Disney owns and operates 22 resorts, from bare-bones to ultra-chic. To help vacation planners, the entertainment behemoth labels its properties Value, Moderate, Deluxe or Home Away From Home (units with kitchens). Stay on campus and you can use the WDW transportation system (or park for free if you drive among the parks); enter some parks earlier than the off-campus rabble; charge everything to your room; and generally have an easier time booking activities and making restaurant reservations. Details: 407-939-6244, www.disney world.com.
In addition, seven chain-run resorts (www.downtowndisney hotels.com) sit near Downtown Disney; while they don't have the same flourishes, you can use the Disney buses to get around. Here's how the hotels break down, and what you can expect.
-- John Deiner
RESORT | Value
Rates from $77 a night double.
BEST FOR . . .
Cheapskates who want on-campus perks but don't care about thread count and deluxe dining.
HOTELS
Pop Century, All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Disney's bargain-basement rooms are small and bland, with few amenities (e.g., no hair dryers) and cheap linens. Properties have uninspired pools and crowded food courts instead of restaurants. Giant sculpted icons like Big Wheels and a "101 Dalmatians" pup try (with only partial success) to zip things up.
RESORT | Moderate
Rates from $134 a night double.
BEST FOR . . .
Families and couples willing to splurge a bit for lodging with a lot of nice touches, inside and out.
HOTELS
