How to Choose Perfect Walt Disney World Accommodations

Grand Floridian – the ultimate Relaxers’ accommodation!

Finding the perfect accommodations for your family’s Walt Disney World adventure can take your trip from great to the ultimate vacation.

What makes for the perfect accommodations?

It all depends upon your family’s Disney traveling style.

Traveling style will be a major deciding factor in how your trip plays out. Fitting your accommodations to your family’s Disney traveling style will go far in making for that ultimate vacation.

In other words, staying somewhere that fits your family’s style will make for the perfect Walt Disney World accommodations.

What in the world is a Walt Disney World traveling style?

While every family is different, we like to think of Walt Disney World family travel styles on a continuum from Marathoners on one end to Relaxers on the other.

A Relaxer in his natural habitat – on the beach at the Polynesian.

On the one end, Marathoners are out of the room before the parks open, and don’t come back until well after dark. They are asleep as soon as they hit the pillow, and do it all over the next day.

They thrive on seeing all there is to see, or at least making a valiant effort.

Lobby at the Art of Animation, a perfect spot for the Marathoners

On the other end, Relaxers spend part of the day at the parks, but really enjoy lounging by the pool daily, with the parents enjoying a drink or two, and the kids taking in all the organized activities in and around the Disney resort pools.

Marathoners and Relaxers – those are the two extremes.

Your family probably falls somewhere in between. Let us give you an example:

Our family epitomizes the Relaxers style.

Some Relaxer kids splashing in the Yacht Club’s pool complex

When visiting Walt Disney World, we love to enjoy the parks in the morning, but we’re always back at the resort by early afternoon.

We enjoy lounging by the pool for hours, and head back to the parks in the evening for leisurely strolls and sight-seeing. We also love to build in lots of free-time and a resort-only day, if possible.

The Contemporary – another Relaxer pick

This style makes the Walt Disney World resort hotels closest to the parks, and with the largest pool complexes, perfect for us.

Our first choices tend to be the Yacht or Beach Club, and the Polynesian.

Why?

While these are more expensive choices, we can always adjust other expenses to fit our budget – and you can too if you tend toward the Relaxers end (just ask us how).

The proximity to the parks and the excellent pools are worth the extra cost.

Relaxers roasting marshmallows at the Beach Club – a ten minute walk from Epcot!

We have friends and clients, though, that epitomize the Marathoners’ perspective.

They love to hit the parks as early as possible. Every meal is a sit-down experience, strictly scheduled and in the parks. They don’t even see the resort until well after the fireworks and everyone is asleep within 10 minutes of getting back to the room.

Port Orleans – a great Marathoners get-away

The resort has a pool?

Some Marathoners’ spots do have great pools – here’s a pool at the Art of Animation

They don’t even notice as they are too busy taking in everything. First choices resorts might be the Art of Animation, the All Star Resorts, Coronado Springs, or Port Orleans.

Why?

The cost is lower, at least partly because these resorts are farther from the parks. But, because of the Marathoners’ style, that doesn’t matter – they’re not going to be returning to the resort until it’s time for bed anyway.

Some Marathoners might even be just as happy with off-property non-Disney accommodations. And, they are saving money because they are not paying for something that is not important to them.

Lobby at Coronado Springs – an ideal accommodation for Marathoners

Walt Disney World divides its hotel resorts into three categories: Deluxe, Moderate, and Value.

Part of the distinction is, of course, swankiness (or what ever adjective suits you), but a significant element of the distinctions is proximity to the parks. The Deluxe hotels are often within a short walk, boat ride, or monorail ride away from the parks.

You can come and go easily.

Moderate and Value resorts almost always require a bus ride to visit the parks. That said, Moderate and Value resort hotels can be much less expensive.

Relaxer sisters headed into the Yacht Club on a rainy day

Walt Disney World also has villas and campgrounds on property in Florida. Let us know if you’re interested in these and we’ll talk it through with you.

Start your planning for that Disney vacation by considering your family’s Disney traveling style.

Most families are going to fall somewhere in between the hard-core Marathoners and the leisure-loving Relaxers.

That’s OK.

Just use the extremes as a guide to choosing the right accommodations for you and your family.

Marathoners – consider the Moderate and Value resorts.

Relaxers – consider the Deluxe resorts closest to your favorite parks.

Don’t hesitate to drop us a line or give us a call with any questions!

As always:

Relax…you CAN get there from here!