Family Travel: Family Friendly Disney Hotels
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Disney World in Orlando Florida is a top family vacation destination, but a family can easily be overwhelmed with the variety of hotel options to choose from when staying on site at a Disney resort. Disney maintains hotels in several pricing categories, allowing all guests to find what they are looking for with hotel features to fit any budget.
For travelers with small children (under the age of five) - your best bet is to try to stay at a resort on the monorail system. This makes traveling to the parks very easy and even allows you to take the children back to the hotel during the day for a rest period, or to go swimming in the hotel pool. The Polynesian Hotel near the Magic Kingdom is the best choice in the Deluxe category - young children will love the resort features such as volcano pool and splash area. The resort provides free life vests for children for the length of your stay. There is also a beach area at the resort - kids can play in the sand (with a terrific view of Cinderella’s castle across the lagoon). The Polynesian also has a marina where you can rent boats and bicycles - kids love the little speed boats! A second choice for a family friendly hotel at Disney is the Contemporary Resort. This hotel is also in the Deluxe category and is connected to the monorail system. The resort hosts a Mickey shaped pool, a beach area and the monorail actually travels right through the center of the resort. Kids will love dining at Chef Mickey’s restaurant, where Mickey and Goofy can be found hosting your meals.
Family friendly Disney hotels in the moderate pricing category include the Caribbean Beach Resort and Coronado Springs. The best choice here would be the Caribbean Beach. The tropical feel of the hotel, from the comfortable rooms to the pool area makes this a terrific resort for families. Families with older children will enjoy the availability of several pools, an arcade and bike and boat rentals. The small sailboats or paddle boats are always a hit with kids of all ages.
If you are considering a Disney resort in the value price range - either the All Star Movies or the Pop Century resorts are great for families. Children of all ages love the themes of these resorts. The rooms are comfortable for two adults and two children. The food court allows each member of the family to choose what they want at the same place to eat. So if junior wants pizza and Dad wants chicken - it is all available in one location. The pools and splash areas are great for children and they love the playground areas.
When choosing a Disney hotel for your stay, you should consider your budget and what hotel features you are looking for. If you are only staying in the Orlando area for three or four nights, chances are you will not experience much of the hotel itself, as you will probably be spending most of your time at the theme parks. Staying at a Deluxe resort in this case may not be worth what they will charge you per night. If you have small children traveling with you or older teenagers a larger sized room in the moderate or deluxe categories are usually worth the extra expense.
No matter what your budget is you will be able to find a Disney resort that suits your needs on your next Disney Family Vacation!