Hotels Walt Disney World Florida

Hotels, Motels, Inn, Lodge and Resorts in Walt Disney World Florida.

At the Walt Disney World Resort you can explore human innovation and cooperation; enjoy rides both thrilling and enchanting; relax and recuperate on the beach or the golf course; and discover an entire resort where children and adults can have fun—together.

Walt Disney World, located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando, is the flagship of Disney's worldwide theme park empire. It is, by far, the most popular theme park resort in the world. Some visitors describe it as a place of magic, wonder, and fantasy; others speak of fun, excitement, and relaxation; and still others complain of crowds, artifice, and unrelenting tackiness. As with most things, the essence of Walt Disney World lies near the intersection of those three views.

One of the most important choices you must make when planning a Walt Disney World vacation is whether to stay on-site at one of the famed Disney resorts, or off-site at one of countless less expensive but more traditional hotels.

For many visitors, a vital part of the Walt Disney World "experience" is staying at one of the 23 Disney-owned and -operated resorts. Each and every one of the Disney resorts is strongly themed, impeccably maintained, and a vacation experience all to itself. Although none of the resorts can really be called cheap—in fact, most of them are luxurious and priced accordingly—the least expensive resorts have rooms for as little as $82 a night in the off-season.

Perhaps the greatest perk of staying at Disney's Contemporary Resort is the monorail station located conveniently in the atrium.
Perhaps the greatest perk of staying at Disney's Contemporary Resort is the monorail station located conveniently in the atrium.

There are a number of perks that are available only to Disney resort hotel guests:
Free shuttle to and from Orlando International Airport with Disney's Magical Express
Your Key to the World card serves as your room key, park ticket, and room-charge card all in one
Extra Magic Hours – Extra morning and evening hours at selected parks
Free and convenient access to the parks via Disney transportation: motor coach, monorail, or water taxis
Your hotel is only a quick trip away, allowing you to leave the parks when the crowds (or the sun) get to be too much and take a nap or go for a dip in one of the hotel pools
Free parking at the parks if you choose to drive
Guaranteed admission to the parks (during the busiest of peak times, a park may (rarely) fill up and even guests with tickets may be turned away, but Disney resort guests will still be able to get in)
Eligibility for the Disney Dining Plan, which can save money on dining throughout the property
Ability to make advance dining reservations for your entire trip as early as 180 days before you arrive
Disney Cast Members available to answer your questions
Free package delivery from Disney-operated retail stores to your hotel
Free taxi service to the golf courses, if you don't have your own car
Unique Disney-style resort entertainment and theming

On the other hand, staying off-property can have its own perks. Lodging and food costs are indisputably cheaper—often significantly so, with frequent discounts. You can book condos or home rentals for large groups, which allows you to cook meals making dining costs even cheaper and lodging costs very cheap. Many off-site resorts do have shuttle service to the Disney parks, although the service can be limited, potentially inconvenient, and may carry a fee.

One possible compromise between the two approaches is to stay at the Walt Disney World Swan or Walt Disney World Dolphin, which offer a more traditional hotel experience with most of the Disney resort benefits available. Another option is to stay at a hotel in the Downtown Disney Hotel Plaza; they're fairly generic and have few Disney amenities, but they're just across the street from Downtown Disney.
Disney resorts

Disney price seasons

Value
January to mid-February; mid-July to September; early December
Regular
late April to mid-July; October and November
Peak
mid-February to mid-April
Summer
(value resorts only) late May to early August
Holiday
late December

Disney has created an incredible variety of themed resorts over the years, each one offering a unique experience to guests, ranging from the basic services and colorful decor at the three All-Star resorts, to the opulence and luxury of the Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, to the rustic, wooded charm of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

Check-in time at Disney resorts is 3PM (4PM for the All-Star Resorts), and check-out time is 11AM—but don't fret if your flight schedule doesn't match up. You can do an early check-in starting at 8AM; leave your bags with bell services and they'll be delivered to your room when it's ready. You'll get your Key to the World card, so you can go enjoy the parks right away. Likewise at check-out; you can get into the parks all day on the day of your departure, so just leave your bags with bell services and pick them up before you leave for the airport.

Please see each district's Sleep section for details on individual hotels.

Please note that all Disney hotel rooms and other indoor areas are 100% smoke-free.
Budget

Disney classifies their cheapest options as Value resorts. These resorts are great for guests with a limited budget, or for families with young kids on whom the sophisticated theming and amenities at the other resorts would be wasted. Prices (one room, two adults and two children) range from $82/night for a standard room in the value season to $160/night for a preferred room during Christmas week. There is a $10 fee for each adult beyond two per room.

The Value resorts have basic rooms with exterior entrances and minimal amenities. The theming is bold and colorful—kids love the larger-than-life decorations—but not particularly evocative of any particular environment. Hotel amenities include food courts and swimming pools, but no sit-down restaurants or other on-site recreation options.

The Value resorts are All-Star Movies, All-Star Sports, and All-Star Music near Animal Kingdom; and Pop Century near Hollywood Studios.

If you have a tent, camper, or motorhome, perhaps the best value on Disney property is at Fort Wilderness (near the Magic Kingdom), where you can rent a campsite for as little as $43 a night.
Mid-range

These are Disney's Moderate resorts. Guests who want the full Disney resort experience without paying for the extra luxuries and amenities at the Deluxe resorts will be more than satisfied by the Moderate resorts. Prices (one room, two adults and two children) range from $149/night for a standard room in the value season to $250/night for a preferred room during Christmas week. Prices can go even higher for the new pirate-themed rooms at Caribbean Beach and club-level rooms and suites at Coronado Springs. There is a $15 fee for each adult beyond two per room.

The Moderate resorts have basic rooms with exterior entrances. The theming is straightforward but fun and evocative of the appropriate time and place, from the Louisiana bayou at Port Orleans-Riverside to the warm Caribbean colors of the Caribbean Beach. Hotel amenities include food courts, sit-down restaurants (usually), limited room service, swimming pools with extras (such as a slide), and some on-site recreation activities.

The Moderate resorts are Caribbean Beach near Hollywood Studios; Port Orleans-Riverside and Port Orleans-French Quarter near Downtown Disney; and Coronado Springs near Animal Kingdom.
Splurge

Disney's Deluxe resorts and the Deluxe villas fall into this category, the largest by far.
Deluxe resorts

The Deluxe resorts are for guests who want the ultimate in Disney hospitality, with luxury-hotel amenities and signature Disney experiences. Prices in this category vary widely. Some basic rooms can be had for as little as $240 a night in the value season, but more commonly start at $355/night and go up to $835 or more for the best single rooms. Luxurious suites are available at most of the resorts, starting at over $1,000/night and going up from there. There is a $25 fee for each adult beyond two per room.

Deluxe resorts feature well-appointed rooms with interior entrances and extensive theming to match the resort. A Deluxe resort's decor is evocative and all-encompassing, with as much attention paid to detail as at any of the Disney theme parks. Hotel amenities include multiple full-service and casual restaurants, often with character dining; full room service; extensive pool and beach facilities with plenty of extras; numerous on-site recreation activities; and valet parking.

The Deluxe resorts are the Contemporary, the Wilderness Lodge, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian near the Magic Kingdom; the Boardwalk Inn, the Yacht Club, and the Beach Club near Epcot, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge near Animal Kingdom.

The rental cabins at Fort Wilderness (near the Magic Kingdom) have full kitchens, plumbing, and maid service. They sleep six for $265–$410 a night.
Deluxe villas

The Deluxe villas were created to be part of the Disney Vacation Club, a time-share program created by Disney, but when DVC members aren't using them, they're open to the general public. The villas offer a more "home-away-from-home" feel, with studios and one-, two-, and even three-bedroom suites available. Prices range from $295/night for a studio at Old Key West or Saratoga Springs during the value season to $2,215/night for a three-bedroom Grand Villa at the Boardwalk or Beach Club Villas during Christmas week. If that price seems astonishing, consider that those villas sleep twelve people!

Studios have a kitchenette; the suites have full kitchens, and the largest ones, Grand Villas, have full dining rooms. Most of the DVC resorts are attached to one of Disney's Deluxe resorts, sharing amenities with the "parent" resort; the others (Old Key West and Saratoga Springs) are standalone but have comparable amenities. Info from wikitravel.org