Disney Moderate Resorts Ranked 2026: Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs & Port Orleans Guide

Disney's Moderate resorts sit between the Value and Deluxe tiers: bigger rooms than the Value resorts, table-service dining, themed pools, and a more relaxed feel, at a price well below the Deluxe hotels. There are four: Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Port Orleans Riverside. Here's my ranking as of October 2026, plus what's under refurbishment right now.

My Ranking

1. Caribbean Beach
2. Port Orleans French Quarter
3. Port Orleans Riverside
4. Coronado Springs

Your best pick depends on what you value. Here's why I order them this way.

1. Caribbean Beach

Caribbean Beach is the hub of the Disney Skyliner. Its station connects to the Hollywood Studios line, the EPCOT line (via the Riviera Resort stop to EPCOT's International Gateway), and the Pop Century and Art of Animation line. For a family planning lots of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios days, that's a big deal.

The resort was overhauled a few years ago. The main building, Old Port Royale, has a food court, Sebastian's Bistro for table service, and a pirate-themed main pool with water slides. The resort is spread around a large lake in colorful island "villages," so some buildings are a real walk from the main area.

Best for: families who want the Skyliner and a pool kids won't leave.

2. Port Orleans French Quarter

French Quarter is the smallest Moderate, which is exactly why I like it. Everything is close, the New Orleans theming is charming, and it feels quiet and walkable. The Doubloon Lagoon pool has a sea-serpent slide.

October 2026 heads-up: Scat Cat's Club, the café and lounge, closed October 6 for a refurbishment. The café is expected back in December 2026 and the lounge in January 2027. In the meantime, the famous Mickey beignets are available at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory, the resort's food court.

Best for: couples and small families who want a calm, easy resort.

3. Port Orleans Riverside

Riverside is French Quarter's bigger sister, split into the Magnolia Bend mansion buildings and the rustic Alligator Bayou section. Some Alligator Bayou rooms sleep five with a trundle bed, which is rare for a Moderate. Dining includes Boatwright's Dining Hall (table service), Riverside Mill Food Court, and the River Roost lounge, and the main pool sits on Ol' Man Island.

Both Port Orleans resorts have a boat along the Sassagoula River to Disney Springs, which is a lovely way to get to dinner. Theme parks are by bus.

Current refurbishments: Riverside's lobby is being refurbished from early October through early December 2026, and Alligator Bayou is under refurbishment from August 31, 2026 to about late May 2027. If you're booking an Alligator Bayou room for a family of five during that stretch, talk to me first.

Best for: families of five and anyone who likes a sprawling, green resort.

4. Coronado Springs

Coronado Springs has Spanish and Mexican theming around a big lake, plus the Gran Destino Tower, a newer high-rise with the Toledo rooftop restaurant and nicer standard rooms. It has a convention center, so you'll see business travelers mixed in with families.

It's a great resort for adults, and Gran Destino rooms are some of the best in the Moderate tier. I rank it last for families only because it's bus-only and it's large. The walk from some outer buildings to the bus stops can feel long.

Best for: adults, couples, and anyone who wants a Gran Destino Tower room.

What They Have in Common

• Standard rooms are about 314 square feet, noticeably bigger than Value rooms
• Table-service restaurants on site, plus food courts and lounges
• Themed main pools with slides, plus quieter leisure pools
• All the Disney-hotel perks: Early Theme Park Entry, the 7-day Lightning Lane booking window, and free theme park parking

Pricing Tips

Moderate rates follow the same seasonal pattern as the rest of Disney World: lowest in January, late August, and September, highest around holidays, spring break, and summer. Disney runs room discounts several times a year, and I re-check bookings whenever a new one comes out. If you're comparing a Moderate to a Deluxe, ask me about DVC rentals too. They can come in close to Moderate pricing at some resorts.

One more aside: Disney's Lakeshore Lodge, a new Deluxe resort, is set to open July 1, 2027. It doesn't change the Moderate picture, but if you're planning summer 2027, it's on the list.

Prices and schedules change often; confirm current details with your travel advisor before booking.

Pools and Dining, Resort by Resort

Caribbean Beach: The main pool is Fuentes del Morro, the pirate-fort pool at Old Port Royale with water slides and water cannons. Dining includes Sebastian's Bistro (table service), Centertown Market (the food court), and Spyglass Grill, a quick-service window that's handy for rooms near the Skyliner.

Coronado Springs: The Lost City of Cibola pool sits in The Dig Site area and is built around a Mayan-style pyramid about 50 feet tall, with a long water slide that has a dark tunnel section. Dining includes Toledo (tapas, steak, and seafood at the top of Gran Destino Tower), Three Bridges Bar & Grill out on the lake, El Mercado de Coronado (the food court), and Barcelona Lounge.

Port Orleans French Quarter: Doubloon Lagoon with its sea-serpent slide. Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory is the food court, and it's where the beignets are being sold while Scat Cat's is closed.

Port Orleans Riverside: The main pool is on Ol' Man Island, with a slide and a fishing hole area. Boatwright's Dining Hall is the table-service restaurant, and Riverside Mill is the food court.

Rough Nightly Price Ranges

Rates swing a lot by date, but for standard rooms before tax I typically see about $250 to $450 a night at Caribbean Beach and the two Port Orleans resorts, and about $250 to $500 at Coronado Springs (Gran Destino rooms land at the higher end).

Rooms for Bigger Families

If you're a family of five, the Moderates are where it starts getting easier:

• Caribbean Beach has rooms that sleep five, with a pull-down bed in the room.
• Port Orleans Riverside has Alligator Bayou rooms with a trundle bed (check the refurbishment schedule first) and the Royal Guest Rooms in Magnolia Bend, which sleep four and have the most decorated rooms at the resort.
• Coronado Springs rooms sleep four, so a family of five would need a suite or two rooms.

Skyliner Vs. Bus: What It Means Day to Day

Caribbean Beach guests can be at EPCOT's International Gateway or Hollywood Studios without ever looking at a bus schedule. The Skyliner does pause for lightning and wind, which is common on summer afternoons, and Disney runs buses when it does. At Port Orleans and Coronado Springs, every park trip is a bus, but the Port Orleans boat to Disney Springs is one of the nicest rides on property.

Moderate Resort Faq

Is a Moderate worth the upgrade from a Value? If you want bigger rooms, a table-service restaurant, and pools with slides, yes. If you're mostly in the parks from open to close, a Value resort might be all you need.

Which Moderate is best for Magic Kingdom? None of them are close. They all use buses for Magic Kingdom. If Magic Kingdom is your focus, look at the monorail resorts.

Which Moderate has the best food? Toledo at Coronado Springs is the standout table-service restaurant in the Moderate tier, and it has views from the top of Gran Destino Tower.

Are the Port Orleans resorts walkable to each other? Yes. A path along the Sassagoula River connects French Quarter and Riverside, and the walk is pleasant.

My Take

Want the Skyliner? Caribbean Beach. Want calm and charm? French Quarter. Need room for five? Riverside, once you've checked the Alligator Bayou refurbishment against your dates. Traveling as adults? Gran Destino at Coronado Springs.

I'm CJ, a Disney travel advisor and DVC owner. Planning help is free because Disney pays me. Reach out to Countdown to Vacation and I'll compare all four for your dates.