Top 5 Disney World Hotels for Kids: Great Pools, Disney Themes, Easy Transportation
If you’re looking to plan your children’s first trip to Disney World (or repeat trips!) then you might want to consider staying at a hotel they’ll remember for a lifetime. The on-site Disney World resort hotels have a large variety of themes, pools, restaurants, and fun transportation options like the Disney skyliner. Here’s our top choices for Disney World hotels for kids that will help make your trip magical from the instant you check in to your room!
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1. All-Star Movies Resort
Disney World’s All-Star Movies resort is one of our top choices for Disney World hotels for kids because of it’s affordable price and great theme! The All-Star Movies Resort is one of the three value resort properties that feature larger than life themes (like the oversized Toy Story figures seen above!) which is sure to excite kids as they’re instantly immersed in the Disney magic. Kids will recognize many of the movies incorporated into this hotel such as Toy Story, Fantasia!, 101 Dalmatians, The Mighty Ducks, and Herbie: The Love Bug. It’s also the most recent All-Star hotel to go through a full room renovation so you can expect up to date furnishings in your hotel room.
The two main themed pools are the Fantasia Pool (the largest pool in the resort) and the Duck Pond Pool in the Mighty Ducks area of the resort. Since this hotel is considered a value hotel, you won’t find any water slides or hot tubs at these pools but both are spacious enough to accommodate the families that stay in this resort. The Fantasia Pool is the main pool in the resort featuring Mickey in his sorcerer’s outfit and has its own pool bar with snacks and drinks.
There are no table service restaurants located on any of the value resort properties but all of the All-Star resorts have a large food court style option. For families traveling with kids, especially if you have some picky eaters in your group, this is the best way to tackle on-site dining since these food courts have something for everyone.
The transportation at the All-Star Movies Resort is bus transportation which is often going to be the most convenient for families with kids (especially if you’re still wrangling car seats) so we recommend using the bus transportation unless you’ve rented or brought your own car.
2. Art of Animation Resort
The Art of Animation Resort at Disney World is technically considered a value property but often many visitors think it deserves moderate status due to its recency, large pool, and accommodating themed suites for large families. This hotel offers great themes from Disney movies that kids will recognize like The Little Mermaid, Cars, Finding Nemo, and The Lion King.
The rooms at the Art of Animation are mainly family suites although smaller groups can opt for the Little Mermaid themed standard rooms which are often very popular. Keep in mind these rooms are a bit more of a walk from the main buildings though! As for the family suites, each one can sleep up to six and include a bedroom with one queen-size bed; one double-size convertible TableBed; one double-size sleeper sofa; living room; 2 bathrooms and a kitchenette. These are great affordable suites for families that desire some extra space! The suites are also themed with your choice of Disney Cars, the Lion King, or Finding Nemo.
The Art of Animation is also home to the biggest pool out of all the Disney World hotels: The Big Blue Pool. This zero entry pool is Finding Nemo themed with plenty of space for everyone. Like all the pools at Disney World resort hotels, there’s also an accompanying splash pad for little kids.
But one of the greatest perks of the Art of Animation hotel is the use of the Skyliner transportation which connects guests to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Bus transportation is also available for Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Kids love the Skyliner and it’s a great way to get them excited about their first day to the theme parks!
3. Caribbean Beach Resort Hotel
The Caribbean Beach Resort Hotel is a moderate hotel with an amazing pool along with the best Skyliner access in Disney World. We recently stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort Hotel and my son absolutely loved this hotel. While the theme isn’t focused on Disney films, the tropical paradise helps get you in the spirit of a vacation from the moment you arrive.
The pool at the Caribbean Beach Resort is fantastic and kids will love flying down the slides and swimming under the water cannons. There’s also a large hot tub behind the pool for adults to relax. One thing I loved about this pool for parents is that no matter where you sit alongside it you can always easily have our kids within eyesight.
But one of the best parts of staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort Hotel is the Skyliner access. The Skyliner station at Caribbean Beach Resort is the main hub for the Skyliner meaning you won’t have to worry about transferring to another gondola like you might have to at other resorts. You will go straight to Hollywood Studios or Epcot without having to worry about stopping at another Skyliner station.
4. Beach Club Resort
Disney’s Beach Club Resort makes our top list of Disney World hotels for kids because of it’s amazing 3 acre attached water park it shares with the Yacht Club Resort called Stormalong Bay.
Disney’s Beach Club resort is also home to the infamous Beaches & Cream Soda Shop located just steps away from the resort pool. They offer the infamous Kitchen Sink sundae along with a huge variety of speciality shakes and sundaes. They also have a good variety of classic American style food which are sure to make your kids happy. But you absolutely cannot miss out on the ice cream!
The Beach Club Resort also wins when it comes to proximity as it’s within walking distance to Epcot and just a boat ride away from Hollywood Studios. Kids will love riding the Friendship Boats to the park! This resort is considered a deluxe resort so you will pay a higher price for these top notch amenities that are offered. But you’ll enjoy the great amenities and the convenience of being so close to the Epcot and Hollywood Studios with kids.
5. Contemporary Resort
The Contemporary Resort’s biggest perk is its proximity to Magic Kingdom being the only hotel within walking distance of that theme park. You can also ride the monorail which passes directly through the resort which is super exciting for kids to witness! This modern hotel features top notch amenities that you can expect from a deluxe Walt Disney World hotel.
You also cannot beat the pool at the Contemporary Resort which includes a Mickey themed splash pad for younger kids and a large pool with a 20 foot glass encased water slide decorated with neon Mickeys.
The Contemporary Resort is also home to the popular character dining called Chef Mickey’s with classic breakfast food like everyone’s favorite Mickey waffles. You can also find the 90 foot tall mural by Disney Legend Mary Blair in the restaurant area.
Hands down, one of the best perks of this resort is the proximity to Magic Kingdom which family with young kids will really appreciate especially if you want to take trips back to the resort for afternoon naps.
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