Best Walt Disney World Hotels for Toddlers

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There are many quintessential Disney hotels, but Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is arguably the most iconic. An original 1971 hotel from Walt Disney World’s opening, the Poly has fun theming and an unmatched vibe among all the Disney hotels. The property recently underwent a renovation, making many of the rooms “Moana”-themed, and the main pool has a volcano water slide (though there are two quieter pools on property). There’s a sand beach to play on, screenings of Disney movies under the stars, campfire s’mores in the evening, and motorized boat rentals. Ohana offers “Lilo and Stitch”-themed character dining. This hotel is especially easy to access from Magic Kingdom via monorail, water taxi or ferry boat — and if little ones can’t make it late enough to see fireworks in the park, you can watch them (and the Electrical Water Pageant) from your room or the hotel’s common areas. 

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Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort exudes a serious vacation vibe, with its brightly-decorated buildings and hammocks swaying in the breeze. The property is large, and can require some long walks to food and bus transportation, but each area has its own pool. The main Fuentes del Morro pool is pirate-themed and has a shipwreck play area for littles with miniature waterslides and a crow’s nest. Some rooms are pirate-themed, and many of the studios have a pull-down child’s bed that accommodates a fifth person. 

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Boardwalk Inn is one of Disney’s most iconic resorts — not just for the turn-of-the-century decor, but for its bustling boardwalk with restaurants and entertainment, which makes it an especially good choice for families that have kids of varying ages. The older ones can explore while the little ones nap. This hotel is on Crescent Lake, and is easily walkable to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, although there are water taxis to both parks. This hotel is close to Fantasia Gardens Mini Golf, has campfire s’mores and movies under the stars, and offers four-person surrey bike rentals for cruising the boardwalk. 

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The closest resort to Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary offers Monorail transport to the park, and access via an easy walking path. On property at the original 1971 hotel, The Electrical Water Pageant floats by every night as your evening entertainment. And if your room doesn’t offer fireworks viewing, there’s a public balcony where you can watch them. Take advantage of Disney’s babysitting service for an adults-only dinner at California Grill or Steakhouse 71, or take the little ones to the most kid-friendly restaurant at Disney: Chef Mickey, the character dining buffet where Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and friends all make appearances. 

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Art of Animation is one of the most family-friendly properties at Walt Disney World, and it’s also pet-friendly. The property is divided into a “Cars” land, a “Lion King” land, a “Little Mermaid” land, and a “Finding Nemo” land: each has huge statues of characters outside, and themed rooms inside that come in four-person studios and six-person family suites. The Nemo-themed Big Blue Pool is the biggest on property and has an attached splash pad and playground, but there are two other smaller pools as well. Art of Animation offers Skyliner access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and bus transport to all the parks. Well-behaved dogs can stay in rooms unattended if the “room occupied” sign is on the door. 

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Saratoga Springs is one of the larger deluxe villa resorts, offering studios that sleep four and treehouse villas that sleep 12. This horse racing-themed property has two large pools with waterslides that big kids (and kids at heart) will enjoy. But for younger kids, both have splash pad water play areas with miniature waterslides. Two of the property’s other three pools have attached playgrounds. What’s especially great about the location of Saratoga Springs is that it’s the closest resort to Disney Springs, which connects via a waterfront path. Which means families don’t have to hassle with closing up strollers for bus transport. For kids, there are movies under the stars on some nights, and nightly campfire s’mores; for families, there’s a community hall with board games and DVDs to borrow, and four-person bikes for rent.

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Along with All-Star Sports and All-Star Music, Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort is the most affordable level of hotel on property. Though you won’t find many luxuries, the property has fun, immersive theming from some of Disney’s most iconic movies, like enormous sculptures inspired by “101 Dalmatians” and “Toy Story.” The resort has two large pools: one is “Fantasia”-themed with Sorcerer Mickey presiding over the fun, and the other is “Mighty Ducks”-themed and looks like a hockey rink. The Fantasia pool also has a kiddie pool and water play area attached. Kids’ activities include movies under the stars on some nights, nightly s’mores by the campfire, and a playground.