Hey there, Beverly. Thanks for stopping by the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question.
Over the years, I've almost stayed at every single
Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. Each one is unique and amazing in their own way. For the most part, however, my family and I typically stay in the moderate category. We've really come to love
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort the most! I think all of the moderates are such an amazing value for the price. If you are looking to stay at a value level resort and save a little bit of money for those must have souvenirs, you are still going to have an amazing time. The level of service at every resort that I have personally stayed at has been top notch, no matter the budget. That's one of the biggest reasons I love vacationing at
Walt Disney World. To me, there are two main differences between the value resorts and the moderate resorts - the pool area and the size of the rooms. At moderate resorts the pool areas are more elaborate sporting water slides and hot tubs. You aren't going to find those at value resorts, but the pool itself is just as nice. All of the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels have a great food court area but only in the moderate and deluxe categories will you find a table service restaurant as well. The rooms at value resorts are all roughly 260 square feet and have either 2 double beds or 1 king size bed. The moderate resort rooms range between 314 and 340 square feet and have 2 queen size beds or 1 king size. Also some of the rooms feature and small murphy style bed as well making the room available to sleep 5 people.
If you are trying to decide between the two what I think you should think about is just how much time will you really be spending at the Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. If you are planning on being at the
Walt Disney World Theme Parks sun up to sun down then the switch really isn't going to be that much different than what you are used to. However, if you are planning to spend a day or two enjoying all the resort has to offer then you might be better off staying in the moderate category.
I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please feel free to come back and ask.