Best Disney World Resort Hotels in 2025

Several of Walt Disney World’s over two-dozen hotels at Walt Disney World have construction projects, pool or room refurbishments, or are in need of those things in 2025. This was the basis for our Worst WDW Resorts in 2025 list, and it can make choosing the “right” resort for your vacation more difficult.

To help make things easier, we’ve created this list of the Best Walt Disney World Hotels for 2025, which is the counterpart to the above-mentioned ‘worst’ picks. This list covers accommodations that will be ‘uniquely good’ next year. It includes everything from familiar fan favorites to sleeper picks that normally fly under the radar with WDW diehards.

Each of these resorts makes the list for a specific reason due to future or current circumstances. They’re not necessarily our favorite resorts at Walt Disney World, but they’re deserving of consideration in 2025. For the first time, part of the ‘formula’ for resorts making this list is fan feedback, as we’re giving extra attention to resorts that our readers love and have mentioned most positively throughout this year. 

For example, there’s a lot of construction occurring in a couple different areas of Walt Disney World that gives us pause, and makes us more inclined to recommend an alternative resort in the same ‘region’ of Walt Disney World. That’s doubly true if that resort recently wrapped up its own reimagining and is isolated from those projects.

If you’re not worried about closures or construction, and are simply looking for how we rank the resorts at Walt Disney World without any special consideration for 2025, we’d recommend reading our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Hotels from Worst to Best. Honestly, that’s a better starting place than this list as it covers a wider variety of pros & cons and is just, generally, more comprehensive…

With that said, let’s dig into this list of the top resorts at Walt Disney World for 2025, starting with the top tier…

Polynesian Village Resort

After two consecutive years on our list of resorts to avoid, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort lands on the ‘best of’ list. This is because the new Island Tower at the Polynesian Villas is now open, having debuted in mid-December 2024. Until now, this was a massive construction site between the Grand Floridian and Polynesian that added visual blight and noise to the serene resort.

In addition to this project being completed, the other big reason the Polynesian makes the list is a return of top tier (or close to it) discounts. Already in 2025, we’re seeing discounts of 20% to 30% off at the Poly, which is fairly unprecedented in the last ~5 years. It’s ironic these deals are getting better as construction wraps up, but that’s often how it works. If anything, we might see even more deals specifically for the Island Tower as it’s still new and most of it is undeclared for DVC.

We’re not necessarily recommending the Polynesian due to what the Island Tower brings to the table. Because frankly, it doesn’t add a whole lot for regular, non-DVC guests of the hotel. Although the Wailulu Bar & Grill does look like an excellent and affordable place for a laid back meal. But otherwise, I’m more concerned about the resort infrastructure being able to accommodate hundreds of additional rooms and guests.

Rather, this pick is all about the lack of construction. At least, lack of Island Tower work. In a website alert, Walt Disney World warns of “Construction and Refurbishments Through 2026” at the Poly. For whatever reason, Disney doesn’t explain what this project is, instead pointing to “ongoing enhancements” that may impact views of the theme park and other surrounding areas.

This is necessarily a large project if it’s lasting through 2026, but it’s widely believed this is ongoing road work as part of the World Drive North project, relocation of the Polynesian’s main entrance, and creation of a roundabout connecting roads. Walt Disney World hasn’t officially announced any of this, but it’s supported by multiple construction permits.

It’s honestly odd that Disney wouldn’t explain that this construction revolves around roads, as we’ve heard from many readers who are reluctant to stay at the Polynesian in 2025 or 2026. These same worries probably wouldn’t exist if they knew it was infrastructure work on the opposite side of the parking lot, instead of construction to the resort itself. Perhaps we’re wrong and there’s more to it, but at this point, we have no hesitations in staying at the Poly next year. We’re excited to finally do so again, and recommend it to you, too.

Contemporary Resort

In the event that you’re still reticent to stay at the Poly in 2025 due to the nebulous nature of the years-long construction project, our top recommended alternative is the Contemporary. It’s the only monorail loop hotel that does not have a significant amount of construction scheduled.

Although we had hoped the Grand Floridian overhaul would be done long ago, it’s been much more involved than we expect. The big wildcard there is what happens with the main lobby building, which is not actually done (supposedly?). That could be done in the first quarter of 2025, or it could be a construction zone for the entire year. Either way, it’s too much of a wild card to recommend, even if we do love the new rooms at Grand Floridian!

Contemporary also makes the list because we’ve stayed here a few times this year and it has really grown on us. We still don’t love the Incredibles rooms, but we’ve been pleased with the value for money, and reminded of just how nice it is to walk to Magic Kingdom, take midday breaks, and have access to the Wilderness by boat. Finally, the food scene at the Contemporary is definitely better than it was a few years ago. See Our Favorite Hotel at Walt Disney World as Parents with a Toddler for more on the selling points of the Contemporary.

Riviera Resort

I’ll be honest with you: Sarah never agreed with how “harsh” our Disney’s Riviera Resort Review was, and suggested a separate rant about its lazy and boxy exterior, undercooked themed design, etc. that wasn’t part of the resort review. She was right, of course.

This is something I’ve learned over the course of our own subsequent stays and via reader feedback from guests who have actually stayed at the Riviera. While plenty of Walt Disney World fans agree with my criticisms of the resort as a work of themed design, most actual guests of Disney’s Riviera Resort love the property. There are few hotels about which we receive more positive fan feedback.

Admittedly, part of the reason I’m coming around to this perspective is also because we now have a daughter and I’m seeing Walt Disney World through the fresh eyes of a new parent. And those eyes see the compact layout of Disney’s Riviera Resort, its formidable dining lineup (plus easy access to under-the-radar dining spots at Caribbean Beach), easy transportation to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT–the list goes on and on.

It’s for these reasons that Disney’s Riviera Resort is on our short list for our spring family vacation, and I’m already planning a critical reevaluation of the resort, which it live up to expectations. Figured this list might be an appropriate time for a ‘sneak peek’ of that, especially with so many projects around Crescent Lake.

(Note: We don’t have enough space to include all of the DVC resorts that have excellent, recently-redone rooms and also don’t want to overrepresent DVC rooms on this list, but as always, you can score significant savings when renting Disney Vacation Club points. That should take the sting out of prices when planning your 2025 Walt Disney World trip!)

BoardWalk Inn

Speaking of Crescent Lake, the lone strong option in that actual resort district is Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.

Its multi-year reimagining project has refreshed the beloved turn-of-the-century promenade and interior, added new dining options, refreshed guest rooms, and more. This project is seemingly over, with The Cake Bake Shop finally opening (along with Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs). The dining slate at the BoardWalk still leaves something to be desired, especially with vacancies on the other side of the promenade, but there are plenty of options easily accessible around Crescent Lake.

As far as rooms go in the Crescent Lake Resort Area, the new rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn are our favorites. They aren’t perfect, as they prioritize a chic style over charm and whimsy, but they’re still very good. We’d rather stay in these rooms than their counterparts at Yacht or Beach Club. (Although the former is getting new rooms in 2025, so that could change!)

Caribbean Beach Resort

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort once again makes this list thanks to its status as the “Poor Man’s Poly.” There are so many ways that Caribbean Beach emulates Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which is a Deluxe tier hotel that costs triple the price. The island atmosphere, guest rooms, pool areas, waterfront locales, relaxed lobby, and more. Even Sebastian’s Bistro has serious ‘Ohana vibes…except it’s better and cheaper.

Speaking of imitators that are better than the real thing, the Skyliner is substantially similar to the monorail…but better and more reliable (well, outside of storm season). The Skyliner is the biggest of many recent upgrades at Caribbean Beach Resort, with two stations offering access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. This is great for easily accessing those parks within minutes, which is great for Early Entry and midday breaks.

With that said, we’re acknowledging reader feedback on this list, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that Caribbean Beach is polarizing. It gets a lot of praise, but is also one of the most complained-about resort among guests. It’s very much a love-it-or-hate-it hotel, likely due to the internal bus loop that makes getting to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom time-consuming. Guest rooms are smaller, not as well-appointed, and many fans criticize their condition. Other readers aren’t fan of the dining scene (how?!) and the sprawling nature of CBR continues to draw complaints.

Obviously, we do not agree with these complaints, but figured they’re worth sharing. For our part, we think there are few better bangs for buck at Walt Disney World than the ‘Under the Sea’ rooms inspired by the Little Mermaid. These are DVC-caliber accommodations at a Moderate Resort price. We’d recommend Caribbean Beach across the board for 2025, but especially the Little Mermaid-inspired rooms.

Port Orleans French Quarter

If you want the Moderate Resort that gets the most positive reader reviews, Port Orleans French Quarter is it.

We recently wrapped up a stay at POFQ–the first in a few years–and were pleasantly surprised by the dining scene, new rooms, transportation, and compact layout. We have a newfound appreciation for the last two items on that list now that we’re parents, but this is something French Quarter fans have praised for years. The smaller footprint and single bus stop makes POFQ significantly more walkable and approachable than its sister hotel, Port Orleans Riverside…or any Moderate Resort, for that matter.

The one thing about which we should warn you is the ongoing refurbishment project, which is fairly large scale in nature and won’t wrap up until Spring 2025. This is precisely why POFQ also made our ‘Worst WDW Resorts for 2025’ list, and why we wouldn’t stay there before May 2025. After that, it should be a great option worthy of consideration.

Chronos Club in Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs

Gran Destino Tower is one of my preferred resorts for a slower-paced trip where locations doesn’t matter because it punches above its weight and offers Deluxe-caliber quality and amenities at a Moderate-plus price. And within Grand Destino Tower is Chronos Club Level, which offers one of the best luxury-level concierge lounges in all of Walt Disney World–and the only one in a Moderate Resort.

As you might’ve surmised, Gran Destino Tower offers unparalleled value for money. I can almost always find availability on the various Annual Passholder or other discounts, and it’s often bookable relatively last-minute (not true of Chronos Club) so long as there’s not a convention or group event in town.

Gran Destino is like a Las Vegas-lite or convention-centric hotel. Almost all of the amenities you need under one air-conditioned roof, with excellent dining and lounges (Toledo is the biggest/best sleeper restaurant at WDW), a fitness center, and more. Additionally, the main food court, convention center, and even the bus stops are all pretty close and under covered or indoor walkways. This makes it great for couples or solo travelers, which is why it’s one of my go-to picks for research trips. (Nothing like enjoying a late night burger by myself at Three Bridges!)

As such, Gran Destino Tower is now our #1 mid-range hotel recommendation for an adults-only trip to Walt Disney World or for honeymooners who are on a budget and aren’t particularly concerned with a richly-themed environment. For families, it’s hard to see the appeal of Gran Destino Tower for a variety of reasons (including the aforementioned Vegas-like characteristics). So this is not a recommendation at all for most readers, but it’s a pretty strong one for a subset of you!

Pop Century Resort

A perennial favorite, it no secret that we’re huge fans of the value for money that Pop Century offers, going so far as to (spoiler alert) award it the #1 slot on our objective list of All Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Ranked From Worst to Best. Controversial to put a Value Resort in the top slot, we know, but it costs a fraction of the price of Deluxe Resorts.

We love Pop Century thanks to its mix of bang-for-buck, food court variety, transportation, and overall atmosphere. At the Value Resort tier, it’s very strong as compared to the All Stars, and offers significantly lower prices than Art of Animation. Pop Century is also a sentimental favorite that has only gotten better thanks to its new rooms and the Skyliner.

For us, part of the increased appeal also comes thanks to increased prices at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Even as much as we love Caribbean Beach, that resort has become a tougher sell for us because it’s simply so expensive. On a positive note, Pop Century is a 5-minute “flight” from Caribbean Beach, and a delicious dinner deal at Sebastian’s Bistro!

Ultimately, there are a lot of great accommodations options for 2025 Walt Disney World vacations. Many room refurbishment and reimagining projects wrapped up this year, and even more will conclude at some point next year. There are also a ton of recently-redone resorts that we either unintentionally snubbed due to space or deliberately due to not being fans. Many of those will appeal to others even if they’re not our favorites.

The good news is that after years of half-hearted and bland designs that supposedly “modernized” (but really just genericized) Walt Disney World resorts, Imagineering has had hit-after-hit on the room redesign and reimagining front. Even more good news is that, despite price increases, the effective costs of most resorts and travel dates are down year-over-year due to significantly increased discounts!

Finally, I want to add the caveat that these are our picks for the best resorts at Walt Disney World, but nothing is one-size-fits-all advice. If you have a bunch of totally different resorts on your shortlist but none of these, don’t be discouraged–so long as your logic is sound and makes sense for your family. As always, we’d recommend requesting a FREE no obligation quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and having them book for you. They can offer you personalized recommendations based on your priorities and circumstances, as well as assistance with the planning process, and monitoring reservations to retroactively apply new discounts if a deal is released to save you more money.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Which hotels are your top picks for 2025 at Walt Disney World? Any resorts on our list that you would or would not recommend? Any other resorts we snubbed? Do you agree or disagree with our choices? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!