Disney Resort Categories

For any Walt Disney World frequent traveler, the differences between the resort categories in Disney’s resort classification system are clear but for those who have never stayed at Disney or have never seen more than one resort, the different categories of value, moderate, deluxe, and villa are a mystery. To help make sense of it all, here is a breakdown on the differences in the Disney resort categories.

Value Resorts

Room Size: Most standard rooms, sleeping up to four guests plus a baby in a crib, are approximately 260 square feet. The average family suite, sleeping up to six guests plus a baby in a crib is approximately 520 square feet.
Bathrooms: In standard rooms, there is one sink, one toilet, and one shower/tub combo. Typically the toilet and shower are contained in a room with a door, while the sink is located at the back of the room with a curtain divider to separate it from the main area. The value resort family suites (at All Star Music and Art of Animation) have two bathrooms.
Beds: In standard rooms, there are two double beds or one king-size bed. Family suites at Art of Animation have one queen-size bed, one double sleeper sofa, and one double pull-down table bed. Family suites at All Star Music have a queen-size bed, a double sleeper sofa, a twin size sleeper chair, and a twin size sleeper ottoman.
Views: Views include a parking lot, wooded area, themed resort elements, or swimming pool.
Pools: Themed pools. May have some water play or interactive elements.
Recreation: Pool, poolside games/entertainment, playground equipment, movies under the stars.
Dining: Food court. Main pool poolside bar. In-room pizza delivery is available in the evenings.
Transportation: All Disney-provided transportation to theme parks and Downtown Disney is via bus. Single bus stop per resort.
Atmosphere: Colorful and/or cartoony building exteriors. Standard rooms are accessed via an external doorway. Family suites at Art of Animation are accessed via an internal doorway. No guest rooms in the main building. The main building houses guest check-in, a gift shop, and food services. Outer guest buildings may be a decent walk from the main building.+6

Deluxe Resorts

Room Size: There are a variety of room types and sizes at deluxe resorts. The rooms range from standard rooms of about 344 square feet at the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge (rooms sleeping four plus a baby) to suites of more than a thousand square feet. Typical rooms at the Grand Floridian sleep up to five guests plus a baby in 440 square feet.
Bathrooms: Standard rooms have two sinks, one toilet, and one shower/tub combo. In some cases, the toilet/tub is behind a door. In some cases, the toilet will be in its own enclosed room. Suites may have several bathrooms in a variety of combinations.
Beds: Some standard rooms have two queen-size beds or one king-size bed. Many standard rooms have an additional twin-size daybed.
Views: Rooms may look at a parking lot, wooded area, themed resort elements, swimming pool, natural body of water, or a theme park. Animal Kingdom Lodge rooms may overlook animal habitats. Theme park entertainment such as fireworks may be seen from some deluxe resort rooms.
Pools: Themed pools and “quiet” pools will have water play or interactive elements. Main pools have at least one water slide and may have bonus water features such as waterfalls or sand play areas. Main pools have hot tubs.
Recreation: Pool, poolside games/entertainment, playground equipment, movies under the stars. Health club available. Spa services may be available. Water recreation and bike rental may be available. Outdoor evening entertainment at the Boardwalk resort.
Dining: Food court. Poolside bar. Multiple table service dining options on-site, many other table service options easily accessible. Full room service menu available throughout the day. At least one indoor bar or lounge. Character dining may be available on site.
Transportation: Multiple transportation options depending on your destination. Some deluxe resorts are within walking distance of a theme park. Transportation to the theme parks may be via bus, boat, or monorail.
Atmosphere: Building exteriors are elegant or romantic, often designed by premier architects. Guest rooms are accessed via an internal hallway. There may be guest rooms in the main building. The main building houses guest check-in, multiple shops, and food service. Guests at the Grand Floridian receive turn-down service. Most deluxe rooms have a patio or balcony area. Deluxe resorts have large lobbies where guests can sit and congregate. There may be entertainment or special decorations in the lobby.

Moderate Resorts

Room Size: Most standard rooms at Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, and Port Orleans are approximately 314 square feet. The rooms sleep up to four guests, plus a baby in a crib. There are a limited number of rooms at Port Orleans Riverside which are equipped to sleep up to five guests plus a baby. There are also a few suites at Coronado Springs. The Fort Wilderness cabins, which sleep up to six guests plus a baby, are approximately 504 square feet.
Bathrooms: Most rooms have two sinks, one toilet, and one shower/tub combo. Typically the toilet and shower are contained in a room with a door, while the sinks are outside the door with a curtain or sliding door to separate the area from the main portion of the room.
Beds: In standard rooms, two queen size beds or one king-size bed. Some rooms at Port Orleans Riverside have an additional twin-size trundle bed or Murphy bed.
Views: Rooms may look at a parking lot, wooded area, themed resort elements, swimming pool, or water.
Pools: Themed pools and “quiet” pools. May have some water play or interactive elements. May have a medium-sized water slide and are more elaborate than the value resort pools.
Recreation: Pool, poolside games/entertainment, playground equipment, movies under the stars. Health club available at Coronado Springs. Water recreation and bike rental may be available. Free character singalong at Fort Wilderness.
Dining: Food court. Poolside bar. At least one table service dining option. At least one indoor bar or lounge. In-room pizza delivery is available in the evenings.
Transportation: Disney-provided transportation to the theme parks is via bus. There may be boat transportation to Downtown Disney. Most resorts have multiple bus stops.
Atmosphere: Building exteriors match resort theme. Some room interiors may have special themes such as a pirate or princess motif. Guest rooms are accessed via an external doorway. No guest rooms in the main building. The main building houses guest check-in, a gift shop, and food services. Outer guest buildings may be a long walk from the main building.

Villas

Room Size: There are studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom villas. These range in size from a 316-square-foot studio at the Animal Kingdom Lodge to a nearly 2,500-square-foot three-bedroom grand villa at the Boardwalk. Most studio rooms sleep up to four guests plus a baby. The grand villas sleep up to 12 guests plus a baby.
Bathrooms: Studios have one standard bathroom. Depending on the resort, the studio bathroom sink/vanity may be inside or outside the bathroom door. Many studios have one bathroom sink, but they all have a bar sink in the kitchenette area. Depending on the resort, one-bedroom villas have one or two bathrooms. Two-bedroom villas have two or three bathrooms. Three-bathroom villas have three or four bathrooms. One, two, and three-bedroom villas have a jacuzzi-style tub.
Beds: Bedding varies depending on room type. In most villa rooms, there is a combination of traditional beds and sleeper sofas and chairs.
Views: Rooms may look at a parking lot, wooded area, themed resort elements, a swimming pool, a natural body of water, a theme park, or a golf course. Animal Kingdom Lodge rooms may overlook animal habitats. Theme park entertainment such as fireworks may be seen from some deluxe resort rooms.
Pools: Themed pools and “quiet” pools. Main pools will have water play or interactive elements, hot tubs, and at least one water slide. They may have bonus water features such as waterfalls or sand play areas.
Recreation: Pool, poolside games/entertainment, playground equipment, movies under the stars. Health club available. Spa services may be available. Water recreation and bike rental may be available.
Dining: Options vary by resort. Food court. Poolside bar. There may be multiple table-service dining options on-site, many other table-service options are easily accessible. A full room service menu may be available throughout the day. Character dining may be available on-site. Studio villas include a kitchenette. Larger villas include a full kitchen.
Transportation: Multiple transportation options depending on your destination. Some villa resorts are within walking distance of a theme park. Transportation to the theme parks may be via bus, boat, or monorail. Transportation to Downtown Disney may be via boat.
Atmosphere: Depending on the resort, guest rooms may be accessed via an internal or external doorway. The main building may be dedicated to the villa or shared with the associated deluxe resort. Villa resorts include a shop configured like a convenience store with basic food preparation items.

Items to Consider Before Choosing a Resort

As expected, the rooms get larger as you move up in the resort classification level. However, the square footage of your room may not matter to you if you’ll only be spending time in your room to sleep.

Special needs rooms are available at all resort levels, including rooms with wheel-in showers and larger bathrooms available for guests with medical issues.
Depending on the number of adults and older children in your party, the number of individual or separate beds may be important to you. You may also want to consider whether the adults in your party can sleep comfortably on a double bed or on a sleeper sofa.
The better your view, the more expensive it will be. If you won’t be spending much time in your room, is a view something you want to spend extra money on?
Health clubs and other recreation are only important if you intend to use them. If you’ll spend all your time at the theme parks, then consider whether it’s worth paying extra for recreation. Many of the parks have a great deal of walking and most moderate resorts have pools and outdoor areas where you can get in a morning jog without a fitness room.
Anyone can dine at any of the resort restaurants on property. There’s no requirement that guests stay at a resort to dine there. If you plan to spend most of the day in the parks, chances are that you will rarely eat at the resort unless you get breakfast every morning before heading to the parks.
Staying within walking distance of a theme park can be a big time saver. Waiting for the buses can often take a considerable amount of time also. If you have anyone in your party that cant handle crowded buses or waiting for extended times at a bus stop (up to 20 minutes at busy times), you may want to look at resorts with other options.
If you plan to visit the water parks or are not a swimmer, then the pool features may not matter.
While there are definite differences between the various resort categories, you should consider the amount of time you will actually be at the resort.
The most important aspect of choosing where to stay is to balance your budgetary constraints with your desired amenities. If you spend too much or can’t afford that treat or souvenir that someone really wants, the extra resort perks may not be worth it.