Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts 101!

Previously we wrote all about the value resorts at Walt Disney World (click here if you missed that blog post!) but in this post we are tackling the moderate resorts! This is the next tier of resort options at Walt Disney World offering a slightly more elevated experience and additional ameninities along with the same level of cleanliness, maintenance, service and magic you would expect anywhere at Walt Disney World!

We have gotten TONS of questions about the moderate resorts from which one do we like best to why would you stay at a moderate vs a value and everything in between! So in this post we’re going to do our best to cover all the basics you need to know about the Walt Disney World moderate resorts!

All About Moderate Resorts:

There are officially five Value Resort Hotels:

Caribbean Beach Resort
Coronado Springs Resort
Port Orleans Riverside
Port Orleans French Quarter
The Cabins at Fort Wilderness

While officially The Cabins at Fort Wilderness are considered a moderate resort by Disney we would say they tend to be more comparable in both price and size to the family suites at Art of Animation and could almost be their own category. However, for sake of consistency with Disney we will be chatting about it as a moderate level resort!

Something else important to note about Coronado Springs Resort is that this is also a convention resort! So they have incredible convention facilites that are used year round so you may find that this resort has a lot of people around but not necessarily people who are visiting Walt Disney World.

When it comes to physical space in the hotel rooms there is a difference in square footage of course, depending on which resort category you’re staying in. A moderate resort hotel room is between 330-350 square feet while a value resort hotel room is roughly 260 square feet and a deluxe resort hotel room can be anywhere from 350-450 square feet.

Plenty of people have asked us if it’s worth it to stay in a moderate vs a value resort and of course that will vary depending on your vacation priorities, time of year you go etc but we compiled a bit of a list to help you make a decision! On average you will be spending about $50-100 more per night to stay in a moderate vs a value resort. However, you will get larger rooms, different room options (such as a one bedroom villa vs a standard hotel room), more dining options, better dining options, better themed pools WITH waterslides AND hot tubs, some resorts have a fitness center. You will also find that the pricing for a moderate resort is significantly less then that of a deluxe resort so if you want to take a bit of a step up from the value level but don’t want to go allll the way to the big ticket prices of a deluxe, this is a “best of both worlds” kind of situation.

Rooms in this category typically have two sinks and a lot of them do have ceiling fans in the room as well. You’ll also find the modern amenities that you would expect such as coffee maker, mini fridge, hair dryer etc. The Cabins at Fort Wilderness do offer some additional amenities that we’ll expand on below.

Generally the theming of the moderate resorts is a bit more subtle than the theming at the value resorts. These resorts aren’t screaming “DISNEY” with all their details but instead have been really well thought out and carefully designed to mimic the destination each resort represents. For example, when you stay at Port Orleans French Quarter, you will see architecture and theming that replicates the French Quarter in New Orleans.

As mentioned above each moderate resort does have at least one main pool with both waterslides and hot tubs! Plus the majority of the resorts also offer additional leisure pools for those who want a bit of a quieter swimming experience, some of the resorts offer up to five additional pools!

All of the resorts also have playgrounds, Movies Under the Stars, campfires and arcades. All of the moderate resorts do also have fun activities including Scavenger Hunts so be sure to ask Cast Members about that. All resorts do offer bus transportation throughout the Walt Disney World Resort and some offer additional transportation such as the Skyliner or boat.

All of the moderate resorts offer quick service and table service options when it comes to dining along with bars if you are inclined to grab an adult beverage!

Caribbean Beach Resort

The concept of Caribbean Beach Resort is to give guests a tropical island feel when they’re staying at this property. There are five sections to this resort: Aruba, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad and Barbados. The area’s are very similar when it comes to room types but you’ll notice slight differences in decor and architecture going from section to section to represent it’s namesake island. So how do you pick which section to stay in? Well, there are preferred rooms that offer proximity to the main building, Centertown Market, that houses dining, gift shop etc but with the addition of the Skyliner gondola transportation system you now have the option of staying in a section that might be further away from the main building but closest to the Skyliner which could be a positive for you instead! (This is the only moderate resort on the Skyliner!) Some rooms offer standard two queen beds but some offer a fifth sleeper option which is a child size pull down bed, so if can be a really great option depending on your family size/age group.

Caribbean Beach Resort offers plenty of amazing dining options! Centertown Market is their quick service option which offers a variety of quick meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Sebastians Bistro is a table service restaurant serving family style Caribbean and Latin inspired dishes; Banana Cabana which is a bright and colorful bar; and Spyglass Grill which is another quick service option near the Trinidad pool area. One of the other nice perks about this resort is that it’s just a short walk away from Disney’s Riveria Resort and you are able to head over there to enjoy a meal at their quick service or sit down restaurant or try a coffee from their coffee shop!

This resort has one main pool named Fuentes del Morro Pool, designed after a Spanish colonial fortress that has a waterslide, splash pad, hot tub AND the resort also has five leisure pools throughout the property with one in each section for those who want a bit of a calmer pool experience.

Caribbean Beach offers both Skyliner transportation and bus transportation throughout Walt Disney World as well as offering multiple stops throughout the resort.

Coronado Springs Resort

Disney’s description of this resort is that it’s a blend of Spanish, Mexican and Southwest American cultures. This resort has gone through a ton of reservations over the years including adding the Gran Destino Tower! As mentioned above, this is a convention property so it is a MASSIVE resort and one thing that deters some people from booking is that it’s less of a “Disney” vibe because you’ve got so many people around who are not on a Disney vacation. BUT the flip side of that is because the resort does host so many conventions there are some great amenitites like the fitness center, plenty of dining and more. So it really does come down to your preferences and what your vacation priorities are.

*Toledo is one of our favorite restaurants!*

There are three sections in the main area of Coronado Springs: The Ranchos, The Cabanas and The Casitas all with tons of room type options ranging from standard occupancy with either two queen beds, one king bed, one bedroom suites or even executive suites.

The Gran Destino Tower offers both preferred rooms with water views (which are a bit more money)or standard view rooms which we actually think are super cool because you can see the parks in the distance. Certain attractions in Hollywood Studios, even Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom can be spotted from these rooms!

There are A LOT of dining options at this resort! Toledo is a gorgeous tapas restaurant that offers views of Magic Kingdom from one side and Epcot from another; Three Bridges is a bar and grill in the center of Lago Dorado (very cool atmosphere!); Rix Sports Bar and Grill which boasts a whopping 31 TV’s; Dahlia Lounge which is one of the most beautiful lounges with amazing views; Barcelona Lounge which offers a Spanish style cafe experience; Siestas Cantina where you can get food and drinks poolside; Maya Grill offers delicious Mexican cuisine at a table service restaurant; Cafe Rix is a quick service grab and go for breakfast; El Mercado de Coronado is a quick service open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with TONS of options - seriously this wins for best moderate quick service; and Laguna Bar where you can enjoy a cocktail overlooking the lake!

This resorts main pool is named The Dig Site, modeled after an ancient lost city with a 50 foot pyramid and 123 foot long waterslide! There is also the largest hot tub on Walt Disney World property AND the resort also has three leisure pools throughout the property with one in each section for those who want a bit of a calmer swimming experience.

This resort does offer only bus transportation due to it’s location and because it’s such a large resort there are multiple stops throughout the resort.

Port Orleans Riverside

As the name suggests, this resort has been designed to replicate the laidback, romantic atmosphere of rural Lousianna. There are two sections in this resort, Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend. There are standard rooms with two queen beds; two queen beds and a fifth sleeper like at Caribbean Beach with a child size pull down bed; or one king bed. BUT there are also some amazing royal rooms that are themed after Princess Tiana and are full of fun details including a light up headboard and Princess and the Frog artwork.

The pool at this resort is called Ol’ Man Island and is designed after an abandoned sawmill complete with a 95 foot waterslide! While this is one of the smaller and least themed pools out of all the moderate resorts, they do offer five additional leisure pools - 3 in Alligator Bayou and 2 in Magnolia Bend as well! There are also plenty of other recreational activities available at this resort including horse drawn carriage rides, surrey bikes, fishing and more! If you’re a runner or walker, the trail at this resort is one of the prettiest ones that exists on Disney property in our opinion!

The dining at this resort includes Riverside Mill Food Court which is a quick servicw with five different food stations open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Boatwrights Dining Hall which is a table service restaurant inspired by Lousianna cuisine; River Roost Lounge offers cocktails and a musical artist named Yehaa Bob; and Muddy Rivers which is a bar near the Ol’ Man Island pool area.

This resort offers bus transportation throughout the Walt Disney World and a boat to Disney Springs!

Port Orleans French Quarter

This resort is the sister resort to Port Orleans Riverside and it’s a bit more of a fun vibe! This resort is designed after the French Quarter in New Orleans of course and evokes more of a fun, bright, energetic, Mardi Gras inspired atmosphere than it’s sister property. We think that Riverside is more like Louisanna while French Quarter is totally New Orleans if that helps you put their essense into perspective!

This is a much smaller resort that is very walkable which is nice. There are seven buildings and even the one furthest from the main lobby is still just a short walk! The rooms here offer a few different view options and the rooms offer a standard occupancy with 2 queen beds or one king bed. There are no fifth sleeper options at this resort.

The pool at French Quarter is called Doubloon Lagoon and while there are no additional leisure pools this one more than makes up for that! It’s a large pool that is ready for Mardi Gras with an alligator band and a 51 foot sea serpent waterslide named Scales! There’s a splash pad area and hot tub as well in this area. And just like at Port Orleans Riverside, there are also plenty of other recreational activities available at this resort including horse drawn carriage rides, surrey bikes, fishing and more! The running and walking trail we mentioned above actually connects the two resorts so you can take advantage of that here during your stay as well!

Dining at this resort includes a quick service food court called Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory; Scat Cat’s Club Lounge where you can enjoy a cocktail and listen to some jazz; Scat Cat’s Club Cafe where you will find delicious coffee and most importantly - BEIGNETS that will change your life; and Mardi Grogs pool bar near Doubloon Lagoon.

This resort offers bus transportation throughout Walt Disney World Resort as well as a boat to Disney Springs.

The Cabins at Fort Wilderness

As of the time of the writing Disney has announced that this property is undergoing some pretty major renovations including changing the dining options and renovating the cabins themselves. But from our understanding, they are taking the same footprint and just modernizing it a bit so a lot of what we’re talking about here might be the same or similar.

*At the time of this writing, these cabins will be given a facelift soon!*

As the name suggests, this resort is a rustic getaway at Walt Disney World! The resort offers 750 acres of pine and cypress forest offering both cabins and campground. This resort does have an internal bus system because it’s so large but you also have the option to rent a golf cart for an additional cost per day which is something we highly recommend working into your budget if you have the means.

The cabins themselves are really like small villas with a queen bed, double size sleeper sofa (not the pull down style) and a set of bunk beds so they can sleep up to six. They’re about 505 square feet and come with a kitchen that has a toaster, dishwasher, two burners, fridge and coffee maker. Each cabin ALSO has a porch with patio table and a grill!

The resorts main pool is called the Meadow Swimming pool and features a 67 foot long corkscrew waterslide! It’s a nice pool and is cool because it’s kind of tucked away but in our opinion it definitely doesn’t have the same “Disney” vibe. There is also a secondary leisure pool and hot tub as well. One important thing to note is that they do not have towels at this pool as all of the other resorts do! Other additional activities at this resort includes volleyball court, tennis court, bike rentals, wagon rides, pony rides, petting zoo and our favorite - Chip and Dale’s Campfire Sing-a-Long! This is a nightly event that includes of course a campfire but it’s even more elevated than the campfires at the other resorts. This has characters, singing, lights - it’s really a whole show that is completely free and just a perk of your stay!

There is a lot changing about the dining at this resort. As of the time of this writing Trails End which was previously a buffet style restaurant is being refurbished and will open in summer 2023 as a marketplace style quick service with more food options. There is also a food truck called The Chuck Wagon as well as P&J’s Southern Take Out that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as the Meadow Snack Bar near the pool area. This resort is also home to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue which is an incredibly fun dinner show where you get amazing entertainment and TONS of homestyle food!

In addition to the internal bus system throughout the property there is bus transportation throughout Walt Disney World resort and a boat to Magic Kingdom!

Questions from the Citizens of Disneyville!

We asked y’all over on our Instagram what questions you guys had about the value resorts and you gave us some good ones!

Q: Are the themed rooms worth the extra cost? Eg. Princess rooms at Riverside?
A: These are worth the extra cost if you’ve got a kid or someone in your group who is REALLY into them. They’re very cool and very fun but if no one really cares that much then they’re not worth spending the extra money in our opinion. You’ll still have just as magical of a stay in one of the other standard rooms.

Q: How long does it take to get to Epcot or Hollywood Studios via the Skyliner from Caribbean Beach Resort?
A: It’s about ten to fifteen minutes in our experience. The Skyliner is an omnimover so it does keep going consistently and you don’t often have to wait.

Q: What resort is the most kid friendly?
A: Caribbean Beach! We think the pool area, the playground, the theming - it’s got it all and definitely is great for families with kids! (Or families without kids, we love it for everyone!)

Q: What is your top restaurant at the moderate resorts?
A: Toledo at Coronado Springs - no questions asked!

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