Hey there, Lisa! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Thanks for stopping by to visit us today!
Since we're local, my family plans one visit in the summer that we call our "non-parks" trip. We might take that opportunity to stay in a Deluxe resort hotel, or try something new that we'd like to explore. Because we're not spending any time in the parks, we can justify paying more for the complete high-end resort experience.
For times when we'd like to stay but we plan on spending most of our time in the parks, we usually go for something in the Value category. That way, we can still take advantage of Disney transportation, enjoy benefits only available to resort guests like Extra Magic Hours, and maybe have a food court meal or two, without paying for more amenities we're not likely to use.
One of the most "POPular" Value resorts at Walt Disney World is Disney's Pop Century Resort (did I give it away?). Room rates are very reasonable, but this resort still knows how to bring the fun! Each area of the resort is themed to the '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s, and includes giant icons from each era (the huge Big Wheel is one of my favorites). In the main building, you can hit Everything Pop for your souvenirs, or to grab a bite to eat in the food court. If you have time from all the touring in the parks, you can stroll over to Art of Animation to take some fun photos with the Disney character icons in the courtyards there.
Pop Century also has its own dedicated bus service to the parks, so it's a pretty quick trip to get to any of them.
I hope this helps you make the most of your time at Walt Disney World, Lisa. "Pop" on back if we can be of any more assistance.
Have a magical day!
Kathy K.