When planning a Walt Disney World Resort vacation one of the most difficult factors is selecting a resort. While a majority of the rooms at the Walt Disney World Resort are standard hotel rooms, key factors like location can have a huge impact on your vacation. We’ll start with the Disney World Resorts list below and then take a look at the amenities offered between a value, moderate, deluxe, or villa stay.
Disney World Resorts List
Below is a list of all the resorts you’ll find on Walt Disney World property. Under each location you’ll find a downloadable guide from Disney that offers resort highlights, room floor plans, dining options, and more.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park Resort Area
The following resorts are located within what is considered the Animal Kingdom theme park resort area.
Value
- All-Stars Sports Resort
- All-Star Movies Resort
- All-Star Music Resort
Moderate
- Coronado Springs Resort
Deluxe
- Animal Kingdom Lodge
Browse the guide to the Animal Kingdom Resorts below. Inside you’ll find a summary of each resort with resort maps and layouts of the rooms.
You can download the PDF here if you would like a copy.
Disney Springs Resort Area
These resorts make up the Disney Springs Resort area.
Moderate
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort-Riverside
Disney Vacation Club
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Below you can browse the guide for the Disney Springs Resorts Area. Inside you’ll find a summary of each resort with highlights and blueprints of the different kinds of rooms.
Download a copy of the full PDF here.
Epcot Resort Area
Epcot has its own resort area and is comprised of the following resorts.
Moderate
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Deluxe
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
- Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club
Disney Vacation Club
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
Make sure to download the Epcot Resorts Area guide below.
Download the Epcot Resorts PDF here.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Resorts Area
Value
- Disney’s Art of Animation
- Disney’s Pop Century
You can browse the ESPN Wide World of Sports Resort Area guide here.
Download a copy of the full ESPN Resort Area PDF here.
Magic Kingdom Park Resort Area
Moderate
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Deluxe
- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Polynesian Village Resort
- Wilderness Lodge
- Contemporary Resort
Browse the full Magic Kingdom Park Resort catalog here or download the PDF version below.
Download the full guide to the Magic Kingdom Park Resort area here.
Walt Disney World Resorts List
Each category above lists the different types of Walt Disney World Resorts by location. It’s also important to have a basic overview of what differences you can expect between each category. While some things might seem minimal, an amenity that is important to your group could have more of an impact on your trip than you think.
The categories of Walt Disney World Resorts are as follows:
This chart below provides a great list of resort amenities and what you can expect to find at each resort. Feel free to look over it and we’ll note the items we feel are most important to consider for each category.
Disney Resort Amenities Chart
To complicate matters even further, there are two types of value resorts at Walt Disney World. The first set of values are original and grouped next to each other on large adjoining parcels of real estate. These are the All-Star Resorts. They offer fun, classic characters and theming along the lines of favorite music, movies, and sports.
List of Disney Value Resorts
The All-Star Movie Resort recently came out of a major refurbishment. Anyone staying here should expect to have an updated room similar to the one in the picture below.
All-Star Music is currently under refurbishment. This means that you might be able to get an updated room here, but there are no guarantees. From time to time rates are discounted on rooms where resorts are undergoing refurbishment. The trade off is having to deal with construction which could mean early morning noises and possible other inconveniences. If price wins out, let us check for the best rates available for you here. If not, keep reading and see what other resorts might work best for your family.
All-Star Sports will be the last of the three All-Stars to undergo refurbishment. All of these three value resorts offer bus transportation to the parks, water parks, and Disney Springs. Each resort has its own resort store and food court off the lobby. Additionally, you’ll find feature pools and quiet pools on the grounds of each All-Star Resort. There are no water slides at any of the value resort pools. You will also not find any table service dining at a value resort.
Disney Value Plus Resorts
Since Disney’s Skyliner Gondola first appeared on the scene back in September of 2019, Pop Century and Art of Animation Resort became what is now known as value plus resorts. That’s because the Skyliner system services these two resorts. As we discussed above value resorts typically only offer one form of transportation. Since these two now offer multiple forms of transportation to the theme parks they have become value plus resorts.
The theming for Art of Animation is a lot of fun and they have a variety of different rooms. In fact, I highly recommend discussing with us the possibility of reserving a family suite here if you are a larger group or need a little space to spread out.
Here are a few of the different rooms:
If you would like pricing on an Art of Animation Resort Room fill out a contact form here.
Pop Century is a value resort that sits across Hourglass Lake from Art of Animation. The Disney Skyliner station loads and unloads on the bridge in the middle of the lake. This is a very scenic area and anyone who loves recreational walking or jogging should enjoy spending time here.
Both resorts offer larger-than-life theming around the property. Pop Century is broken down into sections that reflect different decades like the 60s and 70s. A vacation here is like a walk down memory lane.
Pop Century was the first value resort to undergo a refurbishment that came with solid surface flooring. While these rooms are updated they are about three years old now. Here’s what you can expect in a standard room.
Disney Moderate Resorts List
For those that are looking for the vacation that comes in somewhere in the middle, a moderate resort might be the perfect fit. There are several options when it comes to moderate resorts across Disney property. You can stay in a New Orleans-themed resort area with boat access to Disney Springs or hop on the Skyliner everyday from the pirate-themed Caribbean Beach Resort. Or you might just want to relax in a hammock at a resort with a Southwestern feel like Coronado Springs.
Disney’s Port Orleans offers two different resorts. The first is Port Orleans Riverside with a variety of different room types. Port Orleans Riverside is one of the largest resorts at Walt Disney World boasting over 2,000 guest rooms. Both resorts are themed to resemble life in New Orleans. Riverside has two different sections with one representing life on the bayou, while the other reflects Southern style mansions.
Here’s a look at a room located in the Alligator Bayou portion of Port Orleans Riverside.
The southern mansion portion of the resort has standard rooms as well as upgraded rooms like the one in the picture below. This is a Royal Guest Rooms. Any fan of Disney princesses will enjoy a stay here and there’s a bit of a surprise factor as the beds headboards are interactive and light up by the push of a button.
If the thought of staying at a massive resort like Riverside is a bit intimidating, you might want to check into Port Orleans French Quarter. This resort is about a quarter of a mile walk down the “bayou” from Riverside but offers its own bus and water taxi stop.
Our next moderate resort stop is one for all of you pirates and scally-wags out there! The captain of your ship will surely appreciate an upgraded Pirate Room at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Or you might have a family of five and elect to reserve a room that has a pull down bed built in under the TV. Make sure if you are looking for this option to note this to us when you are reserving, so we can get you in the right room category.
Coronado Springs is another beautiful moderate resort that has recently come out of refurbishment. There are several different types of room categories at this resort. You can probably tell in the picture below that these rooms work really well for anyone who might have to work while on vacation.
Coronado Springs doubles as a convention resort, but there’s no need to worry about the lack of amenities here. You’ll find a huge recreation area called The Dig Site at the center of the property featuring a pool with a Mayan pyramid backdrop. Make sure to plan a resort day at The Dig Site if you reserve a vacation here. You won’t regret it!
Anyone looking for that campground style vacation without all the hassle will want to look into a stay at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. We can reserve a cabin, so you won’t have to throw up a tent. But if you like, there are camping sites available here as well!
You have to admit these cabins do look pretty cozy.
Disney Deluxe Resorts List
The largest category of resorts at Walt Disney World are the deluxe resorts. The deluxe resorts with the exception of Animal Kingdom Lodge all offer multiple forms of transportation, and the ability to walk, in some cases, to theme parks. You’ll also find that deluxe resorts offer quick service, table service, and signature dining. Each resort has a very specific, high-end feel. Let’s take a look at the different options.
The Contemporary Resort is an original Walt Disney World Resort and you can’t beat the location, its right next door to Magic Kingdom park. Make sure to ask about the varying categories of rooms here. You can reserve anything from a standard garden room to a club level theme park view.
Imagine waking up to a view of the Grand Floridian, Bay Lake, and Magic Kingdom every morning on your vacation.
The Polynesian is another original resort and quite the popular destination. You will feel as though you’ve stepped onto a tropical island when you stay at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. We recommend a room with a view of Bay Lake and Magic Kingdom in the distance.
When staying at Disney’s Polynesian you have access to the monorail, bus system, and resort boat launch. Having multiple forms of transportation allows for huge time advantages. These types of transportation are also available at the Grand Floridian and Contemporary Resorts.
The Grand Floridian is located next door to the Polynesian and offers a more formal Victorian feel with lots of class. You can spend your spare time lounging by the pool or in the grand lobby of the resort. And if Magic Kingdom feels crowded come back to the resort and watch the nightly fireworks from the beach.
Of course you can come back and watch the nightly fireworks from one of the decks on the Contemporary Resort or from the Polynesian beach as well. It’s just one of the perks of staying on the resort monorail line.
The fourth Magic Kingdom deluxe resort is none other than Wilderness Lodge. You’ll have easy access to Magic Kingdom by boat transportation. But don’t worry, if you prefer not to boat, it’s just a short ride over using Disney’s bus transportation.
Like the other resorts, Wilderness Lodge offers several different categories of rooms. You might get a double queen bed room or a set up with a queen bed and bunkbeds like in this picture. We can also make different special requests when reserving your stay to best accommodate your party.
Moving back over to the Epcot Resorts Area we will take a look at the three resorts you’ll find on Crescent Lake. The first is Disney’s Beach Club which actually shares amenities with the Yacht Club next door. The Beach Club offers soft blue and grey tones and is only foot steps away from Epcot.
If you are traveling with children who like to swim, Disney’s Beach Club might be the best spot for you. The resort’s pool is a mini water park of sorts and offers relaxing hot tubs, a lazy river, and private alcoves. And that’s not to mention the view from Storm-a-Long Bay pool. Relax taking in the scenery of Crescent Lake and Disney’s Boardwalk in the distance.
We love Disney’s Yacht Club and feel that it’s the more masculine of the two sister resorts. The rooms here have a minimal, clean design and if you stay here you will definitely want to upgrade to a water view. Trust me, you’ll thank us later!
Disney’s Yacht Club is also home to one of our top hidden gem dining reservations. Located off the lobby, Ale and Compass has one of the best breakfast deals around, make sure to stop in on your stay.
While the Beach and Yacht Clubs offer a softer style, the Boardwalk is bursting with bright pops of color and classic New England design. You’ll even feel a bit colonial with the lovely blending of formal meets beach here.
These deluxe Epcot Resorts all offer bus transportation as well as boat. You can also walk over to the International Gateway exit at Epcot to hop on the Disney Skyliner. But don’t forget, if you just want to walk, you can. In fact, from any of these three resorts you can walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Our last deluxe resort is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and it takes up residence over by the Animal Kingdom theme park. Since the resort and park are home to many animals, this makes it the furthermost resort on Disney property.
The only downside of this is that they only offer one form of transportation. However, you can get to Animal Kingdom and back in usually less than five minutes. And you should rarely have to wait long for a bus to Animal Kingdom since they are constantly running.
Staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the most pleasant experiences. If you or a family member have a love for animals, you can’t go wrong here. While we don’t always recommend an upgraded view, we do here. Imagine waking up every morning to animals grazing down below. There’s not much else that tops a stay here.
The Animal Kingdom Lodge is also usually the best value as far as pricing goes for a deluxe resort. Contact us here for a quote on your next vacation.
Make sure to check out our Jambo House Deluxe Studio room review.
Disney Vacation Club Resorts & Villas List
Lastly, we have the Disney Vacation Club Resorts and Villas offering a variety of expanded rooms. Some of the rooms here offer a little more room to spread out on your vacation. There are actually three designated Disney Vacation Club Resorts and an additional ten villa resorts located at a few of the Disney deluxe resorts we just discussed above.
Here is the list of resorts for this category:
- Copper Creek Villas and Cabins (Wilderness Lodge)
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Bay Lake Tower (Disney’s Contemporary)
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa & Resort
- Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Jambo House Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Boardwalk Villas at Boardwalk Inn
Wilderness Lodge is home to two different villas. Copper Creek is the newest edition to the resort. You even have the opportunity to reserve a cabin out on the shores of Bay Lake. The sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to staying in the upgraded suites and cabins.
And with rooms like these, you’ll probably end up wanting to stay a little longer.
We could all get used to this kind of Disney luxury resort.
Additionally, we have a full review of the Copper Creek Deluxe Studio here on the site. That review offers pictures from our room and a details about our experience staying at Copper Creek.
Bay Lake Tower stands next to Disney’s Contemporary Resort. There is an open walkway bridge that connects the two resorts on the fourth floor. It’s also a pretty decent spot to take in the nightly fireworks. Ask us travel agents how we know these types of things. Our agents spend a lot of time at Walt Disney World.
Bay Lake Tower stays pretty booked up due to its close proximity to Magic Kingdom. All of the resorts in the DVC and Villas category are only available for reservations at six months (180 days) out. While regular value, moderate, and deluxe resorts can be reserved at 499 days out.
A separate building houses most of the villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian. And the villas here are traditional in a warm and inviting kind of way.
There are also a variety of different villas available for reserving at Disney’s Polynesian. Or you could just go straight for the bungalows. These bungalows sit on the water offering a bit of unexpected privacy and ultimate vacation luxury.
One of our favorite villa categories is Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kidani Village.
Both Kidani and Jambo sit on the same property and there’s about a five minute walk between them.
These resorts offer deluxe studios, one, two, and three bedroom.
The deluxe studio has a small kitchenette area like below with a coffee maker, microwave, and mini fridge. The mini fridge is smaller scale but offers more space and freezer area than a standard room refrigerator.
All of the one, two, and three bedroom villas do have a full kitchen, plus washer and dryer. The bedroom advantage offers privacy and it’s also a nice space to put smaller children to bed earlier.
The Riviera Resort is Walt Disney’s newest resort on property. It opened in December of 2019 and is considered a full Disney Vacation Club resort.
There are a variety of elegant rooms and some unique spaces like this studio below. That sofa in the photo below folds down. Then a Murphy bed comes down from the wall providing a sleeping area.
Make sure to check out the review of our stay in a Deluxe Studio Room at Riviera.
Old Key West will probably offer the best prices for a family wanting to spread out. And as you can imagine this resort makes the perfect stay when traveling with family that might desire to spend a little more time in the room than everyone else.
Anyone who loves easy accessibility to Disney Springs will love Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.
And the golfer in your family will thank you later when you surprise them with a round of golf. Dad probably won’t think Disney is so bad after spending a day midweek on the course.
It’s so nice to either bring groceries with you or have them delivered to your resort. You can save a little money by preparing breakfast in the room or bringing back leftovers for late night snacks.
If you’ve ever wanted to say in a real treehouse? This is your chance. Enjoy water taxi transportation to the surrounding resorts and Disney Springs when you plan a stay here.
Epcot lovers tend to plan their stays at Disney’s Beach Club Villas. The villas here provide a minimal, crisp look that is relaxing to come back to at the end of a busy day.
The space is also nicely configured at these one plus bedroom villas.
Here’s a view in the opposite direction.
Across Crescent Lake from Disney’s Beach Club Villas are the Villas at Boardwalk Inn. Here’s a look at the overall style of rooms you’ll find here.
As you can see there are an abundant amount of resort options to select when reserving your Walt Disney World vacation.
Contact us to begin planning your next vacation. Our seasoned expert travel planners are all knowledgeable when it comes to these resorts and room types.
We promise to help you plan the best vacation possible, without all the stress of planning things for yourself. And remember our services are free of charge to you with no hidden costs. We will save you time, money, and the cost of making unforeseen mistakes when planning your vacation.
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