I really love the deluxe resorts, but that’s mainly because my family values our pool and rest days, and so these impact our resort choice the most. We spend at least one or even two full days at our resort pool. My kids love swimming and taking part in the fun resort activities, such as Mickey tie-dye, bead collecting, scavenger hunts, pool games, campfires, and more.
For the past 3 years, we stayed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. It’s my family’s favorite resort for several reasons. The food is unique and high quality, with more vegetarian options than most other Disney resorts. The ambience is quiet, yet immersive. It truly feels like you are in the African savanna. As guests, you have access to two large pools, one at the main Jambo House and one at the DVC property, Kidani Village. My kids love the water slides and splash pad area. Unfortunately, Animal Kingdom Lodge seems to get a bad rap due to its location being further from 3 of the 4 parks. And it’s not even close enough to skip the bus transportation to Animal Kingdom. Honestly though, an extra 5-10 minutes on a bus is not enough for us to skip this gem!
Besides Animal Kingdom Lodge, we really enjoy the Polynesian. It’s certainly one of the more expensive resorts, but the location and food options speak for themselves. Being on the monorail line with direct access to Magic Kingdom is worth the extra money. The volcano pool and big kids splash area (the largest on Disney property) is a huge plus. You also have access to the pool and Moana splash pad at the new Polynesian Island Tower as well. Restaurants like Ohana, Kona Cafe, and Captain Cooks make the Polynesian really stand out to outside guests, so keep in mind the lobby here is always busy!
We also enjoy the Beach & Yacht Club. The main reason for this is the location. Being able to walk to Epcot is a huge selling point (it’s our favorite park)! The pool is also the largest and most unique on Disney Property, with a sandy bottom and beach play area for kids, a lazy river, and a huge tunnel waterslide. We do dislike the lack of food options here, there are not as many good quick service eateries.
Other deluxe resorts that I have not mentioned in detail include:
Grand Floridian - Disney’s Victorian-themed hotel and spa that is considered the flagship resort of Walt Disney World.
Contemporary - Disney’s first resort is known for its mid-century modern design and direct access to Magic Kingdom. The monorail goes right through the main tower.
Wilderness Lodge - Inspired by the grand lodge’s of the American National Park Service, this amazing resort is located on Bay Lake, a quick boat ride from Magic Kingdom.
Boardwalk Inn - Inspired by turn-of-the-century Atlantic City, this resort is located right on, you guessed it, the Boardwalk between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It's right next to the Beach and Yacht Club.
Riveria - Disney’s newest DVC resort, located on the skyliner line. The Riveria was inspired by Walt Disney’s travels to Europe and has a unique French themed design and restaurants.
Saratoga Springs - Located next to Disney Springs, this resort is inspired by Saratoga Spring, NY which is known for its horse racing history. One of the largest resorts, it also has the most pools.
Old Key West - Also located next to Disney Springs, this resort is themed after the Florida Keys, offering a tropical island atmosphere with some of the most spacious rooms on Disney property.
For moderate resorts, we enjoy Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans - French Quarter. Caribbean Beach wins in the moderate category due to its location on the skyliner - Disney’s gondola system that connects Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk area resorts. It has a wonderful pirate themed pool, playground for kids, splash pad, and numerous white sandy beaches for littles to play in! One section of rooms have been updated (Trinidad) to Under the Sea Theme, however the other remaining sections are starting to show some age.
Which brings me to mention Port Orleans - French Quarter. This resort already had a lot going for it before the updates, but now that all guest rooms have been refurbished, it’s wonderful! It is located on the Sassagoula River which connects Disney Springs to Port Orleans, Saratoga Springs, and Old Key West Resorts. This resort has a romanticized New Orleans theme, with a sea serpent pool and Mardi Gras themed splash pad for kids. As mentioned earlier, the guest rooms are Disney’s latest refurbishment and turned out very well. French Quarter’s sister resort, Port Orleans Riverside is very similar to French Quarter. It's within walking distance and has a similar price point and amenities. The rooms here are due for a full refurbishment this year.
The fourth moderate resort not mentioned here is Coronado Springs. This resort is really big, has some older buildings, called the village, as well as the new Gran Destino Tower, which has a more upscale moderate - deluxe feel. Coronado is usually the least expensive moderate resort, and caters to a lot of sports teams and convention center guests.
For value resorts, I must say all of the values are pretty much the same type of room, except for Art of Animation. There are 5 value resorts, but 3 of the 5 are considered part of the same property (All Stars)
All Star Music, All Star Movies, and All Star Sports are all the least expensive Disney resorts. These are still just as clean and updated as most of Disney’s other resorts, but they just have basic amenities and are pretty small. The main reason to stay here is to, of course, save money while still being on Disney property! One step up from the all-star resorts is Pop Century. Same room size and layout, but you are located on the skyliner line which, again, is Disney’s gondola system that connects Epcot and Hollywood Studios to some of these resorts.
All of the value resorts, except Art of Animation’s Family Suites, have motel style doors that lead directly outside. This leaves me to talk about Art of Animation. This is the only value resort that has different theming. The basic rooms have a Little Mermaid Theme, the suites have Cars, Lion King, or Nemo themes. Art of Animation is also on the skyliner line and is very popular for families with little kids due to the Disney statues scattered all over the resort. It truly feels like you are walking inside a Disney movie!