I Can't Believe People Keep Falling for This Disney World Hotel Trap

Staying at a Disney World hotel? There are some traps you need to AVOID.

You have to be careful when selecting where you’re going to stay — you’ll want to be budget-friendly AND make your vacation more convenient. However, be mindful of some common mistakes during this process.

Discounts Due to Refurbishments

One of the first pitfalls we see people encounter is when they find a Disney World hotel for a discounted rate, only to later find out that it’s under considerable refurbishment. When hotels are getting major overhauls, Disney often lowers the price a little bit because it knows the construction will affect the atmosphere.

So sometimes people will book these rates, thinking that they scored a deal, and forget to check the refurbishment calendar. During a hotel update, anything from the pool to the lobby to the restaurants to an entire section of rooms could be closed.

Garden View Rooms

One thing that the members of our team agreed was NOT worth the money was “garden view” rooms. These are offered at a number of resorts, and they’re usually used to describe the rooms that aren’t quite a parking lot view but aren’t as nice as a theme park view, either.

The problem here? “Garden view” can be pretty vague language. Sometimes you get a nice view of a green area or a courtyard, and sometimes it’s a weird angle of a slightly wooded area or some strange backstage-adjacent place. In general, the only room upgrades our team likes to pay for are theme park view or savanna view (at Animal Kingdom Lodge).

Booking Based on Price Alone

You might be doing your Disney World vacation on a tight budget, but if you’re only taking price into consideration when booking, you may be overlooking other important details that could affect the quality of your vacation.

For example, the All-Star Resorts are technically the cheapest Disney-owned properties, but they also have some of the worst locations, set on the far side of Disney property with buses as the only free transportation option. For just a little bit more per night, you could score a room at the better-liked Pop Century Resort.

Not Considering All Your Transportation Options

And speaking of transportation and location, you DEFINITELY need to consider these factors when booking your hotel. For instance, while the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin have excellent transportation to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, their buses to other locations can be unpredictable, and the bus to Magic Kingdom drops you off at the Transportation & Ticket Center.

Many people often think that being on the Monorail loop is one of the most convenient places to stay, but if you’re hoping to spend more time at EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, it would be a better idea to stay in the Crescent Lake area or on the Skyliner route. And while Animal Kingdom Lodge and the All-Stars are close to Animal Kingdom, those hotels are pretty far from everywhere else in Disney World.

Thinking Only DVC Members Can Stay in DVC Rooms

And finally, we’re here to dispel the myth that only Disney Vacation Club members can stay in DVC studios or suites. Even at resorts like the Riviera, Saratoga Springs, and Old Key West, where the rooms are ALL Disney Vacation Club rooms, anyone can stay there.

At these spots, you can book through the consumer site (typically a little bit closer to your travel dates than with the regular hotel rooms), or you can go the route of renting DVC points to try and save a bit of cash. If you’d like to try that out, we recommend our friends over at David’s DVC Rentals.

There are quite a few things to consider when booking your Disney World hotel, so be smart about where you spend your money!

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!