• Best resort for kids:The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge You have to love the closeness to the Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness Lodge, as well as the great pool!
• Best resort for just adults: Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa A quick boat ride gets you to all the Downtown Disney restaurants and nightlife.
Deluxe Villa Resorts
The Deluxe Villa resorts are a great alternative to the standard hotel room. For those villas tied to a Deluxe resort, follow the ratings for those rates in Chapter 7. Let’s dig into the different offerings here to see what is right for you!
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Location: Magic Kingdom area
Price Range: Studios: $395–$655; one-bedroom villas: $490–$825; two-bedroom villas: $670–$1,395; and three-bedroom grand villas: $1,690–$2,550
Room Types: Studios sleep 4 with a queen bed and double sleeper. One-bedroom villas sleep 5 with a king-sized bed, a queen sleeper, and a single sleeper. Two bedroom villas sleep 9 with a king-sized bed, two queen-sized beds, a queen sleeper, and a single sleeper. Three-bedroom Grand Villas sleep 12 with a king-sized bed in the master room, two queen-sized beds in the second room, two queen-sized beds in the third room, and a queen sleeper and a double sleeper in the living room.
Best Room Locations: Views of the Magic Kingdom are undoubtedly the prime spots, but the Bay Lake views on the other side are scenic as well, if not a venue for watching the fireworks.
Special Features: DVC members staying here can access the Top of the World Lounge, which offers tremendous views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
For information on the transportation, atmosphere, special features, and dining at this resort, see the review of Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Chapter 7.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
Location: Animal Kingdom area
Price Range: In the Jambo House (located in the original Animal Kingdom Lodge): Studios: $280–$740; one-bedroom villas: $415–$1,000; two-bedroom villas: $605–$1,750; and three-bedroom grand villas: $1,605–$2,330. In the Kidani Village (newer, all Villa resort): Studios: $345–$630; one-bedroom villas: $495–$830; two-bedroom villas: $685–$1,365; and three-bedroom grand villas: $1,605–$2,330
Room Types: Studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas provide accommodations for up to 12.
In the Jambo House, studios sleep 4 with a queen-sized bed and double sleeper. One-bedroom villas sleep 4 to 5 with a king-sized bed, queen sleeper, and single sleeper. Some one-bedroom value villas have a king-sized bed and queen sleeper only. Two-bedroom villas sleep 8 to 9 with a king-sized bed, two queen-sized beds, a queen sleeper, and single sleeper. Some two-bedroom value villas are a combination of a studio and one-bedroom value villa and sleep only 8. Three-bedroom villas sleep 12 with a king-sized bed in the first bedroom, two queen-sized beds in the second bedroom, two queen beds in the third bedroom, and a queen sleeper in the living room.
In the Kidani Village, studios sleep 4 with a queen-sized bed and double sleeper. One-bedroom villas sleep 5 with a king-sized bed, a queen sleeper, and single sleeper. Two-bedroom villas sleep 9 with a king-sized bed, a queen-sized bed, double sleeper, a queen sleeper, and double sleeper. Three-bedroom villas sleep 12 with a king-sized bed in the first bedroom, two queen-sized beds in the second bedroom, two queen beds in the third bedroom, and a queen sleeper in the living room.
Best Room Locations: Jambo House and Kidani Village are the two phases of the Animal Kingdom Villas. The first phase, Jambo House, involved converting some of the existing Animal Kingdom Lodge floors on one wing into Disney Vacation Club rooms. One concern here is transportation time from your room to either the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge or other transportation hubs. Your best bet is to either ask for a room as close as possible to that original lobby, or get a room in the new Kidani Village area near the lobby of that expansion. Otherwise, the obvious consideration is whether or not you have a view of the savannah that has been built around this resort. As with the original resort, the animal-viewing areas are popular and provide unique experiences that are the single largest draw for this resort.
For information on the transportation, atmosphere, special features, and dining at this resort, see the review of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge in Chapter 7.
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Location: Epcot area
Price Range: Studios: $345–$555; one-bedroom villas: $480–$715; two-bedroom villas: $670–$1,250
Room Types: Studios sleep 4 and come with a queen-sized bed and double sleeper. One-bedroom villas sleep 4 and come with a king-sized bed and a queen sleeper. Two-bedroom villas sleep 8 and come with a king-sized bed in the first room, a queen-sized bed and a double sleeper or two queens in the second room, and a queen sleeper or double sleeper in the living room.
Best Room Locations: Rooms as close to the rest of the Beach Club are best, shortening your walk time to the parks, pool, and boats.
For information on the transportation, atmosphere, special features, and dining at this resort, see the review of Disney’s Beach Club Resort in Chapter 7.
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
Location: Epcot area
Price Range: Studios: $334–$555; one-bedroom villas: $480–$715; two-bedroom villas: $670–$1,250; three-bedroom villas: $1,650–$2,330
Room Types: Studios sleep 4 and come with a queen-sized bed and double sleeper. One-bedroom villas sleep 4 and come with a king-sized bed and queen sleeper. Two-bedroom villas sleep 8 and come with a king-sized bed, a queen-sized bed and double sleeper, and a queen sleeper. Three-bedroom villas come with a king-sized bed in the first bedroom, two queen-sized beds each in the second and third bedrooms, and a queen sleeper in the living room.
Best Room Locations: Garden-view rooms offer the best blend, giving you peace and quiet in your room and the fun of the BoardWalk just a few paces away. If you have teens, they may get a treat from a view of the BoardWalk, but it might not be worth the trade-off of the evening noise level.
For information on the transportation, atmosphere, special features, and dining at this resort, see the review of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn in Chapter 7.
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Overall Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Location: Downtown Disney area
Price Range: Studios: $305–$455; one-bedroom villas: $415–$640; two-bedroom villas: $570–$965; and three-bedroom grand villas: $1,270–$1,780
Room Types: Studios sleep 4 and come with two queen-sized beds. One-bedroom villas sleep 4 and come with a king-sized bed and a queen sleeper. Two-bedroom villas sleep 8 and come with a king-sized bed, a queen-sized bed, and double sleeper or two queen beds, and a queen- or full-sized sleeper. Three-bedroom villas come with a king-sized bed in the first bedroom, two queen-sized beds in the second bedroom, two full-sized beds in the third bedroom, and a queen sleeper in the living room.
Best Room Locations: Most rooms overlook the golf course, and the view is far more preferable to a pool view, which is usually noisier. The closer you are to the Hospitality House, the closer you are to the boat service to Downtown Disney.
Transportation: Boat to Downtown Disney, buses to all theme parks and water parks.
Special Features: Boat access to Downtown Disney is a nice feature for shopping enthusiasts and those seeking some nightlife.
Dining: Olivia’s Café provides adequate table service, and Good’s Food to Go has the resort counter service you will like, but with Downtown Disney so nearby, you’ll want to go there as often as possible.
Atmosphere: The island feel of the resort is relaxing, and the studios and villas offer pretty much the same thing as most of the other resorts in this class. This is yet another good location for adult groups, due to the proximity to Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island.
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Overall Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆
Location: Downtown Disney area
Pri
ce Range: Studios: $305–$455; one-bedroom villas: $415–$640; two-bedroom villas: $570–$965; Treehouse villas: $570–$965; and three-bedroom grand villas: $1,270–$1,780
Room Types: Studios sleep 4 and come with one queen-sized bed and a double sleeper. One-bedroom villas sleep 4 and come with a king-sized bed and a queen sleeper. Two-bedroom villas sleep 8 and come with a king-sized bed, two queen-sized beds, a queen sleeper, and a single sleeper. Treehouse villas sleep 9 and come with a queen-sized bed in the first bedroom, a queen bed in the second bedroom, one set of bunk beds in the third bedroom, and a queen sleeper and single sleeper in the living room. Three-bedroom villas come with a king-sized bed in the first bedroom, two queen-sized beds in the second bedroom, two queen beds in the third bedroom, and a queen sleeper in the living room.
Best Room Locations: The best choices are rooms in The Springs area, adjacent to the Carriage House, which houses the restaurants, spa, and other central amenities. These rooms are also a quick walk to the boat launch to Downtown Disney. A secondary choice is Congress Park rooms, only if they have a water view of Downtown Disney.
Transportation: Boat to Downtown Disney, buses to all theme parks and water parks.
Special Features: This resort has a great location across the lake from Downtown Disney. Part of the resort is the new Treehouse Villas. These are all new, but are inspired by similar accommodations that used to exist here many years ago. The great central clubhouse really exudes a clubby and fun ambiance.
Dining: The Artist’s Palette is a good general-purpose dining option, but the real treat here is the nice mix of offerings at the Turf Club. Better still is getting you over to Downtown Disney for all the dining options found there.
Atmosphere: Saratoga Springs transports you to the refined world of upstate New York horse racing. The atmosphere here is more subdued and quieter than at other resorts, although it’s not unfriendly to families. The wooded Treehouse Villa locales offer a more secluded, serene stay as well. It is almost like two resorts in one.
The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Location: Magic Kingdom area
Price Range: Studios: $340–$520; one-bedroom villas: $465–$705; two-bedroom villas: $680–$1,245
Room Types: Studios sleep 4 and come with one queen-sized bed and a double sleeper. One-bedroom villas sleep 4 and come with a king-sized bed in the bedroom and a queen sleeper in the living room. Two-bedroom villas sleep 8 and come with a king-sized bed in the first bedroom, two queen-sized beds in the second bedroom, and a queen sleeper in the living room.
Best Room Locations: The closer the villa is to the rest of the Wilderness Lodge, the shorter the walks to the bus and to the boats. Ask to be as close as possible.
For information on the transportation, atmosphere, special features, and dining at this resort, see the review of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort in Chapter 7.
DISNEY DON’T
It sure is great that you’re getting a kitchenette in your room, but ensure you don’t plan on buying all your food at a Disney store. Plan on a grocery store stop on the way to the resort. If you’re coming from the airport, consider one of the limo services that throw in a free 30-minute grocery store stop with their fee.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Overall Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Location: Magic Kingdom area
Price Range: Campsites: $46–$93; full campsites: $61–$125
Room Types: Campsites accommodate to 10 with tents or pop-up campers, and include electricity, water, cable, and Internet (for a fee) connections. Full campsites accommodate to 10 with tents and RVs, and include electricity, water, cable, sewer, and Internet (for a fee) connections.
Best Room Locations: All locations are very scenic, so try to get as close to the water as possible. The lower the campsite number (100s being the lowest, 2800s being the highest), the better.
Transportation: Boat to the Magic Kingdom, buses to all other theme parks, water parks, and Downtown Disney.
Special Features: The campsites let you bring your RV home along with you. The resort features include horseback riding, an animal petting area, and a marina.
Dining: Fort Wilderness is home to two popular dinner shows, Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review and the seasonal Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, both of which you should try to include in your visit. But for those more regular meals, you can visit Crockett’s Tavern and Trail’s End Restaurant, both of which offer some good and comparably reasonably priced casual dining.
Atmosphere: While the campsites do set the mood for a more rustic setting, Disney has done an admirable job to make it comfortable. They don’t allow the low-frills environment to be an excuse for lower-quality, lesser-upkeep efforts or poorer amenities. This area is fun, active, and a great option for someone wanting an alternative to a hotel.
Special Activities: A great variety of outdoor activities abound, including horseback riding, archery lessons, campfires, outdoor movies, seasonal hayrides, and sleigh rides. You can also rent a golf cart here that can make getting around to all the activity areas much easier.
Summary
If you need something more than two beds, a television, and a bathroom, here you go. If you have an RV, it can now have a Disney address! These great choices open up a variety of accommodation options, and do so in great style, or with access to the great outdoors.
Chapter 11
Hotel Plaza Boulevard and Orlando Resorts
In This Chapter
• Learn about the Hotel Plaza Boulevard choices
• Get inspired by the Swan and Dolphin
• Read up on the hotel reserved for members of the U.S. military
• Find out what other Orlando-area resorts are good choices, as well as bad
Sometimes the Disney-owned resorts are just not the right thing for you. That doesn’t mean you’re relegated to staying in some fleabag motel an hour away. There are literally thousands of choices in the Orlando area, and in this chapter I walk you through some of the best of them.
Hotel Plaza Boulevard
Hotel Plaza Boulevard has been a fixture on the Walt Disney World map since the earliest days of the Magic Kingdom. When there were simply not enough rooms in the area, Disney invited select companies to build hotels on their property, and thus sprung up the Hotel Plaza Boulevard.
Located next to Downtown Disney on the Southeast corner of the Walt Disney World property, this outcropping of hotels brings an excellent alternative to the Disney resorts. Typified by better rates but less Disney-themed decor, these hotels include national chains and smaller operations.
An important distinction to consider with these hotels is that, although they are on property, they don’t share all the same perks as a Disney resort. While none enjoys the Disney Magical Express, some of them do enjoy other special privileges, so look into what each one offers you. Some important things to remember:
• Sometimes the deals here are really great.
• The rooms are usually comparable in size and quality to the Deluxe resort rooms found at Disney resorts.
• You can earn and use existing points from hotel reward programs at Hilton, Marriott, and Best Western to book rooms.
HIDDEN MAGIC!
So what is the best option on Hotel Plaza Boulevard?
• Traveling with kids: The Regal Sun Resort
• Adult party: Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa
• Best overall: The Hilton
Let’s look at these choices. I list them from west to east, with the first ones located most closely to the Downtown Disney area.
Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa
Website: www.buenavistapalace.com
Address: 1900 Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 1-866-397-6516
Special Features: Formerly a Wyndham resort, this Luxury Resorts Hotel (LXR ) is one of the nicer Hotel Plaza choices, complete with a full spa, contemporary rooms, Sunday breakfast character meals,
and a very posh ambiance. It also offers complimentary transportation to all the theme parks. Along with the Hilton, it ranks as one of the higher-end choices on Hotel Plaza Boulevard.
Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort
Website: www.hilton.com
Address: 1751 Hotel Plaza Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 407-827-4000
Special Features: The Hilton offers free shuttles to all theme and water parks, and a Disney character breakfast. The hotel is one of the nicer properties, and guests can also enjoy the privilege of Extra Magic Hours, a rare and big plus. It’s the closest hotel to Downtown Disney, which is just a short walk away. This resort is not to be confused with the new Hilton that is paired with the Waldorf-Astoria at nearby Reedy Creek.
Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort
Website: www.wyndhamlakebuenavista.com
Address: 1850 Hotel Plaza Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 1-800-624-4109
Special Features: Formerly known as the Grosvenor, then the Regal Sun Resort, the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort is one of the original hotels in this area. It hosts Disney character breakfasts, has a better-than-average kid-friendly pool complex, and offers complimentary shuttles to all four theme parks.
Holiday Inn Hotel
Website: www.holidayinn.com
Address: 1805 Hotel Plaza Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 407-828-8888
Special Features: Typical standard two-bed rooms, but recently was redone from top to bottom. I have not stayed here yet, but it looks to be a good lower-cost choice.
Royal Plaza in the Walt Disney World Resort
Website: www.royalplaza.com
Address: 1905 Hotel Plaza Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Walt Disney World, 2012 Edition Page 11