Taking a vacation to Walt Disney World® Resort is an easy decision. Choosing where to stay when you go? Not so much. With so many great options, it can be hard to know which Disney Resort hotel is the best one for you and your family.
It’s important to consider a few things when making your pick, like the theme park where you’ll be spending the most time. Every park is easily accessible via Walt Disney World® Resort’s convenient transportation system, but you can streamline your visit by picking a Disney Resort hotel that’s close to your favorite park. You’ll also want to think about your child’s interests. Staying at a resort with a theme that sparks their imagination—whether that’s Disney movies, animals, travel or something else—will make their vacation that much more magical. You’ll also want to take age into account, as some Disney Resort hotels are particularly suited to toddlers, young kids or teens. In this article, we’ll help you explore the top options for every type of kid and every type of vacation.
To plan the best family getaway possible, it’s important to choose your accommodations early so you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing where you’ll stay and, more importantly, so you can get to other fun stuff, like figuring out where to eat and what attractions you’ll ride first! Whichever Disney Resort hotel you choose, remember that with your Disney® Visa® Credit Card, you can take advantage of special vacation financing to book your travel.1
Disney Resort Hotels for Kids Near Magic Kingdom® Park
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Best for Easy Park Access
Kids will feel like they’ve set sail for the South Pacific at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The tropical palm trees, tiki torches and sandy beach are delightful for any age, ensuring the magic doesn’t end after you’ve left the theme park for the day. Kids will have a splashing good time in the Lava Pool, which features a waterfall, volcano and 142-foot waterslide, and the whole family will love the delicious Asian flavors at Kona Cafe, where you can use mobile ordering for added convenience and save 10% with your Disney Visa Card on most meals, most days.23 Best of all, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is just two stops away from Magic Kingdom® Park on the Resort Monorail, making getting to and from Walt Disney World® Resort’s most popular theme park a breeze.
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: Best for a Scenic Escape
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge brings the beauty of the great outdoors to the Disney Resort hotel experience, making it a great choice for kids who love being out in nature. Buildings take after early 20th-century National Park lodges and feature adventure-inspiring details like totem poles. Young explorers can follow the babbling brook and nature trails that wind through pine forests by day and gather ‘round the campfire to roast marshmallows for s’mores by night. They’ll also have the chance to meet some Disney Characters during Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White, and they can tuck into hearty Western fare at Whispering Canyon Cafe, where you’ll receive 10% off most meals, most days with the Disney Visa Card.23 For a nighttime snack, there’s no better dining option than Geyser Point Bar & Grill, which overlooks Bay Lake and is a great place to watch the fireworks.
Disney Resort Hotels for Kids Near Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort: Best for Older Kids
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort brings together Spanish, Mexican and Southwest American features in a refined, family-friendly hotel. Older kids and teenagers will dig the Dig Site, a sprawling pool complex decorated with a Mayan ruins theme. The site is centered on the enormous Lost City of Cibola pool, which has a towering pyramid and a 123-foot-long waterslide complete with jaguar spirit animal. Parents will appreciate the chance to relax at Siesta’s pool bar or in Walt Disney World® Resort’s largest hot tub while the kids cut loose. Enjoy Spanish favorites and an environment inspired by surrealist art at Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood, where you can use your Disney Visa Card to get 10% off most meals, most days.23 Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort has great accommodation options for families, as even the standard rooms are quite spacious.
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Best for Wildlife Viewing
Just about every kid goes through a phase where they’re obsessed with animals (some of us never grow out of it!), and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will make their vacation dreams come true. Inspired by the traditional African kraal, the Disney Resort hotel has a horseshoe-curved shape and offers stunning views of four savannas where kids can spot more than 30 species of African wildlife, including giraffes, flamingos, zebras and gazelles. Little fans of The Lion King can prowl around at the Hakuna Matata playground, play classic games at Pumbaa’s Fun and Games Arcade or paint their favorite animal in a Wild About Painting art class. Cardmembers can enjoy dining savings of 10% at a few of the lodge’s restaurants when hunger strikes.23 Sample East African cuisine at Sanaa, or try Botswanan and Moroccan specialties at Jiko – The Cooking Place. Go for delectable breakfast and dinner buffets at Boma – Flavors of Africa.
Disney Resort Hotels for Kids Near Disney’s Hollywood Studios®
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: Best for Movie-Themed Rooms
What kid—and, let’s be honest, adult—hasn’t imagined themself as part of their favorite Disney animated film, swimming through the sea with Ariel or tearing down the track alongside Lightning McQueen? Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is all about bringing that fantasy to life, with four themed areas that immerse you in the classic animated films The Little Mermaid, Cars, The Lion King and Finding Nemo. This affordable resort is especially good for families, with spacious family suites that sleep six, as well as nightly screenings of Disney films under the stars and Walt Disney World® Resort’s largest swimming pool. Kids will also have a blast getting to and from EPCOT® and Disney’s Hollywood Studios® as they ride the Disney Skyliner and get a bird’s-eye view of the parks. Keep an eye out for drawings and illustrations throughout the Disney Resort hotel, starting at the check-in area with simple sketches that become more detailed illustrations and storyboards as you move through the space.
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort: Best for Throwback Fun
Disney’s Pop Century Resort is a celebration of childhood through the decades. Kids and parents will have fun bonding over unforgettable fads and toys from the 1950s through the ‘90s like Twister, Ping-Pong and Play-Doh. There’s more fun to be had at the playground, arcade and three pools: the ‘50s Bowling Pool, the ‘90s Computer Pool and the sprawling ‘60s Hippy Dippy Pool, which has flower-shaped water jets. Improvise a scavenger hunt with your kids, challenging them to find all of the giant Disney Character statues that dot the grounds, and after everyone’s worked up an appetite, hit up the quick-service stations at Everything POP Shopping & Dining for a fast, satisfying meal.
Disney Resort Hotels for Kids Near EPCOT®
• Disney’s Riviera Resort: Best for Big Families
Young ones with a sense of style are sure to appreciate Disney’s Riviera Resort, with its classy European inspiration, beautiful gardens and unique art collection. This Disney Resort hotel is also one of Walt Disney World® Resort’s best options if you’re planning a multigenerational vacation; its three-bedroom grand villas sleep up to 12, meaning there’s plenty of room for grandparents, cousins or even friends. There’s more than enough to keep everyone entertained, too, including nightly movies on the lawn, scavenger hunts, toy boat races and interactive water play areas. Parents will appreciate the refined delicacies at Le Petit Café, while kids will flip for Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends at Topolino’s Terrace, where Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck regularly stop by!
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort: Best for Aquatic Adventures
Nothing says vacation like the beach, and no Disney Resort hotel serves up quality beach time like Disney’s Beach Club Resort. The charming New England-style location features a beautiful white-sand beach on the shores of Crescent Lake, but that’s not even its best feature. It’s also home to Stormalong Bay, a stunning three-acre water wonderland that will keep little beach bums entertained for hours. Kids can swim in a sand-bottomed pool, float down the lazy river and shoot down a 230-foot waterslide from atop a life-size shipwreck replica. When it’s finally time to dry off, the good times continue at Lafferty Place Arcade and the 36-hole Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf.
Disney Resort Hotels for Kids Near Disney Springs®
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—French Quarter: Best for Babies and Toddlers
Parents of babies and toddlers know that quiet time is key to a good vacation, when everyone has the opportunity to rest and recharge. Smaller and quieter than most other Disney Resort hotels, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—French Quarter is the perfect option for families who need to incorporate some naps and downtime into their schedule. Take it easy in this Big Easy-themed resort with some smooth jazz in Scat Cat’s Club. Or take a horse-drawn carriage ride down the scenic Sassagoula River and save 15% with your Disney Visa Card.211 Your Card will also come in handy at the nearby Boatwrights Dining Hall, where you can enjoy Louisiana specialties like jambalaya and get 10% off most meals, most days.23
Hopefully you’ve now found the perfect Disney Resort hotel for your family and are one step closer to the ultimate vacation. Just remember that no matter which hotel you choose, you can redeem Disney Rewards Dollars toward experiences, snacks and souvenirs throughout your trip.14
