The Best Places to Stay Near Disney World
No matter your priorities, there’s a hotel designed for you.
The Four Seasons Resort Orlando is one of the best hotels near Disney World. Photograph courtesy Four Seasons
In Orlando, hotel rooms are almost as abundant as mouse-eared merch. Zero in on the one that’s right for your fam.
If you’re with a big group …
The two-bedroom suites at Disney’s New England-themed (read: classy) Beach Club Resort can accommodate seven adults, have common areas, and are a short walk from Epcot or a boat ride from Hollywood Studios. (They start at $1,585 a night.) For more space — plus a full kitchen, an in-unit laundry and a dining room — try the three-bedroom option at BoardWalk Villas. It sleeps up to 12 people, has lots of outdoor space, and starts at $2,078 a night.
If you want this to be a relaxing vacation, too …
The Four Seasons Resort Orlando is officially in the park, but considering the lack of kitsch and the insane amenities, you might as well be on a remote island. There’s a five-acre water park with slides, a lazy river, and an adults-only pool (the only one on Disney property), plus a complimentary kids’ club. (Free! Child care!) What to do with all that downtime? Have a lakeside lunch, book a spa treatment, or just hit up the in-room Plum wine machines that dispense glasses of chilled chard on demand. Rooms start at $449 a night.
If you’re all about convenience …
The monorail goes right through the hotel, but the Contemporary is also only about a 10-minute walk from the Magic Kingdom, which is clutch for those moments when you just can’t bear to line up for another moving attraction. Rooms are updated, and the ones on the Club Level have access to a concierge and gym. Plus, the property is home to the California Grill, where diners have front-row seats for the nightly fireworks show. Rooms start at $421 a night.
If you want to be a bit removed from the action …
Don’t feel like you have to spend every waking minute at Disney; you are on vacation, after all. The JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes is home to a mega-pool situation (there’s a water obstacle course) and a Greg Norman-designed golf course. It’s close to other attractions like Discovery Cove and Universal Studios and is still only 25 minutes from the Magic Kingdom. Rooms start at $250.
Check in to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Photograph courtesy Disney
If money is no object …
Get two vacations in one. The 2,000-square-feet Royal Asante Presidential Suite at Animal Kingdom Lodge has a TV room with a thatched ceiling, soaking tubs, enormous beds, a dining room, and a large balcony with views of the animal park. (That thatched ceiling is cool, but seeing a zebra or wildebeest from your porch is way cooler.) There are also waterslides and an in-pool playground on-property, plus the opportunity for a private safari. The suite starts at $2,784 a night.
If you’re on a budget …
Rooms at the Pop Century Resort got a refresh last year, with cleverly designed layouts (a table transforms into a Murphy bed) and in-room extras like coffeemakers. And while other well-priced hotel options nearby (Art of Animation, All-Star Sports) share a bus to the parks, Pop Century has its own, getting you aboard Dumbo the Flying Elephant that much faster. Rooms start at $131.
Published as “Find Your Perfect Housing Situation” in the September 2019 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
