As a Walt Disney World Weekend Warrior who incessantly books solo “analysis journeys” on the final minute, I typically don’t care the place I keep. Which is partly out of necessity, as a result of resort occupancy has been comparatively excessive over the previous couple of years–even after pent-up demand has pale.
Though we’re DVC members, that’s by no means an choice on the final minute. Effectively, except I need a stray evening at Previous Key West, Saratoga Springs, or some random bigger bed room villa. I don’t suppose Sarah can be too happy if I blew our annual factors allotment on that, so we have a tendency to save lots of these stays for household journeys which can be deliberate additional upfront.
Normally, I’m simply selecting the most suitable choice out of no matter is obtainable on the final minute. There are a couple of occasions this has gotten me right into a jam. I discovered way back that you have to ebook Jersey Week and Veterans Day dates at the least a couple of months out, as I as soon as needed to stalk the reserving web site ready for a cancellation. Different dates I are inclined to journey have gotten equally tough, together with the beginning of EPCOT Pageant of the Arts.
As I’ve talked about earlier than, the 2 resorts the place I keep most incessantly are Coronado Springs and All Star Sports activities. I really simply returned from a keep on the former in Gran Destino Tower (which I really like), together with the Little Mermaid rooms at Artwork of Animation. I didn’t thoughts the break up keep–it’d be some time since I’ve finished Artwork of Animation, the {discount} was inexplicably good, and I wished to check Early Entry through the Skyliner over peak season dates.
There’s some extent to all of this, which is that the 2 Worth and Average Resorts I’ve discovered to persistently have the perfect final minute availability are Coronado Springs and All Star Sports activities. This isn’t massively stunning, as Coronado Springs will be feast or famine relying on whether or not it’s internet hosting a big conference. In that case, there’s no availability. If not, it’s typically large open in quite a lot of room classes.
All Star Sports activities has an identical dynamic with youth sporting occasions. Unsurprisingly, it’s the most well-liked resort for ESPN Huge World of Sports activities contributors, and there are normally giant chunks of rooms blocked off for these athletes and their households. So it’s an identical story there, particularly within the late winter and early spring when these occasions are extra frequent. Now that Pop Warner is gone, the identical isn’t true through the vacation season.
This ‘availability abundance’ is one thing I’ve seen for the final 2+ years, and it now appears that Walt Disney World is doing one thing to deal with it: greater reductions at each All Star Sports activities and Coronado Springs Resorts than their Worth and Average Resort counterparts. At first, I assumed this was one-time factor or maybe a worth mistake, however with this dynamic as soon as once more current within the newest spherical of particular presents operating by means of October, I figured it was value shortly stating.
In most people {discount} that’s out there proper now (by means of April 30), each All Star Sports activities and Coronado Springs Resorts have choices within the high tier providing 25% off. In contrast, the opposite All Stars, Pop Century, and Caribbean Seaside solely supply 15% off. Commonplace rooms at Artwork of Animation are 10% off.
On the subject of the ‘Keep Longer & Save Extra’ particular supply that runs by means of October 11, 2025, Coronado Springs peaks on the 30% off degree and All Star Sports activities is within the 25% off tier. This isn’t fairly as massive of a distinction as the sooner supply, as their counterparts are within the tiers instantly beneath. So it’s solely a 5% distinction, but it surely all provides up.
It’s an identical story for Annual Passholders and Florida residents, with these two lodges showing in one of many high two tiers and providing financial savings of 30% or 35% off relying on the dates this spring, summer time, and early fall. The king mattress rooms at Coronado are as much as 40% off. To the perfect of my data, each single room-only {discount} launched so far in 2025 has adopted this pattern with superior financial savings at All Star Sports activities and Coronado Springs, so it’s seemingly that is the brand new regular going ahead.
Up till a few years in the past, I don’t recall seeing this sort of dynamic. It was the case that the highest tier of reductions was for Deluxe/Deluxe Villa Resorts, the center tier was for Moderates, and the subsequent tier was for Worth Resorts. Generally there’d be a backside tier with a hodgepodge of extra in style resorts, however even that wasn’t frequent.
Value variations had been achieved through rack charges (e.g. Pop Century has greater base charges than the All Stars) or categorical exclusions (for the longest time, the Little Mermaid rooms had been by no means discounted). Accordingly, {discount} tiers had been extra simple.
That’s exactly why we’re calling consideration to this. If you happen to’re a longtime Walt Disney World fan, you’re most likely aware of the ‘previous days’ of {discount} tiers, and possibly nonetheless accustomed to these.
It’s additionally attainable that even first-timers have already got resorts booked on the premise of rack charges, so maybe you booked French Quarter or All Star Music not since you had a robust desire, however since you’d want these resorts for no matter cause, all else being equal.
Effectively, the truth is that pricing typically is not equal post-discount as of 2025. All Star Sports activities and Coronado Springs Resorts are sometimes significantly cheaper after making use of particular presents. Right here’s a pricing comparability throughout varied dates and reductions:
Precise post-discount costs are going to fluctuate based mostly in your journey dates and room class availability. As somebody who feels strongly that Most popular Rooms are one of many Worst Wastes of Cash at Walt Disney World, I’ll seldom go for these (except I’ve no different choice).
Which is to say that I’ll contemplate transferring up lodges versus classes. The final screenshot is an efficient instance of this. If I had been confronted with a selection of a Most popular Room at All Star Motion pictures for $125 or an ordinary room at Pop Century for $141, I’m completely taking the latter. The Skyliner is definitely worth the improve price.
Then again, if it’s Pop Century for $141 or All Star Sports activities for $98, I’m virtually definitely taking the underneath $100 per evening room. I just like the Skyliner, however not sufficient to drop over $40 per evening on it, particularly throughout storm season (and after my current Early Entry expertise). I might put the unfold to a few Uber/Lyfts per day and nonetheless come out forward.
It’s an identical state of affairs with Coronado Springs vs. Caribbean Seaside.
Caribbean Seaside is my private favourite Average Resort, and I’ve come to like each the Skyliner and its slate of facilities (I additionally stroll over to Riviera loads to make use of these). Out of the Moderates, the one resort with an identical (if not higher) slate is Coronado Springs because of the core resort plus Gran Destino Tower.
The difference-maker for me is thus once more the Skyliner, and the premium pricing for CBR is normally an excessive amount of. French Quarter is one other resort I’d contemplate as a substitute for Coronado if the costs are shut, however truthfully, CSR is only a higher match for my weekend warrior type journeys. That’s me, although. If the distinction is ~$10/evening, I’d most likely suggest French Quarter to the overwhelming majority of Walt Disney World friends.
After all, all of this assumes I’ve a lot of a selection within the first place. I normally don’t, as even with superior financial savings, All Star Sports activities and Coronado Springs nonetheless appear to be the desk scraps that stay with commonplace rooms after I’m really going to ebook final minute. (All the above comparisons are a couple of months out, therefore the higher availability.)
I’ve come to take pleasure in each All Star Sports activities and Coronado Springs Resorts for fast commando journeys to Walt Disney World.
I particularly like Sports activities when the resort is just a spot to sleep, bathe, shave, and so forth. You’re solely within the room to crash after a protracted day, and are up early and out the door as quickly as attainable the subsequent morning. The objective is to cram a weeklong journey into a protracted weekend.
Coronado is a greater match (at the least for me) throughout barely longer journeys after I is likely to be inclined to take a noon break (avoiding a noon storm, as an example) and use extra of the facilities. As somebody who routinely “forgets” to eat dinner and/or enjoys a superb fourth meal, I’ve come to enormously respect each Dahlia Lounge and Three Bridges, each of that are underrated gems which can be open till midnight most nights.
Suffice to say, I’m an enormous fan of those resorts and wished to place in one other “plug” for each, however particularly All Star Sports activities for its bottom-dollar pricing because of superior financial savings on the particular supply charts. That is a part of our ongoing “initiative” to destigmatize the Worth Resorts, as we expect manner too many Walt Disney World followers flip their noses up at them.
Their opinion typically isn’t grounded within the current high quality of those lodges, however in preconceived notions or stays many years in the past. If you happen to ask a few of them when was the final time they stayed on the All Stars, the commonest reply will likely be “by no means.” On the danger of stating the apparent, it’s unimaginable to have an knowledgeable opinion on one thing you haven’t skilled. Nonetheless, this results in many first-timers or rare guests fearing the cheaper resorts should not “ok” for his or her ceremony of passage holidays.
That couldn’t be farther from the reality. I wouldn’t hold staying at All Star Sports activities if it had been terrible–I can afford the additional $50 per evening or no matter, it comes all the way down to a cost-benefit evaluation for me, and the upside of financial savings normally wins out. In combing by means of my prices for the previous couple of years, the bottom quantity I’ve paid for All Star Sports activities is $88 per evening and the very best is $139 per evening. If you happen to’re going by common public reductions, anticipate to pay $100 to $160 per evening–possibly extra throughout peak seasons. That’s nonetheless impressively low for an on-site resort.
There are definitely cheaper choices in Central Florida. Doing a fast search, I see choices for round $50 per evening. After eliminating the shady choices the place I wouldn’t be snug staying, there are $75 to $95 lodges. If I wished to remain at Flamingo Crossing or the Disney Springs Resort Space, I’d really be paying about the identical price as All Star Sports activities. In lots of instances, extra.
Regardless, the issue is that none of those are apples to apples comparisons. These are not the “all in” prices of one thing corresponding to All Star Sports activities. You’re going to pay for some mixture of parking and transportation (doubtlessly each), after which there’s the worth of Early Entry–and what a substitute for that like Lightning Lane Multi-Move will price you.
The underside line is that the off-site alternate options should not as environment friendly and sometimes find yourself costing extra when you account for every part. If you happen to’re involved with saving cash and even time, it’s tough to beat All Star Sports activities so far as funds choices go or Coronado Springs Resort for a mid-tier choice at Walt Disney World. Clearly, these resorts aren’t for everybody–however they shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand, both, particularly at these decrease costs because of being within the high tier of the 2025 particular presents.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on these lodges providing superior financial savings to the counterparts of their lessons? Have you ever stayed at All Star Sports activities or Coronado Springs Resorts? What did you consider the general expertise? How do you suppose these choices examine to 3rd occasion or off-site lodging? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Listening to your suggestions about your experiences is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas or questions beneath within the feedback!
