One big decision when planning your Disney World Vacation is where to stay?
Some people have a favorite that they never waver from, while some make it a mission to stay every place at least once! Others choose in the categories Disney has set, value, moderate or deluxe for one reason or another.
So how do you choose and why? Budget, Location, Room Size, the Look, Newest… The list could go on and on, and for some it does and for others it’s a no brainer!
Years ago when we went on our honeymoon, with the help of our travel agent we choose Port Orleans French Quarter, it was small, quaint, charming and in our budget! Perfect for us then… and now as well! It is still our favorite but the fact that my mom travels with us a lot now and uses a wheelchair has made us love the smaller size of POFQ even more!
When my son was younger we made our rounds in the value resorts, he loved the big over-sized icons in the All Starsand checking out all the fun things at PoP! We also hit the ground running then and didn’t stop; my son was a Disney commando and went from sun up to sun down and then some. Not being at the resort much made staying at a value for us the way to go, why pay to sleep 😉
Once he got a little older and while he still loved Disney, his wants and needs changed and where he stayed wasn’t high on his list, as long as he could grab food and had a pool he was OK where ever it was… (It’s tough being a teenager 😉 anyway with that in mind, my husband and I had wanted to go back to POFQ and with my mom coming along, POFQ just made sense for all of us. So at the moment it’s the place for us!
But let’s just say you can’t seem to narrow down your next place to stay or your first place to stay for that matter! Well here are a few tips to help you out:
- Never been to Walt Disney World? The internet is your friend, on Disney.com you can take a virtual tour of each resort plus you can order a Disney Vacation CD on there as well, that will give you look at the resorts and what they have to offer!
- On Disney Fan websites like Chip and Co 😉 you can get personal inside looks at each place by just asking! People will love to share info and thoughts about the Resort they love the most! That can help you narrow down your choice a lot!
So now let’s say you’ve been to Disney one or many times before and would like to try a different resort, or just want to check them out, then why not take a day or a couple of hours on your next trip and Resort Hop! Let’s say you have it narrowed down to a couple different places you would like to stay next time, then take a couple hours and visit those places. Start with one farthest away from your destination of the day and stop in and check out what is most important to you, pool, gift shop, snack bars whatever it may be ask a Cast Member where to find what you’re looking for, snap a couple of pictures and head to your next stop! Pictures are a great way of helping remember, what was there or something that caught your eye!
Or maybe you have an extra day in your vacation for some down time, then why not take it and do a resort tour? The details Disney put into each and every one of them make them all worth a look .
One of our favorite days a couple of years ago was the day we took to check out all the resorts we have never been to, what a fun day! We checked out the lobby, the pool areas, the gifts shops and the quick service food stops in each place, and we even grabbed some famous Disney snacks from said places like… Zebra Domes at AKL, Dole Whips at the Poly and the Magic Cookie Bar from Port Orleans Riverside (hey what can I say the sugar helped us keep going)
On this day we started at Animal Kingdom Lodge with Breakfast at Boma, now my son really wanted to go here while I never thought it would be a resort that I much cared for, boy was I wrong! After we were done with breakfast we were starting to check things out and had a wonderful Cast Member stop and ask us if we would like a little tour of AKL, what a great morning we had! This wonderful resort has moved up on my “must stay list” for sure!
I always love to have sit down meal at different resorts so we can check them out and make our list of where we would like to stay in the future! This is a great way to see the resorts and get a feel for them because let’s face it not every place is for every family, and with having a sit down meal ensures a visit with enough time to get comfortable so you can check things out!
I hope you can use these tips for checking out resorts you might like to stay at sometime or just to stop in for a visit!~Check out the lobby, gifts shop, pool & grounds as well as the quick service area, just to see what all they have to offer plus a reservation for a sit down meal will give you some time at a resort you really like!
Some resorts just may surprise you, so think outside the box and take a day or a couple of hours “Resort Tour” I’m willing to bet you will have a great time, and you just may find your next favorite place to stay!
Dana is Disney Resort Junkie, even if it’s just a quick stop she has been there!
Related articles
- Alleviate stress on your Walt Disney World Vacation (chipandco.com)
- Is Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside the Right Resort for You? (chipandco.com)
Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.
Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.
Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel
For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!
