Walt Disney World Value Resorts are extremely popular, especially with families, because of their lower price and fun atmosphere.
Whether you’re on a tight budget or you’ll be spending all of your time in the Parks and just need a place to lay your head down at night, these Resorts meet the needs of many Guests.
Walt Disney World has 5 Value Resorts:
- All-Star Music
- All-Star Movies
- All-Star Sports
- Pop Century
- Art of Animation
But, how do they compare to each other? And how do you know if one of these Value Resorts is right for your next vacation?
The All-Star Resorts
Is it cheating to lump these 3 Resorts together? Perhaps. But, I have a good reason for it.
Not only do these 3 Value Resorts share a name, they’re very similar in terms of room layout, type of theming, and pricing.
Sure, the themes are completely different. But, other than that, you’re going to have a very similar experience at all 3 All-Star Resorts.
All-Star Music
Just as the name suggests, this Resort is themed to different types of music. The themes are Calypso, Jazz Inn, Rock Inn, Country Fair, and Broadway.
You’ll find larger-than-life statues representing different musical items, such as jukeboxes, drums, maracas, guitar, and more.
But, one thing that this Resort has that the other All-Stars Resorts doesn’t is Family Suites. Since Family Suites can sleep up to 6 Guests, finding them in a Value Resort is a huge deal.
All-Star Movies
Of the 3 All-Star Resorts, Movies is the one that will sell out the fastest.
Even if your kids don’t know every character from Fantasia, The Love Bug, Toy Story, 101 Dalmatians, and The Mighty Ducks, they’re excited to see the giant statues and take pictures.
All-Star Sports
All-Star Sports is just what you’d expect it to be. It’s a Resort dedicated to Sports. But, which sports? They have football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and you guessed it…surfing. No, I’m not kidding.
If you have a sports-crazy family member in your family, they’ll love searching for their favorite college team in the pennants that surround the buildings.
Why your family will love them
When if comes to price, you’re not going to get any cheaper than the All-Star Resorts. If you are on a strict budget, consider staying here over the other Value Resorts.
Need room for 5 or 6 Guests? You’re not going to get a better deal on property than at All-Star Music.
Why your family may not like them
Because the All-Star Resorts are located so close to each other, at times they’ll also share buses. There’s only room for so many Guests on one bus, so this is likely only going to happen during off-peak times.
But, as you can imagine, sharing buses means more stops and additional time getting to and from the Parks. This isn’t ideal when you have Lightning Lanes, Virtual Queues, and Dining Reservations to get to.
Pop Century
When you stay at Pop Century, you’ll see tributes from the 1950’s through the 1990’s. Walking through the Lobby is like being in a mini museum. From Disney toys to pop culture, there’s so many items to look at in the display cases.
While it’s very possible kids won’t recognize characters such as Roger Rabbit, Lady and the Tramp, or Baloo and Mowgli, there’s plenty of toys to find. And who doesn’t like Mr and Mrs Potato head?
They’ll also find fun things like a giant Mickey phone, a massive Big Wheel, and a yoyo that hides the staircase behind it?
Why your family will love it
Pop Century is on the Skyliner route, creating a fun trip to Hollywood Studios and Epcot (or not fun, depending on how you look at it…more on that below).
Pop Century also only has one bus stop. Staying at a smaller Resort means that once you’re on the bus, it’s a quick trip to the Parks. They also don’t share buses with any other Resort, including Art of Animation, which is located right next door.
With buses running every 15 minutes or so, you shouldn’t have to wait too long before you’re at your desired location.
Why your family may not like it
Noise
Due to its popularity, and all the activities that go on during the day, rooms surrounding the pool (especially the Hippy Dippy Pool) may be a bit loud.
While I’ve never had an issue with any sort of noise, I’ve heard other Guests’ complaints.
While it’s not guaranteed that requests will be honored, you can request a room farther away from the main pool. Since many Guests like to be closer to the lobby, there’s a good chance this request will be honored.
No room for larger families
This Resort only accommodates 4 Guests per room, throughout the entire Resort. If you have a larger family, 2 rooms will need to be booked to accommodate everyone.
No Buses to Hollywood Studios or Epcot
With the Skyliner located just a few feet away, Disney has reduced the use of buses to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
Of course, they do offer buses when the Skyliner has to shut down for maintenance, inclement weather, or very busy times.
But, if you’re afraid of heights, or you need to get to the Parks right away, then you may want to consider other options. As I mentioned earlier, this Skyliner Station only goes to Caribbean Beach. So, you’ll have to transfer to an Epcot or Hollywood Studios gondola when you get there.
Art of Animation
Art of Animation is famous for being the only Resort on Walt Disney World Property with a pool that plays music underwater. It’s not uncommon to see kids bobbing around, trying to hear the music.
And much like the other Value Resorts, Art of Animation is loaded with larger-than-life characters. However, unlike the other Value Resorts, your kids will likely know each one at this Resort.
The different areas of Art of Animation are The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo.
Why your family will love it
Photo ops
There are so many photo opportunities! I can’t tell you how many photos I have of my family hanging out at Art of Animation.
Great for large families
Art of Animation is mostly made up of Family Suites, accommodating up to 6 Guests per Suite. The amount of space you get in these Family Suites can not be matched at any other Value Resort.
The Little Mermaid Rooms are the only rooms that can only sleep up to 4 Guests.
Transportation
Just like Pop Century, the Skyliner station will be just a short walk to those colorful gondolas. Rooms in the back of the Resort (Little Mermaid)may also get a view of these gondolas from their rooms.
Compared to other Resorts, Art of Animation is on the smaller side. This mean that it has one bus stop. Despite Pop Century being right next door, they don’t share buses.
Why your family may not like it
Cost
Since the Resort is mostly made up on Family Suites, Art of Animation is the most expensive Value Resort on the list.
Although you sacrifice room space and in-your-face Disney theming, families of 5 pay less at a Moderate Resort, like Port Orleans Riverside, than staying in one of these Value Resort Family Suites.
No Buses to Hollywood Studios or Epcot
Since Pop Century and Art of Animation share a Skyliner station, it just makes sense that if one loses their bus then both lose their constant bus runs to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
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