Value v. Moderate Resorts at Disney World
Moderate v. Value Resorts. Many guests planning Walt Disney World trips wonder whether it’s worth saving money or paying extra for better amenities, pools, transportation, dining, etc. This comparison weighs the pros & cons of each tier and gives our verdict as to which accommodations are the best picks for different types of travelers. (Updated February 9, 2023.)
For starters, this post assumes you’ve already determined that you want to stay on-site at Walt Disney World and have narrowed your search to these specific categories. If not, you might want to start with a different comparison:Â Off-Site v. On-Site Walt Disney World Hotels.
As for this comparison, we break it down to a bunch of different categories (price, theme, rooms, recreation, dining, transportation) because the ultimate answer as to which is better is going to be [spoiler alert] “it depends.” What it depends on is how important each of the considerations below are to you. With that said, let’s try to analyze the five most important features of Walt Disney World hotels to see where each tier has advantages…
Before we get going, we need to offer a caveats about this overarching comparison:Â it’s really clunky. Arguably, Walt Disney World has outgrown the Value, Moderate, and Deluxe Resort tiers. Nowhere is that more apparent than in these two tiers, which include everything from standard rooms at the All Stars to Family Suites at Art of Animation to Cabins at Fort Wilderness to Executive Suites at Gran Destino Tower that border on luxury accommodations. (Some of them are nicer than Deluxe Resort rooms!)
To the greatest extent possible, we’re going to “smooth over” this range of room categories by focusing on standard options at each resort. This makes things easier for us, and also more practical for you since the standard accommodations are the most common category. Realistically, you’re probably not debating between a barebones room at All Star Sports and an Executive Suite at Gran Destino Tower. If you are…maybe this isn’t the post for you!
Anyway, let’s turn to the comparison categories of Value Resorts versus Moderate Resorts at Walt Disney World…
Price
Standard rooms at all Value Resorts are cheaper than standard rooms at all Moderate Resorts. Again, the Art of Animation Family Suites, Cabins at Fort Wilderness, and various room types in Gran Destino Tower are 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.
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 widely based upon season, discounts, etc., but expecting to pay about $70 more per night at a Moderate Resort is a good baseline.
One complicating factor with this comparison is the Skyliner Resorts, which are discussed in greater detail in the transportation section. Just as Moderates cost more than Values, there’s a “Skyliner Surcharge” within each category. As a result, the price difference between a standard room at Coronado Springs is typically much cheaper than one at Caribbean Beach, and between the All Stars and Pop Century.
Conversely, the gap between Coronado Springs and Pop Century often is not as significant. Regardless of the actual number, it’s true that, on average, standard rooms at the Moderates cost more than a good chunk of change more than Values on a nightly basis.
Advantage: Values
Theme
Moderate Resorts generally offer more nuance 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.
By contrast, the Value Resorts convey their style 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 oftentimes romantic theming of Moderate Resorts.
Advantage: Moderates
Rooms
On average, standard guest rooms at Moderate Resorts are larger by about 60 square feet. (Caribbean Beach is even larger.) We have a post that offers a break-down of the size difference of all Walt Disney World hotels.
It used to be the case that the Moderate Resorts had nicer rooms with better bedding and superior themed design. It was also the case that the All Star Resorts were looking tired, with faded and dated decor. That has changed with the most recent room designs, which are relatively consistent at Pop Century and all of the All Stars.
There have been some complaints among Walt Disney World diehards that these rooms are light on theme and feel sterile and cold as a result. While it’s true that they favor function over form, the consensus among regular guests (read: non-fans) has been resoundingly positive. For our part, we love these new rooms, finding them to use space exceptionally well, and having thoughtful features, and more.
Moderates still have a better sense of themed design and feel more upscale and less utilitarian as a result. However, some of these are now feeling tired and overdue for updates. They also lack the same space-saving features found in the new rooms at the Value Resorts, which do help bridge the gap in terms of size.
Really, this comes down to your priorities. Our personal favorite rooms are at Coronado Springs Resort, which offer the best of both worlds. However, we also are big fans of the functionality of the new rooms at the Value Resorts. They don’t have the most elaborate designs, but they really get the job done and serve their purpose well!
Advantage: It Depends
Dining
Each Moderate Resort has a table service restaurant (except French Quarter, but it’s a 10 minute walk from Riverside, and a brief boat ride from Disney Springs), 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 good options if want to do dinner at your hotel.
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. By contrast, the food courts at the Value Resorts are much more utilitarian. (Even this has exceptions–the food courts at Pop Century and Art of Animation are both Moderate-caliber.)
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 for Deluxes, but usually not these categories. (For example, 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
Recreation
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. Aside from Art of Animation’s Big Blue Pool, no Value Resort Pool made our list of the Top 10 Pools at Walt Disney World, whereas several Moderate pools made the list.
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.
Without question, the most/best amenities are found at Coronado Springs. This is Walt Disney World’s primary convention hotel, and it shows. That’s why Gran Destino Tower was added, and it has a ton of amenities for adults. Multiple restaurants, bars & lounges, fitness centers, hot tubs, and more. If these things matter most to you, Coronado Springs blows away the competition–it’s more like a Deluxe Resort than a Moderate in this regard.
It’s really more of a question of whether you’ll use use these amenities. If your party will spend a significant amount of time at your hotel each day, these recreation options could be pretty important. It’s also worth noting that, Moderate Resorts are typically more spread out (French Quarter excepted), so if you are firmly opposed to walking, the Value Resorts might be slightly more appealing. Conversely, this added space offers more areas to explore, and the Moderate Resorts are great for a leisurely stroll in the evening or morning, giving them a true resort (rather than hotel) vibe.
Advantage:Â Moderates
Transportation
This is where things get complicated, and the distinction between the Value and Moderate Resorts really breaks down. You might think that transportation is an important amenity, and those paying extra for higher-tier resorts would be rewarded with more efficient transportation. You would be wrong. Transportation is not consistently better at more expensive hotels, especially when it comes to bus transportation.
In reality, this category is all over the place. The worst transportation at any of these resorts is at Coronado Springs, followed closely by Port Orleans Riverside. That’s because both of these larger resorts have internal bus loops, which is tedious and time-consuming. Coronado Springs the worst due to the addition of Gran Destino Tower, which means more people and strain on the buses.
In the middle are the All Star Resorts (all of them). On occasion, these can share bus service to the parks, but we have not experienced that recently–it seems pretty rare now. More importantly, they each have single stops at each resort. The All Star buses can be a wildcard. Sometimes, buses will be dispatched for each resort and will be running quite often, making them incredibly efficient. Other times, there will be huge lines in the morning or otherwise long waits. Our recent experiences with bus service at the All Stars has been generally positive–a big improvement as compared to a few years ago.
It’s a similar story with Port Orleans French Quarter. This resort has a more compact footprint than its sister property, and bus service is generally efficient.
The best transportation is at any of the Skyliner resorts, which include Art of Animation and Pop Century, plus Caribbean Beach. These offer aerial gondola service to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, which is an absolute gamechanger. The downside is that they do offer bus service to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, where the two Value Resorts have a slight option since Caribbean Beach Resort has an internal bus loop.
The Skyliner is efficient and predictable, so long as you aren’t visiting during storm season. (Even then, we’ll take the Skyliner resorts.) These are not all equal–Caribbean Beach gets the slight edge since this is the Skyliner hub resort, with two stations that are convenient–meaning direct access to both parks.
We place the Skyliner advantage on par with or perhaps slightly above that of the monorail. That’s really saying something, as the monorail resorts are all Deluxes and charge a significant price premium. The advantage of being able to hop aboard a continuously-loading aerial gondola cannot be overstated, making it exceedingly easy to get to EPCOT and DHS for Early Entry, or taking a midday break. For us, this is the ultimate trump card–and why we’ll usually opt for the Skyliner Resorts over anything else in both of the Value and Moderate Resort categories, unless there’s a significant price difference, unavailability, or discount exclusions. All of those things do happen often, unfortunately.
Advantage: Skyliner Resorts, spanning both Value and Moderate Resorts
Verdict
As is probably clear by now, Value v. Moderate Resorts is not a clean comparison. So it thus should not come as a surprise that this is not a neat verdict, with one category being the obvious winner. To the contrary, the outcome is very circumstantial, and often comes down to specific hotels being better options rather than broad categories.
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 premium pricing you’ll pay at a Moderate may not make a whole lot of sense. Even then, the surcharge is not equal across the board. Skyliner Resorts are typically more expensive within their respective categories, and there’s also a surcharge for Gran Destino Tower, which is really more like a Deluxe Resort, albeit an isolated not. We warned you at the outset that this is very much an “it depends” topic, and now you should see why that’s totally true.
Ultimately, what we can offer is our personal perspective as we regularly stay at both Value and Moderate Resorts. Assuming we’re doing it for enjoyment and not a resort update, we usually choose Skyliner Resorts for a quick weekend trip or when the parks are our primary focus. Pop Century is my preferred resort for this type of trip, especially when I’m looking for the best value for money.
If our budget is a bit healthier, we choose Caribbean Beach Resort. Its added amenities are nice, as is the added convenience of being the Skyliner hub. We also like having access to better dining, even though we (admittedly) often don’t take full advantage of it. Then there’s the pool. Even when we don’t use these things, having access to them is nice.
If it’s a longer trip or we’re looking at stretching our budget further, that’s where the other Value and Moderate Resorts come into play. Thanks to the new rooms, the All Stars have really grown on me, especially at times when they’re not hosting youth events. If I’m doing a longer solo trip, the parks are a priority, or I’m trying to keep costs down, I choose whichever of these is cheapest.
Then there’s Coronado Springs Resort. When we’re traveling together and will be spending a bit more time at the resort, this option usually wins out. Its rooms are better, base rates are lower, discounts are better, and sometimes we luck into an upgrade to Gran Destino Tower. We also prefer the fitness center, pools, and restaurants. We find ourselves doing late night meals at Three Bridges after the parks close quite often, and also love Toledo Steakhouse and the lounges in Gran Destino.
Finally, there are the Port Orleans Resorts. These were once our favorites, and still are exemplars of themed design, with beautiful grounds that make for romantic evening walks. We still very much love the idea of the Port Orleans Resorts, and with each visit, we fall in love with them all over again. But if I’m being honest, we don’t have the same pull to return to any of these as the above options. Each of those have functional advantages, whereas it’s all about the form of Port Orleans. To each their own, though. I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone from booking the Port Orleans Resorts!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
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!
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.
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.
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.
Which moderates have nice beds? We stayed at Port Orleans and beds was same as pop and all stars
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
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.
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.
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!
We stayed at the all star music in 2011…I had won my super bowl by graduating nursing school as a single mom! My parents and sister went with my son and I. We were in one of the family suites. I feel the layout was awesome. In true Disney magic we ended up in the Jazz section which was over the top since my grandfather had been a jazz musician! This December we are staying at pop century an are busting at the seams with excitement. I cannot justify upgrading to even a moderate when all we do at the resort in sleep, shower, and eat a quick breakfast so we can be at the park in time for rope drop!
Is it true that the value resorts have a mini fridge now?
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.
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!
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.
Environment can make a big difference for many kids. Adults included. Bright colors, lights, sounds definitely affect my kid if she is already tired. Some people are totally not phased by it, like my husband, but my daughter and I need to decompress in a calmer atmosphere after a day of fun. I look at it this way, if environment didn’t matter, then day spas, yoga studios, and retreats wouldn’t look the way they do lol. They could look like a McDs lol.
I find it applies to both- engaging in too many activities, as well as being “clinically” overstimulated. Kinda like watching a bright flashing movie on a huge screen with loud soundtrack for 10 hours straight…after a while it takes it toll mentally and physically. We are fairly quiet, reserved people, and don’t watch a ton of tv/ video games, and even for me (34 year old attorney) all the noise and people and lights and so on can tax my system. I LOVE being able to go back to somewhere like the AKL and just chill. We visited the AoA to see the Cars part, and my kids loved it, but by the end I was feeling really antsy and anxious…just so much noise and light and everything! I guess some people aren’t bothered by that, but we for sure are! (And I guess I just answered my own question I posted earlier as to whether or not the Values would be ok for us…guess not!)
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.
Very very good point!
We are staying at a moderate for the exact same reason. Environment makes a big impact on behavior, especially when a kid is tired. I also wanted a quieter sleep environment that usually comes with moderates and up since you generally don’t have large touring groups of young adults/teenagers.
That is such a good point, and the reason I’ve never stayed at a value before. We’ve visited AoA, and it was cool, but definitely overstimulating on several fronts. Its just so relaxing to head back to the cool, dark quiet of the AKL and just relax! Such a great point!
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.)
My husband and I stayed at AOA TLM rooms during our last visit. Sure the walk back was a little far from the buses but it was FANTASTIC! The experience of the walk itself was delightful and if you take the back way (near the lake) there are some really neat plaques of info about the resort/disney! Don’t let a little bit of extra exercise scare you. 🙂 Whats an extra few steps?
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!
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.
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.
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!
All throughout my childhood we stayed at Fort Wilderness. Some of my best memories were made at the campground and NOT the parks. My husband and I are going to WDW next mont but we don’t have enough time off to drive there with our camping gear from Texas. There is no where else I’d rather stay though. Oh well. Next time, right?
You can stay in the Cabins at Fort Wilderness without ANY camping gear. It’s similar to a regular hotel room, except in a cabin (and larger). We LOVE the Fort Wilderness Cabins!
I would love to stay at the cabins someday. But this is my husband’s FIRST trip to Disney World so I thought it would be better if we stayed somewhere closer to the parks. I think for a first timer it’ll be a more fulfilling trip to be at the Boardwalk amongst the action rather than a cabin. We do plan to roast some s’mores and catch the campers Xmas displays though. I’m sure he will fall in love with Fort Wilderness and insist we stay there next time. Fingers crossed.
P.s. I love your website. As a couple without kids it is so hard to find advice on how to plan a disney trip. Ninety percent of articles out there are geared towards parents. Your website has proven itself invaluable! Though it must be a lot of hardwork keeping it running, you have many appreiative fans out there. Also, your gorgeous pictures got me to pick up my DSLR again. Thanks!
If your husband enjoys that sort of thing, the Fort Wilderness Cabins–I think–are Deluxe quality as far as the rooms go. It’s just the rest of the campground isn’t. Have a great trip!
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 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.
We JUST got back from a week at All Star Music and our room definitely did NOT have a fridge. I wish it had. We would have used it for sure.
The room was dated and smelled of antiseptic. The cafeteria was an absolute zoo at breakfast and even at 8 or 9 pm. Our first day there, we were shell shocked trying to eat breakfast there. What a mad house. BUT as others have noted…if you realize it IS only a place to sleep and shower(and a few pool visits for the kids), then you get used to it.
I would ONLY ever recommend a Value Resort to someone if I gave them the details of what they were in for.
If we ever decide to visit WDW a second time, I’m not sure I would stay at an All Star again.
We took our 1st trip to WDW last September. We stayed at Port Orleans – Riverside. We loved it! I mentioned trying another resort when we go back and he was like “why not just come back”. We were without kids, and that may have made a decision if we stayed somewhere else.
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 am also very interested in where you stayed and ate? please share. thank you so much
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! 🙂
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.
We stay at Value Resorts. The pool and other amenities don’t matter to us. As long as the rooms are clean and comfortable that is all that matters. We go to Disney for the parks not the resorts. Plus you can’t beat the price for what you get.