What’s in My Disney World Hotel Room?
So you’ve booked a stay at a Walt Disney World resort hotel. Yay you! You next thought may be to wonder what you might expect to find when you walk into your hotel room.
The quality of in-room amenities will vary depending on where you stay, but all of the Walt Disney World resorts have some basic room features in common. Here are the basics that every Disney World resort guest will encounter, no matter where they’re sleeping.
At least one television with remote control.
- Suites and multi-room villas will have more than one TV.
Free wireless internet.
- This long-awaited feature is a relatively new addition to the Disney hotels. There is Wi-Fi in the guest rooms as well as in the hotel lobbies and other public areas. The signal is not always top notch, but it’s a huge step forward over the former $10 per day wired internet situation that existed as recently as early 2012. Full Wi-Fi coverage in the parks is on the way as well.
At least one telephone.
- Suites and multi-room villas will have more than one phone.
Ice bucket.
- There are free ice machines available at all the Disney resorts.
A refrigerator.
ALL Walt Disney World hotel rooms now come with a small refrigerator in the room at no extra charge. Gone are the days of paying for fridge rentals in the value resorts.
A clock radio.
- Many room clocks now include a dock connector for an iPod or MP3 player.
Towels.
Regular hotel guests have an unlimited supply in their rooms. Disney Vacation Club guests using DVC points to pay for their room will have more limited towel access.
An iron and ironing board.
I’ve heard that some folks use these alien objects to neaten up their clothing after unpacking or doing laundry. I prefer to remain rumpled during my Disney World visits. 🙂
A hair dryer.
- These are usually wall mounted but may be found in a drawer in some deluxe rooms or suites.
A safe.
- Sizes vary depending on resort. Most will hold up to a 13-inch laptop. If you have larger items, bring them to the front desk staff, who can store them in the hotel’s safe.
Toiletries.
All hotels will have bar soap. Value resorts will have a shampoo/conditioner combo. Moderate resorts may have shampoo/conditioner combo or separate supplies. Deluxe resorts will have separate supplies, as well as possibly shower gel, body lotion, or other niceties. If you forget anything, the resort gift shops are well stocked with sundries.
Drinking cups.
- May be paper, plastic, or glass depending on the resort level.
A Bible.
- Courtesy of the Gideons.
An Orlando area telephone book.
- Useful sections may include restaurants, medical care, transportation, and non-Disney entertainment and attractions.
Coffee maker and supplies.
- Standard equipment in moderate and deluxe rooms, as well as in value resort family suites. Not found in regular value resort rooms.
Hangers.
- There are usually at least half a dozen wooden hangers in the room. If you need more, just call housekeeping to ask.
A few other items can be obtained in any Disney resort room at no additional charge, upon request. These include:
- A Pack ‘n Play crib.
- Bed rails.
- Extra blankets and pillows.
- Specialized items for guests with medical needs, such as sharps containers or visual smoke alarms.
Beyond these basics, there are wide differences in the in-room amenities among the different resorts. The list above covers nearly everything you’ll find in a room at the All-Stars, while folks living the high life at the Grand Floridian get fluffy robes and chocolates on their pillows, and guests of the Disney Vacation Club villas have full kitchens in their rooms.
So, weary travelers, is that what you’d expect to find in every hotel room? Is there something missing from this basic list that you’d like to see? Does the addition of refrigerators at the value resort change where you’re most likely to stay? Let us know in the comments below.
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I have a Feb 2014 vaca booked at Pop Century (our first time to disney). Just fyi….there are no fridges in the rooms there. And in doing research this morning, I have not found any at any resort other then the multi bedroom suites at the more expensive resorts (ones with kitchens). So, my question is this….does disney still rent them? We will need one and trying to figure out the best low cost option! Please help….oh and flying so bringing one not an option.
There had been fridges at the Pop for while, but there was a manufacturer recall and they were all pulled out. They’re in the process of replacing them. The Pop should have a supply available upon request for guests who need them. Have you called the front desk of the hotel to inquire about this?
No. My travel agent told me that pop didn’t have them so I’ve been researching other options! She did give me a site where I could rent one.
Can you plug a portable burner of 1000W?
Portable burners are not allowed at any of the WDW resort hotels. Fire hazard. Having one in your room could result in you being asked to leave. Sorry.
You can request both building and room by number in advance. It may or may not happen. Never heard of anyone actually getting early check in to room easily but you can check in early and they will hold your luggage for later pick-up.
Is it possible to request early check in, preferred floors, extra pillows, etc in advance?
For those looking for your own private in-room hot tub, these are available but only in the 1-room Villas.
oops, that should read “only available in the 1 bedroom villas”
And don’t forget the 2 and 3 bedroom villas (and some of the suites at non-DVC properties!)
This isn’t really a question about what is in the room, but more about requesting a room. You guys are always great about giving advice so I thought I would ask here.
I checked in online at 10 days out for our upcoming vacation, but when I tried to select my room preferences, it told me I needed to call customer service instead. Is this common and is it worth calling or should I just suck it up with whatever room we get? We will be staying at Pop Century and I was hoping for a room in the 60’s so we would be close to the pool and food area.
It’s definitely worth calling. We often call to make room requests and have had good luck with this approach. For more info on this topic see: http://blog.touringplans.com/2012/04/18/the-art-of-the-disney-world-room-request/
and many of the rooms in the 1960’s buildings at Pop Century are now “preferred” rooms, with correspondingly higher prices. The only difference between a standard room and a preferred room is proximity to the main registration building.
I faxed the hotel my room preferences a couple of days before our visit, and on each occasion (twice) we got exactly what we wanted. I read somewhere that they don’t like you faxing now, but living in the UK its not practical (or cheap) to phone. We stayed in the 60’s block and never paid for a prefered room. We were however at the back (block 4), overlooking the lake (room 4460)so we had great views. It was in my mind the ideal location. Close to the pool (but not too close you could hear all the noise), close to AoA (so you could walk across the bridge, eat there, and it was another option for a bus back from the parks), it was quiet, we had great views and only a few minutes walk from the main building. Would highly recomend!
On a recent stay as a hotel guest in a Studio at Bay Lake Towers we were thankful for the fridge and microwave. However we would have loved an electric kettle instead of a coffee pot. Called the front desk, were directed to housekeeping, and were told it would not be a problem to provide a tea kettle and that one would be brought up to or room shortly. We returned hours later to find a shiny new stove top tea kettle had been delivered to our room. Our studio. Our small room with only a microwave, a fridge, and a coffee pot.
We searched the room thoroughly, and each time we counted the number of stoves. Each time it was zero. We were laughing quite a bit about it by now. Laughed even more as we tried to explain what we wanted to the front desk, and to very helpful sales people at downtown disney. No electric kettle was ever found, and no stove was brought to our room. We did however learn to enjoy coffee on our balcony.
My husband is really picking about his coffee…french press of something. I don’t drink it, have no idea really. Anyway, that was the 1 and only thing he added to our packing list was our electric kettle!
What is the size of the small fridges?
It’s you standard size small fridge. Just picture the college fridges you see in bed bath and beyond. You don’t really use it too much except to maybe store left overs or water, it’s great for keep the water bottle cold
The fridge is a must for us. My kids take medicines that need refrigerated and eat special diets so we have to have a fridge. I always thought the add-on charge at the Value Resort was a little steep so I am very glad to hear they have dropped this and made a fridge a standard part of the room.
I’m honestly on the fence when it comes to Wi-fi on vacation. We stayed at the Polynesian last fall and didn’t have much issues with it – just the fact that all of a sudden we needed to be on our iPods while on vacation at Disney. It’s convenient if you need it, but sometimes I think I’m better off without access because then I won’t feel the need to check my e-mail for no reason. 🙂 Love Wi-fi in the parks because now I can access Lines without needing an iPhone. 🙂
Ditto on the iron and ironing board. That’s what my steam dryer is for! My then four-year old son had to ask my what the ironing board was when I set it up since it is used so rarely in my house.
I’ve stayed in four different Disney resorts this year and the Boardwalk (I was in the Villas, not the Inn) offered the worst Internet connectivity by far. It was usable mid-morning and during some parts of the afternoon, but early morning or right after the parks closed for the day it was pretty much worthless (reminding me of the old dial-up Internet days). The All-Star Sports resort was best and most reliable (though I stayed there at an off-peak time, so there may have been less people online), followed by Coronado Springs, where it took a couple attempts to connect, but once online my connection was solid and reasonably fast. The Wilderness Lodge connection was better than the Boardwalk, but not quite as good as I saw at the other hotels. So, in this completely unscientific study, there’s a 75% chance you’ll have a reliable Internet connection in your room.
With regard to paying $10 a day for hotel Internet access, I’d suggest that isn’t a great investment. If I needed to be sure of an Internet connection (for business or other reasons) and traveled a couple times a year, then I’d invest in a mobile hotspot. That would give you wireless Internet access wherever you were.
Which mobile hotspot and what plan would you recommend? Thanks
I have a mobile hotspot on my iphone, which works well. I also have the Verizon MiFi, which AT&T has a comparable device/plan. They both work well – it’s just like carrying another cell phone. That’s why I use my iphone for a hotspot or just use my own cellular plan if the WiFi isn’t reliable. It doesn’t cost that much to us my own.
Just for another point of view, we stayed in the Boardwalk Villas last December and had no issues with the wireless internet connection. And we used it mostly in the evenings, after we had come back from the parks. Maybe it was having temporary problems for Bob, but for us, it was just fine.
This is a great listing of what to expect! One thing that would be super helpful in the Unofficial Guides is an updated table of last renovations timeframe at each of the resorts. It’s really disheartening to save up for a vacation, only to find that you’re staying in a great hotel that is unfortunately coming up for renovation.
Additionally, I noticed in the 2013 guide that descriptions of the updated decor and much improved rooms (IMO) at the Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend (POR) and Old Key West are very lackluster. Which makes me question if you’ve reassesed the ratings for those hotels as well?
I totally agree! I would love it if the guide(or even another resource) had the room renovation timelines.
I would differ on the wifi point. I’d much rather pay $10 for a reliable signal, than the garbage signals in the resorts now. We stayed at Boardwalk a month ago and I lost nearly an hour a day trying to check on my business due to an unreliable signal.
Three words
Va
Ca
Tion
It pays the vacation bill…
Unfortunately, some of us who work for ourselves still have to take care of business stuff while we are on vacation in order to afford to pay for the next vacation (or pay off the current one depending!)