VISITORS | If you’re not an overnight guest at a Disney resort hotel, can you still visit the hotel to dine / shop / look around?

Yes — the Walt Disney World resort hotels are open to the public. Anyone can visit a Disney resort hotel to dine in its restaurants & lounges, shop in the gift shops, or visit friends / family who are staying there. Some resorts (like Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Campground) offer outdoor recreation, activities and even a nightly campfire sing-a-long that anyone can enjoy.

That said, Disney does restrict who and when you can park at its resort hotel parking lots. Those who are visiting (and not overnight guests) typically have a maximum of 2 hours of free parking. Security gates prevent non-hotel guests from parking in the full day / overnight parking lots. At times, resort security may restrict visitor parking lot entry to those who have a confirmed dining or recreation reservation.

The parking lot restrictions are most strictly-enforced at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club resorts (because of their pedestrian walkway proximity to the theme parks). 

PREFERRED ROOMS | What does that actually mean?

Within some Disney resort hotels, the term Preferred Room simply refers to its geographical location within the resort hotel complex. The room itself is the same on the inside — same furnishings, bedding, etc.

Why does this matter? Because most Disney resort hotels offer a spectacular stretch of expansive landscaping, gardens, ponds, pools, and walkways – as big as 4 or 5 times the size of an average golf course. (Disney’s massive Port Orleans Resort spans more than 500 acres, with 27 different buildings!)

The rooms in the Preferred category are nearest to the resort’s Front Desk, main parking lot, dining, luggage bell services, gift shop,  etc. – typically just a 2 or 3 minute walk. Makes it a whole lot easier to pop over & pick up a snack for some hungry kiddos. The standard rooms? As far as a 15 minutes on foot. At the nicer resorts, Disney offers complimentary transportation to help guests reach their rooms. And bell hops to help with your bags.

How do we add a room request to our reservation? | When you book your Walt Disney World vacation with Wishful Thinking, we handle all your room requests for you. Simply send us a message.

ROOM SIZES | Which Disney hotel rooms are the most (or least) spacious? 

Room sizes vary greatly within the Disney Resorts Collection. Here are some roundabout averages:

• Suites and multi-bedroom villas, cabins, and bungalows are the largest. Read on below — because the square feet of these accommodations vary widely.
• Deluxe resorts generally features the largest standard rooms. Most guest rooms at Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge are approximately 344 square feet (32 m²)  — while standard rooms at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Polynesian Village have a bit more breathing room, ranging from about 415 to 440 square feet (38 m² – 41 m²).
• Moderate resorts’ standard rooms are in the middle. Most rooms at Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, and Port Orleans are approximately 314 square feet (29 m²).
• Naturally, Value resorts’ standard rooms are the tiniest. The All-Star Resorts, Pop Century and Art of Animation standard rooms are approximately 260 square feet (21 m²).

BEDDING

How many beds are in standard rooms? What are the actual bed sizes?

Most Walt Disney World hotel rooms feature 2 Queen beds or 1 King bed, and your reservation will specify exactly what beds are in your room. Most Deluxe resort standard rooms — and those in the 5th Sleeper category — also feature a single bed that folds down from a sofa or a murphy bed. Here are the bed sizes:

• Queen Bed | Width: 60 inches (152 cm), length: 80 inches (203 cm)

• King Bed | Width: 76 inches (193 cm), length: 80 inches (203 cm)

• Day bed / sofa bed | Width: 30 inches (76 cm), length: 72 inches (183 cm)

• 5th sleeper | Width: 30 inches (76 cm), length: 63 inches (160 cm) 

Do all Disney resort hotels have the same bedding, pillows, towels, etc? | All Disney guest rooms feature high-quality mattresses, crisp clean linens, plush towels, and fluffy pillows. Hypoallergenic bedding / pillows are available upon request (speak with the Housekeeping Cast Members upon arrival).

Although you’ll find the same high-quality mattresses in all of Disney’s hotels, the Deluxe hotels often feature specialty pillows and sheets with more luxurious thread-counts / quality. 

INFANTS 

Do babies count toward the guest count on room accommodations? | As you may know, children under 3 are free to enter any Disney’s theme park with their parent or legal guardian. For nearly all Disney accommodations, an infant under three — sleeping in a crib —  does not count toward the maximum guest occupancy.

How can I request a baby crib or pack & play for my guest room? | Simply call Disney’s housekeeping upon arrival to request a pack & play, crib, or bed rail for your child. You don’t need to contact Disney before your arrival day; Disney’s hotels don’t run out of these amenities.

CONNECTING ROOMS / MULTI-BEDROOM SUITES

Does Walt Disney World offer connecting rooms or multi-bedroom suites? What’s most economical for larger families & groups?

Many large groups want to stay near one another or book connecting accommodations that can fit everyone. Here are the best options, ranked from most to least-expensive:

• Cabin, Bungalow, or Specialty Suite | This is the most luxurious, most expensive option. The Copper Creek cabins at Wilderness Lodge and the overwater bungalows at Polynesian Village Resort are some the largest, most spacious, and most beautifully appointed accommodations at Walt Disney World, offering sumptuous sleeping arrangements for up to 10 guests. Similarly, the King Kamehameha Suite at Polynesian Village Resort or the Victoria Suite at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa can sleep up to 8 adults. Other specialty suites offer a variety of sleeping arrangements and maximum occupancy. Because there are a very small number of these room types available., it’s crucial to book as early as possible. Note: The Cinderella Castle Suite (inside Cinderella Castle) is not available for booking; it’s primarily used for charity events.

• Multi-bedroom suite | This is typically the 2nd most luxurious / expensive option, because many of these suites are club level accommodations with the standard amenities of  the club lounge (i.e., complimentary light meals & snacks from 7 AM to 10 PM daily).  Only a few Disney resorts  — Contemporary Resort and Coronado Springs — offer multi-bedroom suites, which can accommodate up to 12 guests. These rooms do not offer full kitchens; they’ve simply got extra sleeping rooms plus a living room / parlor area. Again, because these suites are very limited, it’s wise to book them as early as possible.

• Multi-bedroom Deluxe villa | This is typically the 3rd most luxurious / expensive option. In Disney’s Deluxe Villas, your group can spread out in 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, or 3-bedroom villas with many extra amenities — read on below for details. The maximum occupancy for the Deluxe Villas is 5 guests for a 1-bedroom villa, 9 guests for a 2-bedroom villa, and 12 guests for a 3-bedroom Grand Villa. Depending on the size of your group, you may need to book more than one villa, or add additional non-villa guest rooms. There are no villas that connect to standard guest rooms, but Disney can place larger groups within the same floor / building. 

• Family Suite within a Value resort | The spacious, lower priced Family Suites feature a master bedroom with a King bed and full-size bath, and then a living room area that features an additional full-size bath, a kitchenette, a Queen-size murphy bed (which folds up to reveal a dining table) and an additional Queen-size sofa bed. They can sleep a maximum of 6 guests.  Family suites are only offered at Art of Animation resort and All-Star Music resort.

• Connecting rooms | This is almost always the most economical option. All Disney resort hotels offer standard rooms that connect to another room with an internal door, offering accommodations for up to 8 guests (in value or moderate hotels) up to 10 guests (in the Deluxe resort hotels). It’s essential to know that for most bookings, Disney will not guarantee connecting rooms. As we shared above, Disney will internally note when guests on multiple room reservations are traveling together, and they do their best to accommodate all requests for connecting rooms. (Book with us to make sure your rooms & requests are properly documented.) Note: Disney will guarantee two connecting rooms in one scenario: when (a maximum of) two adults are traveling with multiple children, and connecting rooms would be required to keep the family together. 

DISNEY DELUXE VILLAS | What are their features?

Choose from 1-, 2- and 3-Bedroom Villas — as well as Cabins and Bungalows — with the following features:

• A full kitchen, so you can prepare meals and snacks from the comfort of your villa
• Spacious living and dining areas where your family can share even more quality time together after you return from the parks
• Separate bedrooms that offer space, privacy and tranquility – so it’s easy to rest, relax and recharge your spirit after each exhilarating vacation day
• A washer and dryer – so you can pack lightly and avoid airline baggage fees

A little more than you need? Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts also feature Deluxe Studios, which feature a kitchenette and queen-size sleeper sofa—a great option for smaller travel parties and shorter stays.

PRICE RANGE | What actually determines the pricing for Disney hotel rooms nightly rates?

Disney’s nightly hotel rate pricing is a complex recipe of overlapping factors:

• Time of year | The singular biggest impact on pricing is when you travel. In short, prices are highest during comfortable weather months and when American kids are out of school.
• Resort hotel location within Walt Disney World | The geographical location of each Disney’s resort hotel is the next most influential factor. The hotels that are near one of the theme parks are more expensive.
• Specific room location within the resort | Guest rooms that are closest to the main building (where you’ll find the Front Desk, dining, luggage bell services, gift shop, concierge desk etc.) are a higher price than rooms that are further away. Walt Disney World calls this type of centrally- located room a Preferred Room.
• Room type | When a guest room is larger, with more beds, or offers more amenities (like a kitchen, dining room, extra bathroom, or separate sleeping bedrooms behind a door), that raises the price.
• View category | Views of the theme parks, the fireworks, or water features also add to the appeal (and the price).
• Supply & demand | The classic rules of pricing certainly apply here; if Disney knows that a particular hotel is extra popular, guests will pay more — and they do.
• Promotions | This is Disney’s word for ‘discounts.’ Walt Disney World offers different kinds of promotional pricing nearly all year ’round; the steepest discounts are offered during low season months. 

REMEMBER: when you book with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planning Agency like Wishful Thinking, we can apply future promotions to existing bookings.

PRICE AVERAGES | What is the average price per night at the Walt Disney World resort hotels?

Disney very explicitly forbids Authorized Disney Vacation Planners from providing future price estimates — you should not trust any agency who breaks this guideline. We can only quote actual prices for what’s currently available.

With all of that in mind, as we’ve explained above, it’s essential to know that the nightly rates for the Disney resort hotel comprise a massive spectrum, offering everything from a very affordable fun-filled room for the whole family to an extravagant, luxurious home-away-from-home.

No matter what your budget is — considering that you can pay for any Disney Vacation Package in installments, spread out over time — we can find an option that makes your Disney dream a reality.

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