So with all these choices, the only difficult part is determining which option best suits your family. To help you make a selection, we put together this overview of the most popular options.

Value Resorts
Disney World Value Resorts are the cheapest option for visitors looking for a standard hotel-type room. But even though the price per night is more affordable, they still have a nice list amenities. Room refrigerators, laundry rooms, and shuttle service are just a few of the features you’ll find at a Value Resort.

Disney’s Pop Century Resort is the best value resort option in my opinion. The building was renovated in late 2010 and some of the fun features include multiple pools, expansive food court, and perhaps the best location to catch the shuttle bus.

Moderate Resorts
Stepping up to a Disney World Moderate Resort is comparable to upgrading from a Holiday Inn to a Marriott. Everything about them is generally one notch higher on the quality scale. The locations are generally more desirable, and you’ll notice service upgrades like a concierge station and business rooms.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort is a good one to consider when shopping moderate resorts. The surrounding landscape offers a variety of outdoor activities and shopping destinations. The Doubletree Lagoon will keep your kids entertained for hours with the big waterslide, park area, and biking trails.

Deluxe Resorts
Rooms in this category are more what you would expect from a typical vacation resort. They are by themselves a unique vacation destination and are perfect for group outings. Most Disney World Deluxe Resorts have multiple restaurants inside the building as well as banquet and meeting rooms.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is one of the most famous resorts in Orlando. Here you’ll wonderful views of Cinderella’s Castle, supervised children’s activities, and watercraft rentals. Attractions include the beach, water slides, 2 swimming pools, and easy access to shopping.

Delux Villas
The “cream of the crop” choice for those with an appreciation to detail, the Disney World Delux Villas provide the best Disney has to offer. Choose from one and two bedroom villas to have plenty of space to stretch out on your vacation. Multiple pools, balcony views, and room service are some of the features provided at this level.

Bay Lake Tower balances a luxurious experience with warm and modern features. Every detail has been covered, including the amazing swimming pool, which has a fun water slide wrapped in an intriguing glass block. The luxurious rooms, which are the size of a two room suite, are fully furnished with modern pieces to provide the feel of city living in paradise. Enjoy fantastic views of the Magic Kingdom right from your window.

Camping and RV Options
Yes, believe it or not there are campgrounds you can stay at while visiting Disney World. And just like the rest of the theme park you’ll find the Disney magic extends out to the wilderness. Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort has four different campsite options to choose from. The most basic is the tent or pop-up campsite with the basic electric, grill, and picnic table. From there you get into campsite tiers with full hookups, larger capacities, and preferred locations. Overall this is a very affordable way to enjoy Disney World.

Rental Homes
Another option for off-site accommodations is renting a house or condo. This can be an ideal fit for large families or instances where two families travel together. There are plenty of rentals to choose from in the Orlando area, and you can shop by price and/or distance to the Magic Kingdom.

Now it should be noted that although you can make it around without a car, there are several advantages to having one. Traveling between the theme parks, hotels, and restaurants will involve a significant amount of walking. While the shuttle services on this page help avoid some of this, you have a great deal more flexibility by having a car available.

There are two types of shuttle service available to and from the Disney World parks. The preferred option is the resort transportation system. Access to a combination network of shuttle buses, monorail, and boats will deliver you from your resort hotel to all park entrances and throughout the main destinations at Walt Disney World. This service is included with your stay at any of the Disney resort hotels.

The second option for shuttle service is to stay at one the Disney World Good Neighbors Hotels. Properties that participate in this program provide their own transportation to and from Disney World. The good news is this service is free and you will likely save money staying off-site, but the bad news is these shuttles can have major limitations depending on where your stay. Some hotels run a very basic service and schedule, with a short list of drop-off locations. So while they will get you to Disney World., you can expect to do some walking once you get there.

Here is a list of Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels:
Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration
Sheraton Safari Hotel Lake Buena Vista
Buena Vista Palace Lake Buena Vista
Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Lake Bryan
Radisson Inn Lake Buena Vista
Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort
Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort
Caribe Royal Resort Suites
Summerfield Suites by Wyndham
Sheraton’s Vistana Resort
Courtyard by Marriott at Vista Center

If you are adamant about not renting a car and want to limit the distance between you and the major attractions then your best bet is to stay at either Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort or Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The Contemporary Resort is the only hotel with a monorail stop right by the main lobby, and the Floridian has the closest proximity to the Magic Kingdom.

Both events will draw thousands of runners and their families to Disney World, making these weekends the busiest times to visit the park in January and February. With that, it is no surprise that you will have to dig much deeper to find discounts during these days.

As of today, the Walt Disney World Marathon is already 72% full and most of the secondary races like Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge are well on their way to being sold out. With demand for rooms being so high you can expect to pay a premium on the most popular travel days. For example, here are the best rates we found for a Value Resort during this time…

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Wednesday, Jan 4th $ 79.20
Thursday, Jan 5th $ 95.20
Friday, Jan 6th $ 95.20
Saturday, Jan 7th $ 95.20
Sunday, Jan 8th $ 79.20

As you can see, you’ll pay a $16 premium for stays during the key marathon dates. This percentage increases when you start to get into Moderate Resorts and higher.

Runners participating in Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend will pay even more for their accommodations. This year’s event coincides with spring break for some colleges, which of course increases the demand for rooms nights. Here is a peak at Value Resort rates during this weekend…

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Thursday, February 23rd $ 149.00
Friday, February 24th $ 174.00
Saturday, February 25th $ 174.00
Sunday, February 26th $ 129.00

Remember that these prices are for room nights only and do not include park tickets or marathon registration fees.

The best way to save some money on marathon weekend room nights is to compare rates at some of the off-site hotels and resorts. This can be a big trade-off though because you’ll have to deal with parking or shuttle service from the hotel. For many runners the hassle simply isn’t worth saving $10 to $30 a night.

The good news is that both marathons are fantastic events for the family. Each race has a host of special events that are fun for the whole family, with the added bonus of playing at Disney World during your stay. The private setting of the park makes both the Walt Disney World Marathon and Princess Half Marathon one of the best spectator races to participate in.

Visit the official marathon website for more information regarding registration fees, event schedules, and spectator access.

If you are planning your first visit to experience Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party then you are in for a treat. The park grounds are transformed into a winter wonderland, immersed in twinkling lights and holiday decor.

The actual Christmas party is a special event held in the evening on select dates (listed below). Your family will enjoy the sights and sounds of live entertainment, a holiday fireworks display, and the popular “Once Upon A Christmastime Parade”.

You’ll also see Cinderella’s Castle decorated with a picturesque display of white lights, Disney Characters dressed in jolly costumes, and a magical snowfall right on Main Street! All this in addition to usual attractions that are open throughout the year.

An additional ticket is required to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Ticket prices have increased from last year to between $57 and $63 per person (depending on the participant’s age and date selected). Tickets are available now and it we recommend purchasing them as soon as you know you dates since some dates do sellout.

Here are the official Christmas party event dates for 2011…
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011

Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011

If you are planning a 5 day visit to Disney World anytime during November 26 – Dec 1 or Dec 10 – 15, then you will qualify for one of the free dining packages available. A value resort package runs about $73 per person/per day, and a moderate resort package averages $89 per person/per day.

But Orlando has grown considerably in the past decade, and the major hotel brands have all opened dozens of properties within 5 miles of the Disney World theme park. This has provided more options and competitive pricing for customers who may have once considered Kissimmee. But does staying in Kissimmee, Florida still offer some value for budget conscious families?

The answer to this questions is yes…for the right family. Hotel rates are still a bit cheaper in Kissimmee. A recent search I did on Expedia compared two similar rooms on the same dates. The Kissimmee room averaged $85 over a 5 night stay while the Orlando room averaged $109, which is a total savings of around $125 for the vacation.
The best deals though can be found in upgraded accommodations such as home rentals and premium hotel rooms where the savings can be upwards of 50% off Orlando prices. You won’t find the same luxury options as you would in Florida but places like the Lighthouse Key Resort and Reunion Resort are still quite nice.

Still the real savings in Kissimmee are found within your daily activities. Everything from grocery stores to restaurants are priced cheaper here. There are also a number of less expensive attractions such as go karts, putt-putt, and amusement park rides in the Old Town area. All of this combined makes for a good family experience when you are finished with your day at Disney World.

So the bottom line on saving money at Kissimmee, Florida is to shop and compare. If you don’t mind the extra commute to DW then you will likely save at least 20% on your hotel reservations. Factor in the money you’ll save on food and attractions and it definitely makes sense for some families. The bargain hunter won’t save nearly as much as the luxury traveler so consider upgrading your accommodations to take advantage of the real savings.

Here are the details:

Save today when you book a stay at select Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts for most nights between June 15 to August 13, 2011.

This of course is the prime time for Disney World vacations with school being out for most kids. You aren’t likely to find many reduced prices during this stretch, so if you can afford to upgrade to a Deluxe Resort then take advantage of this offer.

There are some discounted rooms still available from the spring promotion, so make sure you investigate if you are visiting between now and June 14, 2011.

Deluxe Disney Resorts include:
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Beach Club Resort
Boardwalk Inn
Contemporary Resort
Grand Floridian Resort
Polynesian Resort
Wilderness Lodge
Yacht Club Resort

Deluxe Disney Villas include:
Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas
Bay Lake Tower
Beach Club Villas
Boardwalk Villas
Old Key West Resort
Treehouse Villas
Wilderness Lodge Villas
Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Details and Disclaimers:
Additional adult charges apply if more than two adults in a room at Disney Deluxe Resorts. No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required. Excludes suites and 3 bedrooms.

Check availability to book your stay online, or call (407) 939-7837 and ask for booking code M2X.