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 Choosing a Disney Resortby Jennifer and Dave Marx, Authors of PassPorter Travel GuidebooksAh, this is the fun part--deciding which of the resort hotels at Walt Disney World is best for you. It reminds us of picking one dessert from a tray laden with every imaginable, mouth-watering goodie. Some are a bit too "rich" for us, and others not quite "sweet" enough, but there are enough choices left over to make us feel quite spoiled. Sometimes we can't resist, and stay at two or more resorts in a single visit. Are you surprised?PassPorter Walt Disney World (the book) offers a detailed comparison chart, listing every Disney-owned resort and their amenities. We'll take a slightly different tack here, and address the general factors that go into making your choice.PassPorter focuses its attention on the "on property" resorts at Walt Disney World. These resorts are truely part of "The World," and offer an immersion in the Disney experience that off-property resorts can't hope to capture. That's not to say that excellent accomodations and values can't be had if you're willing to stay off property. It's just not our focus There are twenty "on property" resorts at Walt Disney World. Ninteen are open to the general public and one (Shades of Green) is leased by the U.S. military for the benefit of armed services personnel. Of the rest, seventeen are operated directly by Walt Disney World, and two (Dolphin and Swan) are operated by other lodging companies. All twenty benefit from Walt Disney World's internal transportation system, as well as their proximity to Disney's theme parks and the amenities at the other on property resorts.
Walt Disney World groups their accomodations into four categories: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, and Disney Vacation Club (formerly "Home Away From Home"). Within each grouping Disney tries (and succeeds) to offer a variety of experiences, to suit the varied tastes of the public. Walt Disney World offers everything from Chief Executive-level villas to tent platforms, and everything in between. Disney Vacation Club resorts is an odd category. It groups together those resorts that offer mostly villa or suite accomodations. These facilities work well for families and friends who need room for larger groups and want to cook at least some of their meals in their rooms. Some are quite deluxe, while others are comfortably middle-class. Fort Wilderness offers a wide variety of facilities, from tent and trailer sites to "cabins" for six which are actually well-disguised "manufactured housing". Some factors to consider beyond price include "theming," proximity to specific theme parks, in-resort dining options, health club and recreational facilities, and on-site childrens programs. Theming Proximity Dining Health club and recreational facilities vary widely between resorts. Some Deluxe resorts have world-class health spas and extensive health club facilities. Although any Disney guest can take advantage of "the World's" 99 holes of golf, you may prefer to be adjacent to the 18th fairway. Most Deluxe and several other resorts are graced by tennis courts, and the majority of resorts have some sort of marina with a variety of water craft available. Every resort has at least one pool, and some have pool complexes reminicent of a water park. If a soak in a hot tub spa is high on your list of "must" factors, be sure your resort has one. Most do, but there are exceptions. Childcare Classifications Special Needs This article was last updated on 2/19/2008 by Marnie Urmaza. Related Articles:
Beach Club Resort
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