Skip to main content

Hotels We Love | Walt Disney World Edition

Photo: DisTripping.com
We are often getting emails from our readers wanting to know what our favorite hotels at Walt Disney  World. We had to think long and hard, and we have created a list that includes our four favorite hotels in the four resort categories Disney has to offer. These include the following categories: deluxe, moderate, value and Disney Vacation Club (or Home Away from Home Resorts)

 Deluxe: Contemporary Resort

 This was tough for us. The Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge are spectacular, but our heart is always drawn to the Contemporary. The Contemporary Resort was the first Walt Disney World hotel, and features one of the most architecturally unique hotel at any Disney destination. It's also important to mention that there is no bad views at the Contemporary. You either have an unobstructed view of the Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake. Even if you're in the Garden Wing rooms you still have nice views of grass lawns or the water. To add to this, the dining at the Contemporary is great. It also features the closest proximity to the Magic Kingdom. 

 Moderate: Port Orleans Riverside

 Peaceful, beautiful and relaxing, Port Orleans Riverside offers a truly enjoyable experience. With rooms among lush forests and waterways, Riverside makes every guest feel like they are a world away from Walt Disney World. The dining options aren't bad at the resort either. The resort also features a ferry to Disney Springs. 

 For as much as we love Riverside, we think that this resort will be unseated by Coronado Springs as their new hotel tower opens in 2019.

 Value: Art of Animation

 The prices might suggest a moderate or deluxe, but Disney tells us that the Art of Animation Resort is a value resort and it is the best. The food court, the family suits and overall touches of Disney throughout the resort makes Art of Animation one of the most popular hotel at Walt Disney World. To add to the amenities, the resort also features classes free of charge where resort guests can learn to draw their favorite Disney characters. 

 Disney Vacation Club: Villas at Wilderness Lodge

 We love Wilderness Lodge, and the villas are the best part of the resort. You are truly transported to a lodge hidden in the untamed wilderness when you walk into that lobby. The lobby is quaint and cozy. It's a great place to sit and read or play some cards with your family. The villas are also close to the main resort, which features a great pool area and is rather close to the Magic Kingdom with a short boat ride.

 Do you agree with our list? What's your favorite Walt Disney World resort? Let us know in the comments.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welton Becket - the Unofficial Imagineer

Walt Disney and Welton Becket surveying the model for the GE Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair | Photo: (c) Disney It was sometime in 1953 and Walt Disney was discussing his latest project, Disneyland, to his neighbor in Holmby Hills. He discussed the issues that plagued the development. The biggest being that the architecture firm he had hired to design the park did not seem to understand his vision for the park. His neighbor replied by telling him to ditch the outside architects and instead look to the art directors and artists to design the place. They would understand his vision. Walt took the advice seriously and within the year, WED Enterprises was established, featuring a new design organization complete with those who understood what Disneyland was all about. It was the beginning of Imagineering. The neighbor and friend that suggested Walt to use his own people was Welton Becket. Welton Becket was an architect himself, one of the most prominent. His firm, We...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Art of Getting Around Walt Disney World

Photo: Sussman-Prejza Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get around Walt Disney World? Every destination you're looking for on property is clearly displayed in a series of interestingly colored signs, making it easy to get from here to there. So where did these uniquely Walt Disney World road signs come from? To answer this we have to go back to 1971 when Walt Disney World was much smaller and only had one major roadway.  To understand how Disney is able to develop their own road signage it is important to know that Walt Disney World is part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. This special district is a governing body created in 1967 by Florida's legislature to encompass the 48 square miles that make up Walt Disney World. This special district gives Disney the ability to write their own building codes, maintain their own power plants, provide emergency services, and build and maintain roadways. It's for this reason that Walt Disney World is allowed to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Disneyland's House of the Future | Disney by Design

Photo: Disney Everyone is curious of what lies in the future, especially when it comes to what their homes may look like in the future. This fascination was particularly high in the 20th century, especially in post-World War II America. There was the immensely popular Post War House designed by Walt Disney's good friend architect, Welton Becket, which for a dollar, visitors could see an architecturally interesting house that gave a glimpse at what houses would look like in the next ten years. The house featured innovative technology and helped introduce many to residential mid-century modern architecture. Joining in on the Post War House's success, annual home shows throughout Los Angeles provided homeowners with exhibits on the exciting new technologies and designs coming to their homes in the near future.  The popularity of these houses of the future would eventually find its way into Disneyland's Tomorrowland, which was still trying to live up to its name as of ...
Post a Comment
Read more