Every Disney World resort, sorted by tier, with what guests actually say about each one, what to eat there, and how you'll get to the parks.
Standard rooms run around 260 square feet, with a handful of family suites near 520 square feet. Food courts instead of sit-down dining, one pool, no monorail or boat. This is the tier for tight budgets, first-timers who mostly want a clean place to sleep between park days, and youth sports or dance teams.
Giant pop-culture icons from the 1950s through the 90s, a huge Rubik's Cube, foosball players, a yo-yo the size of a house.
Immersive courtyards themed to Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Cars, and The Little Mermaid.
Oversized icons from Disney films: Toy Story, Fantasia, 101 Dalmatians, The Mighty Ducks.
Themed to music genres, jazz, calypso, country, and Broadway courtyards.
Themed to competitive sports, basketball, football, tennis, surfing.
Standard rooms run around 314 square feet. Every Moderate resort has at least one sit-down restaurant, nicer pools and theming than Value, and some suite options. A good step up for families who want more space and atmosphere without paying Deluxe prices.
Caribbean islands spread around 45-acre Barefoot Bay, with refreshed "Under the Sea" rooms in some buildings.
Spanish, Mexican, and Southwestern architecture around Lago Dorado, plus the modern Gran Destino Tower.
A compact, wrought-iron New Orleans French Quarter, small enough to walk end to end in about five minutes.
Rural Louisiana bayou and plantation styling across two areas, Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend.
Standard rooms start around 344 square feet, with suites well over 1,000. Multiple table-service and signature restaurants, full room service, elaborate pools, and for several of these, walking, boat, or monorail access to a park. This is the tier for honeymooners, special-occasion trips, and anyone who doesn't want to rent a car.
A modern, futuristic A-frame tower with a Mary Blair mosaic mural. The monorail runs straight through the building.
Victorian-era luxury, a grand red-roofed hotel styled after Florida's original beach resorts.
Tropical South Pacific and tiki theming, longhouses set around the Great Ceremonial House, plus the newer Polynesian Island Tower.
An African savannah lodge, Jambo House and Kidani Village, with live giraffes, zebras, and other animals visible from many rooms and the lobby.
A Pacific Northwest national park lodge, with a "creek" and geysers running right through the lobby.
A turn-of-the-century Atlantic City boardwalk, complete with shops, arcade games, and street performers along Crescent Lake.
A casual New England beach-club look and feel.
A more formal New England yacht club look, next door to Beach Club.
French and Italian Riviera-inspired elegance, Disney's newest Deluxe resort, opened in 2019.
Studios start around 316 square feet, with Grand Villas running up to about 2,500 square feet and multiple bedrooms. Every villa comes with a kitchenette or full kitchen plus laundry, built for longer stays and bigger, multigenerational groups. Bookable with cash or Disney Vacation Club points. Each villa resort shares its transportation and most of its dining with the Deluxe resort it's attached to.
Victorian-themed villas connected to the Grand Floridian by a covered walkway.
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins (opened 2017, a modern-rustic take, including standalone cabins) plus the older Boulder Ridge Villas.
Includes the overwater Bungalows, among the priciest rooms on all of Disney property, plus the newer Polynesian Island Tower.
Savanna-view villas sharing the lodge's African theming.
A modern, condo-style high-rise connected to the Contemporary by a skybridge.
Villas sharing Beach Club's New England beach-club setting.
Villas on Crescent Lake, walking distance to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
The villa side of Riviera, same French and Italian Riviera theming.
Fully rebuilt as a new DVC product in 2024, replacing the older, non-DVC rental cabins. Sleeps up to six.
Disney's largest DVC resort, themed to Saratoga Springs, New York and its horse-racing history.
Disney's original DVC resort, opened 1991, with a laid-back Florida Keys theme and the most spread-out layout of any DVC property.
Not Disney-owned or not open to everyone, but worth knowing about since both sit right on Disney property near Epcot.
Marriott-operated (Sheraton and Westin brands for Swan and Dolphin, with Swan Reserve a newer, more boutique build), in the Epcot resort area near BoardWalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club.
A U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center on Disney property near the Polynesian, between the golf courses.
Which resorts connect to which parks, and how.
The most complete network. Every Disney-owned resort has bus service, and buses reach all four parks, both water parks, Disney Springs, and other resorts. They run from about 45 minutes before park opening to about an hour after close.
Three separate lines: an express beam between Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center, a resort loop stopping at Contemporary, Polynesian Village, and Grand Floridian, and a third line to Epcot. Only these resorts get monorail access.
An aerial gondola with three lines meeting at the Caribbean Beach hub. One runs direct to Hollywood Studios from Riviera, another connects to Epcot's International Gateway, a third serves Pop Century and Art of Animation. There's no single gondola ride between Hollywood Studios and Epcot, you'll transfer at the hub. It also pauses during lightning.
Serve Magic Kingdom from Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian. A separate set serves Epcot and Hollywood Studios from BoardWalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan, and Dolphin. A third route runs to Disney Springs from the Port Orleans resorts, Saratoga Springs, and Old Key West.
A paid, Disney-themed rideshare booked through the Lyft app, available at every Disney-owned resort, including accessible vehicles. It isn't complimentary.
Best regarded: the monorail resorts for Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and the Crescent Lake walking resorts for Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Most criticized: Animal Kingdom Lodge and Coronado Springs for being bus-only with long internal walks, and the Skyliner during Florida's summer storm season for frequent temporary shutdowns.
What each tier actually offers, and where the Dining Plan stands right now.
Quick service versus table service. Quick service means ordering at a counter or kiosk, food courts at Value and Moderate resorts, plus counter-service spots at every tier. Table service means a seated, server-based restaurant. Value resorts have none on site, Moderate resorts typically have one, and Deluxe and DVC resorts have several, often including at least one signature restaurant that's harder to book.
The Disney Dining Plan in 2026. It's currently offered, but only in two tiers: a Quick-Service Plan (two quick-service meals, one snack, and one refillable mug per night) and the standard Disney Dining Plan (one quick-service and one table-service meal, one snack, and one refillable mug per night). It's purchased alongside a package that includes on-site lodging and tickets. The Deluxe Dining Plan isn't currently available and, per multiple travel-planning sites, isn't expected back until 2027.
Standouts worth building a meal around, tier by tier:
Value
Moderate
Deluxe & Deluxe Villa
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