Best Hotel Bets

Disney World's Best Hotel Bets

• Best for Families: Every Disney resort caters to families, with special menus for kids, video-game arcades, free transportation to the parks, extensive recreational facilities, and, in some cases, character meals. Some, however, stand out in particular among the others. Disney's Old Key West Resort (tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/827-7700) offers the relaxed laid-back charm of the Florida Keys and some of the best rooms on Disney property for families. Camping at the remote and wooded campgrounds of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground (tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/824-2900) makes for a more down-to-earth family experience. To enjoy wilderness of a different kind, try Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/938-3000), where the animals of the African savanna seemingly come right to your doorstep. If you prefer the rustic and woodsy feel of the Pacific Northwest's national parks, head to the Wilderness Lodge (tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/824-3200).

  Outside the House of Mouse, Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn (tel. 877/387-5437 or 407/387-5437) features 2- and 3-bedroom Kid Suites, multilevel water slides, extensive play areas, and an all-Nickelodeon decor. The Best Western Lakeside (tel. 407/396-2222) features plenty of casual dining, playgrounds, pools, and lots of recreational activities. At the Seralago Hotel & Suites Main Gate East (tel. 407/396-4488), you'll find playgrounds, pools, and casual dining -- all minutes from Disney.

• Best Inexpensive Hotels: That's easy: If you're going to stay on WDW property, you can't beat the prices at Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, Disney's All-Star Music Resort, Disney's All-Star Sports Resort, and Disney's Pop Century Resort. To book a room at any of Disney's inexpensive resorts, call tel. 407/934-7639. The Comfort Suites Maingate Resort (tel. 888/390-9888 or 407/390-9888) offers spacious rooms and plenty of amenities at reasonable rates. It's one of the nicest inexpensive properties in the Kissimmee area and is only 1 1/2 miles west of Disney.
• Best Budget Motel: The Fairfield Inn International Drive (tel. 407/351-7000) has clean rooms, a quiet location close to Universal Orlando, and lots of restaurants within walking distance. If you want to stay closer to Mickey, the Best Western Lakeside (tel. 800/848-0801 or 407/396-2222), Seralago Hotel & Suites Main Gate East (tel. 800/411-3457 or 407/396-4488), and Holiday Inn Main Gate East (tel. 800/327-1128 or 407/396-4222) all offer tons of recreational activities for kids and adults, good rooms, a free shuttle service to the theme parks, and much more -- all at bargain rates.
• Best for Business Travelers: The Crowne Plaza Universal (tel. 866/864-8627 or 407/355-0550), Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld (tel. 800/327-6677 or 407/351-5555), Gaylord Palms (tel. 877/677-9352 or 407/586-2000), Marriott's Orlando World Center (tel. 800/621-0638 or 407/239-4200), and the Peabody Orlando (tel. 800/732-2639 or 407/352-4000) offer full concierge service, excellent restaurants, spacious lounges, and an extensive array of business services.
• Best Location: Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/824-3000), Disney's Polynesian Resort (tel. 407/939-6244 or 407/824-2000), and Disney's Contemporary Resort (tel. 407/939-6244 or 407/824-1000) are on the WDW monorail route, providing easy access to the parks. The Portofino Bay Hotel (tel. 888/322-5541 or 407/503-1000), Hard Rock Hotel (tel. 888/232-7827 or 407/363-8000), and Royal Pacific Resort (tel. 800/232-7827 or 407/503-3000) are within walking distance of both Universal Orlando parks, and there's also boat service to the dock at CityWalk.
• Best Service: The elegant Peabody Orlando (tel. 800/732-2639 or 407/352-4000) offers attentive pampering from one of the best staffs in the area. The staff at the Gaylord Palms (tel. 877/677-9352 or 407/586-2000) also make it their business to treat you as if you were their only guest. At the Ginn Reunion Resort (tel. 888/418-9611 or 407/662-1000), a personal concierge ensures guests are treated to top-notch service.
• Best Pools: All of the Walt Disney World resorts have wonderfully whimsical, themed swimming pools, and usually of Olympic-size. Arguably, the best is shared by Disney's Beach Club Resort (tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/934-8000) and Disney's Yacht Club Resort (tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/934-7000). Storm Along Bay, a 3-acre, free-form pool and water park, stretches between them, including a shipwreck for exploring and sand bottom pools for a toe-tickling experience. Outside the Disney complex, the best resort pool in Orlando can be found at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort (tel. 800/233-1234 or 407/239-1234). It's a half-acre, lagoonlike, water-world pool that flows through rock grottoes, is spanned by a rope bridge, and has 12 waterfalls and two steep water slides. The 24,000-square-foot lazy river pool shared by the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Orlando at Grande Lakes (tel. 800/682-3665 and 800/682-9956), however, definitely provides some stiff competition. Not to be ignored is the rock-'n'-roll themed pool at Universal's Hard Rock Hotel (tel. 888/430-4999 or 407/503-2000), with its underwater sound system and fantastic landscaping; or the super kid-friendly water park-style pools at the Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn (tel. 877/387-5437 or 407/387-5437), which have towers, slides, climbing nets, miniflumes, and more.

The Best Romantic Hideaways

• Disney's Wilderness Lodge (Lake Buena Vista; tel. 407/934-7639): This grand resort is reminiscent of the lodge found at Yellowstone National Park. The spewing geyser out back, the mammoth stone hearth in the lobby, the Artist's Point 360-degree view of Bay Lake, and the towering forest sheltering the resort from the rest of the world are just a few of the reasons to stay here. Some guest rooms have patios or balconies overlooking the lake, woodlands, or the meadow.

The Best Luxury Resorts

• Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Orlando; tel. 407/934-7639): This magnificent Victorian inn -- Disney's best hotel -- has an opulent five-story lobby complete with a Chinese Chippendale aviary. An orchestra plays big-band music every evening near Victoria & Albert's, the resort's five-star restaurant.
• Gaylord Palms (Lake Buena Vista; tel. 877/677-9352 or 407/586-0000): This destination resort features impeccable service; themed guest rooms (the Emerald Bay rooms are the best) with luxe amenities; a lush, 4 1/2-acre glass-topped atrium; and (best of all) a branch of the renowned Canyon Ranch Spa.

The Best Moderately Priced Accommodations

• Disney's Port Orleans Resort (Lake Buena Vista; tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/934-5000): Here's a good value by Disney standards. It has dual Southern charm in its French Quarter and Riverside areas, and the pool has a water slide curving from the mouth of a colorful dragon.
• Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort (Lake Buena Vista; tel. 407/827-4000): It's the only official resort on Hotel Plaza Boulevard to offer Disney's Extra Magic Hour option. Other pluses include a huge variety of services, two pools, and spacious junior suites. And it has a great location next to Downtown Disney.
• Staybridge Suites Lake Buena Vista (Lake Buena Vista; tel. 800/866-4549 or 407/238-0777): Close to the action of Downtown Disney and the theme parks, this resort's one- and two-bedroom suites have full kitchens and are larger and more comfortable than most of the competition. And to help you relax, the resort will do your grocery shopping for you, so you don't have to deal with the hassle.