This resort sprawls around a central pond—1 1/2 miles around!—along with the newly constructed Riviera Resort, a DVC property. As you might expect, there’s a loose island theme. Rooms (mostly full beds) feel vaguely Polynesian and are the Moderate category’s largest (by a little), but water-view rooms don’t have balconies. Disney spent a ton theming some rooms to Pirates of the Caribbean (beds like ships, carpet like decking) that can add about $45 to a regular room, but they’re the farthest from the main buildings. The main Old Port Royale pool area emulates a waterfront Spanish fort and has a giant tippy bucket, so you can see why families favor this property. The resort’s principal drawbacks are a lack of elevators, bland food, and a risk of being placed very far from the lobby and pool (preferred rooms cost a little more to put you closer).

But there are two new benefits: Guests can walk over to the dining amenities of the new Disney’s Riviera Resort next door. And this is the best hotel in the Disney Skyliner gondola system, which goes straight to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot in minutes. (For everything else, you need wheels or take DTS.)