Hi guys! I get so many questions from people that are overwhelmed when choosing a hotel on Disney property. There are lots of things to consider, so I thought I’d break it down for you all! #1. Price The most obvious is price. I think it goes without saying, but the value resorts are the least expensive; the deluxe are the most expensive; the moderates are in the middle. Beyond that, though, are a couple other details…. See number 2. ![]() #2. Art of Animation Everyone seems to be interested in it! First, it is more expensive than the other value resorts. When you compare apples to apples (meaning, a standard room at Art of Animation versus a standard room at another value) it isn’t that much more, but it is more. Second, the standard Little Mermaid rooms are never eligible for discounts when they are released. Now that I put that in writing I’m sure something will change and I’ll kick myself for saying it, but up until this point, it has always been excluded from discounts/promotions. The family suites (which cost significantly more than the standard rooms) are eligible for discounts, though. There are also different prices within the family suite category. The Lion King and Cars themed suites are usually one price, while the Finding Nemo suites are a little bit more. #3 Groups larger than 4 people Another potentially sticky point. You may be fine cramming 17 people into a regular hotel room, but Disney isn’t okay with it. It’s beyond the maximum capacity, which is set due to fire code. Don’t think you can get away with sneaking additional people in, either. They have to be registered for legal purposes, and beyond that, you can’t have park tickets and room access on your Magic Band without the resort knowing about it. So, where can you stay if you have more than 4 people? In the value category, the following have only standard rooms: Pop Century, All-Star Sports and All-Star Movies. These rooms have a maximum capacity of 4 people, plus an additional person age 2 and under. All-Star Music and Art of Animation have standard rooms (with the same capacity as above) and family suites. The suites can hold up to 6 people, with an additional person age 2 and under. Typically, the less expensive option for larger groups wanting to stay in the value category, is to get two standard rooms, rather than a family suite. You can always request connecting/adjoining rooms, though it usually isn’t guaranteed by Disney (they do try their best to accommodate, though!). There are certain circumstances in which they will guarantee connecting rooms, but it is often just when you have two adults and more children than will fit in a single room. In the moderate category, Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans Riverside have rooms that can hold 5 people (again, with an additional person age 2 and under). The bed for the fifth person is a bunk-size (30” wide x 63” long) pull down bed, which is designed for children under the age of 11, but since everybody’s different, it’s up to you to make sure your child will fit! The majority of rooms at Coronado Springs hold 2 or 4 people (with an additional person age 2 and under… wonder how many times I can say that in one blog post?). They also have family suites that can sleep up to 6, but they are quite a bit more expensive. Port Orleans French Quarter, the last moderate resort, only has rooms that hold 2 or 4 people (with an additional person under the age of 2). At the deluxe resorts, you have club level and non-club level rooms. For non-club level rooms, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge have a maximum capacity of 4 people. The non-club level rooms at Beach Club, BoardWalk Inn, the Contemporary, Polynesian Village, Yacht Club and Grand Floridian Resorts all have rooms that can hold anywhere from 2-5 people (with an additional person age 2 and under). The club level rooms have varying capacities depending on the room type. The maximum capacities for club level rooms are as follows: Animal Kingdom Lodge - 6 (or 8 if you get a suite), Beach Club – 5 (or 7 if you get a suite), BoardWalk Inn- 6, Contemporary – 5 (or 8 if you get a suite), Polynesian Village Resort – 5, Wilderness Lodge – 6, Yacht Club – 5, and lastly, the Grand Floridian – 5 (or 8 if you get a suite). And, for what I hope is the last time in this post, plus an additional person age 2 and under. There are also the villas, which are Disney Vacation Club properties, which are designed for larger groups. While you don’t have to be a Disney Vacation Club member to stay in one of the villas, they get first dibs. I think this is a separate blog post entirely! #4. Bed choices This is another one that a lot of people seem to care a lot about. Here are your bedding options:
A lot of people hear about queen beds that I haven’t listed above. These are in accessible rooms (meant for people in wheelchairs). Again, you can request it, but it isn’t guaranteed. If you actually need it, that’s a whole different ballgame. #5. Discounted rooms
Another major request…. Everybody wants a discount/promotion! Like I mentioned above, the standard Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation are not eligible for discounts or promotions. Additionally, all rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter are excluded from discounts and promotions. There are also more restrictions within the villas, but again, I think I’ll save that for another post. People always want to know when discounts will be released. First, let me say, we don’t know! Disney does not tell us when they will release discounts, nor what travel dates they are for. Second, I always have to be a parade-rainer-onner and mention that they said they would cut back on discounts, and they have! You can search online to see what discounts they’ve released in the past, but even if they released one for the last 328 years, it doesn’t mean they will this year. I really like this list: Historical Disney World Discounts. Something they don’t tell you is the number of discounted rooms available. They may say a certain resort is eligible for a discount, when in reality only one room in that resort is eligible. The best chance of getting a discount is to a) not stay at Port Orleans French Quarter or in a standard room at Art of Animation; and b) go when it is less crowded. Remember, the purpose of discounts is to get people on property. They are not going to release a promotion during Christmas, which is the busiest time of year. The least crowded times of year are when school is in session. It isn’t an exact science, but I’ve used this crowd prediction calendar before, and found it useful: Crowd Prediction Calendar There you have it. More information than you ever cared to know about choosing a hotel on Disney World property. I hope you found it helpful! Happy planning! Comments are closed.
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AuthorBrittany is a Disney fanatic and an agent with Magical Journeys Travel. As a College of Disney Knowledge graduate, she has plenty of expert tips to share. Brittany can help you plan a spectacular Disney vacation and ensure you get the best deal possible... for free! Archives
October 2023
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