7 Charts To Decode Disney World's Confusing Hotel Room Terminology

If you’ve ever tried to book a hotel room on the Disney World website and quickly become overwhelmed, you’re not alone!

There are over two dozen Disney Resorts to choose from, each with its own selection of hundreds of hotel rooms. Among those hotel rooms, you’ll find a slew of room types with confusing names and varying levels of amenities. It’s a discombobulating experience, honestly. But thankfully, we’re Disney World experts who’ve stayed at the hotels for decades…and we’re here to break it down for you!

Disney Vacation Club Resorts

Let’s kick this off with some of Disney World’s most expensive properties. The Disney Vacation Club Resorts are not exclusive to Disney Vacation Club members — anyone can book these rooms, though DVC members get first priority. Their room types are fairly standard across the DVC Resorts and the hotels that have DVC sections or buildings.

One of the best things about these hotel rooms is that from the Deluxe Studio level and above, you get a kitchenette or kitchen included. That’s very helpful if you’re trying to cook some meals, make breakfast in your room, or store and reheat your leftovers.

Click Here to See the List of DVC Hotels!

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Room types are fairly standard across most of the Deluxe Resorts, but there are a couple of hotels that stand out with some interesting offerings. The first of those is Animal Kingdom Lodge — Jambo House, which has several different room views to choose from.

The savanna view rooms are the most coveted here, as the savanna is home to live safari animals that you can see throughout your stay. This hotel doesn’t have the best location or transportation options, so staying in a savanna view room is arguably its biggest draw.

What I Wish I Knew: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Contemporary

The other Deluxe Resort that we broke down specifically is the Contemporary Resort. This hotel is broken up into the Main Tower and the Garden Wing, so make sure you know where you’re booking when you choose your room.

Know the difference between Tower and Garden.

Staying in the Garden Wing allows for a bit more peace and quiet, while staying in the Main Tower offers more convenience for shopping, dining, and transportation. It’s all about your personal preference at this resort.

Full Tour of the New Rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort!

Specialty Room Types

Another way to spend big bucks on your hotel room is to book one of the specialty room types that are offered at select locations. You’ll find most of these at Deluxe Resorts across the property, and if you’ve got the budget, they can be bucket list stays!

Some of these options are great for larger groups, splitting the cost of accommodations. The catch is, these rooms tend to go a lot faster than the regular ones, so you have to commit early and quickly!

See Inside This $4500 Disney World Hotel Room

Moderate Resorts

Stepping down to the Moderate Resorts, the rooms get a little bit easier to explain. Coronado Springs Resort is broken up into the Gran Destino Tower and the Village rooms — the tower is much more convenient but comes with a higher price tag.

These are simpler than the deluxe hotels.

When it comes to the other moderate resorts, the rooms tend to be spread out across a large property, so booking that preferred room for a close-to-the-lobby location can be a huge timesaver.

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Art of Animation

Nestled somewhere between Moderate and Value Resorts in terms of price lies the Art of Animation Resort with its fun themed suites. This hotel is a kid’s dream with larger-than-life theming outside the building and incredible details inside the rooms.

For this hotel, you can choose your favorite franchise or save a few dollars and have the resort choose for you. These are a good choice for a family of 6 that doesn’t fit into a traditional hotel room made for 4 people.

The Best Disney World Hotels for Large Families

Value Resorts

Last but not least, we’ve got to mention the Value Resorts (other than Art of Animation). These are the simplest to explain of the bunch. The main outlier is the family suites at All-Star Music Resort, which are typically the cheapest option on the property for a larger family (outside of staying in a camper or tent at Fort Wilderness).

Pop Century Resort has the most room categories of the bunch, but it’s no surprise, considering that one is usually the most popular. These hotel rooms don’t offer as much as the other categories, but they fit well in a tighter budget.

7 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Staying at Pop Century Resort

So there you have a breakdown of some of Disney World’s most confusing room categories. Hopefully, these charts make booking your next trip a bit more straightforward.