I've Stayed at Every Disney World Hotel and These Rooms Aren't Worth the Price

It took me literal years, but I’ve stayed at every hotel in Disney World!

I’ve even got a definitive ranking of all of them, and I can recommend one based on your family’s needs. But through that quest, there was a big lesson I learned — some Disney World hotel rooms simply aren’t worth their price tag!

When it comes to Disney World Resorts, there are two types. There are the standard Disney Resorts and then the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) properties. Some Resorts are entirely comprised of DVC rooms, some are split with DVC and “regular” rooms, and some are entirely comprised of “regular” rooms.

Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s timeshare program, where you purchase a contract with a certain number of “points” each year. You can then use those points to book stays at DVC properties around the United States. In the past several years, Disney World has invested heavily in expanding the number of DVC rooms at hotels.

Disney’s Riviera Resort (which opened in 2019) and the Island Tower at the Polynesian Village Resort (which opened in 2024) were both comprised entirely of DVC rooms. Now, Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is the next DVC property on the docket, set to open in summer 2027.

Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

There are quite literally thousands of DVC rooms in Disney World at this point, and through my journey to stay at every hotel, I developed a controversial opinion. What is it? Well, I firmly believe that it’s NOT worth it to pay out of pocket for a Disney Vacation Club room in Disney World.

Anyone can book a DVC room through the Disney World website, though DVC owners get “first dibs” on the stock before they go to the consumer site. And when you look at the prices listed for regular folks…they’re ABSURD. Seriously, many DVC rooms are at least $500 a night without any discounts, and some of them get into the $2000+ range per night.

Sure, you can sometimes get discounts for those rooms with special offers that Disney releases, but it doesn’t make a ton of difference if the room is already overpriced. Thankfully, there is a budget-friendly solution.

My preferred method as a non-DVC owner is to rent DVC points through an authorized reseller. Here at AllEars, we use David’s DVC Rental. They offer both affordable rates on renting DVC points, as well as some confirmed reservations at a discount. We can almost always get the room for cheaper by using this method instead of booking through Disney.

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Disney Vacation Club rooms have a lot of draw, even for the non-DVC guest. The studios come with kitchenettes, which can be handy for keeping leftovers or making breakfast in the morning. When you get into the larger 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom villas, you’ll start noticing amenities like full kitchens, living rooms, dining tables, washers, dryers, and more. For those who want to vacation in the lap of luxury, these are some of the nicest options in Disney World.

So if you’re interested in staying in a DVC room on your next trip, don’t pay cash to Disney! Instead, use a service like David’s DVC Rental to secure the best deal possible. Trust me, when it comes to Disney hotel rooms, I know ball.