Hotels Near Disney's Magic Kingdom

Disney World Resort Hotels Near The Magic Kingdom

If you plan to visit Disney World and the Magic Kingdom is high on your list, you may want to consider the Disney hotels located near the Magic Kingdom.  These Disney World Resort hotels accommodations are primarily in the luxury category, but also include one value option too.  While the “value” options can still be more expensive than budget hotels outside the Disney World sphere, there are tangible and intangible benefits to choosing Disney as your host. Resort guests can access the park at special times called Extra Magic Hours and also get free parking at the theme parks. They are also the way to go for a 24/7 Disney immersion experience, helpful and unfailingly cheerful service, and convenient afternoon retreats for escaping the chaos and the heat.

Disney Hotels Near The Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom Resort Area runs the gamut from the height of luxury at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa to the simplest of accommodations at the Fort Wilderness Campground. Magic Kingdom resorts offer the most convenient access the Disney World’s most popular park, and many overlook the Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake and offer unparalleled views of the nightly fireworks shows.

The hotels near the Magic Kingdom offer great access to the park and special amenities.
The hotels near the Magic Kingdom offer great access to the park and special amenities.

Most resorts in this area are on the monorail line, providing a direct link to the Magic Kingdom or Epcot, while some offer boat passage to the Magic Kingdom. These resorts, like the parks, commit to their theme with impressive detail and offer a truly out-of-this-world experience. Find the experience and the budget that is right for you to take your Disney World adventure to the next level!

Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

The Grand Floridian is a luxurious and expensive resort modeled after Victorian-era resorts along the Florida coast. This is the flagship resort of Disney World, with its distinctive turn-of-the-century architecture topped with red gables along the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Guests step into the Grand Lobby, an elegant entrance five floors high decorated with gingerbread trim railings, a birdcage elevator, and two enormous chandeliers. Rooms are decorated in a similar style, with elegant two or four poster beds and balconies overlooking the lagoon or other beautiful features of this impressive resort. When they aren’t enjoying one of the theme parks, hotel guests can rejuvenate at the spa and health club, hit the fairway at one of Disney’s golf courses, or relax at the beach. Children can receive daytime or evening childcare at the Mouseketeer club, join Disney’s Pirate Adventure, or attend the Wonderland Tea Party.

Contemporary Resort

Disney’s Contemporary Resort is one of the original Disney World hotels, with a design and feel that manages to combine modernity and nostalgia. It sports an ultra-sleek lobby, and the monorail passes through the hotel’s main concourse. However, some of the design details, and the hotel tower itself, evoke the aesthetic and technology of the future as it was envisioned in the 1970s. This adds a bit of fun and Disney character to the otherwise impeccable resort.

Monorail service couldn’t be more convenient, and boat rides are also available to cross the water to the Magic Kingdom. Along with beach access, water sports and a fitness center, The Contemporary Resort is also the starting point for the rollicking Pirates and Pals Fireworks voyage, one of the best ways to enjoy the nightly fireworks display at the Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary falls into the category of deluxe resort, and can be pricey.

Polynesian Resort

In the middle of a hot and humid Florida summer, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine yourself in the tropical South Pacific. The Polynesian Resort makes it even easier, with lush tropical vegetation, traditional bamboo and rattan décor, and even a Polynesian torch-lighting ceremony every night to help set the scene. The lobby, or Great Ceremonial House, consists of a huge atrium, and just outside sits the heated Nanea Volcano theme pool.

This deluxe hotel features Polynesian-inspired dining, as well as the Spirit of Aloha show that showcases hula dancers and a fire-knife performer as you enjoy an all-you-can-eat family dinner. The Polynesian is on the monorail line for easy access to the Magic Kingdom or Epcot.

Wilderness Lodge

Wilderness Lodge plucks you from the middle of the Florida swampland and deposits you directly into the national park forests of the American Northwest. The seven-story lobby with its three-sided 82-foot-tall fireplace exemplifies the rustic beauty and simple luxury of this unique hotel. Teepee-topped chandeliers shine warm light onto the pillars of lodge pole pine, and the Native American and Disney themed totem poles that decorate this impressive space. A hot spring bubbles up into the lobby itself before flowing out into the Silver Creek Springs, Silver Creek Waterfall, and the Fire Rock Geyser.  It is great fun to watch the geyser spray water more than 100 feet into the air each hour. Wilderness Lodge is a tribute to the beauty of the great outdoors, but it has a pretty great indoors for those who like their rustic with a side of luxury. From the hotel, visitors can access the Magic Kingdom by boat and all other parks by bus.

Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground

For all the convenience of the deluxe resorts at a fraction of the price, frugal Disney World guests can choose to stay at the Fort Wilderness Resort. This resort offers two different forms of accommodation within its 750 acres of forest: tent and RV camping with access to basic amenities, and cabins for those who want to appreciate the rustic location in a bit more comfort.

Visitors traveling with RVs or campers will find full service sites at the campground for everything from cable TV to sewer hookups. Tent campers may utilize air-conditioned Comfort Stations for showers and laundry services. The Wilderness Cabins offer a cozy home-away-from-home experience, with beds for up to six guests and a fully-equipped kitchen. Guests can purchase groceries at the Meadow and Settlement Trading Posts, and there are several restaurants in the resort for those who prefer not to cook after a packed day of theme park adventuring. Wireless internet connectivity is also available to both campers and Cabin guests, and there are plenty of fun things to do at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.

Shades of Green

Shades of Green is the only resort at Disney world that offers accommodations exclusively to active and retired military personnel and their family. Those who qualify can enjoy extraordinary value at this deluxe hotel for a fraction of the cost of other deluxe Disney World options. The resort is nestled between the Magnolia and Palm Golf Courses, in relative seclusion from the other Magic Kingdom resorts. It offers a variety of fitness and recreation options ranging from swimming to tennis, and of course world class golfing right next door. Bus service is available to take guests to all other Disney World locations.