Where to Stay at Walt Disney World
By Molly Arost Staub
When you wish upon a star, it may be to find a hotel that allows grandparents
to maximize their Walt Disney World experience when they travel there with
their grandchildren. Disney, in its inimitable way, has sprinkled fairy dust
throughout the grounds and developed 17 on-property resorts, offering a total
of 20,294 rooms and units. There's something for every taste and budget.
The obvious benefit of staying on-property is convenient access to the parks.
Park transportation by monorail, bus, and boat is free to hotel guests. If
you're driving and stay at a Disney hotel, you receive complimentary parking.
You also avoid having to pay daily parking charges at the parks -- as well
as the added traffic.
On-property guests enjoy other perks as well. They are permitted onto the
Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney-MGM grounds before other visitors on certain
days of the week. Golf-playing grandparents may reserve tee times in advance.
And children under age 18 stay free in the room with parents or grandparents
-- and most Disney luxury hotel rooms sleep five, in two queen-sized beds and
a sofa/day bed.
Choices for Easy Access
If you're traveling with little ones, and they or you have difficulty walking,
the Polynesian and Contemporary hotels are excellent options. You proceed
right from your hotel onto the monorail, which takes you directly into the
Magic Kingdom or permits transfers to other theme parks. This way, it's
especially easy to return to the room for an afternoon rest, as I've done with
my grandchildren, or to change clothes for dinner. Of course, buses always run
from all the Disney hostelries, but they take longer.
We recently chose the Polynesian, located near the Magic Kingdom area. It's
characterized by lush tropical plantings; the airy lobby immediately attracts
kids with its multi-hued parrots greeting guests. We could watch fireworks
from our balcony or at the resort's sand beach.
We loved the Polynesian's luau. The food's nothing to write home about, though
your youngsters will find enough to eat among the family-style servings. The
show, however, is fantastic. Naturally, there are pretty ladies doing hula
dances, but the fun really begins when kids are invited onstage to
participate. Even my three-year-old granddaughter Marti got right up there and
wiggled her hips with the best of them. Five-year-old Andrew was excited
watching the men who twirled and tossed their burning torches.
We indulged in the character breakfast, where Mickey Mouse is costumed in a
Hawaiian shirt. In general, I suggest trying at least one character breakfast
with your grandchildren. These technologically sophisticated kids -- even
three-year-olds who may spend hours on the computer -- are completely taken in
by the costumed performers, apparently thinking they're the real McCoy. If
you've got an autograph book, bring it along. (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World
for Kids has a section for autographs.) Andrew just thrilled at getting
signatures from Goofy, Mickey, Chip, and Dale; Pinocchio wrote, "Never tell a
lie!"
Each breakfast exudes its own flavor; at the Polynesian's 'Ohana, typically
American foods are served family-style. (Of course, waffles everywhere at WDW
are Mickey Mouse-shaped.) By contrast, the Grand Floridian's breakfast in 1900
Park Fare is a buffet, but quite an elegant one: made-to-order omelets,
elaborate breads and pastries including doughnut holes, and fresh fruit.
Other Options
Each hotel is at or near a specific theme park, so that may play a role in
your decision. You can find details, and a useful comparison chart, in the
Resorts section of Disney World's website.
Most elegant of all is the Grand Floridian (Magic Kingdom area) for romantic
teenage girls and those accustomed to lavish luxury. Its signature restaurant,
Victoria & Albert's, garnered the region's only AAA five-star rating.
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels (at the doorstep to Epcot area)
are not owned by Disney, but are within the park and have special arrangements
with Disney, so that guests receive most of the bonuses offered to guests at
the other Disney properties. These are not just for convention types; they
also offer oodles to families -- who are charmed by the fanciful water-themed
designs -- and to grandparents who wish to play golf. At the Dolphin Fountain,
many grandparents will wax nostalgic for the '50s as the jukebox plays in the
background. We loved the banana fo-fana split. For information, call (800)
227-1500 or go to http://www.swandolphin.com.
You can "walk the boards" from the Swan to the BoardWalk Inn (near the Epcot
area and Disney-MGM Studios). This boardwalk reproduction is really wood, or
close enough to fool us, with shops and eateries lined along one side, the
other side open to the water. (Even though it's a lake, I swear I heard
seagulls.) It's designed in a turn-of-the-20th-century style, and we weren't
around back then, even though our grandchildren sometimes think we've been on
earth since the Flood. Still, we love the BoardWalk because it reminds us of
childhood summers spent in Atlantic City in the '40s and '50s -- pre-gambling.
We missed seeing the real wicker rolling chairs, smelling the Planters Peanuts
store, and seeing the shows at Steel Pier. But you can still rent a bicycle
and ride on the boardwalk as we once did, and remind the young ones of that
wonderful era. Pre-adolescents and teens will think it's really neat having
breakfast pizza at Spoodles. Grownups may want to show their teens how to
really swing at Atlantic Dance!
When we've wanted a more moderate spot, our family has enjoyed the Caribbean
Beach (Epcot area), with a tropical-type beach, which offers comfortable
motel-style rooms and the same park advantages.
The Wilderness Lodge (Magic Kingdom area), built of logs and stone, reminds
many guests of the rustic yet luxurious hostelries in national parks such as
Yellowstone and Yosemite.
The All-Star Music, All-Star Movies, and All-Star Sports resorts (Animal
Kingdom area) are budget options with their own unique flavors.
Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground (Magic Kingdom area) is great for those
who like driving and staying in their own campers. You can also rent a cabin
in this woodsy campground.
We can't wait to try out Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge!
For reservations, call your travel agent or the Disney Travel planner at (407)
934-7639.
