Disney Resort Kitchen vs. Kitchenette: What’s the Difference?

In addition to standard hotel rooms, many of the resorts at Walt Disney World feature “villas.” Villas are rooms that are part of the Disney Vacation Club, though anyone may stay there. The villa rooms, plus rooms at two other hotels, all feature kitchens or kitchenettes. As you plan where to stay on your vacation, knowing the difference can ensure that you make the right choice of accommodation for your family.

First things first, here’s a list of the Disney World resorts that have some rooms with kitchens and some with kitchenettes:

• Animal Kingdom Lodge resort (Jambo House Villas and Kidani Village Villas)
• Beach Club resort (Beach Club Villas)
• BoardWalk resort (Boardwalk Villas)
• Contemporary resort (Bay Lake Tower)
• Grand Floridian resort (Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort)
• Old Key West resort
• Polynesian resort (Polynesian Villas & Bungalows)
• Riviera Resort
• Saratoga Springs Resort
• Wilderness Lodge resort (Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins)

Additionally, these resorts have some rooms with kitchenettes, but none with kitchens:

• All-Star Music
• Art of Animation

Also note that the treehouse rooms at Saratoga Springs, the bungalows at Polynesian Village, and the cabins at Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge all have full kitchens.

In general, the kitchens have appliances, dishes, and cookware that you might find in a home, whereas the kitchenettes have appliances, dishes, and cookware that you might find in a dorm or temporary living space. Here are the specifics:

Refrigerator

• Kitchen: Full-sized unit with freezer.
• Kitchenette: Compact, dorm-sized unit. Some may have a freezer compartment, but most don’t.

Microwave Oven

• Kitchen: Yes
• Kitchenette: Yes

Conventional Oven

• Kitchen: Full-sized oven with broiler capability
• Kitchenette: None

Cooktop

• Kitchen: Four burner electric cooktop
• Kitchenette: None

Dishwasher

• Kitchen: Full-sized dishwasher
• Kitchenette: None

Sink

• Kitchen: Full-sized sink
• Kitchenette: Small bar-sized sink

Clothes Washer/Dryer

• Kitchen: Full-sized stacked washer/dryer in room
• Kitchenette: None (though these are available elsewhere on property)

Flatwarehttps://touringplans.com/blog/disney-resort-ki…s-the-difference/

• Kitchen: Reusable metal knives/forks/spoons
• Kitchenette: Single use, individually wrapped, plastic knives/forks/spoons

Plates/Bowls

• Kitchen: Reusable ceramic plates and bowls
• Kitchenette: Single use paper plates and bowls

Mugs/glasses

• Kitchen: Glasses, including wine glasses, in several sizes plus ceramic mugs
• Kitchenette: One size of glasses and ceramic mugs in some units, only single-use paper cups in others

Knives

• Kitchen: Metal table knives, plus steak knives and several sizes of sharp kitchen knives
• Kitchenette: Single use plastic only

Pots and Pans

• Kitchen: Frying pan, sauce pan, pasta pot with lid
• Kitchenette: None

Toaster

• Kitchen: Standard two-slice toaster
• Kitchenette: Standard two-slice toaster

Coffee Maker

• Kitchen: Yes, size and brand vary by resort
• Kitchenette: Yes, size and brand vary by resort

Miscellaneous cookware

• Kitchen: Baking sheet, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, spatula, more
• Kitchenette: Can opener, bottle opener, cork screw

Dish towel, paper towels, and sponge

• Kitchen: Yes
• Kitchenette: Yes

If you have a medical need to prepare your own meals, or if you’re visiting Walt Disney World for an extended stay where you don’t want to indulge in frequent restaurant dining, then you might want to make your room/resort selection based on the availability of a full kitchen. Most quick breakfasts, snacks, and sandwich making can easily take place in a kitchenette.

The units with full kitchens are typically much larger than those with just kitchenettes (though the Art of Animation suites have kitchenettes only and rival some of the one-bedroom villas with full kitchens in terms of space and other features). If your party needs extra space, then a full kitchen might be a happy accident of your booking. However, the full kitchen units are typically much more expensive than those with kitchenettes, which are in turn typically more expensive than standard hotel rooms. If you don’t need the space or full cooking capabilities there’s rarely need to pay the higher rate for these accommodations.

Have any other questions about kitchens and kitchenettes? Let us know in the comments.

 

First published February 18, 2021. Updated September 8, 2021.