Are Disney World’s Most Expensive Hotels Actually Worth The Cost?

Walt Disney World’s Deluxe Resorts have fun themes, spacious rooms, and amenities that can make your vacation a little more convenient and comfortable.

But as we all know, Deluxe Resorts come with a Deluxe price tag as well.

Are the Deluxe prices for these Deluxe rooms worth emptying your wallet for your upcoming Disney World vacation?

First off, let’s look at what Deluxe Resorts are available for you to book currently:

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Reopening on August 26, 2021)
• Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts
• Disney’s Polynesian Resort
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Boardwalk Inn

Each of these resorts has unique theming and different offerings that make them stand out from one another. But before you dive in and make that big-kid purchase, let’s weigh those pros and cons.

A Deluxe Resort Might Not Be Worth it if…

• You don’t want to go pre-renovations.

  A lot of the Deluxe Resorts are currently undergoing extreme renovations.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort is preparing for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration starting October 1 by transforming its guest rooms to take on a “retro-modern aesthetic” based around the Disney Pixar film The Incredibles.

Meanwhile, Disney’s Saratoga Springs is experiencing refurbishments in three phases. The first phase will focus on the connecting hallway for the lobby, the second phase will focus on the porte-cochère (AKA: the resort’s covered entrance), and the third phase will focus on the lobby itself. These refurbishments started June 28 and will continue through October.

Disney’s Old Key West Resort is also undergoing lobby refurbishments until September.

Meanwhile, Disney’s Grand Floridian’s Resort and Spa won’t start its renovations until next spring, but those renovations will include a complete remodel of the Big Pine Key (AKA: one of the buildings where guests can potentially stay when they book a room). The Big Pine Key will transform into 200 Resort Studios for Disney Vacation Club members.

Okay, you get the picture. LOTS of resort changes and renovations happening right now. If you’re wanting to spend the money on a Deluxe Resort for the immersive atmosphere, you may want to hold off until these resorts have finished up those major projects.

That being said, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort completed its room renovations in July, though common areas and the Monorail station continue to be refurbished.

• You want to have the extended hours benefit.

Have you been missing Disney World’s Extra Magic Hours? Then we’ve got great news! Disney World is bringing back these extended hours for resort guests starting in October.

Any guest staying in any Disney resort will have the opportunity to enter any Disney Park 30 minutes before they open starting on October 1.

Deluxe Resort guests, however, will have an extra advantage. If you’re staying at a Deluxe Disney Resort, you’ll be able to enjoy the Parks after closing time on select evenings. Disney is referring to this as Expanded Evening Hours.

That being said, Disney hasn’t stated whether this added benefit will for sure start up on October 1 as well. You may want to wait to book that Deluxe Resort until you know for certain that you’ll be able to utilize the extended hours perk.

Read more about Disney World’s extended hours HERE!

• Pools are hitting capacity.

  Despite Disney World’s overall guest capacity increasing, there are still limitations on how many guests are allowed in certain areas of the Disney resorts at a time. One of those areas includes the resort pools.

Summer vacations in Disney World equal super-duper hot afternoons with lots of families trying to find ways to cool down and stay entertained. And many families staying at Deluxe Resorts will have the same idea.

We noticed that Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club‘s pool, Stormalong Bay, was experiencing intense crowds this summer, forcing families to wait in a loooooong queue line just for the chance to swim.

This isn’t always the norm for Disney Deluxe Resorts, but it’s becoming a more common occurrence for these scorching summer days. If you want to take full advantage of the Deluxe Resort pools without the extreme wait time, consider booking a room later on in the year when pools aren’t such a hot commodity (or when Disney stops limiting the number of guests using them).

Learn how the health and safety measures are changing at the Disney resort pools HERE!

• You don’t want to pay for parking on top of the hefty price.

Back in 2018, Disney Resorts started charging their Resort guests $15-$25 per night for parking.

For Deluxe Resort guests, you’re looking at the upper range for parking privileges — a hefty $25 per night at your Resort. (Park parking is still free for Resort guests.)

If you’re staying five nights at a Deluxe Resort, that’s an extra $125 on top of what you’re already paying to stay in a Deluxe room! Yikes!

Perhaps that’s something you’ve already budgeted for. If so, great! But an extra $100+ on top of your already expensive room might leave an understandably sour taste in your mouth.

That being said, even if you decide against staying at a Disney Resort because of those added parking fees, just remember that if you plan on driving to the Disney Parks each day, you’ll still have to pay for parking at the gate. If you’re staying at a Disney Resort, however, and already paying for parking there, you won’t have to worry about paying again at the Disney Parks.

(What we’re saying is Disney’s going to find a way to make you pay for your car one way or another . . . )

Learn more about parking at Disney World HERE!

• You’re planning on being mostly at the parks.

For some, the Disney Resort *is* the vacation. (We’ll talk about that more in a sec.) But for many guests, the main reason you’re going to take a Disney vacation is for the Parks!

If you’re one of those guests who are planning on arriving at the parks by rope-drop (park opening) and staying until “the kiss goodnight” (park close) each evening, then paying the extra cost for a Deluxe Resort might not be worth it.

Every Disney resort — whether it be a Value, Moderate, or Deluxe — will provide you with a comfortable bed, a nice bathroom, and space to organize your home away from home.

Sometimes, that’s really all you need.

A Deluxe Resort Might Be TOTALLY Worth it if

• • You want to be in closer proximity to the Parks.

One of the many perks of staying at a Deluxe Resort is convenience. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort are the best places to stay if you want to be close to Magic Kingdom. The monorail will take you directly from your resort to the front gate!

Disney’s Riviera Resort has the Skyliner for your disposal, so you can easily travel to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. The Skyliner station is also close to Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts and Disney’s Boardwalk Inn via the International Gateway. That means guests at those Resorts can Skyliner to Hollywood Studios or simply walk into EPCOT’s World Showcase via the Park’s back entrance.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is . . . a little on the nose. It’s closest to Disney’s Animal Kingdom (but quite a bitfurther from the other Parks).

Read everything you need to know about Disney’s monorail HERE!

• • Want a more upscale/”grown-up” vacation atmosphere.

Are you planning a Disney World vacation for an adult getaway? Then a Deluxe Resort might be that escape you’re looking for! The Deluxe Resorts have a lot of luxurious options targeted at adult guests. They offer secluded outdoor rest areas . . .

…cocktail lounges…

….spas (though some may still be temporarily unavailable)…

…Signature dining restaurants . . .

…and overall relaxing environments that shy a little further from the over-the-top Disney decor you might picture at a Disney Resort.

Though Value Resorts like Disney’s Art of Animation and All-Star Music have fun theming that’s more heavily inspired by Disney characters and their movies, the Deluxe Resorts scale back a bit. Even guests who aren’t as Disney-centric as others might enjoy the peace and grandeur offered at the Deluxe Resorts.

That being said, even if you aren’t staying at one of the Deluxe Resorts, you can still make reservations for the Signature dining restaurants. So if the restaurants were the main selling point for you, this little piece of news might shake things up a bit.

Also, double-check to make sure the other luxury experiences you’re excited for over at the Deluxe Resorts aren’t already offered at, say, a Moderate Resort. Moderate Resorts can also provide luxuriously themed atmospheres and adult offerings for a lower cost. You just gotta do a little research!

(Don’t worry — we’re here to help with that!)

Read more about Disney World’s moderate resorts HERE!

• • You want a unique fireworks view.

Now that the fireworks have started back up in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, you may want a Deluxe Resort that gives you a spectacular view of the shows without ever having to enter the parks.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Resort have select Theme Park View rooms where you’ll be able to watch the fireworks from your balcony window!

You can also watch the Happily Ever After fireworks from different areas around both Resorts. One of our personal favorite spots is the beachside stretched out along Polynesian Resort. Sure, you’re not going to be able to see the projections on Cinderella Castle, but you’ll get a beautiful view of the fireworks display nonetheless, and the pipe in the music, too.

Bonus: you’ll be able to watch the Electrical Water Pageant beforehand! The Electrical Water Pageant is a little floating light parade that takes place on The Seven Seas Lagoon right before Happily Ever After. Super cute stuff!

Disney’s Contemporary Resort also gives you a great view of the Happily Ever After fireworks — specifically, if you decide to dine on the 15th floor at California Grill. If you dine at California Grill, you’ll be able to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks during your meal either from your seat OR out on the private observation deck! The restaurant will even dim the lights and pipe in the fireworks’ music.

There are quite a few restaurants located in the Disney Deluxe Resorts that have similar fireworks views, such as ‘Ohana Grill at Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

The walkway bridge that connects the Boardwalk and Beach Club resorts is a fantastic spot to view EPCOT Forever‘s fireworks, too. Or you can watch them from Disney’s Riviera’s signature restaurant, Topolino’s Terrace!

Like we mentioned earlier, being close to the Disney parks has its advantages!

Check out all the best places to watch Disney World fireworks outside the parks HERE!

• • You plan on spending MORE time in your hotel room relaxing/lounging by the pool/having drinks at the resort lounge/etc. 

Remember how we said some people treat the hotel stay as the main part of the vacation? Those are the times where a Deluxe Resort may be worth the cost!

If you’re planning on only spending time here-and-there in the parks, but relaxing and unwinding in your resort room for the majority of your stay, spending extra for some additional hotel space and luxurious options might be something you want to consider — especially if you aren’t planning on hitting up all four parks.

If you’re not spending money for all four parks, then you may have more wiggle room in your budget to splurge on a Deluxe room. From there, you can enjoy relaxing away the afternoons by lounging near poolsides and sipping on fruity cocktails.

Mmm… don’t mind if we do!

Click here to read about the six best cocktail spots in Disney World!

• • • You’ve budgeted for it!

Honestly, if you’ve been saving up for a nice trip, and you have the money, the Deluxe Resorts are super swanky and a ton of fun to stay in!

If staying at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is on your bucket list, go for it!

If you want to sleep in one of the new Moana-themed rooms over at the Polynesian Village Resort, fantastic!

If you want to wrap up the evening at the parks by listening to the talented musical stylings of the pianist in the lobby of the Grand Floridian, you do you!

In the end, this is your vacation — so do what works best for you and your travel party.

Just keep in mind the downsides of planning for a Deluxe Resort stay in the near future. If those cons don’t outweigh the pros, then plan away!

Watch our ultimate guide to Disney deluxe resorts HERE!

Would you stay at a Disney World deluxe resort? Let us know in the comments below!

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