Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts and What Makes Them Different

Disney World Resort has over 25 on-site resorts, all of which offer top-notch Disney quality, design and service. These resorts cover a wide range of price levels, with the value resorts starting at around $100 per night, to the moderate resorts which fall in the $175 to $250 per night range, to the deluxe resorts which go for $350 and up per night.  These prices vary considerably depending on the time of year and can be quite a bit higher at peak season, which typically covers the major holidays and school break times. 
 
All on-site Disney World Resorts offer the same general set of perks, regardless of their category, including extra magic hours in the parks, advance access to Fastpass reservations, access to the Disney Dining Plan, transportation to and from the Orlando International airport and the resort aboard Disney’s Magical Express, complimentary magic bands and the ability to ship their in-park purchases to their rooms.
 
But beyond these similarities, there are several differences across these three resort categories that are important to understand so you can pick the right resort category for you!

1. Value Resorts:

Disney World has 5 value resorts – the 3 All Star Resorts, the Pop Century and the Art of Animation.  These rooms are the smallest at 260 square feet.  The 3 All Star Resorts are basically the same, the only difference being the individual theme of the resort (sports, music or movies).  These resorts have 2 double beds and a single bathroom and have exterior access to the rooms from an outdoor hallway.  The Pop Century also has exterior access but has recently been renovated so that rooms now offer either a King or Queen and a Queen-size table bed.  These resorts all sleep up to 4, with the exception of a few Family Suite rooms at the All Star Music Resort, which can accommodate 6. 
 
The Art of Animation is a kind of a hybrid value/moderate resort in that it has many of the same features as the other value resorts, like exterior access and 2 double beds in its standard rooms, but it also offers a large number of Family Suites in a variety of themes, which feature a master bedroom, 2 bathrooms, a kitchenette and can sleep up to 6.  For this reason, although it is classified as a value resort, the price-tag is more similar to that of the moderate resorts. 
 
Other than some variety in room configuration, all the value resorts are similar in that they offer only food courts (there are no restaurants), the pools, while wonderfully Disney-themed, are simple pools without any slides or water features, and the only transportation to the parks and Disney Springs is by bus.  All of these resorts are located in the Wide World of Sports area and are the farthest away from the parks of all the resorts.