Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts 101 Part 2

Welcome to part two of our series on the deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World! There are so many deluxe resorts that we decided to do more than one episode so we can properly cover them all! If you missed the first post you can find that here! The deluxe resorts are the highest tier of resort options at Walt Disney World that offer a truly high end, luxury experience but with the same Disney magic you expect at any Walt Disney World Resort hotel!

We get asked a lot of questions about the deluxe resorts from are they really worth the price to which one is our favorite and why? There are eleven deluxe level resorts and villas on Disney World property but today we are chatting about the seven remaining deluxe resorts we didn’t discuss in part one!

All About Deluxe Resorts:

There are seven deluxe resorts we’ll be discussing today:

*The lobby at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.*

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney’s Boardwalk Resort
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Riviera Resort
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

The deluxe resorts is the top level of resorts at Walt Disney World and they do come with a large price jump from the moderate level. But there are also some amenities and things that you get from a deluxe resort that you cannot find anywhere else. Generally these resorts have a smaller footprint than the moderate or value resorts so it’s easier to get around your resort and most of them have interior hallways rather than outdoor room access (though there are some exceptions that we’ll discuss).

Deluxe rooms are anywhere from 350-450 square feet while a moderate is about 330 square feet and a value room is about 260 square feet. These resorts also boast more restaurants then their moderate and value counterparts as well as higher quality restaurants. They also have amazing pool areas and generally the location of a deluxe resort is closer in proximity to a park or transportation option (with a few exceptions).

All of the deluxe resorts also offer Movies Under The Stars, campfires, either a jogging trail or fitness center (more on that below) and most of them offer arcades as well. Each resort also has hot tubs and waterslides in their pool areas, similar to the moderate resorts!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

This resort is so unique! Listen, there is nothing like waking up and seeing a giraffe outside your window! This resort is a 43 acre wildlife preserve with 30 species and indigenous African trees and shrubs. And this lobby at Jambo House (the main building) is so grand! Lots of dark wood, so many beautiful details thoughout! It truly is one of the most incredibly themed resorts on property.

*Overlooking the savannah at Animal Kingdom Lodge lobby.*

There is also a lot to do, you can venture out to the savannah area and there are usually guides out there telling you about what you’re seeing in regards to animals, plants etc. And you don’t have to be staying there to see those things but definitely make sure you take time to explore the resort if you are staying there of course! If you are staying there we highly recommend a savannah view room BUT they are quite expensive so don’t stress if it’s out of budget. There are plenty of viewing areas for you to see throughout the resort and you will still get an incredible experience no matter what view you have.

There are two areas of this resort, Jambo House and Kidani Village. Jambo House is the main area of the resort and where you’ll find the main lobby, plenty of dining, live music and more. Kidani Village is the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) area and is similar but a bit smaller and more intimate. You can still book rooms in this part of the resort as well even if you’re not a DVC member. Animal Kingdom lodge offers rooms from standard occupancy to studio suites and 1, 2 and 3 bedroom villas so there is sure to be something to suite your parties needs!

Dining at this resort is some of our absolute favorite at Walt Disney World! Boma is located in the Jambo House lobby and offers a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast is out of this world, we’ve eaten there multiple times and every time is amazing. There are plenty of American style dishes that you may be used to but also tons of amazing African dishes that you may not have heard of yet! Jiko is a table service restaurant that has some of the best food we’ve ever had! It’s a higher priced restaurant but if you are wanting to splurge for a special occasion this a great place to do it. Sanaa is located in Kidani Village and offers two different dining experiences: the Kuamsha Breakfast, a casual quick-service offering that does not require reservations and a table service option for lunch and dinner where reservations are recommended. This restaurant is known for its bread service and the food here is East African inspired and incorporates Indian flavors as well. You can also find The Mara, a grab and go option; the Capetown Lounge and Bar; Victoria Falls Lounge; the Uzima Springs pool bar and the Maji pool bar for even more dining and beverage choices.

There are two incredibly themed pools at this resort. The Uzima Springs Pool is an 11,000-square-foot tropical oasis facing Uzima Savanna and features a 67 foot long waterslide! The Samawati Springs Pool is a 4,700 square foot pool with zero depth entry and an incredible 128 foot long waterslide! There is also Uwanja Camp nearby which is a water playground area for kiddos to enjoy!

This resort offers tons of amenities including Movies Under the Stars, campfire activities, a playground, arcade, fitness center and even a painting class! (note, the painting class is an additional fee)

The one downside to this property for us is that there’s only one form of Disney transportation - the busses. Something to keep in mind is that there are two areas of this resort, Kidani Village and Jambo House, and the busses do stop at both so they can get crowded quickly.

Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resorts

These resorts are two distinct resorts but often times get lumped together due to their incredibly close proximity and complimentary theming! Now, despite the fact that we have stayed many times at Walt Disney World we have never stayed at the Beach Club or the Yacht Club. This is our number one dream resort to stay at but it has never been available when we want to stay

*Exterior of Disney’s Beach Club Resort.*

We have however spent a lot of time hanging out there and it’s one of our favorite resorts to spend time at! In Tyler’s words the biggest difference between these resorts is “it’s casual elegance at the Beach Club but elegant elegance at the Yacht Club” and honestly it’s so true! They’re both high end resorts but of course they are Disney resorts so there is a laid back element to them. The theming of both is designed to be New England coastal style and is located in the BoardWalk area. It’s very close to Epcot and considered to be walking distance to Hollywood Studios.

Rooms at the Beach Club Resort range from standard occupancy to deluxe studios, 1 and 2 bedroom villas as well as the option for club level rooms. The Yacht Club offers standard occupancy to a 2 bedroom suite and club level access but no villas. These properties are undergoing a refurbishment (at the time of this writing) and the theming reflects the coastal New England vibes with fresh, clean decor throughout.

Dining at these two resorts are amazing both when it comes to food and atmosphere! At Beach Club you can enjoy Cape May Cafe, a table service character dining experience; Beaches and Cream Soda Shop (home of the infamous Kitchen Sink Sundae!); the Beach Club Marketplace, a grab and go option; Hurricane Hannah’s Waterside Bar and Grill, a pool bar and grill; and Martha’s Vineyard Lounge! At Yacht Club you can find The Market at Ale & Compass, a quick service serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; Ale & Compass Restaurant, a table service option; Ale & Compass Lounge, Crews Cup Lounge and Yachtsman Steakhouse, a high end table service restaurant that does have a high price tag but an incredible reputation!

*Newly renovated lobby at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.*

The pool area at this resort is WILD! This is one of the coolest pools on property! The two resorts share Stormalong Bay, a 3 acre water park area with sand bottom pool, 230 foot waterslide, lazy river and oh did we mention…a LIFE SIZE SHIPWRECK! There is really something amazing for everyone here! Of course if you are wanting to relax in a more low key way both resorts do also have leisure pools in a different location: Admiral Pool at Yacht Club, Tidal Pool at Beach Club and Dunes Cove at the Beach Club Villas.

This resort offers tons of amenities including Movies Under the Stars, campfire activities, a playground, arcade, fitness center, sports courts, jogging trail and more!

This property does have bus transportation, is close enough to Epcot and Hollywood Studios that you could walk right to those parks or venture to Epcot to board the Skyliner AND there are also boats available to take you to Epcot and Hollywood Studios as well.

Disney’s BoardWalk Resort

This resort is inspired by turn of the century boardwalk, seaside towns like Atlantic City. One thing to keep in mind is that the sundries shop, some dining and other shops that you may find inside the main building at other Disney resorts are actually accessed from out on the boardwalk itself.

*The BoardWalk area at Walt Disney World.*

Rooms at the BoardWalk Resort range from standard occupancy to deluxe studios, 1 bedroom villas as well as the option for club level rooms. The decor throughout this resort is of course inspired by the old boardwalk seaside hotels and you’ll find that turn of the century charm throughout the entire property with details like pastel tones, striped wallpaper and classic woodwork!

There are SO many dining options at this resort and surrounding BoardWalk area! Flying Fish is a table service signature dining experience; Trattoria Al Forno is an Italian restaurant with Tyler’s all time favorite dish, the breakfast pizza; Big River Grille and Brewing Works, a family friendly microbrewery open for lunch and dinner; JellyRolls can be found in the BoardWalk area as well with duelling pianos (21+ venue); Atlantic Dance Hall where you can actually go dancing on select nights; BoardWalk Deli with a variety of to go choices; BoardWalk Ice Cream; the Pizza Window, where you can walk up and grab a slice; BoardWalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas; the Funnel Cake Cart; Carousel Coffee in the hotel lobby; plus Belle Vue Lounge, AbracadaBar and Leaping Horse Libations pool bar for drinks!

The Luna Park pool is the main pool at this resort and some of you may be familiar with the giant clown face that used to be part of this area…luckily that is gone now and replaced by something a little less terrifying! This pool is themed after a 1920’s amusement park and features a 200 foot waterslide and some very cool elephant statues around the pool area! If you’re wanting a quieter option there are also two leisure pools on site as well!

This resort offers tons of amenities including Movies Under the Stars, campfire activities, a playground, arcade, fitness center, sports courts, surrey bike rentals and more!

This property does have bus transportation, and just like Beach and Yacht Club, is close enough to Epcot and Hollywood Studios that you could walk right to those parks or venture to Epcot to board the Skyliner AND there are also boats available to take you to Epcot and Hollywood Studios as well.

Disney’s Old Key West Resort

This resort is inspired by the romace of the Florida Keys with plenty of pastel tones, white trimmed buildings and waterways throughout the resort community of Conch Flats! We will say…some parts of this resort feel a bit dated but it’s hard to tell if it’s actually dated or is it just really on theme for the actual Florida Keys?

This resort is different than any we’ve talked about so far because there are no standard occupany rooms! This resort offers deluxe studios, 1 and 2 bedroom villas and a 3 bedroom grand villa! These rooms offer home like amenities such a kitchenette in the deluxe studio and full kitchen, washer/dryer, seperate bedrooms and spacious living areas in the 1, 2 and 3 bedroom villas!

There aren’t a ton of dining options here but the ones that are here are delicious! Olivia’s Cafe is a relaxed eatery open for brunch and dinner and the fried chicken here has a major cult following among Disney fans; Good’s Food to Go has plenty of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Turtle Shack Poolside Snacks offers poolside snacks and drinks (as the name suggests!); and Gurgling Suitcase is a Key West style bar with fun drinks and food from Olivia’s Cafe!

The main pool here is the Sandcastle Pool which features a 125 foot long waterslide that goes THROUGH a giant sandcastle, decorative dolphins and a lighthouse! There are also three leisure pools throughout the property if you’d like a more relaxing swim!

This resort offers tons of amenities including Movies Under the Stars, campfire activities, three playgrounds, arcade, fitness center, sports courts, surrey bike rentals, the community hall with activities and more!

The transportation here is mostly busses but there is a boat to Disney Springs that also goes to Saratoga Springs!

Disney’s Riviera Resort

When this resort opened, Tyler did not like it! It didn’t feel like a fully themed resort upon first impression but the more we explored and then finally stayed there…we loved it, LOVED it! The theming of this resort is European inspired, of course by the Rivieria and the Mediterranean areas. It’s very classic, elegant and unlike some of the other resorts it’s not sprawled out over a large footprint. Everything is relatively close and easy to get to which is great!

Like Old Key West, you won’t find standard occupancy rooms here. Instead there are room types ranging from studios, deluxe studios and 1, 2 and 3 bedroom villas. They are absolutely beautiful rooms with classic decor, elegant color palettes and of course Disney touches throughout. And truly, any room you stay in has a great view whether you’re facing the water or not.

*The view from Toppolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort.*

There aren’t a ton of restaurants here but the ones that are really do knock it out of the park. Primo Piatto is the quick service and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is one of our favorite quick service options on property; Le Petit Cafe is the coffee shop that serves up great coffee and pastries; Bar Riva is a beautiful bar near the pool area; and on the roof is Toppolino’s Terrace, serving breakfast and dinner. The breakfast at Toppolino’s Terrace is a character dining experience and is one of our favorites to do! It’s important to note that the dinner service is a fine dining experience where a dress code is required and characters will not appear.

The main pool at this resort is the Riviera Pool with plenty of beach chairs available, a waterslide and a water splash pad area with characters from Fantasia for little ones! If you want a quieter swimming experience you can visit Beau Soleil Pool. There are also plenty of outdoor games to play in the courtyard, or simply enjoy sitting out in the grassy areas overlooking the lake!

This resort offers Movies Under the Stars, campfire activities, fitness center and a craft room where you can find activities for kiddos (some with an additional fee.)

This resort is a Skyliner Resort which means you can hop on board the gondola right from your resort and head to Epcot or Hollywood Studios! There are busses available for transportation to all other parks and areas of Walt Disney World.

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

This resort is inspired by the historic Saratoga Springs, an 1800s’ New York retreat famous for its spas and horse races! You’ll find Victorian inspired architecture and decor throughout the resort and of course plenty of nods to the equestrian history of Saratoga Springs. This is a HUGE resort, so be sure to keep that in mind when booking. If part of your reasoning for staying here is the proximity to Disney Springs be sure to request a room in one of the areas closest to the walkway that leads there otherwise you may find yourself on quite a trek!

Like Key West and The Riviera Resort, there are no standard occupany rooms here! This resort offers deluxe studios, 1 and 2 bedroom villas and a 3 bedroom grand villa! These rooms offer home like amenities such a kitchenette in the deluxe studio and full kitchen, washer/dryer, seperate bedrooms and spacious living areas in the 1, 2 and 3 bedroom villas! There are also some very unique villas here called the Treehouse Villas which are, you guessed it - tree houses! Such a cool way to stay at Disney!

Guests can enjoy The Artist’s Palette, a quick service offering breakfast, lunch and dinner; The Paddock Grill, another quick service offering breakfast, lunch and dinner near the pool; The Turf Club Bar and Grill, a table service serving dinner; plus The Backstretch Pool Bar, On The Rocks Pool Bar and The Turf Club Lounge for drinks! Plus there are TONS of dining options close by at Disney Springs!

There are FIVE pools at this resort! The two main pools are The Paddock Pool featuring a 146 long foot waterslide and kiddos swim area with two smaller slides; and the High Rock Spring Pool featuring a 128 foot long waterslide built right into the rocks! There are also three quiet, leisure pools throughout the resort for guests to enjoy a calmer pool experience.

This resort offers tons of amenities including Movies Under the Stars, campfire activities, playground, arcade, fitness center, sports courts, surrey bike rentals, the community hall with activities, jogging trails and more! Plus this resort is next to the Buena Vista Golf Course which is perfect for those who are ready to hit the links!

The transportation here is mostly busses but there is a water taxi available to take guests to Disney Springs.

Questions from the Citizens of Disneyville!

We asked y’all over on our Instagram what questions you guys had about the deluxe resorts and you gave us some good ones!

Q: Does transportation help you decide where to stay?
A: Yes! It’s a big deal no matter what but especially if you have strollers or wheelchairs to consider as well.

Q: We’re staying at Old Key West for an 11 person family trip! How is the resort for kids?
A: We haven’t stayed there specifically BUT we say no matter what resort you’re staying at make sure to ask the front desk for additional activities for kids like scavenger hunts, the campfires etc

Q: Which would you splurge on for a couple?
A: Any of the resorts near the boardwalk area because there are so many 21+ places to go in the evenings like Jellyrolls, AbracadaBar etc!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram to participate in polls, questions and more fun things that may show up in a future podcast episode and/or blog post!

Want to listen to the podcast version of this blog post? Or maybe watch the video? Click one of the options below!