Walt Disney World is the ultimate family vacation destination, but it is not solely built for families with young children! In fact, Walt Disney’s original vision for his first theme park, Disneyland, was for adults to have just as much fun as kids. Over the years, more and more adults have realized that it is entirely possible to enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation without the kids.
We all know at least one group of friends who make the trip to Disney World annually (you know, your aunt or your godmother who has the same group of friends that have vacationed to Disney World together every year since 1997). Maybe you yourself are the self-proclaimed “Disney adult” who has gone on more trips without kids than you have with kids (as I slowly raise my own hand). There are more adult-only groups visiting Disney Word than you might think!
No matter who you’re traveling with, one of the first steps in planning a Disney World vacation is picking your resort hotel. This can get tricky if you are on an adults-only vacation. If you choose to stay on Disney World property, which hotel is going to cater to your travel group better than the others?
What makes a Disney World Resort hotel adult-friendly?
- Multiple on-site dining options, including bars and lounges
- Resort-style amenities, including spas, fitness centers, and quiet pools
- Plentiful in-room amenities, including options like kitchenettes in Deluxe Villa rooms
Truth be told, there is something at every Disney World Resort hotel that adults will enjoy. Each hotel on Disney World property has pools, shopping, dining, and many offer multiple transportation options to and from the theme parks. But if you are on an adults-only vacation, perhaps there is something more that you are looking for in a hotel. Maybe you’re on a girls trip with your best friends, or you’re considering a honeymoon or anniversary trip with your partner.
Full disclosure: every Disney World Resort hotel caters to families. You’ll find guests of all ages across every hotel. There are no “adults only” resorts or “adults only” sections, like what you’ll find on every Disney Cruise Line ship. However, there are a select number of resort hotels where adults can find more accommodations that cater to their vacation style.
Perhaps you want a resort that includes several dining options, including bars and lounges. Maybe you are looking for a full-service resort and spa with all the bells and whistles. If those are the things you’re looking for, then consider the following hotels.
1) Disney’s Riviera Resort
Why adults love it:
- Excellent on-site dining with Topolino’s Terrace and Bar Riva
- Disney Skyliner access to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Among Disney World’s newer accommodation options
- Disney Vacation Club Villa options with home-like accommodations in select rooms.
Disney’s Riviera Resort is Walt Disney World’s newest resort hotel, opening in December 2019. This Disney Vacation Club draws inspiration from Europe and the Mediterranean, with a blend of modern and classic design. The “newness” of Riviera is certainly a draw, but the real reason adults should consider this for their stay has to do with two things: dining and transportation.
This resort features excellent on-site dining options. You have Topolino’s Terrace, located on the top floor of the resort, which offers a character breakfast and a signature dining option for dinner. Riviera is also where you’ll find Bar Riva, an excellent bar and restaurant space.
If you’re looking to spend time in the theme parks, Riviera offers quick and convenient transportation to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios via the Disney Skyliner. You can also take the bus to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. The grounds are beautiful, the in-room accommodations are plentiful, and overall, you can’t go wrong with picking Disney’s Riviera Resort for an adults-only vacation.
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2) Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Why adults love it:
- Deluxe amenities at Moderate Resort-level pricing
- Plentiful dining options, including a rooftop lounge, bars, and waterfront restaurants
- A quieter atmosphere with more adult overnight guests staying for conventions
With the recent addition of Gran Destino Tower, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort has quickly risen in rank as one of my favorite Disney World hotels. Still priced as a Moderate Resort, Coronado Springs has all of the fixings of a Deluxe Resort, complete with a fitness center, spa, and many dining options. This is primarily because Coronado Springs is the primary convention resort on Disney World property, so it needs to cater to that convention crowd.
This can be an asset or liability, depending on where you stand. Staying at Coronado Springs at the same time a convention is in town can certainly sour the “Disney vacation” vibes. But it will also skew the average age of guests staying at the hotel upward. Many young families are aware of how Coronado Springs caters to conventions, so they may choose to look elsewhere when picking their hotel.
You don’t have to leave Coronado Springs to find a good place to grab a meal. There are several restaurants around the resort, including table service dining at Three Bridges Bar and Grill and Toledo. You can also grab a drink at Dahlia Lounge. Coronado Springs has experienced quite the glow-up in the last few years, and I would totally recommend it if you’re looking for a resort to call home for your adults-only trip.
READ MORE: WHICH SEASON SHOULD YOU VISIT WALT DISNEY WORLD?
3) Disney’s Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
Why adults love it:
- Unique dining and nightlife with Scat Cat’s Club lounge and cafe
- Smaller resort with fewer guests means quieter vibes
- Relaxing boat transportation to Disney Springs
Another great resort option for those looking to save a bit without sacrificing on dining or other amenities is Disney’s Port Orleans Resort French Quarter. This resort is the smaller of the two Port Orleans resorts, the other being Port Orleans Riverside. The smaller size makes for quieter vibes all around, which might be ideal if you’re heading to Disney World on an adults-only trip – it makes for a nice break from the hustle and bustle.
Port Orleans French Quarter is home to Scat Cat’s Club, which offers both a cafe and a lounge. At night, you can enjoy live jazz music in the lounge while ordering from a full-service bar. When it’s time to head out from the resort, you can hop on a boat to enjoy a leisurely cruise to Disney Springs. Bus transportation is available to the four theme parks. The resort carries other unique touches adults may enjoy, like horse-drawn carriage rides and surrey bike rentals.
READ MORE: TIPS ON HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR NEXT DISNEY WORLD VACATION
4) Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Why adults love it:
- Ultimate Deluxe accommodations including a full-service spa and health club
- Top-tier on-site dining with Narcoossee’s, Victoria & Albert’s, and Citricos
- Monorail and boat service to Magic Kingdom, Monorail service to EPCOT
When you think of Deluxe Disney World accommodations, it doesn’t get much more elegant than Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. By all accounts, this is Disney World’s flagship resort, with all the bells and whistles you would expect from such a property. It offers a full-service spa called Senses, along with a health club and fully-decked fitness center.
Hungry? The Grand Floridian is home to some of the best restaurants in Disney World, and in one case in particular, one of hte best restaurants in Florida (don’t believe me? Check out it’s list of awards). There’s Victoria & Albert’s, a AAA Five Diamond Award recipient every year since 2000, Citricos, and Narcoosee’s. There’s also Enchanted Rose, a stunning Beauty and the Beast-themed lounge space where you can grab craft cocktails and small bites.
You can also look into booking The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the resort’s Disney Vacation Club wing that includes Studios as well as 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom Villas. These come with the added amenities of home, with kitchenettes in the Studios and fully-equipped kitchens along with washer and dryer in the Villas.
The Grand Floridian is also a quick Monorail ride or boat ride away from Magic Kingdom, with continuing Monorail service to EPCOT. If you have the room in your budget, it doesn’t get much more picturesque than the Grand Floridian.
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5) Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Why adults love it:
- The sprawling layout makes for a quieter atmosphere, and fewer day guests overall
- More subtle Disney theming makes this a lower-tier choice for young families who are likely to stay elsewhere
- Walking distance to or a leisurely boat ride away from Disney Springs
- Disney Vacation Club Villa options with home-like accommodations in select rooms.
Okay, some of you are laughing as you read this, I can tell. Hear me out: This is my underrated pick for a resort that is often overlooked but shouldn’t be! Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa is one of the more affordable Deluxe resorts that still carries all of the amenities you would want on an adults-only trip.
Some guests complain about the resort’s sprawling layout, but I see that as a huge plus – it makes for a far more quiet atmosphere. I stayed at Saratoga Springs once over Christmas, the busiest week of the year at Disney World, and it was dead silent around the resort! My personal favorite feature with Saratoga is how it’s walking distance to Disney Springs. This is perfect if you’re on an adults-only trip and you know you want to check out the dining and shopping scene at Disney Springs over several evenings.
And with that new drone show coming to Disney Springs in the summer of 2024, Saratoga Springs will suddenly be the resort to stay in. It’s finally going to get its moment in the spotlight!
READ MORE: TIMELINE OF CHANGES COMING TO DISNEY WORLD
6) Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts
Why adults love it:
- Fitness center on-site
- Walking distance to EPCOT and its Skyliner stop with access to other resorts and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Walking distance to Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and its nightlife options
- Great on-site dining like Yachtsman Steakhouse and Crew Cup Lounge
- Disney Vacation Club Villa options with home-like accommodations in select rooms
Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts are sister hotels connected on the same property. You’re essentially getting the same experience at both resorts, with one themed more to a beach club and the other themed more to a yacht club. The resorts share a common pool area complete with a lazy river, sand-bottom floors, jacuzzis, and more.
One of the best features about these resorts is the fact that they are directly behind EPCOT’s World Showcase. This means that you can walk into EPCOT via the International Gateway in a matter of minutes. This is also where you’ll find EPCOT’s Skyliner station, so while these resorts technically aren’t on the Skyliner route, you’re a few minutes’ walk away from having easy access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. When it’s time to eat, you’ll find great on-site dining options, including Yachtsman Steakhouse and Crews Cup Lounge.
At night, you’re a quick walk from Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and its fun nightlife scene. In short, I love Yacht and Beach Club (we stayed at Beach Club for our honeymoon!) and think that they’re great choices for an adults-only trip. Just keep in mind that I do think this resort caters to families as well, due to the great pool area and the fact that there is a character dining option on-site.
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Honorary Mention: Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
Why adults love it:
- A lively nightlife scene with bars including Abracadabar
- Walking distance to EPCOT and its Skyliner stop with access to other resorts and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney Vacation Club Villa options with home-like accommodations in select rooms
I wanted to throw in a couple of honorary mentions to this article! These resorts would also make good choices for an adults-only trip, but there are a couple of considerations to keep in mind before booking. First up is Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. This resort has a great nightlife scene, with excellent on-site bars like Abracadabar. It also is a short walk from EPCOT’s International Gateway.
Because of the popular nightlife scene, BoardWalk can get busy in the evenings with guests not staying overnight at the hotel. If you want a quieter escape at the end of a long day in the parks, you might want to consider another hotel. For example, staying at Yacht and Beach Club will still give you easy access to all of BoardWalk’s restaurants and bars, but still have a somewhat calmer vibe at night.
READ MORE: DISNEY WORLD CHARACTER DINING LOCATIONS WITH DISNEY PRINCESSES
Honorary Mention: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Why adults love it:
- Total tropical vacation vibes; the Polynesian is a Disney World classic
- Great bar options that include Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto and Tambu Lounge
- Monorail and boat service to Magic Kingdom, Monorail service to EPCOT
- Disney Vacation Club Villa options with home-like accommodations in select rooms, plus the brand-new Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
Some of you are shocked, I know. You were probably saying to yourself, “Why isn’t the Polynesian at the top of this roundup? It has great bars, like Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, Tambu Lounge, and the new Wailulu Bar & Grill!! It’s the pinnacle of tropical vacation vibes! It has Monorail service to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT!”
Those are all true, and those are all great reasons why you might want to consider a stay at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. There are a couple of things to keep in mind. Disney World fans LOVE the Polynesian, and even if they aren’t staying there as an overnight guest, many make it a point to at least visit the hotel during their vacation. So you will see a lot of day guests walking around the resort during the day (many are dining with their kids at ‘Ohana, a popular character breakfast location).
Case in point: I stayed at the Polynesian on a recent trip and it happened to be raining on our check in day. It was PACKED with guests taking a break from Magic Kingdom and looking for a place indoors to kill a few hours.
You can easily visit the Polynesian if you want a break from Magic Kingdom (again, it’s just a quick Monorail ride away), or if you are staying elsewhere on the Monorail loop, it’s a quick ride over. You won’t be able to access the resort’s pool area (something to consider if you want to stay overnight instead! It has a great pool area!) but if you’re looking for an adults-only oasis, my recommendation would be to stay at one of the resorts I list above and save the Polynesian as a day visit instead.
READ MORE: THE BEST DISNEY WORLD RESORT HOTELS FOR FAMILIES
Book These 6 Disney World Hotels For An Adults-Only Vacation was originally published on The World of Spark.
