There are 3 categories of resorts on Disney World property. They basically differ by price, location, and amenities, so you have to decide what’s best for your family.
Deluxe resorts are the most expensive, upwards of $600+/night for a standard room, but they’re usually fancier and have more amenities.
Moderates are middle of the road, maybe in the $300-$600/night range, not quite as fancy as deluxes, though still very nice.
Value resorts are the cheapest, usually in the $150-$300/night range, but they’re also not as fancy. However, they are by no means the bottom of the barrel rooms. In fact, they’ve done renovations to the rooms recently, which makes them really modern and nice. The value resorts still have cool pools, food courts, and other Disney amenities. In fact, these usually have the most Disney character theming if you’re looking for that.
We usually leave the room early in the morning, stay out all day at the parks, and don’t go back until late at night just for bed, so we just need a clean place to sleep while still staying within the “Disney bubble.” On most trips, we stay at a value resort. Our favorite “home” is Pop Century (pic below).
The Pop rooms have just been remodeled, and it’s not a huge resort. Wherever your room is, it’s not that far of a walk back to the main building, food court, and bus stops. Now that the Skyliner gondola is open, Pop Century is even more appealing, with a gondola stop right between Pop Century and Art of Animation resorts that go to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. We love the Skyliner! It’s so much faster and pretty fun!
Onsite vs Offsite Hotels
Folks often ask if it’s worth staying at an onsite Disney resort vs a hotel offsite. I say it depends on your family’s needs and how much stock you want to put into having the overall Disney feel to your trip. That’s hard to quantify and describe, and you may not “get it” unless you’re there and have experienced it. There is an overarching aura of fun and comfort when you stay within the Disney bubble. Of course, still employ the usual safety measures as you would anywhere, but in general, we feel fine letting our kids walk around by themselves (varies by age, of course); there are no highways to cross to get food at the restaurants, it’s easy to find their way around the parks and resorts, free transportation between the resorts and parks so no need to stress over driving around and getting lost, and the cast members (staff) are always friendly and helpful too.
Of course, the most significant effect on cost may be how many rooms you need and how long you stay. Calculate the price in total. Factor in any hidden fees a hotel may charge, like “resort fees,” parking, etc., plus additional costs if you need to rent a car now. When staying at a Disney resort, there are no extra fees besides the usual taxes; parking is also free at the resort and parks, or you can take the free Disney transportation and not rent a car at all. There are usually promo deals offered on the resort stays, too. If the cost of staying at even a value resort prohibits you from going, though, it’s better to stay at a cheaper place offsite than not go at all.
Just know that if you stay offsite, you will have to pay for parking at the parks each day (currently $30-$50 per day) if you drive there, and you cannot buy the Lightning Lanes until 3 days before your park day. Onsite guests can buy them 7 days before their check-in day, so there is a potential that passes for some of the most popular rides may already be sold out by the time offsite guests can buy them. Just something to keep in mind if that’s something important to your group. See my Lightning Lane page for more details on this. In addition, Disney resort guests can enter the parks a half hour before the official park opening time, so you can get a little jump ahead of the crowds if you can make it that early, along with a few other benefits. Overall, just make sure you know all the differences to truly compare apples to apples and make the best decision for your group.
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Adventures By Anne 