Our top pick is Wilderness Lodge for a lot of reasons but people have different needs and driving forces when it comes to picking a resort. This may not be the perfect resort for everyone. We will cover our Walt Disney World Resort resort recommendations based on different types of travelers. There is something in common for all of them though. First of all, all of our top picks are Disney Resorts. There are so many reasons for this, but among them are Disney transportation, Magic Your Way Packages (including Magical Extras), dining plans, proximity to the parks, and a continuation of the magic.
Here are our top picks for a resort based on who is in the traveling party and entry level cost, although there are upgraded categories available.
Families with Young Children
Wilderness Lodge sleeps 4 plus an infant. It is the cheapest resort in the area close to Magic Kingdom. It is so easy to get to and from Magic Kingdom and the resort is small and easy to get around.
Families with Older Children
For this age group, they would prefer the Beach Club or Boardwalk Inn. Both these resorts are considered Epcot area resorts because that is the closest park. These resorts are located between Epcot and Hollywood Studios and you can access both these parks by friendship boats. They are located on Crescent Lake and there is a beautiful path around the lake for biking and walking. With older children you may not be spending as much time in the Magic Kingdom or hunting down every character meal so you may be happy that you can easily get to two of the other parks.
Both these resorts offer awesome swimming pools. The Beach Club has the most elaborate pool in all of Walt Disney World. It is 3 acre swimming area with a lazy river and water slides called Stormalong Bay. The pool even has sand on the bottom. For little ones there is a part of the pool/sand area where they can play and build sand castles. Be aware that Stormalong Bay is only for guests of the Yacht and Beach Club and you will be required to show your magic band in order to get in. Boardwalk Inn also has a great pool that is a lot of fun with a 200 foot water slide called “Keister Coaster” and it looks like an old wooden roller coaster. Whichever resort you decide on you can enjoy walking around the Boardwalk where there is lots of entertainment, food, and shopping options.
Standard rooms at these resorts sleep 5 plus an child under 3. They have 2 queen beds and a day bed which is perfect for a family of 4 with two teens that don’t want to share a bed!
Adults without Children
This group can truly stay anywhere. It may depend on the type of trip you are looking for. Romantic, honeymoon, splurge? Disney adults looking for cost effective and lots of fun. You can also narrow down to be closets to your favorite park.
Honeymoon/Splurge
For this group I recommend a deluxe resort with club level as the way to go. Having the club loung available for breakfast, snacks, coffee, or dessert is a great option. Polynesian and Grand Floridian even have room categories where you can view the fireworks from your room. I also love the lounges on the monorail as nice place to hang out and there are amazing dining options if you are looking for a fine dining option.
For a lower budget I recommend Port Orleans French Quarter. You can book a king bed room, you can take a boat down to Disney Springs for lots of extra dining and entertainment options and the resort has lots of places for a romantic stroll. They even have a fun loung with live jazz music at night in the lobby.
Disney Adults
You fall in this group if you are traveling with adults that want to hit the parks with friends. You need a great place to stay, easy access to the parks, and a good price tag. For this I recommend Caribbean Beach Resort. I love that it is on the skyliners, my favorite form of transportation. It helps you have fast access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios (which is where this Disney adult likes to spend her time). In fact, I may start at other parks but I love to end at Epcot for food and drinks around the world. Caribbean Beach Resort has all this plus a great restaurant and lounge area.
Anyone on a TIGHT budget
Pop Century is a great value option. There are 4 options in the value category but Pop Century offers the best transportation since you don’t have to share a bus with another resort and you can take the skyliners. The frills are less but there are still pools, a food court, playgrounds, and a video arcade. The best part is you still have all the perks of resort guests. These rooms were renovated to have a queen bed plus a queen murphy bed. Both beds are comfortable for adults and it is great to have 2 queen beds.
Families of 6 or More
For this group you have several options.
Family Suites and Fort Wilderness Cabins – Art of Animation and All Star Music have family suites that sleep 6 with 2 bathrooms. Fort Wilderness Cabins also sleep 6 but have one bathroom.
Adjoining Rooms – You can stay anywhere by getting two adjoining rooms. With some rooms sleeping 5 that can bring you to an occupancy of up to 10. If there are only 2 adults in the travel party (18+) then you can book as guaranteed connecting but you have more than 2 adults then it would only be a request not a guarantee.
Villas – Several resorts offer villas with 2 or 3 bedrooms. These would sleep 8-12 people and include a full kitchen and washer/dryer. All the resorts that have villas are deluxe resorts. The villas give you a nice amount of space to socialize and be together with a larger group as well.
No matter what resort you decide to stay at, you will receive all the same benefits as every other resort guest. Enjoy the magic of Disney from your arrival to departure.
