Having covered each of the Walt Disney World Value Resorts, I am finally beginning my reviews of the moderates today! I’m kicking it off with my favorite one in this category, Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter!

Port Orleans French Quarter

Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter is technically a sister resort to the larger Port Orleans – Riverside Resort. Both resorts celebrate the rich history and ornate decor found in New Orleans. As the name implies, this one feels like you are visiting a highly sanitized version of the French Quarter with wrought-iron balconies and a cobblestone street. The other resort celebrates the stately mansions found in the bayou. I will be staying at it in December, so stay tuned for a future review of it soon!

Both of these resorts are considered moderate resorts as they are more expensive than a value resort, but they also tend to have better themes and amenities. The values rely on big statues and bright colors for their themes. The moderates tend to have a classier vibe with nice touches around every corner. The food at the moderates tends to be a touch nicer as well.

Port Orleans French Quarter Room

In February 2023, I stayed in a standard two queen room with my mom. Having stayed primarily at value resorts in recent years, my mom was very impressed with POFQ. She noticed that the theme was a touch classier here. Plus, she realized the beds were a little more comfortable (no fighting over the pull down bed here). We were both happy with the quietness of the resort.

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Now, I will do a pros and cons list to help you decide if this resort is a good fit for you.

Pros

• Beignets – As I stated above, the food at the moderates tends to be a little more diverse than what is found at a value food court. Here, you can get Mickey-shaped beignets! They are an absolute must get if you visit here and I consider them a pro of staying here!
• Compact layout – I love how small this resort is. Most of the moderate resorts are large, but this one has just one bus stop! That’s very handy when you are tired at the end of a busy park day.
• Relaxing vibe – The whole vibe of this resort is smooth and calm. There’s even a jazz band on select nights at the Scat Cat’s Club!
• Cool pool – I’ve actually never swam in this pool, but the Mardi Gras themed pool is in the middle of the resort and hard to miss.
• Boat transportation – Yes, you can actually take a boat over to Disney Springs when you stay here! Talk about a relaxing mode of transportation!
• On-site perks – Just like at the value resorts, staying on-site gives you certain perks like free park transportation (just buses here) and 60 day advanced dining reservations.

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Cons

• More expensive – The moderates are more expensive than value resorts, so it may be hard to swing it on a tight budget.
• No table service restaurant – Riverside has a table service restaurant, but there isn’t one here. However, many table service restaurants are just a boat ride away at Disney Springs.
• Not necessarily kid-friendly theme – Kids who aren’t familiar with New Orleans may not find the theme here appealing.
• Bus only transportation to parks – Staying here costs more than staying at Pop Century (which has the Skyliner) but only offers bus transportation to the parks.

Overall

I love the French Quarter Resort. Prior to the Skyliner being installed, it was one of my husband and I’s go-to resorts. However, it’s a good bit more expensive than it was a few years ago. In my opinion, the value of staying here really depends on your budget and needs. This is a great resort for a couples only stay due to somewhat romantic vibes, but you pay for those nice touches too. Have you ever stayed at POFQ?

There are so many different places to stay at WDW that it can be difficult to decide which is best for you and your family. So, as part of my content on the hotels, I’m doing a breakdown guide for each tier of hotels to help people decide which one is best for them. Today, I’m starting with the Walt Disney World Value Resorts!

Disney World Value Resorts

Technically, there are five different Disney World value resorts: All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century and Art of Animation. The All-Stars are the cheapest rooms on property. Pop Century is typically a little more expensive than those three and Art of Animation is the most expensive in this category. I’ve stayed at all but All-Star Sports and I believe that each of them can be the right fit for certain people. To help people decide, I will be declaring which one is best for each circumstance.

Best for Couples

The best value for a couple is Pop Century. My husband and I have stayed here many times! We love that it’s on the Skyliner and the prices are more tolerable than some other places on property. Also, the theming tends to draw in fewer groups, so it’s a little calmer than the others. You can read my full Pop Century review to get a better idea of what you can expect at this hotel.

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Best for Bigger Families

I know that some people have larger families and require a suite. For that, I’m going to recommend the suites at All-Star Music for the most budget friendly. However, the suites at Art of Animation look amazing as well! I think it really depends on your budget here. If you can’t spring for AoA, then Music is perfectly fine. However, the theming at Art is probably more attractive to families with small children. Full disclosure: I’ve never had the privilege of staying in either of these suites. However, if I ever do, I will post a separate review and may amend this post to reflect my new opinions.

Best for Teens

If you have teenagers traveling in your group who have outgrown over-the-top Disney character themes, then I would suggest looking at All-Star Music or All-Star Sports. Both of these have large statues themed to the resort that may appeal to teens with an interest in sports or music. I did an All-Stars Resorts Overview a while back that you can read to get a better sense of pros/cons of staying at an All-Stars.

Best for Disney/Pixar Movie Fans

If you have a “Little Mermaid”, “Cars”, “Lion King”, or “Finding Nemo” fan then you should consider Art of Animation. I stayed in a “Little Mermaid” room back in 2019 for my Art of Animation review. I was tickled with the theming and I imagine other fans of these films would be as well.

If you have a “Toy Story”, “101 Dalmatians”, “Love Bug”, “Mighty Ducks” or “Fantasia” fan, then you should stay at All-Star Movies.

Best Disney World Value Resorts Overall

I think the best Walt Disney World Value Resorts are Pop Century and Art of Animation. The Skyliner just can’t be beat! However, a stay at an All-Star is still a good time and is better in certain circumstances. Those are just the two I prefer. So, do you agree with me? If not, which one(s) do you prefer?

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is another one of the “value resorts” at Walt Disney World. I previously stayed there in 2019 on a solo trip. Today, I’m going to review it as I wrap up my look at the value resorts at WDW.

Art of Animation

Disney’s Art of Animation resort is across the lake from Disney’s Pop Century Resort, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. It’s basically a sister resort to Pop with highly themed areas corresponding to different Disney/Pixar films. It also has access to the Skyliner for transportation to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. While technically considered a value resort, it is usually the most expensive value resort on property. This is due to the popular animated film themes and the fact it has family suites. This is a fun resort to walk around and look at the huge statues in each area. The movies represented include: the standard rooms in “The Little Mermaid” and family suites in “Cars”, “Finding Nemo”, and “The Lion King”.

Pros

• Movie Themed Rooms/Sections – This is probably one of the biggest perks of staying here. If you or your loved one is a big fan of one of these movies, then this is a huge reason to stay here. I stayed in “The Little Mermaid” section to celebrate my 30th birthday since the original animation came out the year I was born.
• Family Suites – The family suites can sleep up to 6 people with a regular queen sized bed, a bed/table combo, and a pull out sofa bed. This is great for larger families or groups. It also makes it more expensive. I’ve not had the pleasure of staying in one of these rooms, but I hope to someday. If I do, I will be sure to do a separate review and link it here.
• Large Pool – In fact, Art of Animation has the largest resort pool at Walt Disney World! The Big Blue Pool is themed to “Finding Nemo” and is very big!
• Skyliner Access – My husband and I love the Skyliner. It’s so easy to use and we prefer to stay at resorts on the Skyliner just to use this mode of transportation.
• On-site Perks – Just like staying at Pop or even Disney’s All Star Resorts, you get certain perks for staying on-site including 60 days advance dining reservations, early park entry, and free park transportation!

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Cons

• More Expensive – The standard rooms are the most expensive value rooms and the suites are sometimes comparable in price to a deluxe resort.
• Beds in Suites – Again, there’s only one regular bed in the suites. So, I guess you can pull straws for the other beds in a group with multiple adults. Ha.
• Noise – This is moreso in a standard room as those have outdoor corridors. The suites have interior hallways and should be quieter.

Is Art of Animation Worth The Money?

I think the question of value of this resort really comes down to preferences and budget. It may be worth it for a fan of one of the movies or for larger families. However, a couple would probably prefer the cheaper rooms across the lake at Pop.

Back in May, I started my Walt Disney World Resort reviews with All Star Resorts Overview. Today, I’m doing another value resort, but it’s a step up, in my opinion. I’m talking about Disney’s Pop Century Resort!

Disney’s Pop Century

This is a retro themed resort wherein different sections of the resort are themed to different decades! Beginning with the 1950’s and ending with the 1990’s, you can stay in a decade with lots of nostalgia. There’s lots of fun life-sized pieces of memorabilia around the resort. Think Rubik’s cubes, cell phones, a foosball table and more! It’s definitely fun to walk around and see everything. Plus, there are lots of fun historical facts posted around the resort/lake. For reference, the preferred sections include the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s theme.

While this resort is technically a value, like the All Stars, it is more expensive and has some added perks. Similarly to how I reviewed the All Stars, I think I will do a pros/cons list to help people decide if this is a good resort for their stay.

Pros

• Cheaper rates – While it’s more expensive than the All Stars, it is cheaper than all of the other on-site resorts.
• Skyliner – I love the addition of the Skyliner at WDW. It’s a gondola system that makes getting between certain resorts and parks easier! If you stay at Pop, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach Resort, or Riviera Resort then you will use the gondolas to get to/from Hollywood Studios and Epcot! Personally, I consider this to be one of the biggest perks of staying here!
• Fun Theme for Older Folks – My mom enjoys seeing things from her childhood here. Likewise, I enjoy seeing stuff from the 90’s.
• On-Site Perks – Staying on-site at WDW gives you access to free park transportation, early park entry, and dining reservations 60 days out!

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Cons

• Theme May Not Enthuse Kids – While adults may love the nostalgia of staying here, I don’t know that many kids will like it.
• Noise – Personally, I find there to be more noise at all of the value resorts, regardless of the resort. The walls and floors are thin and I’ve heard all kinds of things here.
• Crowds – Again, similar to other value resorts, this one attracts groups and can be crowded or rowdy depending on the time of the year.
• Pull down bed – I don’t know why they made the decision to remodel all of the value rooms with a pull down bed. However, you get another bed/table combo here just like at All Stars.

Is Disney’s Pop Century Worth It?

This was the first resort I stayed at with my husband. In fact, I’ve stayed here several times in the past. Between the costs and Skyliner, it can be a no-brainer in some situations. My only hesitation now is the pull down bed for a longer trip and the noise. So, if those things aren’t of concern to you, then this may be the perfect resort for you!