A Villa Holiday at Walt Disney World
Step Out of the Ordinary and into the Deluxe Disney Villa Lifestyle
Walt Disney World has no shortage of resort hotel accommodations across three levels of affordability and features (Deluxe, Moderate and Value), but there is a fourth level of accommodations that you don’t often hear about: the Disney Deluxe Villas.
If you’re a luxury traveler who prefers the convenience of Villa accommodations — and you’re planning a Walt Disney World vacation — a Disney Deluxe Villa is something worth exploring.
Cascade Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
Deluxe Villas are part of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) suite of accommodation, but they’re open to anyone
The Villas at Walt Disney World are part of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) group of properties, which is Disney’s version of time share (done right). Deluxe Villas are closely associated with the Deluxe category of Disney resort hotels. In many cases, Disney Deluxe Villas at Walt Disney World are integrated right into a Disney Deluxe Resort Hotel. In other cases the Disney Deluxe Villas have their own separate section on a Disney Deluxe Resort hotel property. And still in other cases the Disney Deluxe Villas are independent standalone resort properties in their own right.
No matter which of these options you may choose, Disney’s Deluxe Villas share a number of common traits and benefits that make them an excellent option for anyone looking for a Villa accommodation at Walt Disney World. Disney Deluxe Villas are a great alternative to a traditional Disney hotel room.
As a Disney Vacation Club Member myself, I know all of these Villas intimately. We stay at Disney Deluxe Villas and Disney Deluxe Resort hotels interchangeably and so I have first-hand insights into the benefits and relative merits of each.
You Don’t Have to be a DVC Member to Stay in a Disney Deluxe Villa
For non-DVC members, the good news is that you don’t have to be a Disney Vacation Club Member to stay in a Disney Deluxe Villa. This is true at Walt Disney World and every other location where Disney has Deluxe Villas, including Disneyland Resort in California and standalone Disney Villa properties in Vero Beach, Florida; Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Oahu, Hawaii.
Disney Deluxe Villas are available for booking just like traditional Disney Resort hotels right from the respective Disney website, vacancy permitting (See my 1923 Main Street page for a complete list of Disney travel websites). From a cost perspective, Deluxe Villas are in the same price range as a corresponding hotel room at a Disney Deluxe Resort.
But the Disney Deluxe Villas do offer a few unique differences.
Inside the lobby of the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.
What You’ll Appreciate About Disney Deluxe Villas
Having stayed in all of Disney’s Deluxe Villas I have my own personal opinions and recommendations about the Walt Disney World Deluxe Villas, which you can find here. But for the purpose of this post, I’ll share with you more about what differentiates Disney Deluxe Villas from Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels and why you might choose a Disney Deluxe Villa for your Walt Disney World Vacation.
The idea of Villa accommodations conjures up images of a relaxing ambiance with more freedom and amenities than what you’d find in an average hotel room. For the most part this is true about Walt Disney World Deluxe Villas — particularly at certain select locations. Generally speaking, however, Disney Deluxe Villas offer guests more flexibility in how guests can approach their Walt Disney World vacation, because Villas offer more amenities right in the room.
Dunes Cove Pool at Disney’s Beach Club Villas.
Disney has its own Villas and once you stay in one you may never go back to a traditional hotel room again
All Disney Villas come equipped with kitchen facilities — from kitchenettes in Studio Villas, to full kitchens in one-bedroom Villas and above. If you like the idea of the convenience and flexibility of being able to prepare your own meal and dine on your own terms with your family, then this feature alone may be enough to point you in the direction of a Disney Deluxe Villa. Laundry is another major consideration, particularly for larger families with kids. While all Villa accommodations offer laundry facilities on site, one-bedroom Villas and above usually have a washer/dryer right in the suite. This can be another check mark for many families who like the idea of having the conveniences of home in their vacation accommodation. Some Disney Deluxe Villas come equipped with TV screens inside the bathroom mirror, cleverly hidden Disneyfied Murphy beds and much more. If quiet convenience is what you’re after, then a Disney Deluxe Villa is a good option.
Convenience is really what it’s all about. Disney Deluxe Villas can be much more convenient for the traveler who prefers Villas accommodations, because they differ from hotel rooms by offering many conveniences of home. I often describe the Disney Deluxe Villas as being Disney vacation condos, complete with granite kitchen counters and undermount sinks in most cases.
The second bedroom in the Disney Bora Bora Bungalows features a queen size bed and pull-down murphy bed, along with a big screen TV and lots of storage options.
Some Top Picks Among Disney Deluxe Villas
For the ultimate in Villa accommodations at Walt Disney World, opt for an overwater bungalow at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The Bora Bora Bungalows are the pinnacle of guest accommodations at Walt Disney World in my opinion and a stay here will not disappoint. In a similar vein, you can opt for a Cascade Cabin at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Both of these Disney Deluxe Villas are standalone two-bedroom units that are essentially like having your own vacation home on Disney property. You won’t hear any noise through the walls here because you’ll have the ultimate in privacy and Disney Villa luxury in your own self-contained home. We never want to leave the building when we stay here.
Generally speaking, many Disney Deluxe Villas areas are quieter than staying in a traditional Disney Resort hotel. This is especially true for those Villas located in their own building (such as the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort or Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort) or where the Deluxe Villas have their own dedicated resort (such as Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa or Disney’s Old Key West Resort). In all of these cases, the lobby areas are less hectic, the pace is a little slower and the lifestyle just a little more relaxed (or a lot more relaxed in the cases of the standalone Villa Resorts).
Is it possible to enjoy a leisurely stay at Walt Disney World? It sure is if you stay at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort or Disney’s Old Key West Resort. You can read more about that here. On top of that, you’ll marvel at the sizes of the rooms and the relatively better value from a nightly rate perspective. So don’t overlook these hidden gems of Walt Disney World accommodations (and I haven’t even mentioned the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort).
Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation?
As a Luxury Travel Blogger and author of The Very Best of Walt Disney World Resort, I blog regularly about Disney vacations of all shapes and sizes.
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Mike Belobradic: The Finer Side of Disney Travel
Luxury Travel Blogger – Deluxe Disney Travel Specialist
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