Overwhelmed by all the hotels at Disney World? Worried you’ll pick the wrong one? We’ve got some tips to keep you from staying in the wrong Disney World hotel today!

This hotel has a cool pool, this one has a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try, but what if you end up focusing on the wrong thing and book a hotel you’re gonna end up hating? With so many options it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed but today we’re gonna go through all of the things you might not be thinking about when picking your Disney World hotel and how you might end up staying in the wrong hotel for you.

You think you NEED to stay in a Disney World owned hotel

There are several nearby hotels that don’t come with the Disney price tag but do come with some extras Disney hotel guests get. These are called Good Neighbor Hotels, and they’re often on Disney World property. They’re not owned or run by Disney, but they offer lots of the same perks — transportation, early fastpass booking, early entry, etc. Some of them even offer character meals.

Our favorites are probably the Swan and Dolphin Resorts. They’re run by Marriott Bonvoy (and you can use and earn Marriott Bonvoy points there), but they happen to be within walking distance of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Plus, they’re deluxe accommodations without being as expensive as Disney World deluxe hotels.

You think you NEED to stay off property to save money

You can get deals on Disney hotels too! If you’re trying to vacation on a budget, you might not have to go as far away from the parks as you think.

Disney almost always has a discount or deal of some kind – usually anywhere from 20-40% off hotels. Some of these are for the general public, and some are for specialty groups like Florida residents, military members, annual passholders, etc. Always check Disney’s Special Offers tab before your trip, or join the DFB newsletter, where we’ll tell you as soon as a new discount is offered.

Disney’s Value resorts are more affordable and often come at less than $200 per night if you can find a discount. Plus, Art of Animation and Pop Century are both on the Skyliner line, which gives you quick and easy transportation to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

If you want to stay in LUXURY and pay less, then yes — you may need to stay off property. But you can find Disney World hotels that won’t break the bank too much.

How much time are you actually going to spend at the resort?

If you already know you’ll be at the parks from open until close without any breaks, and won’t be spending much time at all in your hotel room beyond, well, sleeping and showering, then it might be your best bet to go for the cheapest option that gets you in the area.

You probably shouldn’t shell out the big bucks for a resort that you won’t be spending any spare time in, because you could put those funds towards other parts of your vacation. Bottom line: If you aren’t going to really be there for very long, it’s not worth the extra money.

On the flip side, if you’re taking a longer vacation, or have built some resort days into your schedule, you will probably be more interested in the other features that your hotel has to offer. If you’re in for some relaxation and pampering, spring for a hotel that has an onsite spa. Or you might have kiddos that are gonna spend half the trip at the pool so you know you’ve got to pick a hotel that has something more than just a lap pool.

Each Disney hotel is unique in what they offer, but you can find all sorts of fun activities you wouldn’t necessarily expect.

Your budget

This is probably the biggest consideration: what is your budget like? You don’t want to spend all your vacation money on your hotel, especially if you plan to spend a lot of your time in the parks. BUT it’s understandable to still want to stay somewhere nice and feel like you’re getting the full Disney experience.

While you definitely shouldn’t be overspending on your room, it is important to remember that cheaper isn’t always better. Depending on you and your family, and what you’re looking for in a hotel and a vacation, there are a lot of things to consider.

It’s possible that the cheapest price might not actually turn out to be the best deal for you when looking at transportation, location, theming, dining, amenities, etc. One thing we say a lot is that time is money in Disney World. If you end up spending a ton of your day just trying to travel to the parks, or traveling to get to that dining reservation, it might end up costing you a lot more than you thought you were saving by booking a cheaper room.

You definitely don’t want to waste valuable park time sitting on Disney transportation for hours. If you know you’ll be going back to your resort a few times each day it might make more sense to spend a little more money for a hotel that’s closer to the parks

You need to look at the discounts

You might be able to score a better room or hotel than you thought you could if you’re able to score a really great discount that balances out the cost of that upgrade. And you can usually call Disney and rebook your trip with a new discount applied.

So let’s say you already booked your trip, but you totally forgot to check that Special Offers and Discounts page. Or, after you had already booked your trip, Disney later announced a new, better discount that falls on your trip dates. You can usually call Disney, and they can help you get that discount applied to your trip, or rebook it for you with the new discount applied so that you get the best deal.

Plus, these discounts could mean you end up staying in a more expensive hotel than you were originally planning on. Disney tends to grade their discounts, so while the moderate resorts might be 20% off, the deluxe resorts could be 30% off.

So while you may have been pricing and planning for that moderate resort room, once you look at the deals, you might be able to spring for the deluxe room and not spend too much more.

Location

Do you already know which parks you’ll be visiting the most on your trip? If so, that can help you narrow in your choices by picking a hotel that’s close to the park you’ll be at the most. If you’re heading to Disney World during an EPCOT Festival, and know you’ll be making multiple stops, it might make the most sense to choose one of the Boardwalk area hotels or one of the hotels on the Disney Skyliner.

If you know that Magic Kingdom is your go-to favorite, a monorail resort or Wilderness Lodge might be your best bet. If you know you’ll be spending a lot of time at a certain park, you don’t want to pick a hotel that’s on the other side of Disney World from it unless you really don’t mind that transportation time.

Take a peek at some Disney World maps to see if the hotel you’re interested in is close enough to where you want to spend most of your time.

Consider transportation

If you aren’t planning to drive yourself around Disney World, there are still many factors to consider when choosing where to stay, and how that will affect your ability to get to the parks.

Buses

Buses may not be everyone’s favorite way to get around, but it is the most consistent way to get between all the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. Each Disney hotel has bus transportation to the parks, though schedules may vary.

Some Disney hotels only offer bus transportation, such as Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort or Animal Kingdom Lodge. While a bus might be good to have as one of your transportation options, you might not want it to be your only option.

Buses also get very crowded around park opening and closing, and it could take much longer than expected to get to the parks, as well as to return back to your room at night. However, on a crowded Magic Kingdom day, taking the bus from the Ticket and Transportation Center instead of the monorail or ferry might end up saving you time.

Monorail

The monorail can be a great option for those Magic Kingdom hotels that are on the monorail line if you’re willing to put up the extra money for the stay. The hotels on the monorail line are Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

At peak traffic times, if you’re staying at one of these hotels, it would likely be easier to walk to the park.

Boats

Boats are another popular form of transportation around Disney property, and can be a way to avoid buses in some cases. Wilderness Lodge has a boat that goes directly to Magic Kingdom, and the Boardwalk area resorts (Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club) offer boats to Epcot.

Some hotels close by even offer boat transportation to Disney Springs, such as Port Orleans – French Quarter. Boats can be a unique way to get around, but they have a smaller capacity than other forms of transportation.

Skyliner

Now of course we have the Skyliner, which is the newest form of Disney transportation, and since its introduction has made some of the more out-of-the-way hotels a lot more desirable. The Skyliner connects two parks and four hotels – Art of Animation and Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and the Riviera Resort.

Like every other form of Disney transportation, the lines here can get backed up or stalled even though the Skyliner does run continuously.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to what is most convenient for you. If you don’t mind only riding buses, you’re going to have a lot more options. If you want to be able to walk to a park, that’s going to help you narrow down some of your choices.

And keep in mind, if you’re going during a busy time at Disney like Spring Break, peak summer, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, it’s going to be crowded no matter what.

Getting to and from the parks could add an extra hour to your day, both ways. You might want to prioritize a hotel that is within walking distance from at least one park so that you can get a break from that crowded Disney transportation.

What kind of theming do you want?

Another thing to consider: who are you going on your trip with, and what kind of Disney hotel experience are they wanting? Each Disney hotel has a unique theme, but we know that not every hotel will speak to every person.

Are you the kind of people who want all Disney, all the time? Then you’d probably love Art of Animation’s larger-than-life characters, or the all-out theming of the Polynesian Village Resort.

If you want a more rustic vibe, Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge are great locations that are well-themed, but not as over-the-top Disney.

However, we know not everyone wants super over-the-top theming. Maybe at your hotel, you want a break from the parks, and you just want to feel like you’re at a hotel. In this case, you might prefer the newer Disney hotels of Coronado Springs or the Riviera Resort, which still have touches of Disney, but have a more sleek and adult-feeling vibe.

Maybe you want something less modern, but still upscale? Try the Grand Floridian or the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.

FOOD

If food is a priority on your vacation, that might be the deciding factor in where you stay! Not all hotel restaurants are created equal. While all resorts will have some food options, the bigger hotels will definitely have more locations available to you.

While the Value resorts will have a quick-service (or food court) option, the Deluxe resorts are going to offer you multiple dining spots including those nicer sit-down restaurants, as well as lounge options. If there’s a hotel that has multiple dining locations you want to try, it might be best to go ahead and stay there so you can knock those off your list.

However, like any Disney guest, you can always travel to other hotels to eat, even if you aren’t staying there. if you’re dying to eat at the Polynesian Village, why not duck out on your Magic Kingdom day to grab lunch since you’ll already be close by?

If you’re hoping to stop by Topolino’s Terrace, you could always grab an early reservation for breakfast and eat before taking the Skyliner over to EPCOT. While it’s always a good idea to have some restaurants you’re interested in AT your hotel, that doesn’t need to be the final deciding factor if you’re willing to travel for a meal.

You’ve got a BIG group

If your traveling party extends beyond the typical two adults and two kids that are accommodated in most hotel rooms, then you’ll be looking for other options. And never fear — there are several — both on and off Disney World property.

If you want to stay on property, another perk of Value Resorts is that the Art of Animation and All-Star Music hotels have family suites to accommodate larger parties wanting to stay together.

These suites have a dedicated bedroom and master bath. In the living room you’ll find a pull down, full size murphy bed and a pull out couch along with a second full bathroom. There’s also a little kitchenette area (you won’t be making huge meals, but it’s helpful to have). While these run more than a standard room, floating around $500s-$700s, they can drop down to about $400 a night with the discount.

Another great on-property, Disney-owned option is the Fort Wilderness Cabins. These are priced as moderate resorts, but have a dedicated master bedroom with a queen-sized bed and a twin bunkbed. They also have a full kitchen and a pull-down murphy bed in the living room. Lots of room for a much smaller price tag.

Staying in a Disney Vacation Club room is another option.

Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s timeshare program, and the rooms — called Villas — range from studio (basically a standard hotel room with one bed and a pull out couch) to one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom villas. The larger accommodations have full kitchens and a washer/dryer as well. These are located in Disney-owned hotels, and offer all the same perks.

There are two ways to reserve these larger rooms — book a DVC room like it’s a regular hotel room (you can do this the same way you book any room in Disney World), or rent DVC points from a member and book through them. It sounds weird, but it’s actually a very common occurrence and can be very safe if you do it right. It can also be much cheaper than booking the room outright.

DVC members get a certain allotment of points a year, and if they know they won’t be using all of their points in a year, they might put them up on a travel site for rent. We love David’s Disney Vacation Club Rentals if you’re looking for a reliable company to book vacation club points with. They’re reliable, trustworthy, and do this all day every day.

You want LUXURY

If you’re traveling with someone who needs true luxury or you really want to treat yourself and get away from it all, Disney’s deluxe resorts might not be enough. You’ll actually find Four Seasons, Waldorf, and Ritz Carlton properties within Disney World’s gates.

They all offer Disney World good neighbor perks and amenities like early entry and early fastpass booking, and believe it or not, you can sometimes get great deals here — bringing their costs under that of Disney’s deluxe resorts. Like with other non-Disney hotels, and you can check their websites to see if there are any specials running.

There are also club level rooms offered at some of Disney’s Deluxe resorts. The club level has its own concierge and lounge, which has snacks and complimentary refreshments, which could even include food from the hotel’s restaurants (like appetizers and desserts in the evening).

The lounge serves a continental breakfast each morning, which might be a great choice as you’re on your way to the park, and they put out desserts, wine, and beer in the evenings.

Club Level rooms can be expensive, though, and you might not find yourself at the hotel long enough to take advantage of all the club level lounge offerings, but if you’re looking for something special for a honeymoon trip or another special occasion, it can be a nice add-on

From budget constraints to dining and what kind of hotel your kids are gonna like the most, there’s a LOT to consider when you’re booking your Dinsey World hotel. The biggest advice I can give you is to make a list of your priorities and rank them. Is convenience the top of your list? Focus on transportation options and proximity to the parks. Looking for something on a budget? Check out those value resorts, discounts, DVC rentals, and non-Disney hotels. There’s a perfect hotel for everyone. It just might take a little bit of work and research to decide on the best one for you.

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The post Sorry, But You’re Choosing the Wrong Hotel in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.