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Perks of Staying at a Disney World Resort

By , About.com Guide

Animal Kingdom Lodge. Photos © Teresa Plowright.

All the Disney World Resorts have plenty to offer, and bestow the same perks (listed below).

The Luxury Resorts are extraordinary: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, for example, is a stunning property, often appears in lists of Top Resorts, and is surely the only resort in North America to have a savanna, with zebras and giraffes. Special family activities, on-site nature guides, Kids Club, concierge level, and spa are also part of the scene at the Luxury Resorts.

The Moderate priced resorts tend to have large recreational properties. Port Orleans- Riverside, for example, has a playground, river with kayaking, bike rental, surrey-bikes, five pools including themed pool with bridge and slide.

Value-priced Resorts are just that, great value: busy places with fun themed decor.

And last but definitely not least: the giant Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground offers cabins and also the most economical way to stay on-property at Disney World.

All the resorts have lifeguarded pools; many resorts have fine dining restaurants, and/or restaurants with character meals.

Perks of Staying at a Disney Resort:

Disney's Magical Express - shuttle to/from the airport (free, indefinitely). Luggage delivery and on-property flight check-in, too.

Convenience Getting to the Theme Parks
The excellent free Disney bus system runs continuously between resorts and the theme parks and waterparks, and between the parks too. Note that the Disney buses to the theme parks run all day and night as long as the parks are open; typically, when other resorts/hotels have shuttles to the theme parks, these run only a few times a day. <p>Also: from some Disney World Resorts you can reach the Magic Kingdom by boat or monorail.

Extra Magic Hours
Every day, guests at Disney Resorts can beat the crowds at at least one theme park by entering an hour early, or staying for later evening hours. The very fun water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, offer morning Extra Magic Hour too.

Assured entrance to the theme parks
if the theme parks are over-crowded, Disney resort guests are never turned away

Package Delivery
If you make purchases in the theme parks, you don't have to schlep the stuff back to your resort

Dining Option
Guests at the Disney Resort can buy the Dining Option that can be added to the Magic Your Way base tickets for admission to the theme parks. The Dining Option is generally considered a good deal.

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