The more deluxe WDW properties include the two original resorts built around the Magic Kingdom (the Polynesian and the Contemporary), plus the most elegant one, the Grand Floridian, all serviced by monorail. Each of the deluxe resorts offers business services and a gym or workout facility. On the concierge-level floors (a premium rate), families can enjoy a lounge stocked with continental breakfast fixings, snacks, beverages and evening desserts, in addition to the helpful concierge staff. Most of these resorts have a supervised childcare facility (for a fee) for ages 4 to 12-years that operates a themed dinner show so parents can go out. While these are staffed by trained Disney cast members, private babysitting service is available through the local Kids Nite Out service of Orlando (407/828-0920). The deluxe hotels have fantastic lobbies, costumed staff, and a variety of restaurants ranging from fine dining venues to ethnic outlets, family-style places where character breakfasts and dinners are held, and a fast food/deli with take-out or eat-in snacks. Larger rooms with two queen beds and a seating area with daybed typically accommodate families of five.

Disney's Contemporary

The Contemporary was designed in a slick urban style back in 1971 to play up the arriving and departing monorails of the "future" which still pull right into the fourth floor. With time it added convention facilities but grew less contemporary, and a 2007 renovation has brought its 664 rooms up to par with stylish four and five-star hotels the world over.  Spacious rooms with two queen beds have plush cream duvets, a work desk and a seating area with a comfy daybed. Large bathrooms with marble floor tiles have twin vanities; art glass and sculpture are the minimalist decor; and high-tech touches such as plasma TVs and a computer in each room (keyed to Disney online planning tools) seem, well, contemporary. Rooms range from ground floor garden-view ones whose patio makes them smoker-friendly, to one and two-bedroom suites with balconies and Magic Kingdom views to high-rise "urban" units in the central tower. The low north block of rooms is being demolished and rebuilt for 2008. According to Disney executives, future Contemporary renovations will move the sophisticated ground floor gaming arcade and fast food court upstairs near Chef Mickey's Buffet, site of the character breakfast where Pluto and other friends parade around in aprons. The 15th floor California Grill is known for its celebratory meals, thanks to excellent California cuisine and great Disneyworld views. Also fun and unique is the active marina, where one person Sea Raycers, pontoon boats, speed boats, and adult or kids' fishing trips can be arranged; expert waterski and wakeboard instruction is available through the on-site Sammy Duvall's Watersports Centre (407/939-0754). People may complain about its tastefulness, or lack of theme when compared to the other Disney resorts, but this is the first stop on the monorail after the Magic Kingdom, so after a long day, you'll be the first ones back.

Disney's Polynesian

With its luau theme, atrium lobby with waterfalls, thatched roofs and lush gardens, this South Seas wonderland delivers great visuals. However, its sprawling size means your guest room may be quite far from the central Great Ceremonial House and commercial space. While the second story food court overlooks the busy lobby and hosts the pleasant Kona Cafe coffee bar, other dining facilities are noisy and crowded. Families flock from other resorts to the nightly Luau or "Spirit of Aloha" Dinner show, where food is said to be secondary to the showmanship of music and dance from Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa, Hawai'i and New Zealand. The in-house 'Ohana is a family-oriented all-you-can-eat grill buffet around an 18-foot wide fire pit -- fun at dinner, especially when the coconut races begin. Disney characters do appear at certain meals but we'd save that treat for the Grand Floridian. Recently, renovations have brought carved native woods, "rattan" wallpaper, bark bedposts, totem lampposts and tapa cloth decorations to the spacious rooms, and a fun volcano pool with grotto slide. Many rooms overlook the large marina, Seven Seas Lagoon or a small sand beach, where you can watch nightly fireworks at Magic Kingdom.  The cleverly Peter Pan-themed Neverland Club hosts supervised activities and a dinner buffet for ages 4-12 each night from 4pm to midnight ($11/hour). For more information 407/824-2000.

Disney's Grand Floridian

This white Victorian grand, inspired by San Diego's Hotel del Coronado and other classic oceanfront resorts from the turn of the century, delivers classy service with the grace of yesteryear. Between its grand double staircase and waterfront chapel it has been the site of countless weddings.  Expensive but terrific seven-course dining at the gourmet Victoria and Albert's, rooms elegant enough to satisfy guests with or without kids, a wellness and beauty spa, and a perfect location -- a brief boat or monorail ride from Magic Kingdom -- make it WDW's top resort. Bright airy rooms, some with Magic Kingdom views, feature white wicker, crisp patterned wallpaper, and ornate carpets. Garden view rooms are the cheapest category, but some such as the lovely #7218 have a wonderful view and an extra spacious layout. The real splurge here are the suites, with one-bedrooms units with a king, a pullout sofabed, and two baths from $975-$1740/night and two-bedroom suites from $1525-$2,430/night.

This resort can boast about a luxurious concierge level, 24-hour pool, and lots of organized family activities, like a two-hour lunch pirates' cruise on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Among the several dining venues is one which does a daily Perfectly Princess Tea Party and an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party, and another which hosts a Mary Poppins Breakfast and a Cinderella prime rib dinner. In addition to cooking classes two mornings per week, there are afternoon pool games, evening story times, drop-in crafts in the gift shop, an afternoon orchestra in the lobby, and private tennis clinics for all ages.  The adorable Mouseketeer Club hosts up to a dozen kids daily from 4:30pm-midnight to arts n'crafts, snacks, games and a movie, for a fee of $11/hour.    

Disney's Yacht and Beach Clubs

These two separate resorts are melded together in New England quaintness as interpreted by Disney. They are located near Epcot, share a small water park with rides, and have our favorite WDW pool -- the 3.5-acre Storm-Along Bay with a white sand bottom and an overhead tangle of bridges, rocky outcroppings. steps and other features. The Newport-cool Yacht Club has a shipshape lobby glossed with marine varnish and tended to by cast members in naval uniforms. Their Yachtsmens' Steak House is a popular evening place where fresh meats are butchered within view of the guests; there's a steak kids menu too. Rooms are attractively pin-striped with nautical wheel headboards and, at our visit, the cutest towel sculptures of squid and ducks. Although the lobby was busy with young sailors at our visit, knowing that one-bedroom suites only sleep 2 and several two-bedrooms don't even have sofabeds, makes the Yacht Club seem less appropriate for kids than most other deluxe resorts.

In fact, the Beach Club, with a combination of hotel rooms and villa condos, is a better fit for families. The great pool is right here, and the Cape May buffet breakfast has a good reputation for cuisine and character breakfasts where Minnie and company arrive in bathing suits. The Beach Club's corner two-bedroom villa units (from $595-$975) are the choice for multi-generational groups because they have multiple views, two full baths, two separate entries, and are spacious enough to offer privacy and room for roll-aways, bringing the maximum occupancy to 8 people. The Beach Club's Sandcastle kids program offers evening entertainment in a private room off the lobby, but the real fun is outside on the lakefront path. There are performers, shops, strollers and a crowd in front of the Beaches and Cream ice cream parlor day and night, waiting for the eight-scoop plus all the toppings "Kitchen Sink." If you're staying elsewhere, drive in and park, so you can begin your magical journey on a Disney boat right to the theme parks.

Disney's Boardwalk Inn and Villas

This resort, built in 1996, may be the most popular for families with teens because of its location, within walking distance of Epcot and a short ride by bus or ferry away from Disney's Hollywood Studios, formerly known as Disney-MGM. Young children especially will be entranced by the lobby's huge model carousel which rotates every hour. Nearly 900 rooms face the star -- the boardwalk -- a lake, and across it, the Swan, Dolphin, Beach and Yacht Club resorts. Prettiest when illuminated at night, the boardwalk meanders from an Atlantic City stroll-or-sun-along-a-boardwalk theme to the carny atmosphere of Asbury Park, with jugglers and other street performers. This is one of the few deluxe properties with "villa" or Disney Vacation Club units, 532 compact one-bedroom (sleeps 4) or two-bedroom (sleeps 6) units with kitchenettes, washer/dryer, and queen-size sofabeds.  The 371 traditional hotel rooms with their unfussy decor are easier to rent; many are connecting but if you have lots of family, go for the three-bedroom units that sleep 12. The second floor tea and coffee lounge plays old radio dramas while guests try their hand at classic board games, but the real action is out on the boardwalk. The popular Flying Fish Cafe for seafood, an ESPN Club with TVs at each booth, WDW's only micro-brewery and the lively Jelly Roll's dualing piano bar are among the hotspots after dark. 

Animal Kingdom Lodge

The thatch-roofed Animal Kingdom Lodge is stunning, with public spaces that pay homage to the folk arts and fabrics of Africa. Surrounded by an elaborate, 33-acre wildlife habitat, the 1,200 rooms have upscale safari decor with splashes of "The Lion King," hand-carved furniture and mosquito netting. Public areas and balconies face a tropical savanna dotted with herds of grazing giraffe, gazelle and flocks of birds. DVC executives confirm that its 5th and 6th floors will soon be converted into 134 Disney Vacation Club ownership units, and a 324-unit DVC annex will rise next door. Deluxe facilities include a wellness spa; zero-entry pool with a 67-foot-long waterslide; large arcade and daily wildlife programs, such as flamingo feeding and nature talks. In addition to lobby storytelling and character meals, cast members at the dining outlets are "Africa Ambassadors" who answer guests' questions. The front desk distributes an Wildlife Field Guide for check-off viewing; bring binoculars and a flashlight for night-time "safaris." The mobility-challenged will prefer rooms in the central lodge. Some doubles have a queen bed and two bunks, and two-bedroom suites (from $1145/night) sleep up to eight. Concierge level guest rooms have extra perks, including exclusive access to special early morning safaris or guided wildlife excursions, for an additional fee. Keep in mind that you don't need to pay a premium to visit the hotel's many animal viewing areas, and its Animal Kingdom location puts the lodge far from the other theme parks. Simba's Cubhouse holds nightly movie and play events for ages 4-12 so parents can dine out; restaurants downstairs include the undistinguished Mara quick service outlet, and the more upscale Boma and Jiko.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Since its 1994 opening, this National Park style, Rocky Mountain-inspired stone and log structure has housed some of Disneyworld's happiest campers. Relatively hidden across Bay Lake from the Magic Kingdom (there's ferry service there and buses to other parks), the part-hotel, part-DVC property welcomes overnight guests who are not Disney Vacaton Club members. The striking lobby boasts 60-foot-tall lodgepole pine timbers (all cut from dead trees declares management), hand-woven rugs, original explorers' maps, and Native American carvings and folk arts, displayed in well-labeled cases that make them educational as well as decorative. The "hotsprings" in the lobby cascade over boulders and outdoors, where they tumble as a waterfall into the freeform pool, creating a warm pond for visiting ducks and further on, fueling a "geyser" that goes off every 30 minutes. The 728 rooms in six-story wings range from standard to two-bedroom villa units to the Yellowstone Suite; all have doors graced by teepees, recently refurbished logpole furnishings, classic quilts, and flat panel TVs. Some doubles have queen beds and two bunks, and junior suites (starting at $485) can sleep six with two queens and a double pullout sofabed. There is lobby storytelling around the huge fireplace, a cozy library, reading porches and very fine dining on cedar-planked salmon or venison at the gourmet Artist Point restaurant. The family-style Whispering Canyon Cafe offers an all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet, an all-you-can-drink milkshake and stick ponies to race around the lobby. At the popular Cub's Den evening children's program (pictured at left), there are supervised activities, dinner and after 10pm, videos and popcorn for kids relaxing on couches. By the way, the cast members here say 3-year-olds often "sneak" into the evening programs designed for ages 4-12 and if there are any "accidents," they take care of them.

Disney's Old Key West Resort

This condo complex is part of the Disney Vacation Club, a deluxe time-share property that welcomes non-members but doesn't offer supervised group childcare or many activities. Choose among the 531 studio, one- or two-bedroom units, or a three-bedroom  grand villa which accommodates up to 12 people; overnight availability is easier to come by here than at other Vacation Club properties. Bus service goes to far-off theme parks; water taxis are direct to nearby Downtown Disney.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin

Anyone touring Epcot can spot the metallic pyramid and graceful pink hotel with huge swans swimming along the roof. Yes, Michael Graves' stunning architecture and whimsical marine motif make these two hotels worth a visit.  In house, there's a well-run Camp Dolphin (3-12 years) and a special teen's activities calendar, so the kids may choose to stay at the hotel and let you do the rides on your own. These two stylish resorts are run by Starwood, and offer multiple pools including a three-acre waterplay area and sand beach, the classy Mandara Spa and 17 restaurants. As on-site hotels, they offer full access to Disney transportation, and early entry into the parks, but lack some of the advantages of a full Disney hotel, such as being able to charge purchases to the room.  Also, for better or worse, they are without true Disney theming, far from Magic Kingdom and, according to some parents, too fancy with little ones. The 756-room Swan and 2,265-room Dolphin feature the poofy Westin Heavenly Bed which guarantees a good night's sleep, making them, in our opinion, a great place to take the kids.  Call 407/934-4000 or visit www.starwood.com for reservations.

Book Early

As soon as you make some choices, work with a travel agent to secure reservations; many on-site Disney World resorts sell out six to eight months in advance. However, there will always be room at the inn when you realize that 25,000 rooms are now available within the Disney complex. You can call Disney at 407/934-7639 or visit www.disneyworld.com to get more information and brochures.