Mickey Chick's Top 5 Favorite Walt Disney World Resorts

     Choosing the right Walt Disney World Resort can be a difficult decision. Did you know that there are 25 Resorts of varying levels and amenities, with an array of accommodation options within those choices? It can be overwhelming to try to take all of that into consideration, so I thought I would break down my favorites - like potato chips, you can't have just one- and the reasons why.

5. Pop Century Resort 

If I'm looking for a quick, budget-conscious stay, I like Pop Century. Considered one of Disney's Value Resorts, Pop offers basic accommodations for up to four guests per room. The resort consists of 10 large outer-buildings with exterior entryways - so, more like a motel than a hotel - and depending on which building you are assigned, the trek to the main building for coffee in the morning can sure add those steps to your fitness tracker! 

Featuring similar accommodations, amenities, and whimsical oversized Disney character statues, but at a slightly higher price-point, Pop, in the Epcot resort area (even though the DME tags say AK ares), is a bit closer to the action than the All-Stars. While there is no table service dining here, the food court offers a wide selection of meal and snack options, as well as spontaneous cast-member flash mob dances.  Pop also offers 100% dedicated bus service. However, due to the sheer size of the resort, this can mean MTA rush-hour conditions with lack of seating, or needing to wait for a second, or third, vehicle to arrive in the mornings or at park closings. The buildings are spread out a bit more, but if you want to take this as an opportunity to get those steps in, the walking path takes you on a stroll through time with its signs offering bits of history and trivia along the way. This trail takes you partway around Hourglass Lake, where you can have a peek at sister resort, Art of Animation. Beginning September 29th, 2019, guests at these two resorts will also have the Disney Skyliner as an additional transportation option to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

4.  Port Orleans French Quarter 

This is another resort with exterior passageways. While its affiliated resort, Port Orleans Riverside, boasts an expansively spread out but beautifully landscaped environment, French Quarter is a compact alternative for those seeking moderate accommodations that do not require an internal bus system to get from their room to the main pool or dining facilities. The resort features a modest main pool with a water slide, a festive food court with delightful Mickey shaped beignets for breakfast, and a unique Jazz club. In room amenities include a coffee maker and a small fridge. Although transportation to the parks is limited to buses - that are sometimes shared with Port Orleans Riverside - if we want a bit more quiet, less walking, daily housekeeping, and access to Disney Springs, French Quarter fits the bill. 

3.  Disney's Yacht Club Resort  

It's no secret that I prefer Disney's deluxe resorts. Although these are well-known to boast more spacious rooms welcoming families of up to five guests, we have the luxury of having a smaller family so the generous size seems even more vast. Having a smaller traveling party also affords us the ability to dedicate more of our budget to our lodgings. Being DVC, one would think that Beach Club would be tops on the list where the popular Boardwalk area resorts are concerned, but we prefer this hidden gem to its counterpart. First, we love the proximity to Epcot's International Gateway. A short walk after an afternoon break at Stormalong Bay - the expansive Yacht and Beach Club pool complex - puts us at the park's back door, where a world of epicurean adventures await. 

If we'd like to take a stroll after dinner, Disney's Boardwalk offers a quaint nightlife with street performers, shopping kiosks, an array of sweets, beverages, and snack options, as well as the expansive ESPN Sports Club, the Dance Hall and a dueling piano bar for night-time adult fun. If we're not up for walking, a serene ride on a Friendship Boat can take us to any of the resorts on Crescent Lake as well as  Disney's Hollywood Studios or Epcot. 

So why not stay at the Boardwalk Inn? Simply put, we prefer the more compact, laid-back, and sophisticated atmosphere at the Yacht Club. The resort is a bit more refined, and houses fewer guests than the bustling Boardwalk. With it's larger

DVC options, Beach Club is a favorite for families looking to enjoy the energetic waterpark-esque feature-pool area, while we appreciate the more peaceful pace of the Yacht Club. So, for location, amenities, and accommodations, Yacht Club is tops on my list. However, all magic comes at a price and rack rates at this resort can be formidable. 

2.  Disney's Old Key West 

Perhaps I'm a bit biased because we're DVC and it's our home resort, but I sure do love this one. While I found the internal bus system at the moderate resorts inconvenient, I actually don't mind them at Old Key West. Perhaps it's that neighborhood feel, or the opportunity to see the spectacularly manicured golf course, or just the feeling of being "home." And even though they're considered Disney Deluxe Villas, accommodations are accessed through exterior entranceways. When we go to Old Key West, we tend to spend a bit more time appreciating the hometown feel. Whether it's taking a family walk, visiting the table service restaurant, or stopping by the shop to pick up more coffee filters for our villa,  there's a laid-back atmosphere here that allows us to breathe a bit more. We're a small family and I hate to cook, so we usually just stay in one of their extremely spacious studios which offer a kitchenette with a sink, coffeemaker, microwave, toaster, and a small fridge. We're pretty neat, so the lack of daily housekeeping doesn't bother us, plus it just makes it feel more "homey." Our stays here are generally more impromptu, with very little - if any -  pre-planning at all. Many times, we decide which park we'll go to when we see the bus coming. 

1. Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and Villas

My favorite resort is another Deluxe accommodation. Over the years, we've stayed in differing levels at "the Poly",  from Club Level to Villa. But no matter which, the atmosphere, amenities, transportation, and location cannot be beat. As one of the original three resorts on property, having been envisioned by Walt himself, the Polynesian boasts some of the largest rooms on property. In fact, the DVC studios even have TWO bathrooms, providing a shower and sink area for multiple family members to get ready to hit the parks at the same time. 

We never skip out on breakfast with Stitch at the popular, 'Ohana restaurant before boarding the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Or, we might choose a leisurely stroll to the Ticket and Transportation Center to get us to the Epcot monorail. A (shared) bus ride to Disney's Hollywood Studios or Disney's Animal Kingdom can be accessed just steps from main building. This iconic structure, known as The Great Ceremonial House is exquisitely detailed, immediately transporting you to the South Pacific within seconds of stepping inside. At check-in, guests are greeted with leis and hearty "ALOOOOO-HA!" Following the meandering paths to or from your island destination (each of the buildings is named for one of the Polynesian isles), past the volcano pool, or along the shoreline with vistas of over-the-water bungalows with a glimmering castle peeking up from a distant horizon, offers a captivatingly serene escape from the hustle and bustle of the most popular family vacation destination in the world. Disney's Polynesian Resort is truly an oasis. 

When you're ready to experience one of the 25 Walt Disney World Resorts, be sure to contact Second Star Travel and make your vacation dreams into reality.