Everything You Need to Know About Walt Disney World Value Resorts
With prices rising so much on seemingly everything, Disney fans have grown more cost-conscious than ever before.
For budgetary reasons, you may consider staying at a place where you haven’t before now.
So, allow me to bring you up to speed on the six least-expensive options for staying at an official Disney resort.
The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
I’m listing these resorts based on which one costs the least. I picked a random date, May 20th, for 2022 rack rates.
However, the first listing here won’t apply to many of you. The Campsites at Fort Wilderness cater to campers and RV fanatics.
Presuming you fall into that category, you’ll find plenty to like at this resort. First, it includes connections that will allow you to power all your stuff.
Here’s a video from someone staying in an RV so that you can conceptualize the process:
In a way, you’re staying in your own home while at Walt Disney World, which is living the dream for many.
This is also the cheapest way to stay at Disney. Depending on your needs, prices range from $107 to $214 a night.
(At the end of the article, I’ll offer a vital recommendation to save money.)
If you are into that camper lifestyle, you’ll love this place. TripAdvisor voters have given this location the highest grade of anything we’ll discuss today.
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
The following three resorts all feature similar room designs and pricing. So, you cannot go wrong with any of them.
Historically, All-Star Sports and the next resort we’ll discuss have lagged behind the others in popularity.
Disney tends to discount these more when sales are low. But, of course, sales appear unlikely to falter for the duration of 2022 and early 2023. Disney’s on fire right now.
When you plan your trip, you should probably take the best deal you can find unless you’re emphatic about a particular All-Star property.
For this reason, you may wind up at Sports, which is totally fine. The amenities here are good, and your kids will adore the larger-than-life décor.
When you stay here, you’ll enjoy a hidden amenity. Buses stop here first among the various All-Star resorts.
However, you’ll also bump into a negative at times. For example, kids participating in ESPN Wide World of Sports events often stay here. So, it can get loud and chaotic.
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Music lovers will have a grand ole timing staying here, as the Imagineering on display pays earnest tribute to songs.
Otherwise, the best thing about Music is its price. Like Sports, its rate on the day I mentioned ranges from $161 to $227. That’s extremely good for Disney these days.
Currently, Music also counts as the hidden gem of All-Star properties. Disney has updated the rooms here to provide better use of space.
You’ll feel substantially more crowded at Sports than Music, but the pricing between the two locations remains identical.
Importantly, Music functions as the middle bus stop between these locations. So, you’ll only get shut out of a quick bus ride if Sports is packed at the time.
If you’re staying here, my suggestion is to monitor the ESPN Wide World of Sports schedule to verify that you’re not staying during a big event.
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Movies shares the same pricing as Music and Sports. However, like Music, it has also updated rooms fairly recently to improve spacing.
I’d recommend this place above the others without hesitation if not for the bus issue. Movies works as the third stop on each route.
Unfortunately, you’ll often get on the bus to discover that you must stand up or squeeze in next to a stranger.
On the plus side, Movies features EASILY the best hotel restaurant of the bunch. World Premiere Food Court is an absolute delight and offers a secret menu to boot!
By the way, you may wonder whether you can walk to the Disney Skyliner from the All-Star resorts.
The answer is technically yes, but let’s be clear that you’re probably not going to do that. It’s not the kind of walk you want to do during a Disney theme park vacation.
I don’t want to bum you out or anything. My point is more that you should plan on riding the bus when you stay at any of the All-Star properties.
I should add that the Fort Wilderness option does offer boat service to Magic Kingdom, which is a nice amenity.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
I presume you know that Pop Century and Art of Animation offer better amenities than the All-Star hotels.
The most significant one, at least now, is ready access to the Disney Skyliner.
When using this gondola service, you arrive at EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios within 15 minutes.
I cannot stress enough how much value there is in knowing exactly when your transportation will arrive at a Disney resort.
Beyond that, Pop Century and Art of Animation offer better shops, pools, and restaurants than their counterparts in Disney’s Value tier.
You will pay more for these amenities, though.
The rack rate for Pop Century ranges from $212 to $295. I also want to take this opportunity to explain why I’m only listing one date.
Disney incorporates tiered pricing into all its rack rates, which means that prices vary wildly during a calendar year.
For example, Pop Century offers rooms for as little as $168 or as much as $377. So, I chose near-summer pricing as a good average.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Visually, nothing else in this tier approaches the hotel lobby of Art of Animation. Disney has framed actual artwork from Disney animated films.
Some of the work on display is from so early in the process that you may not even recognize it. That’s because Disney went a different way with the stories.
You’re looking at a Sliding Doors scenario of what might have been with The Little Mermaid when you look at some of the imagery.
With its several decades of toys, only Pop Century even comes close to what’s available at Art of Animation.
Of course, the extra amenities come at a higher cost. The nightly rate at Art of Animation ranges from $255 to $677.
That last number may have given you sticker shock, but there’s an explanation. That’s the cost for the themed family suites.
The standard rooms max out at $313 on this date, which is still on the high end for the Value tier. It’s less than half the Family Suites, though.
So, your choice is whether you’d rather gain better amenities or lower your hotel cost in your vacation budget.
Of course, there’s an even better way to do that. You can speak with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner at MickeyTravels.
These professionals know the best ways to book a discounted hotel room at an official Disney resort. In addition, they’ll find deals that you wouldn’t know about on your own.
Somehow, that’s not even the best part, though. Their services are entirely free to you! You can’t beat free, right?
Working with MickeyTravels is like having a professional bargain shopper clipping coupons for your dream Disney vacation!