MAXIMIZE Your Disney World Day By Picking the Right Hotel

We’re not going to sugarcoat it: Planning a Disney World vacation can be hard!

There are a lot of things to consider, like learning to navigate Disney Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane, any dining reservations you may want to make, and arguably the most important, where you’re going to stay! One of the biggest factors that will go into your hotel decision is what Disney World parks you’ll be visiting on your trip, and where you think you’ll be spending the majority of your time. Here are some recommendations for which Disney World hotel you should stay at based on each park!

Magic Kingdom

If Magic Kingdom is your favorite Disney World park or you’re planning on spending a lot of your vacation in Magic Kingdom, then the best hotel for you will be a hotel close by. Getting to Magic Kingdom can be a bit of a pain, especially if you’re driving your own car, so staying near the park can be a huge help.

As far as transportation goes, your best bet will be one of the hotels on the Monorail loop. These hotels are Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and the Polynesian Village Resort. You can take the Monorail from each of these resorts to the Magic Kingdom, and you can also walk right to the park from the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian!

Another Disney World hotel that is close to the Magic Kingdom is Wilderness Lodge. Wilderness Lodge isn’t on the Monorail loop, but it’s very close, which makes the bus ride to and from the park pretty short.

EPCOT

EPCOT is a very easy park to get to from a lot of different hotels. You can walk to EPCOT from several of them: the BoardWalk Inn, the Beach Club, Yacht Club, as well as the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts!

Not only can you walk from these hotels, there’s also multiple hotels you can take the Disney Skyliner to EPCOT from! You can take the Skyliner from Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. One thing to note about staying at a hotel with the Skyliner is that if the Skyliner is not running, you will need to find a different way to get to the park, whether that be via bus, or choosing to drive yourself.

These resorts are great if you’re heading to EPCOT during one of its many festivals, like the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival because both the walkway to the hotels and the Skyliner station are located in World Showcase, not at the front of the park.

Hollywood Studios

There’s a lot of overlap between good hotels to stay at if you’ll be spending a lot of time in EPCOT, and the good hotels for spending a lot of time in Hollywood Studios.

Any of the hotels you can walk to EPCOT from, you can also walk to Hollywood Studios from, though the walk will be a bit longer. You are also able to take a boat to Hollywood Studios from the BoardWalk, Yacht & Beach Resorts, and the Swan and Dolphin Resorts. Similarly, you can take the Skyliner from any of the hotels with Skyliner stations to Hollywood Studios.

If you’re planning to spend a lot of your vacation in Hollywood Studios, while the Skyliner hotels or a hotel you can walk from are hard to beat, Coronado Springs (despite not having many transportation options) is a hotel to consider, as well. Your only option for getting to the parks from Coronado Springs is taking the bus or driving your own car, but the hotel is close to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, which makes it easier.

Coronado Springs is also a great hotel to consider if you’re looking for something a little more upscale without the huge price tag. Because it is a convention hotel, Coronado Springs has a lot of the perks of a Deluxe (or highest price) Disney World hotel while still being classified as a Moderate (or middle-priced) hotel.

And finally, we have the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Now, with the Starcruiser, it’s important to mention that you can’t just get off whenever you want to head into the park, but there are scheduled excursions into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge where you’ll walk into Hollywood Studios through an entrance designated specifically for guests of the Starcruiser, which is pretty cool.

Animal Kingdom

Of all of the Disney World theme parks, Animal Kingdom is probably the most difficult to get to. There is no special transportation to this park, the only way to get to it is via the Disney buses or your own vehicle, and it’s pretty far away from the other parks. If you’re looking to book a hotel close to this park, your best bet will be Animal Kingdom Lodge.

If your favorite park is Animal Kingdom, this hotel is ideal because not only is Animal Kingdom Lodge close to the park, it’s themed similarly to the park, as well! This hotel is a Deluxe resort, so if you’re looking for something less expensive, the All-Star Resorts (All-Star Music, All-Star-Movies, and All-Star Sports) are also located near Animal Kingdom!

BONUS: Disney Springs

Okay, we know Disney Springs isn’t technically a park, but if you plan to spend a lot of time in Disney’s shopping, dining, and entertainment district, then there are a few hotels you might consider staying at! First up is Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa! This hotel is located right across the water from Disney Springs and is so close that you can just walk right over! If you want to save your steps, there is also boat transportation from this resort to Disney Springs.

Another great option if you’re planning to spend a lot of time in Disney Springs are the Port Orleans Resorts! You can take the boat to Disney Springs from Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside, so you don’t have to worry about driving your car or catching the bus!

You can also take a boat to Disney Springs from Disney’s Old Key West Resort, as well!

When it comes to picking the Disney World hotel perfect your stay, it all comes down to where you’ll be spending the majority of your time. As always, make sure to stay tuned to AllEars for more Disney World tips and news!

Which Disney World hotel has the best theming? Click here to see what our readers said.

What’s your favorite Disney World hotel? Let us know in the comments!

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