DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
One of the coolest things about Disney World Resort is the fact that you can spend your entire vacation on Disney property. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend a week or more surrounded by Disney magic? The problem is, many of the on-property Disney World resorts are quite expensive. Seeing some of those prices can easily leave some Disney fans feeling like the dream of staying in a Disney hotel is far from attainable. This is where the Value Resorts step in.
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You see, a few of the Disney World hotels were built specifically for families on a budget. While they may be lacking a few of the more luxurious amenities, they offer everything you need plus the most important amenities, all at an affordable price. For reference, all of the Value Resorts offer the following: Laundry, ATM, Free WiFi, Clean Rooms, Refrigerators, Airline check-in, Currency exchange, Park transportation, Airport transportation, Jogging trails, Pools, Splash pads, Outdoor movies, and more. Below we have listed all of Disney World’s Value Resorts, as well as the most important things you must know about each.
1. All-Star Sports Resort
All-Star Sports Resort is almost always the least expensive of the five Value Resorts. It offers a fun sports theme and a huge football field for kids to run and play in. Many families love this resort for that football field and the low price point. Unfortunately for some families, big groups also tend to love those things, meaning this resort is often filled by cheerleading teams and other large, loud groups. This can easily turn a relaxing vacation into a stressful, frustrating week. As is the case with all Value Resorts, all transportation to and from the parks is by bus, and in this particular case, buses are shared with the other All-Star Resorts. That said, All-Star Sports is usually the first stop for these buses, meaning finding a place to sit is rarely a problem for the guests of this hotel.
2. All-Star Music Resort
Another of the All-Star Resorts, All-Star Music is also fairly inexpensive, and is often only a few dollars more per night than All-Star Sports. The music theme is tons of fun, and the guitar-shaped pool is super whimsical. Besides all of that, the hotel also offers family suites, something that is super handy if you have a family of 5 or 6. As an added bonus, this hotel is not usually overrun by large groups, making it a slightly more peaceful place to stay. This also means shorter lines at the food court, something that is a major bonus when your kids need breakfast quickly. As we mentioned before, the All-Star resorts share bus transportation to the parks. All-Star Music is the second stop for these buses, meaning that some seats will be taken when the bus arrives to pick up guests from this hotel. That said, the bus rarely fills completely at All-Star Sports, so you should be good to go.
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3. All-Star Movies Resort
The third and final All-Star hotel is the All-Star Movies Resort. This one has a fun movie theme and features tons of iconic Disney characters, making it the most blatantly Disney-themed of the All-Star Resorts. Kids love this, and parents love that the price of this resort is affordable as it is often the third cheapest Disney resort. Groups aren’t a problem at this hotel, meaning you can easily enjoy your time in the well-themed food court. This eatery features a light-up marquee as a fun movie-themed touch. All-Star Movies is the third stop for the All-Star Resort buses, and that means the buses do sometimes fill up before reaching this hotel. Obviously this can be frustrating, as it means waiting for the next bus.
4. Pop Century Resort
Pop Century Resort is a favorite of many avid Disney-goers. It features a fun throwback theme, with a building dedicated to each decade from 1950–1990. Iconic symbols from each decade are scattered about, and even the food court gets in on the action with tie-dye cheesecake. Disney added the Dole Whip to the Pop Century food court as well! While we like the food at this food court, you do also have the option of walking to the Art of Animation resort, which is just across a bridge over Hourglass Lake. This is the same area you can pick up the Disney Skyliner, a gondola-style transportation, to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Since the Art of Animation food court menu is a bit different from the one at Pop Century or any of the other Value Resorts, you might find you prefer their offerings. Unlike the All-Star resorts, which each include two swimming pools, Pop Century features three themed pools, meaning more swimming options for the water lovers out there. This is perfect if you plan to spend a day at the resort. The prices for Pop Century are marginally higher than the prices for the All-Stars. That said, we do prefer this resort overall. We find it especially nice that Pop Century has dedicated buses, which means faster and more reliable transportation to and from the parks. You can also take the Disney Skyliner mentioned above to and from Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
5. Art of Animation Resort
The newest addition to the Value Resort lineup, Art of Animation is a great option for those with larger families or those who are willing to spend a bit more. The prices at this hotel are the highest of any Value Resort. However, the well-themed standard Little Mermaid rooms are well worth the markup, and the incredible Finding Nemo, Lion King, and Cars-themed family suites are even more so. As mentioned before, many people prefer the food court at Art of Animation over the other Value Resort food courts. There is a good variety of food found here, making it perfect for families with differing tastes. The pools are also pretty great at this particular resort. While all of the Value Resorts have splash pads, the Finding Nemo-themed water play area at Art of Animation is far superior. Meanwhile, the main pool is amazing not just because of its Finding Nemo theming, but also the fact that there is underwater music that plays throughout the day. Pretty cool, huh? Like Pop Century, Art of Animation has dedicated buses that take guests to the parks. You can also take the Disney Skyliner to and from Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
6. The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
While the campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort may seem odd to place on this list, it is considered Disney’s sixth option for a value resort. Unlike the rest of the resorts above, you won’t get a bed, personal bathroom, or refrigerator… since well, it is a campsite after all! The highlight of the campsites would have to be the ability to enjoy ALL Fort Wilderness Resort has to offer including amazing scenery, horseback riding, canoeing, swimming, golf cart rentals, Disney transportation, and so much more. The campsites are definitely a budget friendly way to be part of the magic!
With this information in mind, you should be able to pick the Value Resort that is best for you and your budget. Which will you choose?
