What is the best place to stay at Disney World that is near the Magic Kingdom?

I have three kids, 8, 5 and 4 and this is our first trip to Disney World. I stayed at the Grand Californian at Disneyland and loved the convenience of walking to the park. I would like the same convenience at Disney World. The only parks we would probably go to are Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.What is the best place to stay at Disney World that is near the Magic Kingdom?
With your family size and your desire to be close to the Magic Kingdom, the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, or the Contemporary are your best choice.

The Contemporary is the closet, while the Floridian has the closet stop via the monorail. All three resorts offer monorail and boat launch to the Magic Kingdom. All three resorts also offer motor coach to the Animal Kingdom.



Depending on the time of year you will be visiting, you might want to coordinate your trip to that themeing. For example, I love the Floridian during the Christmas season, as I enjoy the decorations and music. The summer months belong to the Poly as the atmosphere is perfect to indulge the idea that I am in a tropical paradise. My daughter loves being in the pool at night and watching the fireworks from the magic kingdom.



The Contemporary is not a resort I recommend for those with small children, as the themeing is a bit antiquated compared to the Poly and Floridian. Good Luck and enjoy your vacation!
it really does depend on what you are looking for. Never been to Disney World? Try going to The Grand Floridian (relatively similar to the Grand Californian, but more Victorian era themed). It's kind of ritzy feeling though, if you want something for the kids definately the polynesian. It's got a fun tropical theme. Those are the ones that are right by Magic Kingdom. Otherwise, these parks are way too big to get a hotel that's very close to ANY park. The two I mentioned (as well as the Contemporary) you can take the quick convenient monorail or boats to the entrance of the park, and you can see the park from these hotels. You WILL be taking buses anywhere else. Also, don't restrict yourself to one park of Disney. It is not doing ANYONE any favors. There are many many fun things to do in the other parks. Make SURE you do not miss Fantasmic! on every night at Hollywood Studios, it is the BEST show in all of Disney.Trust me on that one. And the monorails go straight to epcot so why don't you try spending at least half a day there, it's not like it is out of your way...What is the best place to stay at Disney World that is near the Magic Kingdom?
If you actually want to walk to Magic Kingdom then consider staying at The Contemporary resort. It is within walking distance of Magic Kingdom but it's also connected in the monorail service just like the Grand Floridian is. However, any hotel close to Magic Kingdom is not going to be close to Animal Kingdom. You would have to take the complimentary bus service to and from Animal Kingdom.



Have a great trip.
Consider splitting your stay between two resorts. Spend two nights in the Animal Kingdom Lodge and enjoy the property and the park. Then move over to one of the Magic Kingdom resorts for another two to three nights. The Polynesian, the Grand Floridian, and the Wilderness Lodge all have ferries going right to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary is even within walking distance.

My family really enjoys splitting our stays. You get to enjoy more than one resort and you get the benefits of being right there in the parks you are spending your time in.

Have a great trip.What is the best place to stay at Disney World that is near the Magic Kingdom?
If you want to be able to walk to the Magic Kingdom then the Contemporary resort would be a good option for you. It is only about a 10 minute walk (give or take) and is really neat because the monorail (which you can also take to get to the MK) runs right through the middle of it. The children (and adults) will get a kick out of seeing it glide into one end of the hotel and back out the other.



Unfortunately, due to the size of Disney World you will have to take Disney transportation to the other parks, regardless of what hotel you stay at. You can choose to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but that puts you probably about 15 to 20 mins away from the MK... bus wise. Likewise, there are many other hotels in the MK area, but you will have to hop a bus to get to AK then. If you have never been to Disney World you will be amazed at the size of it. It is gigantic!



If you are able, try and see the other parks, as well. Epcot and Hollywood Studios, as well as the two water parks are too good to be passed up. If you are looking for a more relaxing day head to Downtown Disney. It doesn't cost anything to get into, and is a gigantic shopping area with dining options and other littler entertainment options.