Hiya Karen!Welcome to planDisney! It can be an exciting and overwhelming experience to plan your first trip to Walt Disney World and I am glad you came here for help. Guests from New Zealand have to purchase their tickets and resort reservation package from a Travel Agent. I would get that arranged as soon as possible as Resort availability decreases closer to your arrival date. There are so many amazing Resorts to pick from when staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. Walt Disney World Resort Hotels are broken up into these categories: Deluxe Villas- These are resorts created for Disney Vacation Club members that regular guests can also reserve. They have studios which are like regular hotel rooms plus one, two, and even three-bedroom options. These rooms have at minimum a kitchenette for the studios and then full kitchens with laundry machines for the larger rooms. Examples of these resorts are Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort which is within walking distance to Magic Kingdom Park and Disney's Beach Club Villas which is right next to EPCOT. Deluxe Resort Hotels- These resorts have large standard hotel-style rooms and tend to be located in Resorts that have various dining options or transportation benefits. For example, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is located on the Monorail line and currently has four open table-service restaurants plus quick-service options and a poolside bar! Moderate Resort Hotels- These are lovely accommodations but at a lower price than the two previous resort types. These Resorts have a few food choices including at least one table-service option. My favorite options are Disney's Port Orleans Resort- French Quarter due to its smaller size and Mickey beignets and Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort due to its pool and access to the Disney Skyliner. Value Resort Hotels- The best value with regular hotel room styles with food court-style dining options. The most interesting option out of all of the Value Resort Hotels is Disney's Art of Animation Resort which has family suites that can sleep six adults and have two bathrooms plus a little kitchenette. Both Disney's Art of Animation Resort and Disney's Pop Century Resort have access to the Disney Skyliner which makes them very desirable due to the transportation options. If you are a family who likes to change it up and are willing to travel the Park Hopper add-on to your ticket may be a good idea. A standard ticket lets a Guest enter one Park per day multiple times. For example, you can visit Magic Kingdom Park in the morning, go back to your Resort for a break, and return to Magic Kingdom Park in the evening. However, a Park Hopper add-on is for days you wish to start in one Park and then after 2 PM, you can "hop" to another Park. I strongly suggest this option if you end up picking a Resort that is very close to a Park. I hope this helps! Happy Planning!-Nimmy
Visit Walt Disney World Resort to explore the magic.
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