Pop Century is my pick for the best Disney World Value Resort overall, followed by Art of Animation, All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, and All-Star Sports. Pop Century wins for its combination of practical rooms, Disney Skyliner transportation, and price. But the best resort for your trip may be different: the All-Stars often cost less, while Art of Animation has family suites and some of Disney World’s most elaborate hotel theming.
Walt Disney World has five Value Resort hotels. I rank them by the experience you get for the money, not simply by which has the cheapest room on a particular night. Room rates change with dates, discounts, and availability, so I would still compare prices before booking. If you’re looking exclusively for the lowest nightly rate, see my guide to the cheapest Disney World resort.
Disney World Value Resorts Ranked: All 5 Compared
| Rank | Value Resort | Transportation | Best Reason to Stay | Main Drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pop Century | Skyliner and buses | Best balance of price and park access | Usually costs more than the All-Stars |
| 2 | Art of Animation | Skyliner and buses | Family suites and immersive Disney/Pixar theming | Suites are expensive; standard rooms can be far from the Skyliner |
| 3 | All-Star Movies | Buses | Best classic Disney theming at an All-Star | Bus-only transportation |
| 4 | All-Star Music | Buses | Family suites and inexpensive standard rooms | Less convenient transportation than Skyliner resorts |
| 5 | All-Star Sports | Buses | Often among the cheapest Disney hotel rooms | Sports theming and a bus-only setup will not appeal to everyone |
The ranking is about overall value, not a permanent price order. All-Star Sports might be the best financial choice if its standard room is substantially cheaper than Pop Century. Art of Animation might be the best fit for six people even though its family suites can cost much more than a regular Value room.
1. Disney’s Pop Century Resort: Best Overall Value
Pop Century is the Value Resort I would price first for most trips. Its biggest advantage is the Disney Skyliner, which connects the resort to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You use buses for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. That combination makes Pop Century especially appealing when your trip includes several EPCOT or Hollywood Studios days.
The rooms are straightforward, bright, and designed to use their limited space efficiently. The queen-size table bed can be folded away during the day, which is helpful when several people are sharing a room. The resort has a food court, themed pools, and colorful decorations celebrating different decades.
The Skyliner is not a direct, nonstop train to both parks. You connect through Caribbean Beach, and service can pause for weather or maintenance. Still, I prefer having a gondola option rather than relying on buses for every park.
Pop Century is not the cheapest Value Resort and does not have the extra space or dining options of a Moderate. But when the price gap between Pop and an All-Star is modest, I would usually pay more for the transportation. My Disney World Skyliner resorts guide explains the connections in more detail.
2. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: Best for Families and Theming
Art of Animation feels the most immersive of the five Value Resorts. The larger-than-life Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King, and Little Mermaid areas turn the hotel grounds into an attraction of their own. It also shares a Skyliner station with Pop Century, giving guests access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Its real strength is the family suites. The Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King suites accommodate up to six adults and include a separate bedroom, two bathrooms, a kitchenette, a pull-down bed, and a sleeper sofa. For a larger group, that setup can be more practical than squeezing into a standard hotel room.
However, don’t assume Art of Animation is inexpensive just because Disney labels it a Value Resort. The family suites can carry a much higher nightly price than Pop Century or the All-Stars. The Little Mermaid rooms are the resort’s standard rooms, sleeping up to four adults, and are farther from the main building and Skyliner station.
I rank Art of Animation second because the theming and larger-room options are excellent for the right family, not because it always offers the second-best room rate. Before booking a suite, compare the Art of Animation family suite floor plan, my Finding Nemo suite review, and my Lion King suite review.
3. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort: Best Classic Disney Feel on a Budget
All-Star Movies is my favorite of the three All-Star Resorts. The Toy Story, 101 Dalmatians, Fantasia, and Love Bug sections give it a stronger Disney movie atmosphere than the music or sports themes at its sister hotels. It is a good choice for a first visit when the hotel should still feel like part of a Disney vacation.
Like the other All-Stars, Movies has compact rooms, a food court, pools, and complimentary Disney buses. There is no Skyliner, monorail, or boat service to the parks. On a trip when the room is primarily a place to sleep, that trade-off can be worth a meaningful saving.
All-Star Movies has guest-room refurbishment work scheduled through January 2027, so check Disney’s current construction notice when choosing dates. Work can affect the atmosphere in individual buildings even when the hotel remains open.
When the three All-Stars are priced similarly, I lean toward Movies for its theming. When another All-Star is considerably cheaper, I would take the savings instead. For a closer comparison, see my All-Star Music vs. All-Star Movies guide.
4. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort: Best Lower-Cost Family Suites
All-Star Music is easy to overlook if you are only comparing the themes of the five Value Resorts. But it has one important advantage over All-Star Movies and Sports: family suites.
Its family suites sleep up to six people and provide a separate bedroom, two bathrooms, and a kitchenette. That makes Music worth checking against Art of Animation, especially if you want suite space without paying for Art of Animation’s elaborate themed setting or Skyliner access.
The standard rooms are another option for travelers trying to minimize hotel costs. All-Star Music uses Disney buses for the parks, and the resort’s instrument-themed sections do not appeal to me as much as the Disney film decorations at All-Star Movies. But those are subjective drawbacks, not reasons to overlook a better rate.
I would choose Music over Movies if the family suite worked better for the group or if Music offered a noticeably lower rate for the same dates. If a suite is your priority, compare the total cost with the Disney World hotels with suites guide before deciding.
5. Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort: Best When Price Comes First
All-Star Sports ranks fifth on my overall list, but it could easily be first on a strict lowest-price list. Its major advantage is that it often has some of the least expensive standard rooms among Disney’s hotels.
You get sports-themed buildings, pools, a food court, and bus transportation to the Disney theme parks. The rooms are suitable for a trip where you plan to spend nearly all day in the parks. You are not paying extra for Skyliner access or Art of Animation’s oversized movie environments.
I put Sports last because its theming is the least appealing to me and the resort may attract larger sports and youth groups. Neither is a universal problem. If it were substantially cheaper than my higher-ranked options, I would be comfortable staying here and using the savings elsewhere on the trip.
Which Disney Value Resort Is Best for Your Trip?
| Your Priority | Resort I’d Check First | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best all-around experience | Pop Century | Skyliner and efficient standard rooms |
| Lowest room price | All-Star Sports, Music, and Movies | Compare all three for your dates |
| Six-person family suite | All-Star Music or Art of Animation | Separate sleeping space and two bathrooms |
| Disney/Pixar theming | Art of Animation | Cars, Finding Nemo, Lion King, and Little Mermaid areas |
| Classic Disney movie theme at a low rate | All-Star Movies | Oversized film-themed icons |
| Several EPCOT or Hollywood Studios days | Pop Century | Skyliner connection through Caribbean Beach |
For a family of five, room capacity matters more than a resort’s position in this ranking. Most standard Value rooms sleep up to four adults, while the family suites at All-Star Music and Art of Animation sleep up to six. Check the occupancy rules for young children when booking. My Disney World hotels for a family of five guide compares other room arrangements too.
What Do All Five Disney Value Resorts Include?
All five hotels belong to Disney’s Value Resort category. That means they offer a more budget-oriented experience than Disney’s Moderate and Deluxe hotels, but guests still receive important on-property conveniences.
- Early Theme Park Entry: Eligible resort guests can enter all four Walt Disney World theme parks 30 minutes before regular opening, with valid admission and applicable requirements.
- Complimentary Disney transportation: All five have bus transportation, while Pop Century and Art of Animation also have Skyliner connections.
- Complimentary standard overnight self-parking: Disney currently includes this for registered Disney Resort hotel guests.
- Pools and quick-service dining: Each has resort pools and casual food options, though specific amenities vary.
- Disney Resort booking benefits: Eligible guests can book certain dining experiences and Lightning Lane purchases earlier than many off-property visitors, subject to Disney’s current rules.
Value Resort guests do not receive the extended evening theme park hours reserved for qualifying Deluxe Resort and Deluxe Villa guests. And free breakfast is not a standard inclusion at these hotels. For details, see my guide to the benefits of staying at a Disney World Resort.
Is Pop Century Worth Paying More Than an All-Star?
I think so when the difference is relatively small and you plan to visit EPCOT or Hollywood Studios repeatedly. The Skyliner reduces your dependence on buses for those parks, and that can matter after a late evening or when returning to your room for an afternoon break.
But I would not automatically pay a large premium for Pop Century during a trip focused on Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, because you will still be using buses for those parks. If the cheapest All-Star is significantly less expensive, the extra money could go toward another hotel night, food, or park experiences.
How I Would Compare Disney Value Resort Prices
I would price all five hotels for the same dates and party size, but compare room categories carefully. An Art of Animation family suite is not equivalent to an All-Star standard room, and a preferred room at Pop Century may cost more than a standard room farther from the main building.
- Check standard room rates at all three All-Star Resorts, plus Pop Century and Art of Animation’s Little Mermaid rooms.
- If your group needs a suite, compare All-Star Music family suites with Art of Animation’s Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King suites.
- Compare the full stay total, including taxes and any eligible Disney discounts.
- Check resort refurbishment notices and Skyliner maintenance dates before booking.
- Decide whether transportation or a lower nightly rate matters more for the parks you plan to visit.
For promotions and pricing strategies, see my guides to Disney World hotel deals and saving money at Disney resorts. Check the official Disney World resort listings before booking.
My Final Disney World Value Resort Ranking
For overall value, my order is Pop Century, Art of Animation, All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, then All-Star Sports. Pop Century is the safest starting point for a typical park-focused vacation because of the Skyliner. Art of Animation is ideal when family-suite space and Disney/Pixar theming are worth the extra cost.
If I wanted the cheapest possible Disney hotel room, though, I would ignore the ranking and compare the three All-Stars first. A room that meets your needs at a substantially lower price can be a better value than my favorite resort.
