Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida
The Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida are some of the best hotels in the world. There are 25 Disney Resorts in Orlando. They are all different. They range from the All Star Resorts that can be rented for as little as $79.00 per night to the newest resorts Disney's Bay Lake Villas Resort and the Treehouse Villas.
Let me tell you a little about them ...
The Boardwalk Area - Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida |
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Magic Kingdom Area
Disney Resort Price Levels
Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida divide into 4 levels. Each level coincides with the price you pay for a room.
Value - These are the least expensive of the Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida. A room starts as low as $79.00 per night. Standard rooms are around 200 sq. ft. These rooms sleep 4.
Moderate - Disney's Moderate Resorts are mid-level hotels. They are large resorts with lots of rooms spread out over a large area. Rooms average around 250 sq. ft. Rates start at $149.00. Rooms sleep up to 5.
Deluxe - The Deluxe Resorts are the top of the line hotels. Rooms are large and luxurious. Rates start at around $240.00 per night. Rooms can sleep 4-6.
Deluxe Villas - The Deluxe Villas are the Disney Vacation Club properties available for rent. There are studio, one, two and sometimes even three bedroom villas. Rates start at $260.00. Villas sleep from 4 to 12. |
The Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida in the Magic Kingdom area include 4 Deluxe Disney Resorts along with a Disney Vacation Club Resort and the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.
All of the hotels in the Magic Kingdom area are either on Bay Lake or Seven Seas lagoon and have boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom.
The Monorail Resorts
The Contemporary Resort - The Contemporary Resort is one of the original Disney World hotels designed by Uncle Walt himself (OK, he didn't actually design the hotel, but it was his theme they used). After almost 40 years, it still has that futuristic look that comes from the monorail running right through the lobby.
The Contemporary is a Deluxe Resort. It has the largest rooms of any of the Deluxe Resorts. There is a beach, a marina and lots of entertainment options. There are some great dining options. Chef Mickey's is a favorite of just about everyone.
Bay Lake Villas - Located next to, and connected to, the Contemporary Resort is the brand new Bay Lake Villas. Where the Contemporary is the oldest hotel at Disney World the Bay Lake Villas is the newest. It's a Disney Vacation Club property which means it is an all suite resort. There are studio, one, two and three bedroom villas throughout the property.
The Bay Lake Villa Resort is tied to the Contemporary Resort by a skywalk. Bay Lake Villas is within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom. It lacks some of the dining and shopping options of the other DVC properties. Those can be found in the Contemporary.
The Polynesian Resort - Escape to the islands. The Polynesian Resort (another Uncle Walt original) is built to resemble a beautiful tropical vacation paradise. In the lobby of the Great Ceremonial House you'll find exotic tropical plants and even a stream with fish.
The Polynesian Resort is a complete island resort. It has everything from a luau to a volcano pool. The beach offers the best place to view the nightly fireworks at the Magic Kingdom of anywhere in Walt Disney World.
Disney's Grand Floridian - Walt Disney World's signature resort is Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. It's themed after a Florida railroad hotel from around the turn of the century. This is truly an opulent resort. The lobby is something everyone must see, especially at Christmas time.
The Grand Floridian is more than just a hotel. It's also a Spa. You can enjoy a day being pampered in a complete spa experience. In addition to the spa, the Grand Floridian is home to the top restaurant in Disney World, Victoria and Albert's. Victoria and Albert's is a true dining experience complete with hand printed menus.
Other Magic Kingdom Area Resorts
Wilderness Lodge Resort and Villas- The WIlderness Lodge Resort and Villas are co-located in the beautiful forest area just south of the Magic Kingdom. The lobby area is a work of art. There is a 4 story atrium that has totem poles and is finished with huge fireplaces and great looking wood.
The Wilderness Lodge is a Deluxe Resort. The rooms in the resort are the smallest of any of the Disney Deluxe Resorts. It's also usually the least expensive of the Deluxe Resorts.
The Wilderness Lodge Villas is a Disney Vacation Club Resort. These one and two bedroom villas come complete with full kitchens. There are also several studio rooms that are roughly the same size as a standard hotel room but have a microwave and refrigerator.
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort- Can I really pitch a tent and sleep at Disney World? Yep, you can. The Fort Wilderness Resort is a 750 acres of fully equipped campsites. The campsites range from deluxe sites where you can park 45 foot and longer vehicles to the Creekside Meadows area where groups can pitch tents. Also in the campground are over 400 fully equipped trailers that can sleep up to 6 guests.
There are several entertainment options in the campgrounds. You can ride horses, sing with Chip and Dale and even enjoy a country feast complete with a hilarious hoe down.
Epcot Area
Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida in the Epcot Area are located mostly just outside the International Gate in the back part of Epcot. The Swan and Dolphin, which are not Disney hotels, also in the area. The Port Orleans Resort is just east of Epcot.
Boardwalk Inn and Villas - Recall yesteryears Atlantic seaside resorts on the banks of Crescent Lake just outside of Epcot. White picket fences line the walkways in these resorts that offer quiet comfort at the back entrance to Epcot.
The Boardwalk is a great area for an evening stroll. Enjoy live entertainment or some good food. You can even ride a bike around the Boardwalk.
Beach Club Resort and Villas - The Beach Club area is designed to look like summer houses on Martha's Vineyard. The Deluxe Hotel has a nice quiet feel. You can drop a line into the water for a relaxing afternoon of fishing. This is also the home of Stormalong Bay, a 3 acre "pool" that is more like a small water theme park.
The Beach Club Villas is one of the smaller Disney Vacation Club resorts. There are only 205 units. You can choose from studio, one or two bedroom villas decorated with pastel colors and wooden porches.
Yacht Club Resort - The Yacht Club is a Deluxe Resort that has a nautical theme. The resort is located next to and closely related to the Beach Club. They even share Stormalong Bay. The rooms are a little more formal than those in the Beach Club.
Port Orleans Resort - The Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter used to be separate Disney Moderate Resorts. A few years ago, Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida combined the two into one great big resort. Everything around here has a New Orleans feel. (Yes, that even means the mosquito bites are bigger. Just kidding.)
Disney's Hollywood Studios Area
There aren't any Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida that are really close to Disney's Hollywood Studios. But there are a couple in the Hollywood Studios Area. Both of these hotels are just east of DHS.
Caribbean Beach Resort - Come to the islands, mon. The Caribbean Islands. The Caribbean Beach Resort has an island feel. It's very laid back with colors that are right out of Jamaica mon. This resort is another very large and spread out Moderate Resort.
Pop Century - Disney's Pop Century is the largest of the Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida and maybe the largest hotel anywhere. This Value Resort has over 4,000 rooms. The rooms are decorated with bold colors and knickknacks from every decade from the last 60 years. Anyone want to Hula-Hoop or play Twister?
Animal Kingdom Area
Animal Kingdom is pretty remote. It's a long way from anything. There are a few Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida that are closer to Animal Kingdom than any of the other attractions. These are all on the west side of World Drive (one of the main entrances to Walt Disney World).
Animal Kingdom Lodge - Sleep with the animals. The Animal Kingdom Lodge has wild animals (not just the two legged types the come in on airplanes) that roam the resort grounds. There are giraffes, tiny gazelles and many more species that roam freely. The rooms here are standard for Disney's newer Deluxe Resorts.
The Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to a couple of the most unique restaurants of all the Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida. Jiko and Boma serve food with an African flair.
Animal Kingdom Villas - Co-located with the Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Animal Kingdom Villas has taken the concept of the lodge and super-sized it. The savanna has added more species and numbers of animals than can be found anywhere else at Disney World. (Alligators don't get counted.)
Animal Kingdom Villas is a Disney Vacation Club property that has studio, one, two and even three bedroom villas for rent. The villas are large and well equipped. The 3 bedroom Grand Villa is over 2,300 sq. ft. and will sleep 12 and has a beautiful savanna view.
All Star Resorts - The All Star Resorts were the first of the Disney Value Resorts built. These Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida are large resorts set up for large numbers of guests. The resorts are decorated with bold colors. Each of the resorts has a different theme. There is the All Star Sports Resort, the All Star Music Resort and the All Star Movies Resort. The themeing includes 60 foot tall icons and decorations on every building.
The rooms at the All Star Resorts are 200 sq. ft. They are comfortable for a family of 4 with smaller children. The rooms are equipped with two full sized or one king bed. Rooms start at $79.00 per night. These are the cheapest rooms on property.
Coronado Springs Resort - The Coronado Springs Resort is a Moderate Resort longing to be a Deluxe Resort. This resort is part of an effort by Disney to draw conventions to Disney World. What does that mean? It means that the resort has some amenities of a deluxe resort, and even some deluxe rooms. The restaurants are a little higher class (and price) than the other moderates.
The Coronado Springs Resort is decorated like the Southwestern United States. Colors are desert shades and buildings are made to look like adobe.
Downtown Disney Area
There are even some Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida located in the Downtown Disney area. These are all Disney Vacation Club Resorts and are some of the most interesting on the property.
Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Treehouse Villas - The Treehouse Villas are the most unique resorts in Orlando. May be the most unique in all of Florida. You actually get to sleep in the trees. Not just on the ground surrounded by trees, but actually up in the air with the leaves. This resort just opened. It has one and two bedroom treehouses available.
The original Treehouse Villas closed in 2002. Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida rebuilt the units and reopened them in 2009.
Old Key West Resort - Old Key West is the original Disney Vacation Club property. Laid back and beachy is the motif here. The Florida Keys are the model for this area. You can imagine Jimmy Buffet walking out of the water, picking up a guitar and singing "Nibbling on Spongecake, watching the sun bake ..."
Being the original DVC property, rooms tend to be bigger here. The studio, one, two and three bedroom villas are located on Lake Buena Vista Golf Course among the swaying palm trees and lush fairways and greens. "FORE!"
Dad's Bottom Line
Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida are perfect for families visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. There are hotels to fit any budget. You can be immersed in Disney Magic for 24 hours a day during your vacation.
Dad stays in Disney Hotels in Orlando Florida on his Disney World vacations.
