Are you visiting Disney World on a mid-range budget and want to know where to stay? The moderate resorts at Disney World offer guests family fun amenities without breaking the bank. Let’s get into more details about the moderate resorts at Disney World and compare them to see if they are a good fit for your Disney vacation.
The Disney Moderate Resorts at Walt Disney World offer on-site perks to their guests as well as middle of the road budget friendly option. As a family of 5 we have visited 2 of them and are staying at the third this summer.
They have accommodations for families of 5 and have a few more on-site amenities than the Disney Value Resorts. Overall they are a great option for your Disney trip but let’s get into all the details so you can choose the best one for you and your family.
Moderate Resorts at Disney World
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (Epcot Resort Area )
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (Animal Kingdom Resort Area )
- Disney’s Port Orleans-French Quarter(Disney Springs Resort Area)
- Disney’s Port Orleans-Riverside (Disney Springs Resort Area )
- Fort Wilderness Cabins were considered a moderate resort, and still is by some, but as per the Walt Disney World website they are not.
Perks of Staying at a Disney Moderate Resort
The Disney Moderate Resorts offer more resort amenities and cost a bit more than the value resorts.
Some of the perks of staying at a moderate resort include:
- Multiple pools, water slide, splash area
- On-site Table Service Dining Options
- Rooms with a 5th sleeper to fit a family of five
- Transportation to and from all the Disney Parks & Disney Springs
- Early Park Entry (30 minutes before official park opening, all Disney resort guests have this perk.)
- On-site guests can book Lightning Lane 7 days before check-in. (all guests)
There are daily activities for your non-park days. They also all have table-service dining, quick-service dining, and evening pizza delivery.
Cost of Moderate Resorts
The Disney World moderate resorts nightly rate start around $270.00/night. This can fluctuate depending on availability, season, and special offers at the time.
Comparing the Disney Moderate Resorts
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Caribbean Beach Resort has a beachy/pirate theme of the Caribbean. It has island vibes and the rooms are designated as different islands in the Caribbean.
Caribbean Beach is one of the largest on-site resorts and the buses make many stops through the resort, thankfully guests have the Skyliner as an option too.
The Disney Skyliner transports guests to/from the resort to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, because of this the nightly rate may be higher than the other moderate resorts.
- Rooms- Standard Rooms (5 People) & Pirate Rooms (4 People)
- Dining:
- Sebastian’s Bistro (Table Service, Reservations Recommended)
- Centertown Market (Quick Service)
- Centertown Market Grab & Go
- Spyglass Grill
- Banana Cabana
- Pool-Fuentes del Morro Pool(Main Pool with Water Slide), 5 Other pools throughout the resort.
- Playground, Arcade
- Daily Activities(Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Campfire Activities
- Parking: Included with Stay
This resort is a good choice for a family of five, like us, because the rooms have two queen beds and 1 pull-down child size bed.
Update: This fit our family great when they were small but now that we are visiting Disney with teens I would not stay a week in this type of room. More details later in this post about a better option.
Book Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Southwest theme blends the unique cultures of Spanish, Mexican, and Southwest America.
- Rooms- Standard (4 People) + Villas/Junior Suites/Executive Suites (6-8 People)*Not Moderate Priced
- Dining:
- Three Bridges Bar & Grill (Table Service)
- Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood (Table Service)
- Maya Grill (Table Service)
- Rix Sports Bar & Grill
- Dahlia Lounge
- Barcelona Lounge
- Siesta Cantina
- Laguna Bar
- Cafe Rix (Quick Service)
- El Mercado de Coronado (Quick Service).
- There are also bars and lounges throughout the resort as well as room service and pizza delivery.
- Pool- The main pool has a water slide and splash area. For a quieter pool you can check out the 3 other pools throughout the resort.
- Playground, Arcade
- Daily Activities(Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Campfire Activities
- Parking: Included with Stay
Disney’s Port Orleans-French Quarter & Riverside
Disney’s Port Orleans-French Quarter is Mardi Gras themed and within walking distance of its sister resort Port Orleans-Riverside.
French Quarter is the smaller of the two resorts and has a few less amenities than the larger Riverside resort.
Guests staying at either Port Orleans resort can enjoy the amenities at each. We are staying at Port Orleans Riverside for one night this summer and I am so excited.
It will be a bit tight, even with the 5th sleeper, but I can’t wait to check it out.
Port Orleans: French Quarter
- Rooms- Standard (4 People)
- Dining:
- Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory(Quick Service)
- Scat Cat’s Club
- Scat Cat’s Club-Cafe (Mickey Beignets!)
- Mardi Grogs
- Pool- Doubloon Lagoon, Shares pools with Port Orleans-Riverside
- Playground, Arcade
- Daily Activities(Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
- Parking: Included with Your Stay
Disney’s Port Orleans-Riverside is the larger of the Port Orleans resorts and it also offers standard rooms that fit five.
- Rooms- Standard (5 People) + Royal Guest Rooms (4 People)
- Dining:
- Boatwright’s Dining Hall (Table Service, Reservation Recommended)
- Riverside Mill Food Court (Quick Service)
- Muddy Rivers
- River Roost
- Pools- Ol’ Man Island (Main pool with Water Slide), 5 Leisure Resort Pool, Also shared pool with French Quarter
- Playground and Arcade
- Daily Activities(Trivia/Games/Crafts) and Nightly Outdoor Movies
- Campfire, Bike Rentals, Fishing
- Parking: Included with your Stay
Coming in Summer: Review of Port Orleans Riverside
Recap
When planning your Disney vacation it is important to decide what your priorities are. Staying at a Disney resort does not give you a huge hotel room, but you will have other perks like early park entry.
You should consider the needs of your family and how much time you will spend in the room during your visit.
Disney Moderate resorts offer a step up from the value resorts but not more hotel space. If you are a family of five you may want to consider booking connecting rooms at a value resort.
We did this on our last visit and stayed at All-Star Sports, the total cost was less than one room at a moderate.
Of course this is personal preference, we preferred to have two bathrooms and space over a pool with a water slide. Having a water slide and larger pools may be a higher priority than the space of your room.
It depends on the age of your travel party and what you plan to do. You really can’t go wrong staying at a Disney resort during your Disney trip.
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Leah has been a Disney fan her entire life. From growing up with the movies to planning amazing Disney trips. She loves sharing her passion for Disney and helping others plan amazing Disney trips.
