The key to enjoying your stay at the Disney Value Resorts is knowing what to expect! Here’s a detailed guide with what to expect from the rooms, pools, dining, and transportation.
I’ve stayed at all five of the Disney Value Resorts MANY times. I think they offer a fantastic (and affordable) vacation experience for most people, but they certainly aren’t for everyone!
In this post, I’ll share what you should expect at the Value Resorts in Walt Disney World and what you WON’T find there.
What To Expect: Standard Rooms
Disney World resorts are divided into three main categories: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. The resorts in the “Value” category at Walt Disney World are:
- All-Star Music Resort
- All-Star Movies Resort
- All-Star Sports Resort
- Pop Century Resort
- Art of Animation Resort
While most rooms at the first four Value resorts sleep four people in a standard hotel room, Art of Animation consists mainly of “family suites” that sleep six people. More on those soon!
The Value resorts offer basic but comfortable standard hotel rooms with two queen beds (a few accessible rooms have one king bed) that sleep four people.
One bed transforms from a table and chairs into a queen bed, making the room more spacious and functional.
All standard rooms at the Value Resorts are around 260 square feet and have a mini-fridge, coffee maker, table with two chairs, and drawers for storage.
You’ll also find cute Disney touches such as hidden Mickeys in the carpeting and bedding.
There’s a large TV with drawers for storage underneath it. You can also store items under the queen bed, which is a great place to stash suitcases.
You’ll find lots of places to charge your devices next to the beds and on the drawer unit.
There’s a door you can pull closed to separate the bathroom area from the rest of the room, which comes in handy when you need to have the light on in the bathroom area while the kiddos are still sleeping.
There is a small room with the toilet and bathtub/shower and the one sink is outside of that room.
Do Value Resorts at Disney Have Microwaves?
Here’s a look at the amenties in standard rooms at most Value resorts.
There is a small mini fridge, a coffee maker, ice bucket, and lots of cups.
However there is no microwave in the Value resort standard rooms at Disney World.
However if you stay in a family suite at Art of Animation or All Star Music, there is a microwave as part of the kitchenette. There is also a microwave for use in the food court of every Value resort.
Do Disney Value Resorts Have Toiletries?
Yes, the Disney Value resorts have toiletries such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
A feature of the remodeled rooms is bath products in a dispenser on the wall. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it, but I actually love not having to worry about running out.
I also like saving waste from all of those thousands of tiny plastic bottles.
On my most recent stay there was NOT a small bottle of lotion in my room as there has been in the past.
Disney Value Resorts Family Suites
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
All-Star Music and Art of Animation also offer “Family Suites” that have a bedroom separate from the main living area and kitchenette.
These rooms sleep up to six though I think they would feel crowded with more than three adults in them. I think they are ideal for groups of five with two adults/three kids or a family of four plus a grandparent, for example.
Art of Animation Family Suite Murphy Bed
The bedroom has a queen bed and there is a queen size murphy bed and a full-size pullout bed in the living room.
The suites at Art of Animation also have a second bathroom and full-size Murphy bed (you can check out my detailed review of the suites here).
While the rooms at Disney Value Resort aren’t fancy, they are designed to be functional and fun.
What to Expect: Cost
The cost of staying at a Value Resort varies depending on when you travel. In general, expect rates in the $130 – $200 range per night for a standard Value resort room.
The most affordable times of year to visit are when kids are in school, such as late August, early September, January, and February.
My #1 source for the best rates on Disney Value Resorts is Priceline. Learn why I prefer to book Disney resort rooms on Priceline in this post.
Also note that the cost of a Family Suite is sometimes more than the cost of two connecting rooms. Be sure to compare prices!
Transportation at the Disney World Value Resorts
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
All Disney World resort hotels offer free parking for guests (at both the resorts and theme parks), so if you are bringing a car no need to worry about parking fees.
All of the Value resorts offer free transportation to all of the Disney theme parks, Disney Springs, and the Disney water parks.
Pop Century and Art of Animation are also on the Skyliner line, which gives access to Hollywood Studios and Epcot (though you might be faster taking a bus to Epcot). The Skyliner is a gondola system that offers a fun way to get to the parks and other resorts.
All of the Value Resorts offer bus transportation. Buses come frequently and drop you off right at the Magic Kingdom gates. This is a huge benefit compared to off-property hotels that offer bus service that drops you off at the Transportation and Ticket Center (requiring a ferry or monorail ride to get to the park entrance.
I also need to mention that most of the time buses from the Value Resorts will take you directly to/from the theme parks.
At the Moderate resorts (and some Deluxe resorts) you have to ride the bus around the resort itself while it stops up to six times to pick up guests.
This adds significant travel time to and from the parks and is one reason why I’ve leaned towards the Value resorts over the Moderates on many occasions!
If you are interested in how I rank the Disney Value Resorts and my pick for families and first-timers, check out this post on the Best and Worst of the Disney Value Resorts.
What to Expect: Pools and Amenities
Pop Century Resort
First, you should expect excellent customer service at any Disney World Resort hotel, include the Value Resorts.
You won’t get treated like a second-class visitor because you are staying at the lowest-cost resorts, and you’ll be treated like a VIP by all of the Cast Members.
The Value resorts all have fun, kid-friendly theming. In fact, they are widely considered some of the most “kid-friendly” resorts on Disney property!
Disney characters abound and everything is bright and colorful, so these resorts have a ton of kid appeal.
The Value resorts all have pools that tie into the theme of the resort, such as the Fantasia pool at All-Star Movies and the Finding Nemo themed “Big Blue Pool” at Art of Animation.
You’ll get towels at all of the pools. There is a feature pool at each resort (the largest pool) as well as a few smaller leisure pools.
There is also a pool bar at the main “feature” pool.
There are daily poolside activities led by Disney cast members and nice playgrounds at each resort.
Every night there is a Disney movie shown poolside on a giant inflatable screen, which can be a fun way to spend an evening away from the parks.
There is also free marshmallow roasting at the Disney Value resorts! This used to just be offered at the more expensive resorts, but I love to see it now at the Values.
It’s a great free activity that we do every time we are at Disney World.
Disney World Value Resorts Dining & Shopping
There is a large food court at every Value resort. The food courts are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, generally from 7 am to midnight (though times may change seasonally).
There’s a ton of seating for families and large groups.
The food courts do get crowded during the busiest times of day, ESPECIALLY mornings when everyone is trying to get to the parks at once.
I think the overall food quality at the food courts is great. You won’t find anything fancy, but the food is affordable and has generous portions.
There are refillable mug stations in the food courts which make it easy to grab a quick drink.
There’s also a gift shop at each Value Resort (it is Disney World after all). Each gift shop is similar with everything you’d expect – shirts, mouse ears, toys, and vacation essentials such as medicine and sunscreen.
Disney Value Resorts Perks
But the biggest pull for me of the Value resorts is that you get ALL of the perks of staying at a Disney World Resort hotel, including:
- Free transportation all around Walt Disney World
- The ability to book Lightning Lanes seven days in advance (compared to three days if staying off property)
- Access to Morning Extra Magic Hours
- The ability to add a Disney Dining Plan to your stay (get my tips and tricks for using the Dining Plan here)
These are just the main perks of staying at a Disney World resort hotel and you’ll get them with even a one-night reservation.
The perks are what keep me staying on Disney property, and I love getting them without a costly price tag at the Value Resorts!
Are The Disney Value Resorts Clean?
This is what sets Disney Value Resorts apart from hotels close to Disney at similar price points.
In my many visits, the Value Resorts have always been spotlessly clean. The common areas such as the pool and food court are difficult to keep clean, but Disney finds a way to do it.
Courtyard at Disney’s All Star Music Resort
I think the landscaping and general maintenance of the properties are excellent, far above what you’d expect from a chain property at the same price point.
What You Won’t Find at Disney Value Resorts
Now that you know what you’ll get at Value resorts, here’s what will you NOT find there.
While there are several fun pools at each resort, you won’t find water slides or hot tubs at the Value resorts. You also will not find zero-entry pools or water play areas, with the exception of Art of Animation which has both.
You will not find any table service restaurants at the Value resorts. Other Disney resorts (particularly the deluxe resorts) offer some incredible table service dining options, but you’ll just find food courts at the Disney Value resorts.
I think the food is excellent at the Value resorts, but you will have to navigate a sometimes crowded food court to get it.
One of the perks of staying at the Deluxe Resorts is the ability to get to a theme park without having to ride a bus. For example, at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort you can walk to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and you can take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot when you stay at the Polynesian. You will have to take a bus to get anywhere on Disney property when you stay at a Value resort.
And last, you also won’t find extensive resort activities at Disney Value Resorts like you would at the Deluxe Resorts. For example, Animal Kingdom Lodge offers daily cookie decorating, restaurant tours, cultural immersion experiences with cast members from Africa, and more. Poolside entertainment, nightly movies, and marshmallows are mostly what you’ll get at the Value resorts.
I hope this post helped you know what to expect from a stay at a Disney Value resort. They are among my favorites of all Disney World resorts because of their fun atmosphere and valuable perks at an affordable price.
If you want help deciding which resort might be the best fit for your family, I highly suggest getting a free quote from an expert Disney travel agent at Destinations in Florida. They can help you plan every aspect of your Disney vacation at no charge to you!
If you have any questions about staying at a Disney Value Resort, please leave a comment below or join the discussion in the free private Facebook group for my Disney-only site, The Budget Mouse!
