Best Disney World Value Resort: How to Choose the Right One for Your Trip
If you’ve ever typed “Disney World hotels” into a search bar and immediately felt your eyes glaze over at the price tags, you’re in good company. One of the first questions I hear from people starting to plan a Walt Disney World vacation is some version of: Do I really have to spend that much on a hotel? The honest answer is no. Disney’s value resorts exist for exactly this reason, and they’re more than just a place to crash between park days. But with five resorts in the value category, figuring out which one is the best Disney World value resort for your trip takes a little more thought than just picking the cheapest option.
I’ve stayed at three of the five value resorts myself, and I have strong opinions about all of them. My very first Disney Resort stay was at All-Star Sports when I was a kid, and it’s where I fell completely in love with the idea of staying on Disney property. More recently, I stayed at Pop Century with my family (my teen daughters were obsessed with the 80s section), and we did a magical three-generation trip at Art of Animation in a Finding Nemo Suite. This fall, I’m finally checking All-Star Music off my list. So whether you’re a first-timer trying to figure out if value is even right for you, or you’ve already decided on value and just need help choosing between the five resorts, I’ve got you covered.
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Are Disney World Value Resorts Worth It?
Before we get into comparing the individual resorts, let’s talk about whether a value resort makes sense for your trip at all. This is a genuinely important question, and the honest answer isn’t the same for everyone.
Disney’s value resorts are the most affordable on-site accommodation option, and they include all the same core perks as every other Disney Resort hotel. That means free transportation throughout Walt Disney World, Early Theme Park Entry (30 minutes before the parks open to the public, every day of your stay, confirmed through 2027), the ability to purchase Lightning Lane passes 7 days before your trip instead of the 3-day window available to off-site guests, complimentary standard parking at the theme parks, free resort parking, and online check-in. These aren’t small perks. Especially the early entry, which can make a real difference in how much you accomplish on a park day before the crowds build.
What you’re giving up compared to moderate or deluxe resorts is mostly space and ambiance. The standard rooms at value resorts are 260 square feet, which is cozy (to put it diplomatically). There are no table-service restaurants on property, no balconies, no elaborate resort experiences to linger over between park days. The food courts are solid but limited. The pools are fun and themed, but not elaborate. And depending on which resort you choose, your transportation options may be bus-only.
So who are value resorts genuinely great for? Honestly, most families who spend the majority of their time in the parks. If your day looks like rope drop to close, with a midday break back at the room, you’ll barely notice the room size. The Disney bubble perks, especially early entry and the convenience of Disney transportation, are just as valuable here as anywhere else on property. And the money you save on the hotel is money you can put toward dining, Lightning Lane passes, or that extra souvenir your kid has been eyeing since the moment you walked through the park gates.
Where value resorts might not be the right fit: if you’re planning significant resort time, traveling with a larger group that needs more space (though Art of Animation and All-Star Music have family suites for that), or if you’re a couple without kids who would genuinely enjoy a more immersive resort atmosphere. In those cases, it might be worth pricing out the moderates before committing.
Bottom line: if you’re park-focused and budget-conscious, value resorts are an excellent choice. If the resort itself is part of the vacation experience for you, it’s worth considering whether a moderate might be a better fit.
What All Disney World Value Resorts Have in Common
All five value resorts share the same basic footprint: 260-square-foot rooms (with the exception of family suites at Art of Animation and All-Star Music), a food court, a pool bar, two to three pools, a playground, an arcade, outdoor Movies Under the Stars, and a jogging trail. Every room includes a queen bed and a queen-size murphy bed that folds down from the wall when needed. (And yes, the murphy bed has a real mattress. I’ve heard so many people worry about this. It is genuinely comfortable and feels nothing like a cot or sofa bed.) Rooms also include a beverage cooler, coffee maker, flat-screen TV, in-room safe, and complimentary WiFi.
One thing worth knowing: the All-Star Resorts (Movies, Music, and Sports) share the same property and are the most budget-friendly of the five. They also tend to host youth sports and competition groups, which can mean noise depending on when you visit. Pop Century and Art of Animation are located together on a separate part of property, share the Skyliner gondola system, and generally have a slightly higher price point within the value category.
The Five Disney World Value Resorts
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort Area | Transportation: Bus only
All-Star Movies is themed around beloved Disney and Pixar films, with larger-than-life icons from Toy Story, 101 Dalmatians, Fantasia, The Love Bug, and Herbie scattered throughout the property. It’s visually delightful and consistently earns praise for being one of the more “Disney-feeling” of the All-Star trio. Standard rooms offer one queen bed and one queen-size murphy bed, sleeping up to four. Preferred rooms are the same layout in a more convenient location closer to the lobby, dining, and bus stops.
Dining is handled by the World Premiere Food Court (breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with mobile ordering available) and the Silver Screen Spirits Pool Bar. Recreation includes two pools, a playground, an arcade, and outdoor movies.
A heads-up for anyone booking soon: All-Star Movies rooms are currently undergoing a refurbishment that runs from late May 2026 through January 2027. Guests may experience some construction noise or alternate pathways during this period. On the bright side, freshly renovated rooms are always a win.
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort Area | Transportation: Bus only
All-Star Music is divided into five themed sections celebrating jazz, country, rock, calypso, and Broadway, and it’s honestly a lot of fun to walk around. Standard rooms offer one queen bed and one queen-size murphy bed, sleeping up to four. But All-Star Music is also one of only two value resorts to offer family suites, making it the most budget-friendly option for groups of five or six who need the extra space. The family suites sleep up to six and include a queen bed, two queen pull-down beds, and two bathrooms, which is a bigger deal than it might sound when you’re trying to get a group out the door for rope drop.
Dining includes Intermission Food Court and Singing Spirits Pool Bar. Recreation includes two pools, a playground, an arcade, and outdoor movies.
Full disclosure: I’m staying at All-Star Music this fall for the first time, and I’m genuinely excited about it. I’ll be sharing a full review after my trip, so stay tuned!
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort Area | Transportation: Bus only
All-Star Sports holds a very special place in my heart because it was my very first Disney Resort hotel. I remember arriving as a kid and feeling like we’d stepped into an entirely different world. The giant surfboards, the oversized basketballs, the sports-themed everything. After staying off-property before that trip, staying inside the Disney bubble was a revelation, and it completely hooked me. That’s the magic of being on Disney property, even at the most budget-friendly level.
All-Star Sports is themed around football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and surfing, with five themed sections spread across the property. Rooms offer one queen bed and one queen-size murphy bed, sleeping up to four. Standard and preferred room options are available, with preferred rooms located closer to Stadium Hall (the main lobby and dining area). Note that All-Star Sports does not offer family suites, so families needing space for five or six should look at Music or Art of Animation instead.
Dining includes the End Zone Food Court and Grandstand Spirits pool bar. Recreation includes two pools, a playground, an arcade, and outdoor movies.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports Resort Area | Transportation: Bus and Disney Skyliner
Art of Animation is themed around four beloved Disney and Pixar films: The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Cars, and The Lion King. It’s the newest of the five value resorts (opened in 2012), and it genuinely feels different from the rest. The theming is immersive in a way that goes beyond the exterior icons. The family suites in the Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King sections have full character-themed interiors that make the room itself feel like part of the experience. My family stayed in a Finding Nemo Suite with three generations in tow, and it was absolutely the right call. There was enough room for everyone, and having two bathrooms when you’re trying to get a large group ready in the morning is something I can’t overstate the value of.
Standard rooms are available in the Little Mermaid section and offer one queen bed and one queen-size murphy bed, sleeping up to four. Family suites sleep up to six and include a queen bed, a double murphy bed, and a double sleeper sofa, plus two bathrooms. Art of Animation also has the largest resort pool in all of Walt Disney World (the Big Blue World pool in the Nemo section), plus two additional pools. The Landscape of Flavors food court is widely considered one of the best food courts on Disney property, with diverse offerings across multiple themed stations.
The other major perk here: Art of Animation is connected to the Disney Skyliner gondola system, which means you can zip over to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios without waiting for a bus. If those are parks you plan to visit frequently, this is a genuinely meaningful transportation advantage.
The trade-off is price. Art of Animation is the most expensive of the value resorts, and the family suites in particular can creep into moderate resort territory in terms of nightly rate. If you’re a family of five or six, it’s worth comparing Art of Animation suite pricing against a moderate resort before booking, since the gap may be smaller than you’d expect.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports Resort Area | Transportation: Bus and Disney Skyliner
Pop Century is a love letter to 20th-century pop culture, with each section of the resort representing a different decade from the 1950s through the 1990s. Giant yo-yos, oversized bowling pins, icons from each era… it’s nostalgic and fun in a way that resonates across generations. My teen daughters were completely charmed by the 80s section on our last family trip, and I may have been just as charmed watching them discover references from my own childhood.
Rooms offer one queen bed and one queen-size murphy bed, sleeping up to four. I want to specifically address the murphy bed situation because I was skeptical too: it has a real mattress. It’s not a foldout sofa situation. It felt completely comfortable, and my family had zero complaints. Standard rooms come with courtyard, pool, or parking lot views. Preferred rooms are in better locations closer to the main building.
Pop Century is connected to the Disney Skyliner, which it shares with Art of Animation across Hourglass Lake. You can actually walk between the two resorts, which makes for a fun resort-hopping option if you want to check out Art of Animation’s pools or food court. The Everything POP Shopping and Dining food court is solid, with a good range of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Petals Pool Bar handles poolside drinks. Recreation includes three pools, a playground, an arcade, outdoor movies, and fishing at nearby marinas.
Pop Century tends to be slightly less expensive than Art of Animation while sharing the same Skyliner access, which is why it consistently lands near the top of most value resort recommendations. It’s a strong all-around choice for couples, families, and just about anyone in between.
Which Disney World Value Resort Is Best for Your Trip?
Here’s the thing about ranking these resorts: I genuinely don’t think a straight ranking does anyone much good. The “best” resort depends entirely on what your trip looks like. So instead of a numbered list, here’s how I’d think about it based on who you are and what you need.
Best for budget-focused travelers: Any of the three All-Star Resorts. Movies, Music, and Sports consistently come in at the lowest price points of the five value resorts. If your goal is to stretch your Disney dollars as far as possible, the All-Stars are your starting point. Of the three, All-Star Movies tends to have the most “Disney” feel thanks to its film theming, while All-Star Sports has the most energetic atmosphere.
Best for families with young kids: Art of Animation. The immersive theming inside the family suites is genuinely magical for little ones, the Big Blue World pool is spectacular, and the Landscape of Flavors food court has enough variety to keep picky eaters happy. If budget is a concern, All-Star Movies is a close second with its Toy Story and 101 Dalmatians theming that tends to be a hit with younger kids.
Best for large families (5-6 guests): Art of Animation family suites if budget allows, All-Star Music family suites if you’re watching costs. Both sleep up to six and include two bathrooms, which makes them stand apart from every other room in the value category. The pricing difference between the two can be significant, so it’s worth comparing before you book.
Best for adults and couples: Pop Century. The Skyliner access, the nostalgic theming that tends to appeal across age groups, the solid food court, and the generally quieter atmosphere (compared to the All-Stars, which frequently host youth sports groups) make it a consistently strong pick. Art of Animation is also lovely for adults, particularly if you want the Skyliner perk and love the film theming.
Best for first-time visitors: Pop Century or Art of Animation. Both are on the Skyliner, both have strong reputations, and both tend to feel a little more polished than the All-Stars. If it’s your first Disney trip, starting at one of these two sets a high bar for the experience. That said, my very first Disney Resort stay was All-Star Sports, and it made me fall in love with on-property staying for life, so don’t count out the All-Stars if they’re what fits your budget.
Best for park-heavy travelers who rarely use the resort: Whichever All-Star Resort is cheapest on your dates. If you’re doing rope drop to close every day and only returning to your room to sleep, the extra perks of Pop Century or Art of Animation won’t matter much to you. Save the money and spend it in the parks.
Final Thoughts: Should You Stay at a Disney World Value Resort?
The value resorts at Walt Disney World punch well above their price point when it comes to the benefits they deliver. You’re on Disney property, you’ve got free transportation, Early Theme Park Entry every day, free parking, and the full on-site booking advantage for Lightning Lane. None of that changes based on which tier of resort you choose. What changes is the room, the food court, the pool, and the overall resort experience. For most families and most trips, that’s a trade-off worth making.
My honest recommendation: if you’re torn between a value and a moderate, price them both out for your specific dates and travel party. Disney occasionally runs promotions that narrow the gap more than you’d expect. But if the value resorts fit your budget comfortably and you’re planning to spend most of your time in the parks, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Some of my best Disney memories happened when we were staying in the most affordable rooms on property.
The best Disney World value resort is ultimately the one that gets you through the gate and into the magic. Everything else is details.
Ready to Start Planning Your Walt Disney World Vacation?
Here are some resources to help you get started!
Walt Disney World Dining Guides:
Walt Disney World Attraction Guides:
- Attraction Guide for Magic Kingdom
- Attraction Guide for Epcot
- Attraction Guide for Hollywood Studios
- Attraction Guide for Animal Kingdom
Not sure which resort tier is right for you? Here’s a look at all your on-site options!
Value Resorts (you are here) | Moderate Resorts | Deluxe Resorts | Deluxe Villas
Planning your first Walt Disney World vacation? Be sure to visit my step-by-step planning guide to get started!
