Value Resorts v. Moderate Resorts at Disney World
A common question for guests planning Walt Disney World trips is whether they should save money by staying in a Value Resort or pay a bit more for the amenities and theming at a Moderate Resort if they are going to stay at an on-site Walt Disney World hotel.
Like almost every hypothetical question posed by this blog, the answer is, “it depends.” If you’re beginning to wonder why I write so many articles about topics that don’t have clear answers…I have no answer for you. (I could say my reasoning “depends” on the article.) Just the same, let’s try to analyze the five most important features of Walt Disney World hotels to see where each tier has advantages.
1. Price
Each Value Resort is cheaper than each Moderate Resort, with the exception of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Since Art of Animation and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness are sort of outliers here in that they’re not an apples to apples comparison with the other hotels in the categories, we won’t give them much consideration. That’s probably best left for a separate article comparing suites or accommodations for large parties staying on Walt Disney World property.
According to our highly unscientific calculations, Moderate Resorts are about $70 more expensive than Value Resorts per night (sometimes less, sometimes more). This difference varies based upon season, discounts, etc., but expecting to pay about $70 more per night at a Moderate Resort is a good baseline. Regardless of the actual number, it’s clear that Moderates cost more than a good chunk of change more than Values on a nightly basis.
Advantage: Values
2. Theme
Moderate Resorts generally offer more nuances and subtlety in the way of themed environments. You have a lot of ancillary details that come together to form a cohesive backstory and more convincing environment that transports you away from Walt Disney World. This is especially true at the Port Orleans Resorts, where you can spend a lot of time exploring to pick up on morsels of the theme. PortOrleans.org does an excellent job explaining this backstory if you want to read more about it.
By contrast, the Value Resorts convey their themes through larger than life icons. At the All Star Resorts, these are primarily oversized Disney characters. If you’re traveling with kids, don’t underestimate how much they might enjoy these icons. Most adults will be less intrigued by the theming at Value Resorts, which generally attempt to distract from the “boxy” plain, motel buildings that comprise the hotels with the eye-grabbing icons. There is nothing nuanced about the theming at these hotels, and adults will almost always prefer the more engaging, interesting, and often times romantic theming of Moderate Resorts.
Advantage: Moderates
3. Rooms
Moderate Resort rooms are larger by about 60 square feet. (Caribbean Beach is even larger.) This TouringPlans blog post provides an excellence visual look at the size difference.
Beyond the size difference, Moderate Resorts generally have nicer rooms and bedding. The Value Resorts, especially the All Star Resorts, definitely seem due for room overhauls, as much of the decor we’ve encountered in these rooms is dated and fading. This may not be the case with every room, but we’ve experienced this on enough occasions to believe it’s the rule rather than the exception. The quality difference here between Moderates and Values is pretty substantial, especially when contrasting an All Star room to a Coronado Springs room (the nicest of the Moderate Resort rooms). Moderates also offer in-room fridges (EDIT: as do values now) and Port Orleans Riverside can sleep 5 guests in select rooms.
Advantage: Moderates
4. Transportation
I am of the opinion that more expensive resort-hotels should have better transportation. Disney’s transportation is an important amenity to many guests, and those paying more for more expensive resorts should be rewarded with more efficient transportation. I know some people disagree with this, but I see it as no different than any other resort amenity, the rest of which are generally nicer at the more expensive Walt Disney World hotels. Unfortunately, Disney seems to disagree with me, as transportation is not consistently better at more expensive hotels, especially when it comes to bus transportation.
With the exception of the Port Orleans resorts, which offer boat transportation to Downtown Disney, bus transportation is the sole form of transportation at issue here (unless you add Fort Wilderness to the mix, which has an internal system as well as boats and buses to the parks). Pop Century and Art of Animation have the best bus service, as they (currently) do not share buses with each other or any other resort, nor do they have internal stops. These resorts are most efficient.
Port Orleans French Quarter only has one bus stop, but it usually shares a bus with Port Orleans Riverside, which has multiple internal stops. This two resort and multiple stop system makes the Port Orleans resorts low on our list.
Lower still are the All Star Resorts, all three of which share a single bus at times, but have single stops at each resort. These buses are a real wildcard. Sometimes, individual buses will be dispatched for each resort and will be running quite often, making them incredibly efficient (it seems this is increasingly rare). Other times, there will be huge lines in the morning and shared bus service. When staying at the All Star Resorts, we have skipped this headache multiple times in favor of paying $15-20 for a taxi.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort are the middle-of-the-road options. They have long internal routes, but don’t share buses and both have been efficient in our experience. Slight advantage to Coronado Springs Resort for having fewer stops.
Advantage: Varies
5. Dining
Each Moderate Resort has a table service restaurant (except French Quarter, but it’s a 10 minute walk from Riverside, with which it “shares” amenities according to Disney), some of which are pretty good. They’re not Deluxe-caliber restaurants (the kind of restaurants that draw non-resort guests to them), but they’re not bad. Basically, they’re serviceable options if you’re at your hotel during the lunch or dinner hours.
All Moderate and Value Resorts have counter service restaurants. The advantage here also goes to Moderate Resorts, as they offer more varied and interesting menus, although there are a few standout items at the Value Resorts.
Even for breakfast, this only really matters if you’re going to be at your hotel to eat these meals. We usually eat every meal in the parks or at hotels near the parks, so dining at Moderates and Values is always a non-factor for us. It is a factor when adding Deluxes to the mix (if you’ll be leaving Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a meal at Yachtsman Steakhouse, for example, staying at the Yacht or Beach Club makes it easy to make a pit stop at your room before or after dinner).
Advantage: Moderates
Other
“Other” is not really a definable characteristic of any hotel. Instead, this is a bit of a catch-all for other important features and amenities that don’t fit the above categories. In addition to the critical categories above, another category that may be especially important is pools. All Moderates have themed pools with water slides, and each of these pools is pretty cool. Value Resorts also have lightly themed pools, sans slides.
Moderate Resorts also offer bars/lounges and various other forms of activities, like boat rentals, that aren’t available at the Value Resorts. The advantages here universally belong to the Moderate Resorts, which unquestionably have better amenities than the Values. (The most/best amenities are found at Coronado Springs and Port Orleans Riverside.) It’s only a question of whether you’ll use them. Most of the best amenities are at Deluxe Resorts (or Fort Wilderness), and generally if we’re going to be doing a resort amenity, it’s at one of the Deluxes, regardless of where we’re staying. If your party will spend a significant amount of time at your hotel each day, these “other” things could be pretty important. Conversely, Moderate Resorts are typically more spread out (French Quarter excepted), so if you are firmly opposed to walking, the Value Resorts might be more appealing.
Verdict
Whether it’s worth it for you to pay more for a Moderate Resort depends upon your preferences, budget, and how much time you’ll be spending at your hotel. If you like a richly themed environment, the Moderate Resorts score points. If you’re primarily interested in how much your kids will enjoy a resort, give the Value Resorts a second look–to the bewilderment of some adults, kids absolutely love those large icons. If money is an issue, the ~$70 day extra you’ll be spending at a Moderate may not make a whole lot of sense. That money is probably better spent on a meal at a nice Walt Disney World table service restaurant, unless you’ll be spending a lot of time at your hotel. If money is no issue…why not stay at a Deluxe?
For us, the Moderate Resorts are a good option for a weekend trip, with our top pick for the Moderate Resorts being Port Orleans Riverside. During a weekend trip, the price difference doesn’t add up to the same extent as it would during a longer trip, and I spend a lot of time wandering the grounds of these resorts in the early morning hours. We still only stay in Moderates when we can get a good deal on them (usually a comparatively better deal than we can get on a Value Resort), and when the price is less than $125/night.
The Value Resorts are not for a lot of people, but we have nothing against them. We frequently utilize the Values when we’re traveling during seasons the theme parks have extended operating hours and we find ourselves in our room for only a few hours each night to sleep.
Your Thoughts…
Is it worth it to you to stay at a Moderate Resort, or if you’re paying more, do you just splurge all-out by staying at a Deluxe Resort? Or, do you just save as much money as possible by staying at a Value Resort? Share where you normally choose to stay (and why!) in the comments!
63 Responses to “Value Resorts v. Moderate Resorts at Disney World”
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Is there a decided advantage between the Value and Moderate resorts when it comes to the pool areas, or does it vary from resort to resort? I know that’s going to be huge for my kids when they get to the age where we’ll take them to Disney.
The biggest advantage is that the Moderates have pool slides. I also think they are better-themed, but kids *might* disagree with that. There are characters at the Value pools, which kids might prefer.
From someone who grew up and still mostly only stay at Deluxe hotel’s, I can say we did really enjoy the Art of Animation Resort. We we’re going with some family members and the floor plan worked out awesome for us! That would be a go to if we had children, no doubt. But when it’s just us adults, I would choose moderate or deluxe resort definitely.
Deluxe (almost always Boardwalk) when with the family. Monorail resorts when kids were younger. Where depends on our agenda for that particular trip. If I’m by myself & I’m going to hit every park multiple times I might stay at a Value resort on a rare occasion. Moderates are great but leave me wanting for that little bit more “Magic”. Advice to those that have never stayed at a Deluxe resort, It’s best to never do it because once you do, it’s hard to go back to Values & Moderates especially The Boardwalk if you love EPCOT & Studios!
As someone who stayed at the Boardwalk three times last year, I wholeheartedly agree with you!
I was a resort snob until last year. We stayed at a value for the first time. I was VERY pleased with the experience. Food was GREAT and we only waited a long time for a bus, one time.
I would stay at a value again.
At which Value did you stay, and where did you eat?
I think for families with young children, Value Resorts are the way to go. They kids like the over-sized characters and theming and they don’t really care about the resort amenities anyway. Any you can spend that extra $70 a day on merchandise or meals that they actually care about.
If it’s a couple adults then the moderates are better. We stayed at French Quarter for our Honeymoon and loved it. When we went back for a 4-day trip we stayed at POP not only because it was cheaper but because we knew we would spend the majority of our time in the parks, not at the hotel or relaxing like we did on the Honeymoon. The grounds of Moderates are considerably nicer than the Value Resorts and, in my opinion, give some of the Deluxe Resorts are run for their money; I can’t see us every forking over the money for a Deluxe when the Moderates are more than adequate and beautiful for what we need.
One other comment. All of the Value Resorts now have mini-fridges in the rooms too.
Really? All the Values have fridges in the rooms now?? I had no idea. I stayed in All-Star Music in 2011 and there was definitely no fridge and no coffee maker (which I knew going into it). How long have they had fridges in them?
Thanks for the heads up on the fridges–I was able to verify this and have edited the article!
Last time we stayed in a Value (2011), there were no mini-fridges.
There are some great points to be made for moderates, and I would love to ante up the cash to stay at one of the Port Orleans resorts some time. But as a solo traveler who uses his room for little more than a place to sleep and shower, it is difficult for me to justify an additional $50/night, minimum, for the upgrade.
Totally understand that. That’s a big expense for just one person, especially if all you’re using the room for is sleeping and showering.
I’m with Justin. When traveling solo I almost always stay at Value resorts. Just need a place to rest my head and feet. When traveling with one of my adult children usually upgrade to a moderate for the space and the hot tub! Stayed at Coronado last trip and thought it was excellent for a moderate resort. Do moderate or deluxe when going with husband (when I can get him to go…).
What would your husband think of Fort Wilderness? Might be a good way to do a non-Disney Walt Disney World trip with him!
We just returned from our 2nd trip to DisneyWorld. In 2011 we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, which we loved, this time, since we had several more people in our party as our guests, we stayed at Pop Century. I HATED it! Even though we were there in the off season, there were huge tour groups from South America that would take up all the buses or two of the four food service bays. Also the full size beds were a deal breaker. We never once received a hot meal, we had to move rooms at 11pm because of a water leak. They promised us three rooms together, but one was on a separate floor. Not thrilled. For the tour group reason alone, I think if financially possible I would stay at a Moderate or Deluxe. I don’t believe you would have the same problem with tour groups at a more expensive resort.
Staying at a Moderate is a good way to avoid tour groups, both international and domestic.
When traveling with my parents as a kid, we always stayed at the Beach Club and I absolutely loved it. The walk to Epcot was fantastic and the pool was enormous. Now since I’m in my 20′s and can’t afford deluxe resorts, I stay at value resorts. You can’t beat the price for a Disney trip. It definitely spares my wallet and you still feel like you’re getting a Disney experience. After staying at 2 All-Stars and Pop Century, I have to say I enjoyed Pop Century the most. The benefit of having the bus to yourself put it ahead of the All-Stars. I have yet to stay at a moderate but the large layouts concern me, as at the end of a long day at the parks I’m looking for a convenient walk from the bus stop to the room without having to pay the preferred price.
So my fiancé and I are doing Disney/Disney cruise for our honeymoon in June, we are very active vacationers and have always stayed at the value resorts.. We booked the art of animation.. I am scared that it won’t be honeymoonie enough but we really hardly spend time in the room do we had trouble explaining the expense of a moderate.. What have you guys heard about the art of animation??
Welcome in the club Christina. Me and my fiancee are doing our honeymoon this june in Disney World and Disney Cruise line to !!
And as you we booked Art of Animation as part of the trip ( but we actually do 3 days at Coronado, then 3 days cruise and come back for 5 days at Art of Animation ).
Like you said, you’ll pass very little time in the room and for us it didn’t add up to spend more for those last days. BUT, you could do like we did and maybe add 1-2-3 nights in a moderate or even Deluxe resort. This way you get to celebrate this event. And then move on to the actual trip.
As for the Art of Animation, I didn’t tried it yet. But having check upon it a LOT, the room are brand new, with some amazing theme, great amenities and the review are amazing for it. So I wouldn’t be to worry about it, I’m sure you will enjoy it.
But you don’t get married everyday, so like I said maybe go for 1 or 2 night in a more expensive hotel to at least give them a try and experience something new ! ( I highly suggest the Port Orleans for the romantic vibe. But the Coronado got the best room in the moderate )
We stayed at the Art of Animation last October. I had thought it would be neat to stay in the Little Mermaid area for my girls who are 7 & 8. But, we were not as impressed with the lay out of the hotel. By the time we got back after the parks, the walk to our rooms was almost untolerable when you’re carrying a sleeping child. We always love Disney, but if you’re wanting to spend your money elsewhere, I would just at the one of the other All-Stars resorts. Our favorite is the Movies. The main thing is that you can never truly go wrong with anything Disney, but we all have our preferences & Disney has something for everybody!! 8:)
I’ve heard that about Little Mermaid at Art of Animation from a few people in the last few days. Interesting, as I had never heard of the complaint before you commented here, and now I’m hearing it from several people. Thanks for the heads up!
My husband (fiance at the time) and I stayed at Art of Animation in October. We thought we would love the Little Mermaid rooms since we both are huge fans of that movie. The decor both in the rooms and outside was amazing. Larger than life, for sure, but it was really cool. However, like Tabitha mentioned, the walk back to the room at night was AWFUL! One of the things I like to do when we get back from the parks is take my mug to the food court and get a fresh drink before I get ready for bed. The walk was so bad that I started carrying my mug around the park so I wouldn’t have to take that walk two more times each way (after breakfast to put the mug in the room, then in the evening to get a fresh drink).
On a different note, the food was great! We have stayed at Movies, Music, and Pop, and Art by far has the most impressive food court. Real plates and silverware, and all kinds of non-standard food. When we stayed at Pop again in the spring, we actually made a special trip to Art for the World of Flavors breakfast platter!
We are actually on our honeymoon at the moment, and we decided to spend a little more money for the more romantic, adult decor. I fell in love with Riverside a few years ago – we stayed here about a year ago, and it’s where we decided to stay on our honeymoon. We debated whether to spend more money on a deluxe, but chose to stay longer at Riverside, and we are both very pleased with our decision. We have a nice place to come and relax when we want to, good dining options here, and are pretty close to everything.
Interesting. I didn’t find the front entrance to TLM rooms to be too much of a walk, but then again, I enjoy walking. Isn’t it much further of a walk from the main building at Riverside to most of the rooms? (Assuming you walk, not wait for a bus.)
We are also staying in the Art of Animation for our honeymoon – like you we know that we won’t spend much time at the hotel, and we’d rather spend the extra money elsewhere. We’ve stayed in Value resorts before and they’ve always been perfect for what we use them for (a bed and a shower, pretty much!) so I don’t mind the less romantic / adult decor in that respect!
You all don’t plan on spending much time in your hotel…on your honeymoon?!
I wouldn’t recommend Art of Animation for a honeymoon, but if you’ve thought it through and think it sounds good for you, then go for it!
One point to be considered that I have yet to see be made anywhere against the Values with kids is this:
When you are at Disney you have so much stimulation being thrown at you from all different directions all the time, that adding in the in your face decor of the values means you don’t ever get a break from it.
With kids especially having a place that is quiet and peaceful and lacking that in your faceness of the rest of Walt Disney World goes a long way in keeping everyone happy. There is such thing as over stimulation and the answer to it is not more stimulation.
For me values are great if that’s the only way to afford a Disney vacation. But, if you have the ability to swing a moderate its extra money well spent. It’s not just the small kids that get over stimulated after all.
When people discuss “over-stimulation” for kids at Walt Disney World, my assumption has been that they’re speaking metaphorically. That they’re kids have engaged in too many activities and have become tired/cranky, not that they have literally been over-stimulated within the clinical/psychological sense of the the term.
That’s just my assumption, though.
My general feeling is go with the Value Resorts. With the exception of French Quarter and Coronado Springs (which I thought had a little too much walking) we’ve always done a Value. My rationale has been, how much time are we actually spending in the room? Over the years researching options has also included bus consideration. Where can I stay that I can get on the bus first and off first. If All Stars is the selection and if it still holds true Movies is always the first pick up and first drop off followed by Sports and Music. It’s all in timing as well…the early birds do get the worm.
Maybe someday I’ll be able to afford something on the monorail!
I whole-heartedly agree with you about the transportation. The higher the level of the resort…the higher the level of attention to the ease and methods of transportation should be.
We always get upset when we see bus after bus come in for the All Star resorts while we stand at the Animal Kingdom Lodge bus stop waiting and waiting. It’s very frustrating.
Which is one of the main reasons we now stay at the Beach Club. Two less buses to wait for.
We also can not get into the theming of the Value Resorts. Just looking at the photos of the rooms at All Stars or (especially) the new Art of Animation sends me into sensory overload.
I was blown away by all star music when I was 12 years old. Literally thought it was the most phenomenal place on planet earth and had no clue that life could get any better. After being spoiled by bonnet creek resort on my honeymoon, now the value resorts still seem like a lot of fun, but lacking. Once you’ve had an 875 square foot room with a california king bed, full kitchen, large balcony, living room, and dining area- it’s hard to say that the disney “magic” is worth it. Bonnet creek resort has its own special magic for adults.
Now that being said, I am staying at the boardwalk in a waterview room this April and CANNOT WAIT!!=)
Funny that you mention that. I remember as a child staying at the All-Star Sports and thinking that it was the most spectacular place on earth. I still have a picture of me sitting on one of the huge letters outside..no idea how I got up there. As a kid, you don’t realized that it is a “value” resort as you are in Disney and that is all that matters!
However, now as an adult I try to make the vacation as “vacationish” as possible with the resort we stay in. With all the running around at the parks, I like to feel a bit indulged when I get back to the resort. Actually this April we are staying in one of the villas at Wilderness Lodge and I couldn’t be more excited!
I thought the same thing about the All Stars as a kid. I was actually disappointed that we didn’t stay there!
I also agree on the transportation. We park-hopped last week over to MK from AK by riding a bus to the contemporary and I was shocked that the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian all share a bus!
We stayed a CBR on our honeymoon, and have stayed in values for the 5 trips since then. We only sleep and shower in the room, so I can’t justify the price difference. Even with the Stay-Play-Dine plan where it only worked out to ~$32 more per night for a moderate.
That said, since sleep is the most important reason for the hotel room it might have been worth the money if the moderates have better beds. The mattress was not exceptional at Pop Century and my back let me know about it.
When we go as a family, we stay in deluxes (GF/Poly when we were little, and now BWI). We LOVE being able to walk to two parks, and easy hopping back to the resort in afternoons/evenings before dinner (for snacks and drinks in the club lounge). With 6 traveling, one room at the values/moderates doesn’t work for us (and we’re not thrilled with the idea of the table-bed in the suites). We also far prefer eating in Epcot restaurants, so even if we’re elsewhere during the day, hopping to Epcot at night is a breeze and lets us freshen up in our room before the evening. I thought it would be really hard to stay anywhere else.
Then last spring, I took a trip with a friend and had to pay myself. We stayed at All-Star Sports and had a great time. The breakfast was good at the food court, and we basically spent all our time at the parks (the other major difference was this trip was only 4 days–we usually go 7 or so as a family–so with only 1 full day each at Epcot and MK and half days at DHS and AK, we didn’t want to go back to the hotel to relax; it was go go go!). On the last day, we were a little early for our ME pickup time, so we sat by the pool for a few minutes; it was a lovely way to end our trip.
We do Value Resorts with the kids and Deluxe Resorts on adult only trips. I have stayed at all the EPCOT resorts and prefer those (especially Beach) over any other resort or offsite timeshare. However, Pop Century is the place to go with the family for value. My kids love it there, the poolside bar is fun and has good bartenders, staff is friendly, the path around hourglass lake is great for jogging, and the bus system is efficient. My only gripe is the daunting bus line when closing down the magic kingdom. Pop is huge and the bus line after Wishes makes the Monorail line look short. I highly recommend Pop for families who want to get a lot of bang for their buck. We are thinking of taking the kids in May for a short 4 day trip and we were given a price of $458.00 for the 4 days. Not bad for Disney property
Personally I think the Moderates are better than the Values. The Moderates usually have a hot tub/jacuzzi by the pool area. The Values don’t. Also the beds seem more comfortable at the Moderates. As do the towels they have in the rooms. The beds at the Values are hard as a rock and the towels are like rags.
I think it’s obvious that the Moderates are better, it’s just a question of whether it’s worth the money to pay extra for the upgrades.
I am headed to “The World” in early October for the Hollywood Tower of Terror 10 Miler! This will be a solo trip and this article could not have been more timely. I am booking everything on Tuesday and I am on the fence as to where I should stay. I have always stayed at either All Star Sports or Music. I am very tempted to pay some more for the amenities of the moderate, especially for the hot tub for after my race. When doing a RunDisney race, you do get a nice discount on hotels and park tickets. I am leaning towards that Caribbean resort as my choice. Thanks for you comments on this article, I know have more to ponder.
The transportation at the Moderates has become a deal breaker for me (maybe it’s because I turned 30 this year and I’m getting impatient in my “old” age?). I love the ambiance and theming of the Port Orleans Resorts, but I can’t bring myself to stay there anymore because of the shared buses and multiple stops – it drives me crazy. To be fair, this is also why I avoid the BWI (stops at the Swan AND Dolphin en route to the MK!) and the Magic Kingdom resorts. For my money, I’m either going to spring for Yacht/Beach where I can walk to 2 of the 4 parks, or I’m going to save and stay at Pop.
With over 50 visits I have stayed at every resort including Swan & Dolphin, and they are all great. When traveling with family we find the deluxe resorts the best. In the last several years we purchased points from DVC members and in most cases save 50-75% off rack rates plus with full kitchens our food costs are reduced by 50-75%. On my solo trips I have stayed at deluxe, moderate and
Value and I find the values to be just fine. All Star Sports is my favorite, its the first pickup local and the
First dropped, but to me anywhere on property is good as long as I’m there.
While I love the moderate resorts, I always seem to have trouble fitting them into my budget. I’m usually looking for either the cheapest option or I’m going to splurge and stay at a Deluxe. But the biggest obstacle to staying at a moderate resort, for me, is the Swan & Dolphin. Using a AAA discount (military, Govt, and teacher discounts are also available,) I can usually stay at the Swan or Dolphin for about the same price as a moderate. And while I don’t believe that either hotel is any nicer than most moderate resorts, the location is so good that I can’t pass it up. The ability to walk to Epcot’s International Gateway or take a boat to Hollywood Studios means that I won’t have to take a bus or drive (I loathe both).
What kills us about the Swan & Dolphin are all the bogus “resort fees.” Whenever we’ve checked, even the best discount rate puts it above the best discount rate at a moderate by about $40/night, too.
We’d gladly pay more for the Swan & Dolphin for their location, but $40/night is a bit too much more for us.
Our family prefers the Moderate resorts and our favorite one is Port Orleans French Quarter. I believe it is the smallest resort on Disney property, so walking to the front where the bus stop, shop and food is located, from even the furthest building, is not a long distance. Plus, since the latest renovation in 2011, they now have queen sized beds (which is a must for us). Two of our favorite things at French Qtr are the Beignets at the food court and the boat to Downtown Disney! Busing is shared between French Qtr and Riverside, but the buses stop at French Qtr first, hence the reason we are leery to try Riverside.
We have only stayed at one High End Resort, The Beach Club in 2011, which we loved, but even our girls (currently 16 & 23) agreed that the extra cost per night wasn’t worth it when you are gone all day long at the parks. Now, if we were a family that spent a good deal of time at the resorts, then we would be willing to pay the extra to stay there to enjoy the room size & amenities, the awesome pool and the spectacular atmosphere of the resort. We have not stayed in a value resort so my view is based on friends’ opinions that have stayed at them and what I read online. Our resort list includes (French Qtr – 5 times, Coronado Springs – 2 times, Beach Club – 1 time and Shades of Green – 2 times). Side note, Shades of Green is a great resort and we would stay there more often, but you can’t participate in the Disney Dining Plan if you stay there.
Shades of Green definitely is a great resort–stayed there several times as a kid, and recently once when we went with my parents. My hold-up about it isn’t the DDP, it’s that the buses stop running much earlier than Disney’s own buses. We found ourselves walking from the Poly to Shades of Green several nights because we missed the last Shades of Green bus! Granted, we stay past park closing, so this is a complaint that’s probably unique to us!
Otherwise, love that hotel!
We have stayed at 3 different resorts. In 2007, we stayed at the Animal Kingdom.m We loved it! Our decision to stay there was my son was just turning 2 and we didn’t need to pay for him at the resort, parks or meals. In 2011, the kids picked All Star Sports. Again, they loved the oversized sports, large characters, daily/nightly activities in the pool area, food and 2 fun themed pools (both in close proximity). No transportation issues at all. In 2012, we surprised our children with a vacation and went Moderate at the Caribbean because it was cheaper than value because of a promotion. Rooms were bigger, but everything was sooooooo very far away. I didn’t mind the walking, but by weeks end we were all tired. The pool was nice and they loved the slides. Pool area was too crowded, we often wouldn’t stay long. Transportation was a nightmare. The length on time around the resort was long. We would have long wait times for buses. The us area wasn’t separated by park in a small area. When we make the trip again, I am thinking we would stay at a value resort, unless,the offer was too good.
Thanks for sharing your experience. This is definitely something those traveling with small children should keep in mind!
We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside with our four small children (ages 7,5,4, and 2) in December 2010. We loved it! We enjoyed the amenities, and we never waited long for the bus service. We would stay there again if we would fit! I’m interested to hear your take on the Cabins vs. Art of Animation, those are the two were trying to decide on for our next trip!
We’ve stayed at the cabins several times and love the cabins themselves and the atmosphere. A bit of Room to spread out (6 of us -2 kids, us &2 grandparents) and it’s so peaceful in contrast to the parks. Full kitchen always allows us to give the kids a great breakfast before we head to the parks.
We’re Considering AoA this time too, but it looks way too small for 4 adults & 2 kids (6 & 8 ) Anyone have any thoughts on this?
We’re staying in a suite at Art of Animation next month…stay tuned for a review!
Good article! I have always been a Deluxe resort person, and we recently stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter for the marathon. We were disappointed in the rooms as we felt, for the price, they should’ve been nicer. And we have 4 kids, so I can’t even imagine staying there with kids as it was tight with just two of us. The grounds were beautiful though, and we enjoyed the overall atmosphere at the hotel. Haven’t tried the Value resorts, but we are DVC and we love Bay Lake. Great post – thanks for sharing!
I’m betting you wouldn’t like the Values given your comments about French Quarter. Nothing wrong with that–once you become accustomed to DVC accommodations, it’s hard to go back!
We have one son who’s now 5 (almost 6) and doesn’t swim yet so he really has driven our choices where to stay.
We’ve stayed at All-Star movies back in 2010 when he was three (his first visit). We got a deal on the rooms for $80/night and since we didn’t know how he’d take to Disney we didn’t want to spend a lot on a room. We knew we’d only be visiting one theme park (Magic Kingdom) because he was just too young for other parks so we knew our 4 days would mostly be spent at the resort pool. My son loved the kiddie pools at AS-movies and loved floating in his swimmie arms at the “big” pools.
As Tom pointed out it really depends on your finances and circumstances.
The following year we took him again but this time stayed at Caribbean resort because he was into pirates and swimming better. He loved the pools and again we only went to one theme park (Magic Kingdom) but also down town Disney since he was walking better.
Now this year he’s ready to swim but we choose All-Star sports because he’s really into sports now. We will probably introduce him to Epcot this year as well and since he’s almost 6 he doesn’t need a stroller anymore.
As Tom said where you stay depends on your $$ and party. Kids require a different set of rules at Disney (as any parent knows) so plan accordingly. Once my son starts to swim without assistance we’ll start staying in more adult themed resorts and work our way up to places like the Animal Kingdom.
Great job Tom comparing these two options. Eventually as my son ages we do want to stay in better resorts but for now where he is spending a lot of $$$ on resorts would be overkill.
We tend to ony sleep at the hotel so for us a value was the way to go we would rather spend the extra money in the parks
For my upcoming honeymoon, my FH and I are staying the first four nights at the Beach Club and then the remaining sixteen at Pop Century…we have had wonderful experiences there. We stayed there when we got engaged. My fiance proposed at Disney and had an engagement package sent from the Disney Florist…unfortunately, the florist wrote the wrong date down and he was on the phone with them all day. He kept checking with the hotel concierge and they felt so bad about the situation that they made some Disney magic for us. There was a knock on our door at 10:30 pm and I’m like, who the heck is at the door, John?? In comes two Disney employees with cake, a beautiful collage frame, a gift certificate and stuffed Mickey and Minnie Mouses
Pop Century always has a special place in my heart!
Never a long bus wait and I love their main pool and pool bar Petals!
We just got back from WDW; this trip we went Deluxe and stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was nice but my husband didnt like how dark it was – not Disney colorful like the other places we have stayed. I do not believe that our AKL room was any bigger than the rooms we have gotten from Caribbean Beach Resort, we’ve stayed there on three previous trips. The only experience we didn’t love was our UPGRADE to waterview pirate room(it’s A LONG WAY from the main house with the food court etc) the bus stops at each island so that wasn’t bad but getting to the food court was too far and the internal transportation isn’t worth it when travelling with a child in a wheel chair. NOw we request a certain island and have no trouble. We have also stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and it was nice enough, but it was a longer walk than I wanted to get to the bus stop. We actually visit the PO Riverside food court on every visit for the build your own pasta place. We normally ride the water taxi from DTD to PO Riverside. I think my husband’s favorite is Caribbean Beach Resort (a moderate). Our AKL room was no bigger than our CBR rooms, just a different arrangement and an enclosed closet. The trouble is, it is so far away from everything – it’s a long bus ride to everywhere and yes, you expect that you would have better bus service from a deluxe – not so! Also, AKL Mara was (for us) the worst food court of all the places we’ve ever been. We visited friends at the Art of Animation CARS Family Suite – those were very nice – you felt like you were part of the movie – yes, you could see the big box motel under the colorful decor but my kids didn’t seem to notice.
WDW Port Orleans Riverside only shares a bus with Port Orleans French Quarter during low peak season. During the very busy seasons each resort has it’s own bus.
We choose the moderates only because of the queen size beds. With a husband and a son that are 6′ 4″, it is hard to fit into full size beds. We are staying in Port Orleans Riverside in June using Disney transportation. Does anyone know what transportation is like during this busy time?
Hey Tom! My husband, 9 y.o. Son and I will be going to Disney October 10-15 this year (2013). We stayed at Pop Century in mid October last year and loved it. We are considering All Star Movies this year for a change of scenery, but I am worried about the bus sharing issue. Do you think it will be a big issue that time of year? I have heard that they have their own bus for Magic Kingdom but share for Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney (those are the other places we plan to go). We don’t want to have to wait for buses forever but would really like to stay here for our son. What do you think?
My one and only trip to DW was 5 years ago and I can say I wouldn’t do it any differently than I did. And I am currently planning a return trip this year. We stayed at Coronado Springs last time and other than the bed sizes (which have now been upgraded from doubles to queens) I have no complaints. We went the first week of May and because CS didn’t share buses with any other resort we never waited more than a few minutes for a bus to pick us up from a park. I would look over at the value resort pick up areas at the parks and was very glad I didn’t have to wait in those crowds to get back to our resort. The longest route from our hotel was to Downtown Disney.
IMO, building 8A was the best for us as we were very close to the main pool and also a quiet pool and had a bus stop just a few feet from our building. The con to this is that we were quite a ways from the main lobby building, but it was so beautiful that we didn’t mind the walk. There was always a club car passing by to hitch a ride on to the main building if we were feeling lazy. I’m glad we made the decision to spend the extra $$ and will gladly do it again for our next trip. Incidently, we are considering DVC as a option so we can keep up the vacations!!
When we come back to the resort at night (and for the day off we like to take in the middle of the vacation) we want to sit and relax in a hot tub, and that is the one amenity the value resorts do not have. It seems like a silly issue to base our decision on, but for us, it is totally worth it. In fact, we debated upgrading a step further to the Polynesian, but the lack of hot tub automatically crossed it off our list. Last year we even watched the fireworks from the Caribbean Beach Resort hot tub on our last night.
Hey, I’m planning our first Disney trip for May of 2014, and the kids will be 12 and 10 by then. It’ll be just the three of us. I was wondering if you all think a value or a moderate resort would be a better choice. I’m considering the Alligator Bayou at Port Orleans Riverside, and the PoP Century. Advice?
Have you stayed at the Fort Wilderness Campground? If not, you are missing out on a whole new Disney experience! I’m a huge Disney fan but can’t get there as often as I would like. My family has stayed at the campground all 3 times we have gone as a family (my husband and I took our first “empty next” trip outside the campground last year, for our 30th anniversary). Even with grown kids, we are going again this December to celebrate my 50th birthday!
We LOVE staying in the campground: low-key, very quiet & peaceful, lots more space for just your family, having my own bed & food, beautiful walks/runs around the campground, etc.
I have stayed at Port Orleans Riveraide with my kids when they were small and we needed th extra trundle bed. We enjoyed it, but you don’t see “Disney” everywhere. We stayed at Pop Century next and enjoyed how “Disney” it felt! We are planning a trip in September and plan to stay at Pop Century again. You can walk to Art of Animation and even use there buses to get back if their line is smaller. We have small children and they seem to enjoy the value resorts more.