Newbie Guide to Throwing Together a Walt Disney World Trip

All or part of this trip was provided for review purposes. The opinions are solely of the writer.

We visited Walt Disney World in April. It's a great time to visit. Fewer people and lots of sunshine without the heat and humidity. 

The Carful of Kids had the opportunity to play in Walt Disney World for four days so we jumped at the opportunity. Before this trip we had explored Disneyland for one day. So how does a national parks, road-tripping Mom plan a last-minute Walt Disney World vacation? 

I lost my mind.

Tips for last-minute Walt Disney World Trips

Taking a Disney trip requires planning. Really. For a moment I thought could wing it. Then my best friend, traveling companion and fellow WDW newbie talked some sense into me. 

If we wing it, she said, we'll be walking around, getting nowhere, wasting all our time in line. She was right. Her sister, a Walt Disney World veteran, had given her that advice.

A trip to Walt Disney World is on every kid's must-do list. 

So I logged on to Amazon and bought the book. Which book? I don't remember. I bought the one with the most pages. Then I read it cover-to-cover, my friends. I recommend this. Don't skip the book. 

Then I took the book with me. I looked at the book A LOT in the parks. I checked on rides for my timid kid, who doesn't like scary rides. I read reviews for the best rides and the ones to skip. 

The Orlando airport is not next to the resort. It's a $70 taxi ride away so I wanted to stay at the Walt Disney World resort because of the complimentary Magical Express transportation. That and this was my first trip, I didn't know my way around and didn't want to get too far from the parks. 

When your favorite resort is booked

I didn't have a lot of time to plan my April trip, about 5 weeks. So the value-priced rooms disappeared before I could snag one for the Saturday night of our five-day, four-night trip to Walt Disney World. 

To make it work, I ended up with reservations at three different resorts. No biggie, I just transfer resorts. I’ll make it work. I’m a family travel writer, it’s just part of the job. That and I didn’t have a choice.

Walt Disney World Parks don't fall asleep at night. Light Shows, Fireworks and enjoying your favorite rides at night top my list. 

So I learned a lot from my three-resort tour of Walt Disney World. My trip was part of a work conference so a couple of rooms were booked at a Walt Disney World deluxe resort. Since I arrived early to explore the parks, I booked a room at a value resort. Then the least-expensive room I could find for a Saturday night was a moderate resort.

Sometimes rooms come available about 4 weeks out. Don't count on this feature but check daily for resort availability. If a room does come available, grab it and don't wait. 

Walt Disney World will transfer your luggage for free. I found this out by asking my pals and Disney experts at TravelingMom.com.

My Stay at a Value Resort

The Pop Century Resort is a value resort ($) 1.7 miles away from Hollywood Studios. It features four areas named after decades of the 20^th century with a total of 2,880 rooms along the shores of Hour Glass Lake and cross from the Art of Animation Resort.

My kids loved the over-the-top theme of the Pop Century Resort.

The Pop Century Resort is fun. The buildings exude energy and draw me through the resort. From the four-story tall bowling pins and the ginormous 60s flowers pasted to the sides of the candy-colored buildings, this place is a hit with the young at heart.

Hits of the Pop Century Resort:

• Over the top theme that kids love
• Nice pool
• Great option if you plan on spending all your time in the parks.

The Hippy-Dippy Pool is a kid-pleaser.

Misses of the Pop Century Resort:

• Farther away from parks but closer than off-property lodging
• Limited activities for kids, no fishing or pirate cruises
• Limited to quick-service dining
• No character breakfasts
• No in-room coffee maker
• Small rooms and skimpy linens

The rooms at the Pop Century Resort are basic rooms. 

My Stay at a Moderate Resort

The Caribbean Beach Resort is a moderate resort ($$) 4.1 miles from Epcot. An expansive property that includes seven villages with a total of 2,112 rooms along the shores of the 45-acre Barefoot Bay.

Want a beach vacation along with a Walt Disney Vacation, stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort.

The Caribbean Beach Resort evokes the calm and serenity of a beach vacation yet includes a resort-style pool that’s sure to excite the kids. With its expansive grounds and lush, tropical landscaping, the Caribbean Beach Resort never felt crowded.

Hits of the Caribbean Beach Resort:

• The Fuentes del Morro pool is one of the best of the Walt Disney World resorts.
• Lots of activities for the kids, like fishing excursions and pirate cruises
• Larger rooms with more amenities, nice if you’ll be spending more time in the room
• More dining options, quick-service and casual dining
• A pool in every village
• White-sand beaches

The Caribbean Beach Resort rooms have a trundle and accommodate five people.

Misses of the Caribbean Beach Resort:

• Huge resort that requires its own bus to get around
• No character breakfasts
• No private patios or balconies
• A motel feeling, I entered my room from an outside corridor.

The trundle in the Caribbean Beach Resort room.

My Stay at a Deluxe Resort

The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa ($$$$$+) is the Walt Disney World’s flagship resort located on 40-acres next to the Seven Seas Lagoon. Built to resemble a grand Victorian seaside resort of the late 19^th Century, it has 867 guest rooms across the main building and five additional buildings. Next to the lagoon is a pool, a white sand beach, a marina and a view of Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom.

The pool at the Grand Floridian is one of two. 

The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa offers a grand experience for families who yearn for the convenience a Walt Disney World Resort and want a refined environment to decompress from the energy of the parks. Walking into the Grand Floridian lobby is sensory experience, the architecture is as impressive as the 3-foot tall flower arrangements that greet me. The service is refined yet welcoming.

Hits of the Grand Floridian Resort

• Beautiful accommodations
• Lots of dining options including quick service, casual dining and fine dining.
• Character meals
• Lobby entertainment
• The most transportation options to get to the parks—bus, monorail or ferry
• The highest level of service of the Walt Disney World resorts
• One of the best spas in Orlando

The rooms at The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa are luxurious and spacious.

Misses of the Grand Floridian Resort

• Nice pool but not my kid’s favorite
• My kids were immune to their luxurious surroundings and wanted to spend all their time in the parks.
• Beautiful property but off-site luxury resorts give you more for less

The Alice-in-Wonderland themed pool for little kids at The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. 

Note about transferring resorts during your stay:

I had to change resorts three times during my five-day/four-night stay at Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World will transfer your bags free-of-cost. I preferred to pack up our bags and roll them down to bell services that transferred them in the afternoon, usually between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

If I wanted a bell hop to grab my bags from my room I would have to stay with my bags until the bell hop arrived. I found this inconvenient since we wanted to get to the parks as early as possible.

The process was fairly easy and I had only one small incident. One of our bags had a tag on it stating it was left on the transportation bus. Nothing was missing.

Staying Off-Property

Want to stay off-property? I visited the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, the closest hotel to Disney Springs. It offered many amenities at lower rack-rate.

The interior of a Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, the closest resort to Disney Springs.

• Character breakfasts several times a week
• Resort-style pool
• Theme park transportation
• Tennis courts
• Kids activities
• Mini-refrigerator
• In-room safe

Know before you go: 

• By checking frequently for cancellations, I found a room on a booked Saturday night about 3 to 4 weeks before my scheduled arrival.
• Make reservations as soon as possible, even for slower months, if you’re visiting during a weekend.
• If you are transferring resorts during your stay, pack light. One rolling bag per adult. One rolling bag for every couple of kids. Backpack for the adults and cinch sacks for the kids. 
• Missed all the dining reservations? Skip it. There’s plenty of quick-service places to eat. My kids don’t miss the experience and just wanted to ride the rides.
• Pack refillable water bottles and skip the soda. Take protein or granola bars for snacks while in line or on the bus.
• Bring running shoes for the park. No flip-flops, sandals or hiking sandals; they all killed my feet.