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Disney World Character Dining Without Park Admission

March 7, 2013 by 1 Comment

disneyworldcharacterdiningwithoutparkadmission

It is possible to indulge in a Disney World character dining experience without park admission. If you do not have tickets for the parks but still want to take the family to a Disney character dining restaurant then you have a number of options.

Photo by PrincesssAshley

1900 Park Fare

This is one of our favorite character dining location. 1900 Park Fare is located inside Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort so park admission is not required. All meals are buffet as is the norm for character dining.

1900 Park Fare serves the Supercalifragolistic Breakfast and Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner each day. The breakfast is available from 8:00am – 11:45am and the characters are Mary Poppins, Alice and the Mad Hatter.

Dinner is served from 4.30 to 8.30 pm and characters include Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine,
Anastasia and Drizella. It is of course very popular because this is one of the best places to catch some quality time with Cinderella.

Prices cary by season and by day. The busier the season the higher the price. The breakfast buffet adult price range is $22.36 to $26.62 and for children (ages 3-9) the price range is $12.77 to $14.90 For dinner the adult price range: $38.33 to $42.59 and for children (ages 3-9) the price range is $19.16 to $21.29.

The food is one of the highest quality of all the character buffets in our opinion. The atmosphere can best be described as loud and lively! The tables are very close together but the characters do a great job of spending time at each guests table.

Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Cape May has always been a big favorite of ours. Located in Disney’s Beach Club Resort no park admission is required to dine here.

The theme of the hotel is of course beaches so it is fitting that Minnie, Goofy, and Donald wear beach clothes for the breakfast which is served daily at 7.30 to 11.00 am. The breakfast is buffet style with the usual favorites available at an adult price range of between $26.62 and $30.88 and for children (ages 3-9) the price range is $13.84 to $17.03

Dinner is buffet style too but no characters appear.

Chef Mickey at the Disney Contemporary Resort

This is another very popular character dining location. As it is located in The Contemporary Resort park admission is not needed – although if you are visiting the parks then it is most convenient for a visit to The Magic Kingdom as it is a very quick monorail ride away.

The breakfast buffet is served at Chef Mickey’s each day from 7:00 until 11:20 a.m. The very popular characters are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck.

You will find the same characters at dinner from 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm every night. The adult price range is $41.53 to $46.85 and the child price range is $20.23 to $22.36

For more menu details go to:

Disney Chef Mickey’s

Ohana Polynesian Lilo and Stitch Best Friends Character Breakfast

This is one which often gets overlooked for some reason. Located in The Polynesian Resort Hotel the Ohana
Polynesian Lilo and Stitch Best Friends Character Breakfast does not require park admission to dine. Just like Chef Mickey’s it is very convenient for Magic Kingdom if you are visiting the parks.

Breakfast is served family style from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. I have to confess I am not a huge fan of family style meals and much prefer buffet options but if you want to dine with Lilo and Stitch this is the perfect place.

The adult price range is $22.36 to $26.62 and for children (ages 3-9) the price range is $12.77 to $14.90

Garden Grove Cafe at the Swan

This character breakfast is located at The Walt Disney World Swan Resort close to the World Showcase entrance to Epcot. Park entry is not required. This is a little out of the way unless you are staying at an Epcot or Disney Boardwalk Hotel location but it is a great option if you want a high quality character breakfast without needing park admission.

This character breakfast is held only on Saturday and Sunday 6:30 AM to 11:30 AM. They do not take reservations – it is first come first served.

The pricing is the same every weekend at $20.99 for adults and $12.99 for children aged 3 to 9.

Making a Reservation for a Disney Character Dining Experience

With the exception of Garden Grove Cafe all character dining experiences can be booked up to 180 days ahead. You can call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463), or book online at Disney Dining Reservations

For more details about all the character dining locations go to:

Disney World Character Dining

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Disney Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside Hotel and Resort

February 17, 2013 by 1 Comment

disneyportorleansroyalrooms

Get a look inside the Disney Story Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside Hotel Resort. If you want a beautifully themed room at a Disney resort then look no further than the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside. The attention to detail in these very opulent rooms certainly makes you feel like royalty! The Princess Tiana theme of course fits perfectly in this Port Orleans setting.

Watch this video to see what the Royal Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort look like:

The Royal Rooms made their debut at the resort in March 2012 and have proved to be very popular. The layout and size of the rooms is typical of a Disney moderate resort, but the furnishings and design make them very special.

As part of the refurbishment the rooms were upgraded to include 2 Queen beds instead of the full beds that had been there before. The bedding is a very opulent blue and gold color. It reminds me a lot of the Disneyland Hotel. Another reminder of my favorite Disneyland hotel is in the head board – press a button and you launch the fireworks show of lights!

Also typical of the moderate Disney hotel room design is that there are 2 sinks outside of the main bathroom area. The colors and designs are beautiful – fit for a Princess!

The Disney Port Orleans Riverside hotel is a great choice for guests looking for a reasonably priced and convenient place to stay with all the perks of staying on Disney property. With the addition of the Royal Rooms the hotel is an even better choice – particularly for those of us who love everything about the Disney Princesses!

There are 512 of the Royal Rooms in Port Orleans Riverside. Prices range from $192 to $312 per night rack rate for 2013 for the rooms. They are very popular so you do need to book early at busy times.

If you want to see more about the benefits of staying at a resort hotel check out our post at

Top Reasons to Stay at a Disney World Resort

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Walt Disney World Hotel and Package Discounts 2013

January 8, 2013 by 1 Comment

Save up to 30% on a stay at Walt Disney World in 2013. Disney has just announced the new discounts for early 2013. The Disney World discounts are valid for most nights Feb. 18th to March 23rd and April 2nd to June 14th 2013.

Photo by expressmonorail

Disney World Moderate and Value Resort Savings

Save up to 25% at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Cabins

Save up to 20% at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Save up to 15% at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Family Suites ( no discount on Standard rooms in the Little Mermaid section of the Art of Animation Resort)

Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts Discounts

Save up to 30% at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, Disney’s Beach Club Resort Villas, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn & Villas, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (standard view rooms), Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Disney’s Old Key West Resort

Save up to 20% at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort (including Villas), Disney’s Polynesian Resort (excluding Club Level rooms), Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (excluding Club Level rooms) and Disney’s Contemporary Resort (excluding Club Level rooms)

Add minimum 4-Day Magic Your Way Tickets to make it a package and get a discount on the tickets too!

Sample Pricing:

For example, book a 5-night, 6-day Magic Your Way Package, including Theme Park tickets, at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort and save $250, with a total package price of $1,593 for a family of four (for stays most nights Feb. 24 – March 7, 2013 and April 7 – May 23, 2013). That’s like paying $67 per person, per day!***

Booking Window:
Book Jan. 3 – March 7, 2013 for travel Feb. 18 – March 23, 2013
Book Jan. 3 – March 31, 2013 for travel April 2 – June 14, 2013

As with all Disney World resort discounts these are subject to availability and these options do sell out. So if you know that you want to visit Walt Disney World then book as soon as you can!

You may also like:

Hotels Near Epcot

Top 10 Disney World Hotel Resorts

Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disney Tips, Hotels Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Disney World Resort Hotel Room Discounts and Savings Early 2013

December 4, 2012 by 1 Comment

There are some great savings and discounts on Disney World Hotel Rooms for early 2013. You must book by 31st December 2012 to qualify for these Walt Disney World Resort savings.

Save up to 35% on stays at select Disney resorts, most nights 1/2/13-1/17/13 and 1/21/13 – 3/7/13

Stays 1/18/13-1/20/13 are available at some resorts but may have different prices and discounts.

Here are some of the typical hotel room savings available:

Value Resorts

Save up to 15% at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Family Suites

Save up to 25% at Disney’s All Star Sports Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s All Star Music Resort.

Moderate Resorts

Save up to 30% at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside and Disney’s Wilderness Cabins.

Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts

Save up to 25% at Disney’s Wilderness Resort (including Disney Wilderness Resort Villas)

Save up to 35% at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort Villas, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (standard view rooms), Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas (Kidani and Jambo rooms), Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort (including Bay Lake Towers).

The offer excludes 3-bedroom villas and is not valid at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Little Mermaid standard rooms.

These are room only offers.

The benefits of staying in a Walt Disney World Hotel are huge. You not only get the wonderful themed hotels, the convenient locations, the incredible Disney service, but also one of the biggest benefits of all – the Extra Magic Hour for hotel resort guests. This allows Disney hotel resort guests to enter the select parks on designated days either earlier, or stay later than the general public. This is a huge benefit which can greatly enhance your stay by cutting down the time spent in lines for the attractions.

We have lots of information on our site about Disney World hotels – and we have stayed in many of them personally so you will get the insiders view. Here are some guides to Disney World hotels that will help you in your choice of which one is the right one for you and your family:

Hotels Near Epcot

Top 10 Disney World Hotel Resorts

Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge

Photo by expressmonorail

Filed Under: Disney Tips, Disney World Hotels, Hotels, Hotels Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Disneyland Resort Hotel Benefits

December 2, 2012 by 4 Comments

What are the benefits of staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel? There are many hotels to choose from which are close to the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure park but none is quite as special as the hotels of the Disneyland resort. Here is a discussion about the benefits of staying in a Disney hotel so that you can decide if it is the right choice for you and your family.

Disneyland Resort Hotel Choices

There are 3 Disneyland Resort Hotels. The Paradise Pier, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa. They are all very different in character and price range. The lowest prices are generally found at the Paradise Pier and the highest at the Grand Californian.

The Paradise Pier is a great choice for families who want to stay close to all the action for a reasonable price. Disneyland Hotel offers much larger rooms and the best pool complex for children of all of the Disneyland hotels. The Grand Californian is a very luxurious hotel which is just steps away from the California Adventure Park.

All of the Disneyland Hotels offer the following benefits:

Location

Location and proximity to the parks is a huge benefit of staying in a Disneyland Resort Hotel. You can easily walk to the parks. The Grand Californian is closest, but the Paradise Pier and Disneyland Hotel are both within very easy walking distance to Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney.

The advantage of location, as well as the obvious one about saving your energy, is that it saves you time. You can be up and out in the parks quickly in the morning. If you stay elsewhere it is likely you will either have a long walk to the parks, or you will have to use the Disney parking lot. It takes quite a bit of time to access the parks from the parking lot – this is time which of course could be better spent in the park!

Disney Resort Extra Magic Hour

This is a huge reason to stay in one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. The Extra Magic Hour lets guests access into the parks for one hour prior to the general public opening. This is a significant benefit.

The schedule does vary throughout the year but usually there is early entry to Disneyland on 3 days of the week and to California Adventure park for 4 days of the week. We find early entry into California Adventure Park particularly beneficial as it can allow you to ride Radiator Springs Racers twice or sometimes even three times before the general public arrives!

Our advice is to arrive early for the Extra Magic Hours. Lines were starting to form around 45 minutes before early entry. The early bird gets the most rides!

Disneyland Resort Guests Exclusive Entrance

There is an entrance which is reserved exclusively for guests of the Disneyland Resort which is located in the Grand Californian Hotel. This is a huge benefit as it gets you quickly into the California Adventure park. It makes the entrance and exit from the park even more convenient if you are staying in either the Grand Californian Hotel or the Paradise Pier.

Key to the Magic and Package Express

Your Disneyland Resort room key allows you to charge all your Disney purchases to your room account. This is not a huge benefit but is a nice to have convenience.

The Package Express gives resort guests the opportunity to have any purchases in the parks and Downtown Disney delivered to their hotel. We have rarely used this facility as often we forget about it – but on our last visit we used it quite a bit and found it very convenient. Much better than having to carry your purchases around the parks.

The Disney Theme

All Disney hotels are special. The themes are all very different and we have our favorite elements of each hotel but all of them are wonderfully themed.

For us the most magical rooms are in the Disneyland Hotel. We love the nostalgic pictures of Walt Disney on the walls, and the new magical headboard which has the Disneyland Castle on it and plays A Dream is a Wish Your Heart makes. Paradise Pier has it’s own beach, very laid back style with lots of Disney touches. The Grand Californian Hotel feels as though you have stepped into another world entirely. The Disney theme is there but is very subtle – it is more like the ambience of a nostalgic, grand but welcoming, national park hotel. One of our ver favorites of all of the Disneyland and Disney World hotels.

Whichever one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels you choose you will be sure to have a very magical stay. The benefits of the Disneyland Resort Hotels are well worth it will make your visit to the parks even more special.

All photos courtesy of Disney

Filed Under: Disney Tips, Disneyland, Hotels, Hotels Tagged With: , ,

Walt Disney World Room Discounts 2013

October 10, 2012 by 3 Comments

It has just been announced that there are some great Walt Disney World Room Discounts and Savings for early 2013. With savings of up to 35% on Disney World room rack rates this is a great deal! The Disney World Resort room discounts are for stays most nights January 2 to March 7, 2013.

You must book before 31st December 2012 for a chance to get the discounts. As with all offers for Walt Disney World these are subject to availability and they do sell out quickly. So if you know that you want to go book as soon as you can!

Photo by expressmonorail

Disney Value and Moderate Resorts Room Only Discounts

For stays most nights Jan. 2-17 and Jan. 21 – March 7, 2013:

Save up to 30% at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Cabins

Save up to 25% at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Save up to 15% at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Family Suites

Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts Room Only Savings

For stays most nights Jan. 2-17 and Jan. 21 – March 7, 2013:

Save up to 35% at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, Disney’s Beach Club Resort Villas, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn & Villas, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (standard view rooms), Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas (Kidani/Jambo rooms), Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Contemporary Resort (including Bay Lake Towers).

Save up to 25% at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort (including Villas)

This is a great deal. Remember to book before 31st December 2012 for these rates (subject to availability of course).

You may also like:

Top 10 Magic Kingdom Rides for Toddlers

Where Can You Find Cinderella in Disney World

Walt Disney World Character Dining

Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disney World Hotels, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Magic Kingdom, Hotels, Hotels Tagged With: , , ,

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

March 3, 2012 by 1 Comment

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is an excellent choice if you want to stay in a luxury hotel which is close to all of the Walt Disney World parks and within easy walking distance of Epcot. The Yacht Club is located on the shores of Crescent Lake next to it’s sister resort Disney Beach Club. Both resorts have a very upscale feel and look. You are taken back to another era of the late 1800s East Coast seaside resorts.

Photo by expressmonorail

As you would expect from the name, The Yacht Club has a strong nautical theme which is played out in all areas of the hotel.

One of the best features of both resorts is that they share the very best swimming pool of any of the Walt Disney World hotels – Stormalong Bay.

Here is a guide to the Yacht Club Resort Hotel which will give you details on the rooms, restaurants and other facilities available at this fabulous Walt Disney World resort hotel.

What Are the Rooms Like At The Disney Yacht Club Resort?

Photo by vortech

The Yacht Club has a total of 621 rooms. The standard rooms are an average of 380 square feet. Most have 2 Queen beds and a day bed so they can sleep up to 5 guests. There are also some rooms with King sized beds but as there are only 56 of these rooms you do have to make sure you request them at the time of booking. As with all requests Disney will do their very best but make no guarantees.

All the rooms are nicely decorated in nautical colors of navy blue and white. All of the rooms have either a balcony or a patio. As with many of the Disney World deluxe hotels there is the convenient feature that the double sinks are located outside the bathroom.

Where are the Best Rooms at The Yacht Club Resort Hotel?

Photo by expressmonorail

Guests in standard rooms have a choice of standard, garden or water view rooms. The standard rooms have a view of either the parking lot or a roof top.

The Garden View rooms are a step up from the standard view and offer nice views over the landscaped areas, the quiet pool and the wedding gazebo.

The most sought after rooms (which are charged at a premium) are the Water View rooms. Note that this does not necessarily mean that you have a view over Crescent Lake, as some of the Water view rooms overlook Stormalong Bay. These rooms overlooking the swimming pool are obviously less desirable than those overlooking Crescent Lake. Be aware that because of the design of the hotel even if you book a Water View you still may not get a full view of Crescent Lake.

Disney Yacht Club Hotel Concierge Rooms

The Yacht Club also has 71 Club Level Concierge rooms and 20 Suites. All of these are located on the 5th level top floor of the hotel.

The Concierge Rooms are almost exactly the same as the standard rooms with a few extra perks. As always with concierge it is a very personal choice as to whether you think these perks are worth it. If you want television speakers in the bathroom, robes and nightly turndown service then concierge rooms offer these.

Of course you also have access to the 5th floor Concierge Lounge with complimentary snacks and beverages. The Concierge staff are very knowledgeable and can help you with making reservations for dining and recreation, and of course answer any questions for you about how to make your Disney stay more magical.

The 20 Suites are also on the 5th floor Concierge Level of the hotel. If your budget will stretch that far then choose from a selection of luxury suites including The Turret Suite, The Commodore Suite or even the most luxurious Captain’s Deck Suite.

Disney Yacht Club Restaurants

Photo by txcrew

If you stay in any of the Epcot hotel resorts you are within very easy reach of many of Disney World’s best restaurants. The Boardwalk and Epcot World Showcase are within walking distance.

The Yacht Club also has it’s own excellent dining options. The Yachtsman Steakhouse is open for dinner and has a great menu of traditional steakhouse food. This is a very popular restaurant and Advance Dining Reservations are recommended.

If you are looking for something a little more casual then opt for breakfast, lunch or dinner at Captain’s Grille. Here you will find the usual favorites for breakfast. The lunch and dinner menus have a good choice of American classic dishes with a particular emphasis on seafood.

There are also 2 lounges in the Yacht Club. The Ale and Compass Lounge, and The Crew’s Cup are great places to sit and relax. If you want some of the best ice creams in Disney World then try Beaches and Cream.

Recreation at Disney’s Yacht Club Hotel

Photo by lorenjavier

One of the major attractions of the hotel is Stormalong Bay swimming recreation area. This amazing resort pool is shared with The Beach Club Hotel and is widely seen as the very best swimming pool at any of the Walt Disney World resorts.

The pool is huge. Covering an area of 3 acres and with 750,000 gallons of water this is a wonderful water playground for all guests. One of the best features is the ‘lazy river’ feature where all you have to do is float around and relax. You will also find a water slide, water falls, shallow beach entry for paddling, deeper areas for swimming, and of course plenty of lounge chairs for just relaxing around the pool.

If you want something a little less noisy then there is a quiet pool with a hot tub available.

Other activities include The Ship Shape Health Club which is available to Yatch Club resort guests free of charge. An excellent place for jogging is around Crescent Lake. Boat and bicycle rentals are also available.

Another very nice feature here is that you can relax on the sandy beach in front of the Beach Club. There are loungers here and often there are very few people so you can feel as though you have your very own private beach whilst you relax and watch the world go by around Crescent Lake.

Disney Yacht Club Transportation

Photo by lorenjavier

One of the best features of the Yacht Club is of course the location. You are within easy walking distance of Disney’s Epcot World Showcase entrance. You can also take boat transportation to both Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios. All of the Boardwalk shopping and dining venues are also just a short stroll away.

Access to the other Disney parks of Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are by bus transportation.

Disney’s Yacht Club is a great choice for anyone looking for a Disney resort with a great location, excellent rooms and facilities. And of course who can resist Stormalong Bay?

You may also like:

Disney Beach Club

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn

Top 10 Disney World Hotel Resorts

Filed Under: Disney Tips, EPCOT, Hotels Tagged With: ,

Top 10 Disney World Hotel Resorts

January 7, 2012 by 12 Comments

There are so many Disney World hotel resorts to choose from that it can get overwhelming when deciding where to stay for your vacation. Which Disney hotels are the very best? Of course it depends upon many things, which theme,location and of course budget suit you best. Here is my own Top 10 Disney World hotel selection.

Photo by expressmonorail

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

This has to win the top spot for unique hotels not just in Disney World but in the whole of North America. There really aren’t many places where you can step out on to your balcony and watch a giraffe or a zebra walk on by. This Deluxe Disney hotel is built around around a huge savannah where animals freely roam. As soon as you step into the lobby you feel as though you have stepped into a very different, and very relaxing world. It is a perfect haven away from the non stop activity of the theme parks.

Rooms in Animal Kingdom Lodge are not the largest at an average of 344 square feet, but if you get a savannah view this really makes up for the smaller space. The only downside is the location of the hotel as it is the most remote of all the Disney hotels. It is next to Animal Kingdom park but you have to take Disney transportation or rent a vehicle to drive there – there is no walking path.

If you are looking for something very different then Animal Kingdom Lodge should certainly be very close to the top of your list.

For a complete guide, lots of pictures and advice on how to pick the best rooms:

Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge

Disney’s Contemporary Resort

If you are looking for a Disney hotel with a great location and sleek modern design then look no further than Disney’s Contemporary Resort. This is one of the original Disney World hotels and has recently undergone a complete refurbishment. You can’t get any closer to the Disney Magic Kingdom monorail – it actually runs through the hotel lobby! The rooms have contemporary design and are a generous size at an average of almost 400 square feet. Many of the rooms have great views of Bay Lake, Seven Seas Lagoon, or of course the most coveted of Magic Kingdom.

The downside for some is that it simply isn’t ‘Disney’ enough. The decor lacks those essential Disney touches for some.

To learn more go to:

Disney Contemporary Resort

Art of Animation Resort

This one doesn’t even open until May 2012 but this is already in this Top 10. The much awaited new Disney Value resort is themed around some of the most popular recent Disney movies: The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Disney Pixar Cars, and The Little Mermaid. The Value resorts are a great choice for guests on a budget. Here you will find great motel style accommodation at a reasonable price, with all the advantages of staying on a Disney resort.

The Art of Animation Resort is likely to be the most popular not only because of it’s beautifully themed rooms but also because it offers a new kind of accommodation. The relatively budget friendly family Suites which will sleep up to 6 guests.

All of the Value resorts are very popular. They have a huge amount of rooms and are spread out over a big area. You can walk a long way to the pool, the bus stops and the counter service restaurant. But if you can live with all of these things you will get a Disney resort room at a budget price.

To find out more

Disney Art of Animation Resort Hotel

Disney Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Photo by express monorail

The Grand Floridian is the most luxurious of the Disney hotels. Located on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon it is ideally placed for access to the Magic Kingdom. Style and elegance are the influences here. Themed around the magnificent Victorian sea side resorts you will feel as if you belong whether you are wearing a dinner jacket or a Goofy Hat.

The rooms at the Grand Floridian are a very generous 440 square feet on average, and many have great views over the Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom. The resort has 2 beautiful swimming pools, tennis courts and of course the full service spa.

The Grand Floridian has some of the best restaurants in Disney World including Victoria and Alberts and Citricos. It is also home to one of the best character buffets at 1900 Park Fare.

Here is a guide to this deluxe Disney Hotel

Disney World Grand Floridian

Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge Resort

The Wilderness Resort is another deluxe Disney hotel. This is perhaps the most architecturally stunning of all of the Disney resorts. It is modeled after the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park and has a wonderful welcoming and relaxing atmosphere as soon as you arrive. It makes you feel as though you are in one of the great National Park lodges even though you are only minutes away from Magic Kingdom by bus or boat.

The rooms are beautifully furnished but at 340 square feet on average are the smallest of all the deluxe Disney resorts. The Wilderness Resort has all the features that you would expect from a luxury resort including 2 great swimming pools one of which has a water slide.

Artist Point is an excellent restaurant which has a great setting at Wilderness Lodge. There are other casual dining choices too although these are not as extensive as at other deluxe resorts.

Whilst it is a beautiful setting and close to Magic Kingdom, the Wilderness Lodge is the most isolated of all of the Magic Kingdom resorts. The access to the theme parks is by boat (to Magic Kingdom) or bus. If you are looking for the most convenient in terms of transportation then consider one of the Disney monorail resorts.

For a complete guide with full details of rooms and facilities click here:

Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge Resort

Disney Coronado Springs Resort

The Coronado Springs resort is a great option for those guests looking for a Disney moderate hotel. With almost 2,000 rooms in three themed beautifully landscaped areas the resort is set around a 15 acre lake Lago Dorado. Originally designed to attract conference business this resort does have a slightly different feel to it than other Disney moderate resorts.

The rooms at 314 square feet are a good size (not much smaller than standard rooms at the deluxe Wilderness Lodge). All of the rooms are located in motel style buildings. All rooms were renovated in 2009.

The Coronado Springs main pool has a wonderful Mayan pyramid theme and features a 123 foot long Jaguar Water Slide. There are also 3 other quieter pools.

All of the Disney theme parks and attractions are within a short drive, with Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom being the closest. The eating choices are rather limited though. The Maya Grill is probably one of the most disappointing of all of the Disney resort restaurants. The Pepper Market offers counter service dining.

Disney Coronado Springs Resort

Disney Beach Club Hotel and Resort

The Beach Club is themed around a turn of the century New England style resort. It is ideally located within walking distance to Epcot, a short boat ride to Disney Hollywood Studios and a bus ride to all other Disney World attractions. At 381 square feet the rooms are not the largest of the deluxe resorts but they are a good size.

One of the major attractions of Disney’s Beach Club is Stormalong Bay which it shares with it’s neighbor The Yacht Club. Stormalong Bay is regarded by most as the very best swimming pool of all of the Disney hotels and resorts. The pool, with it’s lazy river and water slide, became so well known that Disney had to impose extra security measures so non guests couldn’t use it! Now Stormalong Bay has a fence around it and you need your room key to access the area.

Disney’s Beach Club resort has it’s own restaurants including the very lively Cape May buffet restaurant. You are within very easy walking distance of many of Disney World’s best restaurants including all of the Epcot World Showcase dining choices and The Board Walk restaurants.

Here is a complete guide with pictures and more details

Disney Beach Club

Disney Caribbean Beach Hotel

The Disney Caribbean Beach hotel is another great choice if you are looking for a moderate hotel. It is well located close to Epcot, Disney Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney. This Caribbean themed hotel has a very up beat feel about it – it is an idea family orientated Disney hotel which has great motel style accommodation.

Like the Coronado Springs it is a very large resort with 2112 rooms on a 200 acre site. And just like Coronado Springs all the buildings are located around a 45 acre lake. This is perhaps a better choice for families for a moderate resort as it is rather more lively and colorfully themed than Coronado Springs. The disadvantage over the Coronado is that most of the Caribbean Beach rooms have 2 Full beds and not 2 Queens like the Coronado.

A major attraction of the Caribbean Beach resort is the Pirate themed rooms. These are in one of the buildings only and are of course priced at a premium.

Kids will love the Pirate themed central pool, and the adults may appreciate the quieter pools scattered around the resort.

For a complete guide go to:

Disney Caribbean Beach

Disney Polynesian Hotel Resort

Yes this is yet another of the deluxe Disney monorail resort hotels. They just can’t be beaten on location because of the easy access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot via the monorail. The Polynesian is located next to the Grand Floridian on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon. The theme of the lushly landscaped Polynesian is the South Seas and so you will find lots of tropical landscape, a sandy beach, and exotic waterfalls.

The Polynesian Resort has the largest rooms of all the Disney hotels at 410 to 476 square feet. A disadvantage though is that not all of the rooms have balconies. The Polynesian rooms also have great views. Some over the tropical pool, but others have great views over the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom.

The pool is small but very nicely themed and landscaped. The Nanea Volcano Pool is one of the nicest of any of the Disney World resort hotel pools with a waterfall, a slide and even a volcano.

There are some good restaurant choices both within the resort and of course within easy access by taking the monorail to the parks or the other resorts close by. The Polynesian is also home to the very popular dinner show The Polynesian Luau.

For a complete guide which includes how to find the very best rooms see

Polynesian Resort Disney World Florida

Disney Boardwalk Villas

Photo by express monorail

No Top 10 of Disney World Hotels would be complete without at least one of the Disney Villa Resorts included on the list. The Disney villas are a great choice if you have a larger party or are just looking for more space.

Disney’s Boardwalk Villas have an excellent location within easy walking distance of Epcot and a short boat ride to Disney Hollywood Studios. You can reach all of the Disney World theme parks, water parks and Downtown Disney by bus.

There are 383 Boardwalk Villas including studios, one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom Grand Villas. They are part of the Disney Vacation Club but they can also be booked by non DVC members.

The Luna Park Pool has a 200 foot water slide, there is a health and fitness facility and clay tennis courts available for use of Boardwalk Villa guests. There are lots of great Disney World restaurants within very easy reach on The Boardwalk, at Epcot World Showcase and in the other neighboring Disney resorts.

Whichever Disney World Hotel Resort you choose you can be sure of excellent themes, attention to detail and that very special Disney service.

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Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disney Tips, Disney Top 10, Disney World Hotels, EPCOT, Hotels Tagged With: , , ,

Walt Disney World Free Dining 2011 and 2012

August 3, 2011 by 4 Comments

Disney World has just announced the new free Disney Dining offer for the rest of 2011 and early 2012. Free Disney Dining is a huge reason to stay at one of the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels as it offers big savings.

2011 has been a great year for the Disney Free Dining offers and this one is a great deal. Even more of a reason to stay in a Walt Disney World hotel! It had been expected that another free dining deal would be announced but this one is more extensive than most thought.

Starting from today until October 29 Disney guests can book free dining packages for select arrival dates from October 2 2011 until March 31, 2012. There are some block out dates (the busy times of course like Thanksgiving, Christmas and certain select events such as the PGA Tournament).

Here are the Disney free dining package dates for 2011:

October 2 to 8
October 30 to November 5
November 13 to 19
November 27 to December 3
December 11 to 17

For 2012 the Free Dining dates are:

January 8 to 14
January 22 to February 4
February 12 to 18
March 4 to 10
March 25 to 31

So what makes the free Disney dining plan so attractive? Simple. It saves you a lot of money! Guests staying in Value hotels will get the Quick Service Dining Plan, and those staying in Moderate and Deluxe Disney resort hotels will get the standard Dining Plan.

For more on how the dining package works check out this article:

Disney World Dining Plan

There are rules and restrictions of course. You have to stay a minimum of 3 nights and a maximum of 14. The free dining is available as part of a Disney Magic Your Way Package therefore you do have to buy tickets. To get the free dining plan you have to arrive on a date which is not a blackout date. But if part of your stay will be on blackout dates and some on free dining you can book 2 separate packages.

If you want to book a package then you can ask us here at EverythingMouse Travel for completely free advice and assistance.

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Photo by ExpressMonorail

Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disney Tips, Disney World Dining, Hotels Tagged With: , ,

Walt Disney World Themed Hotel Rooms

April 26, 2011 by 4 Comments

Walt Disney World Resorts have just announced that they will be introducing new themed rooms to some of their hotels. The 2 new room types are Royal Guest Rooms and Health and Wellness Suites.

It is planned that 512 Royal Guest Rooms will be available from March 2012 at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. The idea behind the design of the rooms is that Princess Tiana is having a vacation getaway with her Princess friends. The rooms will feature Princess themed art work, a magical headboard and royally lavish furnishings. What more could a little Princess want than a sleep over with all her Disney favorites?

This is sure to be a hugely popular concept and although Disney has not announced this yet I would expect that there will be a premium for these rooms. There are Pirate rooms already available at Disney Caribbean Resort and these are very popular and priced at up to $30 a night more than the non themed rooms.

There is something for the grown ups too at Disney Contemporary Resort. This fall Disney is introducing the new Health and Wellness Suites.

Located on the 14th floor of the Contemporary Resort with excellent views of Magic Kingdom and Bay Lake these new rooms will offer rain water showers, bamboo flooring, pure cotton sheets, and hypo allergenic mattresses. Those staying in a Health and Wellness Suite won’t have to go far to exercise as there will also be select fitness machines right there in the room. Traditional spa services and yoga sessions will also be available in the suites.

“All Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms and suites are completely renovated on a regular cycle,” said Mark Rucker, vice president of lodging for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Our new Royal Guest Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort and the new health and wellness suites at Disney’s Contemporary Resort are examples of how we use our scheduled renovation time to look for new opportunities to ‘plus up’ the guest experience.”

There will be more Specialty Rooms added when Disney’s Art of Animation Resort opens in May 2012.

Walt Disney World Resorts are sure to have hit on a very successful concept here – particularly with the Royal Guest Rooms. This announcement is part of a general trend which we are seeing for Disney to tap in to select niche markets of customers to make their resorts, particularly their moderate hotels even more attractive places to stay. The guest experience is extremely important and of course having themed rooms as well as themed resorts is taking this to the next level.

It will be interesting to see how popular the Health and Wellness Suites in the Contemporary Resort are. This is much more of a narrow market but with only 14 suites at the moment Disney is perhaps just using this as a testing ground and we will see more in the future if this concept works for the Disney Resorts.

If you want to book one of the new rooms Disney has said that booking will open mid summer with no exact date yet announced.

All images are Disney Concept Art

Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disney Tips, Disney World Hotels, Hotels Tagged With: , , ,
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