So we decided not to use a rental house because we had expanded our trip. This still left us with where to stay. We have stayed on property at Walt Disney World once before and it wasn't entirely a pleasant stay. However we figured that might give it another try if we found a good deal.
First thing you need to do when trying to figure which hotel you want to stay at is figure out which park you are likely to be at most. Walt Disney World is HUGE. Not like Disneyland which you can walk from park-to-park multiple times (or even from the park to the hotels). There are four major parks with distinctive feels to them and the resorts around them (Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom) plus the Downtown Disney District (retail, food, clubs, and other ways to part you from your money). There are also two water parks, and several impressive golf courses. All that to say, figure out what you are most likely to want to do a lot of and look at the hotels, resorts, condos, and many off-property "good neighbor" (non-Disney) hotels in that area. Don't worry there will be plenty of options for you regardless of your economic status.
As the title of this post states my family likes to be "in the bubble". That is an immersible experience where you stay on property, use the resort transportation, use a meal plan to eat at the fine establishments, and take advantage of the childcare that the resorts offer. We don't get into arguments after leaving the parks trying to find our way back to the rental house. We don't have to cook after a day of walking (miles and miles) around one or more parks. We try to book places at Disneyland (and WDW) that have mild theming so that you go back and have a place to unwind. After all you are around a stimulating environment all day give your senses a break.
Last time we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside which is decked out to look like a sanitized version of the Big Easy. This time we have a room saved at Coronado Springs. This is the convention hotel so the decor is very mild. This is a LARGE resort that is spread out around a lake. If you are at the far side you will have a mile or more walk to the main buildings where the food court and restaurant is located. This is a moderate hotel. However I can tell you that I have never seen a moderate that had such a consistent look to it. The buildings are designed after Southwestern and Mexican villages and the main pool has a pyramid with a waterfall and water slide. For smaller kids there is the playground and archaeology dig site that they can play at when you are resting away from the park, as well as a kiddie pool. I have never stayed there but I can say that from all the review, blogs, Trip Advisor posts, and conversations I have had, I believe this is the best choice for us.
Now for some honorable mentions of hotels we considered in other categories.
Art of Animation Resort.
Technically a value plus, this is the newest in Disney's value resort arsenal. The rooms are decked out in cartoon motifs such as The Little Mermaid, Cars, Princesses, or The Lion King. This continues out to the grounds where you can take your picture with various characters and have a drink at the Cozy Cone next to the pool. Also looked at Pop Century which looked great. The rates for these hotels are a LOT less than the other categories.
Animal Kingdom Lodge:
This is a deluxe resort located near Animal Kingdom. It is stylized with African and Indian decorations. The best part, you can get a room facing the Sahara and watch animals graze from the comfort of your balcony. They have an African inspired buffet, as well as a a higher end restaurant, Jiko. Don't worry there is a food court and plenty of kid and picky adult fare also. Another thing that I liked about this resort is that they have their own designated buses that are only for this hotel. That may not mean anything while you are reading this, but just wait until you are just wanting to get back to the hotel and put the kids to bed. This will matter.
