This Hotel Upgrade Costs $31 But Is Totally Worth it in Disney World

Disney World has some great hotels and they make it pretty sweet to stay there!

Grand Floridian Resort

Disney offers you perks for staying at their hotels, like Early Theme Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours, advanced Lightning Lane booking, and free water park tickets, just to name a few. There are also occasionally promotions you can participate in, like Free Dining, where Disney will add a Dining Plan to your package for no additional cost. Pretty great, huh? But it all comes with a price point. We know Disney resorts can be pricey, but we’re thinking that this upgrade to your resort is totally worth it!

Upgrade to a Preferred Room

If you are staying at a resort that offers standard rooms and preferred rooms, such as Pop Century, you should think about upgrading to a preferred room. When we checked, it was an additional $31 per night, but note that this could change. So what do you get with that extra money?

Pop Century

In a standard room, you’ll have views of the resort or parking lot. In a preferred room, you’ll have views of “courtyard or landscaping,” according to Disney. You will likely be placed closer to transportation, the lobby, or dining areas.

Pop Pool

While this might not seem like that much, let me tell you that the convenience of being close to those things will be a game-changer, like when you are running to catch the bus to the parks or are walking back at night from a long park day.

Disney World Hotel Upgrades Fans Think We Should Stop Buying

Upgrade from a Moderate to a Deluxe Resort

This upgrade is a bigger jump in price, but for your party, it might be worth it! We took a room at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside, a moderate resort, and compared it to the same type of room at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, a deluxe resort. It was a $268 difference per night. We know this is a big difference, but hear us out…

Port Orleans Resort — Riverside

This might be a good upgrade for families who are looking to spend more time relaxing at the resorts. We can see more theming and more amenities at Deluxe Resorts. Deluxe resorts often have more pools and more dining options.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

They also get a perk that value and moderates don’t… Extended Evening Hours. That’s right, you get more time in the parks for free!

Learn More About Extended Evening Hours Here!

Choosing a DVC Room

If you are planning to stay at a Deluxe Resort, check to see if they have any Disney Vacation Club (DVC) rooms available. You do not have to be a DVC member to stay in these studios and villas. For example, a resort view room at Wilderness Lodge is $723 a night without any discounts applied. For that exact same price, you could stay in a deluxe studio at Boulder Ridge or Copper Creek, DVC properties located at the hotel.

Copper Creek Villas

With a studio, you get one bed, with a sleeper sofa and a kitchenette that includes a mini fridge and a microwave. This might be better for your party if you don’t need two beds like in the standard rooms. The kitchenette could be a big help!