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run $15-$20 less per night than standard rooms at Art of Animation. Both resorts are newer
than the All-Stars, provide dedicated bus service, offer elevated fare at the quick services,
and feature more robust Disney-inspired theming.
The other value resorts—All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, and All-Star Movies—cost
about $10 per night less than Pop, but they're also significantly farther away from Magic
Kingdom and Epcot. The three All-Stars sometimes share buses and none of their themes
(except Movies) are overtly “Disney”, though each features smaller character scenes
around the resort. Finally, their food courts offer lower quality, less inspired fare.
Moderate Resorts
Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside are the best choices.
Standard moderate rooms are found in all moderates except the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.
They cost about $80/night more than standard value rooms and $300-$475/night less than a
standard room at the Polynesian. Your extra $80/night buys you about 50 more square feet
than value rooms, in addition to queen beds (except in Caribbean Beach's “Pirate Rooms”),
double sinks (except at Coronado Springs), a coffee -maker, a table service restaurant (ex-
cept at French Quarter), an indoor lounge (except at Caribbean Beach), a pool slide, and hot
tubs. The moderates also provide the most cost-effective way to sleep five (in the Alligator
Bayou section of Riverside and in many Caribbean Beach rooms after the rehab that began
in 2014) and the most cost-effective way to get a full kitchen (in The Cabins at Disney's
Fort Wilderness Resort). Compared to the deluxes, the moderates have limited dining op-
tions, no character meals, are less convenient to at least one theme park, and have far fewer
services and amenities. Fortunately, living areas are more comparable in size to those in
the deluxes than you might expect, especially when considering deluxe resorts with smaller
room sizes like those at Animal Kingdom and Wilderness Lodges.
Of the moderates, all but Port Orleans French Quarter are large and spread out, with
dozens of guest buildings spread out over hundreds of acres. All have multiple bus stops
(including shared buses at POFQ). All have more amenities than the values, but fewer than
the deluxes. Coronado Springs offers the most amenities, including a salon, gym, nightclub,
a strong room service menu, and the largest hot tub on property. French Quarter offers
the fewest, including the smallest feature pool, no quiet pools, and no sit-down restaurant.
Luckily, all those amenities and more are a short walk or boat ride away at Port Orleans
Riverside.
Moderate resorts favor tranquility and a more sublime atmosphere when compared to
the values, but don't offer the lushness and detail of the deluxes. This may translate to less
overt kid appeal. There are no 50-foot-tall Mickey Mouse icons at the moderates, and oth-
er than some subtle references, nothing about them screams Disney World. Of the moder-
ates, the vast majority of kids prefer Caribbean Beach Resort, with its beautiful white sand
beaches, hammocks, and colorful guest houses. It also features a pirate-themed pool and
play area that kids adore.
Our preference for Port Orleans French Quarter comes largely from its being so much
easier to get around than any other moderate, and the relative ease in getting from it to the
Magic Kingdom. Among the less convenient moderates, Port Orleans Riverside beats out
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