Under $100/Night
Disney's Value Resorts can be as low as $89 per night during off-peak visits. These resorts offer just the basics in hotel rooms and amenities, but they provide the same perks of high-end Disney Resorts, such as extended theme park hours to beat the crowds, free transportation services to parks and other resorts and compliementary airport transportation, luggage delivery and remote airline check-services.
One We Love: Disney's Pop Century Resort
The newest and largest of Walt Disney World Resort's four on-site, value-priced resorts is spread over 177 acres and offers a selection of 2,880 rooms. Larger-than-life Disney theming makes the resort colorful and fun for kids, and three pools and a playground keep families busy when not at the theme parks. Rooms are on the small side, sleeping up to four in two double beds, as well as a crib sleeper for children under three, but connecting rooms are available for larger families.
Another Favorite: Disney's Art of Animation Resort
OK, we're jumping the gun and liking this resort before it even opens it doors this May. The buzz on this new resort indicates this will be a new favorite for families on a budget. More than 1,100 suites will be designed after "Finding Nemo," "Cars," and "The Lion King," with 864 rooms (scheduled to open in December) inspired by "The Little Mermaid" families will feel like they are in a Disney movie. The resort will feature three pools and four courtyards featuring the four aforementioned films in designs. Family suites will feature two separate bathrooms, a master bedroom, and three separate sleeping areas, a living area and dining table.
Under $200/Night
Disney's Moderate Resorts can be as low as $159 per night during off-peak visits. Just a slight step up from the Value Resorts in providing a little more elbow room, rooms in the Moderate Resorts may have a bit more in the decor department, as well as better pools and on-site recreation. However, a little digging may uncover deals in the Deluxe category, which means larger and more formal accommodations to enjoy.
One We Love: Disney's Port Orleans Resort -- Riverside
One of two moderately priced Port Orleans Resorts (the other is French Quarter), the 325 complex is themed to resemble the sleepy Old South, complete with stately manor homes and comfortable country cottages. The old-fashioned swimming hole pool features waterslides and is centered on the 3.5-acre Ol' Man Island recreation area. Rooms are more spacious than the value resorts, but are still somewhat basic, and families of five can find affordable space when they book a trundle bed room in the "Alligator Bayou" section.
Another Favorite: Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
For its island theme and a top-notch aquatic play zone, complete with a zero-entry pool and adjacent pirate ship water play area just for little ones, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is a boatload of fun for families. For a fully immersive pirate experience, you can upgrade to a themed "Pirate Room," decked out in themed decor, from beds that resemble pirate ships to pirate-themed privacy curtains.
Under $300/Night
If you have a little more dough to splurge, Deluxe Resorts may dip to as low as $265 at the right time of year. This category of hotels features luxury amenities like babysitting services, room service, fitness centers, valet parking, and a host of world-class restaurants from which to choose, as well as the early park admission, complimentary transportation and enormous pools and waterslides.
One We Love: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Set on a 33-acre savanna, the Lodge aims to recreate an African wildlife reserve that provides guests with a 24-hour bird's-eye view into a sanctuary housing more than 200 animals. Kids can become junior safari researchers and participate in viewings and activities, as well as romp in a 9,000-square-foot pool. Rooms can get very pricey here, with suites climbing into the thousands, but standard and pool view rooms accommodating four people can be found for $265 per night.
Another Favorite: Disney's Wilderness Lodge
This one just squeaks in at $265, if you time it right. The 727-room resort is meant to evoke a feeling of a turn-of-the-century National Park lodge, right down to the onsite "ranger" leading tours. Standard rooms can accommodate a family of five if one child is under the age of 3, and Deluxe Rooms feature two queen beds and a sleeper sofa for a family of five, as well. Deluxe Rooms come with a kitchenette and a separate parlor so parents can chat once the kids have gone to bed.
For Larger Families
Costs go up when trying to accommodate families of five or more, but Disney does a good job at keeping rates lower for big families.
One We Love: The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort
A family of six can enjoy these cabins for as low as $285 per night. Cabins feature two bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with a set of bunk beds, and a living area with a double-bed pull-down bed. Cabins are equipped with full kitchens, patio decks with grills, and standard hotel amenities like daily housekeeping.
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