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Disney World Skyliner Resorts Guide

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Today, I’d like to highlight the Disney World Skyliner Resorts, or the four hotels that are located along this easy and favorite transportation line in Walt Disney World!

Disney World Skyliner Resorts

Disney World Skyliner Resorts

For those who don’t know, the Skyliner is a gondola transportation system in Walt Disney World. In connects four resorts and two theme parks (Epcot and Hollywood Studios). Today, I want to highlight those four resorts. I have personally stayed at three of them, but have visited all four multiple times.

Pop Century

I’ll start with the resort I’ve spent the most time at: Pop Century. It was the second resort I stayed in at Disney World and I’ve stayed here many time since that first 2014 visit. It’s a laid back resort that harkens back to various decades of the 1900’s. It’s considered a value resort and will typically offer the lowest nightly rates of any hotel on the Skyliner. It’s great for adults on a budget as they tend to enjoy the nostalgia of years gone by. You can read my full Disney’s Pop Century Resort Review to get a better idea of its pros and cons.

Art of Animation

Across the water from Pop Century is Art of Animation! While technically classified as a value resort, it’s the most expensive value resort with its highly themed rooms and family suites. I’ve stayed here twice, both times in a Little Mermaid standard room. My most recent stay was in December 2025 with my mom. You can read about that adventure in my Disney World Little Mermaid Rooms Review. Additionally, I posted a Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review a few years back with a closer look at the resort as a whole.

Caribbean Beach Resort

There’s one moderate hotel on the Skyliner – Caribbean Beach Resort! I’ve stayed here a few times as well. It is the hub hotel for the Skyliner as both the Epcot and Hollywood Studios lines meet here. I posted a Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review a while back. However, I will say that my biggest complaint about this resort is its size. It’s a sprawling resort with lots of rooms and buildings.

Riviera

Lastly, there’s the newest hotel on the Skyliner and it’s a Deluxe/DVC resort – Riviera! I haven’t been so lucky as to stay here yet. However, I love how compact this hotel is. I have enjoyed Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast a few times here. If you have the funds, I’m sure this is a wonderful resort to stay at!

Bonus: Epcot Resorts

Technically, the three resorts behind Epcot aren’t considered Skyliner resorts. However, Boardwalk Inn, Yacht Club, and Beach Club are all walking distance to the Skyliner station at Epcot. Granted, those resorts can also take a boat or walk over to Hollywood Studios as well. It’s just worth mentioning that it’s a transportation option for those three resorts too.

Disney Skyliner Resorts

So, there you have it. The four Disney World Skyliner Resorts are: Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera! Which one is your favorite?

Disney Springs Resorts Guide

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Having previously highlighted the official Disney World hotels located nearest the four theme parks, it’s time to go over the Disney Springs Resorts!

Disney Springs Resorts

Disney Springs Resorts

I previously posted a Magic Kingdom Resorts Guide, Epcot Resorts Guide, Disney Hollywood Studios Resorts Guide, and an Disney Animal Kingdom Resorts Guide looking at the official on-site hotels located near those theme parks. However, there’s still one other location to consider when booking your hotel – Disney Springs! For those who don’t know, Disney Springs is Disney’s shopping and dining district. Unlike the parks, you don’t need a theme park ticket to visit Disney Springs. Plus, if you stay at one of these four hotels, you can take a boat over to Disney Springs (instead of a bus)!

It’s worth mentioning that are lots of off-site hotels located near Disney Springs. However, this post is going to look at just the four Disney owned ones.

Old Key West

Old Key West is a sprawling DVC/Deluxe Resort. In fact, it was the very first DVC resort that Disney built. That’s why the resort’s main hall and restaurant have much more of a family/community vibe. It was meant to entice folks to buy into DVC and make repeat stays here as members. I stayed here once, back in 2019 by myself. It was a relaxing trip that I remember fondly as I was in desperate need of a pick me up to chill out and this location provided just that. The blog image above was taken on the balcony of my room here. Although, you do have long bus rides here as this resort has multiple bus stops.

I have enjoyed the table service restaurant here, Olivia’s Cafe a few times. They have some good fried chicken and fantastic bananas foster dessert! If that doesn’t suit your fancy, you can always go over to Disney Springs to enjoy a plethora of dining options there!

Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter

I have stayed at the moderate Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter multiple times. In fact, I would call it one of my favorite Disney Resorts. You can read a full review in my Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort Review. However, I can summarize that post to tell you that I love how compact this resort is. There’s only one bus stop here and you don’t have to spend all night walking back to your room. Plus, there’s warm and tasty beignets! Yummy!

Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

This is a moderate sister resort to French Quarter. Riverside is another sprawling resort with multiple stops. I have stayed here a few times as well. I posted a Disney Port Orleans Riverside Resort Review as well for a more in-depth look at this resort. I also enjoyed dinner here and detailed it in Boatwright’s Dining Hall Review.

They used to have princess themed rooms, which I reviewed in my Disney World Princess Room Review. However, those rooms have been refurbished and are now called “Royal Guest Rooms”. The update looks modern and clean with a few embellishments. The headboards still have some fun touches as well.

Saratoga Springs Resort

Lastly, there’s another Deluxe/DVC – Saratoga Springs! It’s very similar to Old Key West in that it’s large with multiple bus stops and boat transportation to Disney Springs. However, it’s themed after the late 1800’s in New York versus Florida. Unfortunately, I’ve never stayed or even eaten here. Perhaps, someday I will visit and update this post with a more detailed look at it.

Should you stay at a Disney Springs Resort?

I think Disney Springs Resorts are great if you plan on visiting Disney Springs. The boat transportation is really nice. I think all of these resorts make lovely options for adult only trips as their themes are more laid back. However, all but the French Quarter are pretty large with multiple bus stops. So, have you stayed at one of these resorts? What did you think?

Home2 Suites by Hilton Boone Review

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Earlier this month while visiting Land of Oz, my mom and I spent the night at the Home2 Suites by Hilton Boone. So, I thought I would review it.

Home2 Suites by Hilton Boone

Home2 Suites by Hilton Boone

This is a newer hotel located centrally in Boone, North Carolina and is walking distance to Appalachian State University. It comes with free parking and free breakfast! Plus, it had affordable rates thanks to the Hilton Honors rate.

2 Queen Beds Studio Suite

Given that this is a Home2 Suites hotel, every room here is a suite with a kitchenette! This would be perfect for a longer trip as it comes with a refrigerator, microwave and even a dishwasher! It was more than adequate for our one night. In fact, the room was so nice and large that my mom kept mentioning that we should return to stay for a longer trip. She was really impressed with the room having a dishwasher!

The bathroom was more than adequate with a nice shower. Although, the shower doors never seem to close well. In fact, one opened up pretty good while I was in the shower. I also wasn’t particularly impressed with the water pressure. Then again, that’s almost expected with hotel showers these days.

The bed was pretty comfortable. We both slept well. However, it did feel like the top sheet was made of polyester. I prefer cotton due to some polyester fabrics irritating my skin and not being breathable. Thankfully, we still slept well here. No complaints on that. Plus, it was pretty quiet.

I was also happy about the number of plugins found in the room. There were plugins on each side of the beds. So, there was no fighting over plugins here.

Free Breakfast

We decided to take a look at the included free breakfast and were impressed. First, we made waffles. We added some chocolate chips on top and it was tasty! What was most unique was the breakfast sandwich station. They had several different breads and proteins to make your own breakfast sandwich. I made an egg bite and chicken sausage croissant sandwich. Was it the best I’ve ever had? No, but it was good. It was better than lots of other free hotel breakfasts. I like that we didn’t have to hunt down breakfast and it allowed us to hit the road with full bellies.

Also, of note is the free water/tea/coffee that’s available all day in the lobby. I used the water dispenser to get some hot water to make some hot chocolate and then topped it off with some cold water. That made it a lukewarm chocolate that was great for the warmer weather.

Pros

  • Every room is a suite – There’s plenty of room to spread out here!
  • Includes a kitchenette – It’s great for storing and heating up leftovers! Plus, the dishwasher keeps things tidy and from smelling.
  • Comfy bed – No complaints about sore backs here!
  • Free breakfast – This is a pretty good breakfast with the breakfast sandwich station. Plus, the people working here were friendly and kept it well-stocked.
  • Good rates – We paid $157 with taxes using a nonrefundable Hilton Honors rate. We thought that was an excellent value for the room and breakfast!

Cons

  • Not the best sheets – Again, this is me being nitpicky. I think the top sheet was polyester. While I didn’t have any trouble with it, I prefer cotton.
  • Shower doors don’t close securely – The doors on the shower will pop open easily. It’s definitely not a deal breaker, just something to be aware of.

Should you stay at the Home2 Suites by Hilton Boone?

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Home2 Suites by Hilton Boone. It was a comfy place to spend the night with a good breakfast. The rates were affordable and it was centrally located.

Disney Animal Kingdom Resorts Guide

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Today, I am continuing my look at the Walt Disney World hotels with the Animal Kingdom Resorts!

Animal Kingdom Resorts

Animal Kingdom Resorts

Having already posted the Magic Kingdom Resorts Guide, Epcot Resorts Guide, and Disney Hollywood Studios Resorts Guide, this is my last resort guide for the four theme parks at Walt Disney World! Once again, I am going by Disney World’s website for this list of hotels as this is how they designate these resorts. Unfortunately, there’s no special transportation connecting these resorts. There’s just bus transportation to take you the parks here.

All Star Resorts

Disney has three All Star Resorts – All Star Sports, All Star Movies, and All Star Music. Each of them is considered a value resort and offer the lowest priced rooms on property. All of them also feature giant statues that fit the resort’s theme to designate different areas of the resort. I wrote a Disney’s All Star Resorts Overview post a couple of years ago if you would like a closer look at these three resorts. I’ve also posted a separate Disney All Star Sports Review from my solo Christmas stay in December 2024.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe/DVC resort. I’ve stayed here only once and it was almost a decade ago. That’s why I haven’t posted a separate review of it. If I ever return, I will post a review of it. However, it is typically one of the cheaper Deluxe options at Disney. It can still be pricey, especially those Savannah view rooms. It’s just typically cheaper than most of the other Deluxe resorts. This resort is built around an artificial savannah that has real animals! It’s the perfect location for animal lovers as you don’t need a park ticket to enjoy the animals here! Also, the food is pretty good here too!

Coronado Springs

Lastly, there’s Coronado Springs! This is another sprawling moderate resort that I’ve covered a few times: Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Review and Gran Destino Tower – Disney Coronado Springs Resort Review. It also has the distinction of being the very first Disney World resort I stayed at! It has several good food options as well! I would stay here more frequently if it didn’t have so many bus stops.

Disney Animal Kingdom Resorts

So, there you have the Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom Resorts! Which one are you staying at? Do you have a favorite?

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate Review

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Last month, my husband and I were able to stay two nights at the fabulous Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate! Today, I am giving my review of that experience.

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate

There are two hotels on the Biltmore Estate property. The Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate is the more moderate resort with slightly cheaper rates than The Inn. Located in the Antler Hill Village, it gives you easy walking access to the shopping and dining there. It also makes it super convenient to visit the House and Gardens since you are staying on property.

Village King Bed

We booked a king sized bed room for this trip and enjoyed having the huge bed! The mattress and bedding was super comfy. I was also impressed with how quiet our stay was. No complaints about noise here. The room itself is nice without being too much. It takes a basic hotel room and adds some little touches to upgrade the experience.

The bathroom is really nice. There’s a huge shower that is great for relaxing in. The sink is outside the bathroom, allowing two people to get ready in the morning. There’s also a mini refrigerator in the room. A microwave is located in the lobby.

Overall, this room provided a very comfortable two night stay for us.

Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate Location

This hotel is perfect for visiting The Biltmore. There’s a complimentary shuttle bus that takes you over to the house/gardens. However, there’s also free parking. We chose to drive around the estate instead of waiting for the shuttle. It was nice to not have to traverse Asheville while visiting though. Also, I was pleased with the amount of parking available. When we came back to the Hotel after 10 PM after Luminere, there was still plenty of parking available.

This hotel is technically located in the Antler Hill Village. That makes it a great option for folks wanting to enjoy the Village’s dining, shopping, and activities. Village Social is the restaurant located on the second floor of the hotel. We enjoyed breakfast here both mornings and dinner once. It was so convenient and tasty!

Hotel Package

While you can simply book a stay here, the Biltmore also offers various package deals. We booked the Estate Escape Offer Package. This included breakfast at Village Social both mornings as well as length of stay tickets to the Biltmore House. I highly recommend booking any of the packages the includes breakfast. I also highly suggest you try the Pecan Waffles at the Village Social.

Although, I will note that Saturday morning had a 25 minute wait for breakfast. Friday morning had no wait. So, maybe head down to get on the waitlist early if you are visiting on the weekend.

Also, the tickets with the package allowed us to visit the House at our leisure. That meant that we didn’t have to make a reservation at the house and could go in whenever. That was nice.

Pros

  • Nice accommodations – This hotel is a very relaxing resort in the mountains of North Carolina. What’s not to like?
  • Location – It’s located in the Village and is walking distance to everything it offers. Plus, it makes visiting the Biltmore House and Gardens easy.
  • Peaceful – This was one of the quietest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. It was awesome.
  • Book a breakfast package – I like that you can book a package to prepay for breakfast and it’s convenient to eat in the hotel.
  • Comfortable – It’s easy to get a good night’s rest here. The bed is very comfy.
  • Cookie/Wine Hour – There’s a Wine Social from 5-6 PM and Cookie Hour from 8-9 PM in the lobby. We enjoyed those on Friday night and then spent some time sitting at the firepit.

Cons

  • Pricey – While this was cheaper than staying at the Inn, it wasn’t a cheap trip. You can definitely stay somewhere cheaper off property.
  • Few hooks – I know this is random and tiny. However, I would like more hooks for towels in the bathroom and a coat rack in the room for jackets/hats/purses.

Should you stay at the Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate?

I really enjoyed our stay here and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other folks. If you can afford it and want to visit the Biltmore, this is a great way to do it. Have you ever stayed here?