If you’re comparing Disney World resorts, the differences that matter most usually aren’t the lobby decor or the size of the pool. They’re price tier, transportation, park location, room type and how much time you plan to spend at the resort.
The chart below compares Disney’s main Value, Moderate and Deluxe hotels side by side so you can quickly narrow the list before digging into individual resort reviews.
Disney Deluxe Villas are included separately because their larger villas, kitchens and Disney Vacation Club structure make them meaningfully different from conventional hotel rooms.
Disney World Resort Comparison Chart
| Disney Resort | Category | Transportation | Biggest Advantage | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Star Movies | Value | Bus | Low-cost Disney theming | Families prioritizing price |
| All-Star Music | Value | Bus | Family Suites available | Groups up to 6 wanting more space |
| All-Star Sports | Value | Bus | Usually among the lower-cost Disney options | Park-heavy trips |
| Art of Animation | Value | Bus, Skyliner | Family Suites and strong Disney theming | Families and groups |
| Pop Century | Value | Bus, Skyliner | Skyliner without Moderate or Deluxe pricing | Guests prioritizing transportation value |
| Caribbean Beach | Moderate | Bus, Skyliner | Central Skyliner hub | EPCOT and Hollywood Studios trips |
| Coronado Springs | Moderate | Bus | Gran Destino Tower and extensive dining | Adults and convention-style amenities |
| Port Orleans French Quarter | Moderate | Bus, boat | Compact layout | Guests who dislike sprawling resorts |
| Port Orleans Riverside | Moderate | Bus, boat | Landscaped grounds and varied room options | Relaxed resort-focused stays |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | Deluxe | Bus | Savanna views and immersive setting | Guests who value the resort experience itself |
| Beach Club | Deluxe | Boat, bus, walking | Walk to EPCOT and Stormalong Bay | EPCOT-focused families |
| BoardWalk Inn | Deluxe | Boat, bus, walking | Walkable EPCOT-area location | Adults and park-focused trips |
| Contemporary | Deluxe | Monorail, bus, walking | Walk to Magic Kingdom | Magic Kingdom-heavy trips |
| Grand Floridian | Deluxe | Monorail, boat, bus, walking | Premium Magic Kingdom location | Luxury and special-occasion trips |
| Polynesian Village | Deluxe | Monorail, boat, bus | Excellent Magic Kingdom transportation | Families and resort-focused vacations |
| Wilderness Lodge | Deluxe | Boat, bus | Immersive setting near Magic Kingdom | Guests wanting Deluxe without a monorail-resort feel |
| Yacht Club | Deluxe | Boat, bus, walking | Walk to EPCOT and Stormalong Bay | Adults and EPCOT-focused trips |
Prices can vary dramatically with dates and room categories, so I would not use a fixed nightly rate to choose between resorts. Our guide to how much Disney World hotels cost is better for understanding current pricing.
Value vs. Moderate vs. Deluxe at Disney World
| Value | Moderate | Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relative cost | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Typical room style | Standard rooms, some Family Suites | Standard rooms, some specialty rooms and suites | Larger room selection, views, suites and Club Level at select resorts |
| Transportation | Bus; Skyliner at Pop and Art of Animation | Bus; Skyliner at Caribbean Beach; boats at Port Orleans | Bus plus resort-specific monorail, boat or walking options |
| Dining | Mostly quick service | More variety depending on resort | Generally the widest restaurant selection |
| Early Theme Park Entry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extended Evening Hours | No | No | Eligible resorts on select nights |
| Best reason to choose it | Spend less while staying on Disney property | Balance cost and resort amenities | Location, transportation and premium amenities |
The three categories are useful, but they do not tell the entire story. Pop Century can have a transportation advantage over some more expensive resorts because of the Skyliner. Coronado Springs has accommodations and dining that can feel closer to a Deluxe hotel. Animal Kingdom Lodge is Deluxe but relies on buses to reach the theme parks.
That is why comparing resorts individually is usually more useful than simply deciding that you want a Value, Moderate or Deluxe hotel.
Disney Value Resorts compared
Disney’s Value Resorts are the easiest place to reduce your hotel cost without moving off Disney property.
The biggest dividing line within the category is transportation.
Pop Century and Art of Animation have Disney Skyliner stations connecting them with EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The three All-Star Resorts rely primarily on buses.
Art of Animation is also unusual because most of the resort consists of Family Suites that sleep larger groups, while its Little Mermaid section contains conventional hotel rooms.
All-Star Music also has Family Suites.
If you are choosing strictly within this category, compare our Disney World Value Resorts comparison and the more detailed Value Resort amenities guide.
Disney Moderate Resorts compared
The Moderate category has only four main resort choices, but they operate very differently.
- Caribbean Beach: strongest choice when Skyliner access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios is a priority.
- Coronado Springs: strongest fit for guests who like Gran Destino Tower, lounges and a more convention-oriented hotel setup.
- Port Orleans French Quarter: smaller and easier to navigate than many Disney resorts.
- Port Orleans Riverside: larger and more spread out, with extensive landscaping and boat service to Disney Springs.
The category does not have one obvious choice for everyone. Transportation alone can make Caribbean Beach more attractive for one itinerary while French Quarter’s compact size is more useful for another.
See our Disney World Moderate Resorts comparison or the separate Port Orleans Riverside vs. French Quarter comparison if those two are your finalists.
We also have individual reviews of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Coronado Springs.
Disney Deluxe Resorts compared
With Deluxe Resorts, location starts to matter much more.
Best access to Magic Kingdom
Contemporary, Grand Floridian and Polynesian Village are connected to the Resort Monorail. Contemporary and Grand Floridian also have walking routes to Magic Kingdom.
Wilderness Lodge provides boat transportation to Magic Kingdom instead.
If Magic Kingdom is the center of your trip, compare the Disney World monorail resorts and the hotels within walking distance of Magic Kingdom.
Best access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios
Beach Club, Yacht Club and BoardWalk Inn are clustered around Crescent Lake between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
EPCOT’s International Gateway is particularly close, which can make these hotels extremely convenient during an EPCOT-heavy trip.
Compare the hotels within walking distance of EPCOT if reducing transportation time is your priority.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is the location outlier
Animal Kingdom Lodge is different from most of the Deluxe category. It offers one of Disney World’s most distinctive resort environments, including animal-viewing areas and savannas, but transportation to the theme parks is primarily by bus.
That can be an excellent trade when the resort itself is an important part of the vacation, but a less obvious choice when minimizing travel time is the primary goal.
For deeper comparisons, see our Disney World Deluxe Resorts guide and Deluxe Resort comparison.
Disney Deluxe Villas compared
Disney also has a separate Deluxe Villa category associated with Disney Vacation Club. These resorts should not be treated exactly like conventional Deluxe hotel rooms.
| Deluxe Villa Resort | Area | Main Transportation |
|---|---|---|
| Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary | Magic Kingdom | Monorail, bus, walking access nearby |
| Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge | Magic Kingdom | Boat, bus |
| Copper Creek Villas & Cabins | Magic Kingdom | Boat, bus |
| Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House | Animal Kingdom | Bus |
| Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village | Animal Kingdom | Bus |
| Beach Club Villas | EPCOT | Boat, bus, walking |
| BoardWalk Villas | EPCOT | Boat, bus, walking |
| Old Key West Resort | Disney Springs | Boat, bus |
| Polynesian Villas & Bungalows | Magic Kingdom | Monorail, boat, bus |
| Riviera Resort | EPCOT | Skyliner, bus |
| Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa | Disney Springs | Boat, bus |
| The Villas at Grand Floridian | Magic Kingdom | Monorail, boat, bus, walking access nearby |
| The Cabins at Fort Wilderness | Magic Kingdom | Boat, bus |
Larger Deluxe Villas add features you will not normally find in a standard Disney hotel room, including separate bedrooms, full kitchens and laundry in many one-bedroom and larger accommodations.
If room layout is driving the decision, compare our guides to Disney World hotels with suites and Disney World hotels with kitchens and kitchenettes.
Transportation may matter more than the resort category
A more expensive hotel does not automatically have better transportation to every park.
For example, Pop Century is a Value Resort with direct Skyliner access to the EPCOT and Hollywood Studios transportation network, while Animal Kingdom Lodge is a Deluxe Resort that primarily uses buses for theme park transportation.
The four Disney resorts directly connected to the Skyliner system are Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach and Riviera.
The Resort Monorail serves Contemporary, Polynesian Village and Grand Floridian along with Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center.
See the Disney World transportation guide before choosing a hotel based purely on its category.
For gondola access specifically, compare the Disney World Skyliner resorts.
Which benefits are the same at Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts?
Several useful Disney Resort benefits are not limited to expensive hotels.
- Early Theme Park Entry: eligible Disney Resort hotel guests receive 30 minutes of early entry at all four theme parks.
- Disney transportation: complimentary resort transportation is available throughout Walt Disney World, although the transportation type depends on the hotel.
- Earlier Lightning Lane access: Disney Resort hotel guests can currently purchase eligible Lightning Lane passes up to seven days before their stay.
- Dining reservations: eligible Resort hotel guests can book dining for the length of their stay, up to 10 nights, when their 60-day booking window opens.
This means paying for a Deluxe Resort is not necessary simply to receive Early Theme Park Entry.
Our Disney World Resort benefits guide explains which perks come with the hotel stay rather than a specific resort tier.
What do Deluxe Resorts add?
Deluxe Resorts generally command higher prices because of some combination of location, transportation, room options, restaurants, recreation and overall resort design.
Eligible Deluxe Resort and Deluxe Villa guests also receive access to Extended Evening Theme Park Hours at participating parks on select nights.
That is a genuine tier-specific advantage. But whether it is worth the higher room price depends on how often Extended Evening Hours occur during your stay and whether you intend to use them.
Which Disney World resort should you choose?
If you want the comparison reduced to a few practical starting points:
- Lowest-price Disney hotel: start with the All-Star Resorts.
- Value Resort with better transportation: compare Pop Century and Art of Animation.
- Moderate with Skyliner access: Caribbean Beach.
- Moderate with a more upscale hotel feel: Coronado Springs.
- Best category for Magic Kingdom transportation: Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian.
- Best category for walking to EPCOT: Beach Club, Yacht Club and BoardWalk Inn.
- Most unusual resort setting: Animal Kingdom Lodge.
- Need a kitchen or multiple bedrooms: compare Deluxe Villas.
Those aren’t universal rankings. They are shortcuts for narrowing the list based on the feature that matters most to your trip.
For recommendations built around who is traveling, see our guides to the best Disney World resorts for families and best Disney World hotels for adults.
Use the chart to narrow your list, then compare the finalists
The fastest way to choose a Disney World resort is to eliminate hotels that fail your biggest requirement.
- Set your maximum hotel budget.
- Decide which park location matters most.
- Choose the transportation types you value.
- Confirm that the room fits your group.
- Compare the final two or three resorts in detail.
If you’re still staring at too many options after using the chart, the Disney World resort selection guide walks through the decision by budget, party size, park plans and travel style.
You can also browse our main Disney World hotels guide for the full collection of resort planning resources.
