There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a resort for your Walt Disney World vacation, and one of those is definitely location. Many Walt Disney World resorts offer fantastic access to different theme parks, while others offer proximity to Disney Springs which may be important to your family. Here’s what you can expect when it comes to resort location at Walt Disney World.
For many families, their favorite park at Walt Disney World is the Magic Kingdom, and if you’d like to be close to this park in particular, there are several choices that are only minutes – or steps – away. Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa are all on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon, the lake across from the Magic Kingdom entrance. All of these resorts are connected to the Magic Kingdom via monorail, making for a short commute to the park entrance. The closest of these is Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which is actually walking distance from the Magic Kingdom! Another choice for being close to the Magic Kingdom is Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. It’s not on the monorail route, but is only a short boat ride to the Magic Kingdom’s entrance.
Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are located fairly close to each other, and there are several resorts that have easy access to both of these parks. Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort are located on Crescent Lake, a waterway in between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Both of these parks are within walking distance of the three resorts in this area. If you don’t feel like walking, there are also boats that take guests to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
If you want to spend plenty of time at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you’ll want to consider Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kidani Village Resort. These sister resorts are not only the closest to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but they also immerse guests in the feel of the park, with gorgeous theming and an outdoor savanna with African animals roaming around. Located just a bit further away is Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, which includes the stunning new Gran Destino Tower.
You may have noticed that the resorts located close to the theme parks are deluxe resorts, and that is true – the deluxe resorts are closer to their nearest theme parks than the value or moderate resorts, and you won’t be able to walk to the theme parks from a value or moderate resort. But, depending on where you stay, you may have some other options for getting to the parks. For example, if you stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, or Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, you’ll have the benefit of Disney’s new Skyliner, which offers quick transportation to Epcot or Hollywood Studios (along with a great view along the way).
And folks staying at Disney’s Saratoga Springs, Disney’s Old Key West, and the two Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts, have convenient boat transportation to Disney Springs.
No matter where you’re staying on-site at Walt Disney World, you’re still in close proximity to the theme parks, and you have access to complimentary transportation to the parks and Disney Springs. Depending on what you want to do on your trip, you’ll want to compare location of the resorts to the other things that are priorities for you, to see what the best resort option is for your family.
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