Shocking Opinions on Disney World Resorts

Walt Disney World has numerous Disney Resorts ranging in price and amenities for each Guests and their needs. The different categories are Value Resort, Moderate Resort, Deluxe Resort and Deluxe Villas. Each of these offers different amenities for the Disney Resort room, pools, and dining options. Choosing where you want to stay during your Disney World vacation is a big decision as it can greatly impact your vacation experience. We have some shocking options when it comes to Disney Resorts. Take a look at our options and see if you agree with our thoughts.

Grand Destino Feels Like a Deluxe Resort

We highly recommend the Grand Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort if you are looking for a Deluxe Resort feel without the deluxe Resort price tag. This new addition to the moderate Resort has brought so much to  making it one of the best accommodations on Disney Resort property. The Grand Destino Tower has two lounges as well as one signature dining location (when opened). The Dahlia Lounge is located high up in the tower providing amazing views of the Disney property, including Disney’s Hollywood Studio, EPCOT and even Blizzard Beach. The Barcelona Lounge is located on the lower level of the tower and is stunning. The glass behind the bar and the photo of Mickey and Walt Disney make this a beautiful location to relax and enjoy a beverage. The Disney Resort rooms are also outstanding, with high-end amenities that will make Guests feel like they are at home. We highly recommend considering a stay at Grand Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs during your next vacation; get a deluxe Resort feel at a moderate Resort price.

Pop Century is the Best Value Resort

When looking at the Disney value resorts, we think that Disney’s Pop Century is the best. Being on the new Skyliner pushes this Walt Disney World Resort above the other Value Resorts. Being able to quickly get to both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT is a game changer. We also like to quickly get to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Riviera for additional food options. We also like the food at Pop Century’s food court, everything is also delicious. The newly remodeled rooms at Pop Century have great storage and an excellent option with the murphy bed that can remain up. If you are looking to save some money by staying at a value Resort, think about Pop Century.

Stormalong Bay Might Not Be the Best

Stormalong Bay is the pool option at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. If you research pools at Disney World, chances are high that this pool will rate number one by most. We will admit that it is pretty awesome with a lazy river, sand bottom, and a slide, but we aren’t sure it lives up to all the hype. For families with little ones, the lazy river gets extremely deep in some areas making it difficult to feel lazy. Also, the entrance to the slide is actually located across the walkway to EPCOT. This can be a little concerning for parents as children have to leave the gated pool area to get to the slide. Compared to most pools where older kids can navigate the pools on their own, this might not be the case at Stormalong Bay. Parents won’t be able to keep their eyes on kids the whole time, making it less relaxing. We find some of the pools at the moderates, such as Disney’s Coronado Springs and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to be just as fun and possibly even more relaxing. These pools are located in one area, making it easy to keep eyes on kids. If pools are important to your family, look into how they are laid out to make sure they fit for you.

Art of Animation is the Best Themed

Art of Animation is one of the value Resorts on Disney property as we believe it offers the best Disney theme out of all the Resorts. Broken into four areas: Little Mermaid, Lion King, Nemo, and Cars, fans can enjoy rooms that are themed accordingly and larger than life statues throughout the Resort bringing these stories to life. The three pools are also outstanding as they keep with the theme of Little Mermaid, Nemo or Cars. If your kids love Disney, Art of Animation is the place to stay as the movies truly come to life here.

Skyliner Resorts are Better than Monorail Resorts

The newest mode of transportation from Disney Resorts is the Skyliner. Guests staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera, Pop Century, Disney’s Art of Animation all have access to the Skyliner. This provides them access to both Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well as EPCOT. We think that this access is better than having the monorail to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. The reason we think this overall is because the Skyliner is a constant loader. Guests are constantly loaded into Skyliner gondolas and have quick under 10-minute rides to the Park. We also think the Skyliner Resorts are better because you have access to two parks whereas the monorail provides direct access only to Magic Kingdom. Although we still love the monorail resorts, staying at a Skyliner Resort is a better option for many.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa Might Not Be the Best Deluxe Resort

This might surprise many people, but we aren’t convinced that Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is the best of the Deluxe Resorts. We know that this is one of the iconic resorts that many hope to someday stay at, but we don’t feel like it is the best Deluxe Resort out there anymore. With the updates coming to Disney’s Contemporary Resort and wrapped up at Disney’s Polynesian, these two Deluxe Resorts have moved ahead of the iconic Grand Floridian. These two Resorts have newly updated rooms with the best amenities, amazing dining options, and a great location. We know that the Grand Floridian is a goal for many Guests, but we would highly recommend looking at some of those other Deluxe Resorts to see if they might meet your needs better.

These are just a few of our shocking opinions when it comes to a Walt Disney World Resort. Do you agree with any of them? Are there any that you disagree with? Let us know!