Finding and booking a hotel room room in Walt Disney World is simple, especially if you book the room well in advance and pay attention to peak and value seasons. A little research will go a long way toward helping you find specials and discounts that will save you money. Even if it's your first time visiting Walt Disney World, there are plenty of tips you can follow to help you book a resort room like a seasoned pro.
Choose a Resort
Visit the Walt Disney World website or the AllEars web page (see Resources) and research the Disney resorts. Resorts are available in three budget levels: value, moderate and deluxe. For those who want a lot of amenities, such as a fitness center, Disney also has villas located at Disney's Boardwalk Resort and Wilderness Lodge that offer these services.
Check the room images, guest ratings, resort amenities and restaurants. Each resort on Disney property is tailored to a specific theme. For example, Wilderness Lodge has a rustic, woodsy feel; Animal Kingdom Lodge has an African safari theme, and Saratoga Springs is reminiscent of Martha's Vineyard. With research, you can find a resort that will meet your family's needs.
Research the Disney Seasons
When planning a Disney World vacation, consider the Disney seasons, which may affect room availability or resort peacefulness. For example, April through May is class field trip time, so the budget resorts will be filled with teens and preteens, making the moderate and deluxe resorts a better option when it comes to peacefulness. Mid-June through August is the summer peak season, making room availability limited. The holiday season also sees a spike in booked rooms. Non-peak seasons--January through March, the first and second week of June, and September through the first half of November--see more rooms available, but early booking is encouraged.
Book the Resort
To ensure a room at a given resort, it is best to make reservations six months to a year in advance. Book early so you know you have a room at your chosen resort, which makes the rest of your vacation planning less burdensome. When you book your room this far in advance, you have the "pick of the litter," meaning that you can request courtyard, poolside or interior rooms. Courtyard and poolside suites are the rooms that are usually booked first.
As of 2008, the rooms in Disney hotels are smoke-free, so you don't need to ask for a non-smoking room. However, there are outdoor smoking zones located at each resort hotel.
Contact a Disney resort representative or your travel agent to book your resort. If you book your room late--say three months or less before your trip--you run the risk of not getting the room you want, or a room at your chosen resort.
Special Deals
When booking your room, check the Disney website for special resort packages and deals. You may be able to save some money. If you sign up for the Disney Vacation Club (see Resources), periodically throughout the year, you may receive coupons for resort discounts, but this is not always the case.
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