Best Disney World Resorts for Adults – Our Favorite Value, Moderate, Deluxe Hotels

Although many think Disney World is just for kids, I strongly disagree! As a longtime Disney World annual passholder and Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member with no children, I have found many ways to enjoy Disney World as an adult. One of the best ways is to stay at a resort that caters strongly to adults. As much as I love the Disney World theme parks, Disney resort days can be both fun and relaxing if you find the best Disney World resorts for adults!

We have stayed at every Disney World resort, and in this article I will go over our favorite resorts that most strongly cater to adults. Although kids can also enjoy every Disney World resort with the various amenities and recreational activities offered at each, there are some that stand out as being more enjoyable for adults.

Disney World resorts are categorized into value, moderate, and deluxe resorts depending on price. I will rank my top favorite Disney World resorts for adults in each of these categories and tell you why you should consider them for your next adult Disney World trip!

Best Disney World Resorts for Adults – Deluxe Resorts

Honestly, any of Disney World's deluxe level resorts are great options for any adult trip. However, since we are focusing on the best Disney resorts for adults, we picked our top two favorites that both offer unique amenities that all adults will likely enjoy. 

Read our ranking of the best Disney World deluxe resorts. 

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

Disney's Grand Floridian resort usually comes to mind for most people when thinking of Disney resorts. This beautiful Victorian-themed resort is conveniently located along the monorail and has many amazing offerings. Besides the beautiful rooms, restaurants, and classy ambiance of this resort, the Grand Floridian offers several unique options for adults including:

• Grand Floridan Spa: The Grand Floridian Spa is a full-service spa, salon, and health club that is reminiscent of a Florida garden. The spa offers any treatment you could think of including massages, body treatments, facials, nail services, hair services, and more. Guests of the spa also have access to the spa's relaxation room and other amenities including light refreshments, massage chairs, sauna, and a hot tub. The Grand Floridian is one of the only resorts with a full-service spa which makes it a great choice for adults.
• Monorail Bar Crawl: For a fun night out, we recommend trying a “monorail bar crawl.” There are several great bars and lounges located at the various resorts located on the monorail. You can start at the Enchanted Rose lounge on the second floor of the Grand Floridian's lobby to enjoy a drink at the beautiful Beauty and the Beast-inspired lounge. Another lounge located along the monorail's route is my personal favorite, Trader Sam's at the Polynesian Resort. You can also visit the Contemporary Resort's Outer Rim lounge or the Steakhouse 71 lounge for a refreshing beverage. These lounges are all beautiful and uniquely themed, and a monorail bar crawl allows adults to easily try different lounges throughout their vacation without having to drive or pay for a cab.
• Shopping: Aside from the gift shops that are located at all Disney World resorts, the Grand Floridian also has two additional unique stores that cater to adults. Basin White has a location on the second floor of the resort's main lobby. Basin is also located at Disney Springs, however, this is a much more convenient location especially if you are staying at the Grand Floridian. Basin sells a variety of bath and body products including body scrubs, bath bombs, and you can even create your own candle. Many of the products are Disney inspired as well which can make great souvenirs or gifts to take home. Curiouser Clothiers is another unique shop offering more high end Disney souvenirs and clothing, including a wide variety of Tommy Bahama clothing. These souvenirs are more catered to adults, and there is no other shop like it on Disney property.

Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort

Another deluxe resort that in a great location with amenities and beautiful rooms are Disney's Yacht and Beach Club resorts. These resorts have several great options for adults, including:

• Disney's BoardWalk: Both the Yacht and Beach club resorts are located steps away from Disney's BoardWalk. The BoardWalk is a very fun promenade of nightlife for adults to enjoy. You can grab a drink at BoardWalk Joe's Marvelous Margaritas, get a scoop of ice cream at BoardWalk Ice Cream, or hang out at Jellyrolls, a dueling piano bar. 
• Stormalong Bay: The pool area, which is shared by both the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, is a very cool three acre, 750,000 gallon mini waterpark that is fun for both kids and adults. Adults 21 and over can also enjoy the pool bar, Hurricane Hanna's, for drinks and small bites. This unique pool is unlike any of the other resorts and can serve as a fun option for adults during their trip.
• EPCOT and Skyliner Access: Many argue EPCOT is the best resort for adults due to the variety of food and drink options, and guests of the Yacht and Beach club resorts can walk to EPCOT instead of having to wait for any sort of transportation. Additionally, the Skyliner is also conveniently located near these resorts which can take guests to Hollywood Studios and other resorts located along this route. 

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Best Disney World Resorts for Adults – Moderate Resorts

There are only five moderate level resorts offered Disney World, however they are all good options for adults to enjoy and usually much more cost effective compared to staying at deluxe resorts. All of the moderate resorts have sit town restaurants and a nice lounge area to enjoy a drink and quick bites to eat.

Read our ranking of the best Disney World moderate resorts. 

Port Orleans – Riverside or French Quarter

My personal favorite moderate resort is Port Orleans, a New Orleans-inspired resort which offers two properties: Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter. Both resorts are great for adults and have several unique characteristics including:

• Horse-drawn carriage rides: You will see guests taking romantic horse-drawn carriage rides throughout the resort. Port Orleans is the only resort where you can do this, and could be a very fun activity and a nice way to end the evening.
• Boat Ride to Disney Springs: Guests of Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter have the ability to take a complimentary boat ride from their resort to Disney Springs. This is a great perk as parking at Disney Springs can be frustrating on busy nights. It is also much more enjoyable to take a leisurely boat ride than to battle traffic. 
• Beignets: Currently, the only permanent home of beignets is at the Scat's Cat Club café which is located at Port Orleans French Quarter. These are available all day and are an amazing treat not found at any other Disney resort. Scat's Cat also offers delicious coffee and other treats, which makes it a great breakfast or snack option throughout the day.

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

I agree with many people who say Coronado Springs has the feel of a deluxe resort, despite it being considered a moderate resort. Coronado Springs has so much to offer including a large property with several great restaurants, bars, as well as beautiful and spacious rooms. 

The only potential downside of this resort is the location and lack of a strong “Disney theme.” It is located near Animal Kingdom and therefore, is not as conveniently located to most the theme parks and Disney Springs as some of the other resorts. However, you can still take advantage of Disney World's free bus transportation system to visit the parks. 

Coronado Springs has great dining restaurants for both casual and fine dining. Both are table service restaurants and take reservations, which we highly recommend. 

• Toledo: Toledo is fine dining restaurant located at the top of Coronado Springs Resort's Gran Destino tower. It offers a variety of Spanish-inspired foods including tapa, seafood, steak, and more. Not only is the food delicious but the restaurant is beautiful and guests have very cool views from the top of the Gran Destino tower.
• Rix Sports Bar & Grill: For more casual dining, Rix Sports Bar & Grill is a nice spot and still offers great food options. They also have a large bar area with plenty of TVs if you want to have a quick drink. Rix is the only restaurant on Disney property that offers chicken stuffed Mickey waffles for breakfast which are very popular for guests. Rix is conveniently located in Coronado Spring's main building near the gift shop and quick service restaurant. If you are unable to get a reservation for Rix, you can also order food to go to take back to your room or eat at one of many tables at the quick service restaurant. 

• Three Bridges Bar & Grill: This open-air bar and restaurant is located in the middle of the Lago Dorado (“Dorado Lake”). Three Bridges is walk-in only and is open between 4:30PM and 12AM daily. They offer a variety of drinks as well as Spanish-American cuisine. On weekends, they also offer a Sangria University which I HIGHLY recommend for an adults trip. Guests can learn the history of sangria, sample different flavors, and even create your own unique concoctions. 

Best Disney World Resorts for Adults – Value Resorts

I will start off by saying Disney World's value resorts are probably not the best choice for an adults trip if you plan on spending a lot of time at your resort. Since value resorts are cheaper, they tend to attract families with children due to the low cost and perks of staying on Disney World property such as early morning hours and transportation. Additionally, value resorts do not have any table service restaurants or lounges, only a quick service restaurant and walk up pool bar. There are also no hot tubs at any of the value resort pools which may be a deal breaker for some adults when choosing their Disney resort.

All of the value resort rooms have been recently renovated and are very nice to stay in, but they do not have the same feel and comfort of staying in a moderate or deluxe resort. 

Despite the lower amount of amenities for adults, there are two value resorts I recommend for adults based on their location to other restaurants, lounges and nightlife. These resorts include:

• Disney's Pop Century Resort
• Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Read our ranking of the best Disney World value resorts. 

Both Pop Century and Art of Animation are located along Disney's Skyliner transportation system. The Skyliner takes guests between four different resorts, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios. Both the Caribbean Beach and Riviera resorts are also located on the Skyliner route and are moderate and deluxe resorts, respectively.

Therefore, if you stay at either Pop Century or Art of Animation, you can take the Skyliner to either of these resorts to enjoy their restaurants and lounges. You can also take the Skyliner to EPCOT and walk to Disney's BoardWalk, which offers even more restaurants, bars, and nightlife. 

Plan Your Next Disney World Vacation

Be sure to subscribe to our FREE Mickey Visit newsletter for tips and tricks to help plan your next Disney trip. For more resources related to planning your vacation and getting the most out of your visit to the parks, check out these other resources:

• When to Visit Disney World 2024 Disney World Crowd Calendar
• Best Disney World Discounts 2024: Ranking Ticket & Hotel Deals
• Disney World Hotels Reviews 2024: Pros + Cons of Every Walt Disney World Hotel
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