The best Disney World resort for most families is Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, a Value resort with family suites that sleep 6 and a Disney Skyliner station. Below is my pick for each kind of family: tight budgets, toddlers, families of five, grandparents and splurge trips.
By Favorite Grampy | Last Updated: September 2026 | Room sizes and transportation checked against Disney’s resort pages on September 23, 2026
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What Is the Best Disney World Resort for Families?
Art of Animation is the best Disney World resort for most families. Its family suites sleep 6 with 2 bathrooms, it has a Skyliner station to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, and it is priced in Disney’s Value tier.
That said, the best resort for your family comes down to three things: your budget, your kids’ ages and how you want to get to the parks. A family of five with a toddler needs a different room than grandparents who want to walk to Magic Kingdom.
New to Disney? Start with our first Disney World trip planning guide, then come back here to pick the hotel.
| Your Family | My Pick | Tier | Why It Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tight budget | Pop Century | Value | Skyliner access at the lowest price tier; rooms sleep 4 |
| Toddlers and little kids | Art of Animation | Value | Family suites sleep 6 with 2 bathrooms, plus the Skyliner |
| Family of five or six | Art of Animation or All-Star Music | Value | The only Value resorts with family suites sleeping 6 |
| Middle budget, easy transportation | Caribbean Beach | Moderate | The Skyliner hub, one stop from EPCOT and Hollywood Studios |
| Grandparents who want less walking | Contemporary | Deluxe | A 5 to 10 minute walk to Magic Kingdom, plus the monorail |
| Splurge with big pools | Beach Club | Deluxe | A 3-acre sand-bottom pool and a walk to EPCOT |
Swipe left to see all columns on mobile.
What You Need to Know About Disney Resorts for Families
Which Disney resorts have rooms that sleep 6?
Art of Animation and All-Star Music are the only Value resorts with family suites that sleep 6. Beach Club also offers a Deluxe Room that sleeps 6.
Which Disney resorts are on the Skyliner?
Four resorts: Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach and Riviera. The Skyliner runs to EPCOT’s International Gateway and Hollywood Studios.
Which Disney resorts are on the monorail?
Three resorts sit on the resort monorail loop to Magic Kingdom: the Contemporary, the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian.
Which Disney Resort Is Best on a Tight Budget?
Disney’s Pop Century Resort is my pick for a tight budget. It is a Value resort with its own Skyliner station, and standard rooms sleep up to 4, plus a child under 3 in a crib. Buses cover Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs.
However, Pop Century has no family suites, so it works best for families of four or fewer. The giant pop-culture icons, like a huge yo-yo and a Rubik’s Cube, make it feel more fun than the price suggests.
Meanwhile, the All-Star resorts cost about the same but rely on buses for every park. For a first trip, I’d pay a little more for Pop Century’s Skyliner every time.
Disney has five Value resorts: All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century and Art of Animation. On a tight budget, the best savings come from the room type, the travel dates and a shorter stay, not from giving up a Disney hotel.
Which Disney Resort Is Best for Toddlers and Little Kids?
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is the best Disney resort for toddlers and little kids. The Finding Nemo, Cars and Lion King family suites sleep 6 and have 2 bathrooms, so naps and bath time don’t take over the whole room.
Each suite has a kitchenette with a beverage cooler and microwave, which helps with milk, snacks and early breakfasts. On top of that, the Skyliner station you share with Pop Century means no long bus rides with a tired toddler.
Better yet, if you only need a standard room, the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation sleep 4. They cost less than the suites and still put you on the Skyliner.
Which Disney Resort Is Best for a Family of Five or More?
For five or six, book a family suite at Art of Animation or All-Star Music. Both sleep 6, and they are the only Value resorts with family suites. Pop Century rooms sleep only 4.
At Moderate resorts, a fifth guest usually has to be a child. Caribbean Beach standard rooms sleep 4, and select rooms add a child-size pull-down bed for a fifth. At Port Orleans Riverside, only select Alligator Bayou rooms sleep 5.
By contrast, Deluxe resorts fit five more easily. Standard rooms at the Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Floridian and Beach Club sleep 5, and Beach Club’s Deluxe Room sleeps 6. Animal Kingdom Lodge standard rooms sleep 4.
Not sure which room fits your crew? Tell us who is coming and we’ll match the resort.
Match My Family to a ResortWhich Disney Resort Is Best for Grandparents Who Want Less Walking?
Disney’s Contemporary Resort is the best pick for grandparents who want less walking. Magic Kingdom is about a 5 to 10 minute walk away, and the monorail runs right through the building to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian.
Similarly, the Grand Floridian has a walking path to Magic Kingdom, roughly 12 to 18 minutes long, and it sits on the monorail loop. For EPCOT lovers, Beach Club is a 5 to 10 minute walk from EPCOT’s International Gateway.
Beyond that, resort size matters. A resort with a short walk from your room to the bus or monorail saves more steps across a week than a pretty pool ever will. I always ask for a room near the main building when I travel with Grammy.
Which Disney Resort Did Our Family Love Most?
Our family’s favorite so far is Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and the reason surprised me. Yes, the kids loved the pool, but the memory we still talk about is a game of Connect 4.
A few years ago we were walking around the Beach Club and Yacht Club one afternoon with the grandkids when we stumbled on a Connect 4 game in a walkway near Beaches and Cream. We stayed an hour, grandkids against Grampy, with the parents and Grammy watching.
I could not win a single game. There were too many directions to watch, and the grandkids beat me again and again while I tried my hardest. The whole family laughed at me, and they still bring it up to this day.
That is what a great family resort does. On an earlier Beach Club trip, Emily and Jake, then 12 and 10, loved the shipwreck slide at Stormalong Bay and fought over the cherries on the Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream.
Is the Skyliner or the Monorail Better for Families?
The Skyliner is better for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, and the monorail is better for Magic Kingdom. Pick the one that serves the park where your family will spend the most days.
In total, the Skyliner has 5 stations: Caribbean Beach as the hub, Riviera, a shared Pop Century and Art of Animation station, EPCOT’s International Gateway and Hollywood Studios. The resort monorail loop links Magic Kingdom with the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian.
For example, Caribbean Beach is one Skyliner ride from both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, while the Polynesian is a short monorail hop to Magic Kingdom. Every other resort uses Disney buses at no extra cost, and some have boats too.
Is It Worth Staying at a Disney Resort Hotel?
Yes, a Disney Resort hotel is worth it for most families, thanks to three advantages you can’t get off-site. First, every Disney hotel guest gets 30 minutes of Early Entry at all four parks, every day of the stay.
In addition, Disney hotel guests book dining for their whole stay at 60 days and book Lightning Lane 7 days before check-in, a 4-day head start on everyone else. Deluxe resort guests also get Extended Evening Hours at select parks on select nights, according to Disney’s resort hotel benefits page.
Naturally, a Disney hotel isn’t right for every budget. But on a first trip, those advantages can save you several hours of lines across a week, and included Disney transportation keeps the rental car in the garage.
Is Animal Kingdom Lodge Good for Families?
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is great for families who love animals and don’t mind the bus. Its savannas hold more than 30 species, including giraffes and zebras, but every park trip is a bus ride.
When I took all four grandkids there, Ben was 5 and we stayed in Jambo House. Pie and I woke up early to watch the giraffes, and breakfast at Boma with Mickey waffles and POG juice was the kids’ favorite part of the trip.
Next time, I’d book Kidani Village for a little more space and a closer walk to the Samawati Springs pool. Standard rooms at the Lodge sleep 4, so a family of five should ask an advisor about larger room types.
Frequently Asked Questions About Disney Resorts for Families
Which Disney World Resort Is Best for a Family of 5?
For a family of 5, the best Disney World resorts are Art of Animation and All-Star Music, whose family suites sleep 6 at Value prices. Deluxe standard rooms at the Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Floridian and Beach Club also sleep 5.
If it were my family of five, I’d choose an Art of Animation suite for the second bathroom alone. Mornings go so much faster when two people can get ready at once. If you want a Deluxe resort instead, ask about a room that sleeps 5 so nobody ends up on the floor.
Which Disney Resort Is Considered the Nicest?
The Grand Floridian is considered the nicest Disney World resort. It is Disney’s flagship resort at Walt Disney World, with Victorian styling, monorail service and a walking path to Magic Kingdom of roughly 12 to 18 minutes.
Even so, the nicest resort for your family is the one that fits how you travel. Our family’s favorite is still Beach Club, because of Stormalong Bay and that famous afternoon of Connect 4. A pretty lobby matters less than a pool your kids will talk about for years.
Which Disney Resort Is Closest to Magic Kingdom?
The Contemporary Resort is the closest Disney resort to Magic Kingdom, about a 5 to 10 minute walk. The Grand Floridian has a 12 to 18 minute walking path, and both sit on the resort monorail loop with the Polynesian.
For grandparents, I’d pick the Contemporary. Being able to walk back for an afternoon rest, then return for the fireworks, is a real gift on a long trip. It also makes the monorail an easy ride to the Polynesian for dinner.
Is Art of Animation or Pop Century Better for Families?
Art of Animation is better for families who need space, with family suites that sleep 6, while Pop Century is better for families of 4 on a tighter budget. Both share one Skyliner station to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
For that reason, I’d choose Art of Animation with toddlers or a family of five, and Pop Century for a family of four who spends most of the day in the parks. Either way, you ride the same gondola to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
How Can a Travel Advisor Help You Choose a Disney Resort?
A Favorite Grampy Travels advisor can match your family to the right Disney resort in one conversation. We look at your budget, your kids’ ages, how many are in each room and which parks you’ll visit most, then book the room type that fits. Our team has more than 80 advisors, many of them Disney specialists.
After you book, your advisor watches for Disney room discounts, which are occasionally available, and can reprice your eligible booking. It is all part of our Disney vacation planning service.
A planning fee may apply, and the amount depends on your trip. Every fee is quoted in a complimentary 15-minute consultation before you commit, and you can meet the Disney specialists on our team first. A planning fee is normal for a travel agency and not a red flag.
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