My Biggest Disney World Room Complaint That You Should Consider

Walt Disney World is massive. This blessing of space has allowed for a ton of growth but also contributed to one of my biggest complaints about the resort hotels.

With the huge amount of open space, Disney was able to build sprawling resort properties that allowed them to go wide instead of tall. Though some of the hotels have central towers, all of the resorts have buildings with rooms that stretch far out away from the central lobby area which turns into a big inconvenience.

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My Biggest Disney World Resort Complaint

My biggest complaint about resort rooms at Walt Disney World is the possibility of a very long walk from the front of the resort to a hotel room.

After a long day out in the parks, the last thing that you want to do is walk another 5-10 minutes just to get back to your hotel room. Sometimes this walk is indoors – at the higher tier of resorts – and sometimes the walk is outdoors, exposed to the elements.

This issue was accentuated to me during my most recent trip where I stayed at both Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort. On both occasions my room itself was great. They were recently refurbished and comfortable, but they were in one instance the furthest possible room and nearly the furthest possible from the lobby.

At the Contemporary, I was in the far corner room at the end of the garden wing hallway and at the All-Star Sports Resort, I was three rooms in from the end of the country music building which is the furthest. When I arrived at check-in for All-Star Sports it was the middle of a Central Florida rain storm. So, I hustled along the outside walkway next to the pool area to get to my room and escape the rain.

Probably the most dramatic example of this inconvenience comes to mind during a stay at Port Orleans-Riverside Resort. On our way back to our rooms after grabbing our mobile order, it started downpouring out of nowhere and we were trapped in the storm during this long hike to our room. By the time we ran back to our room all the paper containers and paper bags our food was in had disintegrated and we were just like holding loose fries and burgers in our hands. Not the best experience!

This isn’t a “problem” that is just associated with these two hotels. It is common across Walt Disney World and frankly common at many vacation destination resort hotels around the world that were built out with fewer floors and instead further sprawled out buildings.

In fact, I just ran into this same issue at Disneyland when staying at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. I was all the way at the end of the hallway closest to the Disneyland esplanade. This room was a treat with a fantastic view into the two theme parks, but it was quite a hike to get back to the lobby and then double back to get through security.

So, what can you do about this problem? Generally, this problem will be common at a majority of hotels but there is something you can do to avoid it in most cases.

Pay for the Preferred Room

One of the benefits of paying the extra nightly rate for a preferred room is to get a room that is closer to all the action. But make sure you select a preferred room that is considered preferred because of close access, not just for a scenic view.

I think it is always worth the price to pay for a preferred room especially if you are staying at a resort known for its size. But even if you opt for this at a smaller resort, you can end up with a crazy good location. We paid for a preferred room at Pop Century Resort and were literally in front of the main feature pool which was so convenient that we felt so spoiled.

Try to Request a Nearby Room

Room requests are never guaranteed but you might get lucky with a room that is closer to the main lobby, transportation, or other important areas of the resort. There is no request option for this on the My Experience App, you would have to check-in at the front desk and verbally make this request. But keep in mind, that you are requesting something that is often a paid perk so do not be surprised if they can’t accommodate you. But at the very least, they might be able to avoid putting you at the furthest corner of the resort!

Another option is to use the Touring Plans room request service which is included with their paid subscription. Essentially you can look through their directory of Walt Disney World resort hotels to pick a room number and then request it through their service. Touring Plans will then reach out to Disney (usually through fax) and request your specific room. It’s not guaranteed but when I used it in the past, I ended up in the exact room that I requested.

Some Resorts Offer a Better Layout

There are some hotels that are built in more of the high-rise style. We like Disney’s Gran Destino Tower for this reason though you can run into conferences and cheer competition crowds there. We also like the Dolphin Reserve Hotel which I don’t think gets nearly enough mention as a hotel that is fairly priced but includes the perks of a deluxe Disney World resort.

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Pop Century Resort is also known for being a smaller resort and this is one of the reasons this is our favorite value resort. Even if you do not book a preferred room, you will be within a short walking distance to either the lobby or the Disney Skyliner which is a great perk. Even the buildings furthest away are still a relatively short walk.

Avoid Far Away Themed Rooms

Another thing to keep in mind is to avoid well-known rooms that are far away from the transportation, lobby, and other amenities.

For example, the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans-Riverside Resort are located at a far distance from the central hub of Port Orleans. If you want to stay in these themed rooms, which are pretty awesome, then you are sacrificing a shorter distance.

Another example is The Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation which are in the building furthest away from the main lobby and transportation. This is often the biggest complaint of those rooms which are also the only standard rooms at that resort as the rest are family suites.

To avoid this issue, the best you can do is not book rooms that are known for their distance and pay for the benefit of a preferred room which is often worth it!

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