The Best Disney Resorts for Convenience (Ranked)

When it comes to choosing a Disney Resort, location and price are two significant factors that often come to the forefront. There is, however, one overall factor that can truly make or break your vacation: convenience. Think less time waiting for the buses, fewer long walks at the end of the day, and minimal effort to get to the theme parks. Convenience at Disney World means reducing stress, saving time, and maybe even a little extra magic along the way. Below, we’ve ranked our top resort choices by their convenience factors.

What Makes a Resort Convenient?

As we delve into our rankings, I thought it best to first define exactly what I mean by convenience. A hotel’s convenience could refer to any of the following:

• Proximity to the Parks
• The Resort’s Layout (For example: Is it small, and easy to get around?)
• Dining and Amenities
• Transportation Options
• Works Well for Small Children

As far as this article goes, we’ll focus on overall convenience. That doesn’t necessarily mean that any of the consideration factors listed above will be our sole factor. We’ve touched on a few of these in the following articles:

• Disney Resorts Within Walking Distance of the Theme Parks (This article details the resorts closest to each theme park at Disney World.)
• Disney Resorts Ranked by Transportation (This guide shares what we consider the best resorts when it comes to transportation.)
• The Best Disney Resorts for Families (We love this topic and have put significant time and effort into figuring out which resorts work best for families. It might surprise you.)

#10 Disney’s Coronado Springs

When I started thinking about which resorts to consider for convenience, I knew the deluxe resorts would dominate the list. So I wanted to ensure that I included two moderate and two value resorts. That way, if price is your overall deciding factor, you’ll have some options in these categories.

Now, Coronado Springs was not necessarily a difficult choice, but I did hem-haw a bit between it and Caribbean Beach as far as making the list. Caribbean Beach has the Skyliner and is convenient to Disney’s Riviera, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. That said, Coronado Springs ultimately has a more efficient layout, especially if you stay at Gran Destino Tower. I don’t believe anyone who’s stayed in Gran Destino Tower would or could argue its convenience.

What may surprise you, though, is that the resort’s central location is its primary ranking factor. While Coronado Springs is officially part of the Animal Kingdom Resorts Area, I don’t think that most people realize it sits smack dab in the center of Walt Disney World. It’s literally around the corner (in opposite directions) from Epcot and Animal Kingdom. It’s the closest resort by bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s also on the same road (Buena Vista) as Disney Springs. So while you have to take the bus to get anywhere, for the most part, it’s a short ride.

• Primary Ranking Factor: Central Location
• Secondary Factor: Efficient Layout, especially if you stay at the Gran Destino Tower
• Type: Moderate Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Centrally Located
• Transportation Options: Buses Only (See Bus Routes at Coronado Springs for details on timing.)
• Kid-Friendly: Yes, but not nearly as much as others.
• Potential Negatives: While the resort has an efficient design, it is large. This resort is also a designated convention center. These things might impact your stay.

See our guide to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort for more details.

#9 Port Orleans French Quarter Resort

Port Orleans French Quarter Resort was the first resort that came to mind when I thought of convenience at the moderate resorts. The French Quarter is the smallest of the moderate resorts, and it’s a truly lovely place to spend a week’s vacation for anyone on a budget. Now, if you’ve never been to Disney World, you need to understand that most of the resorts are tremendous. Many consist of villages spread out over acreage. In comparison, the French Quarter has 7 buildings with room accommodations, while the neighboring Riverside has approximately 20 buildings. Ask yourself, would it be easier to find your room among those 7 buildings that are in line, like the streets of New Orleans, or would you rather wander through the Bayou or the Mansions to find your room assignment among 20 spreadout buildings?

• Primary Ranking Factor: Resort’s Small Footprint
• Secondary Factor: Offers Bus and Boat Service to Disney Springs
• Type: Moderate Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Closer to Epcot and Magic Kingdom
• Transportation Options: Buses, Boat to Disney Springs
• Kid-Friendly: Yes (See Best Pools for Kids at Disney)
• Potential Negatives: This resort only has one feature pool and no quiet pools. (We love the pool here and it works well for traveling with little ones, but might not be as thrilling for teens as some of the other resorts.)

See our guide to Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort to learn more.

#8 Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Our next two options when it comes to convenience are neighboring value resorts. Normally, we always rank Pop Century over Art of Animation. In this instance, however, we gave Art of Animation a bit of an edge because of its unique accommodation offerings that we’ll discuss below. As for Pop Century, the major convenience is Skyliner. You can take the Skyliner to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You can also use it to travel to neighboring resorts like Disney’s Caribbean Beach, the Riviera, and the Epcot Resorts area. This one form of transportation allows you to access numerous dining options, aside from what’s available at the resort, quickly and efficiently. (You won’t have that at Disney’s All-Star Resorts, which are the only other values.)

• Primary Ranking Factor: Skyliner Access
• Secondary Factor: Convenience to Other Resorts
• Type: Value Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Exceptionally Close to Hollywood Studios
• Transportation Options: Skyliner*, Buses
• Kid-Friendly: Yes
• Potential Negatives: This is a value resort, so it doesn’t offer all the bells and whistles you might find at a higher category.

*I always like to point out that the Skyliner is the only method of transportation from Pop Century to Epcot and Hollywood Studios unless it’s inoperable.

See our guide to Disney’s Pop Century Resort for more details. You might also enjoy our list of restaurants on the Disney Skyliner.

#7 Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Next on our list, we have Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Again, we do prefer the value rooms at Pop Century over The Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation. That said, only one section of Art of Animation is dedicated to value rooms. The resort’s other three sections are all comprised of family suites. These units offer larger accommodations and a few extra amenities like a small refrigerator and microwave. They are a little more costly, but, for the most part, convenience does come at a price.

As far as everything else goes, the resort sits across Hourglass Lake from Pop Century. So you won’t find any differences when it comes to transportation, Skyliner access, or location between them.

• Primary Ranking Factor: Family Suites
• Secondary Factor: Skyliner Access
• Type: Value Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Exceptionally Close to Hollywood Studios
• Transportation Options: Skyliner*, Buses
• Kid-Friendly: It is one of the best options!
• Potential Negatives: Even though we try to disprove it (here), a lot of people complain that the Little Mermaid rooms are a long walk.

*Again, the Skyliner is the only option for Epcot and Hollywood Studios unless it is inoperable or down for maintenance.

Tip: If you decide you want a family suite but price is your biggest concern, you might also look into the family suite options at Disney’s All-Star Music. They do tend to fill up quickly because of limited inventory.

See our guide to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort for more details.

#6 Disney’s Riviera Resort

Our next resort is Disney’s Riviera Resort. This resort offers the closest Skyliner ride to Epcot and consists of suites and villas that offer the conveniences of home. Of course, any of Disney’s Villa Resorts will have these types of conveniences. They will also come with a higher price tag. That said, Disney’s Riviera Resort has another convenience factor: dining. Of all the resorts at Disney World, this is going to be the one that’s toughest to beat when it comes to dining. Primo Piatto ranks as our best quick service among the resorts. The resort’s table service restaurant offers character dining for breakfast and signature dining at night. Both options are superb! Then, there’s the lounge with an outstanding dining menu and the cafe with coffee and pastries. I think you get the picture.

• Primary Ranking Factor: Dining Options
• Secondary Factor: Skyliner Access
• Type: Deluxe Villa Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Exceptionally Close to Epcot
• Transportation Options: Skyliner, Buses
• Kid-Friendly: Yes, it has a fun aquatic play area for little ones.
• Potential Negatives: The only fault I find with this resort is the high price tag.

See our guide to Disney’s Riviera Resort for more details.

#5 Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

This last leg of convenient resorts all fall under the deluxe resort category, starting with Disney’s Grand Floridian. It’s such a beautiful resort and maybe just a tad overrated. But even I’ll admit that the resort is charming and I’m always happy to have stayed here. It’s hard to complain when you’re sitting across the lake from the most magical place on earth with Cinderella Castle as the background.

• Primary Ranking Factor: Location, Location, Location
• Secondary Factor: Monorail
• Type: Deluxe Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Walk, Boat, or Monorail to Magic Kingdom
• Transportation Options: Monorail, Boat Service, Bus Service, Walking Paths
• Kid-Friendly: Yes, it has a wonderful aquatic play area and pretty green lawns with children’s activities.
• Potential Negatives: It’s expensive, the monorail ride and transfer to Epcot take extra time, and see the note below about the lack of general service.

Note: When I say that the Grand Floridian is a tad overrated, it’s in my comparison to other hotels (not Disney-owned) that command a similar price tag. While we enjoy the resort, we have never felt like we received the same level of service as we have elsewhere. You’re probably not going to receive service at the pool, either.

See our guide to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort for more details.

#4 Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Disney’s Polynesian sits immediately next door to the Grand Floridian, and other than the tropical theming, is pretty similar in comparison. I gave the Polynesian a bit of an edge because of its theming. You feel like you’ve landed in a tropical destination. It’s a magical experience, and the resort’s peaceful tone is part of what a vacation is all about. As far as convenience, you can walk, boat, or monorail to the Magic Kingdom or next door to the Grand Floridian. You can also walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center, making the monorail trip to Epcot more convenient than the other monorail resorts.

• Primary Ranking Factor: Location!
• Secondary Factor: Monorail and Ability to Walk to the Epcot Monorail Entrance
• Type: Deluxe Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Walk, Boat, or Monorail to Magic Kingdom
• Transportation Options: Monorail, Boat Service, Buses, Walking Paths
• Kid-Friendly: Yes
• Potential Negatives: My major issue with this resort is that the pools are always crowded. Every time we stay here, we find it difficult to find seats unless we go first thing when they open.

For more details, see our guide to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

#3 Disney’s BoardWalk Resort

Now that we’ve reached our top three convenient resorts, the lines begin to blur even more. I think that most guests will be happy with any of the options in our top five because they are all within walking distance of at least one theme park. We do, however, tend to give the Epcot Resorts an extra push because they are within walking distance of two theme parks. Here’s what we have for the BoardWalk.

• Primary Ranking Factor: Within Walking Distance of two Theme Parks
• Secondary Factor: Works Well for Small Children
• Type: Deluxe Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Close to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, Short Bus Ride to Disney Springs
• Transportation Options: Boat Service, Walking Paths, Bus Service, Walking Distance to Skyliner
• Kid-Friendly: Spoiler, the BoardWalk tops our list of kid-friendly resorts, read why here.
• Potential Negatives: We’re not crazy about quick-service dining options at this resort.

The Boardwalk is so convenient when you’re traveling with little ones. Except for when it’s miserably hot, there are almost always children playing on the green lawn. The Movies Under the Stars here are too fun, and the feature pool’s layout makes it easy to keep an eye on children from most lounge chairs. For more details, see our guide to Disney’s BoardWalk Resort.

#2 Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Hopping back to the Magic Kingdom Resorts Area, Disney’s Contemporary comes in as our number two choice for convenience. The Contemporary is the closest resort in proximity to Magic Kingdom, granted, Grand Floridian isn’t much further. This resort is our go-to choice when we’re spending a significant amount of time at Magic Kingdom or have plans to attend a seasonal party that lasts until midnight. I cannot stress enough how nice it is to be able to exit the park and walk back to your room within 8-10 minutes. While you’re in the shower or already in bed, other guests are still in the process of returning to their resort.

• Primary Ranking Factor: Next door to the Magic Kingdom
• Secondary Factor: Monorail Access
• Type: Deluxe Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Can’t Get Any Closer to Magic Kingdom
• Transportation Options: Monorail, Walking Path, Buses, Limited Boat Service
• Kid-Friendly: Yes, especially for convenience and breaks from the Magic Kingdom.
• Potential Negatives: We love this resort for many reasons, but its uniqueness isn’t for everyone. If your aesthetic leans more toward traditional or tropical, you might not like it here.

Learn more about Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

#1 Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club

Our last resort(s) are Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club. We often cover these separately on the site, but they are connected, so for convenience, we’ll let you decide between the two options. Beach Club is the shortest distance to Epcot. We’re talking five minutes from some room locations. If you’ve read anything related to either of these resorts on Resorts Gal, you know that we always recommend upgrading to a park-hopper ticket when you stay here. The convenience of both Epcot and Hollywood Studios tends to draw you in even for short visits at the end of the day. Every time we stay here, and we stay here more than any other resort, we always end up saying, “It’s just so convenient.”

• Primary Ranking Factor: Location
• Secondary Factor: Two Connected Resorts Mean More Amenities
• Type: Deluxe Resort
• Proximity to the Parks: Epcot’s Neighbor and Close to Hollywood Studios
• Transportation Options: Walking Paths, Boat Service, Bus Service, Walking Distance to Skyliner
• Kid-Friendly: Yes, but some people find the large pool area (Stormalong Bay) overwhelming.

We have more details about both resorts in these respective guides:

• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Other Considerations

Here are a few questions you might ask yourself during the planning process:

• Which park do you plan to visit the most during your stay? As an example, if you have multiple days planned at Magic Kingdom, you might want to choose a resort on the monorail. Or if you’re upgrading to a park-hopper ticket, which park will you hop to the most? You might choose to be closest to that park. That way, at the end of the evening, it won’t require much effort to get back to the resort when you’re tired and worn out.
• Are you traveling with a multi-generational family or older adults? If so, a compact resort layout might make more sense, especially if you have someone in your group who might stay back in the room more than everyone else.

If you’re worried about someone walking long distances, you might also consider a room request near the elevator. Many guests do not realize that even the deluxe resorts have long interior hallways that feel like they go on forever. There is a drawback to this request, though. We don’t love it because you might (okay, you probably will) hear louder guests (excited kids with parents hissing to be quiet) coming and going.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you found this guide helpful when it comes to choosing a resort based on its convenience factor. For more of our resort planning resources, you might enjoy the following:

• The Best Disney World Resorts Ranked
• The Best Pool at Disney World (Top 10 Ranked)
• What is Club Level at Disney World? A Complete Overview
• The Best Off-Site Disney World Hotels

More Planning

Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. Explore our resources, including our Disney World Resorts Guide. It provides an overview of everything you need to know about the Disney Resort Hotels. For dining, our Disney World Dining Guide is an excellent place to start. Our Disney World Transportation Guide is a wonderful resource for planning your routes. It’s one of our most popular resources. If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. It includes every available character meet-and-greet in the parks and where to find rare characters throughout the year. Lastly, our Disney Parks Guide provides a complete overview of all four theme parks and water parks.