Disney Value Resorts Ranked 2026: Complete Guide to All-Stars, Pop Century & Art of Animation

Disney's Value resorts are the cheapest way to stay on property at Walt Disney World, and you still get every on-site perk: Early Theme Park Entry (30 minutes early at every park, every day), a 7-day head start on Lightning Lane bookings, free Disney transportation, and free standard parking at the theme parks. There are five of them: All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century, and Art of Animation. Here's how I rank them for my clients as of October 2026.

How I Rank Them

1. Art of Animation
2. Pop Century
3. All-Star Music
4. All-Star Movies
5. All-Star Sports

The big dividing line is transportation. Pop Century and Art of Animation share a Disney Skyliner station, which gets you to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios without a bus. The three All-Stars are bus-only.

1. Art of Animation

Art of Animation opened in 2012 and is the newest Value resort. It's split into four sections themed to Cars, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid buildings have standard rooms. The other three sections are Family Suites, which sleep up to six and have two bathrooms and a kitchenette. For a family of five or six, a Family Suite is often cheaper than booking two standard rooms anywhere else on property.

The Big Blue Pool in the Nemo section is the largest hotel pool at Walt Disney World, and kids love it. The food court is Landscape of Flavors.

Best for: families who need space, and anyone who wants the Skyliner. Downside: Family Suites cost a lot more than a standard Value room, so if you don't need the space, Pop Century usually gives you the same Skyliner access for less.

2. Pop Century

Pop Century celebrates pop culture decade by decade, from the 1950s through the 1990s, with giant yo-yos, Rubik's Cubes, and other oversized icons. It's a large resort, and the rooms were refreshed a few years ago with a cleaner, more modern look.

Pop Century shares the Skyliner station with Art of Animation, and you can walk between the two resorts across the lake. The food court is Everything Pop. Buses handle Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs.

Best for: couples and families of four who want the Skyliner at the lowest price. This is the Value resort I recommend most often.

3. All-star Music

All-Star Music is themed to music styles (calypso, jazz, rock, country, Broadway) with giant guitars and instruments. Its advantage is the Family Suites, which sleep up to six and are usually priced below Art of Animation's suites. The food court is Intermission.

Best for: bigger families on a tighter budget who don't mind taking the bus.

4. All-star Movies

All-Star Movies has oversized icons from Disney films like Toy Story, 101 Dalmatians, and Fantasia. Standard rooms only, plus a lively pool area. The food court is World Premiere.

Best for: Disney-movie fans who want the lowest price and are fine with buses.

5. All-star Sports

All-Star Sports is themed to football, baseball, basketball, surfing, and tennis. It's often the lowest rate on property, and it's the most basic of the five. The food court is End Zone.

Best for: travelers who just need a bed and a free bus, especially on short trips.

What All Five Have in Common

• Standard rooms are about 260 square feet, the smallest on property
• Food courts and pools, but no table-service restaurants
• Disney bus service to all four theme parks and Disney Springs
• All the Disney-hotel perks: Early Theme Park Entry, the 7-day Lightning Lane booking window, and free theme park parking

The All-Stars share bus routes at busy times, so your bus may stop at another All-Star before heading to the park. Build a few extra minutes into your morning.

Pricing and Timing

Value resort rates move with the calendar. The best rates usually show up in January, late August, and September. Holidays, spring break, and summer push rates up. Disney also runs room discounts several times a year, and when a new offer comes out I re-check my clients' existing bookings to see if it can be applied.

If you need more space or want a table-service restaurant on site, look at the Moderate resorts next. Port Orleans French Quarter is the closest step up in feel.

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

Pools at Each Value Resort

Value resort pools are big, themed, and busy in the afternoon. Here's what you'll find:

• Art of Animation: the Big Blue Pool (Finding Nemo), the Cozy Cone Pool (Cars), and the Flippin' Fins Pool (Little Mermaid)
• Pop Century: the Hippy Dippy Pool, the Bowling Pin Pool, and the Computer Pool
• All-Star Music: the Calypso Pool and the Piano Pool
• All-Star Movies: the Fantasia Pool and the Duck Pond Pool
• All-Star Sports: the Grand Slam Pool and the Surfboard Bay Pool

None of the Value pools have the big water slides you'll find at the Moderate and Deluxe resorts. For most kids, Big Blue at Art of Animation more than makes up for it.

Rough Nightly Price Ranges

Exact rates depend on your dates, but this is the ballpark I see for standard rooms before tax:

• All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports: about $130 to $250 a night
• Pop Century: about $150 to $280 a night
• Art of Animation (Little Mermaid standard rooms): about $180 to $350 a night

Family Suites at All-Star Music and Art of Animation cost more, but compare them to two standard rooms before you rule them out. For a family of five or six, one suite often wins.

Standard Vs. Preferred Rooms

Every Value resort sells "preferred" rooms, which are closer to the main building, the food court, and the main pool (at Pop Century, closer to the Skyliner station too). Is it worth paying more? For families with little kids, or anyone who hates long walks after a 12-hour park day, often yes. For a couple who's barely in the room, I'd save the money.

How to Eat Well at a Value Resort

There's no table-service restaurant at any of the five, so plan around the food court:

• Buy a resort refillable mug if you drink a lot of soda, coffee, or tea. It works at your own resort's food court for your whole stay.
• Use mobile order at the food court in the morning so breakfast is ready when you walk down.
• Pick up breakfast items and snacks to keep in your room's mini fridge.
• For a sit-down dinner, ride the Skyliner from Pop Century or Art of Animation to Caribbean Beach (Sebastian's Bistro) or Riviera (Topolino's Terrace).

Quick Picker

• Family of 4 who wants the Skyliner: Pop Century
• Family of 5 or 6: Art of Animation Family Suite (or All-Star Music for a lower price)
• Lowest price on property: All-Star Sports or All-Star Movies
• Disney-movie superfans: Art of Animation or All-Star Movies
• Couples on a budget: Pop Century

Value Resort Faq

Do Value resorts get Early Theme Park Entry? Yes. Every Disney resort hotel gets Early Theme Park Entry, 30 minutes before official park opening, every day.

Can you walk from Pop Century to Art of Animation? Yes. A bridge over Hourglass Lake connects them, and they share the Skyliner station.

Which Value resort is closest to the parks? The All-Stars sit near Animal Kingdom and the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. Pop Century and Art of Animation are closer to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, and they have the Skyliner.

Is a Value resort worth it over an off-site hotel? For most families, yes. Free theme park parking, Disney transportation, Early Theme Park Entry, and the 7-day Lightning Lane window add up fast.

My Take

If the Skyliner matters to you, pick Pop Century (or Art of Animation for a Family Suite). If price is all that matters, pick an All-Star and plan your mornings around the bus. Either way, you get the same park perks as guests paying three times as much.

I'm CJ, a Disney travel advisor and DVC owner. My planning help is free because Disney pays me, not you. Reach out to Countdown to Vacation and I'll price all five for your dates.