Picture it: you’ve saved up your hard-earned cash and finally booked the Disney World vacation of your dreams. You think you’ve chosen the perfect hotel for you and your family, but then you arrive and find out…uh oh…it’s NOT at all what you expected. These things happen and can totally throw off your trip — but we can help.

We’ve covered all kinds of hotel news and info to help you make the best choice for your group — from a ranking of every Disney World hotel to a look at the WORST hotels for 2023, and everything in between. But today we’re taking a closer look at a few hotels that are NOT for everyone so you can be best prepared to make the right choice for your trip.

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

We’ll start with one hotel that might be very tempting to book but is definitely NOT for everybody. Saratoga Springs Resort is an equestrian-themed hotel that definitely has some big selling points.

You can get a nice, spacious room here, usually for a pretty decent price. It is a Disney Vacation Club Resort, which means there are villas available that can REALLY get you a lot of space for the whole family, and even some great perks like a fully equipped kitchen with a refrigerator and a washer & dryer.

Plus, because this is a Deluxe Villa Resort you’ll generally qualify for Extended Evening Hours, which can help you stay in the parks on select days later than the “traditional” guests.

But, the hotel definitely isn’t for everyone. First, the Disney theming here is fairly light. While you will find some Disney touches (mainly in the form of paintings or other more subtle designs), it’s totally different than the IN YOUR FACE, over-the-top theming of places like Disney’s Pop Century Resort or Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

That can be a good thing for guests looking for a respite from the Mouse, but might not be a great thing for those with little kiddos hoping to be surrounded by Disney 24/7 during their trip.

One perk with Saratoga Springs is that it is super close (we’re talking boat access and/or walking distance) to Disney Springs. If you plan to spend a lot of time shopping and dining there, that can be really helpful. But if your plan is to be at the parks all day, that might not really work in your favor. The hotel is closest to EPCOT, but trips to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and certainly Magic Kingdom will be much longer.

But perhaps the biggest downside to this hotel and a big reason why it might not be for everyone is how spread out it is. There are multiple buildings that make up this hotel and they’re not that close to each other. You could find yourself having to walk quite a bit to get around.

The hotel is so big that it’s one of the few in Disney World with an internal bus loop. That means there isn’t just one central bus station for the hotel where Disney will pick folks up to take them to the parks. Instead, because things are so spread out, there are bus stations in several spots.

If you get on the bus at one of the earlier stops, you could secure a seat (which is nice) but could also be stuck on the bus for a while as it goes station to station BEFORE heading to the park. Book a room closer to one of the stations that gets picked up last and you might not wait as long on the bus to head to the park but you might find that it’s standing room only by the time you get on.

So there are pluses and minuses, but regardless that internal bus loop with several stops is a VERY important thing to consider before booking a stay here!

See our full review of Saratoga Springs Resort below before deciding whether it’s a good fit for you!

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Okay, this one might be a bit of a controversial pick because this is a highly beloved resort, but hear us out. We’ll start with the good. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort has some fantastic things about it, no doubt.

First, the hotel is on the Skyliner route, which means you’ll have access to a fun and newer form of FREE Disney transportation. That Skyliner can help you connect to several nearby hotels as well as EPCOT and Hollywood Studios — convenient!

Another great thing is that the hotel is HEAVILY themed — we’re talking giant sculptures of Disney characters, buckets of theming in each of the rooms, and touches everywhere that’ll remind your group of some of their favorite Disney films. If your goal is to stay at a resort that will (under no circumstances) let you forget you’re at Disney — this is it.

Now, for the bad. The biggest downside to this hotel is its pricing. While the Little Mermaid “standard” rooms can be fairly reasonable, they can often still cost significantly more than a standard room at other Value Disney World hotels — like Disney’s All-Star Resorts and even Disney’s Pop Century Resort (and Pop Century also comes with Skyliner access). And that’s just the “standard” rooms.

If you’re looking to spend the night in one of Art of Animation’s adorable family suites, get ready to pay a pretty penny. For example, we looked for a trip in April of 2024 and the starting price for a family suite was $534.17 per night. That was MORE than the cost of a room at various Moderate Disney World hotels, like Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter, and even more than a room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (a Deluxe Disney World hotel).

Now, there might be many reasons why Art of Animation is still the right choice for you, despite this high cost. But it’s something to consider. Just because this is technically a “Value” hotel by Disney’s standards, do NOT assume that means that the rooms here will be cheaper than rooms you can find elsewhere on property. You might actually pay a lot more here than you’d expect (and maybe more than what you feel the room is worth). You’ll want to do your research and see what other rooms are also available that might get you the same or better perks, space, and more.

In terms of other downsides, there certainly can be a heavy influx of families with younger children here, which might not be the thing for you if you want an extremely quiet hotel for your stay.

Plus, the theming here is…intense. There’s really no escaping the characters or movie references. If you like that, then this could be a great fit. But if you want to go back to a hotel that screams “luxury and comfort” rather than “fun and vibrant characters,” then consider heading elsewhere.

See our video below for our full review of the hotel.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Alright, this might be the most controversial pick on our list but again, hear us out. In terms of good things, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is GORGEOUS. Its lobby is by far one of the most spectacular in all of Disney World. The rooms are also beautiful, and you simply cannot beat walking up with a savannah view (assuming you pay for that) or even just walking out the back doors to see all of the animals out on the savannah (there are plenty of viewing spots throughout the hotel that you can access without needing to pay for a savannah view).

In terms of other good things, the hotel has some of the best dining in all of the Disney World hotels. You can absolutely stuff your face with deliciousness at the Boma buffet, go for a fancy night out with some incredible food at Jiko, opt for unique dishes in a faster setting at The Mara, or sample the absolutely AMAZING bread service at Sanaa — there are so many good options!

But now to the bad part. Sure, there’s the issue of price — but unlike Art of Animation where you’re paying a high price for a Value resort, the big cost associated with Animal Kingdom Lodge — a Deluxe resort — comes as no surprise. It also has the perks of a Deluxe resort, which can make justifying the cost much easier.

Nope, the real issue with Animal Kingdom Lodge and the main reason why it’s on this list is because of its distance from the other parks and lack of alternative transportation options. The hotel is close to Animal Kingdom park (of course). But, unless you plan to hang out with the Yeti and banshees every day of your visit, you’ll have to be prepared for some lengthy bus drives from the hotel to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios.

And that’s the other issue — only Disney buses are offered here in terms of free transportation. Despite this being a Deluxe hotel, there is no alternative method of transportation. There is no Skyliner access, no monorail, no walking access to any of the parks, no boats — none of that. Its location likely is the reason for this but still, it can be a little more difficult to justify the cost of staying here versus a spot on the monorail line or one with walking access to a park (like Disney’s Beach Club Resort) since those perks can be so convenient.

Oh, Animal Kingdom Lodge, how we love thee. But how we could love thee even MORE if just a few things were different.

So that’s a look at 3 Disney World hotels that are NOT for everyone. While they all have their own benefits and perks, they come with their own set of downsides too. What do you think? Are you a fan of these hotels? Tell us in the comments.

We’ll keep an eye out for more hotel news and let you know what we find!

Which Disney World hotel is your favorite? Tell us in the comments.

The post Beware! This Disney World Hotel Isn’t for Everyone first appeared on the disney food blog.