Chad,
Your friends are correct, not every hotel is a short stroll away from Downtown Disney.
The best two choices for short walks are the Hilton and the Wyndham. They are both a quick walk with an easy crosswalk away from Downtown Disney.
The Buena Vista Palace and the Holiday Inn are the next two most convenient options, though for each you have to walk through one of the first two resorts mentioned here to get to that same cross walk.
The remaining three hotels are closest in this order;
- Royal Plaza
- Best Western
- Double Tree
I would tell you that these last three are a good 15 minute walk away, but is a beautiful walk, so really while the order of convenience is shown here, I would opt for any resort if you have a brand preference.
Write me back if you have any follow-up questions.
Have a magical vacation!