When you’re planning a trip to Disney World, hotels are probably a BIG part of your thought process.

Say you decide to stay in a Disney World hotel, but then you have to choose which one! Let’s say you agonize over the hotels and finally come to a decision, but when you arrive at your hotel you’re surprised to find construction, or a pool closed, or missing perks you thought were included. We have a list of several Disney World hotels you should reconsider for your 2022 stay — including reasons to avoid OR stay!

Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa

If you don’t like loud noises and unsightly construction, it’s not a bad idea to check Disney World’s refurbishment calendar before booking your Disney hotel. For example, Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa has been undergoing construction and Disney has not yet announced an end date.

The Big Pine Key building of the Grand Floridian is being remodeled to include 200 Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villas, which will triple Grand Floridian’s available DVC rooms.

The new villas are currently scheduled to open in Summer 2022, but Disney has not yet announced a date. If construction is not your thing, you may want to cross the Grand Floridian off your list!

Read more about the Grand Floridian’s refurbishment schedule here!

Polynesian Village Resort

Speaking of construction, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will also be undergoing construction sometime over the next few years. Disney recently announced that the Polynesian will be expanded with more Disney Vacation Club villas that are currently projected to open in late 2024, which means that construction will likely begin sometime within the next year or two.

The new DVC villas will add new recreation and dining options, so you might want to consider either waiting for the construction to be completed before booking at the Polynesian, or booking BEFORE construction begins! We’ll be looking out for official date announcements from Disney!

Learn more about the new DVC villas coming to the Polynesian Village Resort here!

Disney’s BoardWalk

Disney’s BoardWalk will soon be under construction, including areas of the Boardwalk and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. A new table service restaurant called The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers will be opening in 2023, and the BoardWalk Bakery will be transformed into a new sandwich shop.

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn will be getting room and lobby updates, and even a new coffee shop, which will be located just outside the lobby. Disney noted that these changes could take place over the next few years so keep that in mind if you’d rather avoid the work in progress!

Check out the 4 BIG changes coming to Disney’s BoardWalk!

Pool Closures

Looking forward to spending some time at your Disney World hotel pool, cooling off on a hot Florida day? Another thing you might want to check for is pool refurbishments, which can take place at various hotels at any given time. The Samawati Springs Pool at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is expected to be closed through all of April. At the beginning of 2023, High Rock Spring Pool at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spawill be closed for refurbishment.

Most Disney World hotels have multiple pools available for swimming, but they might not be the most convenient location for your room and it might also be a bit more crowded than usual with alternative pools closed. It’s not a bad idea to check Disney World’s refurbishment calendar to avoid any pool issues during your stay.

Here are all the Disney World hotels and rides closed in April 2022.

Value, Moderate, or Deluxe?

If you want to take advantage of certain Disney World hotel perks like Extended Evening Hours, which let you stay after closing at select Disney Parks on scheduled dates, you need to stay in a deluxe hotel to access it. That means both value and moderate resort stays do not qualify for Extended Evening Hours and depending on your trip, that might not be ideal.

On the flip side, if you’re planning to spend 99% of your time in the parks, a value or moderate resort can be a good option if you don’t care about amenities. Early Theme Park Entry is available to all Disney World hotel guests, which lets you get into each Disney Park 30 minutes before opening.

It’s up to you to consider your hotel budget, your needs, and how YOU visit Disney World. Want those extra perks? A deluxe hotel might be a better fit for you. Just want a place to sleep before spending the entirety of every day in the parks? A value resort could be the perfect choice!

Read more about Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours here!

All-Star Resorts

And if you don’t want to deal with huge groups of competitive sports participants, you might want to avoid the All-Star Resort hotels during sports competitions. Cheer events take place at various times throughout the year, and participants often tend to stay in value resorts, especially the All-Star Resorts.

All of the All-Star Resorts are officially open and if you know a big cheerleading or sports competition is coming up in Orlando, you might want to avoid those hotels!

Read more about the “season” you aren’t planning for in Disney World!

It doesn’t hurt to read more about what’s going on at your Disney World hotel during your visit, so make sure to check Disney’s refurbishment and closure calendar! Keep reading DFB for more Disney planning news!

Which Disney World hotel have you booked for 2022? Tell us in the comments!