Top Differences Between Disney’s Value, Moderate, Deluxe Resorts

Walt Disney World offers Guests three main Resort categories on property.  These categories are value, moderate, and deluxe.  Each category offers different amenities and magic for Guests that are choosing to stay there.  One of the biggest decisions Guests make when it comes to planning a Walt Disney World vacation is where they want to stay.

To help you with this decision, we are going to break down the differences between each of these three Disney Resort categories so you can better determine where you want to stay while visiting Walt Disney World.

Value

Let’s start with the Disney Value Resorts which are Disney’s Pop Century, Disney’s Art of Animation as well as the All-Star Resorts (Music, Movie, and Sport).  These Disney Resorts are considered valued because of the price and accommodations they offer.

Let’s start by pointing out that value doesn’t always include the family suites offered at both Art of Animation and at All-Star Music.  These rooms are typically more in the moderate price range or even deluxe during busy times.  Keep that in mind as we discuss the Resorts.

The price for these Resorts ranges between $100-$225 per night most of the year.  The rooms are the smallest on the property at around 260 square feet, with two beds (being upgraded to queens in most Resorts) as well as one bathroom to share.

Access to these rooms is external meaning your Disney Resort noise might be louder than what you would experience at other Resorts.

When looking at the pool area, all the value resorts offer large, themed pools; however, they do not have slides but might have interactive water areas for little ones.  Guests will be able to enjoy pool slide games daily, movie under the stars on select days as well as explore the playground equipment on the property.

For dining, value resorts offer a food court for Guests with a variety of options to choose from.  The Landscape of Flavors at Art of Animation and Everything Pop over at Pop Century are two of the most popular quick-service locations at a Disney Resort.  Although the food courts are fancy, they are fun, bright areas with a lot of variety when it comes to food choices.

When it comes to transportation, buses are the only option at the All-Star Resorts; however, Pop Century and Art of Animation have the Disney Skyliner.  Guests staying at these two value Resorts are able to use the Skyliner to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.

The value resorts at Walt Disney World are a fantastic way to stay on Disney property while staying within a budget.

Moderate Resorts

The next category for Walt Disney World Resorts is moderate.  This includes Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, and the Fort Wilderness Cabins.

As the cabins at Fort Wilderness are an extremely unique and special experience compared to the other moderate resorts, we aren’t going to include them in our overview here.

The other moderate resorts offer larger accommodations than the value with rooms starting at 300 square feet and some at Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach, and Coronado Springs offer larger accommodations for families of five or more.

Costs for moderate resorts range from $200 to $350 per night depending on the time of the year and the room category you are looking at booking.  Most of the rooms at the moderate Resorts offer two sinks making getting ready in the morning easier for everyone as well as a separate area for the toilet and shower.

Moderate Resorts offer not only amazing feature pools with slides, but they also have what Disney calls quiet pools.  These are basic swimming pools found throughout the Resort that do not have slides or lifeguards but are a good option for a quick swim.

Again, Guests are able to enjoy poolside games, movies under the stars, and playgrounds.  Also offered at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort are two fitness centers and there are water recreation and bike rentals at some of the moderate resorts as well.

For dining, moderate resorts offer a combination of quick-service and sit-down options for Guests.  Guests can enjoy the food court a pool bar if they are looking for something quick, or schedule a nice meal at the sit-down restaurant on the property.

Buses are offered at the moderate resorts; however, Guests at Caribbean Beach Resort have easy and quick access to the Skyliner.  Over at Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter, Guests can take a relaxing boat road down the Sassogoula River to Disney Springs.

Moderate Resorts offer just a little bit more when it comes to accommodations and space for Guests. These are bigger resorts to keep in mind when choosing where to stay.

Deluxe Resorts

The last category for Walt Disney World Resorts is deluxe.  These are Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Yacht, and Beach Club Resorts, Disney’s Boardwalk, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

These resorts offer the best accommodations and largest rooms on the property as they start around 344 square feet and many offer room for groups of five giving even more room.  Like at the moderate resorts, the bathrooms offer two sinks and separate areas for the shower and toilet.  Suites at these Resorts offer even more space and sleeping areas.

The deluxe resorts, like the moderates, offer both outstanding themed pools with outstanding slides as well as quiet pools for Guests.  Hot tubs can be found near the main pool areas as can a water play area.  Along with the recreation found at the moderate resorts, Guests at the deluxe resorts will find health clubs, water recreations, and even spas.

Some of the best dinings in Walt Disney World can currently be found at the deluxe resorts.  Some have quick-service locations; however, most of them are known for their table-service options.  Ranging from family-style to characters and signature, the deluxe resorts offer a variety of dining choices for Guests.

When it comes to transportation from the deluxe Resorts to the Theme Parks, there are a variety of options depending on where you stay.  Some deluxe resorts offer the monorail, Skyliner, boats, and evening walking to the Theme Parks.  Deluxe Resorts are typically close to at least one if not two of the Theme Parks.

Deluxe Resorts offer bigger rooms and closer access to the Theme Parks for Guests.

There are some big differences between the three Walt Disney World Resort categories; however, it really depends on your priorities for your stay as to what will be important to you in your Resort.  We hope this will help you find a good fit for your vacation.