5 Disney resorts make the list of Best Family Hotels for 2026

“The hotels highlighted in U.S. News’ 2026 Best Hotels rankings set the standard for top-tier customer service, stellar amenities, and truly memorable guest experiences,” says Zach Watson, senior data editor, travel at U.S. News. “Recognition in this year’s rankings sets hotels and resorts apart as the industry’s best, and each list provides a central starting point for travelers seeking the best options for them.”

Best Family Hotels in the U.S. for 2026

Coming in at #1 is the 4-star Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

While the award-winning Hawaiian resort is not “Disneyland Hawaii,” there’s still plenty of Disney magic, including the Waikolohe Valley pool area featuring an 8,200-square-foot, zero-entry pool, the Volcanic Vertical tunnel body slide, the interacative Keiki Cove kids splash zone (plus Menehune Bridge water play area for kids under 48-inches), and Rainbow Reef, the only private snorkeling lagoon on O‘ahu.

The resort also offers a character breakfast at Makahiki – The Bounty of the Islands, the Aunty’s Beach House kids club, a complimentary high-tech scavenger hunt  along Menehune Adventure Trail, and Ka Wa‘a – A Luau featuring pre-show demonstrations of traditional Hawaiian arts, a buffet dinner of authentic island favorites, and a music and dance performance that tells stories of Hawaiian wayfinding, including the legend of the demigod Maui from “Moana.”

Four additional Disney hotels make the top 20

#11 Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

At #11 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of best family hotels in the U.S. is Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World Resort.

Wilderness Lodge in the Magic Kingdom area offers a range of accommodations, including standard rooms and suites, two-bedroom cabins that sleep up to eight people, and one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas that sleep up to 12.

All room types share the same resort amenities, including two pools—the Copper Creek Springs Pool with a 67-foot water slide and the Boulder Ridge Cove Pool—and Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White.

#12 Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

One of the original Walt Disney World Resort hotels, the Polynesian Village Resort offers a variety of accommodations, from standard rooms and suites to Duo and Deluxe Studios, and Villas and Bungalows with separate living and dining areas, kitchens, and washer and dryers. Dining at the resort includes the Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo & Stitch at ‘Ohana and the must-do Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.

The resort’s newest addition is the Island Tower, which opened on Dec. 17, 2024, with a zero-entry Cove Pool (and Moana’s Voyage splash area featuring life-size sculptures of Moana and her canoe) and the Wailulu Bar & Grill.

Polynesian Resort guests also enjoy access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot via the iconic Walt Disney World monorail.

#13 Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort

Located within walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, The Dolphin is part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection, so guests receive all the perks of Marriott Bonvoy plus all the benefits of staying on-site.

The hotel is also part of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort complex, which means hotel guests have access to 22 world-class restaurants and lounges (including Bourbon Steak – A Michael Mina Restaurant), six pools, a white-sand beach, three health clubs, and the Mandara Spa.

#14 Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

The resort’s horseshoe-shape inspired by the traditional African kraal, provides views of four lush savannas, which are home over 30 species of African wildlife, including zebras, giraffes, gazelles, kudu, and flamingos.

Animal Kingdom Lodge guests can also enjoy Uzima Springs Pool with a 67-foot-long water slide surrounded by large canopy trees and Samawati Springs Pool with Uwanja Camp, an animal observation site-themed water playground with squirting Venus flytraps, a rope bridge, water cannons.

Walt Disney World Hotel Benefits

Guests staying at all Walt Disney World Resort on-site hotels have exclusive benefits:

Early Theme Park Entry – Disney Resort hotel guests can take advantage of early theme park entry 30 minutes before official park opening time at all four Walt Disney World theme parks, with access to select attractions, shops, and dining before regular hours.

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours – Disney Deluxe Resort Hotel or Disney Deluxe Villa guests can enjoy extended evening hours with access to select attractions, shops, and dining after regular park hours.

Resort Transportation – Disney Resort Hotel guests can take advantage of complimentary transportation via bus, boat, and monorail throughout Walt Disney World Resort.

Complimentary Parking – Disney Resort Hotel guests receive complimentary parking at their hotel and complimentary standard parking at all 4 theme parks. Guests can upgrade to preferred parking at the theme park entrance.

Lightning Lane Advance Purchase – Disney Resort hotel guests are eligible to purchase Lightning Lane passes up to seven days before their stay, for the length of the stay (up to 14 days).

Dining Reservations – Disney Resort Hotel guests can make dining reservations for the entire length of their stay (up to 10 nights) up to 60 days in advance of arrival.

Water Park Admission – Disney Resort hotel guests with check-in dates from May 26 to Sept. 8, 2026, can enjoy complimentary water park admission on check-in day—and if they’re splitting their stay across multiple Disney Resort hotels, they get water park admission on each check-in day.

U.S. News & World Report Methodology

For a hotel or resort to be considered for U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hotels rankings, it must meet the following requirements:

• Select Hotel Class Ratings: U.S. News predominantly ranks luxury lodgings that consistently receive a 4- or 5-star “hotel class” rating. U.S. News also ranks exceptional 3-star hotels in select destinations.
• Property Type: Properties must be classified as hotels or resorts.
• Minimum Review Count: A hotel must have at least 20 reviews from previous guests across various sources at the time of data collection.

Hotels are given an overall score based on the following components:

• Awards & Recognition: A hotel may earn up to 10 points.
• Hotel Class: A hotel may receive up to 10 points for hotel class. The number of points depends on class rating (3-star hotels receive 6 out of 10 points, 4-star hotels receive 8 out of 10 points, and 5-star hotels receive 10 out of 10 points).
• Guest Rating: The guest rating is worth up to 12.5 points, based on the number of guest reviews and overall sentiment.

The number of points earned by a property is divided by the number of points for which the property was eligible. Hotels are ranked from highest to lowest by their calculated overall score.

You can see the complete U.S. News & World Report hotel rankings for 2026 here.