While an Orlando holiday offers so many possibilities for a Disney stay – from an off-site hotel to a villa – there’s something really special about staying at Walt Disney World itself.
Each Disney resort puts you in the heart of the magic, with beautiful theming, fantastic food and free transport to take you straight to the parks.
But Disney resorts differ widely – both in terms of budget and the experience they offer.
So which one is right for you and your family?
We’re here to guide you through that decision.
Want to find the Disney resort that’s right for you? Click on the links below to find which one will be perfect for your trip:
Best Disney resorts for pools | Best Disney resorts for shopping | Best Disney resorts for dining | Best Disney resorts for the parks | Best Disney resorts for families
And if you’re not that familiar with the different Disney resorts, make sure you check out our complete resort guide: the best Disney hotels for every budget.
How much does a Walt Disney World resort cost?
The first way to narrow down your resort choice is by looking at your budget.
Walt Disney World resorts are broadly divided into three price brackets: Value, Moderate and Deluxe.
The difference isn’t simply about the quality of the rooms, either – each category offers a different experience, from the colourful, family-friendly atmosphere of the Value resorts to the more immersive theming and extensive facilities you’ll find at the Deluxe resorts.
For UK visitors booking a two-week Walt Disney World holiday for two adults and one child with flights and park tickets during a school holiday period, you can use the following as a rough guide to the sort of prices to expect:
- Value Disney hotel (such as Disney’s Art of Animation, Disney’s All-Star Movies or Pop Century Resort): £6,000 – £9,000
- Moderate Disney hotel (such as Port Orleans, Coronado Springs or Caribbean Beach Resort): £8,000 – £12,000
- Deluxe Disney hotel (such as Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa): £12,000+
Prices vary considerably depending on when you travel, which resort you choose and the offers available, so think of these as a starting point rather than fixed prices. You can see a more detailed breakdown of these costs and other extras in our guide how much does a Disney World holiday cost from the UK?
Once you’ve established how much you’re comfortable spending, the next question is what you actually want from your Disney resort. Do you want an amazing pool? Easy access to the parks? Lots of restaurants? Somewhere particularly good for young children? Or perhaps a resort where you can enjoy the hotel itself as part of your holiday?
That’s where the fun really starts!
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Best Walt Disney World resorts for pool time
If you’re coming to Walt Disney World after enjoying European holidays, you may be used to spending a good chunk of your holiday by the pool. Perhaps you want somewhere the children can spend hours splashing, sliding and playing or perhaps you’re picturing downtime with a book and a quiet swim.
It’s worth thinking about what you actually want from a pool before choosing your resort. Some Disney pools are spectacular themed attractions in their own right, with waterslides, play areas and poolside activities. Others are quieter places to swim and relax – or, at certain times of the day, pound the lengths. At some larger resorts, you get both types of pool.
If you’re staying at a Value Resort
For a Value Resort, we’d put Disney’s Art of Animation at the top of the list. Its three pools are all heavily themed, but the star is the Big Blue Pool, inspired by Finding Nemo. It’s Disney World’s largest hotel pool and has an interactive water-play area for younger children. There’s also the Cars-themed Cozy Cone Pool and the Little Mermaid-inspired Flippin’ Fins Pool.
That makes Art of Animation particularly appealing if the pool is part of the holiday rather than simply somewhere to cool off after the parks.
If you’re looking at Moderate Resorts
This is where things get particularly interesting, because Moderate Resorts offer two quite different approaches to swimming.
If you’re looking for a big, themed family pool, there are some excellent choices. At Port Orleans French Quarter, Doubloon Lagoon has a Mardi Gras theme and a 51-foot sea-serpent waterslide. At Coronado Springs, the Lost City of Cibola Pool sits beneath a spectacular 50-foot Mayan pyramid and has a 123-foot waterslide. And at Caribbean Beach, Fuentes del Morro Pool is designed as a Spanish fortress, complete with waterslides, a shipwreck play area and the Banana Cabana pool bar.
But there’s another reason Moderate Resorts particularly appeal to us pool lovers.
Several of the larger resorts have multiple leisure pools spread around the resort, meaning you don’t necessarily have to trek across the property to find somewhere for a quiet swim. Caribbean Beach has five leisure pools, while Coronado Springs has three; Port Orleans Riverside also has leisure pools alongside its main Ol’ Man Island pool complex.
This is a surprisingly good feature if you love to swim (as I do!). The spectacular feature pools are fantastic for families, but a quieter pool close to your room can be much more appealing if you want to swim a few lengths first thing in the morning or take an evening dip after a hot day in the parks.
If you’re looking at Deluxe Resorts
The Deluxe Resorts take themed pools to another level. Luna Park Pool at Disney’s BoardWalk has a wonderfully old-fashioned fairground feel, complete with its 200-foot Keister Coaster waterslide. But for sheer pool facilities, Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts is the outstanding option: it’s a three-acre water complex with a sand-bottomed pool, lazy river, shipwreck-themed waterslide and several whirlpool spas.
Other Deluxe resorts take a more relaxed approach. The Grand Floridian has the family-friendly Beach Pool alongside the quieter Courtyard Pool, while the Polynesian’s Lava Pool combines a volcano theme with a waterslide and the Oasis Pool provides a more peaceful alternative. Animal Kingdom Lodge has two excellent pool areas: the Uzima Springs Pool at Jambo House and Samawati Springs at Kidani Village.
One of the big advantages of these resorts, however, isn’t necessarily the pools themselves. Location can make it much easier to combine pool time with a park visit. The Grand Floridian and Contemporary are particularly convenient for Magic Kingdom, while the BoardWalk, Yacht Club and Beach Club put you within easy reach of Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
That means you can spend the morning in a park, return to your resort for an afternoon by the pool and then head back out for dinner or the evening’s entertainment without losing too much time to transport.
But here’s something worth bearing in mind before you spend more on a Deluxe Resort: a higher room rate doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have more swimming options on your doorstep.
The spectacular feature pools at the Deluxe Resorts are fantastic for families and can make the resort itself part of the holiday. But if your priority is actually getting in the water regularly, I’d look at the pool set-up carefully before assuming that Deluxe means better – it might be that having a smaller pool right outside your room means one of the Moderate Resorts is a better fit for you.
Our tip: Don’t forget Disney’s water parks. If what you’re really looking for is a full day of slides, wave pools and water attractions, you don’t necessarily need to choose your hotel based on its pool. UK visitors booking eligible packages often get free access to Disney’s water parks included, so it’s worth checking exactly what’s included in your booking.
Best Walt Disney World resorts for shopping
If you’re looking for Disney merchandise and souvenirs, there’s obviously a huge variety of stores in each of the four parks. Over the years, we’ve bought everything from Mickey ears for our dog to Minnie-themed cutlery, and there’s something particularly satisfying about bringing home a souvenir you’ve chosen in the park itself.
But if you’re looking for shopping beyond Disney merchandise, your choice of hotel can make a difference.
US prices on clothes, toys, beauty products and other goods can be considerably more tempting than UK prices, and you may want to combine your Disney holiday with some proper retail therapy. In the past, that meant leaving Walt Disney World and heading for the malls and outlet centres around Orlando.
Today, however, Disney Springs gives you a surprisingly good shopping option without leaving the Disney area.
The shopping here goes far beyond Disney souvenirs. World of Disney is the obvious destination for Disney fans, while stores including the Lego Store, Uniqlo, Zara, Sephora, Under Armour, Vans, Superdry, Tommy Bahama and Vera Bradley give you plenty of opportunities to buy clothes, toys and souvenirs.
If you’re specifically looking for bargains, we’d still recommend making time for Orlando’s outlet malls. Orlando International Premium Outlets and Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets are the places to head for the traditional US outlet-shop. Meanwhile, for a more upmarket experience we’d recommend The Mall at Millennia and The Florida Mall.
Which Disney resorts are best for Disney Springs?
If Disney Springs is going to be an important part of your holiday, Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are particularly appealing.
Both resorts have boats that take you to Disney Springs along the Sassagoula River. It’s a lovely way to get there, and the journey itself feels much more like part of the Disney experience than simply getting on a bus.
It’s one of the reasons we’d particularly recommend these resorts if you like the idea of spending an evening shopping, eating and enjoying the entertainment at Disney Springs.
Other Disney Resort hotels have complimentary buses to Disney Springs but we think the boat trips make the Port Orleans resorts particularly special.
And don’t overlook the hotels outside the Disney-owned resorts
If Disney Springs access is more important to you than staying in a Disney-owned hotel, there are some very interesting alternatives.
The seven Disney Springs Resort Area hotels are all within walking distance of Disney Springs, including hotels such as the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista and Wyndham Lake Buena Vista. These hotels aren’t Disney-owned, so the theming and resort experience differs from the more obviously magical stay you’ll get elsewhere on Disney property.
But they’re a fantastic alternative – they’re in the Disney Springs Resort Area, within walking distance of Disney Springs, and currently offer complimentary transportation to the Disney theme parks. Depending on your dates and the deals available, you may be able to spend less on your hotel without giving up the convenience of being close to Disney Springs or having transport to the parks. Our family has holidayed in this area several times and always loved our stay.
Best Disney resorts for dining
This is one area where the difference between a Value, Moderate and Deluxe resort can really matter.
Dining at most Value resorts is relatively limited, generally centred around a food court with perhaps a small number of additional options. That doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker, though. You don’t have to stay at a Deluxe resort to enjoy Disney’s best restaurants.
Walt Disney World has an enormous choice of places to eat, from the theme parks to Disney Springs. And, keep in mind that you can also book restaurants at other Disney resorts (see our tip below).
Most popular restaurants can book up quickly. Disney Resort guests can currently make dining reservations from 60 days before their arrival, with the ability to book for their entire stay (up to 10 nights). So if you’re staying at Disney, make sure you organise your bookings promptly!
If you’re staying at a Value Resort
If you want the best dining options within the Value category, Disney’s Pop Century Resort is a good choice. Its Everything Pop food court offers plenty of choice, while the Skyliner gives you an easy way to reach some of the more interesting dining options at other resorts.
In particular, you can hop on the Skyliner to Disney’s Riviera Resort, home to Topolino’s Terrace – Flavours of the Riviera, one of our favourite resort restaurants. Art of Animation also has Skyliner access, making it easy to combine your stay with dining at Riviera or at Epcot and its resorts.
That gives these two Value resorts an advantage that isn’t immediately obvious: you don’t necessarily need a huge range of restaurants at your own hotel if you’re staying somewhere with excellent transport connections.
If you’re staying at a Moderate Resort
There are some good individual dining options among the Moderates. Sebastian’s Bistro at Caribbean Beach is a particular favourite, while the Port Orleans resorts have their own strengths. Riverside has the excellent Riverside Mill Food Court, while French Quarter is famous for its freshly made beignets.
The Port Orleans resorts also have another major advantage for food lovers: the boat to Disney Springs. You can leave your hotel and enjoy the huge choice of restaurants there without needing to drive or rely on a bus.
But if you’re looking for the widest choice of dining experiences within the resort itself, we’d put Coronado Springs at the top of the Moderate category.
Disney currently lists 11 dining options at Coronado Springs, ranging from quick-service and coffee to lounges, bars and signature dining.
There’s El Mercado de Coronado for casual meals, Cafe Rix for coffee and bakery goodies, Rix Sports Bar & Grill (which, for a sports bar, does surprisingly excellent meals) and Maya Grill for a Mexican-inspired dinner, sometimes accompanied by a live Spanish guitar performance.
Then there’s the Three Bridges Bar & Grill, a beautiful open-air restaurant in the middle of Lago Dorado, and Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood, the rooftop restaurant at Gran Destino Tower. Dahlia Lounge, meanwhile, is a great place for drinks and Spanish-inspired snacks.
That range is what makes Coronado Springs such a fabulous place to stay. You can eat casually, enjoy a proper sit-down meal, have drinks overlooking the lake or dress up for a more sophisticated dinner – all without leaving your resort.
If you’re staying at a Deluxe Resort
When it comes to dining, this is where the Deluxe resorts really start to pull away from the Moderates.
In fact, we’d say it’s difficult to find a Deluxe resort that DOESN’T have at least one exceptional restaurant.
The Grand Floridian currently has 15 dining options, including Victoria & Albert’s, Cítricos, Narcoossee’s, 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Café, Gasparilla Island Grill, Enchanted Rose and the Garden View Lounge.
And then there’s Victoria & Albert’s, Walt Disney World’s renowned fine-dining restaurant, which has held a Michelin star since 2024 (and is very, VERY expensive).
The Contemporary has California Grill, with its spectacular views, while the Polynesian offers ‘Ohana, including its popular Lilo & Stitch character breakfast and Hawaiian-inspired family-style dinner.
And don’t forget Topolino’s Terrace at Riviera, which is another reason the Skyliner-accessible resorts are particularly attractive to food lovers.
Animal Kingdom Lodge deserves a special mention for foodies. At Boma – Flavours of Africa, you can enjoy an enormous buffet of African-inspired dishes, while Jiko – The Cooking Place offers dinner centred on African, Indian and Mediterranean influences. And then there’s Sanaa at Kidani Village, where you can eat while looking out over the savanna and watching giraffes, zebras and other animals wandering past.
Our tip: You can visit another Disney resort simply to eat. So don’t choose a Deluxe resort purely because it has a particular restaurant you want to try. If you’re staying at a Value or Moderate resort, you can still make a reservation at Victoria & Albert’s, eat breakfast with Stitch at ‘Ohana or enjoy dinner at Topolino’s. In fact, visiting another resort for a meal is one of our favourite ways to experience the wider Walt Disney World resort experience. You get to see somewhere completely different from your own hotel, enjoy its restaurants and atmosphere, and then return to your own resort afterwards.
Best Disney resorts for the parks
In their own way, every Disney resort offers good access to the parks.
Complimentary transportation is one of the biggest advantages of staying at a Disney Resort hotel, with buses, boats, monorails and the Disney Skyliner connecting different parts of Walt Disney World. Some resorts also have walking paths to the parks.
But the experience varies considerably. Some resorts rely mainly on buses, while others offer the rather more magical prospect of arriving at the park by monorail, boat or Skyliner. And if you’re staying somewhere within walking distance, you can simply stroll back to your room whenever you fancy a break.
If you’re staying at a Value Resort
Both Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort have direct access to the Disney Skyliner. The gondolas take you to Epcot’s International Gateway entrance and to Hollywood Studios, making these two Value resorts particularly attractive if those parks are high on your list.
The International Gateway entrance is particularly useful for Epcot. Rather than arriving at the main entrance, you’re dropped straight into the heart of the World Showcase area, giving you convenient access to attractions such as Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After.
It’s a fantastic perk if you’re planning to make the most of Early Entry – the term Disney uses for the benefit that allows guests of Disney Resort hotels and other eligible hotels to enter the parks before the official opening time. For more on this, see our piece on Disney rope drop tips: how to beat the crowds.
Of course, not everyone in your party may be comfortable with heights. These resorts do offer bus transportation as an alternative, but you may prefer to book another resort if that’s the case.
If you’re staying at a Moderate Resort
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort used to feel a bit isolated from the rest of Walt Disney World – but no longer! It’s now one of the best Moderates when it comes to transport, thanks to its Skyliner connection. This gives you the same convenient access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios as Pop Century and Art of Animation, while buses provide connections to the other parks.
The other Moderate resorts rely much more heavily on buses. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – we’ve always found Disney’s complimentary transport offer a wonderful chance to enjoy a Disney holiday without a car – but the larger Moderate resorts do have a potential disadvantage.
Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside and Coronado Springs are all sizeable resorts, with multiple bus stops. That means your bus may make several stops around the resort before heading to the park, and buses can be particularly busy at the end of the day.
If transport convenience is one of your top priorities, it’s therefore worth looking beyond the resort category and checking exactly how you’ll get to the parks from the particular hotel you’re considering.
If you’re staying at a Deluxe Resort
This is where you have some of the most appealing transport options at Walt Disney World.
If Magic Kingdom is your priority, the resorts around Seven Seas Lagoon are hard to beat. Want to catch a monorail to the park? How about a monorail that actually comes inside your hotel to pick you up? That’s what you get at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The Grand Floridian and Polynesian are also on the monorail route, as well as being connected to the Magic Kingdom via bus and footpath (it’s a really short stroll from The Grand Floridian and The Contemporary).
Wilderness Lodge is another lovely option, offering boats to the Magic Kingdom. There’s something particularly special about being able to leave the park and be back at your resort on the water a short time later.
For Epcot and Hollywood Studios, the resorts around Crescent Lake offer an equally attractive set-up. BoardWalk Inn, Yacht Club and Beach Club are all within walking distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios, with boat transportation also available. The Epcot International Gateway is also just a short walk from the Skyliner station.
This is one of our favourite areas of Walt Disney World. The atmosphere is relaxed and grown-up, and being able to walk back to your hotel after an evening at Epcot feels so special.
If you’re looking for a non-Disney-owned alternative in this area, the Swan and Dolphin resorts are worth considering too. They offer access to the same general Epcot/Hollywood Studios area, including boat transportation.
Disney’s Riviera Resort is another excellent choice if Epcot and Hollywood Studios are priorities. Its Skyliner station gives you direct access to both parks, while also connecting you with Caribbean Beach, Pop Century and Art of Animation.
And then there’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – which is almost the opposite proposition.
If you’re choosing your resort primarily for park transportation, this isn’t the obvious choice. It relies on buses rather than offering walking, monorail or Skyliner access to a park.
But if the resort itself is part of the reason you’re coming to Walt Disney World, Animal Kingdom Lodge is extraordinary. From the savanna views to the African-inspired architecture and the opportunity to see giraffes, zebras and other animals from the resort, it offers an experience you simply can’t replicate elsewhere.
Best Disney resorts for families
In some ways, every Disney resort makes a wonderful base for a family holiday. Some offer fantastic access to the parks – particularly useful when you’re travelling with tired little ones – while others have spectacular pools, playgrounds and activities designed with children in mind.
There are also resorts where the dining itself becomes part of the experience, thanks to character meals and other family-friendly restaurants.
So you really can’t go too far wrong. But if you’re choosing a resort specifically with your family in mind, these are some of our favourites.
If you’re staying at a Value Resort
If space is a priority, we’d look at the family suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. They’re considerably more spacious than a standard Value Resort room, while the resort itself has some of the best pools and theming at this level.
The Skyliner is another big advantage, giving you convenient access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios – although, as we’ve mentioned, you’ll want to make sure everyone in your party is happy travelling by gondola.
The downside? Art of Animation can be surprisingly expensive for a Value Resort. If you’re looking for a cheaper option with family suites, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort is worth considering. It’s generally a quieter-feeling choice than the other All-Star resorts and offers suites with additional space for families.
If you’re staying at a Moderate Resort
For families, we’d particularly consider Coronado Springs and Port Orleans Riverside.
Both are large resorts with multiple pools, giving families more choice than simply having one main pool beside the hotel. Coronado Springs’ Lost City of Cibola Pool is particularly impressive, with its huge Mayan pyramid, waterslide and children’s water-play area.
Port Orleans Riverside’s Ol’ Man Island is another attractive family pool, while the resort’s sprawling grounds and multiple leisure pools give you plenty of opportunities to escape the crowds.
Pool rules around floats at the main feature pools can be rather different from those you’re used to in the UK. We’ve had two occasions where young children were told they couldn’t use ordinary foam swimming floats in a Disney feature pool, despite having used them as part of swimming lessons at home.
Rules can vary by pool and are ultimately at the discretion of the lifeguards, so it’s worth checking before your children get in. But if you’re travelling with children who like to practise their swimming with floats, the quieter leisure pools at resorts such as Coronado Springs and Port Orleans Riverside can be a more relaxed option.
And there’s something else to consider: the resort itself can provide a much-needed break from the parks. With children, having somewhere enjoyable to spend an afternoon can make a huge difference – particularly on a two-week holiday when you don’t necessarily want to spend every waking hour in the theme parks.
If you’re staying at a Deluxe Resort
There are fantastic family options among the Deluxe resorts, but three stand out for different reasons.
The Contemporary is hard to beat for convenience. It’s within walking distance of Magic Kingdom and is home to Chef Mickey’s, where children can meet classic Disney characters over breakfast or dinner.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort combines one of Walt Disney World’s best pools, Stormalong Bay, with easy walking access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Cape May Cafe also offers a character breakfast, making it another strong choice for families.
And then there’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is perhaps the most memorable family experience of the lot.
If you’ve ever dreamed of taking your children on safari but can’t quite picture the logistics, Animal Kingdom Lodge offers something remarkably close to that experience. Choose a savanna-view room and you can watch giraffes, zebras and other animals from your balcony, while the resort itself has beautiful pools, extensive grounds and easy bus access to Animal Kingdom.
The one thing we’d flag for families with picky eaters is the dining. The restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge are excellent, but many of them feature African, Indian and other international influences, so the food may be more adventurous than some children are used to.
So, which Walt Disney World resort is right for you?
Ultimately, there’s no single “best” Walt Disney World resort for families. The right choice depends on what matters most to yours.
Want the easiest possible access to Magic Kingdom? Look at the Contemporary or Grand Floridian. Want spectacular pools? Consider Beach Club or one of the larger Moderate resorts. Need more space? Art of Animation’s family suites could be ideal. Want an unforgettable experience that makes the hotel part of the holiday? Animal Kingdom Lodge is difficult to beat.
But we think there’s a Disney resort for almost every type of family and every type of holiday. And the best part? It’s arriving at your resort after a long flight and realising just how perfect it is.
