I feel as though I have stayed in enough Disney hotels (4 in the last 5 years) to be able to rate them in order (4 in the last 5 years) of my personal preference. The only ones I am yet to stay in are the Disneyland Hotel, you know the massive one that overlooks the park, it's shown in every single advert with children looking happy; and the New York one, the one that's re-opening as a  Marvel hotel & to be honest I probably won't be staying in either of these anytime soon because they're just so blimmin' expensive!
Before beginning, I just want to put a disclaimer out there, I love every single one of these hotels, but who doesn't have their favourites? I'd never ever book a Disney trip for the hotel, because I don't spend nearly enough time there, my trips usually last 3-4 days so I have to make sure I squidge in as much time at the parks as I can!

5. Explorers Hotle (Partner Hotel): This hotel is a partner hotel, a short shuttle ride away from the park, I've stayed in it twice, once in 2004 and again in 2014. I remember the first time I stayed in this hotel my family weren't overly impressed. The lobby and the play area and everything was lovely and Disney, but the rooms were a basic travelodge-style room. However I went back to this hotel in 2014 and the rooms have more of a sailor/explorer style theme. It's such a good hotel if you're looking for a bargain, if you want to stay somewhere a bit out of the way and not as crazy as an Official Disney Hotel is, the only down side is, the shuttle bus can get insanely busy once the park has closed, like, uncomfortably busy, but they're regular, so there's that.


4. Hotel Cheyenne: I stayed in this hotel in 2016 on my first Disney Christmas trip and it's more of an apartment type hotel where the reception, resturant and bars are situated in a different block. We stayed in the Jesse James apartment and loved the cowboy theming. Me and my friend actually used the bunkbed instead of the double bed just because it was there. It's situated close to the park so its easy to walk down by the canal for a scenic route rather than get the shuttle bus. The breakfast was standard, but it's changed now since you have to pay. We never visited the park because we were just too busy getting rest in for the day after. I only placed it last on my (very short) list because I just prefer the others. It was clean the staff were friendly, it's a really nice apartment. It has been refurbished since I went so I'll 100% go and check it out again!

3. Santa Fe: I've stayed in this hotel twice, firstly in 2015 with my friends and again in 2019 for the Disney Run. I love the theme of this hotel, it's spot on. Every room makes you feel like you're in the Cars film with the cone lamps and the Route 66 signs.  It's so what you would imagine a Disney hotel to be about. Everything's bright, the theming (is that a word?) is on point, the cast members who work there are amazing, the breakfast potatoes are to die for. This hotel is also one of the apartment type things like the Cheyenne, which I love, you can walk to the park and you pass all the other hotels on the way past so you can have a little nose around them all. I just love this hotel.

2. Sequoia Lodge: I first stayed in this hotel in 2018 over Christmas, and it's so beautifully dressed for the season and such like an old lodge. This hotel is perfect for the Christmas season, it's so cosy with an open fire in the bar. It's the cosiest Disney hotel I have ever been in, I never went in the pool but it looked divine. It was the first time I'd ever eaten dinner in a hotel, and it didn't disappoint, it had a huge collection of food in it's buffet, fair to say I ate my body weight every night. It tasted good and was enough to make me fall asleep and get a good sleep before the early mornings. The shop has an amazing window display, something which you don't get in the Cheyenne or the Santa Fe. This hotel is so close to the park, just to the left side of the lake meaning you can have a stroll through the village on the way to the park, also handy if you want to come in and out of the park regularly. I love this hotel and I think I'm staying here in November, so I'll keep you posted.

1. Newport Bay Club: Well, well, well, where on earth do I even start with this hotel? Me and my friend stayed here for a couple of nights in 2017, we managed to get it on a cheap deal, no idea how, but I'd been having a pretty tough time and it was a bit of a silver lining moment. We walked in and were honestly blown away, it's a bit plush for us, if I'm being completely honest. But it's nice to play fancy on occasions. Everything about this hotel is just perfect, the characters are there in the morning, everything just screams Disney. It's a dream castle, and it really reminds me of the beach house in Little Mermaid. There's two pools and a gym - which we didn't use, we were only there for 2 nights but definitely would if we were staying longer. It's just soooo beautiful. You're situated right slap bang in the middle of the lake, the shortest of all the walks to the parks, next door to the village, and McDonalds, if you don't have a breakfast package. This hotel actually makes you feel like you're on a Disney Cruise Line (something that's too expensive for me at the moment, but one day), with the interior, it's designed to look like a cruise ship. The bar and cast members are lovely. It's very plush but the most magical.

Beth x