The best things about every Disney World resort open now

As we look at Walt Disney World resorts now, our priorities are a little different than they used to be. As park hours are reduced with the reopening of the theme parks, we expect to spend more time at our resort, including for meals, so certain amenities are more important than they used to be. Our priorities include:

• A spacious room, because we know we’ll be spending more time there than usual.
• A large pool, with plenty of room for guests to spread out
• Good dining options, including quick-service or grab-and-go for breakfast and dinner
• Walking distance to one or more parks, because we try to avoid public transportation to limit our risk of exposure

With that in mind, here is a quick look at the best things about each of the resort hotels now open at Disney World:

Open now

• Contemporary Resort/Bay Lake Tower: Walking distance to Magic Kingdom, and good dining options, including Chef Mickey’s, minus any characters.
• Boulder Ridge Villas/Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: Geyser Point Bar & Grill, one of our favorite outdoor dining venues at any Disney resorts.
• Animal Kingdom Villas: Savannah view rooms where the animals can keep you occupied for hours and Sanaa for take-out breakfast and dinner.
• Beach Club Villas: Stormalong Bay pool, Beaches & Cream for dinner, walking distance to Epcot, and easy access to food options at the Yacht Club and BoardWalk.
• BoardWalk Villas: Walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, Abracadabar, and good food options, including those at the Beach Club and Yacht Club.
• Caribbean Beach Resort: Proximity to the Riviera for great food options, and the Disney Skyliner to Hollywood Studios and Epcot (this is an exception to our no-public-transportation preference — it’s one party per gondola, and it’s practically outdoors because of the airflow)
• Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground: What better way to socially distance than camping at Disney World?
• Old Key West Resort: Sandcastle Pool, and the feeling that you’re having a beach vacation when you’re not in the parks.
• Polynesian Villas & Bungalows: A great pool with plenty of space, since the bulk of the resort will be closed until next summer.
• Pop Century Resort: Great pools, family suites for extra room, and Skyliner access to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
• Riviera Resort: Great food options, and Skyliner access to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
• Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa: Walking distance to Disney Springs for lots of dining options, if you don’t mind the nighttime crowds
• Yacht Club Resort: Stormalong Bay and proximity to the Beach Club and Boardwalk.
• Grand Floridian Villas: All the panache of the Grand Floridian, the Monorail, plus a new walking path soon to come to Magic Kingdom.

Coming soon

• Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, opening Sept. 21: Panach, and proximity to the Magic Kingdom.
• Coronado Springs, opening Oct. 14: The new Gran Destino Tower, a deluxe space at a moderate price.
• Art of Animation, opening Nov. 1: Great pools, family suites for extra room, and Skyliner Access to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
• Polynesian Village Resort, opening summer 2021: When it reopens it will be freshly renovated.

The remaining resorts do not have opening dates yet.