Walt Disney World hotels

Every on-site hotel at Walt Disney World falls into one of four tiers. Value resorts are the cheapest, with the biggest, boldest theming, food courts rather than sit-down restaurants and buses to every park. Moderate resorts cost more and add table-service dining, themed pools and a bit more space, with some reached by boat or the Skyliner gondola as well as by bus. Deluxe resorts are the most expensive, closest to the parks and the only ones on the monorail or within walking distance of a park, with full restaurants and the largest standard rooms. Deluxe Villa resorts, sold through Disney Vacation Club but bookable by anyone, add a kitchen, laundry and living space for families who want to self-cater.

For a family with young children, the tier mostly decides your budget, how you get to the parks and whether you have a kitchen. Every on-site guest gets the same 30-minute early entry into the parks, so a Value resort buys the same head start as a Deluxe one. The trade-off is space, dining and travel time: a Deluxe or monorail resort shortens the journey home for a midday nap, while a Value resort leaves more of the budget for the rest of the trip. Which of those matters more is the call each family makes for itself.