Because there are a lot of different types of families out there with different needs, there really isn’t a cookie-cutter answer to what Disney World resorts for families are best. I am going to break down the different categories that may or may not apply to your family when looking for the best resort to fit your needs. So these resorts are not in order from best to last, they are however based on the needs of your family.
Which Disney Resort Is Best For Large Families?
To be honest most Disney resort rooms are based on groups of 4 people. We all know that not all families just have 4 people. There are larger families that will undoubtedly need more room than 2 beds. There are two resorts that have rooms called Family Suites. Art of Animation and All-Star Music. They can accommodate families of up to 6. Then if you need even more room there are villas ranging from One to Three bedrooms and accommodating from 4 to 12 people.
1. Art of Animation
At Art of Animation, they have the best selection of family suites. 1120 Family Suites to be exact. The family suites are broken into 3 themed areas. Finding Nemo, Cars and The Lion King. Even though they are themed differently all family suites are the same layout and same size. The Nemo suites are the preferred category located right in front of Animation Hall, with Lion King and Cars located on each side of Nemo. All family suites have 1 Queen bed in the bedroom, 1 double-size table pull down murphy bed, and 1 double sleeper sofa.
2. All Star Music
At All-Star Music they have family suites that can also accommodate 6 guests. They offer 1 queen bed, 1 twin sleeper chair, 1 double sleeper sofa, and 1 twin sleeper ottoman. These are by far the most cost-effective option for larger families as well.
3. Cabins At Fort Wilderness
These cabins are great if you are looking to feel like you are getting away from it all. You have your own stand-alone cabin with room for 6 guests and a kitchen. These cabins have 1 queen bed and a set of bunk beds in the bedroom and a double sleeper sofa in the living area. There is room for everyone to space out and the addition of the kitchen and outdoor deck make this a great space for families to getaway.
4. Deluxe Villas
If the price is not a concern of yours and you simply just need a lot of space for your family then you should look into staying at a Deluxe Villa. There are 11 resorts on Disney Property that have villas that you can book as a guest or as a DVC member. They are Boardwalk, Beach Club, Bay Lake Tower, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Boulder Ridge, Copper Creek, Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, and the Riviera. All of these resorts offer One, Two, and Three Bedroom Villas that can accommodate at most 12 guests.
Best Resorts Based On Amenities
Having great amenities is important if you are like us and like to have at least 1 non-park day on our vacation to relax. We like to have options of stuff to do right at our resort during the day before we head to Disney Springs at night.
5. Port Orleans Riverside
Riverside is one of our favorites resorts because they have so much that you can do without having to leave your resort. They have a great feature pool with a slide for the kiddos and a hot tub for the adults to enjoy. The pool bar is also pretty great as well. You can also rent surry likes to ride around the resort if you are looking to explore the massive resort. If you have a little one who likes to fish Riverside has a great little fishing area where you can do some catch and release fishing.
6. Polynesian Village Resort
This beautiful resort has endless places to take a walk and take some really great pictures. The pool games are always fun for the kids and the added benefit of having the Pineapple Lanai is fantastic, being that this is the only resort that you can get a dole whip outside of the Magic Kingdom. The walking distance to the TTC is also nice especially right now being that the monorail isn’t stopping at the Polynesian because of construction.
7. Wilderness Lodge
The Wilderness Lodge has some of the best dining options, Geyser point has one of the best burgers on Disney property along with beautiful views while you eat. Add in that they have an actual geyser that goes off every hour and a really fun hidden mickey hunt in the main building, this resort is sure to have something for everyone who is looking for something cool to do.
8. Animal Kingdom Lodge
This resort has something that no other Disney resort can offer. They have their own savannah with animals roaming around all day long. Being that they are located so close to the Animal Kingdom park they have the unique opportunity to have some while life for guests to enjoy. They also have the Zahanati Massage & Fitness Center for you to get in a workout or massage while on your vacation.
Best Resorts Based On Ease Of Transportation
9. Contemporary
After recently staying at the Contemporary for our first time, the convenience of having the monorail is something that you wouldn’t understand unless you have stayed at one of the monorail loop resorts. The ease of simply hopping on and taking you right to the Magic Kingdom in a matter of 5 minutes is something that I will absolutely miss while staying at other resorts.
Once the Epcot monorail loop opens back up that will also make it really easy to get to Epcot as well. Also, the ability to walk to the Magic Kingdom in less than 10 minutes from the contemporary is really handy when the lines for busses and the monorail are really long at the end of the day.
10. Pop Century
For a long time, Pop Century, as well as Art of Animation, didn’t have any other transportation options other than Disney busses. Now that the Disney Skyliner has opened it is a game-changer for these resorts. The Skyliner station is located on the Generational Bridge between Pop Century and Art of Animation.
The gondolas will whisk you away to the hub at Caribbean Beach Resort. From there you can either switch over to the Hollywood Studios line or hop on the Riviera / Epcot line. It takes around 6 minutes to get from Pop to the Hub and an additional 6 minutes to Hollywood Studio or an additional 14 minutes to get to Epcot making this by far faster than the Disney busses.
11. Riviera
The Riviera Resort just like Pop Century and Art of Amination is located on the Disney Skyliner. This new resort is located just 9 minutes from Epcot on the Skyliner and 11 minutes from Hollywood Studios. This might make it even more convenient than Pop because it is located in the middle of the two parks.
12. Beach Club
Disney’s Beach Club resort is great for many reasons from their fantastic Stormalong Bay pool, to the proximity to the Boardwalk and two Disney parks. They are a short 5-minute walk to Epcot and if you want to you can even take the approximately 20-minute walk to Hollywood Studios.
The ability to walk back from two parks is great for bust times when the busses have hour-long waits. You also have another transportation option from The Beach Club other than the Disney busses. The Friendship boats run from both Epcot and Hollywood Studios to other area resorts including Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin.
Which Disney World Resorts Have Suites With 2 Bathrooms?
Yes, the family suites at both Art of Animation and All-Star Music feature 2 full bathrooms. On the Villa side of things, the following resorts in the two-bedroom villa or larger have at least 2 full bathrooms if not 3: Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Boardwalk Villas, Beach Club Villas, Copper Creek Villas, Boulder Ridge Villas, and The Villas at Grand Floridian. One-bedroom villas or larger at Bay Lake Tower and Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village also offer two bathrooms.
How Do You Get A Connecting Room At Disney?
If you are looking at booking 2 rooms and want the ability to have connecting rooms to give you the space you need you will need to first make room reservations for the multiple rooms. Each room will need to be on its own reservation. Then on each reservation, you will need to make a request for the rooms to be connecting.
Sometimes online it can be tough to make such specific room requests so I always suggest either making the separate room reservations online then calling Disney with your confirmation numbers for them to make the note on each reservation that they need to be connecting rooms.
An even easier way is if you want to call Disney reservations directly and have them book the rooms for you and then they can make the notes while they are making the reservations. You also need to keep in mind that not all resorts offer connection rooms but most do offer it somewhere on the resort. Also, no room request is 100% guaranteed no matter how you book them.
Can A Family Of 5 Stay At Pop Century?
Unfortunately, Disney’s Pop Century resort is not one of the resorts that offer a 5th sleeper. All of their rooms are equipped with 2 queen beds intended for 4 guests. The only way that you could get a 5th person in the room is if you are traveling with a baby that will need a crib.
There are 2 resorts in the Moderate category that offer a 5th sleeper bed. Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside and Caribbean Beach Resorts have a child-size pull-down bed. The only way to book this room for 5 guests though is if you have someone on the reservation that is under the age of 17.
Conclusion
As you can see there are a lot of options for families at Disney World Resorts. Whether you are looking for great amenities to enjoy on a non-park day or a resort with the quickest transportation to your favorite theme park Disney has some really fantastic resorts for families. That’s yet again another reason that my family always will stay on Disney property.
