“Where should I stay at Walt Disney World?” Everyone you ask has their own answers to this question. There are some things to think about when deciding on the best hotel for your Disney vacation.
Do you have budget restraints?
The value hotels are great and using the Walt Disney World transportation eliminates paying $17/day for parking.
Staying off site, the hotels can be less expensive, but factor in the parking charges at the parks for each day. Also take into account how far from Walt Disney World you really are. The hotel site may tell you 2 miles to Walt Disney World, but from the entrance to WDW to Magic Kingdom is another 10+ miles. And after a full day in the park, do you really feel like driving another 30-45 minutes to get to your bed at night? Plus you can only reserve FastPasses 30 days in advance while Disney resort guests get 60 days.
The moderate hotels are nice and do allow more room if you are traveling with small ones. Their cost is slightly above the Value onsite hotels.
The Deluxe hotels are a nice change of pace if a 4 or 5-star hotel is your way to go. You will pay extra for all the perks that come with a deluxe hotel, but if budget allows, this might be the best option for you.
How much room do you really need to stretch out in the hotel?
Value Hotel Onsite: While the rooms are smaller in comparison to the other hotels, if you are planning on only sleeping at night and have a small group, then the value hotels are a budget friendly way to go.
Offsite Hotels: These can be economy or even suites. There are several places where renting an entire house is available. For large parties this might be a better option, but again keep in mind what you are giving up by not staying with Disney.
Moderate Hotels; These are also nice if you will be spending a little more time in the room. These generally have a restaurant on site giving you another option over the food court.
Deluxe Hotels; Not only do they offer larger rooms, concierge on site and multiple restaurants, they can actually be more of a home away from home.
Disney Vacation Club; For those of us who have not been able to take the leap into the DVC, I recently discovered you can rent these points for some of the DVC properties onsite. Be sure and do your homework for reputable websites that have timeshare points for rental, and know the pros and cons to planning a vacation with someone else’s points.
Where ever you decide to stay, do your homework and decide what is most important to you; price, locations, room, concierge or just surrounding yourself with the Magic of Disney!
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Debbie and her husband live in Collegedale, TN where her youngest son is going to college. She is a huge Disney fan who dreams of someday retiring and working as a tour guide at Walt Disney World. She has enjoyed many trips to WDW with children, grandchildren and sometimes adults only. It is her ultimate goal to make sure everyone who visits WDW has the same magical time that she enjoys every time she visits.
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