If you’re trying to figure out how to choose a Disney World resort, I wouldn’t start by comparing every hotel. I start with the parks I’ll visit most, how I want to get there, what I’m willing to spend, and how much time I’ll actually spend at the resort.
Those decisions eliminate most of the Disney hotels surprisingly quickly.
I’ve stayed across different Disney resort categories, and I’ve found that the most expensive hotel isn’t automatically the best choice. A Value Resort with the right transportation can work better for a park-heavy trip than a Deluxe Resort in the wrong location.
If I were choosing a Disney World Resort today, this is the order I would make the decision.
First, I Pick the Park I Care About Most
Disney World is huge. Because of that, I think location matters more here than it does on a normal hotel trip.
If I’m spending two or three days around EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, I don’t want to pay extra for a Magic Kingdom resort just because I like the hotel better.
I start by asking one question: Which park am I most likely to visit repeatedly?
If Magic Kingdom Is the Priority
The Contemporary is hard for me to ignore because I can actually walk to Magic Kingdom. It also sits on the Resort Monorail with the Polynesian and Grand Floridian.
I would look at those resorts first if Magic Kingdom convenience is important enough to justify Deluxe pricing.
My Disney World monorail resort guide compares those options more closely.
If EPCOT and Hollywood Studios Matter Most
This is my favorite area for transportation choices because I can choose between walking, boats and the Disney Skyliner depending on the resort.
BoardWalk Inn is especially useful because I can walk to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Yacht Club and Beach Club put me within walking distance of EPCOT and give me FriendShip boat transportation toward Hollywood Studios.
If those Deluxe resorts are too expensive, I start looking at the Skyliner resorts instead.
- Pop Century if I want a Value Resort with Skyliner access
- Art of Animation if I need a family suite or prefer its theming
- Caribbean Beach if I want a Moderate Resort and the main Skyliner hub
- Riviera if I want a more upscale Deluxe Villa resort on the Skyliner
I have a separate comparison of the Disney World resorts with Skyliner access.
Animal Kingdom Is Different
I would not choose Animal Kingdom Lodge because I expected to walk into Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom Lodge uses Disney bus transportation. What I’m paying for there is the resort itself: the savannas, animals, restaurants and atmosphere.
That can absolutely make it the right hotel, but I think of Animal Kingdom Lodge as a destination resort rather than a transportation shortcut into Animal Kingdom.
Then I Decide How Much Transportation Convenience Is Worth to Me
This is where I think people sometimes choose a Disney hotel backwards.
They fall in love with a theme, book the resort, and only afterward realize they’ll be taking a bus almost everywhere they want to go.
I would rather decide how I want my mornings and evenings to work before worrying about the lobby.
My personal transportation order is usually:
- Walking, when the resort and park are actually connected by a practical walking route
- Skyliner or monorail
- Boat transportation
- Bus
That doesn’t mean buses are bad. Every trip just feels easier to me when I can leave a crowded park and walk back to the hotel instead of joining another transportation line.
I also wouldn’t choose a more expensive transportation resort if I’m renting a car and planning to drive everywhere anyway. I only pay extra for convenience I’m actually going to use.
Only After That Do I Decide Between Value, Moderate and Deluxe
I don’t think of Disney’s resort categories as a simple good, better, best ranking.
I think of them as different ways to allocate the vacation budget.
A Value Resort Makes Sense When the Parks Are the Vacation
If I’m leaving early every morning, returning late every night and barely using the hotel, a Value Resort can make a lot of sense.
Pop Century is usually the Value Resort I look at first because it combines the lower category with Skyliner access.
Art of Animation becomes more interesting when I need one of its family suites.
If price is the main consideration, I also compare the All-Star Resorts rather than paying for amenities I know I’ll barely use.
My Disney World Value Resort comparison goes deeper into that group.
Moderate Is Often the Sweet Spot
The Moderate category gets more interesting to me when I want the hotel to be part of the trip but can’t justify Deluxe prices.
I don’t think there is one Moderate Resort that fits everybody.
Caribbean Beach is the one I would consider first for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios because of the Skyliner.
Port Orleans French Quarter interests me when I want a smaller resort footprint and boat transportation to Disney Springs.
Coronado Springs is where I look when restaurants, lounges and a more adult atmosphere matter more to me than direct transportation to a park.
You can compare those choices in my guide to the best Moderate Resorts at Disney World.
Deluxe Makes the Most Sense When I’m Buying Location or Resort Time
I wouldn’t pay Deluxe prices simply because I want a nicer hotel room.
For me, Deluxe becomes compelling when I’m buying something that changes the trip.
That might mean walking to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary, walking into EPCOT from Yacht Club or Beach Club, spending evenings around the BoardWalk, or staying somewhere like Animal Kingdom Lodge because I genuinely want time at the resort.
Deluxe Resort and Deluxe Villa guests also currently qualify for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours on select nights at select parks. I consider that a bonus, but I check the Disney calendar before paying more for a room specifically because of it.
The Size of My Group Can Eliminate Resorts Immediately
Before getting attached to any hotel, I check whether the room configuration actually works for everybody traveling with me.
This becomes particularly important with five or more people.
I may be better off with an Art of Animation family suite, a room category designed for a larger party, or a Disney Deluxe Villa rather than squeezing everyone into a standard room or booking two separate rooms.
One-bedroom and larger Disney Deluxe Villas can include features such as separate bedrooms, kitchens and in-room washers and dryers. Those amenities start to matter much more to me on longer stays.
If this is the problem you’re trying to solve, I have a separate guide to the best Disney World resorts for larger families.
I Ask How Much Time I’ll Actually Spend at the Resort
A beautiful Disney hotel is wasted on me if I’m never there.
For a four-day trip where every day starts at rope drop and ends after fireworks, I care much more about sleep, transportation and price than an elaborate pool or signature restaurant.
On a weeklong trip with a day off from the parks, the calculation changes. Now the pool, restaurants, grounds, lounges and room become a meaningful part of the vacation.
That’s when resorts such as Yacht Club, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Riviera or Grand Floridian become easier for me to justify.
I try not to pay for the vacation I imagine myself having. I pay for the one that’s actually on my itinerary.
With Young Kids, I Put Convenience Ahead of Almost Everything
My resort priorities change when strollers, naps and early bedtimes enter the equation.
If Magic Kingdom is the focus, being able to walk back to the Contemporary can be far more valuable than having a hotel I prefer aesthetically somewhere else on Disney property.
If EPCOT and Hollywood Studios are the main parks, Skyliner access can simplify those days.
I also pay closer attention to resort size. A sprawling hotel can mean another long walk after I’ve already spent the day walking through a theme park.
The right answer for a family isn’t necessarily the resort with the best pool. It’s often the one that removes the most friction from the day.
For Adults or Couples, I Care More About What Happens After the Parks
On an adults-only trip, my decision changes again.
I start caring more about being able to walk to dinner, having a lounge nearby, spending an evening around EPCOT or Disney Springs, and returning to a quieter-feeling resort.
That can push me toward Yacht Club, BoardWalk, Riviera, Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs or French Quarter depending on the budget.
I’ve narrowed those choices down further in my Disney World resorts for couples guide.
The Resort Category Also Changes Some Disney Hotel Benefits
All Disney Resort hotel guests currently receive benefits such as 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry and the ability to purchase Lightning Lane passes before most other guests.
Deluxe Resort and Deluxe Villa guests have the additional Extended Evening Theme Park Hours benefit on select nights.
I wouldn’t choose the hotel only because of those perks, but I include them when two resorts are otherwise close in price.
My guide to the current benefits of staying at a Disney World Resort explains those planning advantages separately.
When an Off-Site Hotel Wins Anyway
I don’t automatically stay at a Disney hotel.
If an off-site hotel gives me substantially more space or a much lower total price, I compare that savings with the Disney benefits I’m actually giving up.
This matters even more if I’m renting a car, spending time outside Walt Disney World or barely using the resort.
One thing I don’t count as an exclusive Disney-hotel perk is simply being allowed to ride Disney transportation. Disney currently allows all Walt Disney World guests to use its complimentary buses, boats, monorails and Skyliner.
The advantage of staying on property is that a Disney Resort hotel is already connected to that network and may also qualify for additional resort-guest benefits.
If I’m debating that larger question, I use my Disney World hotels guide and my on-property benefits guide rather than letting this resort-selection page turn into a giant off-site hotel comparison.
The Shortlist I Usually End Up With
By the time I’ve worked through location, transportation, budget, room needs and how much time I’ll spend at the hotel, my list is usually small.
If I want inexpensive plus good transportation: Pop Century.
If I want a Moderate with EPCOT and Hollywood Studios access: Caribbean Beach.
If I want a smaller Moderate and Disney Springs access: Port Orleans French Quarter.
If Magic Kingdom is the center of the trip: Contemporary if the budget works.
If EPCOT is the center of the trip: Yacht Club, Beach Club or BoardWalk.
If I want the resort itself to be part of the vacation: Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge or Riviera.
If I need more space: Art of Animation family suites or one of Disney’s larger Deluxe Villas.
That’s a much easier list for me to compare than starting with every Disney hotel and trying to decide which lobby I like best.
Disney keeps its current resort categories, transportation options and availability in the official Walt Disney World Resort hotel directory.
