The 10 Best Disney World Resorts for Toddlers in 2026

Key Takeaways

Disney’s Beach Club Resort ranks first for toddlers on our criteria. It has two kiddie pools, a gently sloped wading entry and a walk to EPCOT. The Contemporary and the Polynesian Village follow, since the monorail takes you to Magic Kingdom without a bus. The lower half of the list still has shallow water, but it relies on buses or offers fewer room layouts.

How We Evaluated

We ranked ten Walt Disney World resorts on four weighted criteria that total 100. Toddler water play counts for 30 and room and sleeping layouts count for 25. How directly you reach the parks by monorail, boat, gondola or walking also counts for 25, and toddler extras on the property count for 20. Every pool, room and transport fact comes from the resort’s own page on disneyworld.disney.go.com, read on 9 October 2026. The FAQ answers name their Disney help or offers pages beside each answer. We did not use guest review scores or crowd data. A feature Disney’s page does not state earns no credit.

Quick Comparison

1. Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Best for: toddlers who want shallow water play.

Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Beach Club Resort is a 3-acre water area with a life-size shipwreck, a lazy river and a main pool with a gentle slope for wading in. Two kiddie pools sit within it, and one has a miniature waterslide. EPCOT is within walking distance. The Skyliner gondolas reach EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and a boat also connects to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Rooms and Suites sleep up to 6 adults, and Deluxe Studios add a kitchenette, a sleeper sofa, one queen bed and one pull-down bed. Disney’s page says the resort is undergoing refurbishments.

2. Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Best for: Magic Kingdom days with a nap break.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort sits within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom main entrance, and the Resort Monorail passes through its tower. The main pool has a 17-foot-high curving waterslide, two whirlpool spas and a water playground that Disney calls designed just for kids. Bay Pool is an all-ages quiet pool over Bay Lake. Deluxe Studios sleep up to 4 adults with a kitchenette and a sleeper sofa beside one queen bed. Villas add a full kitchen and a washer and dryer, and only the 3-Bedroom Grand Villas have a private porch or balcony.

3. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Best for: monorail access and a toddler splash area.

The Resort Monorail serves Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which Disney describes as an easy ride to Magic Kingdom and one transfer from EPCOT. Moana’s Voyage is a splash area at Island Tower with life-size sculptures of Moana and her canoe, and the Cove Pool there is described as zero-entry. It sits third because both water features are at Island Tower rather than across the whole resort. Rooms and Suites sleep up to 5 adults, and Villas sleep up to 9 with a washer and dryer. Bungalows have a private deck and plunge pool and sleep up to 8.

4. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Best for: families who want a suite with a kitchenette.

Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort sleep up to 6 and have the strongest room layout on this list. Each has a bedroom with a queen bed, a double TableBed, a double sleeper sofa, a living room, two bathrooms and a kitchenette. The Big Blue Pool is the largest resort pool at Walt Disney World, according to Disney, and includes an interactive water play area for little ones. Transport is the Skyliner to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so Magic Kingdom needs another route. The page notes refurbishments.

5. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Best for: a zero-depth pool and savanna views.

The Uzima Pool at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is about 11,000 square feet, with a waterslide, a gently sloping zero-depth entry, a children’s wading pool and two whirlpool spas. Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village adds Uwanja Camp, a water playground with squirting Venus flytraps, a rope bridge and water cannons. The lodge overlooks 4 savannas, and Animal Specialists lead programs about more than 30 wildlife species. Rooms and Suites sleep up to 4 adults, and villas sleep up to 12. Motorcoach is the only transport listed, which holds it below the resorts with rail, boat or gondola.

6. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Best for: a zero-depth entry pool and boat rides.

Copper Creek Springs Pool at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has a 67-foot waterslide and a water play area for children that Disney describes as recently added. Boulder Ridge Cove Pool at the Villas has a zero-depth entry, a whirlpool spa and shaded seating offered first come, first served. Transport is by watercraft and motorcoach. Rooms and Suites sleep up to 4 adults, Deluxe Studios sleep up to 5 and Cabins sleep up to 8. Water play here is smaller in scale than at Animal Kingdom Lodge, though the boat is a step up from a bus. Disney’s page notes construction and refurbishments.

7. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Best for: a play area for children under 48 inches.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort has a zero-entry pool with two slides and water cannons in an old Spanish citadel setting. The larger slide is 82 feet and starts from a turret reached by a spiral staircase. A shipwreck play area for children under 48 inches tall has a barrel that periodically dumps water and three small slides. The Skyliner reaches EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and motorcoach is also listed. The page lists no room types, so the room criterion earns nothing here, and it notes refurbishments.

8. Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Best for: a simple kiddie pool and the Skyliner.

Disney’s Pop Century Resort is themed on pop culture from the 1950s through the 1990s. The Hippy Dippy Pool has flower-shaped water jets, and a kiddie pool area nearby has a pop-jet fountain. Two smaller themed pools, a 1950s bowling pool and a 1990s computer pool, sit elsewhere on the grounds. The My Disney Experience app lets guests check in, see their room number and unlock the door. The Skyliner reaches EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and motorcoach is also listed. The page gives no room types and says refurbishments may affect some features.

9. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort

Best for: a kiddie pool and outdoor movie nights.

A Fantasia-themed pool at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort has a Sorcerer Mickey statue that sprays water, and a kiddie pool and water play area sit near it. A hockey-rink-styled Duck Pond Pool is the second pool. Disney screens movies on select nights at The Reel Spot, an outdoor seating area beside the World Premiere Food Court, which is styled as a grand movie theater lobby. Motorcoach is the only transport listed, and the page names no room types or family suites. It edges Port Orleans Riverside because it lists a kiddie pool.

10. Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Riverside

Best for: a boat to Disney Springs and a sawmill slide.

Ol’ Man Island at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Riverside is a 3-plus acre area with a swimmin’ hole, a sawmill slide, a catch-and-release fishing hole and evening campfire stories. Muddy Rivers is a nearby pool bar, and a hot tub sits near the pool areas. Transport is by watercraft and motorcoach. Royal Guest Rooms carry a Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen theme with transforming headboards. Disney’s page lists no kids’ pool and no kid-specific room types, so the 30-point water criterion holds it last. Guest room refurbishment runs from early May 2025 through August 2027.