Reading the Resorts: Your Guide to the Disney World Properties-Moderate Resorts
When we first started planning our first WDW vacation, we knew we wanted to stay on Disney property, but we quickly found ourselves overwhelmed with all the options. Value? Moderate? Deluxe? What did all that mean?? Sometimes it felt like we were making decisions in the dark. This series of articles will help guide you as you begin your own journey to the Happiest Place on Earth.For up-to-date information regarding room rates, promotions, etc. for each of these resorts, we recommend that you visit the Official Walt Disney World website. A map of all Disney properties can be found here.
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| Map of Disney Moderate Properties Moderate Resorts Overview The moderate resorts can be a hidden value resting between the somewhat basic value resorts and the more up-scale deluxe accommodations. If you want to stay on Disney property but your wallet can't quite handle the $300+ per night price tag that comes with the deluxe resorts, the moderates offer many of the amenities and beautiful thematic elements that are the hallmarks of the Disney resort properties. Five properties make up the WDW moderate resorts: Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach, and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort. All of the moderate resorts have exterior corridors, but these are integrated in such a way as to not scream "motel". Rather, they make sense with the overall theme of the resort evoking, for example, southern plantation homes or Caribbean villas. Each moderate features multiple pools with elaborately themed "feature" pools that include water slides and hot tubs/spas. The common areas of these resorts are outstanding, but the rooms themselves are still fairly basic. You still won't find a proper closet, but the rooms are larger than what you'll find in the value resorts and come equipped with mini-fridges and coffeemakers. Like their value counterparts, these resorts are large and spread-out. Bus transportation is available from each resort to the parks, but getting to other resorts for dinner reservations or to specialty dinner shows such as Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue or 'Ohana can be difficult if you don't have your own transportation. Each resort features a combination of food court, lounges, and table-service restaurants. Port Orleans French Quarter TripAdvisor rates Port Orleans French Quarter as a 3.5 star resort hotel and it receives an average guest review of 4.5 out of 5. This isn't surprising. A 2016 Unofficial Guide to Disney reader survey ranks Port Orleans French Quarter the #1 moderate resort. French Quarter opened in May 1991 with 1,008 rooms. Each room is approximately 314 square feet with two queen beds (maximum occupancy four adults plus one child under the age of 3 in a crib) or one king (maximum occupancy two adults plus one child under the age of 3 in a crib). This resort features the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory Food Court plus two lounges: Scat Cat's Club and Mardi Grogs; however there is no table-service restaurant available. Never fear, table-service restaurants are still nearby with Boatwright's located at Port Orleans Riverside only about a fifteen-minute walk away, or you can catch a boat to Disney Springs and try some of the fantastic dining available there. If you have your heart set on eating at Liberty Tree Tavern or Victoria & Albert's, however, make sure that you plan your meals and time accordingly. Despite the lack of table-service dining, though, the food court at French Quarter is nothing to turn your nose up at, especially since it's one of the only places in WDW where you can reliably find New Orleans-inspired beignets. These sugar-coated fluffy pillows of deep-fried goodness can even be ordered with dipping sauces AND they make a gluten-free version for our gluten-intolerant and celiac friends! For me, this more than compensates for the lack of an on-site sit-down restaurant. Probably one of the biggest selling points of French Quarter is that it is the most consolidated of the moderate resorts, meaning less walking and, according to most reports, trip time from even the most remote rooms of the resort to the bus-loading area is only about 5 minutes. Because of its smaller size, though, it does share a bus with Riverside periodically during the year which can mean getting to the parks takes a little longer. Port Orleans Riverside Located slightly north of Port Orleans French Quarter is Port Orleans Riverside. TripAdvisor rates Riverside a 3.5 star resort hotel with an average guest rating of 4 out of 5. The theme is similar to French Quarter, though it lacks the distinct New Orleans spin that so prominently characterizes French Quarter. Riverside opened in February 1992 with 2,048 rooms. Each room is approximately 314 square feet but the room configurations provide for more flexibility. All of the preferred rooms and many of the standard rooms can sleep five with two queen beds plus a child-size pull-down bed, or one king (maximum occupancy two adults plus one child aged 3 or under in a crib). Also, Riverside offers 512 Royal Guest Rooms, each decorated in a Princess and the Frog theme. These rooms cost about $50-70 more per night, but if you have a munchkin who loves the Disney princesses, this can be a cost-effective way of immersing him/her in the world of the bayou. Riverside is a very large resort, and probably the #1 guest complaint seems to be the bus service which must stop at four separate bus stops at Riverside then possibly make a stop at French Quarter before heading to the parks. Dining options at Riverside are decent with Boatwright's casual table-service restaurant, the Riverside Mill Food Court, and two lounges: River Roost and Muddy Waters. The River Roost Lounge is particularly well-known for YeHaa Bob who has been delighting Riverside families every Wednesday through Saturday night for the past twenty years with his Disney-inspired jazz-piano repertoire. Caribbean Beach Resort Moving southwest, away from the Port Orleans resorts toward Hollywood Studios, is Caribbean Beach Resort. Caribbean Beach opened in October 1988 with 2,112 rooms. TripAdvisor ranks it as a 3-star resort hotel and its guests rate it an average of 4 out of 5. Either or both of these ratings may adjust in the upcoming months as Caribbean Beach is undergoing some extensive renovations to the common areas--specifically to the Old Port Royale Food Court, Shutters at Old Port Royale, and the Banana Cabana Pool Bar which will be closed during the refurbishment starting in May 2017. Additionally, the Martinique and Barbados sections of the resort will be unavailable also starting in May 2017 which is unfortunate because these two sections are the closest to the main building (though not necessarily to dining or Disney Magical Express). These refurbishments are estimated to take the next two years and it wouldn't be surprising to see the TripAdvisor guest ratings to suffer a bit because of that. The positives to all these renovations (coming on the heels of more renovations that occurred in 2015) is a) currently Caribbean Beach Resort is the least expensive of the moderate resorts where you can get a standard room for about $217 per night for two adults. b) Given that Caribbean Beach was opened in 1988, there's no doubt that it was due for some renovations. Since all the other moderate resorts receive a 3.5 or 4 star TripAdvisor rating, Caribbean Beach's 3-star clearly makes it the outlier amongst the moderates. Presumably, these changes will improve the overall guest experience at CBR. Now that we've gotten the renovations out of the way, let's discuss Caribbean Beach in a more general context. The rooms at CBR are approximately 314 square feet. Standard and preferred rooms have two queen beds (maximum occupancy of four), one king (maximum occupancy of two), or two queens plus a child-size pull-down bed (maximum occupancy of five). The resort's 384 Pirates of the Caribbean-themed rooms each have two double beds (maximum occupancy of four) and are about $50-70 more per night. The "islands" of Caribbean Beach (each named, unsurprisingly, after Caribbean islands) has access to one or more beaches and are located close to either the main pool or one of six village pools. There are also three on-site playgrounds. Both of these factors make the resort very family friendly. Dining, however, is reportedly woefully undersized for a resort of this size, and, at least for the next two years, will be unavailable (Disney has made other arrangements for food service at CBR during this time period, but planning your meals will be necessary until the restaurants re-open). With eight bus stops on the resort, bus transportation is certainly a viable option for traveling to the parks; however, the bus must stop at each of the eight stops which can add valuable minutes to your trip into the parks each day. If this isn't your cup of tea, having your own transportation can be invaluable. Coronado Springs Closer to the Animal Kingdom Park is Coronado Springs Resort. Coronado Springs opened in August 1997 and is the only mid-priced resort with a convention center. This can be off-putting to some guests who find it odd to see people walking around in business suits while they themselves are trying to enjoy their vacation. Still, TripAdvisor rates it as a 3.5 star resort with an average guest rating of 4 out of 5. It is certainly the most adult-friendly of the moderate resorts boasting a salon and health-club, more dining options than any of the other moderate resorts (we'll get to that momentarily), and some of the best public wi-fi of any Disney resort. Like Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs had a resort-wide refurbishment in 2015 and is undergoing some continuing renovations, though compared to Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs' renovations are much less disruptive. Disney has recently announced plans to expand CS by adding a 15-story tower expansion that will add 500 new guest rooms and suites. The tower will also add roof-top dining to CS's all ready-extensive dining options and concierge-level services. The concept art is pretty impressive, but construction hasn't begun yet. This northern Mexico/southeastern US-themed resort has 1,915 rooms, including junior, 1- and 2-bedroom suites. Standard guest rooms are 314 square feet with either two queens (maximum occupancy 4) or one king bed (maximum occupancy 2). Some suites can accommodate up to six. There are three smaller pools plus a larger main pool which features a replica of a Mayan step pyramid. Because it is a convention center, there are business-class rooms that are designed more for the business traveler as well as a proper on-site business center which includes computer, imaging, shipping and package, and notary services as well as office supplies. All Disney guests can use these business centers. Coronado Springs offers two table-service restaurants (Maya Grill and Las Ventanas), three quick-service dining options (Cafe Rix, Pepper Market, and Siestas Cantina), and two lounges (Laguna Bar and Rix Lounge), and it is the only moderate resort to offer a limited room-service menu. Some people complain that the resort needs more restaurants, and this could certainly be the case if there is a large convention using the resort while you're there. Like the other moderate resorts, though, the chief complaint is the bus service. The resort is spread out over 22 acres and there are currently only four bus stops. This can mean lots of walking to reach transportation unless you have your own.  The Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort The Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort is a bit of an odd-duck for the moderate resort category. Nonetheless, Disney classifies the Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort as moderates and, overall, guests love them returning to them year after year and sometimes never even venturing into the parks when they stay there. Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground opened in November of 1971 in conjunction with the now-defunct Disney's River Country water park. TripAdvisor rates the Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort as a 4-star resort--the only 4-star out of all the moderates--with an average guest rating of 4.5 out of 5 making it comparable in guest-popularity with Port Orleans French Quarter (though not, necessarily, in price). The Cabins at Fort Wilderness share a property with Fort Wilderness campground, so it's important to know that there will be RVs and tent-camping, but the 409 cabins are, by and large, in their own section of the property as you can see in the picture below.  So what is it about these cabins that keep people coming back year after year? Fort Wilderness Resort offers tons of recreational amenities and facilities--probably some of the best at any Disney resort including: two video arcades; nightly campfire programs; Disney movies; dinner theater; two swimming pools; a beach; walking paths; bike, boat, canoe, golf-cart, and water-ski rentals; horseback riding; wagon rides; and tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts. Additionally, there are two convenience stores, comfort stations with toilets and showers (and pay phones if, for some reason, you still need them). Ice machine and laundry facilities are within walking distance of all campsites. For larger families with several adults or older children, these cabins can offer a great value. They sleep up to 6 with a queen bed, two bunk beds, and a double pull-out sofa. Each cabin is equipped with air conditioning (an absolute must in Florida from April through October), a full kitchen and dining table, plus a television and DVD/VCR. So while their price tag puts them at the high-end of the moderates, finding a deluxe villa or even a moderate suite that offers this much for this price is almost impossible. Food options are pretty impressive at the Fort Wilderness Resort with a casual table-service restaurant (Trail's End Restaurant), two quick-service restaurants (P & J's Southern Takeout and the Meadow Snackbar), a lounge (Crockett's Tavern), and two dinner shows (Hoop-Dee-Do Musical Revue and Mickey's Backyard BBQ). Again, like all moderate properties, the resort is very spread out and the pool, for example, may not be as convenient to your cabin as you'd necessarily like. Some internal bus transportation exists, but Fort Wilderness Cabins veterans strongly recommend ponying up the cash to rent bikes or a golf cart to use while you're moving around the property. The Magic Kingdom can be accessed by boat while the other resorts can be reached by bus (Epcot requires a transfer to the monorail at the TTC). However, many guests strongly recommend using your own transportation to get to and from the parks. External Links
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