Sometimes you want a magical Walt Disney World vacation, but when you head back to your room, you just want to be away from the theme park intensity for a bit. It can be all so very overwhelming at times. So, what can you do when you want to relax and get a bit more secluded as a family when back in your room? You turn to your friendly Part of That World Vacations Travel Consultant and ask them which rooms at Walt Disney World offer a more relaxed magical feel. This isn’t an exhaustive list, and some of you may disagree, but these are my recommendations for those who want a bit more seclusion in the middle of the magic.
5) Old Key West 1, and 2 Bedroom Villas and 3 Bedroom Grand Villas
Yes, I’m going to be taking some liberties here on numbers but let’s talk about the amazing 1-3-bedroom villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This resort is huge and sprawling, so it is easy to step away from the intensity of the parks. However, the rooms themselves are so spacious you could even hide away from your family members. Ranging from 942sq ft for a 1-bedroom villa to just over 2300sq ft for a 3-bedroom Grand Villa these home-away-from-home style villas are so amazingly large. They include full-sized kitchens with all the amenities of home so you can make your own meals, and in-room washer and dryer to clean up any messes. They sleep either 5, 9, or 12 adults plus 1 infant in a pack-n-play that is part of the amenities of the villa. The price point is also one of the best for rooms of this size at Walt Disney World, usually on the lower end of villa pricing. However, you may want to rent or drive your car, the bus system can be a bit of a challenge with 4 bus stops servicing this resort, and an internal bus to take you to the main Hospitality House for dining and shopping.
4) Saratoga Springs Resort Treehouse Villas
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort is another sprawling resort with more large villas like Old Key West, but the most unique and quiet option here is the Treehouse Villas. These villas are on “stilts” and are a bit of vintage Disney. They sleep 9 adults plus 1 infant in a pack-n-play. These villas have 3 bedrooms, a large outdoor deck, a full-size kitchen, and a washer and dryer. They are secluded and private with a small quiet pool shared between all 60 individual Treehouse Units. Again, this resort room option would be best if you have access to a car, as the bus service for this resort is quite large and has a separate bus from the Treehouses to get back to the main bus loop and transfer to the buses to the parks.
3) Fort Wilderness Resort Cabins
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort has some of the most unique accommodation options including camping. It’s the cabins here that are the real stars. These 1-bedroom trailer-style buildings sleep 6 adults plus an infant and feature a full kitchen. They are pet-friendly, so you can even bring up to two dogs along on the trip, and as part of Fort Wilderness they offer easier access to the Magic Kingdom by boat, should you want to venture out. These cabins have been officially brought into the Disney Villa fold, and are currently being completely replaced/renovated one cabin at a time. Great for a family looking to rough it in style in the Disney Wilderness. Transportation in and around the resort can be a bit tricky. Boats take you to the Magic Kingdom and its surrounding resorts from the boat dock, and busses can take you anywhere else. You can also rent a golf cart to get around the Resort and Campground. Disney rents them on a per day, first come, first serve basis. You’d still probably want to have a car, which, unlike the campground areas of Fort Wilderness, you can park at your cabin. There is also no in-room washer and dryer, and the rooms overall are a bit smaller than the larger villas, but for the price point you can’t beat the space.
2) Polynesian Village Resort Bora Bora Bungalows
My number two location to enjoy more relaxed magic with your family at Walt Disney World is the Bora Bora Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Each cabin has two bedrooms and two full bathrooms and sleeps 8 adults plus one infant in a pack-n-play which again, like all the villas is provided as part of the accommodations. Again, as with all the other 1-3-bedroom Villas, it has a full kitchen and in-room washer and dryer. For me, the view alone is worth every penny of this very pricey accommodation option. There is no more amazing time that can be spent at Walt Disney World than sitting in your private plunge pool, on your private deck, overlooking Disney’s Seven Seas Lagoon, and the spires of Cinderella Castle rising up on the other side. Other than the price point being on the high side, they can be a bit noisy both inside, as it does tend to echo and the ejector pump can be loud, and outside with the boat horns as they dock. The bungalows are a short walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center or the Great Ceremonial House for Monorail access to the Magic Kingdom and the surrounding resorts. You could also catch the Ferry at the Transporation and Ticket Center to get to Magic Kingdom or utilize the resort's boat dock for resort-only boat transport to the Grand Floridian or Magic Kingdom. Bus service is still available in all other areas.
1) Copper Creek Cascade Cabins
Here again, we have cabins, but these are no frontier-style accommodations, this is glamping in style, and with every modern luxury. First off, these cabins line the shore of Bay Lake at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and they offer all the benefits of staying at that resort. These villas share many of the similarities to the Polynesian Village Resort Bungalows, but their location at the Wilderness Lodge Resort puts them at the top of my list. These accommodations are beautiful with light and airy modern rustic décor. Each cabin has a full kitchen, a large living/dining area, and an in-room washer and dryer. What makes these cabins unique is the indoor-outdoor gas fireplace and the surround of an enclosed porch which boasts a seating area, eating area, and a private hot tub overlooking Bay Lake. It is this amazing enclosed porch facing the waterway or Bay Lake that really makes these Cabins a perfect spot for more relaxed magic. We loved the privacy, and yet the fun of waiving to the boats as they travel past your cabin. You may even get a great view of the Electrical Water Pageant performed nightly on Bay Lake depending on which cabin you get assigned. While transportation here is not an issue like at some of the other options on this list, as you have full access to both the boats and busses at Wilderness Lodge and you don’t really need a car, the price point can be prohibitive to some, but it tends to be less than the Polynesian Village Bungalows. I feel that the pros outweigh the cons.
Honorable Mention: Animal Kingdom Lodge 1-3 Bedroom Villas
I have one honorable mention, and that is any of the 1 Bedroom or larger Villas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, preferably with a Savanna View in the Kidani Village section. As with Disney's Old Key West, these villas are LARGE and include full kitchens, in-room washer and dryer, some include an extra bathroom in the 1 and 2-bedroom villas, and some also allow your car to be parked directly below you in a covered parking area. My main reason for including these is the amazing view you can have in a Savanna View room. You can give your family their own “private” zoo while enjoying some more relaxing magic in these well-appointed and spacious villas.
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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