It’s time once again to take a look at inexpensive
options in or around Walt Disney World to augment your vacation
experience. Things that you might do on
your own or with your traveling companions that are FREE or close to being
free. Today we'll take a look at some of the fun and enjoyment to be found
throughout the various Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World.
Like the theme parks, Disney’s resort hotels are all highly
themed and beautifully maintained. Some
of the resorts’ lobbies and public spaces are truly gorgeous. Just as the price level differentiates the
hotel offerings and amenities, it can separate the level of thematic elements
and detail – BUT – that doesn’t mean that only the Deluxe or Moderate hotels
are worth exploring!
The Value Resorts (Disney’s All-Stars Movies, Music &
Sports, Disney’s POP Century, and the newest value category resort Disney’s Art
of Animation) all have their own unique stylings, and are well worth a
visit. The over-sized icons, graphics
and elements that convey the overall theme of each resort are beautiful, and
great for photo opportunities. Some of
my favorite design elements can be found at POP Century and All-Star
Music!
As you move up the price chain, the level of landscaping
and overall building design increases. All
of the Moderate and Deluxe resorts, especially, have extraordinary theming and
are well worth a visit. In the Moderate
realm, Disney’s Port Orleans and Disney’s Coronado Springs resorts, and in the
Deluxe realm Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Polynesian and Disney’s Grand
Floridian resorts do an exceptional job of utilizing theme appropriate-landscaping
to augment and convey and evoke the locale and time period represented. Personally I feel that two of the Deluxe level
resorts go well above and beyond exceptional in creating evocative environments,
and fully immerse the guests into the environment being conveyed – Disney’s
Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Both of these resorts are absolutely
breathtaking.
The pools the various resorts are delightful: at Coronado Springs the pool looks like a
Mayan ruin; Stormalong Bay at the Yacht & Beach Club includes a huge
"shipwreck" containing a water slide, and is one of the largest sand
bottomed pools in the United States; at the Wilderness Lodge follow the “spring”
in the lobby and watch as it passes under a bridge, then cascades down a
waterfall passing under another bridge, appearing to go into the pool and then
down into the adjacent Bay Lake!; at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani
Village, there is an entire pool / water play complex known as Uwanja Camp
where fanciful fountains, flowers and other devices spring to life dousing
guests; at Disney’s Polynesian guests can slide down through a volcano! There are so many terrific designs just in
the pools alone, that you’ll want to explore each one. (Note that pools are for use of the
registered hotel guests
Each of the resorts offers an array of free or
nominal-fee activities. Check the lobby
upon your arrival to see if anything appeals to you. Some resorts even offer free tours, whether
you are a guest of that resort or not, such as Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s
Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Grand Floridian and others (usually in the
mornings, so get there early if you are interested).
If you are staying on property and don’t have your own transportation,
simply use the FREE Disney transportation to get to your chosen
destination. You won’t be able to get to
a resort directly, but the journey is part of the fun, right? Take a bus (or boat, or monorail) from your
resort to the nearest theme park, water park, or Downtown Disney, and then
transfer to a bus going to the resort you’re looking for. Or if you do have your own wheels to get
around, simply drive to your resort of choice and you can get a FREE 3-hour
parking permit from the gate attendant.
Now go out and enjoy looking around!
Disney's POP Century Resort®
first opened at Walt Disney World® Resort, originally planned
to open in 2001, finally opened on December 13, 2003 (after delays caused by
the tragic events of 9/11 and the following drop in tourism and further
construction delays in 2002. The resort
is themed to celebrate the decades of the 20th Century, and is
filled with all kinds of popular references, icons and imagery of the century
(thus the name POP Century). .JPG)
The resort is comprised of 5 sections, representing the 1950’s,
‘60’s, ‘70’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s. Each section is decorated and themed with its’
own oversized icons – such as a giant jukebox and 45 rpm records for the
1950’s; giant “Baloo & Mowgli” figures from Disney’s ‘60’s classic film, The Jungle Book; giant Mickey Mouse Phone, giant Big Wheel and
8-track tapes representing the ‘70’s and so many more. The resort is designed with exterior doors
and staircases (which are also themed with coverings such as giant bowling pins
or Rubick’s Cubes)..JPG)
Disney’s POP Century Resort® features a total of 2,880 guest rooms, each
accommodating up to 4 guests, plus one child under 3 in a crib. All rooms have
either 2 double beds or 1 king-sized bed.
Disney's Art of Animation Resort®, an all-new resort located at Walt Disney World® Resort, premiered on May 31, 2012 with the first of four phases opening on that date. It is located on the site once planned for the expansion of Disney’s POP Century Resort®, but plans for that continued construction were abandoned following the attacks of September 11, 2001. It is the first new value-level resort built since Disney’s POP Century Resort first opened in 2003.
The resort is comprised of 4 sections, representing Disney’s classic animated films “The Little Mermaid”, “The Lion King”, and Disney*PIXAR films, “Finding Nemo” and “Cars”. Each section is decorated and themed with its’ own oversized icons – such as the various car characters from the Cars films, super-sized coral from Finding Nemo, gigantic clam shells, pride rocks and many more. In a change from the other value-level resorts, the Art of Animation is designed with rooms having interior doors and sealed hallways rather than exterior doors. Emergency staircases are done in the same exterior fashion as the other value-level resorts (and are themed with coverings such as giant pride rocks, coral, or super-sized dock pilings).
The resort includes a themed pool, “The Big Blue”, a quick-service food court: Landscape of Flavors; and lounges, poolside snack bar, The Drop Off Pool Bar and in-room pizza delivery service. 
.JPG)
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort® first opened at Walt Disney
World® Resort on January 15, 1999. It
was the third of several similarly designed resorts that make up Disney’s Value
Resort category. As the name implies, it
has a cinematic theme, with gigantic icons from classic moments in Disney's
motion picture library – from Fantasia to the Disney/Pixar Toy Story
films. .JPG)
.JPG)
The resort is comprised of 5 sections, representing Rock & Roll, Jazz, Calypso, Broadway theatre, and Country. Each section is decorated and themed with its’ own oversized icons – such as a drumkit, super-sized maracas, gigantic boots and top hats and many more. The resort is designed with exterior doors and staircases (which are also themed with coverings such as giant bongo drums, or super-sized amps). .JPG)
The resort is comprised of 5 sections, representing football, baseball, basketball, tennis & surfing. Each section is decorated and themed with its’ own oversized icons – such as a giant baseball scoreboards, oversized lifeguard stations; giant tennis rackets and so many more. The resort is designed with exterior doors and staircases (which are also themed with coverings such as giant tennis ball cans or supersized footballs). 
Disney's POP Century Resort® first opened at Walt Disney World® Resort, originally planned to open in 2001, finally opened on December 13, 2003 (after delays caused by the tragic events of 9/11 and the following drop in tourism and further construction delays in 2002. The resort is themed to celebrate the decades of the 20th Century, and is filled with all kinds of popular references, icons and imagery of the century (thus the name POP Century). 
The resort is comprised of 5 sections, representing the 1950’s, ‘60’s, ‘70’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s. Each section is decorated and themed with its’ own oversized icons – such as a giant jukebox and 45 rpm records for the 1950’s; giant “Baloo & Mowgli” figures from Disney’s ‘60’s classic film, The Jungle Book; giant Mickey Mouse Phone, giant Big Wheel and 8-track tapes representing the ‘70’s and so many more. The resort is designed with exterior doors and staircases (which are also themed with coverings such as giant bowling pins or Rubick’s Cubes). 
