If you’re looking to stay on site at Disney World, a room in the Value tier of resorts will usually be your cheapest option. There are five resorts in this budget-friendly category, so how do they compare? Which Disney World Value Resort is the best? Never fear, TouringPlans is here! We’ve got an overview by an expert eye, and also ratings from guests in post-visit surveys. Let’s break it down so you can know how these resorts rank for you.

• Theming at Disney World Value Resorts
• Disney World Value Resort Layout
• Rooms at Disney World Value Resorts
• Dining, Recreation, and Transportation at Disney World Value Resorts
• Prices for Disney World Value Resorts
• The Perks of Staying on Site
• The 30-second Summary – which one is the best?

The five Value Resorts at Disney World are Pop Century, Art of Animation, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, and All-Star Movies. The three All-Star resorts have many similarities; the same basic style and setup, with different decorations. We’ll often refer to them together as “the All-Stars” for ease of reading. Tap into any gallery in this article to expand images for a closer look, or use the bulleted links above to go directly to a section that interests you.

Value Resort Theming

Outside the rooms, all the Value Resorts feature larger-than-life, in-your-face theming. There are multi-story figures, large statues, and giant icons on the buildings. These decorations all match the resort theme. If you were brought to the middle of the resort blindfolded, you would instantly guess which one you were at on opening your eyes. At Art of Animation, the exterior theming kicks it up a notch. The basic approach is the same, but detailed paintwork and more cohesive design do a better job of creating an immersive experience.

Although it isn’t subtle, the exterior theming at Disney’s Value Resorts is fun. You’ll definitely get the feeling that you’re not in Kansas anymore. Inside the rooms, themed touches are more minimal at the All-Stars and Pop Century. They say you’re at Disney World, but they can be a bit generic as far as theme goes. Art of Animation is the only resort that has extensive theming inside the rooms. Again, it’s not subtle. If you’re in a Lion King Family Suite, you won’t mistake it for the Finding Nemo version.

Our surveys ask guests how satisfied they are with the resort theme. In the chart of theme satisfaction below, Art of Animation is a clear standout; 90% of guests rate it 4 stars or better. Of the All-Stars, Movies wins the theme category. But we don’t know whether it’s because the theme is ‘done better’ or just because everyone loves movies.

Resort Layout and Transportation

All five Disney World Value Resorts have a compact layout. Each resort has a central hall building. The large lobby in the main hall connects check-in, dining, the resort store, arcade, and the resort’s single bus stop. At each resort, rooms closer to the main hall and main pool have ‘preferred’ pricing. But it’s about a 5-minute walk from the main hall to the farthest buildings at any of the Value resorts. Our surveys ask how easy it is to find your way around the resort, and about 90% of guests at each resort say that it is fairly easy to navigate.

At a high level, the All-Stars are a complex where you can easily walk between the individual resorts.

The same is true of Pop Century and Art of Animation. The two resorts are on either side of Hourglass Lake, connected by the Generation Gap Bridge. It takes under 10 minutes to walk from one resort to the other.

Value Resort buildings are motel-style, with rooms opening onto an outside walkway. The exception is the Art of Animation Family Suites, which are in buildings with interior hotel-style hallways.

Room Size, Layout, and More

Standard rooms at all Value Resorts sleep four adults, plus an infant in a crib. All-Star Music and Art of Animation also have Family Suites that can hold up to six adults, plus an infant in a crib.

Disney’s Value Resorts offer housekeeping every other day. Our surveys ask about room cleanliness, and about 90% of guests give a ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ rating across all Value Resorts. For beds and pillows, about 85% of guests give a 4- or 5-star rating to the comfort of their sleeping surface. The exception is Art of Animation, which only receives a positive rating from 75% of guests, even when looking only at the standard rooms.

We also ask about room quietness: Pop Century scores an average of about 3.8 stars, and the other Value Resorts do a bit better, around 4 stars. We should also note that the All-Stars, and especially All-Star Sports, often host youth groups who are visiting Disney World for competitions. If sound levels are important to you, the TouringPlans Room Finder can help you find the quietest rooms at any of these resorts.

Rooms for Four

The basic room at the All-Stars and Pop Century is 260 square feet. Once inside the rooms, the layout is identical between all four resorts, and there’s not much to tell you which resort the room is in. The images in the gallery below are from a Pop Century Room, but All-Star Sports, Movies, and Music rooms have similar decoration. Pop Century rooms are currently being refurbished, and the new rooms have colored walls and a patterned accent under the table bed. These updates might not be more ‘themed’, but they are a bit less bland.

In these rooms, the second queen bed folds up into a table, which is great for couples who want a little extra space. Even for families, it’s very easy to put the bed up and down daily, more so than a standard sofabed. The bathroom area has a toilet and tub separated from the sink and closet storage, with both closed off from the main room by a barn door.

At Art of Animation, there’s much more theming in the Little Mermaid rooms. It’s a bit larger, at 277 square feet. But the convenience factor of the table-bed is missing, and the separation between the bathroom area and the main room is only a curtain.

Our surveys ask about room size. Since the Little Mermaid rooms are slightly larger, we might expect to see that guests are more satisfied with the space in the room. But, we don’t. Although the rooms are larger at Art of Animation, the super-functional layout of rooms at the other Value Resorts seems to put them on an even playing field. Still, nobody feels that these rooms are spacious; only about 60% of respondents report good satisfaction with the size of Value Resort rooms.

Rooms for Larger Families

Both All-Star Music and Art of Animation have Family Suites that can sleep larger groups. These rooms have separate sleeping areas for adults and kids, a second bathroom, and basic kitchen facilities (fridge, microwave) in the room. And the extra space is well-appreciated; over 90% of guests in these suites give a ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ rating for room size.

Family Suites at both resorts make use of convertible furniture to deliver the extra beds. At the All-Star Music suites, the second room has a table and sofa that both convert to queen beds. For Art of Animation’s suites, there’s a separate dining area with a table-bed and a sofa bed in the living room area.

An important note: depending on your needs, a different room choice might fit your budget better. Two connecting rooms at a Value Resort are almost always cheaper than a Family Suite at the same resort. And a sleeps-five room at a Moderate resort will be less expensive than two connecting rooms at a Value resort.

Dining, Recreation, and Transportation

Each of the five Value Resorts has a Food Court and a pool bar. The menus are pretty similar; pizza, salads, cafeteria style entrees, etc. There’s a unique burger offering at each, but overall, you’re not going to find variety by walking to the resort next door. There are no Table Service restaurants at any of the Disney World Value Resorts. Pop Century’s food court gets slightly lower ratings than the other Value resorts, which are all similar. But we think this just reflects the in-progress refurbishment of its food court during 2024, when most of these surveys were collected.

Each resort has two or three pools. There are no hot tubs (found only at Deluxe Resorts) or water slides (found only at Moderate and Deluxe Resorts). Theming at the pools is bold and minimalist. For instance, the Pop Century Bowling Pool is shaped like a bowling pin and that’s about it. As you may expect by now, Art of Animation has a bit higher standard on the pool theming. All the resorts have showers near the main pool, and free lifejackets for adults and kids.

Pools matter; less than 10% of Value Resort guests say that pools aren’t important when choosing where to stay. So let’s break out some satisfaction numbers here. Satisfaction looks pretty similar across the All-Stars and Pop Century, with about 60% of guests giving 4 stars or above, and an average rating of around 3.8 stars. Art of Animation scores noticeably higher, as you might expect for pools with more theming.

Each resort has an arcade, and offers Disney ‘Movies Under the Stars’ (weather permitting). There are no fitness centers, but the All-Stars and the Hourglass Lake resorts each have a jogging trail that measures about a mile. Each resort has a small playground.

The two Skyliner Resorts, Art of Animation and Pop Century, have small business centers where you can print boarding passes. And you’ll find self-service laundry rooms near the pools.

At the All-Stars, you’ll take the bus everywhere if you’re using Disney transportation to get around. At Pop Century and Art of Animation, you can take the Skyliner to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios. Parking is around the edges of the resort for those who bring cars, with many buildings close to lots.

Disney World Value Resort Pricing

Prices vary with the season, and even weekend prices are higher than weeknights. Sunday to Thursday will generally be the cheapest 5-night stretch. At the All-Stars, the typical price for a basic room ranges from $165 to $235 per night. Add $50 to that nightly rate to move up to Pop Century, and another $50 again to move up to a Little Mermaid Room at Art of Animation.

For the Family Suites, you’ll find the same seasonal and weekday variation. The All-Star Music Family Suites typically go for $380 to $555 per night. At Art of Animation, the Finding Nemo Suites are the most expensive. But the usual price for an AoA Family Suite ranges from $535 to $735 per night. That’s about $200 more per night for a Family Suite at Art of Animation than at All-Star Music.

When Disney offers discounted rooms, all Value Resorts are usually in the same discount tier. Common discounts range from 10-20% for the general public. Discounts for Florida Residents, military, or other groups can be higher. It’s also not uncommon to find some very nice discounts on hidden deals sites like Priceline.

On-Site Perks

An on-site stay at Disney World comes with some benefits that aren’t available for off-site guests. All in all, they may add up to justify any additional cost over a non-Disney hotel. But of course, any hotel perk only has value if you will actually use it.

• Access to Early Entry; enter the theme parks half an hour before regular opening, every day at each park
• Early access to Lightning Lane reservations
• Early access to booking dining and tours
• Free parking at the resorts and theme parks
• Disney transportation from your hotel to the theme parks, including Minnie Vans
• Access to Disney Dining Plans
• A free water park visit on your arrival day
• Convenience features such as charging purchases to your room

TL;DR

⭐Disney World’s Value Resorts are the most affordable hotels that offer access to the perks of an on-site stay. In 2025, the basic room at an All-Star resort will mostly range from $165 to $235 per night. Discounts may bring the price down. The trade-off for that budget-friendly pricing is smaller rooms, fewer themed aspects, no water slides at the pools, and no Table Service restaurants.

⭐All the resorts have a central hall for the major shared features, such as check-in, bus stop, and the food court. There’s a slight bump in prices for rooms close to the main hall, but we’re talking a 2-3 minute walk instead of 5-6 minutes.

⭐Value Resorts mostly have rooms that open to exterior walkways. The pools do not have hot tubs or water slides. Exterior theming is delivered through decoration and set pieces, not landscaping and architecture. And except at Art of Animation, Disney theming inside the room is minimal.

⭐None of the regular rooms at these resorts will be winning any awards for most spacious room. But for adult couples, the table-bed at the All-Stars and Pop Century can make these rooms feel more spacious and functional than a Moderate room that has more square footage. And those who will spend most of their time at the parks may not care as much about space.

⭐Pop Century has a single huge advantage over the All-Stars: Skyliner access. You’ll pay about $50 more per night for it, but many feel that’s worth it.

⭐Art of Animation is the most expensive of the Value Resorts. Its Little Mermaid rooms are, again, about a $50 nightly step up from Pop Century. What you’re paying for: theming and Skyliner access. Art of Animation is the only Value Resort that has extensive theming inside the rooms and around the pools, as well as more immersive exterior theming. Families with small kids may feel that the step up in ambiance is worth it.

⭐For larger families, the Family Suites at All-Star Music and Art of Animation have more space and separate sleeping areas for adults and kids. At each resort, the Family Suites are more expensive than two single rooms. Connecting rooms, or sleeps-five rooms at a Moderate Resort, may be cheaper choices if you don’t need the mini-kitchens.

Overall, overall satisfaction for every Value Resort at Disney World falls between 4 and 4.5 stars. Pop Century and Art of Animation rank higher than most of the All-Star Resorts. For Pop Century, this is most likely due to Skyliner access. For Art of Animation, it is probably a combination of Skyliner access and theme.

So what about All-Star Sports, which has a higher score than the other two All-Stars? Well, All-Star Sports scores markedly higher than the other Values for cost satisfaction. The All-Stars have almost identical rates, but competition guests on a group rate pay less, and we don’t ask respondents how much they paid for their rooms. (Maybe we should.) So I think the bump in satisfaction for All-Star Sports is most likely because visitors simply paid less for them. Paying less always makes it easier to be satisfied with what you get!

One aspect that doesn’t appear in the ratings themselves is that we have about 5 times as many surveys for Pop Century as for any of the other Value Resorts. When we ask whether guests would stay at their resort again, responses are similar. But the larger number of surveys is consistent with other results showing that guests at Pop Century are the ones most likely to actually return there. Unless you need an exceptional theme, a rock-bottom price, or a multi-bedroom suite, Pop Century is the Value Resort most likely to deliver the value you’re looking for.

Have you stayed at Disney World’s Value Resorts? Which ones are your favorites? Let us know in the comments!