Walt Disney World Resorts: Intro to Moderate Resorts

Our Moderate Resorts image reflects the more interesting buildings, the pools and hot tubs, bus and skyliner transportation (at some moderate resorts), lusher landscaping, and the bodies of water central to each moderate resort (this one inspired by the Sassagoula river).

If you're just joining us, welcome. You've caught us in the middle of a series that will deep dive into every resort at Walt Disney World. For the last two weeks, we discussed Value resorts, starting with an introduction to how they work in general, and then providing cheat sheets the following week. It is time to move on to moderate resorts.

As a reminder, everyone who stays at a Walt Disney World Resort gets the following:

• Early theme park entry

• Complimentary Walt Disney World transportation from your resort to the theme parks

• If you have a Magic Band, keyless entry to your resort hotel room

• Earlier ability to make dining reservations (at 60 days out from the FIRST day of your stay, you can make reservations for your entire length of stay up to 10 days)

• Earlier ability to make Lightning Lane reservations each day if using Genie+ (at 7am rather than at park opening)

• Staying inside the "Disney Bubble" and being served by Disney Cast Members for your entire vacation

In addition to that, EVERY Disney resort is going to have these amenities:

• Pools

• Quick service food on resort property

• Laundry (you pay, but there are facilities)

• A gift shop

• Wifi

Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts, Explained

Moderate resorts are Disney's category between Value and Deluxe resorts. In general, they are going to have more spacious rooms and better landscaping than a value resort. They also tend to be quieter because people aren't packed in quite so close together. They also generally provide some additional amenities, which we'll discuss in a moment. But they aren't quite as deluxe as the numerous deluxe resorts.

While the price of a value resort is similar to staying at an off-property standard hotel such as a Hilton, the price of moderate resorts is a bit more, averaging anywhere from $250-$450 per night depending on the season. Lower prices are offered during the value season, and the highest prices are found during holidays. So while Disney calls these "moderate" resorts, they are in no way inexpensive or average.... they are just average for Disney. That said, we like the moderate resorts quite a lot and use them for our "standard" Disney stay.

There are four Moderate resorts:

• Port Orleans Riverside

• Port Orleans French Quarter

• Caribbean Beach Resort

• Coronado Springs Resort

The two Port Orleans resorts are next to each other and connected by the Sassagoula river and a lovely walking path. They are in the EPCOT area off of Bonnet Creek. Caribbean Beach Resort is further south and closer to Disney Hollywood Studios, and Coronado Springs Resort is across the property nearer to Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach.

In general, there are a few amenities you will find at a Moderate resort that you will not find at a Value resort. A Moderate resort is typically classified by these characteristics, though as you will find, there are exceptions.

• In addition to the main pool, more quiet pools are available

• The main pool has a water slide or other water features

• The rooms are larger at about 314 square feet

• The buildings tend to be slightly smaller than value resorts, and are grouped into themed neighborhoods

• There is typically at least one table service restaurant on property in addition to the food court

• There tends to be more recreation options like bike and boat rentals, fishing, or volleyball

• Rooms at this level still will not have private balconies or be accessible via interior corridor (that's a deluxe resort thing)

• Transportation at this level is still largely bus with some exceptions

• There is typically not a park view or a fitness center at this level

• Unlike the large props of value resorts, moderate resorts rely upon architecture and landscaping for theme

The marina and main building at Port Orleans Riverside

Our Take On The Port Orleans Resorts

Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are sister resorts. They sit right next to each other along the Sassagoula River, share similar themes, and share bus routes. The main difference between the two is Riverside is quite large and themed to the Mississippi River South in general, while French Quarter is quite small and is themed to (you guessed it) the French Quarter of New Orleans. Both evoke an Old South Mississippi riverside feel.

Riverside sits at the foot of the Sassagoula River and is quite large at 200 acres and more than 2,000 rooms. Despite the space, though, it doesn't feel large. It has two distinct neighborhoods: The Alligator Bayou with 16 bungalow-style buildings for rooms that are spread among large oaks dripping with Spanish moss, and Magnolia Bend with 4 larger, grander, plantation style buildings for rooms and fountains and large lawns. Magnolia Bend is also where one of Disney's special themed rooms, the Royal Rooms, can be found. Magnolia Bend rooms are also a bit further from the lobby, but not too far as they are connected by a bridge across the river.

French Quarter is downriver from Riverside and has just over 1,000 rooms, making it the smallest Moderate resort. Rooms are in buildings themed to New Orleans' French Quarter. Walking paths at French Quarter are themed as streets with gas lamps, curbs, and street signs like the whimsical Rue de Baga. Between the buildings and "streets", you will find lovely courtyards with fountains, topiaries, hedge mazes and more.

Rooms at both resorts are accessed by exterior corridors, with no private balconies, and average about 314 square feet. Rooms typically have 2 queen beds or 1 king bed. A trundle bed can be requested for an additional fee (it rolls under one of the beds for storage and is only suitable for children). At Riverside, some rooms are pet friendly for an additional fee as well.

Each of the Port Orleans resorts has a main pool. At French Quarter, this is Dubloon Lagoon, which features a sea serpent waterslide, which is ridden by a King Triton/Mardi Gras king combo sort of figure. At Riverside, the main pool is on Ol' Man Island and also features a waterslide. One key difference is, because it is small, the main pool is the only pool at French Quarter. At Riverside, there are also 5 quiet pools spread about the neighborhoods. The quiet pools, unlike the main pool, are open 24/7 but do not have lifeguards on duty. If you are staying at French Quarter, it is possible to walk over to Riverside and pool hop the quiet pools if Dubloon Lagoon and its accompanying noise is not your thing, or if you want a late night swim. Each main pool also has a hot tub nearby, and a children's play area. Pay laundry is available near the pools.

Each Port Orleans resort also has their own main lobby, with a food court. Riverside also has a table service restaurant, Boatwrights, while French Quarter has a very decent coffee and drinks lounge, Scat Cat Lounge. Each of the food courts features several quick service stations and a grab-and-go station. Riverside's food court features the usual American favorites and a small amount of Southern style cuisine. French Quarter's food court features American and Creole and Cajun classics. One thing setting French Quarter apart is that pastries are made on site, including mouth-watering beignets, which are lovely puffed pastries dusted with powdered sugar and sometimes served with a dipping sauce. We have made the trip to French Quarter JUST for beignets and coffee before, and we've not regretted it. French Quarter also roasts coffee on site and is one of the few Disney locations where you can get a decent cappuccino, latte, or other coffee drink. Both resorts have limited room service (pizza, salads, soft drinks, beer) after 4pm, and both resorts have pool bars. Finally, Riverside is home to the River Roost Lounge which features live entertainment. The most popular show is Yeehaa Bob, a musical comedian. Guests come from all around the property to see his shows.

There is almost too much to talk about when it comes to recreation. In addition to pools, both resorts have an arcade. Both resorts also offer horse-drawn carriage rides for an additional fee, and the grounds are lovely for a carriage ride. At Riverside, you will also find: guided fishing excursions on the river (for an additional fee), a catch and release Fishin' Hole (pole rental is available), bicycle and surrey rental, and a small marina with pontoon, pedal boat, and other seacraft rental available.

Speaking of the marina, both resorts connect to Disney Springs via boat down the Sassagoula River. The boats run about every 20 minutes, stopping at both Port Orleans resorts, and then at three docks at Disney Springs. This ride is free and is a lovely relaxing way to get to Disney Springs.

All other transportation is via bus. There is one bus stop at French Quarter, off the lobby, and 4 bus stops at Riverside, serving each neighborhood of that resort. This bus is shared between both Port Orleans resorts, so expect multiple stops and allow extra time to get to your destination.

We personally adore the Port Orleans resorts for their Southern charm and ambiance, and refer to it as our "home" resort. Riverside, in particular, is a quiet resort because of the space between buildings and all the trees which we feel block noise. It is always a treat to return to Riverside after a long day in the parks. We find the food court to be excellent, and we love the quiet pools which you can find completely empty sometimes. The major downsides are the sizes of both. Because Riverside is quite large, it can be a bit of a walk to the main building's food court or lobby from your room unless you've taken the time to put in a room request ahead of time. Getting to the bus at Riverside, on the other hand, is never a problem as there is always a bus stop nearby. At French Quarter, we get a different, busier vibe, just because of how compact everything is. At French Quarter, it also sometimes feels as if you are playing second fiddle when it comes to transportation as you have to wait through all of Riverside's 4 stops sometimes, or, if you don't have to wait, you find the bus full of Riverside guests already upon boarding.

Which brings us to bus transportation. Now that the skyliner is in operation, we don't love riding the bus. It's a particular pain for those who are using ECVs or wheelchairs. Which is all to say while we adore Riverside and visit frequently, we haven't considered staying there in a while.

The ambiance of Caribbean Beach Resort at night right outside of Old Port Royale.

Our Take on Caribbean Beach Resort

Speaking of large resorts, our travels now take us to Caribbean Beach Resort, which seems comparable in size to Riverside, but the way the rooms are spread out make it feel even larger. However, this resort has a very important transportation perk.

Caribbean Beach Resort is basically across the street from Disney Hollywood Studios, though separated by a small patch of wetlands and a parking lot. As you have likely guessed, it is themed to the Caribbean, with different neighborhoods named after different islands. Rooms are in smaller 2-3 story buildings that are brightly painted and themed to their neighborhood. In the center of this resort is a large lake, at the foot of which sits Disney's Riviera Resort (a DVC resort). Rooms here are a bit smaller than the average moderate resort room at 300 square feet (rather than the standard 314), but they are freshly renovated within the past few years. All rooms are accessed via exterior corridor and there are no private balconies, which is standard for moderate resorts. Rooms come in configurations of of 2 queen beds or 1 king bed. Some rooms also have a murphy bed but you must request this ahead of time. Some of these rooms are also Disney's special themed Pirate Rooms, which must be reserved and sometimes have a higher rate than other rooms. Because of the resort's size (200 acres and more than 2,000 rooms) AND the large lake in the middle, some rooms will feel like quite a trek to the lobby, so put in a request for a preferred building ahead of time if you can.

Speaking of preferred building... the choice can be a difficult one. At one side of the resort, you have the main building with the lobby and the main food court. However, opposite that on the other side of the resort is a skyliner station with direct service to Disney Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Pop Century/ Art of Animation if you like to resort hop. Finally, creating a triangle between the Caribbean lobby building, and the skyliner hub, is the Riviera Resort which is an easy walk from some sections of the Caribbean Beach Resort and offers even more dining options.

Did you catch that? I said skyliner. The Caribbean Beach Resort is the only moderate resort that sits on the skyliner at this time. Even better, it's where the hub is located. This means that from Caribbean Beach Resort, you can ride to all the skyliner destinations without transferring to a different line. This is a major bonus as it is the most efficient and, in our opinion, most pleasant way to get to Disney Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Transportation to the other two parks and Disney Springs will be via bus. There are 8 total bus stops around this resort, so a bus stop should always be nearby.

Let's talk food! Because of the resort's size, there are a few additional food options than you may typically find. There is, of course, the main food court, Centertown Market, in the lobby building, called Old Port Royale. Centertown Market has a grab-and-go station. For other food, it operates on a quick-service fast-casual basis, meaning you make your order and pay at the counter, and then take a plaque and find a table. Food will be brought to your table when it's ready. Spyglass Grill is near the Trinidad neighborhood and offers quick-service burgers. The table service restaurant, Sebastian's Bistro is off the lobby and near the water. There is also a rather large poolside bar, Banana Cabana, and a very good Joffrey's coffee station right outside the skyliner hub. (Side note: We've found the various Joffrey's locations to vary by drinks they are able to make quite a bit. The best one is between World Celebration and World Showcase at EPCOT. The second best one may very well be here at Caribbean Beach Resort.) Finally, there is pizza delivery available to rooms in the evenings.

Following standard Disney formula, there is a main pool, Fuentes del Morro, which features waterslides, waterfalls, and water cannons. Near the main pool, you'll find the children's play area and hot tub. There are 5 other quiet pools spread around the resort in each neighborhood. In addition to pools, this resort has bicycle and surrey rentals available, and lots of sandy patches along the lake, one of which has a sand volleyball court, and others have hammocks strung to really give you that island feel. Around the lake, you will find a 1.4 mile jogging trail which is a lovely walk as well in case you aren't completely worn out from the parks.

The obvious reason to choose this resort out of all the moderate resorts is the skyliner. It's a major factor in my decision-making lately because it is just so convenient and stress free. So if you will be visiting Disney Hollywood Studios or EPCOT a lot, strongly consider this resort. We also think it is just lovey (but all the moderates really are in their own way). If you feel you need a tropical island style moment, though, this resort is for you.. To me, it feels like being in the Bahamas.

The biggest drawback is the size of the resort, especially if you aren't careful about making a room or at least building request ahead of time. Choosing between being near the lobby and being near the skyliner, I would likely lean toward a building closer to the skyliner since I can always take the skyliner to other resorts (Art of Animation, Pop Century, and Riviera) and dine there if I feel like my food court is too far away. But bus rides can't be helped, and with 8 stops around the resort, you're going to need to allow a lot of extra time to get to the Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom.

Panorama of the lake in the middle of Coronado Springs Resort

(this was before Gran Destino Tower was built)

Our Take on Coronado Springs Resort

Of all the moderate resorts, this one is the most divisive between me and my travel companion. I like the additional amenities that make it feel almost like a deluxe resort for a moderate price. But my travel companion hates that it is also a convention center and you might see people in suits who are decidedly NOT in Disney mode. All that to say, like Art of Animation was the oddball of the value resorts, Coronado Springs is the oddball of the moderate resorts.

Coronado Springs Resort almost feels like two resorts in one. First, you have the original section of the resort. This includes rooms in three neighborhoods of 2-3 story buildings: casitas, cabanas, and ranchos. All of these neighborhoods share a Southwestern United States/ Mexico theme. The casitas are themed like city dwellings, cabanas themed like beachside fishing village dwellings, and rancho themed like the desert. Landscaping around the resort reflects the theme of the neighborhood with lots of cacti in the ranchos, and more tropical plants in the cabanas. Rooms in the original neighborhoods are all accessed via exterior walkways.

Then, you have the newest addition, one that really represents the resort's strange nether-category, the Gran Destino Tower. This tower is Spanish themed with lots of art nouveau touches. It is also now where the main lobby is located for the entire resort. A tower like this has never before existed at a moderate resort, and is something you would expect to find at a deluxe resort. Rooms in the 16-story tower are accessed via interior corridors, like a deluxe resort, but do not have balconies, like a moderate resort.

Because Coronado Springs resort has a convention center (a quite impressive one too that even includes a room with a show kitchen), it caters quite a bit to business travelers. Because of this, you are going to find interesting amenities and room configurations. There are quite a few room configurations available at Coronado Springs, including: 2 queen beds, 1 king bed, junior suites with 1 queen bed and queen murphy bed, junior suites with two double beds and 1 queen murphy bed, 1-bedroom suites with 2 double beds and 1 queen murphy bed, 1-bedroom suites with 1 king bed and 1 queen murphy bed, and the casitas executive suite with 1 king bed and two double beds. In Gran Destino Tower, there are also two presidential suites. Finally, roll-away beds can be rented. But if you are staying in a standard room (not a suite), don't expect a lot more capacity than other moderate resorts.... You would need a suite for the extra bed space.

The resort is arranged around a 22-acre lake and has two main buildings. El Centro is the old lobby building which still houses the food court, convention space, cafe, restaurant, and bar and grill. Gran Destino Tower now houses the main lobby as well as some restaurants and lounges. There is one main pool called The Dig Site which features a large Mayan pyramid centerpiece with water falling down it, and a waterslide. As usual, there is a hot tub, and children's play area near the main pool. There are also three quiet pools, one in each of the original neighborhoods.

In terms of other recreation, you will find two arcades, bike and surrey rentals, a jogging trail, and then some things that are really unusual for a moderate resort such as a state-of-the-art fitness center (with it's own whirlpool, sauna, and even massages available), and a full-service hair salon. Because there's no time like the day before a conference to lose a few pounds and get a new 'do! There are also hair wraps available near the main pool.

For dining, you will find more lounges and table-service options than other moderate resorts. You will also find the standard quick-service food court. This one, El Mercado, is located in the El Centro main building and has several stations including Mexican food, burgers, pasta, and stir fry. Around the corner from El Mercado is a grab-and-go market. Also in El Centro is Maya Grill, which is what you would think of as a main table-service restaurant, and Rix Sports Bar & Grill, which used to be a nightclub, but now is more of a sports grill/pub situation. If you head out of El Centro and down a bridge to the middle of the lake, you will find Three Bridges Bar & Grill which is also a table-service location. Then, in Gran Destino tower, you will find Toledo on the top floor, the final, and probably fanciest, table-service location at this resort, which has a view of fireworks each evening and serves tapas, steaks, and seafood. In Gran Destino Tower are also two lounges. Barcelona Lounge is just off the main lobby and serves European coffee service in the morning and drinks and small bites at night. Dahlia Lounge is on the top floor which serves unique drinks and fairly fancy small plates. There is, of course, the obligatory pool bar. Finally, there is room service available and unlike other moderate resorts, this is 24/7 room service with a full menu.

If you're getting really excited hearing about all these amenities, you should be. This is very unusual for a non-deluxe resort. However, the major drawback is that transportation to everywhere is via bus from this resort. Because the resort is spread out, there are 4 bus stops around the resort. The resort is located near Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach, which puts it off to one corner of the Walt Disney World property. You can expect the longest bus ride to the Magic Kingdom.

We have stayed at Coronado Springs Resort before, and we really like the theming and the amenities, not that we make much use of the fitness center when we're walking 10 miles a day in the parks, and we really don't have time for a haircut when there are theme parks to explore. What we liked best was the lake, and sitting by the pool bar, or outside of El Mercado, or really anywhere around the resort on the water. The quiet pools were also very quiet. What we liked least was the walk to El Centro from our room in the rancho section, which is about as far as it gets from the lobby. Sometimes a Cast Member comes along with a golf cart and takes pity on you, but not often.

Our favorite and least favorite of moderate resorts

We have stayed at all of these resorts, so we consider ourselves pretty well-informed when it comes to moderate resorts, and we like them all! We've been perfectly happy at all of them. But we do have our favorites.

Right now, entirely because of the skyliner, our choice of a moderate resort would be Caribbean Beach Resort. The convenience just can't be beat. And if we were concerned about the bus situation with the 8 stops, we'd take the skyliner or walk over to the Riviera Resort and take the single dedicated bus from there to the parks. Our personal second favorite is Port Orleans Riverside because it just feels so much more peaceful than the others and is great for decompression after a long day at the parks. We are fond of the Alligator Bayou area, and the boat ride down to Disney Springs. In fact, even when not staying here, we have made the trip to Riverside to walk over to French Quarter along the lovely path, buy some beignets, and then got on the boat to Disney Springs.

But for us, transportation is important, and amenities, beyond typical comfort and good food, aren't that important. If amenities that cater to business travelers are more important to you, Coronado Springs is an excellent choice. And if you prefer a smaller, more intimate, more walkable resort, French Quarter may be the answer. Whichever moderate resort you stay at, we think you'll be happy.

---

Next week, we will continue with our cheat sheets for moderate resorts. If you like this sort of thing, come follow us over on our Facebook page so you can see when new articles are posted each week. Until next time...