As a travel consultant, I get asked all sorts of questions. They range from easy to answer to let me get back to you on that. Some answers usually come with even more explanation than the client probably bargained for in the first place. One of the toughest questions to answer is, “Which hotel would you choose?” The answer is different for everyone. Every budget, group size, taste, and comfort level, among other things, are different for each client I work with. So, what hotel would I choose? Having been fortunate to go to Walt Disney World as often as I have in my life, I have been able to stay in a wide variety of accommodations over the years. These are my top 5 favorite WDW Resort hotels, at least right now.
5) Disney’s Wilderness Lodge:
From the 7-story lobby that greets you with your own Western theme song echoing in your ears, to the gorgeous soaring stone fireplace that depicts the stratification of the Grand Canyon rock layers, to the geyser that erupts like clockwork, this resort has it all and then some. For me, it boils down to three things: the theme, the pools, and the dining.
This resort is built to resemble the US National Park Lodges, particularly Old Faithful Lodge, and it hits every note. From the log cabin structure to the soaring totem poles that flank the lobby, and the giant 7-story fireplace, you can’t not feel transported. It is relaxing, rustic, and grand all at the same time, and just filled with Disney Magic.
The pools are great. The feature pool, Copper Creek Springs Pool, “starts” in the lobby as a bubbling miniature geyser, and the creek turns into a river that flows over a waterfall, under a footbridge and rushes directly “into” the pool with a little help from some Disney Magic. There is a water slide and separate splash area for kids, all with great views of the Fire Rock Geyser and Bay Lake beyond. Even at its busiest it still feels relaxing. Looking for less crowds? You can wander over to the quiet pool near the Boulder Ridge Villas, and relax in a train-themed quiet pool, complete with cabanas for an afternoon nap.
Then there is the dining. Whether you want a rough and rowdy good time with tasty fare at Whispering Canyon, a quiet drink overlooking Bay Lake complete with delicious modern pub-style food at Geyser Point, or a transportive character meal, at what I feel is the best character dining in WDW, at Artist Point complete with Snow White, a dwarf or two, and of course the Wicked Queen herself, you can’t go wrong with any of the options here.
4) Disney’s Beach Club Resort:
Coming in at number four the Beach Club resort is a nod to the resorts of the New England beaches. The theme here is relaxing, beachy, and comfortably elegant. Like Wilderness Lodge, this resort has both a resort side and a villa side with plenty of accommodations to suit a variety of needs. The standard rooms here are spacious and sleep up to 5 adults.
This resort is also the closest to Epcot. You can almost fall out the back of the resort and into Epcot’s World Showcase via the International Gateway (Epcot’s back entrance). For those festival lovers, this is a great option to be able to enjoy the festivals and then just walk back to your room instead of fighting crowds heading to the transportation options. It works great as an option for New Year’s Eve celebrations too!
The best part about Beach Club, and its sister resort Yacht Club, is Stormalong Bay. Stormalong Bay isn’t just a pool, no, it is a series of sandy bottom pools, a lazy river, a beach, and a huge water slide that starts in the mast of a shipwreck. I’d say it is more of a mini waterpark. It is the one pool on property that is guarded like Fort Knox. If you are not staying at either of the two resorts, Beach Club or Yacht Club, you are not getting in. I’d recommend this resort to anyone who is looking for a resort-only stay, just based on this pool alone.
3) Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House & Kidani Village):
Moving on up in the ranks is Animal Kingdom Lodge. I love this place. This resort is split into two buildings Jambo House, which is the main lodge building, the original, with mostly traditional resort accommodation options, and Kidani Village, which houses only villa-style accommodations and is a bit cozier in feel. Stepping into Jambo House causes a jaw-dropping reaction, much like Wilderness Lodge, with the soaring lobby. As you enter from the porte-cochere, you come in under a low-slung ceiling that opens into this dramatic space with five-story glass windows allowing you to view the savanna and animals outside, a suspension bridge crossing in front and slightly above your view of the windows, and Masai style shields on the chandeliers among just some of its features. I encourage you to go visit even if just to experience that moment of reveal. Kidani doesn’t have the same jaw-dropping feel, it is more of a cozy lobby, but with the same type of windows beckoning you to view the savanna just beyond.
Animal Kingdom Lodge has, what I feel to be, the best food offerings across the board. Whether it is quick service at The Mara, buffet-style dining at Boma, animal views and bread service at Sanaa, or fine dining at Jiko you can’t go wrong with any of these options. The flavors of Africa abound here, and they are amazing! If you’ve got some pickier eaters in your group, but you want to give some of these more exotic flavors a try, I highly recommend Boma. During normal operations, Boma offers a variety of familiar and not-so-familiar options for breakfast and dinner, take as much or as little as you want, and let your palate explore a little knowing that mac and cheese and fried chicken aren’t but a few steps away.
Probably the most exciting accommodations on Disney property are here at Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Savanna View rooms. I challenge you not to want to sit out and watch the animals go about their day rather than watch the Disney Resort Channel over and over. For me, the animals win every time. It is relaxing, and exciting all at the same time. The Savanna View Rooms and the lookouts offer some amazing vistas and make you feel like you're watching your own National Geographic special. It is enough to keep the whole family entertained while in the confines of your own room. Again, like Beach Club, this would be another resort I’d be happy to do a resort-only stay at.
2) Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort:
These last two were a tough choice. Honestly, on any given day I may answer these top two in either order. Right now, Grand Floridian is my number two. Ask me again in an hour and I may say it is number 1, it truly is a toss-up. Grand Floridian used to never be on my radar. It took the flagship moniker away from my beloved Contemporary Resort, and I was honestly a bit bitter. Also, I enjoyed visiting, but felt it was truly out of budget, and that I didn't truly belong there. This couldn't be farther from the truth.
My first stay at the Grand Floridian came in 2017, and it was not the best, but not the worst. I didn't feel the service level was up to par and was honestly disappointed. Fast forward to 2023. My family of 4 decided to try Grand Floridian again, and this time there wasn't a single thing to be disappointed about in the service. It felt special, it felt refined, but somehow it seems also a bit more relaxed post-pandemic than pre. I think it just stopped taking itself so seriously.
The pools here are either quiet or filled with Wonderland Fun, and the best part is you get to choose. The Courtyard pool is the original pool built for the resort when it opened. It only had a "quiet" pool, as this hotel was supposed to be geared towards fancy adults and romance. The Courtyard pool has been updated with zero entry, and a few fun water jets, but is still meant to be more quiet and refined. About the time they built the new DVC building they also included a brand new pool, the Beach Pool. The Beach Pool is great for kids, with a rock outcropping that has a large waterfall rushing over it, and a great slide for kids and adults alike. It also has a Wonderland-themed splash area for little kids, complete with a Mad Hatter bucket that dumps water on those below.
The dining here is mostly fantastic. Citrico's in the main lobby, Narcoosee's by the boat dock, Enchanted Rose Lounge, and of course the Michelin star (2024) and AAA 5Diamond award-winning restaurant, Victoria and Albert's are all amazing and hard to beat. The food at each of these locations is nothing short of fantastic. However, their quick service, Gasparilla Island Grill, leaves a bit to be desired. It may have been the construction that the resort is currently undergoing, but the food there was very underwhelming. Then again, maybe that is just a recent trend with Disney resort quick service locations, who is to say?
1) Disney’s Contemporary Resort:
My number one is Walt Disney World Resort’s original flagship resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort. As a child, I dreamed of staying in this resort, and when I finally was paying for myself, this was the first resort I wanted to stay at, and did. That first visit I stayed in the Main Tower. On that visit, I talked to a Cast Member who clued me in that I could go out to the fire escape at 4 am, and watch all the monorails getting loaded onto the line and travel just feet below me. Needless to say, I spent way too much time watching the monorails when I should have been sleeping. As the hotel the monorails went through, this hotel fascinated me as a child. However, my parents had a love for the Polynesian, and just didn’t dig the Contemporary aesthetic that this hotel has.
Like the Polynesian, this resort is an original and celebrated its 50th Anniversary on October 1, 2021. Having been the flagship resort it was situated in such a way that it has amazing access to Magic Kingdom not only by monorail, but you can walk to and from the Magic Kingdom. That easy access makes this resort amazing with little ones, especially with strollers. I know that you can now walk from the Grand Floridian, and by extension, the Polynesian Village, but this walk is a short 8 minutes, tops. The other walk to the other resorts is at least 12 minutes or more. This resort is also situated in the perfect spot on the resort monorail loop to have your first stop be the Ticket and Transportation Center to easily change over to the Epcot monorail line.
The last reason I love the Contemporary is the food. Currently, my favorite restaurant is The Wave. For the price point, the food is amazing, and the atmosphere is calming, something much needed in Walt Disney World. I also love the view and food from California Grill, the Contemporary’s signature dining experience. It is a bit pricey, but oh so worth every penny for the splurge.
So, what’s your favorite? Did it make my list? Well, whatever option you choose, we at Part of That World Vacations are here to help you when you are ready to travel again. So, what Part of That World would you like to travel to?
Contact Dana Birch at: danabirch@partofthatworld.com
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