The Moderate Resorts at Walt Disney World offer SO MANY room categories! How do you know which one is right for your family? Here are our top tips for choosing a Moderate resort room category at Walt Disney World.

The Moderate Resorts at Walt Disney World offer a staggering number of room types. Whether you are a honeymooner looking for a King Bed Room, or a family of six looking for some extra square footage, or anything in between, the Moderate Resorts have an option for you!

As opposed to the Value Resorts, where the difference in room types mainly comes down to location and view, the Moderate Resorts have quite a few more variables. How many people does the room sleep? Where is it located? Does the room have special theming? And of course, location and view! Not to mention one resort actually offers Suites and Club Level! (Usually unheard of except at Deluxe Resorts!)

Moderate Resort Room Categories at Walt Disney World

Disney’s Caribbean Beach

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort has over 1500 rooms, spread amongst six “island” villages. Guests take either a bus or the Skyliner to the theme parks. (Skyliner service is to Epcot and Hollywood Studios only.)

Standard View – Standard View rooms can be found in most buildings. These rooms will be the furthest from the pool, food court, etc. They will have views of parking lots, or air conditioning units, or of greenery.

Standard View – 5th Sleeper – Basically a standard view room with a “banquette” bed for a fifth person! The banquette bed masquerades as a bench during the day, then folds down to reveal a small twin bed at night. It is definitely meant for a child, or a very small adult!

Water or Pool View – Water view rooms are located throughout the resort, and offer a view of pretty much any water. This can be a pool, or a lagoon.

Water or Pool View – 5th Sleeper – Second verse, same as the first! These rooms offer the water view but also have the banquette bed.

King Bed – And here we discover a category unique to the Moderate resorts! Only at the Moderates can you specifically book a King Bed room. Don’t ask me why, this is one of my big pet peeves since I sleep in a King Bed at home! These rooms have one King Bed and only sleep two people. (Three if the third guest is a child age 2 and under, and sleeps in a Pack & Play.)

Preferred Room – Preferred Rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach are located in buildings 24, 25, 26, 31, 32, or 33. They are closest to Old Port Royale where the food court, bus transportation, etc. can be found.

Pirate Rooms – Standard or Water View – These adorable themed rooms can be found in buildings 34 – 39. They have two full-sized beds and sleep up to four guests. They come in both Standard and Water Views.

Which is our choice? The Preferred Room is the perfect choice for a family of four! (If you need that 5th Sleeper, go with the Water or Pool View!) At a resort as spread out as Caribbean Beach, the Standard Rooms are just too far from everything. While the Preferred Rooms at Caribbean Beach only offer a Standard View, the location is really what makes them worth the price. But if view is more important to you than location, go with the Water or Pool View!

Why not the Pirate Rooms? One big reason – the Pirate Rooms still have full-sized beds! The rest of the resort has been upgraded to Queen Beds but the frames of the Pirate Beds are full-sized. No thank you! Also, these are located quite far out at the resort.

A Standard Room at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Photo Courtesy of Disney

Disney’s Coronado Springs and Gran Destino Tower

Disney’s Coronado Springs was my first experience with a Walt Disney World moderate resort way back in 1997 when it first opened. My husband and I stayed there on our honeymoon and fell in love with the resort! Since then it has undergone some dramatic changes and upgrades with the addition of Gran Destino Tower. This newest addition brings the room total to a whopping 2384!

Tailored to corporate convention clients, Disney’s Coronado Springs has the most categories of any Walt Disney World resort. For the purposes of this post, I will break it out by the original Coronado Springs resort rooms, and the categories in the new Gran Destino Tower below.

Standard View – Standard View Rooms at Coronado Springs have a view of the Courtyard or parking lot. They are located throughout the resort.

Water View – Water View Rooms offer a view of one of the pools, or the lake. This category is specific to what you see when you look out the window, not where it is located in the resort.

Preferred Room – Preferred rooms are located in the Casitas buildings, closest to El Centro. As opposed to the Water View rooms, Preferred refers only to the location, and not the view. You can have a Preferred Room but a Standard View.

King Bed – King Bed rooms come in Standard, Water, or Preferred View. They are located in almost every building. These rooms have one King Bed and only sleep two people. (Three if the third guest is a child age 2 and under, and sleeps in a Pack & Play.)

Casitas – 1 Bedroom Suite – The 1-bedroom Suite sleeps up to six adults. It has two Queen beds in the bedroom, and a queen-sized pull out sofa in the living room.

Casitas – Executive Suite – The Casitas Executive Suite sleeps up to 8 adults. It has one King bed in one bedroom, two Queen beds in the second bedroom, and a queen-sized pull out sofa in the living room.

1 Bedroom Suite – King – The 1-Bedroom Suite- King sleeps up to 4 adults and has a King bed in the bedroom, and a queen-sized pull out sofa in the living room.

Which is our choice? Sure, it would be easy to say that our choice would be the Suites. But in all honesty, my budget does not run to Suites! So for my money, I will always choose a Preferred King Room at Coronado Springs.

A Standard Room at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Photo Courtesy of Disney

Gran Destino Tower – Rooms and Suites

The rooms in the Gran Destino Tower have similar categories to Coronado Springs, but are all located in the same Tower building.

Tower Standard View – Standard View rooms in Gran Destino Tower have a view of the Courtyard, Landscaping, or Parking Lot.

Tower – King – King Bed rooms can be located anywhere in the Tower, with any view. These rooms have one King Bed and only sleep two people. (Three if the third guest is a child age 2 and under, and sleeps in a Pack & Play.)

Tower Water View – Water View rooms can have a view of the pools or lake.

Tower Club Level Rooms – Standard View, Deluxe Suite, 1-Bedroom Suite, Presidential Suite – Club Levels rooms and Suites at Gran Destino include access to the Chronos Club. Guests staying Club Level at Gran Destino will be greeted in the lobby and whisked in a private elevator to the Chronos Club for private check in. The Club serves snacks and light food offerings throughout the day, along with wine & beer in the evenings. Rooms range from Standard View which sleeps up to four adults, up to the Presidential Suite, which sleeps up to six adults.

Which is our choice? This comes as no surprise to our readers and listeners of the podcast – Club Level!! We love a Club Level room and to have this option at a moderate resort is music to our ears.

A Water View Room at Gran Destino Tower. Photo Courtesy of Disney

Port Orleans French Quarter

Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter is my favorite moderate resort. At just over 1000 rooms, it is the smallest of the Walt Disney World moderate resorts. So small in fact, that they don’t even have Preferred Rooms!

Standard View – At French Quarter, Standard View specifically refers to what you see when you look out the window, not the location. Standard View rooms have views of air conditioning units, parking lots, or other less-than-desirable views.

Garden View – Garden View rooms have a view of landscaping or greenery. They are located throughout the resort.

Pool View – As opposed to other moderate resorts which have a “water” view room, French Quarter specifies exactly what type of water you will be looking at! Pool view rooms offer a view of the one pool – Doubloon Lagoon.

River View – French Quarter is located along the Sassagoula River, which has boat transportation to Disney Springs. These rooms have great views but are the furthest from the Main building and bus transportation. (But closest to the boat launch!)

King Bed – These rooms have one King Bed and only sleep two people. (Three if the third guest is a child age 2 and under and sleeps in a Pack & Play.) King Bed rooms at French Quarter are often corner rooms, which gives them twice the number of windows!

Which is our choice? The Garden View Rooms are the perfect combination of a lovely view of greenery, without the noise associated with the Pool or River view rooms. A close second of course is the King Bed room!

A Standard Room at Disney’s French Quarter Resort. Photo Courtesy of Disney

Port Orleans Riverside

The sister resort to French Quarter, Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort is twice as big as it’s little sister at over 2000 rooms. French Quarter and Riverside are the only moderate resorts that allow guests pool-hopping privileges at both resorts! A quick walk long the Sassagoula River connects the two resorts allowing for plenty of back and forth.

Riverside is divided into two sections – the more “rustic” feeling Alligator Bayou, and the more genteel Magnolia Bend.

Standard View – Standard View rooms can be found in most buildings. These rooms will be the furthest from the pool, food court, etc. They will have views of parking lots, or air conditioning units, or of greenery.

Standard View – 5th Sleeper – Basically a standard view room with a “banquette” bed for a fifth person! The banquette bed masquerades as a bench during the day, then folds down to reveal a small twin bed at night. It is definitely meant for a child, or a very small adult!

Woods View – Riverside is a heavily wooded resort, so instead of the Garden View like at French Quarter, Riverside has Woods View. Translation? You are looking at wilder trees and vegetation as opposed to cultivated gardens like at French Quarter.

Woods View – 5th Sleeper – These Woods Views rooms have the Banquette Bed for a 5th sleeper.

Pool View – Riverside also differentiates between what type of water you can see from your room. Pool view rooms offer views of one of the pools at Riverside.

Pool View – 5th Sleeper – These rooms have the Banquette Bed for a 5th sleeper.

King Bed – These rooms have one King Bed and only sleep two people. (Three if the third guest is a child age 2 and under, and sleeps in a Pack & Play.)

Preferred Room – Preferred Rooms are located in Alligator Bayou, closest to Riverside Mill food court, and the main bus stop. They can have any view.

River View – Riverside is also located along the Sassagoula River, which has boat transportation to Disney Springs. These rooms have great views but are the furthest from the Main building and bus transportation. (But closest to the boat launch!)

Royal Guest Rooms – Standard View, River View, Woods View – Port Orleans Riverside has specially themed rooms known as the Royal Guest Rooms. The story goes that Princess Tiana has decorated these rooms for her fellow Disney royal guests! Unlike the Pirate Rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach, these themed rooms do have two Queen Beds. They are located in Magnolia Bend. They come in Standard, River, or Woods Views.

Which is our choice? I bet you thought I would say Preferred or King right? Wrong! I actually love the Royal Guest Rooms – River View. The theming is just adorable without being over the top. And having the ability to choose my view means that I have a little more control over my location! I like the Royal Guest Room – River View.

A Standard Room at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort. Photo Courtesy of Disney

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness

Ok right now, after having written the million and two room categories at the resorts above, The Cabins at Fort Wilderness may be my new favorite moderate resort! Okay, not really, but I am very appreciative that there is literally one moderate category – the Wilderness Cabins. There are over 400 Wilderness Cabins at Fort Wilderness, but they are all identical in terms of layout and view.

But Sara – Fort Wilderness has more categories for tents, RVs, etc?! Yes – but those are a resort category unto themselves. Only the Cabins are considered a moderate resort!

Wilderness Cabins – These stand alone log cabins sleep up to six adults. There is a bedroom with a Queen bed, and twin bunk beds. Then in the living room, there is a queen-sized pull out sofa. The cabins have one bathroom and a full kitchen. Outside there is a deck with a picnic table and a grill!

A Wilderness Cabin at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. Photo Courtesy of Disney

So Which Is Our Ultimate Perfect Resort Room Category at Walt Disney World?!

There are so many great options for room categories at the Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts! It’s almost impossible to choose a winner. It really depends on what kind of trip it is – family trip, girls trip, a “Do Less, Enjoy More” trip? But if you hold my feet to the fire, chances are I will always choose a Garden View Room at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter as my go-to room.

Which is your favorite room category at your favorite resort? Let us know in the comments!

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