There is a Disney Resort hotel for everyone at Walt Disney World. No matter your budget, desired amenities, or which theming strikes your fancy, there is a resort that fits the bill. Each of them has different pros and cons. It’s important to weigh these aspects against the type of vacation you wish to have. Today, we want to present some of the perks of staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts.
What Are Disney Deluxe Resorts?
Before we begin our discussion, let’s briefly go over which resorts are considered Disney Deluxe Resorts. For our purposes, we’re not including Disney Deluxe Villas (also known as Disney Vacation Club properties) or properties that are not owned by Disney. However, Deluxe Villas and other select hotels (including Swan Hotel and Dolphin Hotel) receive many of the same perks we are going to touch on in this post.
Here’s a list of Disney Deluxe Resorts:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Location
Deluxe Resorts typically have supreme locations. Many are even located within walking distance to theme parks! If you want to stay literally steps away from the magic, certain resorts will give you that advantage. Why is this important? Proximity means convenience (especially during peak times like park open or close). If you can walk to and from your resort, you can avoid being stuck in the crowds using Disney transportation during these times.
Unfortunately, there are always exceptions to the rule. Not every deluxe resort is within walking distance to theme parks. I’ll give you a couple of notable exceptions from our list. Although Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is close to Magic Kingdom, you can’t walk there. To get to Magic Kingdom, you will need to take a boat or a bus from this resort. Another example is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. This deluxe resort is more secluded, and is also not within walking distance to any theme parks. Both are still amazing resorts at which to stay though!
Additional Transportation Options
- Monorail
- In addition to walking paths, many Disney Deluxe Resorts also offer additional modes of transportation beyond buses to get to the theme parks. One of the most iconic modes of Disney transportation is the Monorail. If you stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, or Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, you can easily zip between Magic Kingdom, the other Monorail Loop resorts, and even EPCOT via the TTC (Transportation and Ticket Center). It’s very convenient when it comes to resort hopping, park hopping, or even taking that much needed midday break!
- Boat Transportation
- Many deluxe resorts also have boat access to theme parks. If you’re staying along the Monorail Loop, not only can you use the Monorail to get to Magic Kingdom, but the Polynesian and Grand Floridian also have boat service. These boats are a relaxing way to get back and forth, plus they can be less crowded than monorail.
- There is boat transportation between Wilderness Lodge and Magic Kingdom. Additionally, you can take the Blue Flag Water Taxi to travel between Wilderness Lodge, the Fort Wilderness campgrounds, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Beach Club Resort, and BoardWalk Inn all have boat transportation that will take you to EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney Skyliner
- While not exclusively for Deluxe Resorts, the Disney Skyliner provides quick access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for guests of Yacht & Beach Club Resorts as well as BoardWalk Inn. Just in case you’re keeping track, that means those three resorts have three convenient ways to get to Hollywood Studios (walking path, boat, and Skyliner). Gotta love having options!
- Minnie Van™
- While you don’t have to stay at a Deluxe resort to take a Minnie Van™, there is one perk related to the transportation that is exclusive to Deluxe resort guests. If you long for the days of Disney transportation between the Orlando International Airport (MCO) and your resort, good news! Disney Deluxe resort guests can travel between MCO and their Disney resort with a Minnie Van™.
For more information about the different modes of Disney transportation, check out our post dedicated to the topic!
Additional Dining Options
One of the biggest draws of staying at (or visiting) a Disney Deluxe Resort is the plentiful dining options. Not only will these resorts have a quick service location and pool bar, but they also have at least one table service restaurant, casual dining restaurant, and lounge as well.
Since most Deluxe Resorts have multiple dining establishments to choose from, they’re appealing places to visit on a resort hopping day. Having several dining options on site also adds variety for guests staying at these resorts. Some say variety is the spice of life. Cheers to unique dining choices and not having to eat the same thing day after day!
Keurig Machines
While we’re on the subject of food and beverage, let’s talk morning coffee. If you like to wake up to a fresh cup every morning, I’m happy to announce that the Deluxe Resorts are equipped with Keurig machines. As a bonus, they come well-stocked with K-cups too. Get ready to sip and savor Joffrey’s Resort Blend and Joffrey’s Decaf coffees without ever having to leave the comfort of your room.
Interior Hallways
When you stay at a Disney Deluxe Resort, expect to have interior hallways on the way to your room. While this doesn’t completely prevent all outside noise, it can result in a quieter overall experience. It’s important to keep in mind that no room is soundproof. You will still experience some level of noise like you would at any non-Disney hotel. Noise can include people walking up and down the hallways, luggage or housekeeping carts being rolled past, doors opening and closing, elevator dings (if you’re near one), etc.
Interior hallways are also an advantage when it comes to inclement weather. Beat the heat, avoid the rain, and be generally more comfortable as you go to and from your room. Although most Deluxe Resorts feature a primary building containing the lobby and guest rooms, some resorts have a layout consisting of multiple standalone buildings. In these cases, although the actual guest room buildings will have interior hallways, you may still be required to head outside to access the lobby and corresponding amenities.
Slightly Larger Rooms
In terms of square footage, several of the Deluxe-level hotels quite literally give you a bit more room. The monorail resorts are a good example of this. Since they were constructed decades ago, there wasn’t such a push to cram as many rooms as possible into the same footprint like we’ve seen with modern resorts. If space is what you want, rooms at Deluxe resorts are where you’ll find it.
For a really spacious experience, consider booking a king bed room in one of the Deluxe resorts. They’re the same size room as the ones that have two queen beds, but since you don’t have the secondary bed taking up space, there’s a lot of free space! This is in complete contrast to Value Resorts like Disney’s Pop Century or the All Star Resorts that utilize pull down table beds to save on space. While the table beds can be convenient, trying to walk around in those rooms when the second bed is pulled down can be quite tight.
Balcony/Patio
The amount of space you get when staying in Deluxe accommodations can also extend outdoors. One of my favorite parts about (most) Deluxe Hotel rooms is that they often come with a balcony or patio. When patios or balconies are available, they come equipped with a couple of chairs and a small table. I highly recommend enjoying these outdoor spaces if your room has them. Some of my favorite Disney World memories involve watching boats (and the Electrical Water Pageant) in Bay Lake from a patio in the Contemporary’s Garden Wing section. Furthermore, if you’re an animal enthusiast like me, you’ll also find it fascinating to watch animals graze below while you relax on your balcony at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Small moments like these really set a perfect, peaceful vacation mood. Besides, given the cost of these rooms, you’ll definitely want to spend some time enjoying it!
One caveat is that not all Deluxe resort rooms will come with a patio or walk-out balcony. Here are a few notable exceptions:
- At Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, only the first and third floor rooms in the original longhouses have outdoor spaces. The second floor rooms in these buildings only come equipped with a sliding glass door and railing. Unfortunately, that means no semi-private outdoor seating space to enjoy your tropical beverage if you’re on that floor.
- While the first floor rooms in the Garden Wing at Disney’s Contemporary Resort have patios, the second and third floor rooms do not have any walk-out outdoor spaces (again, only a sliding glass door with a railing).
- Some Deluxe Resorts have a mixture of outdoor areas. These may include patios, full size balconies, and Juliet-style “standing only” balconies. The smaller balconies lack space for chairs, which may limit the amount of time you want to utilize them. Disney’s Beach Club is an example of a Deluxe Resort that features a mixture of balcony styles.
Extended Evening Hours
The final major Disney Deluxe Resort advantage we’re going to touch on today is Extended Evening Hours. MouseHouseNews.net has a dedicated article explaining the perks of Extended Evening Hours. To summarize, guests of Disney Deluxe Resorts can stay in a specific theme park on a select night for up to two hours after the park closes to everyone else. The MouseHouseNews.net team has taken advantage of this perk multiple times, and I can confidently report that you can get a lot of rides done during that amount of time. This is due to the limited crowds allowed to be in the parks during this time. Our current record is a whopping 12 rides at Magic Kingdom in just a two hour span!
If I have successfully persuaded you to consider staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, the next step is to check out the specific theming and location for each of the resorts you’re considering. As I mentioned at the beginning of this discussion, there really is something for everyone. When you are ready to plan your next Disney vacation, you know we’ve got you covered! Our very own Marcus is a Travel Advisor with Purely Luxe Vacations and will be happy to provide you with a free quote for your Disney vacation. All you have to do is reach out at Proxy-Travel.com!
MouseHouseNews.net is dedicated to bringing you the information and resources you need to select the best Disney Resort for your next trip. Stay tuned for more vacation planning tips and recommendations for Disney Adults. We’ll see you real soon!
