Fall has always been our favorite season to visit Walt Disney World Resort. For one, it's typically less crowded than summer and offers frogtastic special events (this food-loving Momma Frog can't get enough of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, and our whole family loves dressing up in costumes at Disney After Hours Boo Bash). Fall 2021 will be an especially awesome time to visit as Disney World celebrates its 50th anniversary celebration starting Oct. 1! While we frogs love to hop around in the parks, we prefer to stay on-site at the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, and that is especially true this fall. Here's why.
Our Favorite Reasons to Stay at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels This Fall
1. Disney World's 50th Anniversary Celebration
The "World's Most Magical Celebration" will kick off across all four Walt Disney World theme parks Oct. 1, 2021, and will run for 18 months. The celebration includes new attractions and entertainment, castle decor, EARidescent character outfits, special merchandise, nightly projections on each of the park's icons and more. We can't wait to celebrate!
There is even more reasons to stay this fall as a new perk for Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests will debut for the celebration. Beginning Oct. 1, Early Theme Park Entry will allow hotel guests to enter any theme park 30 minutes early, every day. Woohoo! Deluxe and Villa hotel guests will also have access to special extended evening hours in the parks. No matter which Disney hotel you're staying at, you can also look forward to some Disney pals dropping by to say hello in their party attire, such as Goofy and Pluto!
With new attractions premiering like Remy's Ratoutille Adventure, new restaurants and new nighttime spectaculars, Harmonius and Disney Enchantment, the added hours for resort guests will be huge perk for getting everything done in your trip. Start your morning with popular attractions like Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Frozen Ever After or Avatar: Flight of Passage — all before the park has even opened!
2. Great availability and tons of room options.
With the opening of Disney's Riviera Resort in 2019, there are now 29 ribbeting Walt Disney World Resort hotels to choose from. There are budget-friendly value hotels such as Disney's Pop Century, moderates such as the always-popular Port Orleans - Riverside and exquisite deluxes such as the aforementioned Riviera Resort. Whether you need a room for two or a three-bedroom suite for your whole crew (up to 12 adults), Disney has you covered! And don't froget the immersive theming — Disney magic toadally extends to its resort hotels! Whether your frog squad is looking for a royal suite fit for a Disney princess, a visit to a Polynesian island paradise or a race to Radiator Springs, Walt Disney World Resort has something special for your family.
We know many vacationers have already booked their fall stays, but as of now, there is still some availability at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. September still has some availability, but there are a lot more hotels sold out starting in October. With the 50th anniversary heading our way, we highly recommend that you get hoppin' if you're thinking of booking a Walt Disney World Resort hotel stay!
3. Hopping good rates and free cancellation.
While we offer year-round discounts on Disney World hotels, we can save you a bundle this fall. You can save up to 30% for most Walt Disney World Resort hotel stays through Sept. 29! Here is a sample of the fall savings:
- Disney's Pop Century Resort — as low as $149 a night (a savings of $36!)
- Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa — as low as $304 a night (a savings of $125!)
- Disney's Contemporary Resort — as low as $374 a night (a savings of $154!)
For your added peace of mind, we offer free cancellations for Walt Disney World Resort hotels if you cancel at least five days ahead of your check-in.
4. More transportation options than ever.
It's always been easy to get to the parks, thanks to Disney's free transportation, but there are now more options than ever ... buses, boats, the monorail and Skyliner!
Hard to believe, but the thing toddler tadpoles remember most about their first visit to Disney World is ... can you guess? ... riding the monorail! Disney's Skyliner, a gondola-style transportation system that debuted fall 2019, just might be as thrilling as the monorail. It hops between key hotels and parks, offering a bird's eye-view of the Walt Disney World Resort. It's almost a must-do attraction in its own right — and it will get you to the parks in no time!
If you stay on-site at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you can take Disney's Magical Express from the airport (for visits through 2021) and use free transportation around the resort. That means you don't need to rent a car or use a car service, making getting around a breeze and leaving even more green in your pocket!
5. Year-round heated pools and family-fun hotel hoppenings.
One of the things we especially love about staying at Walt Disney World in fall is the weather. It's not quite the sweltering heat of summer, but it's still plenty warm. With highs near 90 in September and 85 in October, and year-round heated pools, you can swim at any time of day and have plenty of splish-splashin' fun. We frogs prefer to spend our mornings in the parks when crowds are at their lowest and take a break in the afternoon when crowds (and heat) peak for some pool time.
Though limited due to COVID-19, most of the Disney World hotels offer family-friendly, free activities for guests staying on-site. Tadpoles of all ages can keep busy with poolside trivia, arts and crafts and movies under the stars. On Halloween, some hotels even offer trick-or-treating, costume contests and more!
There are so many magical reasons to stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel year-round, but for the reasons mentioned above, we can't think of a better time to visit Walt Disney World than this fall. So what are you waiting for? Book your Walt Disney World Resort hotel stay today!
Related: Our Favorite Reasons to Visit Walt Disney World This Fall
Hoppy planning!
