Comparing Walt Disney World Resorts
Staying on site at Walt Disney World is a massive plus if you're planning on spending most of your time on site, with easy access to the parks and Downtown Disney, but what's the difference between a value, moderate and deluxe resort?Value Resort
Summer 2014 I stayed in Pop Century resort (Average $108 per night), it's the only value resort I have experienced and had no idea what to expect having only stayed at Riverside before.
Being a value resort there is only a quick service option and the only transport option available is buses, the queues for which can get extremely long, especially if you're on your way to Magic Kingdom in the morning or coming home from a park at the end of the day.
The rooms are set out in the exact same way as the rooms for moderate resorts, we stayed in the 1980's building which was a short walk from the main lobby and bus stops. Our room was clean as you'd expect from Disney property, with two comfortable double beds, tv, fridge, safe, bathroom and seperate sink. The towel Mickey is a lot smaller than you get in a Moderate or Deluxe resort, and the decor in the rooms is a lot more basic.
If you aren't bothered about additional amenities and are only bothered about using your resort as a base for exploring the parks then a value resort could be for you, reasonably priced and comfortable with everything you need to recharge for your next day running around Walt Disney World.
One thing to keep in mind when choosing a value resort is that when Disney runs the free dining plan offer, it generally does not apply to value resorts (this is true in the UK).
Moderate Resort
Summer 2013 I stayed at Port Orleans Riverside Resort (Average $190 per night), we chose to upgrade to one of the Royal Guest Rooms just to see what it was like.
I loved this resort, the atmosphere is extremely relaxed with the river outside the main lobby and running along to Downtown Disney.
Being a Moderate resort there were both quick service and table service options, there are also both buses and a boat to Downtown Disney, the queues for buses aren't as large as those at a value resort, however there are still queues. Also be aware that the bus will drop off at multiple stops around the resort before stopping at the main lobby, if you are staying away from the lobby then this is useful, however if you are near the lobby then it means a longer wait to get home after a long day in the parks.
There are plenty of additional things to do around the resort as well, from the pools to bike rentals and boat rentals, horse drawn carriage rides, campfires and live entertainment. The resort also has it's own arcade to keep you busy when the heavens inevitably open.
As we chose a Royal Guest Room, we were in a preferred location close to the lobby (just over a bridge across the river). The rooms are the same size as the standard rooms, however they are themed around the Disney Princess' mainly Tiana.
The rooms are much better themed than those of a value resort, there are 2 sinks as opposed to 1 in value resorts, and the towel Mickey is larger. Other than the additional decor and sink, then rooms are not massively different to value rooms.
The Royal Guest rooms have many hints towards the Princess', from the portraits on the wall to the genie lamp taps and tiara's on the comforter. The headboards contain LED lights and when you press a button they light up to look like fireworks exploding which is a great touch. You also get a letter from Tiana welcoming you to the room which would definitely excite any little prince's and princesses'.
The additional amenities provided from a Moderate resort are definitely worth the additional price, and add a touch of luxury to your stay at Walt Disney World.
In terms of the free dining plan offer, Moderate resorts get you the Quick Service Dining plan for free (2 x QS, 1 x Snack, 1 x Mug).
Deluxe Resort
In summer 2014 I was lucky enough to spend a couple of nights at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Average $517 per night), it was an amazing experience.
Grand Floridian has multiple table service restaurants on site and quick service restaurants, there is also the option of Character Dining which is a massive plus in my books. The restaurants are all really well themed, and I loved my Character breakfast at 1900 Park Fayre.
Where value and moderate resorts only generally have one shop selling merchandise and general goods, the Grand Floridian has multiple stores selling a variety of items.
Transport options are great, you have the normal bus service, as well as a boat over to Magic Kingdom, a path around the lagoon where you can walk to Magic Kingdom or the other monorail resorts as well as the Transportation & Ticket centre. And of course there is the monorail, a frequent service that can get you to Magic Kingdom in seconds and to Epcot.
Recreation options are great with campfires, themed pools, spa, boat rentals, an arcade and fishing all on offer.
The theming of the resort is amazing, and the lobby is my favourite lobby in the whole of Walt Disney World, with a pianist playing or a live band. The lobby also smells amazing, and the old fashioned style lift is a great feature.
We went for the standard room type, we stayed in Sago Cay, which is to the left of the main lobby. Each building has it's own mini lobby area, which splits off to the different rooms. The rooms are beautiful, they are much bigger than the rooms in a moderate/value resort and the beds are bigger too. The bathroom was lovely with a huge area with 2 sinks, you are provided with spa toiletries as well due to the fact that there is a spa on site. We also had a balcony, although we were on the ground floor so not much of a view, we looked out onto the seating area outside the main quick service restaurant.
There is also a turndown service and you get the biggest towel mickey available :)
I love this resort so much and it is definitely my favourite on site, everything about my stay was amazing and I can't wait until I can go back and stay there again.
In terms of the dining plan offer, you get the Disney dining plan with all deluxe resorts (1 x TS, 1 x QS, 1 x snack, 1 x mug).
Overview
From the stays I have had, for a normal holiday I would always lean towards a moderate resort, mainly because I think the additional amenities & theming are worth an extra $70/80 per night, however value resorts are great to use as a base for holidays while still getting all the perks of staying on site (Magical express, Disney transportation, earlier booking for fastpass+)
And although I would love to always stay in a deluxe resort the high price tag doesn't really make that an option at this point in my life, however for a nice treat (say the last few nights of the holiday or a special occasion) then I would definitely recommend it.
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