Hi Jennifer,
Welcome to planDisney! I am delighted to see you planning a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort!
My family likes to minimize travel time to the parks as well so I understand your dilemma. We prefer to stay at resort hotels within walking distance to Magic Kingdom and with access to
Walt Disney World® Monorail Transportation. These include: Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. My family loves each of these resorts.
Disney's Contemporary Resort and
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa both have walking paths to Magic Kingdom. You can also walk from
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and, from there could walk to Magic Kingdom.
These resorts all have standard rooms that can sleep up to five adults as well as suites that can accommodate more. Our girls love the standard rooms because there is an extra bed so they do not have to share a bed. We just returned from a stay at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa where one of our girls slept on a Queen bed while the other slept on the daybed. We also spent a night in a standard studio villa at the
Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The villa was newly renovated with a lovely Mary Poppins theme. There was a pulldown bed that one of our girls slept on and she absolutely loved it. Our other daughter slept on the twin pull down bed that was Dumbo themed. We enjoy the studio villas because there are two shower areas in the split bathroom.
If you prefer to stay close to Disney's Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, try staying at Disney's BoardWalk Inn, Disney's Yacht Club Resort, or Disney's Beach Club Resort. Disney's BoardWalk Inn is a little closer to Disney's Hollywood Studios than Yacht Club or Beach Club Resorts. But the pool area at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts is AMAZING. We stayed at Disney's Yacht Club Resort last summer and our girls loved the waterslide!
Jennifer, if you need a resort hotel that may be a little more budget-friendly but still has some room, try a family suite at
Disney's Art of Animation Resort. This resort has access to the
Disney Skyliner.
Disney's Riviera Resort is also quite lovely. As you review the amenities at each resort hotel, also consider the dining options. At Disney's Contemporary Resort, we have dined at Steakhouse 71, Chef Mickey's, and California Grill. At Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, we love 'Ohana and Kona Cafe, and at Disney Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, we love the Grand Floridian Cafe and Narcoossee's.
I suggest that you do some comparison pricing of vacation packages and then book your vacation! We are ready to welcome you to the magic!
Magic and memories,
Donyell