Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [27]
− Since you’re pretty far out of the Disney loop, expect a longer commute time via bus to any of the major parks.
− At 65 acres, Saratoga Springs is so spread out that you might find yourself in a room far from the food court and main pool. Request to be as close as possible to the main building when you make your reservation.
Overall Grade: Roomy and close to Downtown Disney. The trouble is it’s not particularly close to anything else.
Animal Kingdom Hotels
These hotels are in a surprisingly central location vis-à-vis the four theme parks and Downtown Disney.
All-Star Sports,
All-Star Music,
and All-Star Movies Resorts
407/939–5000,
407/939–6000,
and 407/939–7000
Map location 9, 8, & 7
The All-Star resorts have built such a loyal following that, despite having about 6,000 rooms, they fill up quickly. There are three reasons for this success—price, price, and price.
All-Star Sports has five sections, each decorated with a tennis, football, surfing, basketball, or baseball theme. At All-Star Music, you can choose between jazz, rock and roll, country, calypso, and Broadway tunes. All-Star Movies offers The Love Bug, Toy Story, Fantasia, 101 Dalmatians, and The Mighty Ducks.
Helpful Hint
If you don’t care which All-Star Resort section you’re in, request a room near the lobby when you book. It’s a little more expensive, but this can save you lots of walking each time you leave your room to catch a bus or eat a meal.
The in-your-face graphics of the brightly colored buildings and the resort’s general zaniness appeal to kids. There are giant tennis-ball cans and cowboy boots, a walk-through jukebox, and footballs the size of houses. At the diamond-shaped baseball pool at All-Star Sports, you’ll find Goofy as pitcher; Mickey conducts sprays of water in the Fantasia pool of All-Star Movies; and show tunes play all day under the marquee in the Broadway district of All-Star Music. It may be budget, but it ain’t boring.
Proximity to the Magic Kingdom:
Fair, via bus
Proximity to Epcot:
Fair, via bus
Proximity to Hollywood:
Fair, via bus
Proximity to the Animal Kingdom:
Good, via a short bus ride
Time-Saving Tip
The All-Star Resorts are enormous and check-in time is a madhouse. If you arrive before 3 PM, try to check in early. If your room isn’t available, you can store your bags and return later, when you’ll only have to wait in the shorter, swifter-moving “key pickup” line.
Insider’s Secret
If your child adores 101 Dalmatians or is a big football buff, you can indeed ask to be lodged in that section of the All-Star Resorts when you make your reservation. Disney won’t guarantee you’ll get your request, but they’ll try.
Pluses
+ In a word, cost. Rooms start at $82.
+ The 214 suites at All-Star Music are, along with those at the Art of Animation Resort, among the most affordable on-site suite options. Units that sleep six cost as little as $184 a night.
+ All the All-Stars have special rooms for people with disabilities. For $109 a night, you can have a slightly larger ground-floor suite with roll-in showers.
+ The free shuttle buses are a good transportation option, considering the price. When you get into this price range at off-site hotels, you often have to pay for a shuttle.
Minuses
− Food options are limited to fast-food courts and pool bars only, with no restaurants or indoor bars.
− Sports options are limited; swimming is it.
− The rooms are very small. They sleep four, but you’ll be bunched.
− Long check-in lines.
− By breaking each resort into five separate sections, Disney is striving to eliminate that sleeping-in-the-middle-of-Penn-Station feel. But the bottom line is, it takes more effort to get around a huge hotel than a small one.
Overall Grade: Lots of bang for the buck here. Just don’t expect too many amenities.
Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas
407/938–3000
Map location 6
Step inside the massive lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge and you’ll be transported … outdoors. From the