Hiya Pals! When picking a Disney Resort there are lots of options, and a ton of price ranges! Staying on property there are three basic resort types as categorized by Disney, they are Value, Moderate and Deluxe. We’ll walk you through all the different options and give you some background information on them all. Let’s take a look and figure out how to pick your Disney resort!
Value Resorts
The Value resorts are All Star Movies, All Star Sports, All Star Music, Art of Animation and Pop Century. These resorts are the cheapest hence the term “value.” They offer the smallest rooms, and the least number of pools. The transportation options at these resorts are more limited, so keep that in mind. Often times these resorts have more “in your face” Disney theming, which makes them great for families especially those with small children. These resorts are often more removed from the parks making bus times slightly longer and are often larger in size which means your room could be a little further away from the main areas. We love staying at these resorts because they give us the most bang for our buck! We notice that these rooms are really well maintained and so much fun! Check out our review of Pop Century resort!
Moderate Resorts
The Moderate resorts are Caribbean Beach, Coronado, Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter. Old Key West and Saratoga Springs are Disney Vacation Club Resorts but are along the moderate pay scale. Offering slightly larger rooms, multiple pools, water slides and splash pad areas these resorts are among family favorites. We often choose Moderate Resorts because they offer more dining and are usually slightly smaller, making getting around a breeze. Check out our review of Caribbean Beach resort!
Deluxe Resorts
The Deluxe resorts are Beach Club, Boardwalk, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Yacht Club, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Riviera. These resorts offer signature dining experiences, multiple large, themed pools, and often host theme park views. They are the highest priced resorts per night. They offer extra park hours two nights a week, and each one has a spa on location! These resorts are bougie, and a lot of fun to stay at! Check out our review of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge!
Overall
Value resorts as I said before are the cheapest resorts on site and they have the least amenities. Many families choose this tier because it makes the most financial sense, and you don’t spend a lot of time in your room anyway. These room prices fluctuate not only on the nights of the week you stay, but also the time of year you go. Peak season on a weekend will drive a higher pay per night than a less traveled season during the week. Room rates fluctuate a lot but in general the value category will cost $180-$500 per night.
Moderate resorts fall in the mid-range on offerings and pay. Families often choose this tier because the rooms are a little larger, and the pools a little more fun. Cost of a moderate resort also range on dates and time of year. You can expect to pay anywhere from $220-$550 per night.
Deluxe resorts are of course the top of the line and offer amazing dining such as Toppolino’s Terrace, Chef Mickey’s and Sanaa. You will pay top dollar, for top notch offerings. Deluxe resorts range in price from $460-$1500 per night.
Your nightly price may fluctuate due to your room view, the location of your room and more. You can choose to stay in a standard view as the cheapest option, a pool view room, all the way up to a theme park view. You can also choose your location to preferred which brings you closer to the main lobbies. Again, we suggest using Erica’s expertise in choosing your hotel, she can get you a free price quote if you contact her here.
Amenities
You may want to book your hotel based on amenities. At the value resorts you will find a basic food court style restaurant, basic pools, complimentary bus transportation, and more. Arcades are located in the lobby as well as a basic store.
Moreover, at the moderate level they have amenities offered at value resorts plus larger and more pools to use. These usually offer a slide and a hot tub or two!
In addition to all listed above, deluxe resorts offer top notch dining experiences as well as complementary transportation including the monorail and boats!
Location
You may want to book a resort based on its location. Often the Deluxe resorts are closest to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT on the monorail loop. Moderate resorts are located closest to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. In contrast, value resorts are located furthest from the parks. Many moderate and value resorts have access to the sky liner. A fun route of transportation bringing you to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Most resorts offer busses to and from the parks as well. If having easier access to one park or another is important to you, location is something you may want to prioritize.
How to choose?
All of these can be big factors in your trip. Whether you decide on a resort based on pricing, amenities, or location there is a resort for you! Your travel agent can help you pick the right one based on your needs. Truly there is not a bad resort to choose from, every one has something to love!
We hope this basic overview will aid you in the first steps towards deciding how to pick your Disney resort. As the Disney lovers we are, we highly recommend choosing a resort on property. There really is something to staying in the “Disney Bubble” as they say. Let the magic begin!
