What are the Disney World value resorts? Which Disney Value Resort is best for your Walt Disney World Vacation? This guide to Disney World budget resorts will help you decide which one is a good choice for your Disney trip.
Disney World Value Resorts offer guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort an affordable way to stay on-site and take advantage of the perks of on-site guests.
There are 5 value resorts at Walt Disney World. They are Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All Star Music Resort, Disney’s Pop Century, and Disney’s Art of Animation.
The value resort hotels offer the most budget friendly accommodations at the Walt Disney World resort. With lower prices you will find less amenities but if you are trying to stay on a budget during your vacation or don’t think you will take advantage of the on-site perks the Disney value resorts may be a great choice.
Which Disney Value Resort is Best
Deciding which value resort is best for your Disney trip is a personal decision but there are a few difference you should be aware of to help make the decision.
The All Star Resorts are the least expensive value resort options. They offer complimentary bus transportation to and from the parks, have multiple pools, and an on-site food court.
Disney’s Pop Century and Disney’s Art of Animation will cost you a bit more because of their proximity to the Disney Skyliner transportation system.
The Disney Skyliner provides gondola transportation to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios from these parks. Bus transportation is provided to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom as well as the water parks and Disney Springs.
If you are looking for more information on the Skyliner check out this post: Guide to the Disney Skyliner Transportation at Walt Disney World
If the skyliner doesn’t matter to you it is worth checking out the All-Star value resorts to save the most money.
Disney value resorts family suites are located at Disney’s Art of Animation and Disney’s All-Star Music resort. These rooms fit 6 and are very popular for larger families.
What are the Disney Value Resorts
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (Located in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Area)
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort (Located in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Area)
- Disney’s All Star-Music Resort (Located in the Animal Kingdom Area)
- Disney’s All Star- Movies Resort (Located in the Animal Kingdom Area)
- Disney’s All Star-Sports Resort (Located in the Animal Kingdom Area)
All of these resorts offer complimentary transportation for their guests to and from the parks.
There are pools and playgrounds as well as daily activities for your non-park days. They also all have a quick-service restaurant for guests and evening pizza delivery.
Pop Century and Art of Animation resort are part of the Disney Skyliner Resorts and offer gondola transportation to and from Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
The All-Star resorts utilize bus transportation to all four theme parks. The All-Star resorts are the most budget friendly resorts at Disney World.
What Can You Expect at a Disney World Value Resort
The Disney value resorts offer less amenities and on-site resort perks than the moderate or deluxe resorts, but they allow guests to stay on a budget at Disney World and enjoy the perks of being an on-site guest. All guests will receive:
- Early Entry into the theme parks. Guests can enter all 4 theme parks 30 minutes before official park open.
- On-site transportation to and from the resorts and theme parks. This includes bus and Disney Skyliner transportation.
- If you purchase through the Walt Disney Travel company guests receive magical extras. Check here for the latest extra offerings.
- Stay inside the Disney bubble for the entirety of your vacation.
The last reason, Disney magic, may be specific to a Disney loving family(like us!) but there is something special about staying on-site at Disney.
The magic and special Disney touches continue for your entire stay and it makes your Disney vacation that much better.
If you prefer to have a house or condo with more space or you are visiting other Orlando theme parks you may not want to stay on-site.
Overview of the Each Disney World Value Resorts
Each Disney Value resort includes special Disney touches. They each have a different theme and are accessible to all areas of the Disney World resort.
Disney’s Art of Animation
Disney’s Art of Animation is the newest value resort and probably my favorite because of the theme.
The standard rooms are 277 square feet and have two double beds. The family suites are 565 square feet and have a queen bed, sleeper sofa, and fold out double bed.
The family suites that can fit up to 6 people and are a great option for families that may have napping children. There is a master bedroom and 2 bathrooms allowing space for families.
There are so many fun attention to details through the resort. We loved the Nemo coral reef playground and exploring the Cars area.
Although Art of Animation is in the value category the suites can be priced at $300+ a night. It is the most expensive of all the value resorts. Check our affiliate partner for latest price for Disney’s Art of Animation.
If you are looking for extra space but want to be as budget friendly as possible, consider pricing out the cost of adjoining rooms at one of the lesser expensive value resorts.
- Rooms: Standard Rooms are The Little Mermaid Rooms (4 People) & Family Suites: Cars, Finding Nemo, Lion King (6 People)
- Dining: Landscape of Flavor Food Court in the Main Building
- Pool Area: Big Blue Pool and Splash Pad in Nemo Section, Smaller Pools in Cars Section and The Little Mermaid Section
- Playground, Arcade
- Daily Activities (Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Parking is free at the resort.
- Bus and Skyliner transportation that provides easy access to the theme parks.
- Gift shop
Art of Animation is one of the most popular Disney resorts because it is visually so much fun for for families. The con to staying here is that it is the most expensive value resort at Disney.
Read More: Art of Animation Full Review for Families
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Disney’s Pop Century was the resort we stayed in for our very first Disney vacation. It offers basic amenities and themed around different era’s like the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.
We loved Pop Century and it’s price point. They also recently updated the rooms.
- Rooms: Standard (4 People)
- Dining: Everything POP Shopping and Dining (Food Court)
- Pool: Hippy Dippy Pool, Bowling Pool, Computer Pool
- Playground, Arcade
- Daily Activities(Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Parking on-site is free.
- Bus and Disney Skyliner transportation to the theme parks.
Prices at Pop Century start around $185.00+ a night. There are not family suites at this resort but it is a favorite among a lot of Disney fans.
I stayed in the updated rooms and really liked them. Even though my family of five no longer fits in a standard room we would consider booking connecting rooms for our next Disney trip.
Read More: Disney’s Pop Century Resort Review for Families
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort is decorated with bright colors and over-sized sports decor. It is a fun resort for the kids and offers basic amenities.
They even have a giant Foosball “table” that kids can run around and play at. Disney’s All-Star Sports is part of the All-Star resorts which are the least expensive resorts at Disney World.
Prices start around $150+/night.
- Rooms: Standard (4 People), 260 square feet, 1 king bed or 2 queen beds.
- Dining: End Zone Food Court
- Pool Area: Surfboard Bay Pool and Grand Slam Pool
- Playground, Arcade
- Daily Activities(Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Parking is free.
- Bus transportation to and from the Disney theme parks.
Disney’s All-Star Movies
The All-Star Movies resorts are themed to five Disney movies: The Mighty Ducks, The Love Bug, Toy Story, Fantasia, and 101 Dalmatians.
Each has it’s own charm and larger than life characters to take your picture with. The rooms themselves are not themed to the individual movies.
Prices at the All-Star Movies resort start around $150.00+/night.
- Rooms: Standard (4 People), 260 square feet with 1 king bed or 2 queen beds.
- Dining: World Premiere Food Court
- Pools: Fantasia Pool and Duck Pond Pool
- Playground and Arcade
- Daily Activities(Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Parking is free at the resort.
- Bus transportation is complimentary to and from the theme parks.
Disney’s All Star Music
Disney’s All-Star Music is themed to Broadway, Jazz, and Rock and Roll. It is another fun themed resort with little frills.
All-Star Music does have family suites that can fit 6 and are usually a little less expensive than the family suites at Art of Animation.
The family suites have been recently updated to include 3 queen size beds. One in the master bedroom, and 2 murphy beds in the living area. There are also 2 bathrooms.
- Rooms: Standard (4 People, 260 square feet) & Family Suites (6 People, 520 square feet)
- Dining: Intermissions Food Court
- Pool, Playground, Arcade
- Daily Activities(Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Parking is free for guests of the resort.
- Bus transportation to and from the theme parks.
Prices start at $150.00+/night for standard rooms and $320.00+/night for family suites.
All of the All-Star resorts share a bus. They each have their own bus stop but the bus will stop at each resort before making it’s way to the park.
It really is based on personal preference of theme and taste when deciding between the 3 All-Star resorts. You can always visit the other resorts and explore during your visit.
Can a Family of 5 Stay at Disney’s Value Resorts
Yes a family of five can stay at the Disney value resorts but they have 2 options for accommodations.
Families of five can book a family suite at Art of Animation or All-Star Music or book 2 standard rooms that are connecting at any of the 5 value resorts.
Be sure to specify that you need connecting rooms to a cast member during the reservation process. If you book it online, just call to make a note.
When I am researching our Disney trip I will run prices for 2 rooms, family suites, and moderate resorts (Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans have 5th sleeper) to see what is the best budget value for us.
It can depend on the special offers Disney is currently running as well as the time of year of visit and availability of rooms.
Always check the prices to find the best value for your trip!
What Do the Value Resorts Not Have that Moderate Resorts and Deluxe Resorts Do Have
Staying at a Disney Value resort will save you money on your Disney trip but there are amenities that you will not have at a value resort that you may have at a moderate or deluxe resort.
If they are important to you, you may have to increase your budget for a moderate or deluxe resort.
Value resorts do not have on-site table service dining. They have basic pool areas that do not have water slides.
Some deluxe and moderate resorts are within walking distance to the parks or offer monorail transportation.
It really depends on what type of trip you are doing. On our Disney trips we spend most of our time at the theme parks and really only sleep at the hotel.
It is not worth spending a large part of our budget on hotel. If you are spending a significant time at the resort you may want to upgrade.
Wherever you choose to stay at Disney World will be a great choice!
Disney value resorts offer a budget friendly way to stay inside the magic at the Walt Disney World resort. They offer clean and comfortable accommodations and are great for families.
Read Next: Guide to the Best Disney Resorts for Kids (Updated 2023)
Are you planning a Disney World vacation? Follow the links for specific tips and park guides. The Walt Disney World resort consists of 4 theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There are two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, a shopping and dining area Disney Springs, and over 30 resort hotels. These are all located at the Disney parks in Orlando, Florida.
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.