When you choose what Walt Disney World Resort you are going to stay at for your Disney vacation, you are going to be evaluating a lot of factors. One major factor is if you have kids or don’t have kids traveling with you. If you have kids, then your top priority is going to be what resorts are most accommodating for children! Even though it is Disney World and the name is synonymous with family, you don’t need to visit too many times before you discover that some hotels are definitely better than others; and it doesn’t always come down to price. These five selections represent the best family resorts in Disney World if you have kids.
5 Best FAMILY RESORTS at Walt Disney World
Polynesian Village
This hotel is fantastic for families. It is a DVC resort so there are plenty of options depending on the size of your group. As one of the original Disney World hotels, Polynesian offers the best square footage per room as well. In addition, Polynesian Village offers a fun tropical theme, an elaborately themed swimming pool complete with water slide, and character dining. The beach of Polynesian Village is excellent for viewing the Electrical Water Pageant and the Fireworks at night.
Contemporary
Disney’s Contemporary is also one of the original hotels on Disney Property. The square footage is much better than the newer deluxe hotels. Contemporary is a DVC resort as well. Plus, it is mere minutes away from the entrance to the Magic Kingdom! It’s only a short walk. Contemporary is also home to Mickey’s Kitchen and Pixar Play Zone which is a great place to leave the kids for a few hours, while you enjoy dinner at the California Grill on the top floor.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
It’s hard to make an argument against Animal Kingdom Lodge as an ideal hotel for families. It’s the least expensive deluxe resort and it also has DVC options to accommodate your family by size. The big selling point for Animal Kingdom Lodge is the Animals. The rooms with savanna views are a unique treat when you wake up and have coffee on your balcony with wildlife grazing right in front of you. Even if you don’t have the view from your room, you have access to animal viewing and kids love it! There are also a ton of cultural experiences at the lodge to participate in. Many of them are free!
Art of Animation
As far as the value resorts go, Art of Animation is top of the line. The timing is better than you will find at any of the other value resorts and there are a few unique selling points for why Art of Animation is one of the best resorts for kids. Art of Animation offers Family suites to start with. That is a major plus for a value resort. In addition, it has one of the biggest and best pools, which is tons of fun for kids. The Big Blue Pool is Finding Nemo themed and it famously plays music underwater, which kids love! Art of Animation also has Landscapes of Flavor, the most celebrated food court in Disney World.
Port Orleans Riverside
Finally, somewhere in the middle of it all is one of my all-time favorite resorts. Port Orleans Riverside is a moderate hotel which means you don’t pay for all the bells and whistles of a Deluxe, but you get a much higher level of theming then you do at value resorts. The rooms are on the smaller side, but some rooms do accommodate the fifth sleeper. Unlike the deluxe resorts, the doors to the rooms have no gaps underneath and the rooms do not allow as much sound to carry, which is good news if you worry about disturbing neighbors. The pool is really fun and there is even a fishing hole to take the kids to. Kids will also love the boats and the horse-drawn carriage. The video arcade is also better than any you find at a deluxe resort. All things considered, it’s a great value.
There you have it with 5 best family resorts at Walt Disney World.
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William D Holland says
If I had to make a choice it would be Animal Kingdom because, well, who doesn’t like animals? Although I’ll never visit these places, it’s still fun to read about them and see pics, so thank you Janine, and Happy Weekend to you!
Janine says
Aw, you are so welcome and always happy to share with you. Happy weekend to you, too now 🙂
Dara says
I would love to stay at any of these resorts! The Animal Kingdom Lodge is high on my dream list, as are any of the Monorail resorts!
Janine says
Dara, the monorail resorts are seriously awesome and can’t recommend more for the convenience of getting to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. But Animal Kingdom Resort also is a must, too 🙂
Kristi Campbell says
As always, thank you! We’re planning a trip in March for Spring Break, with our 10yo so super appreciate the recommendations as always. Disney is such a magical place, and it’s always hard to know how to get the best of it. This helps!
Janine says
Aw, you are so welcome and yay to your upcoming trip. Seriously, if you have any questions or need any help, totally message me 🙂
Kristi Campbell says
I definitely will! Thank you! <3
Janine says
Aw, your welcome and always happy to help you, my friend!! <3
Tamara Bowman says
Yes, we always do Art of Animation! Our future goals do include Animal Kingdom Lodge with giraffes, and The Contemporary is a personal dream of mine, when I finally hit that lottery.. haha
Janine says
Aw, I hope you can eventually do both the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Contemporary, too!! 🙂
Pam says
You’ve given me such a fun walk down memory lane today! When my kids were little, we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside (the side we were on was called Dixie Landing at that time–1995!), Wilderness Lodge, and Beach Club (not sure if the Beach Club is still there?) We LOVED all of them! I stayed at the Contemporary the year it opened (I think 1972 maybe?), and I thought I had died and gone to heaven! 🙂 My kids are grown now, but we still talk about going back for a trip to DisneyWorld again.
Janine says
Aw, thanks, Pam for sharing your wonderful Disney family memories with me here. And hope you and your family get back to Disney very soon now, as well 🙂