(Next Best Resort Choices)
NEXT BEST CHOICES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
This site recommends here the Polynesian for those who can afford it, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort for those who can’t.
For those who can’t, or won’t, stay at one of these two resorts, below are the next best options, in order, by price category.
See this for details on the features of the various resort price categories (Deluxe, Moderate, Value).
SUMMARY: BEST WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT CHOICES IN ORDER
(These rankings are very close…)
Moderate resorts (not recommended for first time visitors, see this for why):
(The first four rankings are close, especially 3 and 4.)
(These rankings are NOT close.)
Disney Vacation Club resorts (not recommended for first time visitors, see this for why):
- The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Kidani Village
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, main resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, Treehouse Villas area.
(These rankings are NOT close.)
Campgrounds: (not recommended for first time visitors, see this for why)
WHY THESE ARE THE BEST CHOICES
The thumbnail (click to open, when open click again one or two times to enlarge) shows the basis of these recommendations: the resorts grouped by rankings of convenience and kid appeal.
See this for more on kid appeal, and this for more on convenience.
See this for details on the features of the various resort price categories (Deluxe, Moderate, Value).
REALLY GEEKY SUPPLEMENT
Also see How Many Square Feet in a Square Foot? for a review of Walt Disney World Resort room sizes compared to industry standards.
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
7 comments
Hi, we’re a military family and the WDW Swan and Dolphin are offering discounted rooms at $109-$139. Where do they rank compared to the other resorts?
Thanks!!
Jamie
Jamie–compared to the Disney owned and operated resorts, you are missing access to a couple of perks–Disney’s Dining Plan and Magical Express–but get to use Disney’s transport system and extra magic hours. The Swan and Dolphin are nicer than anything you can get from Disney in that price range, but are not as fun and kid friendly and “Disneyfied” as the Disney resorts. Their shared pools are to die for!
Compared to Shades of Green, you are paying more at S&D than you likely would at Shades, and the rooms are no nicer than those at Shades. Shades is much more convenient to the Magic Kingdom (the S&D are very convenient to Epcot and the Studios). Shades is also missing access to the perks the S&D don’t have. The ambiance of the hotel outside of the rooms is nicer at the Swan and Dolphin than at Shades. You will spend less on food, or not dine as well, depending on how you see it, at Shades compared to the Swan and Dolphin.
Note: if some of these phrases (“extra magic hours”) are a mystery, see the FAQ page!!
Do you know enough on AoA to be able to recommend that vs. Pop Century? The price diff between Polynesian and value resorts is just too much to justify (in my cheap eyes)…at least not when my kids are 5 and 8 and would think any hotel room is awesome
Thanks in advance!
PS: We are thinking of going Oct 26-Nov 2. We have to travel on either a Mon or Fri as Allegiant runs flights straight from our town to Orlando on those days (for about $300 round trip).
Hi Carrie, I expect that I’ll end up rating the 4 person rooms at AofA with, or ahead of, Pop Century…
Carrie–you probably know this, but Allegiant flies into Sanford, which is about 25 miles further away than the Orlando airport (MCO)
I did NOT know that! Thank you!!! I guess we won’t be getting the free shuttle service to and from the airport! Oops!
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