As most of you know, Walt Disney World has 4 different resort levels and 20+ resorts. Nine of those resorts have studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom villas. This Deluxe Villa category is the top tier of Disney resorts. Seven of the nine resorts also have standard rooms at their Deluxe resort counterpart. As with everything else in life, there are pros and cons to staying a villa.
The biggest pros are the in-villa amenities and location. Most studio villas are great for 2 guests. They are a bit smaller, only having 1 queen size bed and a queen size sleeper sofa. They also have a nice little kitchenette that includes a microwave, mini-fridge and coffee pot. This is a great space for guests who want to order groceries to have snacks in the room for a quick breakfast or late night snack.
The one and two bedroom villas both offer fully equipped kitchens that include a full size refrigerator, stove/oven, microwave, and dishwasher. These are great for families who want to save money on meals and prefer to cook in their villas.
The one bedroom villas all have a king size bed in the Master bedroom with a queen size sleeper sofa in the living room. Many of the villa resorts, but not all, also have a single sleeper chair in the living room as well. The two bedroom villas all have a king size bed in the Master, 2 queen beds in the second room, and a queen size sleeper sofa in the living room. As with the 1 bedroom villas, many of the 2 bedrooms also have a sleeper chair in the living room as well. These villas are great for extended families who all want to stay together but may want a bit of privacy at bedtime.
The biggest cons to the villas is price and availability. Being the top tier resort and having the best amenities does come with a price. The villas actually belong to the Disney Vacation Club (Disney’s very own timeshare basically) but can be booked with cash by non-DVC members. Because of this, availability is usually not posted until around 11 months prior to arrival when members who own at that resort can also book their vacation. This also makes availability (especially in the 1 and 2 bedroom villas) a hot commodity during peak seasons.
If you can swing the price, I HIGHLY recommend looking into a villa. The extra space, kitchen, and general location of the resorts is well worth it.
Here is a current list of the Deluxe Villa resorts:
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Also, Disney World will be opening a new Deluxe Villa Resort at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, with brand new villas built out over Bay Lake as well as other units. While an opening date has not been set yet, they should open sometime later in 2015.
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