RESORTS
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In Magic Kingdom
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Magic Kingdom’s 1st resort has a monorail running right through the center of it! The main part of the Contemporary is a 15 story A-frame tower. The tower itself has 1,041 rooms. It has garden buildings on either side of it with more rooms. There is a great view of the Magic Kingdom from its 15th floor observation deck. It has 6 shops, 3 restaurants, 3 snack bars, 2 lounges, a marina, a beach, a health club & more. The pool has 2 whirlpools, a water slide & water jets. The Food & Fun Center is open 24 hours a day. Most rooms can accommodate 5 guests (plus 1 child under 3). The Contemporary is considered a Deluxe Resort, ranging in price from $180-$485 per room.
Polynesian*
The Polynesian is another monorail resort with a Pacific Islands theme. The main house is called the Great Ceremonial House & has 11 2 & 3 story village longhouses on its sides. There are 853 rooms at the Polynesian. The Polynesian offers amenities as express check in/check out, continental breakfast, cookies & soft drinks every afternoon & access to a lounge with a prime fireworks view. Most rooms can accommodate 5 guests (plus a child under 3). The Polynesian is considered a Deluxe Resort, ranging in price from $180-$485 per room.
*we stayed at the Polynesian December 7th-13th 1999. We stayed in the Samoa longhouse. The room was nice, but my overall impression was not the best. The Polynesian is right next to the Richard Petty Speedway & we were able to hear everything that went on over there. Very noisy. If they charge as much as they do simply because the Polynesian is on the monorail route, I do not believe that it is worth it. I never waited for buses at WDW as long as I waited for them at the Polynesian. I’ve enjoyed much better.
Grand Floridian
The 3rd of the monorail resorts, the Grand Floridian is fashioned after the grand hotels of the turn of the century. A 900 room Victorian with gabled roofs & carved moldings on 40 acres of the Seven Seas Lagoon. It has the beauty of the 19th century resorts, with the advantages of 21st century living. The Grand Floridian has 5 restaurants, 2 lounges, 5 shops, an arcade, child care facility, convention center, swimming pool, marina & full service health club & spa.Most rooms can accommodate 5 people. The Grand Floridian is considered a Deluxe Resort, ranging in price from $180-$485 per room.
Wilderness Lodge
Fashioned after the American West, the Wilderness Lodge is set between the Contemporary & Fort Wilderness on Bay Lake. The main lobby is an 8 story log structured building that has 2 totem poles stretching 55 feet into the air. There are 728 guestrooms in the Wilderness Lodge. Most rooms can accommodate 5 people. The Wilderness Lodge is considered a Deluxe Resort, ranging in price from $180-$485 per room.
Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Set on 700 acres, the Ft Wilderness Campground has 784 traditional campsites, 249 wilderness cabins & 159 wilderness homes. The campsites feature electricity hookups, water, sanitary disposal and cable television. Partial hookup campsites supply electricity & water only. Each campsite has a driveway pad, picnic table and charcoal grill. Air conditioned comfort stations are very close by featuring restrooms, private showers, an ice machine, phones and a laundry room. Campsites can accommodate up to 10 people & has room for 1 car. The wilderness cabins feature 2 TV’s, a VCR, full bath, hair dryer, iron, large deck, picnic table & charcoal grill. The cabins can accommodate up to 6 people. There are 2 types of wilderness homes. The 1st can accommodate 4 adults and 2 children. It has 1 bedroom with a double bed, a bunk bed, a vanity area and a spacious living room that has a pull down double bed. The 2nd can accommodate up to 4 people. It has 1 double bed in the bedroom & a pull down double bed in the living room. Both have a complete bathroom, TV, picnic table & charcoal grill. The Campground ranges in price from $35-$66 per night.
Shades of Green
This is a 228 room resort for active & retired military personnel & their families, members of the reserves & the National Guard & Department of Defense employees. This resort has 2 tennis courts, 2 pools, a health club, restaurant, bar, lounge, gift shop, arcade, laundry facilities & free transportation to WDW. Room rates are based on military or civilian grade.
The Yacht & Beach Club are both set on a 25 acre lake. They share most of their facilities, including 1 of the best pools to be found on property. The Yacht Club is done in a nautical theme, the Beach Club done in a beach motif. Most rooms can accommodate up to 5 people. The shared pool – Stormalong Bay – is a 3 acre mini water park. There is 1 part for relaxed bathing, 1 part that has currents, jets & sand bottomed areas, whirlpools & a shipwreck. If you look carefully, the large mast from the shipwreck is really 1 of the water slides. The best ice cream in all of the World can be found at the Beach Club in Beaches & Cream. The Yacht & Beach Club are considered Deluxe Resorts, ranging in price from $180-$485 per night.
*we stayed at the Beach Club in October 1998 when we were down for the cruise. The Beach Club was THE BEST! We enjoyed their service very much. The transportation to the parks was very good, we never waited very long at all. Once my goal of staying at each resort at least once is met, we will return to the Beach Club.
Swan & Dolphin
These Resorts are not owned by Walt Disney World, but by the Sheraton. Guests that stay here can enjoy most WDW resort benefits though. The Swan can easily be identified by the 2 46 foot swans that sit atop the building. The Dolphin has 2 56 foot “dolphin” statues on top of their building. (they look like big fish rather than dolphins) The Swan rooms have either 1 king or 2 queen size beds. The Dolphin has 1,509 rooms featuring 2 double beds or a king size bed. The Swan & Dolphin are considered Deluxe resorts, ranging in price from $180-$485 per night.
Caribbean Beach*
Caribbean Beach is composed of 5 villages surrounding Barefoot Bay. Each village is a different Caribbean island. There are 2,112 rooms at the Caribbean Beach, making it one of the largest hotels in the United States & the largest resort on property. The Caribbean Beach pool features waterfalls and a slide, much lakeside recreation & more. The Caribbean Beach is considered a moderate resort, ranging in price from $119-$169 per night.
*we stayed at the Caribbean Beach in October 1996. This was my very 1st stay at WDW & I loved it!! Caribbean Beach is so far my favorite resort to stay at. The transportation system couldn’t have been any better! I believe we stayed at Martinique that 1st time, which was nice because we were 1 of the 1st bus stops. We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. The rooms were nice, we had a 1st level room. We were quite a bit away from the Custom House, but that didn’t seem to be a problem. I can not wait to go back to the Caribbean Beach!
Boardwalk Inn & Villas
Located a walkway away from Epcot, the Boardwalk is alive with music, lights & noise. The Inn has 378 deluxe rooms that will sleep up to 5 in 2 queen beds or 1 king bed & a child’s daybed. The garden suites feature a living room on the 1st floor and a king size bed in the loft. The Boardwalk Inn is considered a Deluxe resort, ranging in price from $180-$485 per room.The suites sleep 4. There are 517 vacation villas that are available when not in use by Disney Vacation Club members. Each villa features a queen size bed, a double sleeper sofa, a wet bar with a microwave, coffeemaker & small refrigerator. There are larger villas that sleep 4-12 people & have up to 3 bedrooms, a dining room, fully equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, master bath with whirlpool tub & VCRs. The Villas are considered Homes away from Home, ranging in price from $179-$1,350 per night.
With a southwestern Mexican theme, this resort features a tiled stucco lobby with a fountain & a pyramid with water coming out of it to form the pool. There are 1,967 rooms in the 3 guest areas that surround Lago Dorado. The rooms will accommodate a family of four. They have amenities such as a coffeemaker, hair dryer & modem port. Coronado Springs has a food court, a restaurant & a lounge. Coronado Springs is considered a moderate resort, ranging in price from $119-$169 per room.
All Star Resorts
These resorts are Disney’s 1st Value resorts. Each resort has 1,920 rooms in 10 buildings. All Star Movies is devoted to 5 Disney movies: Toy Story, The Mighty Ducks, Fantasia, 101 Dalmations & The Love Bug.All Star Music is devoted to 5 types of music: Broadway, country, jazz, rock & calypso. All Star Sports is devoted to 5 sports: Baseball, football, tennis, surfing & basketball. You will find 40 foot dalmations & oversized figures of Woody & Buzz Lightyear at All Star Movies. At All Star Music you will find a giant walk through neon lit jukebox, 3 story cowboy boots & a Broadway theater marquee. At All Star Sports, you will find larger than life sports paraphernalia. A few fun facts: it would take all of the water in Typhoon Lagoon’s wave pool to fill 1 of the Coca Cola cups at the Home Run hotel, it would take 9,474,609 tennis balls to fill 1 of the large tennis ball cans at the Centre Court, the car at the Love Bug building is 4 times the size of a real punch bug. These Value resorts range in price from $74-$94 per room.
Just like New Orleans, this resort is divided into “parishes”. Closest to the city you will find the Mansion. Further up the river, you will find the Bayou rooms. They have a more rustic feel. The registration area is designed to resemble a steamship. When you check in, you are booking passage on the steamboat. There are 2,048 rooms in all at Dixie Landings. Rooms accommodate up to 4 people. 963 Bayou rooms have a trundle bed designed to sleep a child. There is a 3 ½acre recreation area called Ol’ Man Island with a pool, old fashioned fishing hole & a playground. Dixie Landings is considered a Moderate resort, ranging in price from $119-$169 per night.
Port Orleans
Port Orleans is fashioned after the French Quarter of New Orleans. The guest registration building is called The Mint, based on an original turn of the century mint where farmers would trade their harvest for “dixes” ($10 bill). In The Mint, you will find guest check in, a shop, food court, arcade & restaurant. When there, look at the mural behind the check in counter. This was painted by an artist in 3 parts & shipped to WDW separately. There are 1,008 rooms at the Port Orleans resort that can accommodate up to 4 people. The Sassagoula River at Port Orleans goes to Dixie Landings. Port Orleans is considered a Moderate resort, ranging in price from $119-$169 per night.
Disney Institute
The Villas at the Disney Institute are larger than most conventional Disney hotels. They cost a bit more, but you can fit more people in them. The rooms have either full kitchens or wet bars with small refrigerators. There are 316 1 bedroom bungalows. These have a daybed, wet bar, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, sitting area, & 2 queen size beds. The 1 bedroom townhouses can accommodate up to 4. They have a queen size bed in the loft & a queen size sleeper sofa in the living room. The 2 bedroom townhouses can accommodate up to 6. They have a queen size bed, 2 twin size beds & a queen size sleeper sofa. Fairway Villas can sleep up to 8 with extra room for a crib. They have a queen size bed, 2 double beds, a pull out bed or a double sleeper sofa in the living room. The Treehouse Villasare in the woods with a kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms upstairs & a bedroom & utility room downstairs. The Grand Vista Homes feature 2 or 3 bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a master bedroom with a king size bed, queen size or 2 twin beds in the other rooms. You will receive the daily newspaper, bed turndown service & a refrigerator stocked with staples. The Villas at Disney Institute are considered Homes away from Home, ranging in price from $179-$1,350.
All Star like resort coming to MGM. Based on the 1950’s