Let’s face it, Disney World can be preeeetty expensive, so we know you want to save money wherever you can – especially if it’s on your hotel!

That’s why Disney Value Resorts are a great option if you want to save money while staying in that Disney “bubble” and getting some of those Disney perks, like free transportation and access to Early Morning Entry at the parks. But, which Disney World Value Resort is the BEST and which is the WORST? We’re here to break it down for you!

Disney World Value Resorts are typically the resorts at the lowest price point in Disney World. They tend to be VERY themed compared to the other Disney World resorts – like, in your face theming rather than overall, subtle theming that you’ll find at places like Yacht & Beach Club or Disney’s Grand Floridian Resorts. The Value Resorts can tend to have theming that might appeal more to younger kids, as you can find prominent references to things like their favorite Disney movies.

The Value resorts also all have food courts rather than typical restaurants, so they’re all about on the same level in that regard – you’re going to find a food court and a pool bar at every single one of these resorts with very similar food. Note also that all of these hotels have outside entrances to your room (although, so do many other Moderate and even Deluxe Disney World Resorts!).

Value resorts are great if you’re looking to save some money on a quick weekend getaway or for a whole week, just know that they don’t have the same amount of perks and amenities as other Disney resorts like Extended Evening Hours or even prime locations. They could be a great choice if you want to stay in the Disney “bubble” but you also only really use your hotel to sleep.

So, let’s get into ranking the Disney World Value Resorts from BEST to WORST!

1. Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Disney’s Pop Century Resort comes in at the the top of our list! This resort is themed to different decades from the 1950s through the 1990s. There are giant Rubik’s Cubes and rollerblades, with tribute to the design and fashion of the times.

As for the rooms, Pop Century has standard hotel rooms that come with either 1 king bed or 1 queen bed and 1 table/pull down queen bed. They also have these rooms with pool views. These rooms have been renovated as well, so they’re pretty up to date! When looking at pricing, we decided to look in March of 2023 to get a gauge of what you would pay to stay here. The rate for a standard room came out to around $287 per night.

As for food at the hotel, you have the Everything Pop Shopping and Dining Food Court as well as Petals Pool Bar where you can get some drinks and snacks. There are 3 pools at Pop Century — the Hippy Dippy Pool, the Bowling Pool, and the Computer Pool. There is also a jogging trail, as well as regular campfire activities and movie nights under the stars!

A lot of these things are similar to the other Value resorts, so why is Pop Century the highest? Well, it does have access to the Skyliner, which is a big deal! There’s a station right at the hotel, so you can get to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT with ease. Art of Animation has access to the Skyliner too, BUT Pop Century is usually priced a little lower than Art of Animation, so that’s why we’re giving it the top spot! Also, you gotta love that theming — it’s super fun and appeals to a broader audience than some of these other resorts on the list.

Click here to see our tour of Pop Century!

2. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Art of Animation is second on our list because it has a bunch of the same things going for it as Pop Century, but it’s usually a little more expensive! The theming here is allll about animation, so you can find some of your favorite Disney characters hanging around, as well as some artsy decor inside.

The rooms at Art of Animation are a bit different than the other Value resorts because there are family suites here. The family suites are themed to movies like Finding Nemo, The Lion King, and Cars, and come with 1 queen bed, 1 table/pull-down double bed and 1 double sleeper sofa, sleeping 6 people. These are priced at more of the level of a Moderate resort since they’re bigger rooms.

There are also standard rooms available and they’re themed to The Little Mermaid! If you like theming, you will definitely get a lot of it here. When looking at prices, a standard Little Mermaid room came out to around $272.33 per night during June 2023.

Food here is the same deal as Pop Century, there is a food court and a pool bar. There are 3 pools at Art of Animation — the Big Blue Pool, the Cozy Cone Pool, and the Flippin Fins Pool. There is also a jogging trail, campfire activities, and movies under the stars.

So, with it being so similar to Pop Century, we had to place it lower for a few reasons. First, the Little Mermaid standard rooms are kind of far away from dining at the hotel, which can be a pain. And, as we mentioned, Art of Animation is usually more expensive than Pop  Century, and it’s way more expensive than the other Value resorts. Even though it is pricier than the other Value resorts, its amenities, theming, and location still places it above them.

And we need to point out that those family suites are a great advantage for larger groups of people who might have to stay in two rooms otherwise, or people who want more space. The theming is super fun if you’re into animated Disney movies! Plus, you have access to the Skyliner, which is incredibly convenient.

Click here to see our tour of Art of Animation!

3. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort

Now, let’s talk about the All-Stars! Disney World has 3 All-Star resorts and they’re all very similar except when it comes to theming, so that’s a pretty big deciding factor in this ranking. All-Star Movies, as we’re sure you can guess, is themed to Disney movies! See your favorites like the pups from 101 Dalmatians, the toys from Toy Story, or even Mickey from Fantasia.

All-Star Movies has standard rooms and preferred rooms (which just have a better view), but they have been more recently updated. They come with either 1 king bed, or 1 queen bed and 1 table/pull-down queen bed. When looking at pricing, a standard room came out to $186.50 per night for the end of July, 2023. Remember, prices will vary based on date and length of stay. 

Like the other Value resorts, there is a food court here and a pool bar. But, unlike Pop Century and Art of Animation, All-Star Movies only has 2 pools — the Fantasia Pool and the Duck Pond Pool. They also have a jogging trail and movies under the stars, but there are no campfire activities.

We’re ranking Movies as the highest All Star resort because of the theming! It has the best theming of the three All-Star resorts, really immersing you in the world of the movies. Another good thing about All Star Movies is that it’s smaller than Pop Century and Art of Animation, so it’s easier to get around, but this isn’t enough to push it higher on our list!

Click here to tour All-Star Movies!

4. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

The next All-Star resort on our list is All-Star Music! This resort is themed to music (duh) and pays tribute to genres like country, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, calypso, and Broadway-style show tunes. There are HUGE music-inspired pieces of theming around the resort like a giant jukebox and a drum set.

The rooms here include both standard rooms and family suites. The standard rooms come with 1 queen bed and 1 queen pull-down bed, while the family suites have 1 queen bed and 2 queen pull-down beds. These rooms have also been updated and come to about $186 per night in mid-July 2023.

You have your standard food court and pool bar for food and drinks, and there are 2 pools here — the Calypso Pool and the Piano Pool. All-Star Music has movies under the stars, a jogging trail, AND campfire activities!

The theming here just isn’t as strong as the others above it on the list, but it is better than All-Star Sports, which is why we have it ranked right here on our list. The family suites also push it above All-Star Sports, and the rooms here are generally the same price as Sports.

Click here to see our tour of All-Star Music!

5. Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

Finally, we have All-Star Sports. We’re sorry, All-Star Sports! We have to place you last, and we’ll get to why in a moment. This resort is themed to various sports like football, basketball, baseball, surfing, and tennis. You can find what looks like a football field between buildings, so it’s definitely cool if you’re a REALLY big sports person.

All Star Sports has standard rooms or rooms with a preferred view, and they both have 2 double beds. The theming in these rooms is kind of … meh. They’re not updated like the other resorts, and they just don’t have a lot going on. The pricing is the same as All-Star Music — about $186 per night for mid-July 2023.

Again, the food here includes a food court and a pool bar, and there are 2 pools available — the Surfboard Bay Pool and the Grand Slam Pool. Like many of the other resorts, there are campfire activities, movies under the stars, and a jogging trail.

So, why is All-Star Sports last? We think it has the weakest theming of all of the Value resorts. The rooms need an update, and if you don’t care about sports, you probably don’t want to look at a giant football helmet right outside of your window.

Another big factor is that All-Star Sports is usually where a lot of the big teams stay for things like cheerleading competitions or soccer tournaments, so it can be very busy and very loud. You can always check ahead of time to see if any events are going on that might make the hotel crowded!

Click here to see our tour of All-Star Sports!

Choosing a Disney World resort, even amongst the Value Resorts, depends on a lot of things – your budget, location preferences, availability, how many people are in your party, and even what kind of theming you want to experience. Everyone will like different resorts for different reasons, so no worries if you enjoy All-Star Sports more than Pop Century – go for it! You can also look at other reviews on places like Tripadvisor, where we saw that Pop Century and Art of Animation were tied at 4.5 out of 5 stars, and All-Star Resorts all had 4 out of 5 stars.

And remember, if you’re someone who basically only uses your hotel room to sleep while at Disney World, these Value Resorts could be a great option for you, so you’re not spending the big bucks at a hotel you never even get to explore and fully enjoy! But, if you DO want to hang out at your hotel at the pool or restaurants, you might want to check into Disney World’s Moderate and Deluxe resorts.

Our friends at Small World Vacations (which is a FREE service) can also help you find the right hotel for your family and your budget. Using a travel agent can really help take the stress and worry out of planning a Disney World vacation and Small World vacations can deal with all of the challenging details for you!