Disney's Deluxe Resorts are the Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Polynesian Resort, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk Inn, Yacht Club Resort, Beach Club Resort, and Animal Kingdom Lodge. For the sake of consolidation, we'll also include the Villa Resorts in this post, which are part of Disney's timeshare program called the Disney Vacation Club. Villas offer larger accomodations that can include up to three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a full kitchen. These resorts are Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Boardwalk Villas, The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Beach Club Villas, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas (Jambo House or Kidani Village), Disney's Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. The latter three are resorts that are exclusively villas while the others are sort of extensions of Deluxe Resorts. All of these are Disney's highest priced resorts and you will find that they are highly themed and designed with luxury in mind. They boast extra amenities that range from prime locations (some are on the monorail line), fantastic pools (Yacht and Beach Club have a water park with a sandy-bottom pool and a tremendous slide), and two even have full-service spas.As in our previous posts on the Value Resorts and Moderate Resorts, I will not cover basic amenities and room sizes for you. The official Disney site will give you a basic overview, and then AllEars.net can give you the finer details. If you prefer print, the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the Passporter guide both have excellent resort overviews. Instead, let's once again look at the pros and cons of these resorts for families. Your "pro" may be my "con," so take them as the opinions they are and hopefully they will still help you decide if a Deluxe Resort is best for you.
Pros To Staying At A Deluxe Resort
- Location, Location, Location! - If you want a resort within walking distance of a park, it will be a Deluxe Resort. The Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary are all on the monorail providing easy access to both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The Contemporary (and Bay Lake Towers) are within a fairly easy walk to Magic Kingdom as well and all the monorail resorts have rooms with views of the Magic Kingdom. Boardwalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club are all an easy walk from World Showcase at Epcot. They are also a longer, but doable walk from Disney's Hollywood Studios and they have an active nightlife integrated into the area, including restaurants, nightclubs, and shops. The Animal Kingdom isn't so much close to the Animal Kingdom Park (although it's not far), but it also incorporates that park into it's theming, with wild animals literally strolling through your backyard.
- Room Size - These are the biggest rooms on property, and even in the standard room (as opposed to a Villa), you have ample space for storage, sleeping, and hanging out. They have balconies, which are often a lovely feature to have after the kids are asleep and you want to actually hold a conversation with your significant other.
Bed Size - Queen-size beds are standard in the Deluxe resorts (as opposed to double beds in the Value Resorts). There are also rooms with King beds if you have an infant in a Pack and Play or if you decide to leave the kids with grandma and take a grown-ups only trip.
- Refrigerators and Kitchen Facilities - Mini-fridges are standard in Deluxe Resorts. Villas that are one, two, or three-bedroom have full kitchens and a washer/dryer set, while studio villas have a microwave and mini-fridge only.
- Architecture - I wasn't sure what else to call this, but basically, these resorts are the top-of-the-line in the design and theming end. The lobby at Wilderness Lodge will take your breath away. The opulence of the Grand Floridian is stunning. And walking into the Polynesian is just like you've left the beautiful state of Florida and stepped right into Hawaii. If you are going to Disney World to lose yourself in the fantasy and forget about the real world, a Deluxe Resort is a perfect place for that. Mind you, to be fair, the Moderates and Values also have an "other-worldly" quality that provide fabulous escape as well.
- Amazing Pools - So amazing, in fact, that some of them are marketed as water parks, and not without reason. Slides, freestyle shapes, zero-entry, and other gimmicks make these places worth your time outside the parks. If you decide to stay in a Deluxe Resort, make a strong effort to set aside some time to enjoy the pools.
- Interior Entrances - The Deluxe Resorts are the only level of resort that has a main entrance with interior access to all rooms. This is, in my opinion, the safest way to go. Although the main doors are by no means completely secure, they are visible to staff at all times and there are no dark corners for potential criminals to lurk in.
- Food Choices - The Deluxe Resorts have some of the best dining options on property and offer all types of choices, from snacks to quick service to upscale dining. Although all properties afford some dining choices that will ensure you won't starve, the Deluxe resorts offer restaurants that are unique enough to draw people to them from all over the Walt Disney World property. In fact, if you decide that a Deluxe resort is not in your budget, I highly recommend eating at one or two of their restaurants. The food and service will be excellent, and you will get a chance to poke around the lobby and grounds of these luxurious resorts.
Cons To Staying At A Deluxe Resort
- Cost - Standard room rates for these resorts can start as low as $240 and go up from there. Way up. At Christmas, the regular rate for a room at the Polynesian can soar to just under $900 a night. Old Key West is generally considered the least expensive Villa Resort, and those rooms (standard rate) range from a Studio for $295 in the least expensive season to almost $1700 per night for a three-bedroom during the holiday. Of course, there are often discounts and other specials that could save you some money on these rates, but this at least gives you an idea of where to place them in cost.
- Formality - Although the grand architecture and luxurious setting may please your adult sensibilities, your children might really prefer the whimsy of the Value Resorts. They are far more playful in tone than the stately Grand Floridian, which may remind them more of Aunt Nancy's house where they aren't allowed to sit on the furniture or touch anything.
There are many who argue that there is nothing for small children at Epcot. This is a statement that I cannot agree with, but can't completely refute, either. This second installment of our Kid Scale feature is devoted to the front half of Epcot, called Future World. Yes, there are several things your kids can and will want to do here, but there are also a couple of attractions that I must caution strongly against. Fortunately, because Future World is so large and signage is actually sometimes a bit harder to notice, your kids might be easily steered around the less appropriate attractions without even being aware they are there.
technology Disney has put out in recent years, your child can interact with Crush from Finding Nemo. It is, by far, the most realistic and fun character meet I know of. If your child is well-spoken and brave enough, help him come up with a question for Crush. He will call on several kids during your visit and the Q&A with the children is probably the most memorable part of the attraction.
movie (think Disney Earth) with a really strong, preachy message. Not that it's a bad lesson to hear, but will your kids really absorb it? It is true that Timon, Pumba, and Simba are in it, but their appearance will probably not be enough to hold them.
All Ages – If you must go near Mission: SPACE® with youngsters (and you will need to if you have thrill-loving teens and adults in your party), the Advanced Training Lab will keep them busy and happy. It's the exit area of Mission: SPACE® and it includes a play area called Space Base for the smallest visitors plus lots of interactive areas for older kids and adults. Space Base has gerbil tubes and climbing nets similar to playgrounds found at fast food establishments around the country. The free play is great for recharging your engines. Parents can sit and supervise and kids can roam fairly freely.
because truly, anyone can ride it. However, there is a lot that will be missed by anyone under age 12 or so. It's possible many kids know Ellen from her daytime talk show. And they might even know Jamie Lee Curtis from the children's books she's written and possibly from Freaky Friday. Sadly, not many children know Bill Nye, a tragedy that I would certainly do something about if I could. However, Ellen and Bill's personalities will probably get your kids through it, and with the cool dinosaurs plus the quiet, slow, air-conditioned tram ride, it's a great resting ride. It is also cited as a ride on which moms like to breastfeed, should you need to do so, as the 40-minute ride takes you from the Big Bang through evolution and into modernish times. For your more skittish kids, the darkness, high volume and even the dinos may be too much for them. Oh, and be sure to take a potty break before the adventure begins.
Age three and up – This is a huge attraction. There are 14 different stations for you to explore. They range in age-appropriateness and with the variety, it's an attraction that will merit its own post in the future. It does change from time to time, so it's worth a walk through no matter what. A highlight for kids is The Great Piggy Bank Adventure, designed to expose your children to money management. We've seen someone as young as four enjoy this. Many of the attractions are meant for your whole family to play together. There are some louder attractions and simulators that will not be appropriate for the younger members of your party.
Walt Disney World offers up many top-quality restaurants for you to sample. With the advent of the Disney Dining Plan and Free Dining offers, more and more people are taking advantage of these renowned restaurants on their vacations when they might have normally opted for less-expensive meals. But just because these restaurants are more accessible than before doesn't mean your kids are completely ready and willing to experience them. With a little foresight and some consideration for others, you too can enjoy these grown-up meals with your whole family... and maybe even broaden your children's taste at the same time.
Disney's Moderate Resorts are Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Coronado Springs , and Caribbean Beach. These are priced in Disney's 
Outside Hallways - Just like the Value Resorts, Moderates have you enter rooms from exterior hallways. This feels less secure to me and I'm not wild about people passing by the window to my room constantly. With napping children, add the noise factor of that in.
When you go to Disney World as adults with no children, you don't often think about going back to the room in the middle of the day. Especially to do something crazy like... *gasp*... take a nap. Kids, however, will find a way to let you know that napping isn't only a good idea, it is sometimes imperative.
Some parents recognize the need to nap, but choose to allow kids to nap in the stroller instead of heading back. This works best for infants who are really able to lie back in a stroller and rest, and even then, it isn't ideal. Kids under two, especially infants under twelve months, often need more than one nap a day making it really difficult to get back to the room for those periods of time. You may plan to either stay around your resort until after morning nap, then take afternoon nap in the stroller, or reverse it, depending on your children and how they will best fare. We prefer to get to the park early to help beat the crowds and the heat of mid-day. Regardless, prepare for stroller naps by bringing shade for the stroller and maybe a favorite stuffed animal or blanket. Anything that will make baby more comfortable will help ensure as restful a nap as possible.
When planning a trip to Disney with a young one (or even a not-so-young one), it becomes apparent rather quickly that you will not be able to experience every attraction in one trip. So in choosing, it helps to know in advance which rides your child will be most interested in and conversely , which ones he or she will reject due to fears, smells, or other sensations. Many a child has been traumatized by riding something his parents expected to be innocuous or just “not that bad.”
I offered age suggestions based on developmental milestones, so you will want to adjust those to your own children’s development and special needs. We’ll also point out difficulties you might encounter or highlights that may be especially important to your individual tyke. Every six weeks or so, we’ll post another land or area in the Walt Disney World resort until we’ve covered them all. We’re starting with Fantasyland, as it is arguably the most popular land for parents with small children.
All ages – This is another ride where an infant can ride on your lap. But hold tight! That bouncy area Tigger takes you through is a bit more intense than your glider at home. This ride has it all: whimsy, catchy music, and those fabulous characters from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Ages eight and up – I know it seems odd to recommend a ride in Fantasyland be avoided until your children are around 8 or so, but this ride has some terribly scary moments, as the name of the ride indicates. It uses neon paint and black light to help add to the fear factor. The Wicked Witch pops out from behind trees and you seem to crash through walls. To an adult, or even an older child who has been immersed in today’s movies and video games, the effects seem primitive and almost laughable. But to a preschooler or young school-age child who still believes in magic and fairy tales, this ride is all too real. Save it for when he’s older.
In general, you can take a trip down to Disney with very little advanced planning. There are those who would argue that your experience is better with planning, and that may be true, but it CAN be done. Last-minute trips happen all the time and are quite successful. However, the main issue you will most likely run into with a last-minute or casually planned trip is dining. Specifically, I'm referring to Table Service meals where you sit down, order food from a waitperson, and leave a tip at the end of the experience. And it's worth it to experience at least one of these restaurants while you are there. Disney knows how to do food. Some restaurants are quite exquisite and even the worst of the lot are still a worthwhile experience.
Everyone wants to meet Mickey Mouse, right?!
The next step to easing children into meeting characters is to start with the "face" characters like Cinderella, Jasmine, Aladdin, Mary Poppins... these are characters that are in costume, but you can see their real, albeit heavily made-up, faces and they can speak to your child and interact at a more real level. (As a side note, neither the boys nor the men in my party have ever complained when dragged into a Princess Character meal. Not once. No idea why.)
Pushing your child into a photo with a character may not really bring about the result you are looking for. Tears and screaming don't make for pretty pictures. Incidentally, the characters will sign autographs for anyone who asks... you don't have to be a kid. So you can be the one to approach them for the first couple of times to see if your child warms up to the idea. It may also meet your goal of using that autograph book you made at home or the one you bought in the resort gift store when your child begged for it, insisting he really wanted Mickey to sign it for him.
Pop Century and the All-Star Resorts are members of the category of resorts Disney defines as "Value Resorts." These are the least expensive of the Disney Resorts and their standard room rate is just around $80-100 per night. However, many times of the year, these rooms are discounted quite nicely and can be found for between $60 and $70 per night. This is a fabulous price for a Disney room and the resorts should not disappoint you as far as atmosphere, cleanliness and service.
Each room has the essentials, including a small table and two chairs. Pack and Plays are available upon request. The space in the room is used to its maximum potential, and we've always had enough room to unpack and feel at home. So although you won't get the luxury and scenery of the Moderate and Deluxe resorts, you can still expect a clean, comfortable stay. You also get all the perks of being onsite at Disney, including Extra Magic Hours allowing you to enjoy the parks a bit longer and package delivery to your resort for any souvenirs you may purchase.
One of the most terrible mistakes you can make when planning a Disney vacation is talking up a ride to your young one... telling her how totally super-awesome it will be to ride Soarin', only to find when you get there that Suzie isn't tall enough to ride. Tragic. No, I mean it... I speak from experience. Biggest. Meltdown. Ever.
Dinosaur: Height minimum is 40 inches (102 cm). (This ride is too intense for some 30-somethings I know. The effects are realistic and alarming. Grown men have been known to need an underwear change. I'm just sayin'....) 
Disney takes the art of complicating your dining experience to a level you really cannot imagine if you are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants traveler. But to be fair, they also manage to cause even the most prepared planner a certain amount of stress. The key to Disney Dining as an experience is to sort of close your eyes and leap. The good news is... the food at Disney is generally good, with a few notable exceptions. The bad news is... it can be rather expensive and you may be a little frustrated with their pseudo-reservation system.
Counter Service - These restaurants are similar to fast food restaurants. You walk up to a cashier or, in some cases, a computer screen; place your order; and pay. Then you step up to another counter to collect your food on a tray and carry it off to a table to eat. In some of my favorite counter service restaurants, there is a fixin's bar along the way to add all sorts of tasty items to your burger or chicken sandwich.
For those of you in good shape (runners, athletes, body builders, etc.), a carrier can be fabulous. You don't have to deal with parking a stroller and avoiding taking out innocent bystanders who cut you off without any consideration to the fact that you are desperately trying to be a polite driver. Nor do you have to be the recipient of dirty looks from those same innocent bystanders as you remove their feet from the ankles with the wheels of your 
Rental strollers are also available, both in the parks and from outside vendors. The ones in the park are expensive and a little awkward. They also look like all the other rental strollers, making them easy to lose. I've heard several people say they would rather rent the strollers because they are sturdier (trust me... they tip just as easily as any other stroller... maybe even more so) and because they don't want to be bothered with them on the plane/in the car/etc. The car argument may be more valid, as they do take up precious cargo space driving to and from Florida, but once you are there... no problems. AND if they fold easily, they aren't a bother on planes either. At my airport, we get to skip ahead in the security line when we have the stroller because the machines are upstairs and we have to take the elevator rather than the escalator. It's practically a perk! Then you gate-check them (the strollers, not the kids)... ba-da-bing... ba-da-boom... done!
I find that double strollers (two seats or even one seat with one "stand/sit" platform) are too heavy to push around the park all day. Especially when they contain two 30+ lb. children. We tried our double stroller at the zoo when my son was 7 months and my daughter was 3 1/2 years. By the end of the day, my back was killing me and my hands had blisters. Granted, our zoo has more hills than WDW, but still... We also have friends with the same kind of stroller we have and they took it to Disney when we all traveled together. We found no advantages to having the double stroller there. Having two was just as easy or difficult, and the larger the stroller, the harder it is to transport in a folded position. Our double stroller was taller than me when folded, and I qualify for runway modeling (height-wise anyway).