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Disney World's Best Deal Hotels — Transcript

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0:00I've stayed at every single Disney World
0:02hotel on Disney World property, and
0:04these are the rooms that are going to
0:05give you the most for your money.
0:14Hey everybody, it's AJ for Disney Food
0:16Blog. Disney World's got over 20
0:18different hotels for you to stay at on
0:20vacation. But of those hotels, you've
0:22also got a lot of room options to choose
0:24from. But which rooms are the best if
0:27you're A looking for a good value, B
0:29looking for good amenities and C looking
0:31for zero regrets? That's what we've
0:34gathered up for you today. The best
0:35Disney deal hotels in one easy to follow
0:38video. Now, before we get started, keep
0:40in mind that not every Disney World
0:42hotel is going to be mentioned today,
0:43but you can learn about all of them from
0:45their price points to their themes to
0:47the biggest pros and cons. Because as
0:50you know from watching the FB guide, it
0:53really depends on what you're looking
0:54for whether it's right or wrong for you.
0:57By scanning the QR code you see on the
0:59screen now or by clicking on the link in
1:01the description for Disneyfoodblog.com/h
1:04hotels after this and you can pick up
1:06our free guide detailing every single
1:08hotel in Disney World. Okay, ready for
1:10the best deals, the best values, the
1:12best rooms to choose if you want the
1:14most bang for your buck. Here we go. So,
1:17let's start out with the cheapest hotel
1:19rooms in Disney World, period. Cuz even
1:22if you don't want to stay in them, you
1:24still kind of want to know about them,
1:25right? And what fits into that category
1:27is any of the Allstar Standard Rooms.
1:30So, the All-Star Resort standard rooms
1:32can get as low as $140 per night if
1:35you're traveling around offse, but you
1:38might be able to get that price tag even
1:39lower if you can find a hotel promotion
1:41going on over at Disney's special offers
1:43page. Side note though, you can usually
1:46find some sort of hotel deal happening
1:48on the Disney site. So, never ever book
1:50any Disney hotel room unless you check
1:52and see if you can get a percentage off
1:54your upcoming stay first. We always say
1:57don't pay rack rate for Disney World
1:59hotels. You rarely have to. Now, because
2:02you're paying the bare minimum for a
2:04standard room at one of Disney's
2:05all-star resorts, which are, by the way,
2:07music, movies, and sports, then you're
2:10going to be getting the bare necessities
2:12here. But thankfully, the bare
2:13necessities will still get you quite a
2:15bit on Disney property. You'll still be
2:17able to use the early theme park entry
2:19perk and free bus transportation around
2:21property. You'll have nearby food courts
2:24for convenient dining options. You'll
2:26have access to themed pools and daily
2:28activities, as well as free waterpark
2:30tickets on your hotel check-in day if
2:32you're staying between May 26th and
2:34September 8th. And you'll have early
2:37access to dining reservations and
2:39Lightning Lane pre-selections for the
2:41parks. Not to mention, the All-Star
2:43Hotels are super fun, especially for
2:46kids. They've got lots of colorful
2:48characters, multiple pool options, and
2:51food courts that cater to eaters of all
2:53sorts. So, even though the rooms
2:55themselves are pretty basic, and you're
2:57going to be missing out on higherend
2:58amenities that you'll find at the
2:59moderate and deluxe level hotels, kiddos
3:02are going to enjoy kind of wandering
3:04around all those oversized statues
3:06greeting them around the resorts. Plus,
3:08this is a perfect segue to introduce
3:10them to some of your childhood favorite
3:12films, too, cuz this generation needs to
3:15carry on Herby the Love Bugs Legacy and
3:17The Mighty Ducks, too. Now, this is
3:19something good to know if you're coming
3:20to Disney World on maybe your honeymoon
3:23and you want a nice hotel stay, but
3:24you're still a newlywed couple who's
3:26just starting out and may not have the
3:28means for a deluxe resort just yet.
3:30Because having stayed at every single
3:31resort, and that includes all the
3:33moderates and all the deluxe level
3:34resorts, I think that Grandino Tower at
3:37Coronado Springs Resort is a great
3:39deluxe resort alternative. When you
3:42first walk into this lobby, you're going
3:43to think you've accidentally booked a
3:45room way out of your price range because
3:47this moderate resort is stunning. the
3:49scaling ceiling, the intricate
3:51decorative Spanish backdrops, the marble
3:54accents, the dripping light fixtures,
3:56the sleek and clean feel. The layout of
3:59the rooms is a more deluxe resort feel,
4:02too. You're not going to get a whole lot
4:04of colorful characters here, but what
4:05you will get are classy wood and metal
4:08details, a large standup shower, lots of
4:11storage space, a desk area, and lots of
4:14places to plug and charge electronics.
4:16Oh, and internal hallways versus those
4:19motel style external ones that other
4:21moderate hotel rooms have. And depending
4:23on which room you choose, you might also
4:26get an epic view across the shining
4:28waters of Lago Dorado or even sometimes
4:30a fireworks view. You've also got quite
4:33the fancy dining and lounge options here
4:35like to tap Steak and Seafood and Dalia
4:38Lounge. But you're not limited to
4:40options over at the tower. Since
4:42Grandino is part of the Coronado Springs
4:44Resort area, all you've got to do is
4:46walk on over to even more dining
4:47options, including places like Maya
4:49Grill, Rick Sports Bar and Grill, and my
4:52personal favorite, the Lakefront 3
4:53Bridges Bar and Grill. Grandino is also
4:56the only moderate level resort that
4:58offers up two fitness centers. Honestly,
5:00it's the only moderate level resort that
5:02offers up any fitness centers, as well
5:04as club level room options. Disney club
5:06level rooms give you access to the more
5:09exclusive side of the Disney resorts,
5:11like cozy club lounges with
5:13complimentary refreshments and dedicated
5:15concierge services with cast members
5:17that'll help you plan out your time in
5:18the parks. Because Grandino is a
5:21moderate resort, the club level rooms
5:23offered here are going to be the most
5:24affordable that you're going to find
5:25around property. But when I say
5:27affordable, I'm still talking $650 plus
5:30per night for a standard level room. So,
5:32not necessarily like a steal or anything
5:35in the real world, but when it comes to
5:37Disney World, this place gives you great
5:39amenities for hundreds of dollars less
5:41than the deluxe resorts. Now, regular
5:44standard rooms at Grandino Tower that
5:46aren't club level cost around 400
5:48to$450. The biggest downside of
5:51Grandino, just cuz it seems like a
5:53deluxe resort doesn't mean it is. So,
5:55when you stay here, you will not be
5:56within walking distance to any of the
5:58parks, nor will you have access to the
6:00extended evening hours park benefit like
6:02the real deluxe resorts have to offer.
6:05Okay, now I'm on a moderate resort kick,
6:07so let's keep the momentum going. Port
6:09Orleans Riverside has a handful of
6:11different room options that are more
6:13often than not going to be cheaper to
6:14book than their royal guest room option.
6:17But if we're looking at really
6:18stretching our hotel dollars here, the
6:20Royal Guest Room experience combines
6:22in-your-face Disney theming with classic
6:25and romantic thematics that might make
6:27that slight bump up worth it. The Disney
6:30Imagineers went all out on this one. The
6:32royal guest rooms feature decorations
6:34directly inspired by several classic
6:37Disney princesses. On one wall, you'll
6:39find portraits of princesses like Ariel,
6:41Snow White, Aurora, Rapunzel, and
6:43several other fan favorite heroins. But
6:46because this is Tiana's resort, she gets
6:48the biggest picture right next to the
6:49TV. You can also find silhouette
6:51portraits of each princess's beloved
6:54prince on both sides of the gold rimmed
6:56mirror. And be on the lookout for hidden
6:58sidekicks. Your sinks will be shaped
7:00like Aladdin's magic lamp. And you'll
7:02find Sultan, aka the foottool doggy from
7:04Beauty and the Beast, sitting near the
7:06TV, too. But my absolute favorite part
7:08about these rooms has to be those
7:11headboards. Yeah, the headboards not
7:13only have a gorgeous bayou mural, but
7:16they also have cascading fireworks that
7:18light up the mural's sky. I have a hard
7:20time finding anything negative to say
7:22about these royal guest rooms. They're a
7:24ton of fun and maybe a better value than
7:27the other rooms, especially if you've
7:28got some Disney princess fans in your
7:30group. Not to mention, they're usually
7:32cheaper than the preferred rooms at this
7:34resort. Anyways, while royal guest rooms
7:36cost 400 to 450 per night, preferred
7:39rooms can cost up to 430 to 475 per
7:42night. Granted, you may still want to
7:44pay for a preferred room versus a royal
7:46guest room if you're wanting to stay
7:48closer to all the resort's main
7:49amenities like the lobby, feature pool,
7:51food court, etc. But if you don't mind
7:53taking a few extra steps each day to
7:55have fireworks in your headboards and
7:57genie lamp sinks, then you know better
7:59than anyone where your true priorities
8:01lie. If you're wanting the royal
8:03theming, but maybe a more subdued scale
8:05and for a cheaper price point, Porter's
8:07French Quarter updated their rooms not
8:09too terribly long ago to add more
8:10Princess and the Frog touches throughout
8:12the artwork and accents, which may be
8:14more your speed, especially if the New
8:16Orleans style architecture is something
8:18you prefer. Disney World loves its beach
8:21themed resorts. You've got the South
8:23Pacific beach theming at Polynesian
8:25Village. You've got classic Flidian Keys
8:27vibes at Old Key West. And you've even
8:30got straight up beach club, which is
8:32more themed around those New England
8:33beach fronts. But if you're looking for
8:35white sands and palm trees and hammocks
8:37and tropical drinks in hand without
8:39having to pay deluxe resort prices, the
8:41moderate level Caribbean Beach might be
8:43a better beachy value. Along with the
8:46typical beach motifs, Caribbean Beach is
8:48themed to, well, the Caribbean. So,
8:50expect to also find colorful pastel
8:52architecture, a familystyle restaurant
8:55called Sebastian's Beastro, featuring a
8:57menu filled with Latin influences, a
8:59feature pool themed around a Spanish
9:01colonial fortress, and one of the best
9:03tropical pool bars on property, Banana
9:05Cabana. Caribbean Beach isn't the
9:07cheapest resort along the Skyliner, but
9:09I definitely put it smack dab in the
9:11middle of things, both financially and
9:13costwise, but also just geographically.
9:16I mean, Caribbean Beach is the hub of
9:18the Skyliner. So, basically, whenever
9:20you need to transfer from one Skyliner
9:22cabin to another, this is where you're
9:24going to end up anyways. As much as
9:25there is to love about Caribbean Beach,
9:27there's also a lot to not love about it.
9:30It's a very, very spread out resort. So,
9:33depending on where your room is, you
9:34might have to walk a good distance
9:35before you reach the main lobby area or
9:37restaurants or even the Skyliner
9:39station. Sometimes your room might be so
9:42far out that the Riviera Resort Sky
9:43Skyliner station is closer for you to
9:45reach. Speaking of rooms, most of your
9:47room styles here are going to be that
9:49standard sleep up to four guests layout,
9:51but there are some room options that'll
9:53give you a fifth sleeper pullout bed if
9:55you need to accommodate one more person
9:57in your family. And pulling it back
9:59around to the princess themed room
10:01discussion, several of Caribbean Beach's
10:03fifth sleeper rooms were updated not too
10:05terribly long ago with little mermaid
10:07theming. Now, these used to be the
10:08pirate rooms. Remember those? Yeah, old
10:10school. These will be more expensive
10:12than the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of
10:14Animation, but they are newer and way
10:16more roomy. Just keep in mind that while
10:18all Little Mermaid rooms are fifth
10:19sleepers, not all fifth sleepers are
10:22Little Mermaid rooms. So, there's no
10:23guarantee that if you book a fifth
10:25sleeper, you'll get to have a sleepover
10:26with Ariel and Co. To better your
10:28chances of getting a Little Mermaid
10:30room, not guarantee them, but improve
10:32them, book a fifth sleeper and then
10:34request being put in the Trinidad
10:36building. Room options at Caribbean
10:38Beach average around 330 to 430 per
10:40night. And in general, while this might
10:42not be my all-time favorite Disney
10:43resort, it's a great fit for those
10:45looking for a variety of pool options,
10:47as well as the convenience of the
10:49Skyliner and a little more hotel room
10:51space for the family without having to
10:52break the bank. But it's also important
10:54to note that Caribbean Beach doesn't
10:56have any elevators for its second and
10:58third story rooms. So, if you have
10:59someone in your group with mobility
11:01concerns or you just don't want to lug
11:03your tired kid in their giant stroller
11:05up and down the stairs every day, then
11:06you'll definitely want to request a room
11:08on the first floor. Now, I mentioned the
11:11Skyliners. Let's talk about those
11:13Skyliner hotels in general. The Disney
11:15Skyliner might be Disney's newer mode of
11:17free transportation between Epcot and
11:19Hollywood Studios and the other Skyliner
11:21area hotels, but it quickly won over the
11:23hearts of many over the past few years,
11:25including my heart. I love those sky
11:27gondilas. I'd gladly just ride them all
11:29day long for funsies. Now, when you look
11:31at a Skyliner hotel like the Riviera,
11:34you might start to believe that all the
11:35Skylliner hotels are going to be that
11:37expensive. Even the moderate Caribbean
11:39Beach asks you for a good chunk of
11:41change to stay near the Skyliner hub.
11:43But you don't necessarily have to break
11:45the $300 per night threshold if it's
11:47just Skyliner access that you're after.
11:50Art of Animation is well known for its
11:52family suites, which I'm going to talk
11:53about in just a second, but it is a
11:56value resort, and you can save a ton of
11:58money here by booking the standard rooms
12:00that sleep up to four guests, and
12:02they're little mermaid themed, which is
12:04very cute. When it comes to standard
12:06value hotel rooms, though, Art of
12:08Animation still tends to be on the
12:09higher end of the spectrum with rooms
12:11often costing 275 to 300 per night. This
12:14is why Art of Animation is often
12:15referred to as a value plus resort. and
12:18still mostly cheaper than the moderate
12:19and deluxe resorts, but then again, it
12:21continues to be the highest priced
12:23option out of the value level resorts.
12:25So, for the absolute cheapest room
12:27option along the Skylliner route, you're
12:29going to want to turn to Disney's Pop
12:30Century Resort instead. The standard
12:32rooms at Pop Century are more around
12:35$240 to $300 per night, but you may want
12:38to splurge $15 to $20 more for a
12:40preferred room to keep you close to all
12:42the main resort amenities. Again, like
12:44the feature pool, the bus stop, the
12:45lobby, and the food court. You see, the
12:48standard Little Mermaid rooms at Art of
12:49Animation don't have the preferred room
12:52option. So, if you choose a Little
12:53Mermaid room, you're just going to have
12:55to accept the fact that your room's
12:56going to be way far away from Art of
12:58Animation's main amenities. But for
13:01around the same price as a standard room
13:02at Art of Animation, or possibly even
13:04less depending on when you visit, a Pop
13:06Century preferred room will keep you
13:08close to all the action. And we'll also
13:10give you a hotel stay that's been more
13:12recently updated than Art of Animation's
13:14Little Mermaid Rooms can provide, at
13:16least for now. Hopefully Disney will
13:18work on updating these Little Mermaid
13:20rooms soon because they're definitely
13:21overdue for some TLC. They're still
13:23cute, just not as up to-date as the
13:25other value standard rooms nowadays.
13:28Okay, let's talk family suites because
13:30these are probably some of the best
13:31deals on property. Family suite are
13:34located at select value resorts and can
13:36be a more budget-friendly way to sleep
13:38up to six guests in a single room
13:40without splurging on a suite at one of
13:41the higherend resorts. Family suite
13:43consist of a master bedroom, a living
13:45room/sleeping area, kitchenet, and two
13:48full bathrooms. Yep, two full bathrooms.
13:51They also have three queen beds with two
13:53of those being pull downs from the wall
13:55in the living area. Now, I will say
13:58there are times when the family suites
13:59over at Art of Animation can get really
14:02costly, averaging around 600 to 700 per
14:04night, which is why it's a good thing
14:06that All-Star Music has cheaper
14:08alternatives. All-Star Music is part of
14:10the All-Star Hotel Trinity along with
14:12Allstar Movies and Sports. Like I
14:14mentioned, but Music is the only
14:15All-Star Hotel with the family suite
14:18option. The All-Star Music family suites
14:20in the Calypso and Jazz sections can
14:22sleep up to six guests and include a
14:24master bedroom, living room, and
14:25sleeping area, kitchenet, and two full
14:28bathrooms. Yep, two full bathrooms. They
14:31also have three queen beds with two of
14:33those being pull downs from the wall.
14:35You can expect to pay between 400 and
14:37500 per night for one of these suites,
14:39which is a pretty great deal compared to
14:41the similar style suites over at Art of
14:43Animation that cost significantly more.
14:45But let's not forget what Art of
14:47Animation can do for you. that All-Star
14:48Music cannot. Not only do The Art of
14:50Animation Family Suites have
14:52over-the-top Disney theming that drops
14:54you into the world of Cars and Finding
14:56Nemo or The Lion King during your stay,
14:59but you'll also have the convenience of
15:00the Skyliner nearby, which can quickly
15:02take you over to Epcot, Hollywood
15:04Studios, or one of the other Skyliner
15:06resorts. Meanwhile, Allstar Music only
15:09has complimentary bus transportation for
15:11you to use each day, which may not be a
15:13big deal if you're just wanting a bigger
15:15room for a more affordable cost. But
15:17that extra 100 to 200 per night for a
15:19stay at Art of Animation could be worth
15:21it for the Skyliner perk alone. If you
15:24want an absolutely giant Disney Vacation
15:27Club villa, let's break this down real
15:29quick. DVC is short for Disney Vacation
15:31Club. It's a whole topic in and of
15:33itself. It's basically Disney's time
15:35share program where you can buy a
15:37membership to get a certain aotment of
15:39vacation points and then spend those
15:41vacation points on Disney resorts each
15:43year. So Disney's like, "Hey, give us a
15:45bunch of money and then spend that money
15:47here." And we're like, "Okay." Anyway,
15:49villas are what you can purchase while
15:51using Disney Vacation Club points. And
15:53that means you get to enjoy furnishings
15:55that are generally a little bit more on
15:57the higher end and larger, like big
15:59square footage, several bedrooms, full
16:02kitchens. You'll also receive special
16:04amenities that can make your trip easier
16:06and more convenient. So, in DVC villas
16:08that feature one to two bedrooms, you'll
16:10find full kitchens, in room laundry, a
16:13large living room, and a dining area.
16:15But DVC studio-sized rooms, those are
16:17going to be a little bit smaller,
16:19basically the size of a regular hotel
16:21room. And they give you a kitchenet, a
16:23toaster, sometimes coffee maker, and a
16:26small fridge. The good news is that
16:28non-D Disney Vacation Club members are
16:29also able to pay for Disney Vacation
16:31Club villa rooms without the membership.
16:33They're just going to cost a lot more
16:35out of pocket. So, that brings us back
16:37to the question at hand. Which DVC villa
16:40is going to give you the biggest rooms
16:41with the most amenities for the lowest
16:43price points? To answer that, you'll
16:45have to go back to DVC's roots and check
16:47out the original DVC resorts, Disney's
16:49Old Key West in Saratoga Springs. Across
16:52both of these, you've got one-bedroom
16:54villas that cost around 700 to 800 per
16:57night, two-bedroom villas around 1,000
16:59to,200 per night, and three-bedroom
17:01villas around 2,00 to 2,300 per night.
17:04Now, I'm not saying these aren't
17:06expensive. You're definitely looking at
17:08paying a significantly pretty penny for
17:11these places. But consider this. When
17:13you book a one-bedroom villa at Saratoga
17:15or Old Key West, you're getting a room
17:17with 714 square ft of space within a
17:20deluxe resort. That means you'll also
17:22receive deluxe only resort benefits,
17:24such as the extended evening hours,
17:25which allow you to stay in the parks on
17:27certain nights up to 2 hours after they
17:29close for everyone else. But if you
17:31decide to go the family suite route over
17:33at Disney's Value Resort, Art of
17:35Animation, instead in the hopes of
17:37saving a buck to sleep up to the same
17:38amount of people, you'll not only end up
17:40receiving less space, like 520 ft
17:43instead of 714, but you also might wind
17:46up spending more on your suite, like $6
17:48to $700 per night, and you won't even
17:51have the extended evening hours to show
17:53for it. So, if you are already planning
17:55on spending that kind of money on your
17:56resort regardless, you might want to
17:58consider the OG DVC resorts for the
18:00added space and benefits. Okay, so let's
18:04say you've already started saving money
18:06and anticipating that your Disney World
18:08hotel is going to be super expensive no
18:10matter what since you're wanting to stay
18:11at a deluxe resort. That's the highest
18:13priced resort inside the Disney bubble
18:16with the most amenities, including those
18:18extended evening hours. If you're okay
18:20to splurge, but you're still really
18:22wanting to find the best value for that
18:24financial outlay, I've got three deluxe
18:26resorts specifically to recommend. The
18:29first is the main tower of the
18:30Contemporary Resort. A standard room in
18:33the main tower costs on average around
18:35$850 to 950 per night with no discounts.
18:38But not only is the main tower
18:40completely indoors, so you don't have to
18:41worry about walking a good distance to
18:43reach your room when it's gross and
18:44stormy out like you would at Polynesian
18:46or Grand Fian, but your room will always
18:49be within walking distance to a lot of
18:51good hotel restaurants. Also situated
18:53within the tower. You'll also be within
18:56walking distance to Magic Kingdom, which
18:58is not in the tower, but it'll literally
18:59only be a 5 to 10 minute walk away from
19:01the park's main gate. Even if you don't
19:04want to walk to and from the park, the
19:05Montreal goes directly through the
19:07Contemporary's main tower, so you could
19:09just hitch a quick ride that way
19:10instead. And if you want to head to
19:12Epcot, you can make a transfer at the
19:14Montreal Transportation and Ticket
19:16Center to make it the rest of the way
19:18over. The Montreal will also take you to
19:20other nearby Montreal resorts like
19:21Polynesian and Grand Fian, giving you
19:24more nearby restaurants and more
19:25activities all vacation long. The other
19:28two best value resorts for the deluxe
19:30level price range in my humble opinion
19:32are the Yacht and Beach Club. Standard
19:34rooms at Yacht and Beach, which are
19:36labeled as Water View or Resort View on
19:38the website, tend to be a little bit
19:40less expensive than the standard rooms
19:42you're going to find at Contemporary's
19:43Main Tower. So around 800 to 900 per
19:46night instead. And that price will put
19:48you within walking distance to not just
19:50one park, but two parks, Epcot and
19:52Hollywood Studios. You'll also be able
19:54to use Epcot Skylliner whenever you
19:56want. if you want to do a little resort
19:57hopping when you've got the time. Plus,
19:59there are so many good restaurants near
20:01your room, including the restaurants
20:02over at the boardwalk in, which is also
20:05located in that same Epcot area hotel
20:07loop. And let's not forget, never forget
20:10that Yacht and Beach Club share the
20:11coolest feature pool on Disney World
20:14property, which goes a long way to me
20:16recommending them. Stormalong Bay
20:18basically provides yacht and Beach Club
20:20guests with a mini water park in their
20:22backyard. You got a sandy beach. You've
20:24got lazy river, sand bottom pool, and
20:27230 ft water slide. What more could a
20:30hotel pool loving kid ask for? Yep, I
20:34hear you. 800 to 900 per night for a
20:36hotel room is a lot. And I mean a lot of
20:38money. And that's what you can normally
20:40expect to pay for a room that's within
20:42walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood
20:44Studios over at Boardwalk in Yach Club
20:46or Beach Club. But there is a way for
20:48you to possibly pay less and still stay
20:50within walking distance to Hollywood
20:52Studios and Epcot. You just have to play
20:54your cards right. And by cards, I mean
20:56hotel points. The Swan and Dolphin are
20:58Marriott owned hotels that partner with
21:00Disney to give you many similar theme
21:02park perks that you'd receive along with
21:04the Disney resort stay, including the
21:06deluxe extended evening hours perk. Swan
21:09and Dolphin are right there next to
21:11Epcot and not only have nice standard
21:13rooms available that'll more often cost
21:15you around the value moderate price
21:17range versus the deluxe price range, but
21:19also have really nice, really spacious
21:21suites you can book as well. Some with
21:23dining rooms, some with separate
21:25bedrooms, some with multiple bathrooms,
21:27some with incredible views of Epcot
21:29right outside your window. And here's
21:30the biggest selling point for you folks
21:32who are on that hunt for a good hotel
21:34value. If you're part of the free
21:36Marriott Bonvoy membership and you've
21:38been collecting hotel points from other
21:39Marriott hotel stays, then you can use
21:42your collected points to help pay for
21:43your Swan and Dolphin stay. Now, heads
21:45up that bus transportation, free bus
21:48transportation, is available from the
21:49Swan and Dolphin resorts to the Disney
21:51theme parks, but it's not as quick as
21:53Disney Worlds, which isn't super speedy
21:55to begin with. Not to mention, if you
21:57take a Swan and Dolphin bus to Magic
21:59Kingdom, you'll be dropped off at the
22:00transportation and ticket center instead
22:02of being dropped off right at the front
22:04gate like the Disney owned buses will do
22:06for you. And that means you'll have to
22:07take an additional Montreal or ferry
22:09ride the rest of the way over to the
22:10park. That said, the Swan and Dolphin
22:12pros always outweigh the cons, as far as
22:15we can tell. Okay, finally, this is a
22:18little tip that we don't talk about
22:20nearly enough here on the channel. If
22:22you're not willing to sacrifice the
22:24Montreal for a cheaper Magic Kingdom
22:26area option, but you're still trying to
22:28save at least a buck or two, then try
22:30this. The Contemporary Resort has a plan
22:32B. Aside from the main tower, you've
22:35also got the option to book
22:36Contemporary's Garden Wing rooms. The
22:38Garden Wing is in a separate building
22:40situated directly behind the main tower,
22:42which will put you a little further away
22:44from the Contemporary's main amenities,
22:46but will in exchange also give you a
22:48cheaper stay. and it's still right next
22:51to the Montreal, right next to Magic
22:52Kingdom, all the contemporary
22:54restaurants. It's basically like a
22:554-minute walk to these things and Magic
22:58Kingdom Park. So, when it comes to those
22:59more affordable Garden Wing Standard
23:01Rooms, you'll see prices drop down to
23:03600 to 700 per night, which is very
23:05close to moderate hotel prices,
23:07especially over at Grandino Tower. So,
23:09for heaven's sake, y'all, think about
23:11the Garden Wing rooms. They are just as
23:13big and just as luxurious as the rooms
23:15in the tower. They're only 4 minutes
23:17away from all those amenities. It is a
23:19great deal. The Montreal resorts,
23:21including Polynesian Village, Grand
23:23Fian, and the Contemporary, are super
23:25popular because they have direct
23:27Montreal access as well as walking
23:29trails leading you right up to the Magic
23:31Kingdom front gates. But they're also
23:33unbelievably expensive. And yet, there
23:36are two Magic Kingdom area hotels hiding
23:38in the woods that don't have Montreal
23:40access, but will still keep you close to
23:42this fan- favorite park at a potentially
23:44cheaper rate. And those two hotels are
23:46Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge.
23:49Lots of wilderness going on here. There
23:50are two parts of Fort Wilderness to
23:52consider. The first is the campgrounds.
23:54You can rent a campsite and live in the
23:56great outdoors for around $100 to $200
23:59per night. And because you're still
24:01staying on Disney owned soil, literally.
24:03You can still get access to all those
24:05Disney World perks like early theme park
24:07entry and free transportation to and
24:09from the parks, but no extended evening
24:11hours for campsite guests. Oh, and by
24:14the way, in case you're worried about
24:15the bathroom situation here, fear not.
24:17Comfort stations with clean bathrooms
24:19and shower stalls are conveniently
24:21located throughout the campground. Now,
24:23the second wilderness option is the
24:25cabins. Do not be sleeping on these
24:28cabins. Instead, be sleeping in them
24:30because they're probably the best deal
24:32across Disney World property right now.
24:34Even though Fort Wilderness cabins were
24:36adopted by the Disney Vacation Club a
24:38couple years back, they continue to be
24:40one of the most affordable, spacious
24:42room options that'll still keep you
24:44close to Magic Kingdom. In fact,
24:46depending on when you visit, these
24:48cabins might be a better deal for your
24:49family than even Art of Animation's
24:51family suite will provide. Here, let me
24:53show you. A one-bedroom cabin at Fort
24:55Wilderness, which sleeps up to six
24:57guests, has a full kitchen and bunk beds
24:59for kiddos, and costs on average 550 to
25:02600 per night. Remember what I said
25:04about Art of Animation? Now, the average
25:06cost for a suite there is 6 to 700 per
25:09night. Yeah. So, potentially you can get
25:11a full cabin with a private deck and
25:14everything and a full kitchen, which the
25:15Art of Animation family suites don't
25:17have, that sleeps the same amount of
25:19guests as Art of Animation. And the big
25:21kicker, you'll not only be a boat ride
25:23away from the Magic Kingdom, but because
25:25the cabins are part of Disney Vacation
25:27Club, you also get extended evening
25:30hours because they're considered a
25:31deluxe resort. How is that for
25:34stretching your dollars? Meanwhile, over
25:36at Wilderness Lodge, standard rooms here
25:38are going to be a little pricier than
25:39Fort Wilderness's full-on cabins. It's
25:42going to be 600 to 800 per night cuz
25:44it's a more standard hotel, but you'll
25:46still only be a boat ride away from
25:48Magic Kingdom. And more often than not,
25:50you won't find these rooms to be as
25:51pricey as the standard rooms located
25:53directly on the Montreal line. Not only
25:55that, but when you stay in a Wilderness
25:57Lodge main building, it's going to be a
25:59whole lot easier for you to get around
26:00to the various activities and
26:02restaurants and other resort bus
26:03transportation than it will be to get
26:05around Fort Wilderness, which is like a
26:08giant campsite full of just winding
26:11pathways. So, that's the biggest
26:13downside to a stay at Fort Wilderness.
26:15It's a pretty spread out place with a
26:16confusing internal bus loop to navigate.
26:19So, you might need to pay extra to rent
26:20a golf cart just to help you getting
26:22around the site depending on where your
26:24campsite or cabin is located. Okay, any
26:27of these hotel values catch your
26:29attention? Let me know in the comments.
26:30And remember, we got plenty more Disney
26:32World hotel videos where this came from.
26:35So, check out one of our other resort
26:36focused videos next, like the best
26:38Disney World hotels for 2026 and which
26:41to avoid. And don't forget to pick up
26:43our free guide to every single Disney
26:45World hotel today over at
26:46disneyfoodblog.com/hot.
26:49Thanks for listening everyone and thanks
26:51for watching. I love talking hotels with
26:53you. As always, this is AJ for Disney
26:55Food Blog and we'll see you real soon.

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