If you’re going to invest in a Disney World vacation, then you want the best Disney World vacation. None of this being disappointed in what you paid for business. Instead, we’re gonna help you find a room that’ll make you go, “Yup. Worth it. So totally worth it.”

If you wind up hearing multiple options that you wanna look more into, then head to disneyfoodblog.com/BESTHOTELS. You can drop us your email and we’ll get this complete list of hotel options sent to you!

If you want the royal treatment (without the royal prices)

We had to start with this category because these hotels continue to impress us over and over and over again. We’re talking about those moderate resorts that give you the deluxe resort treatment – like Disney’s Gran Destino Tower, for instance.

Disney’s Gran Destino Tower is the latest addition to the Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort area – and it is MISLEADING. When you first walk into this lobby, you’re going to think you’ve accidentally booked a room WAY outta your price range – because it is BEAUTIFUL. The scaling ceiling. The intricate, decorative Spanish backdrops. The marble accents. The dripping light fixtures. The sleek-and-clean feel.

The layout of the rooms mirrors more of a deluxe resort feel, too. You’re not gonna get a whole lot of colorful characters here, no, but what you WILL get are classy wood and metal details, a large stand-up shower, lots of storage space, a desk area, lots of places to plug-and-charge electronics, and a personalized smart television.

And – depending on which room you choose – you might also get an epic view across the shining waters of Lago Dorado.

You’ve also got QUITE the fancy-pants dining and lounge options here – like Toldeo: Tapas, Steak & Seafood and Dahlia Lounge.

But you’re not limited to options over at the tower. Since Gran Destino is part of the Coronado Springs resort area, all you’ve gotta do is walk on over to even MORE dining options – including places like: Maya Grill, Rix Sports Bar and Grill, and, my personal favorite, the lakefront Three Bridges Bar and Grill at Villa del Lago ( Warm Manchego and Oaxaca Cheese Dip is literally all I need to order to keep me happy).

Your room at Gran Destino Tower is also within walking distance of The Dig Site – which is one of the neatest Disney World resort pool areas for two main reasons:

• One: It’s got that TOWERING Mayan Pyramid (with an attached waterslide) at the Lost City of Cibola Pool.
• And Two: It’s got the LARGEST hot tub on Disney property.

The big ol’ downside of Coronado Springs Gran Destino? Just because it SEEMS like a deluxe resort doesn’t mean it IS – so when you stay here, you will NOT be within walking distance of ANY of the parks, nor will you have access to the Extended Evening Hours park benefit like the REAL deluxe resorts have.

The Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Coronado Springs

Plus – like we mentioned briefly – these rooms are sleek and have a nice view, but they’re not Disney-fied. So if you want a REAL Royal Treatment – with yet ANOTHER moderate price tag – then you may wanna float on down to the bayous instead and getcha a room over at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside.

Just like any other Disney World resort, Port Orleans Riverside has a few different room types. You’ve got your standard, your pool view, your preferred room, your King Bed room. BUT unlike the other resorts, you’ve got ANOTHER option called The Royal Guest Room.

This is one of those rooms where a GRAND REVEAL is warranted. Some resorts, you open the door and you’re just like, “Cool. A bed and a bathroom.” But at a Royal Guest Room, you open the door and reveal portraits of Disney princesses hanging on the walls, Aladdin’s magic carpet sprawled out on the floor, Belle’s little footstool pup next to the TV, sinks with magic lamps, and – to REALLY hit it out of the ballpark – headboards that ACTUALLY light up with fireworks.

And the best part? These rooms are still set at a moderate price. (We’re talking around $335-$360 per night, depending on the room view and time of year you book your trip.)

Coronado Springs vs. Port Orleans Disney World Resort Guide

Now, Gran Destino and Port Orleans Riverside aren’t NOISY resorts, by any means, but you’ve STILL got roommates right next door that, hey, I can’t predict whether they’ll be on their best behavior or not. Sooooooo why don’t we look into the BEST rooms that do a better job of keeping other guests out of your personal bubble…

If you’re sick of dealing with PEOPLE

OOF. Honesty check! (Because, let’s be real here, the one thing you’re NOT looking forward to for your upcoming Disney trip are the CROWDS.) So if you want your Disney World stay to be a WHOLE lot less people-y, the BEST hotel stay for that is… *drum roll please*… The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort!

The Fort Wilderness Cabins are the only moderate resorts that are part of the Magic Kingdom area. But don’t let that fool you – you’re not just gonna be able to walk on over to the Magic Kingdom from here. And that’s because you’re gonna be in a log cabin in the middle of the woods.

So technically the “hotel” category is kinda misleading for this one. The rooms aren’t all attached to each other and they aren’t all located in a large collection of buildings. Instead, you’re gonna be pretty spread out from your neighbor – meaning more peace and quiet for you and your group.

And these cabins are not what you’ll see there come next year. This whole area is getting a makeover — still in the same idyllic setting.

Disney Vacation Club  is redesigning the cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The proposal calls for more than 350 refreshed cabins. Although the new cabins will be part of the Disney Vacation Club resort lineup, the proposed cabins will be open for reservations to all guests, including those who are not Disney Vacation Club Members.

The cabins will sleep up to six adults and feature a bedroom, bathroom, living room, full kitchen, and private patio. Ahhhh, privacy!

And if you REALLY wanna embrace the great outdoors, Fort Wilderness is home to some of the BEST resort activities – like kayaking, fishing, segway tours, archery, horseback riding, swimming – AND Chip n Dale’s Campfire Sing a Long.

You can also dine at Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue – which is a dinner show that serves up a whole lotta laughs alongside LARGE heapings of comfort foods. OR you can choose to pre-order a pantry full of fresh groceries from the Disney World website for an extra cost – so you can cook a few meals yourself while lounging around your cabin.

Now, don’t go confusing THESE cabins with the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. The Copper Creek Cabins are, indeed, set at a Deluxe price here – and for good reason. You’re DEFINITELY not gonna be roughin’ it with your fireplace in the spacious living room, full kitchen, separate bedrooms, washer/dryer hookups, and private built-in hot tub on the enclosed back deck. Like, sorry, this isn’t even GLAMPING. This is straight-up bougee-living (with plenty of privacy to make the deal even sweeter… if you can stomach the bill, that is).

But, again, you’re not gonna be able to WALK to any of the parks from your cabin. It’s gonna be a little bit of a journey to get over to Magic Kingdom (or anywhere else, for that matter). So if you don’t mind paying a few hundred dollars more per night, you can get a Garden Suite over at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, instead.

The Garden Suite will place you in the EPCOT-area resorts (but, like, in the most private, peaceful way possible).

For starters, there are only 14 Garden Suites available for you to book at the BoardWalk Inn. And these 14 suites might be connected to one another, but they’re also fenced off – so other guests can’t wander in-and-out all willy-nilly.

Not only will you have space away from other guests, but you’ll also have space to spread out from your fellow members of your travel group. The suites are two stories tall and include a full living room area (with a wraparound couch), multiple bathrooms (including one with a FULL-on jacuzzi tub on the second floor), a wet bar, and an upstairs loft (where you can play “Rapunzel, Rapunzel” and let down your hair).

Ooh – two-story suites and cabins? Can Disney World rooms GET any more unique than that? Why, yes. Yes, they can.

If you’re wanting to switch things up

What if you didn’t stay in a hotel at all? What if you stayed somewhere, instead, that you could brag about at your next high school reunion? The Treehouses at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort might be a good place to start!

So Saratoga Springs often gets overlooked when it comes to the Disney World resort lineup, since it’s A) Very DVC-focused, and B) has outdated rooms. BUT those treehouses are NOT to be slept on Saratoga’s treehouses aren’t exactly perched ON a tree, per se, but they are elevated so they’re AMONGST the treetops.

Technically, we could’ve put these bad boys in the “quiet” resort groupings too – since they’re also not connected to other neighboring rooms and they’re out in the wilderness, away from the crowds and ruckus.

They’re also super spacious and can sleep up to 9 people – with three bedrooms, full kitchen, outdoor patio, and full living room areas.

But the thing about these rooms is that … they’re expensive. (Think $1,700 a night expensive.) They also book up really quickly, since they’re great for bigger family gatherings that can help split the bill. So if you wanna reserve one of these treehouses and live out your Tarzan-like fantasy, you’re gonna have to start looking out for these guys at least a year in advance.

The Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

Same goes for the bungalows over at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. They’re expensive. They’re difficult to book. But, man, if you can manage to budget AND get a reservation here? You’re in for a treat. The Bungalows jut out over the Seven Seas Lagoon, right across the way from Magic Kingdom. (So HELLO nightly fireworks shows!)

Along with a “fantastic point of view” (as Aladdin would put it), you’ve got 2 full bathrooms (very important info right there), a full kitchen, and a full living room – all within a very tropical-themed oasis.

Not to mention you’ve ALSO got a private deck with a plunge pool. So even though you can’t jump on into the Seven Seas Lagoon for an afternoon dip, you’ve got a little fenced-in alternative (that’s a lot less swampy, but… also kinda cramped, to be perfectly honest? I dunno, it’ll at least cool you off and give ya a nice view.)

We do have a few qualms with the Polynesian’s bungalows (like the price point, and the impossible to book ordeal, and the tiny plunge pool that doesn’t give you much space to spread out), but it’s still a bucket list villa for many guests.

The Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Speaking of rooms with a view, who needs them?

If you want to turn off the TV and watch a live show

To Keep Up with the Kardashians when you could keep up with a literal giraffe outside your hotel window?

If you’re planning on booking a room over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and you really want the full impact of the whole, “I’m surrounded by living, breathing animals” vibe, then the best room to get here is gonna be one with a Savanna View. That way, you can wake up each morning, walk out on your room’s balcony, and say “Hello, down there!” to a savanna filled with giraffes, zebras, flamingos, and several more species of African Wildlife. (Like, 30 species in total!)

Your room will also come with a Wildlife Field Guide – so you and your group can learn more about the animals chillin’ in the savanna outside your window.

Now, word of warning – the savanna views are much pricier than the standard view rooms (like a couple hundred dollars extra per night). But you can cut down on that price by booking a standard room and requesting a partial savanna view (meaning you’d still be able to see the animals, but your view would be obstructed). If you do decide to try this route, you still won’t be guaranteed a partial savanna view – and sometimes if your request is fulfilled, the view might wind up being more obstructed than not, but it’s always worth asking about – just in case. Still, the only way you can guarantee a savanna view is by booking the full-on savanna room.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to have a savanna room to see the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s expansive savanna. The giant windows of the lobby still overlook these massive plains. Not to mention the resort’s table service restaurant, Sanaa, also has picture-perfect window views overlooking the resort’s starring cast of wildlife. (But even if it didn’t, the East African-inspired menu options featured at Sanaa would still be worth the visit.)

And since I did mention how the Bungalows over at the Polynesian have great fireworks views, you’ll be happy to know that they’re not the only place you can see fireworks from your hotel window every night.

If you’re browsing through the different rooms of the Disney resorts, and you come across one that says “Theme Park View,” that means you’re gonna have yourself a private showing of the nighttime spectaculars every evening of your stay.

The Magic Kingdom area resorts have a select number of theme park view rooms available, so make sure to check out not only Disney’s Polynesian Village (for more theme park views aside from just the bungalows), but also Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

(Disney’s Wilderness Lodge also has a few rooms labeled as “Nature Fireworks” views, but what this really means is that you’ll see mostly trees with a few fireworks kinda peeking out over the tops – so they’re not worth the extra moolah, unless you’re okay with super-obstructed fireworks views.)

You saw the classiest. The quietest. The colorfulist. (Eek. My spell check HATES me for that word.) And now it’s up to YOU to decide WHICH of these hotels will be the best choice for YOUR upcoming vacation. Our BEST advice on getting these rooms is to call in the experts — our friends at Small World Vacations can work their magic to get you the best room available, all while ensuring you don’t miss out on any discounts Disney announces between the time of your booking and your vacation.

And, in case you’re wondering, using a travel agent doesn’t cost you a dime. It’s free, will very likely SAVE you money, and will definitely save you headaches. It’s a win-win-win!

Ask Small World Vacations to quote your Disney World trip!

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The post The BEST Rooms in Disney World Hotels, And How To Get Them first appeared on the disney food blog.