Step 2: Choose where to stay
A view from Disney's Polynesian Resort
When deciding where to stay during your Disney World trip, the first question you should decide is “off-site or on-site?”
Here are the pros and cons of each…
Off-Site
Off-site hotels offer the option to have more space for less money. For those who want a break from all-things-Disney, off-site options can be a very good thing. For recommendations on off-site options, please check out the list of preferred hotels from Mousesavers.com.
On-Site
On-site hotels at Disney World offer some advantages, such as:
- access to free Disney transportation
- ability to use Extra Magic Hours
- option to use a Disney Dining Plan
- being able to be immersed in
the cultDisney theming throughout your trip - ability to send purchases back to your room
- option of charging things to your Keys to the Kingdom card which acts as your hotel key, park tickets and room charge card
One big disadvantage to staying on-site: the hotels are more expensive than their non-Disney equivalents.
How to choose an on-site hotel?
There are a couple dozen hotels to choose on-site. The filtering tool below gives you details on each one. The Yelp rating is included on every hotel, but these are usually considered the best hotels in their category:
- Best value in Value category – Pop Century
- Best value in Moderate category – Port Orleans French Quarter
- Best value in Deluxe category – Wilderness Lodge
You can also use the Hotel Matching Quiz that I created. Answer 7 questions and see which Disney hotel matches your criteria the best.
Beyond the data below, you might want to check out my huge list of pros/cons of every Disney resort for even more info.
| Hotel |  Rating (out of 5) | Category | Price Range (for standard room) | Nearby Park | Max # of guests (in standard room) | How to get to MK | How to get to EPCOT | How to get to HS | How to get to AK | Special Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Star Movies Resort | 3 | Value | $84 - 164 | N/A | 4 | bus | bus | bus | bus | |
| All-Star Music Resort | 3 | Value | $84 - 164 | N/A | 4 | bus | bus | bus | bus | Family Suites that accommodate up to 6 people are available ($198 - 365) |
| All-Star Sports Resort | 4 | Value | $84 - 164 | N/A | 4 | bus | bus | bus | bus | |
| Art of Animation Resort | N/A (too new) | Value | $94 - 169 | N/A | bus | bus | bus | bus | Family Suites that accommodate up to 6 people are available ($248 - 415) | |
| Pop Century Resort | 4 | Value | $89 - 164 | N/A | 4 | bus | bus | bus | bus | |
| Cabins at Ft. Wilderness Resort | 4.5 | Moderate | $285 - 450 | 6 | internal bus to marina, boat to MK | bus to TTC, monorail to EPCOT | bus to TTC, bus to HS | internal bus to Settlement Depot, bus to AK | ||
| Caribbean Beach Resort | 3 | Moderate | $159 - 239 | N/A | 4 | bus | bus | bus | bus | |
| Coronado Springs Resort | 3 | Moderate | $164 - 244 | N/A | 4 | bus | bus | bus | bus | |
| Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter | 4 | Moderate | $159 - 239 | N/A | 4 | bus | bus | bus | bus | |
| Port Orleans Resort - Riverside | 3.5 | Moderate | $159 - 239 | N/A | 5 | bus | bus | bus | bus | This resort can accommodate up to 5 per room as long as 1 of them is a child who can sleep on a trundle. |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | 4.5 | Deluxe | $265 - 450 | Animal Kingdom | 4 | bus | bus | bus | bus | |
| Beach Club Resort | 5 | Deluxe | $335 - 545 | EPCOT | 5 | bus | walk, ferry | ferry, walk | bus | |
| Boardwalk Inn | 4 | Deluxe | $345 - 555 | EPCOT | 5 | bus | walk, ferry | ferry, walk | bus | |
| Contemporary Resort | 3.5 | Deluxe | $315 - 505 | Magic Kingdom | 5 | monorail, walk | monorail | bus | bus | |
| Grand Floridian Resort and Spa | 4 | Deluxe | $460 - 705 | Magic Kingdom | 5 | monorail, ferry | monorail | bus | bus | |
| Polynesian Resort | 4.5 | Deluxe | $405 - 630 | Magic Kingdom | 5 | monorail, ferry | monorail | bus | bus | |
| Wilderness Lodge | 4.5 | Deluxe | $265 - 450 | Magic Kingdom | 4 | ferry | bus | bus | bus | |
| Yacht Club Resort | 4 | Deluxe | $335 - 545 | EPCOT | 5 | bus | walk, ferry | ferry, walk | bus | |
| Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House | 4.5 | Deluxe Villa/Disney Vacation Club | Animal Kingdom | bus | bus | bus | bus | |||
| Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani | 4 | Deluxe Villa/Disney Vacation Club | Animal Kingdom | bus | bus | bus | bus | |||
| Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary Resort | 4.5 | Deluxe Villa/Disney Vacation Club | Magic Kingdom | monorail, walk | monorail | bus | bus | |||
| Beach Club Villas | 5 | Deluxe Villa/Disney Vacation Club | EPCOT | bus | walk, ferry | ferry, walk | bus | |||
| Boardwalk Villas | 4 | Deluxe Villa/Disney Vacation Club | EPCOT | bus | walk, ferry | ferry, walk | bus | |||
| Old Key West Resort | 3.5 | Deluxe Villa/Disney Vacation Club | ||||||||
| Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa | 4.5 | Deluxe Villa/Disney Vacation Club | ||||||||
| Villas at Wilderness Lodge | 4.5 | Deluxe Villa/Disney Vacation Club | Magic Kingdom | ferry | bus | bus | bus | |||
| Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel | 3.5 | EPCOT | bus | walk, ferry | ferry, walk | bus | ||||
| Ft. Wilderness Campground | 4.5 | $48 - 93 for a campsite | 10 | internal bus to marina, bus to MK | bus to TTC, monorail to EPCOT | bus to TTC, bus to HS | internal bus to Settlement Depot, bus to AK |
