DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Have you ever thought about staying in a Walt Disney World Deluxe Villa Resort? These Resorts are often booked by Guests who are part of the Disney Vacation Club, so they may not have been on your radar before, unless you’re a DVC member (lucky you!). But even Guests who aren’t DVC members can book a WDW Deluxe Villa when there’s enough inventory.
Tiers of Resorts
You may already be familiar with the three main categories into which Disney World divides its Resort Hotels. Each Resort on property can be categorized as a Deluxe Resort, Moderate Resort, or Value Resort. However, there’s another tier, the Deluxe Villa tier (a step up even from the Deluxe Resort Hotels), that allows families more space with the same amenities of a Deluxe Resort – with a price tag to match!
Deluxe Villa Resorts at WDW
In most cases, you’ll find Disney’s Deluxe Villa Resorts located on the same site as Deluxe Resorts (for example, Disney’s Grand Floridian Villas are on the grounds of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa). In a few instances, a Deluxe Villa is a standalone WDW property that isn’t adjacent to a Deluxe property (like Disney’s Riviera Resort).
There are currently 12 Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts on property. They are: Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.
Each of these fabulous properties has its own unique theming, location, and amenities, so be sure to look online for the best fit for your family! Here are a few details about what a Guest can expect to find at any Deluxe Villa in WDW.
Resort Room Size
The smallest type of room a Guest will encounter at a Disney Deluxe Villa is a studio, around 360 square feet. But many Guests opt for a Deluxe Villa because of the availability of much, much larger suites! You can book a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom unit in this Resort tier, and Villas are the biggest Resort rooms on WDW property (it’s even possible to book a 2-story Grand Villa).
With the exception of the Deluxe Villa studio, all Villa Guests will find a washer and dryer, and a full kitchen complete with all the cookware and dishes you could wish for. The studios include kitchenettes and a wet bar.
Resort Prices
Unsurprisingly, a Deluxe Villa is pricier than other accommodations in Disney World. A Villa studio is the least expensive option, with a studio at Disney’s Old Key West coming in at around $430 a night to start, and rising from there. Pricing will vary based on the season, day of the week, Villa type, and Resort, but expect to shell out thousands of dollars a night for one of the larger suites.
If you’re not a DVC member, you can buy or rent DVC points from a company such as David’s Vacation Club Rentals, which can allow you to book Villa rooms at a discounted rate.
One cost-saving perk of staying in a Deluxe Villa is that, unlike other Disney Resorts, there’s no fee for having an additional adult (beyond the first two) staying in a suite.
Resort Food
Guests at a Disney Deluxe Villa have no shortage of delicious food available (although if your Resort is not a stand-alone Villa Resort, you’ll be dining at your adjoining Deluxe Resort restaurants). There’s a quick-service restaurant, at least one table-service restaurant, a pool bar for refreshing drinks and snacks, and a lounge bar. The table-service restaurants at these Resorts are second to none!
Resort Recreation
Depending on the Deluxe Villa a Guest chooses, you may enjoy your own pool, and/or you may share the pool of the Deluxe Resort sharing the site. Pools at these properties are top notch, and it’s well worth devoting a Resort day to exploring the pool(s) and other recreational opportunities on offer. You’ll find water slides, hot tubs, and quiet pools when you need to unwind. Stormalong Bay, the pool complex shared by Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Beach Club Villas, enjoys a well-deserved reputation for being the most spectacular pool in all of Walt Disney World.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Different Disney Villas offer different recreational activities ranging from horseback riding, to tennis and other sports, to fishing and boating. You may even be able to book a spa day at your Villa.
Resort Location and Transportation
Disney’s Deluxe Villas, like Disney’s Deluxe Resorts, offer a variety of transportation methods, and are generally closer to Disney’s Theme Parks than other Resorts.
A Guest can take a bus, or, depending on the Villa Resort, hop on a monorail, boat, or gondola to get to a destination. Often, a Theme Park is even within walking distance! Pick a Disney Deluxe Villa that is close to a Park you think you’ll spend a lot of time at (for example, choose an EPCOT Resort like BoardWalk Villas or Disney’s Beach Club Villas if you want to be within walking distance of both Disney’s EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Parks).
Usually, if you’re staying in a Disney Villa that adjoins a Disney Deluxe Resort, you’ll use the same boat dock, bus stop, and monorail stop as the Deluxe Hotel, which can mean a bit of an extra walk to get to and from your suite.
Bottom Line
A Disney Deluxe Villa Resort offers all of the luxury and amenities of a Disney Deluxe Resort, but with much more space (and suite conveniences) to enjoy. So if you’re having a family reunion or another large gathering at Disney World, a Deluxe Villa could be a perfect fit – especially if money is no object!
