Any tips for Disney World resort hopping?

by Christina R.
(New Jersey)

Hey Dad,

Long time no see, right? So in my upcoming 5 day trip to Walt Disney World in September, my Thursday is meant to be a day of relaxation and I have some time to kill that day. I'm thinking of going Disney World resort hopping and wonder if you have any tips.

I'm not going to go pool hopping because that's really not my style, I just want to go into the lobbies and maybe check out some of the resort restaurants etc. This is probably the easiest way to figure out where I want to stay next, because pictures don't do some places justice.

Have you ever done this before and do you have any suggestions as to how to most efficiently get around? Bus, car, monorail? Maybe walking but I don't think I'm that ambitious.

Thanks as always, Dad.

Easy place for Disney World Resort Hopping

Photo by Express Monorail

Dad's the Deluxe Resort shuffle Answer

Christina,

Why, yes, of course Dad has tips for Disney World resort hopping. It's a great way to spend an hour or two especially at Christmas time.

The good news is it's pretty easy to see most of the Disney Deluxe Resorts. Most are grouped together. (Except for the Animal Kingdom Lodge which is anti-social and stays off by itself.)

The first and easiest way to resort hop is to visit take the Resort Monorail to the hotels on the Monorail. These are the best of the Disney Deluxe Hotels.

• The Contemporary Resort
• The Polynesian
• The Grand Floridian

The best part of this is you get to ride on the monorail.

If you want to see the Wilderness Lodge or the Ft. Wilderness Campgrounds grab a boat from the Magic Kingdom. It's a nice 15 minute boat ride from the Magic Kingdom docks.

 

The other place to see Disney hotels is in the Boardwalk area. There are a whole bunch of hotels that encircle Crescent Lake. They are ...

• Boardwalk Inn and Villas
• Beach Club Resort and Villas
• The Yacht Club
• The Swan and Dolphin (yes, they are not Disney but they are pretty neat)

Those are the easiest resorts to visit. The others you would have to take a bus to the resort and back to one of the theme parks. They are kinda hard to get to.

Dad's Disney Hotels page

Dad's Bottom Line

Christina, Disney World resort hopping is a great way to spend some extra time. (Make sure to take lots of pictures.) It's fun to see how each resort has it's own character. I like dreaming about staying in them especially the one closest to the Transportation and Ticket Center.