Hello Hayden! I used to ask myself this same question years ago when my children were younger. Due to our budget, we used to spend most of our vacations at the value resorts - and we had a blast! However, after spending a long day at Magic Kingdom, we used to dream of staying in the Contemporary one day as it would be so convenient to hop on a monorail and be back at your resort within minutes. Thankfully, we were able to stay there and what a difference it made with our vacation! Everything seemed so much easier when you have access to the monorail! In addition to bringing you to the Contemporary, it's very convenient to stop at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian for some great character meals. Wilderness Lodge is a quick boat trip way and our family loves to dine at the Whispering Canyon.
The monorail is also convenient as there is a stop at the Transportation and Ticket Center which allows you to change monorails to head over to Epcot. It should be noted that even if you stay at a resort with access to the monorail, you will still have to take a bus to Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, the water parks and Downtown Disney.
When vacationing at Disney we stay at a resort in the Magic Kingdom area whenever possible. It makes our vacation a little more magical. If your budget allows, you may want to consider this option as well. Keep an eye on
special offers which will hopefully make it more affordable for you.
No matter where you stay, I hope your vacation is truly magical! Diane