Disney World Resort Hotels Categories (Figuring Out the Right Fit)

Disney World Resorts by Categories

As we begin to examine individual resort categories, remember that pricing and amenities will be fairly similar, with a few exceptions that we’ll note.

Disney Value Resorts

You’ll find five resorts that fall under the value category at Disney World. These resorts are suitable for guests who are looking for budget-friendly accommodations, those who truly don’t plan to spend much time at the resort, or those who really want to feel immersed in classic Disney theming. Here are those options:

• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort

In a nutshell, the three All-Star Resorts sit on one large property, each with theming that’s reflected in the resort’s name. We consider these resorts to be true value resorts. The All-Stars will have the lowest rates, and all three only offer one form of transportation: Disney’s bus service.

If you want a step-up from the All-Stars but still want to remain in the value category, you might prefer to pick what some refer to as the value-plus resorts: Pop Century and Art of Animation. These resorts picked up the “plus” nickname when the Skyliner originally opened. These two resorts will have slightly higher rates than the All-Stars and offer two forms of transportation: Disney’s bus service and the Skyliner.

As far as dining, pool, recreation, and other amenities, you won’t find a big difference at any of these resorts. It’s important to note that Disney’s Art of Animation and All-Star Music Resort both offer family suites in addition to standard rooms. Other than that, all of the rooms at the value resort have two queen beds, sleeping up to four guests. (Most rooms will have a pull-down bed that converts to a table. There are a few room options with a king-size bed for smaller parties.)

Value Resorts do not have water slides or hot tubs at their pool areas. However, they all have a splash pad or kiddie pool, which is convenient if you’re traveling with little ones. If the value resort category feels like the right choice for you, we compare and contrast them in our value resort rankings guide.

Value Resort Tip: All of these resorts are worth taking a walk through if you’re staying at them. But if you’re just interested in checking one out, we love to visit Disney’s Art of Animation for a sunset stroll. If you have children or are a child at heart, it’s worth the time. (Spoiler: It’s not our highest-ranked value.)

Disney Moderate Resorts

Our next category of resorts includes four options plus a campground for anyone who might enjoy that experience or has a recreational vehicle (RV). The moderate resorts are well-suited for someone who wants some of the nicer amenities without having to pay for the expense of a location-based resort. They are as follows:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort (Part DVC Resort)

Moderates truly meet guests in the middle. These resorts will all have theming that is uniquely Disney, but the classic character touches will be subtle. A glance at the above-listed resorts shows that they are themed to locations. For instance, Caribbean Beach is themed to islands in the Caribbean, and each section of the resort represents one.

Transportation options will vary for these resorts, but it’s worth noting that none sit on the monorail. The biggest factors are slightly larger room sizes, two sinks in the bath area instead of one, more dining options at the resort, water slides at the feature pools, and hot tubs. If you’re leaning toward a moderate resort, we break down the differences between the five options in this guide: Everything You Need to Know About Disney’s Moderate Resorts with Rankings.

Moderate Resort Tip: If you’re considering a moderate resort, but really want the deluxe feel, you might consider Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs. It’s the only moderate with interior room access. All of the other value and moderate resorts have exterior room access, meaning you’ll walk across the resort’s grounds to get to your building, and your door will face the exterior.

For me, the greatest appeal of staying at most of the deluxe resorts is the location. You’re either walking, boating, and/or monorailing to Magic Kingdom, OR you’re walking or boating to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The only exception is Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which sits a little out by itself. The location is necessary due to the fact that real African animals live on its vast savannas.

As far as benefits go, make sure you’re aware that guests of deluxe and deluxe villa resorts are eligible for extended evening hours. All resort hotel guests (no matter the category) are eligible for early theme park entry, where you can enter the park up to 30 minutes before it opens. Extended evening hours are exclusive to resort guests and allow them to stay in select theme parks up to two hours after the park’s official close on select evenings.

The deluxe hotel rooms are going to be slightly larger than other resort categories. More importantly, they are all interior hotels. Instead of long outdoor walks to your room, you’ll have long walks down interior halls. Of course, the shelter from those pop-up downpours and air-conditioned halls is just as much an amenity as anything else, considering we’re in Florida.

The deluxe resorts all have upgraded dining options, including a signature restaurant. The pools areas are all incredibly themed with waterslides, dedicated children’s areas, and hot tubs. Like the moderates, theming is location-based with subtle touches of Disney. If a deluxe resort feels like the right resort choice for you, we discuss the pros and cons of each one in our guide to ranking Disney’s Deluxe Hotels.

Deluxe Resort Tip: If an entire week at a deluxe resort doesn’t fit with your budget, plan a split stay. That’s when you change resorts at some point during your stay. We have done this many times to get the best of both worlds!

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

Disney has a variety of deluxe villas or Disney Vacation Club Resorts. A few of these options are stand alone resorts, while some are part of existing resorts. Villa resorts offer unique accommodations with more of the conveniences of home than you would find in a standard hotel room. They are:

• Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas (Jambo House)
• Kidani Village
• Beach Club Villas
• Boardwalk Villas
• Bay Lake Tower
• Grand Floridian Villas
• Polynesian Villas and Bungalows
• Boulder Ridge Villas
• Copper Creek Villas
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa