Walt Disney World can be so much more besides the four incredible theme parks. In fact, we love making the most of our trip by taking advantage of everything the various on-property Disney World resort hotels have to offer which we outline in this Disney World hotel tips list.
Between extended park hours, family-friendly activities, restaurants, complimentary transportation and more, guests staying at a Disney World resort can unlock the most magic during their Disney World vacation.
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World takes some careful and thorough planning. Staying on-site at Walt Disney World is a must due to all the great perks you receive. As frequent visitors to the Disney parks, we have stayed at every Disney World resort and enjoyed first hand experience of all the amazing things the Disney World Resorts have to offer. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the best Walt Disney World hotel tips for your next trip to Disney World!
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1. Pick a Resort Closest to The Theme Park of Your Choice
Take into consideration that Walt Disney World has over 30 Resort Hotels onsite to choose from, so it is important to consider where you and your family want to play the most. But also keep in mind that highly popular locations, like those closest to Magic Kingdom, may also come with a higher price tag.
Here is our thorough list of Walt Disney World Resort Hotels and their proximity to each theme park. For reference, see our list below to get an idea of which hotels are nearest each major theme park and area at Walt Disney World. This is one of our most important Disney World hotel tips.
Magic Kingdom:
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
EPCOT:
- Disney’s Beach Club
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s Yacht Club
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas
- Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach and Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Disney Springs:
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Knowing where you want to be is one of our most overlooked Walt Disney World Resort tips- you'll thank yourself later for taking the time to research it now! Although all of the Disney World resorts are magical and great options, choosing a resort that caters to your specific vacation needs can make all the difference.
2. Take Advantage of Disney World's Complimentary Transportation System
Disney’s complimentary transportation system is a great perk when staying onsite. Just steps away from any resort hotel room is a free, (yes, free!) mode of transportation to get guests staying onsite where they want to be. Disney offers transportation in the form of watercraft, bus, monorail, or Disney Skyliner.
We have written several detailed reviews of the best Disney World hotels based on transportation:
- Disney Resorts located on the Monorail
- Disney Resorts located on the Skyliner
- Best Resorts Based on Transportation
- How to Travel for Free Between Resorts at Disney Worlds
As with all Disney World tips, plan your adventure, do your research ahead of time, and arrive early! Not all transportation options are direct to every location so know where you want to go! Complimentary Resort transportation begins 45 minutes prior to Park openings and up to 1 hour after Park closure. It’s always a good idea to double check with Cast Members at any resort’s front desk regarding routes and transportation hours.
If you happen to drive into the Resort, Guests staying at any Resort Hotel can park for free at all Disney Theme Parks, Disney Water Parks, and Disney Springs Area.
3. Download the Disney World Mobile App
The Walt Disney World My Experience App is not just for attraction wait times! This handy app gives guests transportation routes, up-to-the-minute wait times for buses, monorails, water taxis, and Disney Skyliner, not to mention all the fun and exciting events that take place right in or around the Resort Hotels! Downloading the My Disney Experience App is always one of the first Disney World resort tips when planning your trip to Disney World.
4. Use Early Morning Magic and/or Extended Evening Hours
Early Morning Entry is by far the best perk of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort! Granted, there will be many others with the same plan in mind, but the crowds still remain low. We highly recommend using early morning entry to rope drop the most popular attractions including:
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios
- Seven Dwarves Mine Train or Peter Pan's Flight at Magic Kingdom
- Remy's Ratatouille Adventure or Frozen Ever After at EPCOT
- Flight of Passage or Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom
Use this extra time to experience as many attractions as you can fit in before the official park opening! And don’t forget to account for travel time and entrance into the park, so get a very early start! This is one of our most crucial Disney World hotel tips.
Guests staying at qualifying deluxe level resorts may also have the chance to enjoy Extended Evening Hours at select parks on select days. This event also includes an additional opportunity to join the virtual queue for TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. This, combined with all resort guests early morning hours benefit make staying at a Disney World resort even more worthwhile.
Check out our “rope drop” strategies for all four Disney World theme parks below:
- Hollywood Studios Morning Rope Drop Strategy
- EPCOT Morning Rope Drop Strategy
- Magic Kingdom Rope Drop Strategy
- Animal Kingdom Rope Drop Strategy
5. Take the Time to Enjoy Your Hotel
Resort amenities, at times, can feel as if they are just as wondrous as what is offered in each park. I am here to tell you that these amenities are a vacation within a vacation.
All Disney Resort Hotels offer an abundance of free activities that are worth experiencing when you have some downtime from the parks. Everything from arts and crafts, poolside trivia, movies under the stars, and more are offered at each individual Resort.
Since these activities frequently change, Disney does not post these activities on their website. You can always do a web search with “Resort Experience Guides” to find third-party guides. Or just wait until you check-in to get a look at the guides that can be found waiting for you in your Disney Resort Hotel room!
The pools alone are worth spending an entire day at! So take a day off from the parks and get familiar with not only your specific resort, but maybe all of them!
6. Enjoy the Various Disney Resort Restaurants and Lounges
In addition to the beautiful rooms, amenities, and perks when staying on Disney property, the Walt Disney World resorts also offer amazing restaurants and lounges. Taking advantage of all these dining options is another one of our favorite Walt Disney World hotel tips. These restaurants and lounges are open to all guests, not just those who have hotel reservations. Check out our favorite Disney World resort restaurants here!
Disney World resort guests have the option to add a Disney Dining Plan to their vacation package, which can be used at most resort restaurants. There are also many amazing dining experiences at various resorts, including one of our favorites – Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at the Campsites at Fort Wilderness.
Check out more details on Disney World's Dining Plans and amazing dining experiences here.
7. Select Crowd-Free Places to Watch the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Show
The Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After fireworks show is said to be one of the best nighttime experiences at Disney World. If you are staying at any one of these Resorts (even if you are not), choose to enjoy the show at our list of top viewing spots outside of the park:
- Polynesian Village Resort Beaches
- Disney’s Grand Floridian – Marina area
- Contemporary Resort – Observation deck of the California Grill – 15th floor – You must be dining at the restaurant or a customer of the bar and lounge.
- Transportation and Ticket Center
This is one of our favorite Walt Disney World hotel tips.
Guests can also watch the special edition fireworks during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party from these great locations.
8. Plan Lightning Lane Passes Up to 7 Days In Advance
As of July 2024, Genie+ has been replaced by Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Individual Lightning Lanes by Lightning Lane Single Pass, which allows guests to pre-book Lightning Lane reservations in advance of their trip. Guests will be able to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and book up to 3 selections for each day in advance and purchase up to 2 Lightning Lane Single Pass selections per day in advance.
Guests who are staying at Disney Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green Resort have the ability to purchase Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance of their trip for their entire length of stay (up to 14 days). All other guests not staying at a Disney Resort hotel will be able to book Lightning Lane passes up to 3 days in advance.
You can see our full guide to Disney World Lightning Lane Multi Pass 2024 for everything you need to know about how to book Lightning Lane reservations in advance. You can also read our guide to Advance Lightning Lane booking for tips on what to reserve first at Disney World.
Put Our Walt Disney World Resort Tips to Use!
Start planning your Walt Disney World vacation with the help of our informative FREE newsletter. The best part of receiving our newsletter is all the valuable information we fill it with including tips and tricks to get the most out of your next trip to Disney World. You’ll find helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere. You can find more information on planning your vacation here:
- When to Visit Disney World 2024 Disney World Crowd Calendar
- Best Disney World Discounts 2024: Hotel and Ticket Deals
- Value Disney World Resorts Ranked
- Moderate Disney World Resorts Ranked
- Deluxe Disney World Resorts Ranked
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, staying on Disney property is worth it! There are so many perks to staying on property including extended time in the parks, complimentary transportation throughout Disney World property, and free parking at the resort and all theme parks. There are also fun activities that take place at Disney resorts including campfires with s'mores, movies under the stars, and crafts. Staying at a Disney World resort truly allows guests to add more magic to their Disney World vacation.
Yes, you can stay at any Disney hotel and not to go a Disney theme park. In fact, many guests love staying at Disney resorts due to the amazing restaurants, lounges, activities, and overall atmosphere of Disney resorts. For example, Coronado Springs is an impressive resort that includes several gift shops, restaurants, and bars that are fun for all ages. They also have a beautiful pool area which attracts a lot of guests even if they don't plan on visiting a theme park.
No, Disney hotels do not have free breakfast. However, there are cold and hot breakfast items for purchase at each Disney hotel. There are also several great character dining options for breakfast which is a less expensive and convenient way to meet characters compared to lunch or dinner character meals. Our favorite breakfast character dining experiences include Topolino's at the Riviera Resort and O'hana at the Polynesian Resort.
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