Time to plan that Disney World vacation, y’all! WAHOO!

Disney World has a few different resort options for ya — ranging from value, moderate, deluxe, and SUPER deluxe. (Okay, there’s not ACTUALLY a super-deluxe option. There are villas, which feel like the same thing, but that’s a topic for a different day.) Today we’re going to explore the different pros and cons of staying at a Disney World value resort. (Spoiler Alert: You’re still going to have to make the ULTIMATE decision on whether these are the best resort options for you and your travel party, so don’t expect an answer one way or another. We’re just here to *guide* you a little.)

Before we dive in, let’s talk about what a value resort *IS*, exactly. Disney’s value resorts are…well…they’re actually pretty self-explanatory. They’re going to be your more affordable option when it comes to choosing a Disney Resort. (Don’t worry — we’ll definitely add that as one of the “pros” later on.)

Disney’s value resorts include Disney’s All-Star Resorts — Sports, Music, and Movies — Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

Okay, you’re caught up now. Let’s get into the meat of this, shall we?

Pro: Disney Skyliner Access

If you decide to stay at Disney’s Art of Animation or Disney’s Pop Century Resort, you’ll have direct access to the newest mode of transportation to-and-from some of the parks, the Disney Skyliner.

The Disney Skyliner is a gondola lift system that takes resort guests — who are staying at one of the hotels on the Skyliner route — to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.

If you’re wanting to utilize this transportation system (which can really be a lot of fun — as long as the wait times aren’t too wild and you’re not afraid of heights), then Art of Animation and Pop Century will be your most affordable Skyliner route options. 

NEWS: The Skyliner Will CLOSE for a Short Refurbishment in Disney World Next Year

Con: Transportation Wait Times Can Be Steep

Yes, the Skyliner is great and all, but when it comes to the OTHER modes of complimentary resort transportation (we’re looking at YOU, Disney buses), expect wait times to get pretty steep here. In particular, if you’re staying at one of the All-Star resorts and you’re trying to take a bus back from the Magic Kingdom at the very end of the day, then you might be waiting in line to return to your room for a very, very long time. 

Value resorts have a LOT of rooms — which is great! That means they can accommodate a lot of guests who are wanting to save money on their resort stay so they can invest *more* of their time and money in the parks.

But that also means a LOT of value resort guests are planning on starting their day at park rope drop (AKA: RIGHT before the parks open) and finish their day after the fireworks (AKA: park closing). So expect to see some high wait times at the very beginning and very end of the day for value resort transportation. 

Learn more about Walt Disney World transportation HERE!

Pro: Food Court Dining

The value resorts have a good array of quick-service options that stay open pretty late. (The *staying open later* aspect is a REALLY good thing, considering it’s difficult to find Disney restaurants that stay open after 10 PM nowadays.) 

Here’s the quick rundown of the different dining options available at each of the value resorts:

• Disney’s Art of Animation: Landscape of Flavors — open 7AM – 11PM 
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort: Everything POP Shopping and Dining — open 7AM – 11PM 
• Disney’s All-Star Sports: End Zone Food Court (TEMPORARILY CLOSED) 
• Disney’s All-Star Music: Intermission Food Court — open 7AM – 11PM 
• Disney’s All-Star Movies: Disney’s World Premiere Food Court — open 7AM – 11PM 

The food court-style caters to a variety of different palates and picky eaters alike.

Review: Landscape of Flavors at Disney World’s Art of Animation Resort!

Con: Food Court Dining

You’re not going to find any fancy-schmancy fine dining at the value resorts.

These food courts will FEED you, and you won’t have to break the bank with the different options available, but are you going to eat *the best food ever* at these places? No. Expect to find standard options like pizzas, pastas, and burgers. Basically, theme park foods. (Although, every now and then, these food courts surprise us with a fun seasonal dessert offering that we’ve just GOT to try!) It’s not bad food by any means, but it is also nothing particularly special.

If you want a signature or table service dining experience, you’ll have to book a reservation at another resort, one of the Disney Parks, or over at Disney Springs.

Learn about the best Disney World restaurants HERE!

Pro: LOTS of Disney Theming!

Moderate and deluxe resorts are known for their subtle take on Disney-theming. And then there are the value resorts that are anything BUT subtle.

We’re talking Disney characters and BRIGHT colors out the whazoo! These characters are especially prominent over at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, where you can stay in rooms directly themed around animated classics like The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, or Cars.

If you want your kiddos to stay in rooms based on their favorite animated film characters, then these may be the right choice for you!

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Con: Potential Of Being A Little *Too* Busy

Remember what we said before about the value resorts being able to hold a lot of guests? Sometimes this can become more of a *con* rather than a *pro*.

Big school groups who are traveling for sports, band, and choir events will typically take advantage of the value resorts’ cheaper prices and larger room quantities, meaning you might be staying at a resort with a WHOLE bunch of excited (read: LOUD!) kids and teens.

Nothing wrong with the extra commotion — unless you’re trying to sleep and the school groups are still running up and down the hallways or staying up giggling in their rooms next door. (Those hotel walls are paper-thin, folks!) This isn’t always the case, but do keep in mind that it COULD be the case. Even without the big groups, these resorts can get loud anyway since they’re one of the more popular places to stay for families with younger kiddos.

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Pro: Great Place To Swim The Day Away

The Disney theming at these value resorts isn’t limited to the rooms; the pools also capture that Disney character whimsy!

Over at Art of Animation, you can dive into The Big Blue Pool — which is the BIGGEST pool on Disney property! You can swim in the Cozy Cone or the Flippin’ Fins Pools here, too! All of the value resorts have themed pools like these, based around movies like The Three Caballeros and Fantasia. Or, over at All-Star Sports, you’ll have pools themed around…well…SPORTS!

Along with the pools themselves, there are also poolside activities you can participate in — like shirt tie-dyeing (for a small fee), Movies Under the Stars, and trivia competitions.

The GROOVIEST Pool in Disney World Has Reopened!

Con: Hotel Quality Is Pretty Standard

Listen, the colorful characters are a LOT of fun, and the Cast Members here are great and helpful — but, at the end of the day, these resorts will provide you with a very standard hotel stay. (Maybe even less so, since there’s no complimentary breakfast included.)

Don’t book a room at a value resort thinking that it’s the ONLY Disney option you can afford. You can also look into Good Neighbor Hotels, which can sometimes be even CHEAPER than the Disney value resort stays!

Good Neighbor Hotels have very similar benefits to the Disney-owned resorts — including complimentary bus transportation to-and-from the parks and Early Theme Park Hours access. Some of the nicer Good Neighbor hotels offer perks BETTER than many Disney owned hotels, though you’re missing out on that Disney-owned aspect.

Check out the 9 Absolute LIES about Disney Hotels HERE!

Pro: Price (Of Course)

Alright, it’s about time we state the obvious here. If you want to stay in a Disney-owned resort, these rooms aren’t going to be nearly as pricey as the moderate and deluxe resorts.

Most value resorts range from $100 to $200 per night while moderate resorts are priced at $200 and up. And don’t even get us started on the price of deluxe resorts! Those swanky rooms can run around  $500 and up per night. (When we say *and up*, we mean WAY up.)

Yes, $100-$200 per night is still a pricey endeavor, but Disney World itself is an expensive destination. So just keep these hotel price ranges in mind as you continue budgeting for your upcoming vacation.

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Con: Price??

Wait, what? Didn’t we JUST say that the value resorts are going to be your more affordable option? Yes. However, there’s a little bit of a catch. The cheapest options here are going to be your standard rooms, which sleep up to 4 people comfortably.

If you’re needing more room, you’re going to need to look into a suite. Depending on when you’re visiting and which resort you’re staying at, suites can range from $400 to $700+ per night. If you book a family suite at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, expect the higher end of the suite pricing.

It may be more beneficial for you and your travel party to look into the cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, instead. Depending on the time of year, these prices range from $300-$500 per night. So, while you’re busy comparing prices, check and see if the Fort Wilderness cabins might be a cheaper option than the value family suites.

We’re Eatin’ Barbecue and a Massive Sundae in a HAT at Trail’s End in Disney World! Click HERE for our full review!

So what do you think? Do the pros outweigh the cons, or vice-versa? Now that you know all the nitty-gritty, you can continue planning away!

Let’s learn more about the moderate resorts now! (AKA: What are their MAJOR problems?) Click HERE to find out!

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Have you stayed at a Disney value resort before? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The PROS And CONS Of Staying At Disney World’s Value Resorts first appeared on the disney food blog.