While Disney World is “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” making the wrong hotel choice can definitely put a damper on your trip.
With so many options from Value to Deluxe, it’s easy to assume that a moderate resort is the perfect balance of price and perks. But before you book that room at Coronado Springs or Port Orleans, you might want to rethink your decision. Here are three reasons why staying at a moderate hotel in Disney World this year might not be the best idea.
Extra Time Commuting
One of the biggest drawbacks of moderate resorts is that they’re just not as close to the parks as you might hope. While Disney’s deluxe resorts are often just a short walk, monorail ride, or Skyliner trip away, moderates are more spread out and require more transportation time.
Caribbean Beach Resort is the one exception since it serves as the Skyliner hub, making it easier to get to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, but it is still a massive resort and can take you quite a of time just traveling from your room to the Skyliner and Bus stations.
Just keep in mind that if you’re staying at any of the other moderate resorts get ready for long bus rides and more time spent commuting instead of enjoying the parks.
For The Price, You Don’t Get Deluxe Perks
As we were saying, moderate resorts may seem like a great middle-ground, but they lack a key benefit that could make or break your vacation: extended evening hours.
Disney’s deluxe resorts (and some select other hotels) offer guests the ability to stay in the parks later on certain nights, which is a huge perk, especially during busy times of the year. Moderate resort guests don’t get this benefit, despite paying significantly more than a value resort.
If you’re going to be spending extra money, you want to make sure you’re getting the best experience possible. Missing out on extended evening hours is a major downside.
Swan and Dolphin Offer More for a Similar Price
Before you go ahead and book a moderate resort, you might want to take a look at the Swan and Dolphin Hotels instead.
These hotels, located in the EPCOT resort area, often have pricing similar to moderate Disney hotels but they come with some deluxe perks, like extended evening hours. Plus, since they’re operated by Marriott, you can even use or earn Marriott Bonvoy points, which is something you definitely can’t do at a Disney-owned hotel.
Since they’re in a location that puts you within walking distance of both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, the Swan and Dolphin give you way more convenience for around the same price as a moderate resort.
Choosing where to stay at Disney World is a big decision, and while moderate resorts might seem like the perfect choice at first glance, they come with some serious drawbacks. From extra commuting time to missing out on deluxe perks, there are better options out there for your Disney trip.
If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!
Stay tuned to AllEars for all your Disney tips, tricks, and news!
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What hotel will you be staying at on your next trip to Disney World? Let us know in the comments!
It gets annoying when people talk about being farther away like they’re on the other side of the planet or something, we’re talking 5 minutes more travel time, people like this are so dramatic!
Priced both Swan and Dolphin and they were still more than POFQ and do not have the ambiance. In addition you don’t have out door space outside your door . We are going in June.