Best Disney World Resort for Adults 2023 Updated

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Trying to decide where to stay on your vacation and want to know the Best Disney World Resort for Adults? There are so many Walt Disney World Hotels to choose from, the choice can feel overwhelming.

Here we discuss what the best choices of on-property Disney World Resorts are for adults. Disney Resorts are divided into categories:

• Disney Value Resorts
• Disney Moderate Resorts
• Disney Deluxe Resorts
• Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

There are over 25 Disney World Resorts to choose from and there really is something for everyone. There are a number of factors that you need to take into account when you are making your decision.

Disney World Resort Location

All of the hotels that we are discussing are on Disney World property.

However, what you really can’t appreciate until you visit Disney World, is just how huge it is.

Walt Disney World covers 43 square miles. To put that in perspective, it is the same size as the city of San Francisco.

Therefore, the location may matter to you a great deal, when you are choosing your hotel.

You may want to be closer to a particular Disney theme park, for example, Magic Kingdom. Or maybe you want to be able to walk to Epcot.

These preferences will make a lot of difference as to which of the Disney hotels is best for you.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels tend to be grouped together in areas.

Some of the most popular are the Disney Monorail Hotels.

These are Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

These hotels are usually the highest price of any of the Disney Resorts.

The monorail hotels are located most conveniently for Magic Kingdom.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is also close to Magic Kingdom but is connected with bus and boat transportation, so not as convenient as the monorail hotels.

If you want to be closer to Epcot there are a number of hotels within walking distance of the park.

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Boardwalk Inn, and The Swan and Dolphin Hotels are all easily accessible to Epcot.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also easy to get to by boat and you can even walk.

The Value and Moderate Resorts have some great choices, but they are not located quite so well.

However, with the new Skyliner system, you can access the parks from some of these hotels a lot more easily than you used to be able to.

Disney World Hotel Amenities

The higher the category of hotel, the more amenities it will have. For some people having onsite sit-down restaurants is a necessity, for others, it really doesn’t make a difference.

You need to think about how much time you will actually spend in your Walt Disney World hotel and how important all the amenities are.

If you aren’t going to spend any time in that fabulous swimming pool, then maybe don’t pay the premium for that hotel.

That might be the best pool in Disney World, but if you don’t want to use it, then maybe stay somewhere else.

You just need to decide what balance you need between amenities and location.

What is your Budget?

This, of course, is in many ways the most important factor. when thinking about the best Disney resort in Orlando for adults and couples.

Depending upon season and availability, the Deluxe Resorts are sometimes priced almost three times higher than the Value Resorts.

Therefore, the price has to be a major factor in your decision.

Best Disney World Deluxe Hotels for Adults

Here is a list of the Disney World Deluxe Hotels:

• Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Beach Club Resort
• Boardwalk Inn
• Contemporary Resort
• Grand Floridian Resort
• Polynesian Village Resort
• Wilderness Lodge
• Yacht Club Resort

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Hotel

This is one of our top picks for the best Disney World Resort for adults.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a unique hotel.

There is nowhere else in North America where you can see a giraffe from your hotel balcony.

This spectacular hotel is set in a 43-acre wildlife preserve. The savannas have 200 animals and 130 birds including giraffes, zebra, ostrich, and impala.

As soon as you walk into the lobby of the hotel, you feel as though you are in a different world. The colors, the sounds, and the overwhelming sense of calm, make this a top choice of Disney hotel for many.

The one downside of Animal Kingdom Lodge is its location. It is on the very edge of the Disney World property.

Even though it is geographically close to the Animal Kingdom theme park, you can’t walk there from the hotel. And being on the edge of Disney Property means that you are further out from other Disney parks, restaurants, and entertainment.

The Animal Kingdom Resort is on the Disney bus transportation system which means you can have free transport around the rest of Walt Disney World.

However, due to the location and to be honest, the sometimes less than effective bus system, you may want to consider having your own car if you stay here.

Or perhaps using Uber instead of the bus system.

We feel that this downside is minor in the scheme of things. Animal Kingdom Hotel really has everything which you could ask for in a Deluxe Hotel. And it has a wildlife preserve!

Nothing compares to being able to watch the animals from your own balcony, or even from the trails at the back of the resort.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom rooms are not the largest of the Deluxe Resorts.

The standard rooms are 344 square feet and the deluxe rooms are 381 square feet.

They are very nicely furnished with beautifully detailed carved wooden furniture.

Photo by Disney

The best feature of course is the balcony.

Photo by Disney

We really suggest that you splurge on a savannah view room at Animal Kingdom.

We have written a guide to the best rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

You could spend a lot of time at the resort without ever wanting to leave.

Animal Kingdom park also has some of the best restaurants in the whole of Walt Disney World. Even the buffet restaurant has exceptional food. And the restaurant in Kidani Village, Sanaa is well worth a visit, particularly for its famous Sanaa Bread Service.

The lobby is spectacular and is perfect for people-watching. There are even a number of free events including an Aminal Kingdom Resort Tour and Scavenger Hunt.

One of the best things to do is to see the animals on the trials at the back of the resort.

You can even borrow night vision glasses to watch them in the dark. There are always knowledgeable Cast Members who are more than happy to talk to you about the animals.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom also has one of the nicest swimming pools in Walt Disney World.

All of these factors make Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge a top choice as the best hotel for adults in Walt Disney World.

This is also a fabulous choice of Disney Hotel for Couples.

Disney’s Beach Club Resort Hotel

Another great choice of Disney World Hotels for adults is the Beach Club Resort. It is incredibly well-located close to Epcot.

If you want to be on Test Track in the early morning this is a great place to stay!

The Beach Club is within easy walking distance to the park as well as many other restaurants in the Boardwalk area.

Where Animal Kingdom Lodge is all about vibrant sounds and colors, the Beach Club has a mid 19th Century New England Victorian beach town elegant feel about it.

This is a place to relax and escape everyday life.

The Beach Club also has the advantage of having the very best swimming pool in the whole of Walt Disney World.

The Beach Club shares Stormalong Bay with the neighboring Yacht Club. I

If you enjoy pool time you are going to love the Beach Club.

It wouldn’t be a beach club without an actual beach!

It has one of those on the side of Crescent Lake.

It is a great idea to spend some time here just watching people and boats passing by. Snag one of the hammocks or a swing and get into relaxation mode.

The standard rooms at Disneys Beach Club are 380 square feet and have 2 Queen Beds. They are very comfortable and are brightly furnished and decorated

If you want to splurge why not treat yourself to a Club Level Room?

You will have access to the perks of a Concierge which includes a light breakfast in the morning, snacks all day, and a cocktail reception in the evening.

You are within very easy walking distance of a large selection of restaurants including those on the Boardwalk and the Epcot Restaurants are a short stroll away. You aren’t going to go short of food choices here.

The Beach Club also has the Cape May Cafe as well as the very popular Beaches and Cream restaurant.

The Beach Club is one of the best choices of Disney World Resorts for adults as it has one of the best locations, great accessibility to the parks and dining, as well as just being a particularly stunning hotel.

You certainly know that you are at a Disney hotel, but this is very much a grown-up Disney hotel.

The Yacht Club is her sister resort and is very similar in style and ambiance.

We just prefer the theme of the Beach Club and it also has the edge as it is closer to walk to Epcot. It saves you about 5 minutes at the end of your day.

Other Disney World Deluxe Hotels for Adults

Whilst strongly recommending the Beach Club and Disney’s Animal Kingdom resort for adults, there are other options. However, we feel that these are the strongest contenders.

High up on the list are Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Polynesian Resort.

Both have a perfect location as Disney World monorail hotel resorts with large rooms and excellent hotel facilities.

They are also usually higher priced than Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The Grand Floridian comes surprisingly last on my list right now. Even though it is known as Disney’s flagship hotel and it has recently undergone a lot of refurbishment, it has never been on the top of my list of places to stay.

It is the most expensive of the Disney hotels and just doesn’t offer significantly more for me in terms of room quality, location, or ambiance.

It just isn’t quite what it should be.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a beautiful resort.

The reason why it doesn’t make our best-for-adults list is its location.

It is a Magic Kingdom Resort but not on the monorail. This just makes everything a little less convenient, and when you are in that price range we think you need all the elements to tick the boxes.

Best Disney World Moderate Hotels for Adults

Here is a list of the Disney World Moderate Hotels:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

Disney Gran Destino Tower

This is a relatively recent addition to the collection of Moderate Disney World Hotels.

It is a new tower that was added to one of our favorite hotels Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

It goes straight to the top as our number one choice as the best Disney World Resort for adults in the moderate category.

Here is a really excellent tour and review by our favorite Disney Bloggers Tim and Jenn Tracker. It really is worth watching if you are considering a stay in Gran Destino.

There are many good things about Gran Destino, but unfortunately, the exterior design of the building is not one of them.

This seems to be the general pattern right now with Disney Hotel Resort design.

The design of the Disney Riviera Resort seems to be following a similar inexplicable thought pattern.

However, even though we are not vowed by the exterior of this moderate hotel, there are many things which are definitely very positive indeed.

Coronado Springs has always been our top choice of Disney moderate resort and we have spent a great deal of time there.

However, many say it just isn’t Disney enough, as it has more of a convention hotel feel.

Whilst Coronado Springs definitely does a great job of serving the convention community, it also has a lot going for it as a Disney resort.

The Gran Destino Tower we believe enhances this and offers a great deal for adults staying at Disney World.

However, if you want wall-to-wall Disney, this really is not the hotel for you. It is an excellent hotel on Disney property, but you really aren’t going to rub shoulders with Mickey and Minnie here.

Also, even though we are talking about the Gran Destino Tower in the same context as Coronado Springs, in many ways we should see them as 2 very separate places.

Technically the Tower is an addition to the resort, but really it is very much its own place.

The Destino Tower is more like a deluxe resort than any other in the moderate category.

There are 545 guest rooms and the standard size is 375 square feet.

You will immediately see that this is more than many of the Disney World Deluxe Resorts including the standard rooms at one of our Deluxe recommendations, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort.

The rooms are stylishly furnished – a very nice feature is the faux wooden floor. The bathroom has a large shower, double sinks, and a very nice modern feel.

A particularly nice feature is the rain head shower – again giving more of a feeling of a Deluxe than a Moderate Disney World Resort.

This is perhaps the best Disney moderate resort for couples too. Its stylish decor and ambiance make it a great choice for those staying at Disney without kids.

The onsite restaurant and bar options confirm Gran Destino’s position as a great hotel for adults at Disney World. Toledo has fabulous tapas, seafood, and steak in an amazing rooftop setting.

Dahlia Lounge and the lobby Barcelona Lounge are great places to spend some time.

The only downside of this resort is the location. It relies upon the bus transportation system – the least reliable of the Disney transport options.

However, the benefits of Gran Destino far outweigh this and it is our choice for the best place to stay in Disney World for adults.

Other Disney World Moderate Hotels for Adults

Really, Gran Destino is such a stand out it is difficult to recommend another in this category.

However if for some reason you really don’t feel this option is for you we would suggest Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort as a second option.

The Caribbean Beach has a great theme and good dining options.

The resort has been recently reimagined with the addition of Skyliner transportation.

You also have access to all the amenities, including the swimming pool of the new Disney Riviera Resort.

Best Disney World Value Hotels for Adults

Here is a list of the Disney World Value Hotels:

• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Disney’s Pop Century Resort

I admit that this is the most difficult category to choose from. All of the Disney World Value Resorts offer much the same thing – and they really are aimed at families.

The one which is perhaps least popular with families with kids is Disney’s Pop Century, simply because it has the least appealing theme.

Disney’s Pop Century Resort usually has some of the best rates of any of the Value Resorts too.

All Disney Value Resort rooms are motel style – what this means is that they have exterior corridors. If you expect a decent motel room with some Disney theming, this is what you will get with a value resort.

The rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Resort have recently been refurbished. The transformation really is exceptional

. These are very nice rooms with modern laminate floors, bright furnishings, and excellent use of space.

The Pop Century Resort rooms now have 2 Queen beds – a huge upgrade on the doubles which used to be there.

Another really nice feature is that one bed is a Murphy Bed which converts to a desk. Therefore if it is a couple sharing a room without kids they can have the extra space.

None of the Value Resorts have a sit-down restaurant.

They all have one large food court and we think that the Everything Pol food court probably has the edge over the others.

Pools at all the Value Resorts are not exactly relaxing places. Expect a lot of kids and not a lot of peace and quiet.

Pop Century now has the advantage of being part of the Skyliner system. This means easy access to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

This makes a huge difference to the resort which previously only had the bus transportation system to rely on.

Pop Century is the best Disney World Value Resort for adults, but you do need to be aware of the limitations of this category of Disney Hotel.

The advantage is the price and the perks of staying in a Disney World Hotel for a lesser rate.

Just so long as you have the right expectations when you stay at a Disney Value Resort you will be fine. Cheerful and budget-conscious.

You aren’t going to find luxury here, but you will be comfortable.

Disney’s Pop Century Resort Check Current Pricing

Which do you think is the best Disney World Resort for adults? Leave me a comment.

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