Moderate vs. Value Disney Resorts

Deciding on where to stay while vacationing at Disney World can be a tough decision. There are a lot of great hotels on Walt Disney World property. If you are on a budget, you are most likely going to want to stay at a moderate or a value resort to save a few bucks. Which is the better of the two? Let’s break it down…

Moderate Resorts

• Caribbean Beach Resort – themed after the Caribbean Islands 
• Coronado Springs Resort – themed after the American Southwest & Northern Mexico
• The Cabins at Fort Wilderness – themed after the American frontier
• Port Orleans French Quarter – themed after 19^th century New Orleans 
• Port Orleans Riverside – themed after an Antebellum Louisiana plantation

Coronado Springs

Port Orleans French Quarter

Fort Wilderness Cabins

Caribbean Beach

Port Orleans Riverside

Value Resorts

• Pop Century Resort – themed after pop culture from the 1950s-1990s
• Art of Animation Resort – themed after the art and magic of Disney/Pixar movies
• All-Star Movies Resort – themed after Disney/Pixar films
• All-Star Sports Resort – themed after the world of sports
• All-Star Music Resort – themed after popular music genres

Pop Century

Art of Animation

All Star Sports

All Star Movies

All Star Music

Proximity to Parks

Moderate Resorts

• Caribbean Beach Resort– closest to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
• Coronado Springs Resort– closest to Hollywood Studios
• The Cabins at Fort Wilderness– closest to Magic Kingdom
• Port Orleans French Quarter– closest to Epcot and Disney Springs
• Port Orleans Riverside– closest to Epcot and Disney Springs

Disney’s Moderate Resorts are all in great locations. Most of them are located in the Epcot/Hollywood Studios area so if those parks are high up on your “Disney must-do list”, these resorts are definitely the best place to stay. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is in close proximity to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The closest park to Coronado Springs Resort is Hollywood Studios. Port Orleans (French Quarter and Riverside) are set back a little further but still pretty close to Epcot and Disney Springs. The Cabins at Fort Wilderness are the closest moderate resorts to Magic Kingdom.

Value Resorts

• Pop Century Resort – closest to Hollywood Studios
• Art of Animation Resort – closest to Hollywood Studios
• All-Star Movies Resort – closest to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom & Blizzard Beach
• All-Star Music Resort – closest to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom & Blizzard Beach
• All-Star Sports Resort – closest to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom & Blizzard Beach

Disney’s Value Resorts are also in pretty good locations. The All-Star Resorts (Movies, Music, Sports) are all less than a ten-minute drive from Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach. Disney’s Pop Century Resort is set back a little bit further from the other value resorts but still isn’t very far from Hollywood Studios. Disney’s Art of Animation is right next to Pop Century Resort and is closer to Hollywood Studios.

Winner

Moderate Resorts

Although this category is very close, the Moderate Resorts are the winner here. They have more parks surrounding their resorts and are overall in a more convenient location. 

Disney Transportation

Moderate Resorts

• Caribbean Beach Resort – bus, skyliner
• Coronado Springs Resort – bus
• The Cabins at Fort Wilderness – bus, ferry 
• Port Orleans French Quarter – bus, ferry
• Port Orleans Riverside – bus, ferry

Transportation to and from Disney Resorts has greatly improved over the years. For the Moderate Resorts, you can catch a bus to and from any of the parks and there are multiple bus stops, so you don’t have to walk too far to catch a bus. The only Moderate Resorts that do not have multiple bus stops, are the Port Orleans Resorts. Port Orleans Resorts does, however, offer a ferry to Disney Springs. In addition to bus transportation, Fort Wilderness also offers a ferry to Magic Kingdom. The addition of the Skyliner has also made it much easier to travel from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. 

Value Resorts

• Pop Century Resort – bus, skyliner
• Art of Animation Resort – bus, skyliner
• All-Star Movies Resort – bus
• All-Star Music Resort – bus
• All-Star Sports Resort – bus

The very convenient transportation option that makes the Value Resorts a little bit more desirable is the Skyliner. Guests staying at the Pop Century Resort or the Art of Animation can take the Skyliner to either Epcot or Hollywood Studios. The All-Star Resorts, however, offer the Disney buses as the only mode of transportation.  The buses often take a while to get from point A to point B so if you have an early morning dining reservation, this can make things a bit complicated because you never know an exact time that you will be arriving at your destination. 

Winner

Moderate Resorts

Although the Value Resorts have greatly improved in the transportation department, the clear winner is the Moderate Resorts again. Simply put, with the option of the ferry, bus and the skyliner, they offer more ways to get to and from the Disney parks. 

Price & Room Size (on average)

Moderate Resorts

• Caribbean Beach Resort – $248-515 per night (314 sq ft)
• Coronado Springs Resort – $240-3,286 per night (314 sq ft)
• The Cabins at Fort Wilderness – $429-816 per night (504 sq ft)
• Port Orleans French Quarter – $266-488 per night (314 sq ft)
• Port Orleans Riverside – $266-520 per night (314 sq ft)

There’s a wide range on the price scale for the Moderate Resorts. The Cabins at Fort Wilderness tend to be slightly more expensive than the other moderate resorts because of its close proximity to Magic Kingdom and because the rooms are larger at 504 square feet. Coronado Springs is also very pricey because of the Grand Destino Tower and its gorgeous suites with water views. Most Standard Rooms at these resorts are about 314 square feet.

Value Resorts

• Pop Century Resort – $168-377 per night (260 sq ft)
• Art of Animation Resort – $195-856 per night (260-565 sq ft)
• All-Star Movies Resort – $123-297 per night (260 sq ft) 
• All-Star Sports Resort – $123-294 per night (260 sq ft)
• All-Star Music Resort – $123-603 per night (260-520 sq ft)

The Value Resorts are the least expensive of all the Disney Resorts- hence the word “value”. The Art of Animation Resort offers large family suites and can be a little more expensive than the other resorts in this category. They are typically around 565 square feet. All-Star Music Resort also offers large family suites at around 520 square feet. They are slightly smaller than the family suites at the Art of Animation but still a great price for the additional space. 

Winner

Value Resorts

This winner in this category is the Value Resorts. Yes, they are much smaller, but they are offered at a great price. While on vacation, we tend to not spend a lot of time in our rooms anyway. It is worth it to save a few extra dollars and treat yourself to a lovely dinner or even that souvenir that you’ve had your eye on. The family suites at the Value Resorts are especially worth it. They are fairly large and have fun theming! 

Dining Options

Moderate Resorts

• Caribbean Beach Resort – table service, quick service
• Coronado Springs Resort – table service, quick service
• The Cabins at Fort Wilderness – table service, quick service
• Port Orleans French Quarter – table service, quick service
• Port Orleans Riverside – table service, quick service

The Moderate Resorts offer a wide variety of dining options. They have everything from quick snacks to full table service meals. As far as table service goes at Caribbean Beach Resort, you can dine at Sebastian’s Bistro (Latin/Caribbean cuisine). At Coronado Springs Resort, there is Toledo-Tapas, Steak & Seafood (Spanish, Steakhouse cuisine), Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa Del Lago (Latin cuisine), Rix Sports Bar & Grill (American cuisine) and Maya Grill (American/Mexican cuisine). The Cabins at Fort Wilderness has Trail’s End Restaurant (American, Southern cuisine) and Hoop-Dee Doo Musical Revue dinner show (Southern/BBQ cuisine). Port Orleans French Quarter has Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory (American, Cajun/Creole Cuisine). Port Orleans Riverside Resort has one table service restaurant, Boatright’s Dining Hall (American cuisine). 

Value Resorts

• Pop Century Resort – quick service
• Art of Animation Resort – quick service
• All-Star Movies Resort – quick service
• All-Star Sports Resort – quick service
• All-Star Music Resort – quick service

The Value Resorts are lacking in the table service dining options. At all of the Value Resorts, you can find “food courts” that offer a variety of options for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. They also all have pool bars that have quick service dining options.

Winner

Moderate Resorts

The clear winner in this category is Moderate Resorts. There are a multitude of dining options, whether you would like a quick snack or a full sit-down dinner. You have plenty of options to decide where to eat if you had a resort day on your itinerary without having to leave your resort. 

Fun Things to Do

Moderate Resorts

• Caribbean Beach Resort – Zero-entry pool with waterslide, campfire activities, movies under the stars, Pirate Adventure Cruise, fishing, bike rentals, volleyball, jogging trail, playground 
• Coronado Springs Resort – Mayan Pyramid pool with waterslide, fitness center, campfire activities, movies under the stars, volleyball, jogging trail, playground, arcade, Colors of Coronado Painting Experience, Spanish Mosaic Art, spa
• The Cabins at Fort Wilderness – Meadow Pool with waterslide and whirlpool spa, Hoop Dee-Doo Musical Revue, rent golf carts, archery experience, Tri-Circle-D Ranch, Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, Pony Rides, Wagon Rides, Chip ‘N’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-along, movies under the stars, motorized boat rentals, fishing, canoe and kayak rentals, bike rentals, basketball courts, volleyball, jogging trails, playgrounds, two arcades, Wilderness Back Trail Adventure 
• Port Orleans French Quarter – Mardi Gras themed pool with waterslide, Jazz Club, Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, Painting on de’ Bayou, Beignet Fun Run, movies under the stars, Cajun Campfire Activities, Bike Rentals, Surrey Bike Rentals, Fishing, Jogging Trail, Playground, Arcade
• Port Orleans Riverside – Large pool with waterslide, Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, Movies Under the Stars, Campfire on de’ Bayou, Bike Rentals, Surrey Bike Rentals, Fishing, Jogging Trail, Playground, Arcade

The Moderate Resorts have a never-ending list of fun things to do. All of these amazing and fun activities are well worth the little bit of extra money to stay at a Moderate Resort. All of these resorts have beautiful pools with waterslides, fun campfire activities, character experiences, movies under the stars, bike and boat rentals, arcades and so much more! There is never a shortage of things to do here which is especially great for a resort day or even some great things to do on your arrival/departure day.

Value Resorts

• Pop Century Resort – Hippy Dippy Pool with water jets, movies under the stars, jogging trail, playground, arcade
• Art of Animation Resort – Largest resort pool in WDW, movies under the stars, jogging trail, playground, arcade
• All-Star Movies Resort – Fantasia themed pool, movies under the stars, jogging trail, playground, arcade
• All-Star Sports Resort – Pool with surfboard motif, movies under the stars, jogging trail, playground, arcade
• All-Star Music Resort –Guitar-shaped pool, movies under the stars, jogging trail, playground, arcade

The Value Resorts all have fun-themed pools, in fact, the largest pool on Walt Disney World Property can be found at the Art of Animation Resort. All of the resorts also feature movies under the stars, a jogging trail, a playground and an arcade. 

Winner

Moderate Resorts

The Moderate Resorts win this category by a landslide. Not only is there so much more to do, but the activities are so fun, that you won’t want to leave your resort. The Value Resorts have nice, decent sized pools but none of them feature a water slide. Pools are just more fun with waterslides- it’s a proven fact! Plus, everything that the Value Resorts offer, the Moderate Resorts offer that plus so much more.

Overall

It’s no surprise that the Moderate Resort is the overall winner here. While the Value Resorts make more sense economically, you can’t beat everything that the Moderate Resorts have to offer. Not only do the Moderate Resorts have better dining options, but they also have better transportation options and more fun things to do. If the only thing that is important while planning your Disney vacation is staying on a tight budget and you don’t plan on spending any time at the resorts, Value Resorts would probably be the better option. Other than that, the Moderate Resorts are the clear choice of the two. Have you ever stayed at a Moderate or a Value Resort? Which did you prefer?