THE TOP 10 RESORTS in FLORIDA

10.  Ritz-Carlton Naples 83.23:  Classically posh guest rooms and top-notch service in two towers facing the Gulf of Mexico.  There's big-deal golf here, plus a gorgeous beach.  The Nature's Wonders program, for all ages, has nine aquariums, a butterfly garden, naturalist-led outings, and a lab with microscopes - just right for budding marine biologists.

8.  Disney's Polynesian Resort 84.72:  This South Pacific- style spread, with guest rooms in longhouses on a powder-soft beach, is where Lilo and Stitch would stay if their parents took them to Disney World.  The pool has a 40-foot-high volcano and cascading waterfalls.  The Magic Kingdom rises mirage-like on the other side of the Seven Seas Lagoon.

8.  Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa 84.72:  With gas lamps and wicker chairs, Disney goes high Victorian at its flagship Orlando hotel.  Victoria and Albert's restaurant, one of the best in Florida, serves a seasonal seven-course tasting menu.  And at 1900 Park Fare, the resort's buffet, Cinderella, Prince Charming, or a wicked stepsister may join your dinner table.

7.  Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress 85.00:  Located near the Orlando theme-park hubbub, the 1,500-acre spread has plenty of its own attractions: golf, tennis, horseback riding, and a walkway through a cypress reserve, where you just might spot a bald eagle.

6.  Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando 85.67:  Universal studios channels the cobble-stoned streets, cafes, and gelaterie of Italy.  Family suites come with bunk-bedded kids' quarters that connect to Mama and Papa's domain.  Best of all your key card works as a skip-the-line pass to Universal's rides - speedily reached from the hotel not by gondola, alas, but free water taxi.

5.  Disney's Beach Club Resort 86.00:  Crescent Lake is right outside your private terrace at this Orlando classic; that's Disney's Yacht Club next door.  The two resorts share a steak house, cafe, white-sand beach, and a sunny, eternal-summer vibe.

4.  Disney's Wilderness Lodge 88.33:  The national-park-style lodge even has Yellowstone-inspired geyser.  Take a ride on a pony or in a horse-drawn carriage.  At the adjoining Wilderness Resort &Campground, catch a campfire sing-along attended by Chip 'n Dale.  Around the corner is the Magic Kingdom.

3.  Disney's BoardWalk 88.53:  The time:1940.  The place: Walt Disney World's version of the Jersey Shore, complete with a boardwalk, surrey bakes, and saltwater taffy.  The rooms: think old-fashioned floral.

2.  Disney's Yacht Club Resorts 88.60:  Nautical-crisp digs on Orlando's Crescent Lake.  When you're not conquering the World, you can take out one of the resort's pontoon boats, or tackle the three-acre pool complex - climb a ship's mast to get to the top of the water slide.

1.  Disney's animal Kingdom Lodge 91.84:  From your balcony at this African-Themed Orlando lodge, you just might spot a giraffe, bongo, or wildebeest roaming the surrounding savannah.  And dinner stars Kenyan-coffee-braised short ribs and Swahili shrimp curry.  At dusk, don night-vision goggles and tour the grounds by open-air truck.  Don't miss the safari at the resort's companion Animal Kingdom theme park - the only Disney venue that really is a lion kingdom.

Tara Donne:  Travel and Leisure