Hey friends and welcome back as we escape into the magic, no matter how far. Planning a Disney vacation can be a little overwhelming. I mean if you have never gone before, where do you begin? Having to pick a resort, plan dining, plan Fastpasses, etc; you can really become overwhelmed with the possibilities. But let’s take a look at something that can take a lot of stress off of your shoulders. We enter into the beginning stages of a Walt Disney World Resort vacation as we dive into picking a resort hotel. Now, over the years, I have had the pleasure to stay at multiple Disney resort hotels. From Dixie Landings, to Coronado Springs, to Saratoga Springs, to Disney’s All-Star Music and Sports, each have their perks. I am going to give some points on why in my opinion the Value Resorts are worth it. You should not think they are a lower quality stay. In my experience, they are just as fun and recently with some renovations, feel like moderate resorts. Abby and I have made a little game and pact that we are going to stay at all of the resorts over time and we started to tackle the value resorts first. There are many reasons for that and in this blog we will tackle my points and things to consider when booking at one of Disney’s value resorts. So sit back and enjoy as we escape into the magic of Disney’s Value Resort hotels.
Which resorts and categorized as value?
I will start off with which resorts are in the value category. The value resorts consist of the All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century and Art of Animation. Each one of these is located in the Animal Kingdom and ESPN Wide World of Sports area of the Disney property. All of these resorts have pluses and minuses but provide exactly what guests are looking for. It is noteworthy here that the value resorts can become crowded because they fit a lot of guests’ needs, but that does not hinder the experience one bit. Abby and I have stayed at All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, Art of Animation, and Pop Century. That leaves only one we have not stayed at yet and that is All-Star Movies. Some captures are above to show you some lobbies, bus areas, and sections of the resorts.
Why choose a Value Resort Hotel?
Now that we know which resorts are values, what is next? Well, I am going to outline why I think the Value Resorts are great to stay at when planning a Walt Disney World Vacation. For me, it can be broken down into three categories. Those being, 1. What do you need? 2. Theming. and 3. Budget. These three key points play a huge part in picking a hotel. Think of it as picking a hotel on a regular vacation. You would pick something that was in your price range and that met your needs. Mostly anything else is a plus. Let’s face it, to be blunt, Disney is not a cheap vacation, so make sure you either know what you want or your budget is met when planning. Both adults and kids will like these Value Resorts and they provide some fun all around in addition to the fun of the theme parks. I will speak on my experiences and let you know why these hotels should be considered. All Disney Resorts are fun and worth the stay, but Value Resorts can be the right choice for families or for couples, and this is why!
What do you Need?
Our first point and tip is to pick a resort that meets your needs. I like to tell people, when I visit Disney, I am not at the resort. I am in the park from open until park close and am found limping back into the room since I just walked 12 miles throughout the day. For me, most of the time I am not enjoying what the resort has to offer. There is nothing wrong with that mindset or plan when going to Disney. Get the most out of the time you’re there and spend the time in the parks. If this scenario lines up with what you are thinking the next phrase might be relevant to you. I tell people that I just need a shower and a bed. Anything else is an added bonus. I like to tell people in my experience, if you are not going to be in the room much or enjoying the amenities at the resort, not to pay for all kinds of extras at the Moderate or Deluxe Resorts. If you are going to be enjoying the resort, maybe the values are not for you, but they do provide fun for the whole family based on our next point, theming.
Value Resorts have fun Themes.
All of the Disney Value Resorts have very fun themes. The outside of the resorts are themed well, the sections of the hotel rooms are themed well, and the pools are themed well. Take All-Star Sports for example, the baseball section is made to look like bleachers and has the biggest cup of coke you could imagine. Now heading over to All-Star Music and you can find a giant jukebox or a guitar shaped pool. If you head over to All-Star Movies, you can find giant figures from some of your favorite movies. These themes are just the start. Art of Animation takes the themes to the next level. Whether you stay in the Little Mermaid rooms, the Lion King Suites, the Cars Suites, or the Finding Nemo Suites, you are right in the middle of the action. Abby and I have stayed in the Lion King Suites and the theming is awesome. I mean you find yourself laughing at the face of danger right there in the Animal Graveyard (hahaha!). Even the pools are themed well and you can see that best at the Big Blue Pool- the Finding Nemo themed pool. My favorite area at Art of Animation is the Cars section of the resort. You are in the middle of Radiator Springs and it has never felt more perfect. Pop Century is another resort that is themed like crazy. If you are like me, you had a Mickey phone. This one was popular in the 80’s and 90’s and it can be found as a mega sized phone outside some of the resort rooms. It is a fun way to transform through the years of the resort. Your kids will love these themes at all of the Value Resorts and if you are looking for “in your face Disney”, these are the resorts for you. Some photos are above for reference on how cool they really are.
Budget your stay.
Finally we reach our last point, budgets. When going to Disney, you should pick the resort that best fits your budget. Now, many families do stay here at the Value Resorts because of that reason. So do young adults. Right out of college on some trips for me, these were the only options to make the vacations work. This is why they are some of the more popular hotels. You might think that is a negative to the experience but in my opinion, it is not. It shows you that Disney is a magical place and is sought out by many different people with many different backgrounds. These resorts fall in the price ranges of most standard Marriott hotels or even Holiday Inn hotels. They range from $117 to 170$. Now, the suites cost more but that is to be expected. These hotels fluctuate based on the time of the year and based on the special promotions they have planned. In my opinion, many of the rooms have mostly been renovated and you do not feel like you are in a Value Resort. The rooms are worth the price if you ask me. The Value Resorts are the easiest on your budget and no matter the size of your vacation party, you can find the right room for the right price.
As you can see, the Disney Resort Value Hotels have a lot to offer. No matter the resort, they have their special perks. I used to have a negative connotation when it came to Value Resorts. I would think they were not as good, or they did not have the Disney touch. Boy, was I wrong. From the second you walk into a value resort, you feel like you are at home. The hospitality is there and then you realize you are at Disney. Disney does a great job on making the theme fit the resort name and you cannot escape it. When choosing a Disney Resort Hotel, make sure you keep the three categories in mind. Those being, what do you need, themes, and budgets. If you keep that in mind, you will alway choose the right one. Have you stayed at the Disney Value Resort? Which one do you like? If you chose the Value Resorts, why did you? Drop us a comment below and keep escaping the magic, no matter how far!
Muting & The Mouse 