3. Disney’s Fort Wilderness Lodge

Image: DisneyWhat do you choose when you want to spend your vacation at two different places? For example, what’s the best option in the unlikely event that you’re deciding between a dude ranch and Walt Disney World? Amazingly, Disney has you covered!

Imagineers built Fort Wilderness Lodge as a place where you can have a western adventure on Disney property! How authentic is the experience? You can even go horseback riding! The cabins at Fort Wilderness are remarkably detailed and rustic, creating the illusion that you’re in the middle of nowhere. In reality, you’re only a direct boat ride away from Magic Kingdom. These woodsy log cabin homes are impressive, and the escapism is a wonderful distraction away from the craziness at a theme park.

2. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Image: DisneyThere was a time before any of us were born when the springs at Saratoga represented the height of American vacation plans. Guests would flock to Saratoga, New York, from across the Atlantic coast. They all sought the comforts of those relaxing springs, which were purported to have healing properties.

When Disney planned a themed resort near what was then Downtown Disney, they plotted a Victorian era lakeside retreat. It would feature the babbling brooks that had previously made Saratoga a beloved vacation destination for previous generations.

The other fun part of a trip there involved horse racing, a popular form of entertainment even then. You’ll find touches of both the springs and the equestrian history at the resort. Oh, and it fittingly has a spa since Saratoga Springs is one of the places that made them famous in the first place. It’s a lovely place that suffers a bit only because it’s right beside Disney Springs, which tends to monopolize the attention of theme park tourists. Should you ever spend time here, you’ll appreciate the sublime theming at Saratoga Springs.

1. Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Image: DisneyI started this list with a beachfront locale, and the reason why it’s not ranked higher is that it pales in comparison to the best one at Walt Disney World. Disney’s Beach Club Resort is a masterfully implemented beachfront resort that backs into Crescent Lake near Epcot. Its theme certainly isn’t complex, but it merges perfectly with the surroundings.

At Beach Club Resort, you’ll truly believe that you’re spending the week at the beach. Part of the reason is the immaculate surroundings, straight down to a shipwreck. The pool here is large enough that it feels like an ocean, and Disney even added sand flooring to complete the effect that you’re swimming in the Atlantic.

Inside the hotel, you’ll discover plenty of pastels to perfect that beachy theme. You’ll feel like you’re in a beachfront condo the moment that you enter your room, and even the restaurants here fit the concept. Cape May Café serves the kind of seafood that you’d expect at an oceanfront resort. The reality is that you’ll feel swept away by the theme here the moment that you see the hotel. That won’t end until you check out, and it’s a true credit to Disney, even if the theme is simplistic.