiday of a lifetime to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, then one of the first things you’ll be thinking about is where to stay. With 30 Walt Disney World Resort hotels available on AttractionTickets.com, you’ll be spoilt for choice, so we’ve put together this article to help make your decision a little easier.
We’ve got all the information about accommodation at Walt Disney World Resort to help you pick the best base for you and your family. Read on to find out about the different categories of hotels, some of the amazing facilities available, and the benefits of staying in a Disney Resort hotel.
Best hotels at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
The Walt Disney World Resort hotels in Orlando are some of the best places to stay for access to the Disney Theme Parks, Water Parks, and the Disney Springs entertainment complex. These hotels are owned and operated by Disney, and you might also hear them called on-site hotels.
There are lots of accommodation options throughout Orlando, but if you love Disney and want to be close to the parks, then a Walt Disney World Resort hotel is the only way to go. The hotels are linked by a free transportation system so getting around couldn’t be easier (or cheaper!).
What are the categories at Walt Disney World Resort hotels?
A big consideration when you’re booking your accommodation for Walt Disney World Resort is the cost of the hotel. Luckily, the Disney Resort hotels in Orlando are grouped together into different categories, based on their prices and facilities.
The categories ascend in price, and the more expensive categories also offer more in the way of amenities. As you go up the categories, you also get closer to the Disney Theme Parks. When deciding which to choose, it’s worth thinking about how much time you’ll be spending at your hotel.
For example, are you someone who likes to take some time at the hotel to enjoy the facilities, or is your accommodation just a bed for the night? This will help you to decide whether it’s worth splashing out or if you can be more frugal.
The four hotel categories available to you are:
- Disney Value Resort Hotels
- Disney Moderate Resort Hotels
- Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels
- Disney’s Deluxe Villa Resorts
Hotel category | Description | Features | Hotels |
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Disney Value Resort Hotels | Disney magic without a huge price tag |
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Disney Moderate Resort Hotels | Hotels with a few added extras but still with a great value price tag |
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Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels | A little luxury on your Disney holiday |
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Disney’s Deluxe Villa Resorts | More space, luxury, and the ability to self-cater |
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The benefits of staying in a Walt Disney World Resort hotel
Although you can stay off-site at a non-Disney hotel, there are so many more benefits to choosing a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Donna from the AttractionTickets.com Orlando hotels team always recommends booking a Walt Disney World Resort hotel: “Hotel theming, distance, and the perks are so worth staying on-site for!”
Here are just some of our favourite benefits of staying at a Disney Resort hotel:
You get more time in the parks
Guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels can spend more time in the theme parks in the mornings and evenings. Guests can enter the Disney Theme Parks up to 30 minutes before the gates open to regular guests on every day of their stay.1 This means you can get on some of your favourite rides before everyone else!
You can also enjoy extended evening hours on select nights in select theme parks with a stay at a Disney Deluxe Resort or a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort.1
Select attractions, shops, and restaurants at each park are open during Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours.
Disney Dining Plans
If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you might want to buy a Disney Dining Plan. A Disney Dining Plan is one of the most cost-effective ways of eating during your Walt Disney World Resort holiday. It helps you stick to a budget and gives you the opportunity to try restaurants that you haven’t before.
Book dining early
Dining reservations at Walt Disney World Resort can be made up to 30 days in advance, but Disney Resort hotel guests can book restaurants for their entire stay (up to 10 days at a time) from 60 days before the first day of their holiday. This is especially useful if you want to reserve Character Dining, as this can get booked up in advance.
Free parking
Disney Resort hotel guests can park for free at both the hotels and at the parks. This is fantastic news if you’re thinking about renting a car during your holiday. It saves the headache of wondering where you’re going to park, as well as saving you money.
Types of accommodation at Walt Disney World Resort hotel
There are different types of accommodation available at Walt Disney World Resort. As well as what you might think of as traditional hotel-style accommodation, you can also choose villas or cabins, depending on your preferences.
Villas are particularly great for larger families who need more space. Villas and cabins are also fantastic for anyone who would like to save on spending money (or for fussy eaters) as you can prepare your own meals using the kitchen facilities rather than eating out.
Some of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels offer a combination of accommodation types:
- Hotels: Room-only accommodation
- Villas: Self-contained villas with kitchens and living areas
- Cabins: Individual outdoor cabins with self-catering facilities
Villas | Cabins |
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Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa | The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort |
Disney’s Old Key West Resort | Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge |
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Villas | |
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort | |
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge | |
Disney’s Riviera Resort | |
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa | |
Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge | |
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo Villas | |
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows | |
Disney’s Beach Club Villas | |
Disney’s Boardwalk Villas |
Transport from the Walt Disney World Resort hotels
One of the most important aspects of your holiday will be your transport between your hotel and theme park. As we mentioned earlier, getting around from a Disney Resort hotel is an absolute breeze thanks to the comprehensive free transport system.
The complimentary transport runs between each hotel and:
- Disney Theme Parks (Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park)
- Disney Water Parks (Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park)
- Disney Springs
There are several different modes of transport here, including:
- Bus
- Disney Skyliner (Gondola-style cable car)
- Monorail
- Ferry boat or water taxi
Disney Resort hotel theming
One of our favourite reasons to stay in a Disney Resort hotel is the immersive theming – they really do go all out! Here’s our pick of some of the best themes:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: You’ll feel like you’re on a real-life African safari at this lodge-style accommodation. You’ll even see animals like zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and antelopes freely roaming across the savannahs
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: Spot your favourite animated Disney and Pixar Characters from classic films like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo at this animation-inspired hotel
- Disney’s Riviera Resort: Relax in a little slice of Europe in the middle of Orlando! You’d be forgiven for thinking you were on the Amalfi Coast rather than at Walt Disney World Resort!
Hotel and ticket packages for Walt Disney World Resort
Not only can you book your Walt Disney World Resort hotel through AttractionTickets.com, but you can buy your Disney tickets here, too. Simply add your tickets as an extra during the online booking process.
Benefits of booking a hotel and ticket package at Walt Disney World Resort:
- Streamlined booking process: Book everything at the same time and have all the booking confirmations all in one place
- Good for budgeting: Pay a deposit upfront, with the rest paid in instalments as often as you like. The balance is due six weeks before your check-in date
- ABTOT protected: Hotel and ticket packages are protected by the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust, so you can rest assured that your money is safe
Now you have all the information you need about accommodation at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, it’s time to start planning. Book your Walt Disney World Resort hotel now, or book a hotel and ticket package for even more magic!
1Valid theme park admission required in addition to your hotel booking
