I Can’t Believe I Almost Fell For This Disney World Hotel Trap

You might want to sit down for this Disney hotel hot take. I’m sharing the Disney World hotel trap that I refuse to fall for.

There are plenty of reasons to stay at a Disney World hotel. Their perks are great, the location to the parks is unbeatable, and the Disney theming makes you feel like you’re constantly on vacation. But there is a whole category of hotels that just seems like a trap to me — Moderate Resorts. Hear me out on why you might want to skip these.

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The Rooms

Since the value rooms have been renovated, they are updated and have a clean feel to them. At Disney’s Pop Century Resort, you have a traditional bed and a Murphy bed that can pull down. When the Murphy bed is up, there is a table and chair set, making this a great location to eat breakfast or do some work. These rooms are 260 sq. ft, and the rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort are just 314 sq. ft.

The room prices, though, are quite a jump. For example, a standard room at Pop Century is $233 a night before tax, and a standard room at Caribbean Beach is $394 a night before tax. We aren’t convinced that the rooms are THAT different, where there needs to be a $161 a night difference. If you are someone who is not in the hotel room except to sleep on your Disney vacation, then the value resorts might be the way to go. 

The Buildings 

The buildings at both value and moderate resorts are designed so that when you walk out of your hotel door, you are outside. With multiple buildings, there can be a lot of walking outside to get to common areas like food, bus stops, and the hotel lobby.

However, it seems that moderate resorts are much larger, making those walks back from the bus stop late at night seem extra long. This could also not be so fun if it’s pouring down rain. And speaking of bus stops…

Transportation Issues

Many of the moderate resorts have several bus stops throughout the property. While this makes it more convenient for buildings that are further from the lobby, it also means that if you are at a later bus stop on the route, you might not get on during peak times. There is only one bus stop at the value resorts, and those can come with longer lines, at least it’s in a central location.

Dining Options

You will not find a huge variety of dining options at the value resorts. They all have one food court located next to the lobby. At the food court, you can find a wide range of items that are usually of theme park food quality, but now and then, we do find great dishes.

Moderate resorts do have the upper hand on dining as they have table service restaurants, lounges, and quick service options. But you can also grab a dining reservation and head to one of these if you are staying at a value resort. Usually, you plan on eating at your hotel regularly for meals on your trip, so it won’t matter. If you are going to a moderate resort to eat, don’t skip Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort; it’s great!

If these reasons convince you, you might find that value resorts are a better fit for your traveling party. However, we know every Disney fan has things that are important to them, and if your heart is set on a moderate resort, you should do that! For more Disney World information, be sure to follow AllEars.net.

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Would you rather stay at a value resort or a moderate resort? Tell us in the comments. 

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