Disney Springs Hotel Rankings
Walt Disney World’s seven on-site hotels in the Disney Springs Resort Area offer perks and a convenient walking distance location of great restaurants, shopping & entertainment. This list ranks the Disney Springs hotels from worst to best with pros & cons to help you choose which one is right for your family. (Updated November 26, 2021.)
Booking at these Disney Springs hotels is highly recommended. Not only are they on-site hotels at Walt Disney World, but they currently enjoy most of the same advantages as official Disney-owned properties. The big advantage right now is Early Entry (see our Guide to Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World), which all of these Disney Springs hotels offer.
Additionally, discounts are becoming increasingly difficult to find for Disney-owned resorts, making those even more expensive than normal. See Limited Hotel Availability at Walt Disney World for more info about that phenomenon. We expect that to continue being an issue through at least the first half of 2022…
The bigger upside in booking one of the Disney Springs hotels is pricing. Unlike the Walt Disney World resorts, discounts are currently being offered at all of these hotels–sometimes steep ones. Just going through their direct websites, we see rates for all of these hotels for under $150/night. If you use Priceline Express Deals for Walt Disney World Hotels, you can find even better discounts!
In terms of other updates, there is no reopening date for what used to be known as the Best Western Lake Buena Vista, which it appears will be rebranded when it does return. In addition to these rankings, here’s what you need to know if you’re booking a stay and considering the Disney Springs Resort Area…
One thing to note when pricing out any of these hotels is that most of them charge for parking and also have resort fees. Both practices (resort fees especially since everyone has to pay them–you can’t waive your rights to pool access and skip the fee) are really aggravating and exist so their base price seems lower on hotel booking engines.
Nevertheless, the final prices of all these hotels tends to be lower than other Walt Disney World hotels, making them attractive options for many guests. With that said, here’s how we rank the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels, taking into account total price, room quality & size, walking distance to Disney Springs, atmosphere & style, and the overall slate of amenities…
7. Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista – Part of the Hilton ranking last is probably a matter of expectations. On paper, you’d expect this to be the best hotel of the bunch. In the chained-brand hotel hierarchy, Hilton bests Holiday Inn, Best Western, DoubleTree, and even some Wyndhams.
You could make the case that this is also true at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, at least in the common areas. The restaurant selection is solid, and there’s a wealth of convention space for business clientele. However, the rooms are an unequivocal disappointment. They’re dated, worn, and out-of-place in a hotel bearing the Hilton name. Read and see more in our full Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Review.
6. Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista – We’ve stayed in both the tower and the garden wings here, and it’s a night and day difference. The tower is fresh, stylish, and features modern designs in luxurious rooms. On the other hand, walking to your room in the garden wings after entering the refreshed tower lobby feels almost like a cruel joke.
Since the hotel being discussed here is the garden version, the Wyndham does not rate highly. Updated amenities, character dining, and solid children’s activities help buoy this hotel, but it’s not one you’ll likely want to revisit unless you’re upgraded to the tower. Read and see more in our full Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Review.
5. Holiday Inn Orlando – While the rooms here are nothing special, there’s nothing wrong with them, either. Their highlight is the comfort of the bedding, which is far better than it has any business being at a Holiday Inn.
This hotel also scores points for its dining areas and pool. Again, these are all fairly forgettable and generically styled, but a fairly recent multi-million dollar overhaul has improved the hotel. Even if it’s nothing memorable, you also won’t remember it for being a disappointment. So there’s that. Read and see more in our full Holiday Inn Orlando Review.
4. Best Western Lake Buena Vista (CLOSED) – There’s one thing we really love about the Best Western Lake Buena Vista: its price. At the spur of the moment, we had to book a hotel room for an extra night on our January Walt Disney World trip. One day in advance, we were able to score the Best Western for under $100/night. In the past, we’ve gotten this hotel for $65/night (those days are probably over, but ~$90/night isn’t bad, either).
Everything else about the hotel I’d describe as satisfactory. Nothing to write home about, but no disappointments, either. The rooms are bland but not tired or worn. The amenities are fine but not memorable. And so on. We appreciate that the rooms here are larger and nicer than Disney’s Value Resorts, making the Best Western a good option when we want a hotel for a long weekend in the parks, with the room basically just a place to shower and sleep. Read and see more in our full Best Western Lake Buena Vista Review.
3. B Resort & Spa – B Resort is like a mix of modern and trendy, minimalist hotels. A little too large to be called boutique, B Resort still has something of a chic vibe (or approximates one to give un-hip people like me that impression). It’s definitely the most stylish of the Disney Springs hotels, and has an upstart atmosphere that makes it feel the least like a chain you could find in Anytown, USA.
The common areas and restaurant are inviting, convivial spaces. That probably appeals more to couples like us than it does families, but it’s a unique selling point. One thing that will appeal to everyone is the modern guest rooms and comfortable bedding. A definite plus, and one thing that pushes B Resort & Spa into our top 3. Read and see more in our full B Resort & Spa Review.
2. DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando – This hotel does one thing really well, but that’s an incredibly important thing: have huge suite-style guest rooms that offer space for guests to spread out. Oh, they also have freshly-baked cookies, so two important things really well.
If you don’t want want or need this large of a room, the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando is probably not for you. There are closer hotels that will offer you more value for money and better other amenities. It may seem odd to rank a “niche” hotel at #2, but we think that families needing more space is a huge demographic. Even though it’s just the two of us, we love these rooms as they provide a place to spread out. Read and see more in our full DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orland Review.
1. Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace – Spacious and well-appointed guest rooms with pillow-top mattresses; the new beach-entry pool, float lagoon and poolside bar; a dining and entertainment area on the first-floor; nicely-landscaped, resort-style grounds; convenient walking distance to Disney Springs. These are the main selling points of Buena Vista Palace for us, and what puts it on top of this list. While other hotels on this list offer some of these things, no others offer them all.
We’ve stayed here before and after Hilton took charge. We have loved all of our stays, but it’s definitely improved since Hilton took over and injected some money into further renovations. It is worth noting that several readers (both in the comments to our review and via social media) have reported less-stellar experiences. I don’t want to attribute that to the “transition mode” during the renovation project and write that off totally, but I’m also not going to penalize what I think is far and away the best Disney Springs hotel on account of experiences had by others. Read and see more in our Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Review.
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
Have you stayed at any of these hotels? Do you agree or disagree with our rankings of the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels? Any of these that you liked or did not like? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Have you been back to Wyndham Garden Lake since the wings were renovated? I know you mentioned in the comments you were going to but just wondering if you have yet as I suspect that might bump it up the rankings a few spots.
Thanks for the tips on using Priceline’s Express Deals. I was able to identify with a fair amount of certainty which Disney hotels were offering Express. I wanted to book The Swan and was able to do so with an Express Deal. I know I could have booked CBR for maybe $20 cheaper than The Swan, but I wanted to walk to HS (and Epcot) and avoid the Skyliner backup at the CBR in the AM during these abnormal times. The one draw back with The Swan is that Disney said it could take up to 72 hours to link to MDE. I am worried availability for resort guests will fill the Saturday I booked. We will see.
Wyndham Garden recently finished a remodeling of both it’s guest rooms & the pool area. I was very impressed during my June stay, which came about because my stay at the DVC Poly Villas obviously wasn’t happening.
Add in the fact that the walking time to the Disney Springs bridge was less than 5 minutes, and I was very content.
I did walk over to the B Resort to check it out, especially since it was the only other hotel on WDW property open at the time.
I didn’t see inside a room, but the Wyndham’s location & pool area were far, far superior to what was available at the B.
I was so happy I didn’t choose the B over the Wyndham Garden to save $10/night.
Just my humble opinion.
Was your stay in the main tower or the outlying garden rooms? I’ve stayed in one of the new rooms in the tower, but wasn’t aware that the garden wings had been redone.
I stayed in the garden wing closest to the bridge. They stated it had recently been refurbished and the room did look beautiful. Certainly better than I was expecting.
I found it to be a great option right next door to the Disney Springs Marketplace.
Nice, thanks for the heads up! Looks like we need to book a follow-up stay there…
Tom, would LOVE if you would do a ranking post on the Bonnet Creek resorts, as well as discuss (maybe a VERSUS post) on comparing BC to DS resorts. I’m always a bit confused on the BC resorts that offer the 60-day window and EMH perks–obviously, not right now–but they aren’t listed on the DS site that goes into those details, so I’m never sure. Also, a comparison of parking and resort fees would be amazing; granted, I know these are always subject to change, but would be a major consideration when booking.
Thanks for a good comparison review of the Disney springs properties. Unless Disney starts offering discounts on their on site properties, I am going to switch from Beach Club for a November trip.
However, being able to walk to two parks and use Disney buses for the others raise the concerns that the Disney Springs properties may have insufficient bus transportation to the parks. Can you provide a critique of their transportation as well?
Hi Howard! We have stayed at the Disney Springs Resorts many times. Their buses run every half hour. There are 2 buses, one for each side of Hotel Plaza Blvd. The buses go to DHS, AK, Epcot, and the TTC where you transfer to the monorail or take a boat to MK. Their pick up spaces are a little farther at the parks, but not too bad. I think their buses are nicer and more comfortable. We were planning to stay at our favorite resort, The Palace in 2 days, but unfortunately, they decided to wait another month to open.
Last November, we had originally booked a one-bed unit at the Doubletree for the four of us (daughter and her partner being 21). However, by the time we had added on the resort fee and parking, that was another $50+ per night, and then looking at the buses, I wan’t convinced they would be available when we needed them so that would have been another $20+ probably for half the number of days we were staying. Overall, it would have worked out as an average of $160/night.
When I priced up staying at a WDW value resort, this came in at around the same price but for two separate rooms, much better for “the kids”, plus with booking from the UK direct with WDW, we still received free parking on-site. As a bonus, the bus service to/from All Stars Music was also much better than I had seen reported.
Did one night at the Wyndham Garden Lake in the garden wing on my last night at Disney in Oct. 19. Cruel joke is an apt description. This must be where most of the Priceline bargain hunters are housed. Not a very pleasant experience. Never again. Wished I had been a fan of this blog then.
I checked the resort fees for all of these hotels…both of the Hiltons had the highest – $35/night. Best Western- the lowest at $14 and Holiday Inn – $22. The rest were somewhere in the middle. Resort fees should be illegal.
Do the Disney Springs Resorts have free transportation to the Disney Parks? If so, what modes of transportation are offered?
B resort has a terrible mold problem!! We asked to be moved to another room. We went to four other rooms before we were given one without a mold problem! One hall had one wall covered in mold. And the employees we talked to all seemed to be new in the job. We were there last week. July 2018. This problem won’t be fixed quickly.
As a family of 6 our options can be limited. I was pleased to look up Hilton Buena Vista Palace after reading this review and they have rooms that sleep 6! I know doubletree does as well, but I really like the pool and amenities at Hilton. But it’s a $30/night resort fee now plus $10/night for parking. Add in parking at WDW and the cost keeps adding up. But still a possible option for us so I’m glad I read this article!
If you happen to be a member of Costco, the Hilton BVP is one of the resorts available through their Disney packages. The price of the package includes the resort fee and self-park (valet is still extra), and you still get all of the Disney benefits (60 day fastpass+, free shuttle to all parks, and EMH). Our 7 night stay on a one bedroom suite with 4-day park tickets for 5 was about $3500. We thought that was a great value!
I’ve stayed at the Best Western Lake Buena Vista twice, just for a night before heading to my hotel on property. The staff is very nice, and the room was nothing fancy, but it was clean and the beds were comfortable. My biggest issue with this hotel was the air conditioning when I stayed there last December. Due to the humidity in Orlando, they keep the air conditioning locked on a certain temperature. This was fine when I was there last May, but it was perfectly miserable in December when the overnight lows were in the 50s. My mom and I thought we were going to freeze to death. I understand why they lock the A/C, but it’s extremely uncomfortable in the cooler months.
I totally agree about the a/c we stayed with a 1 year old last Jan and we thought we were all going to freeze to death in the night!
We stayed at the Buena Vista Palace February 2018 and I was extremely impressed. We were able to book with hotel points for 3 nights, and the pool area and common areas were fantastic. They have a Sunday morning character breakfast that is extremely inexpensive compared to those on property, and I was impressed with the food, as well! We typically stay on property and rent DVC points to stay at deluxe resorts, so I wasn’t sure how we were going to like it, but I would honestly recommend this hotel to anyone, and think the amenities, location, and price point can’t be beat!
Having stayed it nearly every resort on the list, I generally agree with the rankings. The only one I would disagree with it B, at which we have had two miserable experiences. The last stay we were assigned a room that had mold and water literally dripping down the wall in the hallway area (January 2018). We were then switched to a similarly moldy room, but no water at least. Our prior stay in 2017 also had a moldy room. Each of the rooms had been renovated, like the rest of the resort. It is important to add that each time we had Pricelined the rooms, and so it is highly likely we were assigned the worst rooms they have, and it was obvious. But, a heads up to anyone who might Priceline a 4-star hotel, you’ll likely end up with this one as it is frequently, usually, the cheapest “4-star” in the Disney Springs area, and you will likely be assigned a bad room. Because of the B, we no longer Priceline in the Disney Springs area. You get what you pay for.
All the upcharges / ticket price increases / parking fees… of the last few years is starting to bring out the pessimist in me. If the above mentioned price hikes are pushing people toward the DS hotels, how long before DoubleTree / Holiday Inn / Hilton start increasing their prices & fees, now that their occupancy is increasing??
I stated at Hilton Buena Vista Palace in January 2018 and was floored at the service and quality of the hotel! I was in the pool and jacuzzi nightly after long days in the parks. The room was spacious, comfortable and the ceiling fan was a nice touch! Breakfast was wonderful, and even included character meet and greets on Sunday morning. Would definitely be my first choice if staying off property.
I have a bit of nostalgia for this area; my first visit as an adult to Disney World (I was there with my parents around 1972 but barely remember that visit) I stayed in a hotel in the row next to what’s now Disney Springs, though it’s all changed since. The hotel was called the “Grosvenor” and out of curiosity I just tried looking it up, but it appears to no longer exist.
But it had buses running to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the TTC (neither Animal Kingdom nor Hollywood Studios existed yet on that first visit) and I don’t recall it being much less convenient than my later experiences with on-site hotels. No theming to the hotel, but it worked just fine for visiting the parks.
Although I haven’t experienced any of the current hotels in the Disney Springs area, I’d have to imagine it’s gotten even better (or at the very least no worse), at feeling like it’s inside the Disney Bubble. I’ve since joined the DVC so I’m unlikely to use third party hotels again, but I’d definitely invite friends to consider this area as a good option for a Disney World visit.
I knew it when it was called the Americana Dutch Resort.
Have you stayed at the Bonnet Creek resort yet? I’m curious how you would compare it to the Disney Springs resorts since they seem similar in an offsite-but-onsite manner.
I’ve stayed at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek and loved it. We ended up buying a timeshare at the resort which is next door. The hotel has a Starbucks inside and a few restaurants. The pool bar between the hotel and resort has pretty good food too, not the one closer to the hotel though (there’s two). There’s several pools to choose from at the hotel or resort. I personally think the lazy river is fun. I’ve never stayed at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista but am told Bonnet Creek is a little nicer.
My only experience with Disney Springs hotels is 2 nights at the Doubletree last fall. We needed a Raglan Road fix before heading to Universal for a few days (blasphemy, I know…sorry ). But I agree with the high ranking. Huge, nice, updated rooms. Reasonably priced. Great location. And I’ll never turn down a warm chocolate chip cookie!
Dear Tom, thank you for your wonderful blog. It has been a great help to plan my trips.
Do you know if the 60-day FastPass+ booking window in these hotels is going to be only in 2018 or also in 2019?