OVERVIEW
This site recommends you stay in the deluxe resort Disney’s Polynesian Resort if you can afford it, or at the value resort Disney’s Art of Animation Resort if you cannot.
Three other resort categories exist:
- Disney Vacation Club Resorts
- The campsites and cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- The moderate resorts
While wonderful for trips after your first, none of these other categories is recommended for your first family trip.
THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB RESORTS
The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resorts are expensive, and neither as convenient nor as kid-appealing as the Polynesian, their price comparator.
Their distinctive characteristics (for rooms other than studios) are extra space and full kitchens. These just aren’t of much value to first time visitors who aren’t sure if they’ll ever return, who will be spending most of their time outside their rooms!
(A couple of exceptions: the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and the Jambo House Villas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge have terrific kid appeal. Kidani Village has substantial kid appeal, but a little less than Jambo House.)
They do make sense for large families, and/or those seeking spacious accommodations. See this for large families; see this for more on the DVC resorts. For the most comfortable options, see this.
FORT WILDERNESS
The campsites and cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort are neither as convenient nor as kid-appealing as Disney’s Pop Century Resort or the moderates, their appropriate comparators.
THE MODERATE RESORTS
The moderates unquestionably are much more appealing to adults than Art of Animation (and the other value resorts).
Their rooms are almost 2 feet longer and a foot wider than at the values, and the bedroom spaces are actually larger than those at some Disney deluxe resorts: see this.
Moreover, at most of the moderates you now get queen beds–a welcome change from only a few years ago, when they all had full beds (Some Caribbean Beach rooms still have full beds).
The moderates have more amenities than the values, and, to an adult’s eyes, much better landscaping and exterior design.
Even so, the moderate resorts are not a better choice for your first family trip than the values, even if you could easily afford them. The issue is that alternatives have a lot more kid appeal.
If you could afford the moderates, a more kid-appealing and convenient itinerary would be to spend the first 5 nights of your trip at the wildly kid-appealing value resort Art of Animation, and the last 3 at Disney’s stunningly kid-appealing deluxe resort the Wilderness Lodge.
This approach costs you ~$150 more (total!) than staying at the moderates for 8 nights, but is much more convenient and kid-appealing.
(Note: do not reverse the order here–don’t go to the Wilderness Lodge first, and then to Art of Animation–or you will hear no end of complaining from your family…!)
MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
- For where to stay, see this
- For your next best choices, in order, see this
- For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
- For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
- For where not to stay, see this
- For what you get in each resort price category, see this
- For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
- For resort reviews, see this
- For the value resorts, see this
- For the moderate resorts, see this
- For the deluxe resorts, see this
- For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
- For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this
- For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this
- Military/DOD families should look at this
- Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this