Two Reasons to Stay at Every Moderate Tier Resort
The Walt Disney World campus hosts more than 20 different resorts. Irregular Disney vacationers may have a hard time keeping with the advantages of every hotel. You certainly don’t want to pick the wrong one, but don’t worry! I’m here to help. Here are two reasons to stay at every Moderate Tier resort.
What Is Moderate Tier?
The first thing that I should discuss is what Moderate Tier means. Disney has built a series of hotels with various amenities, some of which are better than others. Walt Disney World’s management team has ranked each resort based on the quality of these amenities.
Every Disney property in Orlando is lovely and well worth a vacation stay. So, the rankings are only important from the perspective of pricing.
The Value Tier hotels have the lowest room rates but also lesser amenities than the others. The Deluxe Tier is the best. These resorts are magnificent, and you certainly get what you pay for. However, you pay for a lot. They’re expensive and can take up a lot of your vacation budget.
In terms of bang for your buck, Moderate Tier hotels might be your best bet. These resorts feature a plethora of spectacular amenities, but they’re priced much cheaper than Deluxe Tier hotels.
Just as importantly, Moderate Tier properties are only a bit more than Value Tier hotels. For this reason, I rarely stay at the various All-Stars resorts. I feel like I get a lot more for my money in Moderate Tier hotels.
Keeping this discussion in mind, let’s look at a couple of unique positives at every Moderate Tier resort.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
The most significant positive at Caribbean Beach is the Disney Skyliner station. The latest form of Disney transportation revolutionizes a stay at this hotel the way that the monorail has always done for Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort since 1971.
You’re now only a gondola ride away from the front entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios or the back entrance to Epcot. This sort of convenience is unprecedented for a Moderate Tier resort and a legitimate game-changer.
The other huge advantage of Caribbean Beach is its wealth of restaurants. Caribbean cuisine is wildly popular, and guests at this resort can eat like royalty without ever leaving the hotel grounds.
Spyglass Grill and Centertown Market are both extremely good for hotel counter service joints. And Sebastian’s Bistro is one of the hottest new restaurants at Walt Disney World.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Villa del Lago is an area of Coronado Springs that will become the center of your Disney universe when you stay here. Taking a cue from Hospitality House at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Coronado Springs has centrally located many of its most popular amenities.
Since the resort is a bit spread out, this activity hub is a breath of fresh air. You’ll find restaurants and plenty of photo op spots at Villa del Lago.
Particularly noteworthy is the area around Three Bridges Bar & Grill. This restaurant is surrounded by – wait for it – three bridges. And the visual of an eatery standing in the middle of the water is a sight to behold.
The other advantage of a hotel stay here is the brand-spankin’ new Gran Destino Tower. For once, Disney expanded a hotel by looking up rather than across.
Disney’s team constructed this 545-room skyscraper hotel to add more guest amenities without stretching out the campus significantly. It’s one of the most stunning Imagineering feats of the 21st century, elegant and stately yet warm and inviting. You’ll want to book a room here whenever possible. The rooms at Gran Destino Tower are the finest that Coronado Springs has to offer.
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Out of all the Moderate Tier resorts, French Quarter is my clear favorite. Why? Well, the French Quarter side of Port Orleans possesses a considerable advantage over its larger twin.
This resort is arguably the most intimate Disney property at Walt Disney World. It features 1,008 guest rooms spread out across seven three-story buildings.
Due to the unique design, the buildings contain only 144 rooms each. You’ll never feel crowded when you stay here, and it’s a marvelous choice for a romantic getaway. I think it’s possibly the best overall Disney resort for couples traveling childless.
The other huge asset of French Quarter is the theming. The Mardi Gras concept carries across all elements of the resort. The style of the hotel is undeniably New Orleans, and the best part is that it translates to the food, too.
Cajun favorites comprise many of the specialty foods available at French Quarter. And yes! You can get a delicious beignet as well! Combined with the intermeshed river setting, this place feels like a little slice of Louisiana only minutes away from your favorite Disney theme parks.
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
While the Port Orleans resorts have undeniable similarities, each one somehow manages its own distinctive style. And the primary advantage of Riverside is that it’s the rare Disney resort with two unique themed areas.
Alligator Bayou celebrates the bayou aspects of Louisiana. Note that I didn’t say swampy because the reality of this resort is that it’s the most luxurious non-Deluxe property at Walt Disney World. That thought certainly comes across at Magnolia Bend, the hotel buildings styled after old southern mansions. These are regal facilities.
The other huge advantage here is the food. Two places are worth your time and money at Riverside. Boatwright’s Dining Hall is an exceptional Table Service restaurant that’s worth a bus ride to the hotel to enjoy on its own. And River Roost Lounge is home to nightly performances by Yehaa Bob Jackson, a Disney institution.
By the way, the two Port Orleans hotels share another advantage. Both of them provide boat service to and from Disney Springs. Due to the serene forestry of the area that you’ll float past, it’s one of the most scenic boat trips possible at Walt Disney World.
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Lodge
The most unique resort in the Moderate Tier is at Fort Wilderness Lodge. The Cabins here combine two favorite American vacations in one. You’ll get the dude ranch experience despite being only a boat ride away from Magic Kingdom.
You’ll have easy access to Tri-Circle-D Ranch, the stable where Disney houses all of the horses in its various shows and parades. The sheer volume of outdoor activities available here and on the hotel grounds will blow your mind.
The other massive advantage here is the isolation. Each cabin is standalone. You’ll feel completely alone here despite being in the heart of the Disney campus.
Like French Quarter, this resort is perfect for couples, but it’s even better for families with small children. One of the bedrooms even has bunk beds! Your kids will squeal with delight when they enter their cabin for the first time.
As you can see, you can’t go wrong at any Moderate Tier resort. All of them have huge advantages that make them worthy of a vacation stay. Your bucket list goal should be to visit each one at some point in your life.