The are an overwhelming number of lodging choices to consider when you are planning your Disney vacation. Having visited Disney World multiple times, my advice is for you to stay at one of the Disney Value Resorts. There are several reasons whey the Value Resorts are a great choice. First of all, they are cheap and comfortable. With taxes, our original room rate was slightly less than one hundred dollars per night (during value season). Believe me when I tell you that this is a good deal for the Orlando area. However, a few months before we left, Disney temporally cut the price of lodging at certain value resorts to 56 dollars a night plus tax. We simply changed our reservation to the new resort, and saved a bundle. The point is that even after you book your room, you should check periodically to see if you can get a better rate. Disney value resorts also have heated pools and laundry facilities.
Second, you can save money on transportation by staying at a Disney Value Resort. The Disney bus system runs often, has courteous drivers, and is free to Disney Resort guests. Of course, if you want to see non-Disney sights you will have to arrange alternate transportation. If you are on a tight budget, however, you have a very full vacation just by visiting the theme parks and Downtown Disney. If you plan on only visiting the theme parks and Downtown Disney, you can skip the car and rely on the bus transportation.
Third, guests of Disney Resorts, including the value resorts, get extra benefits. By far the greatest of these benefits is Disney Extra Magic Hours. Extra Magic Hours are times when only Disney Resort Guests may attend the theme parks. Extra Magic Hours rotate from park to park. Our family used these hours to get on rides that were too crowded during the day and to watch fireworks and light shows that go on during the evening at several parks. The nighttime experience at Disney is wonderful.
If you do have some extra money, it is worth it to pay a bit extra (10 dollars a day during our trip) to stay in one of the preferred rooms at the Value Resorts. These rooms are closer to the main building, which provides several advantages. First, you can purchase a cup in the cafeteria and refill it for free with soda, tea or coffee during the rest of your vacation. However, you can only refill the cup in the food court of your resort. If you stay in a standard room, you could walk for 15 minutes to refill your cup. In a preferred room, you don’t have to walk nearly as far for your refill. Second, the preferred rooms are closer to the laundry facilities. If you plan to do laundry during your trip, this is a huge advantage. Third, you will be dead tired when you get back from the theme parks each day. It takes much less time to get back to your room when you stay in a preferred room. Finally, the preferred rooms are closer to the pool, which we found nice. If you want or need to save the money, it is definitely not the end of the world.