There are quite a few lists out there that rank the Walt Disney resorts. As I was looking at these lists, I thought it would be fun to create my own ranking! I didn’t want to factor price into my decisions. I wanted to rank them truly based on what they have to offer. The criteria for my rankings include the theming, size, restaurants, transportation, pools, proximity to parks, and rooms. Because I am not using price as a factor, it only made sense to split my rankings into how Disney categorizes their resorts. There is technically a fourth category which is part of the Disney Vacation Club called “Deluxe Villas”. A lot of these Villas are simply separate buildings on the same property as a Deluxe resort. For example, Bay Lake Tower is the Deluxe Villa that is connected to The Contemporary. Because they share amenities, I did not include those. However, there are a few that are not connected to a Deluxe resort and stand alone. These were added to the Deluxe list. Check out my list and see where your favorite resorts rank!

I have been going to Disney with my family every year for the past 25 years. As we have gotten older, we started to venture out and try to find things to do outside of the 4 parks. We made a deal that every trip, we want to try something new. This last year, we stayed at Yacht Club and our “new” thing was to rent a pool-side cabana. Now when you hear the phrase “renting a cabana”, I bet Walt Disney World did not come to mind. Did you know that there are actually 4 resorts where you can rent a cabana? If you stay at The Contemporary, The Grand Floridian, Yacht Club, or Beach Club, you are able to rent a cabana for either a half or full day. The cabanas have lounge chairs and couches, counter space with storage underneath, a tv, fan, and a mini fridge stocked with coca cola products, bottles of water, and a fruit platter. There was also a small basket of snacks as well as a dessert platter that was dropped off later in the day. We had our own server where we could order drinks and food from the pool bar. 

It’s no secret that some planning is required to get the most out of your Disney trip. 

If you are planning a longer vacation at Disney World, I would recommend a Park Hopper Plus ticket or adding a Water & Sports option to your ticket. Adding a Park Hopper Plus option to your ticket allows you to visit multiple parks in one day plus gives you access to the water parks, miniature golf, the 9-hole golf course, and more. The Water Park & Sports Option gives you the same additional perks, the only difference is you only have access to one park per day. You get a certain number of visits to these "extras" based on the length of your ticket. For example, if you have a 3-day ticket, you will have 3 visits to one of the extras. So, is it worth it? If you enjoy the water park, YES! The price to add this to your ticket is around the same price as purchasing one-day access to the water park. So, you could potentially go to the water parks multiple times for the price of one-day! I would only consider this add-on if you plan on having a day or two during your vacation where you do not go to the theme parks. 

"When should I take my child to Walt Disney World?' is one of the most common questions I get as a Travel Advisor. It's no secret a trip to Disney can be pricey, so it makes sense that families ask this question. I wish there was a magic age that is the "perfect" age to go, but it's not that simple. In this article, I will hopefully  give you enough information that you can decide what age is best for your child and your family's needs.