This topic comes up a lot in Disney Vacation planning. Most people's first instinct is to save the most money they can, especially when it feels like you've been hemorrhaging money throughout the planning process already. But everyone's situation is different, and even the most penny-pinching family can stay in a higher end resort without breaking the budget! Keep reading to learn more about each of these classifications of hotel and figure out which is best for you or your family.
Value: These resorts are the lower end resorts Disney offers. Depending on the time of year and number of nights, the price for these rooms vary between about $70-$200 a night. These are fairly close to the price of most off-property hotels near Disney, but you'll get the much needed additional perks, such as free transportation, extra magic hours, and additional time to book fast passes and dining reservations. These resorts are also EXTREMELY cool. They are usually heavily themed for your child (or the child in you) and they have tons of the same features and amenities the higher-end resorts do. They usually have more than one pool, a large food court style restaurant where even the pickiest eater can find something they like, and a gift shop for those hastily purchased flip flops or some $10 sunscreen (we've all been there... unfortunately). The main difference is the value resorts are mainly focused on children, so you wont have a fitness center or spa on site. But honestly, who has time for those things when you're on the busiest vacation of your life? For most people, Disney World is go go go and spending a morning running on a treadmill after walking 7 miles throughout the park the day prior doesn't sound very fun. Value resorts are typically my go-to resort type. Firstly, because most of my Disney trips happened when I was a broke college student, but also because I always spend such little time in the resorts that I really don't care what it looks like or what amenities it offers. I really just need a bed and maybe a pool. The rest of my trip is spent early AM to late PM trucking through the parks.
Pros: price, theme, and Disney perks!
Cons: Amenities, more families/kids
Moderate: If you would like a few more amenities and a slightly less rowdy atmosphere, moderate resorts might be a good choice. They are slightly pricier than values, and their cost can range quite a bit more. I've seen moderate resorts as low as $180 in the off-season and as high as $400 in the popular times like during holiday breaks. These tend to have slightly more adult room themes, quieter guests, and some more amenities including gyms and multiple restaurants. If you feel like you might want a resort day or two instead of hitting up the parks all day every day, then I would suggest going for this option. The upgrades will not be wasted on you, and if you get one for a good deal, you might actually save money overall. A value resort day + a park ticket is usually more expensive than a moderate resort day with no park ticket. If your resort is higher quality, you might want to spend a little more time there, and this will overall save you some money. I recently took a trip with my nephew (11 y.o.) and we stayed at Coronado Springs. It was a beautiful resort with a pool slide my nephew went on probably 1200 times. He also had a swell time with the coffee maker every morning we were there, even though he ended up pouring the whole cup out every time because the only coffee he likes is the Starbucks kind that's drowning in sugar. Even though the resort wasn't heavily themed with Disney characters crawling all over everything, he still had a great time and was usually begging to go back to swim every afternoon that we were walking the parks.
Deluxe: These are the big boys, the dream trip stays, the honeymoon or anniversary trip resorts. I would absolutely love to stay at one of these, but I will NOT be booking that stay lightly. It will be for a VERY special occasion, or it will be split with a slew of other people. These resorts range in price from $300 to more than $800 a night. They have regular rooms like other hotels or resorts, or villas which usually include multiple rooms and a little kitchenette. The top dogs of this classification are The Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village, and The Contemporary. All three of these can easily run you almost a grand a night depending on the room you pick and time of year. It's going to be a SPLURGE stay. That price tag comes with a lot of amenities, though. Multiple pools, multiple restaurants ranging from food court style to luxury four-course-meal-style venues, spas, gyms, and various other shops and bars to spend the day exploring. If you're dreaming of staying in one of these resorts, I would tell you to go with an annual pass, so you're not worried about tickets or paying full price for food and souvenirs. I would also spend more of my time there than in the parks. If you're dropping $600 a night, you might as well get your money's worth.
Don't ever feel like going for a less pricey resort means stepping down in quality or denying your family a certain kind of experience. Every child I've ever met cares more about meeting Mickey Mouse and riding Splash Mountain than about how tasteful the hotel room decor is. If you're going as a family, the main thing I'd look at is the pool. That's typically all a kid cares about in terms of resort stay. If you're going with other adults, maybe a moderate hotel with less families and a more relaxed adult vibe is going to be worth it. Especially if you're splitting costs. I would reserve the deluxe resorts for special occasions but I know, if you're anything like me, a stay at every resort is a total goal. I would just tell you to do your research and try to get the best deal you can. Everything Disney does is top notch, so you'll never be disappointed in your stay, but looking into your options and choosing the best thing for you and your family is ultimately going to save you stress and headaches down the road.
~Hailey
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