Disney World Hotels

If you are planning a trip to Disney World then you will no doubt require accommodations. From childhood to college to taking my own kids - I have run the gamut on places to stay at the happiest place on Earth. On Disney property I have stayed at the value resorts, the moderate resorts and the ridiculously expensive resorts. Off property I have done some of the nicer hotels and of course some roadside motels. There are a few things to consider when making this decision. For most people price is the biggest concern. For others it's more about the convenience. And yet there are others - and I'm related to a few - that don't care where they lay their head at night because they are most interested in the fun stuff.

Let's start with the price. There are three levels of hotels at Disney - value, moderate and deluxe resorts. All of these resorts are divided by which park they are closest to - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studios or Animal Kingdom. All of the value resorts are Animal Kingdom resorts with the exception of the Pop Century. The Animal Kingdom value resorts are designed for children and therefore are the most packed with children. This is a head's up for those of you with no children who want to save some money on the hotel - ask yourself if the aggravation of dealing with other people's kids everywhere you turn is worth it. The price for these hotels is great for being on Disney property. The rooms are standard but with a Disney flare. There's nothing truly special about the accommodations other then being on property. The advantage of being on property in this case is simply the buses. You're on property so there are constantly buses running to all the Disney attractions, all day long with little wait. The wait comes at the end of the day when you want to go back to your hotel. Lots of kids mean lots of 'stuff' like strollers and bags and toys. All of this stuff takes up room on the bus so it takes longer (and more buses) to haul everyone back to the hotel. I stayed at the value resorts with my three kids once. I don't know that I'll be doing it again.

The moderate resorts have slightly bigger rooms that include refrigerators, are generally closer to the parks and have less of the small children traffic. Don't be fooled though - it IS Disney - kids are everywhere. The prices aren't completely horrific and if you can swing it then it's my top pick for hotels at Disney. Our last stay took us to the Coronado Springs and the only fault in this hotel is it's size. It's enormous. If you want to get something to eat you have two choices - hop a bus to the front of the hotel or walk...and walk....and walk....and walk. It's not a mile or anything but at 8 a.m. with 3 hungry kids the last thing you want to do is make them walk 20-25 minutes to get to breakfast! Both moderate and value resorts offer fast and easy dining (once you get there!)- most in 'food court' style. Moderate resorts also have sit down restaurants in them.

The deluxe resorts. Well they're definitely deluxe in their price! They boast bigger rooms then the moderate resorts but I don't find them exceptionally bigger. While your moderate resorts have room for two beds and a small table with two chairs you will find possibly a small couch and medium size table in the deluxe resorts. There are also more king size beds in the deluxe resorts. Deluxe resorts have multiple sit down restaurants that often require reservations in them and no food court style dining for fast meals. It is also sometimes easier to get to the parks from these hotels. The Magic Kingdom resorts are all classified as deluxe and are all on the monorail line. The monorail services the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. You can also catch a boat over to the Magic Kingdom from these resorts. Another fun benefit of staying at a Magic Kingdom resort is the entertainment. There is a light show on the lagoon every night that you can only see from the resorts. You can see the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom from these resorts. There are special entrances for anyone staying at an Epcot deluxe resort that will get you into Epcot. The Animal Kingdom deluxe resort backs up to the safari for Animal Kingdom - I hear you can see the animals grazing while you stand on your balcony in the morning.

A great feature of staying at any Disney resort is Extra Magic Hours. At the beginning of every week there is a schedule for every park - on it you will see when the parks are open just for people staying at Disney. That's right - everyone else gets booted out of the park but YOU get to stay for 2-5 extra hours (depends on the park and regular hours). You are also fully connected to everything Disney from your room. Say you want reservations at the Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom - call the concierge and they'll hook you up. You want to go to the luau dinner show at the Polynesian? Call the concierge. Everything is at your fingertips.

The prices for staying off property are endless. There are hundreds of hotels in the area in everybody's price range. The biggest thing you might want to consider when looking for an off property hotel is how you are getting to the parks. Most hotels offer free bus service to the transportation and ticket center at Disney World. This is how you will get to the other parks but the trick is getting back here at the end of the day to get your bus back to your hotel. Traveling from any hotel off property to the park of your choice can take up to an hour. If time is of the essence then this is something to factor into your decision. So you say you just want to drive over to the park. Skip the buses and that hour long journey with a bunch of other excited and sweaty people. Be prepared to shell out a parking fee every day of your vacation that takes you to the parks.

So what can off property hotels offer that Disney can't? Well for one thing - you don't have to go to a Disney park every single day. Off property hotels usually have buses to places like Universal Studios or Sea World. Sure, you can get in your car and drive over to Universal Studios from the Polynesian on Disney property - but you'll be paying for that parking fee! Another advantage is the different types of rooms. If you have a large family there few options at Disney for accommodating them other then asking for connected rooms and hoping you get them. But then you're paying for two rooms. There are a few resorts that have suites at Disney but it's almost cheaper just to get two rooms connected. When you stay off property you have a world of options. There are hotels that have suites with a half wall that separates the living space from the sleeping space. There are hotels that even have up to 3 bedrooms and a kitchen that comes with a price tag that rivals Disney's moderate resort single rooms. Short of buying into Disney's Vacation Club you won't find a kitchen in a Disney resort or 3 bedroom suites unless you're willing to shell out the big bucks.

It comes down to this: if your primary concern is money you can certainly find an inexpensive hotel off property but you will have to deal with the travel issues to the park and you miss out on a few perks. If you are going for the whole Disney experience and you're on a budget you can stay on Disney property and not break the bank.