With over 30 Walt Disney Resorts, choosing a Disney Resort for your family’s vacation is overwhelming. How do you choose the best option? Is it even worth staying at a Disney Resort? How far is the Resort from the Theme Parks? The questions are endless…
As someone who chooses Disney Resorts on a daily basis, here are the 5 things you should always consider before you make your final decision.
1. Price
It should come to no surprise that the first thing you should consider when choosing a Disney Resort is your budget.
Still not sure of your budget? Let’s simplify it: Imagine you were handed a quote. What would that dollar amount have to say before you’d feel comfortable putting down your $200 deposit.
That’s your starting point.
Since Resort prices vary significantly, based on type, season, and proximity to the Theme Parks, this often eliminates many Resorts right away. Starting with a handful of Resorts, rather than the dozens you started with, is much more manageable and definitely less overwhelming.
2. Room Capacity
I get it…no one wants to spend more on a hotel than what’s needed. But, you’ll be glad you chose an option that made your family the most comfortable.
Trying to squeeze extra folks into a room might seem like a budget-friendly move. But, not only does it not work (many things are tied to your room reservation), it’s going to be very uncomfortable for everyone.
As someone with 3 kids, I’ll tell you that traveling in groups of 5 is the most frustrating. Most Standard Disney Resorts only accommodate up to 4 Guests. But, Family Suites, even at the Value Resorts, may be out of your budget.
Instead, 5th Sleeper rooms at the Moderate Resorts will probably be your best choice, especially when traveling with small children. While they’re not much bigger than Standard Rooms, the extra bed is usually all that a family needs to fulfill their needs.
If you’re traveling with even more people, you’ll need to decide whether a Family Suite, Cabin, adjoining rooms, or a multi-bedroom villa will be the best match.
It might be a tad pricier, but you’ll thank yourself when you’re not playing Tetris with sleeping arrangements after a long, sweaty day at the Parks.
3. Location
With so many people surrounding you at all times, I can’t help but overhear conversations. And let me tell you, complaints of how long it took to get from one place to another is a something I hear a lot.
Many don’t realize just how large Walt Disney World is. And many more underestimate how how long it will take to travel between destinations. What should take 15 minutes could take 1 hour or more to get there due to lines, traffic, and other unforeseen circumstances.
All this is to say that if your trip would be greatly impacted by how long it took you to get from point A to point B, consider location an important factor in where you stay.
There’s a reason Contemporary costs more than Wilderness Lodge. Both are beautiful 4-star Resorts, characterized as Magic Kingdom Area. But, there is a big price difference. You can easily walk to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary. You’ll need to take a ferry or a bus over to Magic Kingdom from Wilderness Lodge.
Despite my personal preference for Wilderness Lodge décor over the Contemporary, there are times I would choose the Contemporary…and many of the reasons have to do with location.
There are a lot of amazing properties off Disney property, like the condo we stayed at in Reunion Resort. Trust me…I’d stay there again in a heartbeat.
But, I still believe that choosing a Disney Resort is what is going to give you the better overall experience. And if this is your very first or only Disney vacation, it’s all about choosing positive experiences that you’ll remember.
4. Transportation
If you’ll be relying on Disney’s free transportation, choosing a Disney Resort with the best transportation options is going to be important.
How many modes of transportation are there? What will make your life easier? And is the price difference worth it? These are the things that will help you decide which Resort comes out on top.
For example: If a family with a toddler is trying to decide between one of the All Star Resorts and Pop Century, my recommendation is always going to be Pop Century.
While similarly priced, Pop Century costs more than the other 3 Resorts. But, having a dedicated bus that doesn’t share with anyone else, plus the convenience of not having to remove everything from a stroller and fold it up before getting on the skyliner makes Pop Century a clear winner for me.
5. Amenities
With Disney’s Theme Parks just moments from your door, it’s easy to overlook the amenities that the Resorts offer.
I’m ashamed to admit that it took me many trips to start planning downtime and rest days into our itinerary. Like many people, I wanted to spend as much time inside the Theme Parks as possible. That’s the reason we go on a Disney vacation, right?
Now that we plan off-days, we’ve learned that we like quieter Resorts with better pools and more dining options. Let me be the first to tell you – having a sit-down restaurant at your own Resort is fantastic for those days when you can’t stomach the idea of standing in one more line.
It enhanced our entire vacation experience. And we actually look forward to our non-Park days just as much as our Park days. And most of the time, we never even leave Disney property.
If you get nothing else out of this post, remember this: Prioritize what will make your family happy and you’ll never regret spending what you did on your vacation.
That’s not to say that you need to spend millions of dollars on a vacation. But, choosing the best option is always going to be better than only choosing what’s cheapest.
I once heard a saying that has stuck with me. How cheap does a vacation have to be before it’s no longer a good vacation? I know I’m not remembering it word for word. Nor do I remember the name of the person who originally said it. If you know, please let me know!
But, it’s now become the mantra for how I plan vacations.
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