We’ve all got our FAVORITE Disney World hotels, right? Personally, I’m a huge fan of Disney’s Pop Century Resort, with its value-level prices and access to the Disney Skyliner. But what about a Disney World hotel that you’d NEVER stay at again? 

We recently asked our DFB readers which hotel in Disney World they’ll never stay at ever again, and we got HUNDREDS of responses. Looking through all the picks, we noticed one CLEAR winner (and we totally could’ve called it), but there was a pretty popular second-place pick that we think might SHOCK you!

Before we get into it, make sure you’re following us on Facebook so that you can respond to our next question and get your opinion into our DFB Blog posts! OK, ready to hear about our readers’ LEAST favorite hotels in Disney World?

The #1 Pick: Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

We bet you could’ve called that one, right? Same!

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort might be one of the CHEAPEST hotels on property, but it’s also one of the least popular among our readers. That’s because this hotel has got a couple of key problems.

First, there are two other All-Star Resorts that have the same low prices but have more interesting theming, according to our readers: Movies and Music. Mario said, “All Star Sports: Out of the All Stars, it’s been the one I’ve liked the least.”

Lots of fans love Disney because of the classic movies and incredible music, but there are fewer who feel passionate about Disney sports. The statues and decorations at the other All-Star Resorts are just more popular and fun for fans of the movies and tunes.

Another problem with Sports specifically is that it’s usually where big groups of students stay when they visit Disney World for cheer, dance, or other sports competitions. These competitions happen a few times a year, and All-Star Sports is a hot spot for where the groups like to stay (which totally fits the theme of their trip). Christina said her least favorite hotel is “All Star because of the noisy youth groups,” and Jeanie said, “It was too noisy.”

Madison brought up one more problem, and this one is true for all three All-Star hotels: She said, “I need the Skyliner.” The Disney Skyliner is a transportation system that connects EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century and Art of Animation Resorts (the last two hotels share one Skyliner station). That means the All-Star hotels are the only value hotels that DON’T have Skyliner access.

Taking the Skyliner is usually faster than the bus, and it’s almost a ride in itself since you get to “fly” above Disney World in gondolas. That transportation system is a huge perk for guests staying at the hotels with Skyliner stations, and it’s one of the main reasons why I pick Pop Century pretty much every time I visit Disney World.

Pop Century and Art of Animation are both value hotels (like the All-Star hotels), but the All-Star ones are almost always the cheapest option overall. Pop Century is the next cheapest, and Art of Animation is the most expensive value resort.

If you’re looking for the cheapest possible hotel at Disney World, you may want to look at hotels that Disney DOESN’T own. There are several good neighbor hotels that are still on Disney World property (and offer free transportation between the hotel and the parks) but boast lower prices than the Disney-owned options.

Learn more about Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort here.

The SURPRISING Runner-Up: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

We’re going from the LEAST expensive hotel in Disney World to one of the MOST expensive resorts! We were a little surprised to see how many people said they’d never stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort again.

The Grand Floridian is a deluxe-level resort, so it’s among the priciest hotels in Disney World. Add to that the fact that it’s a Magic Kingdom area hotel with a stop on the Monorail and it’ll make sense that it’s often THE most expensive of the Disney-owned hotels.

Many of our readers cited the price as the reason why they won’t stay there again (and tbh SAME): David said, “According to my wallet, the Grand Floridian.”

Robin agreed, saying, “Grand Floridian. I can’t justify dropping that much on a room when we’re barely in there.” Robin has a good point — if you’re planning to spend most of your time in the parks, it just might not make sense to spend so much on your hotel room when you’re literally only there to sleep and don’t plan on hanging out much in your room.

James mentioned that they would go back to visit but probably not to stay: “Probably Grand Floridian. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely place and have dropped by for a look around and would do again, but it’s just not my vibe to actually stay in especially given the cost.”

That statement that it’s “not my vibe” was echoed a few times. Luther said, “The Grand Floridian. It’s a wonderful resort but it’s just not me.” The Grand Floridian has a very posh vibe, with marble floors, a grand lobby, and luxurious decorations. Some people absolutely LOVE that, but others aren’t interested in it. It really just depends on your preference!

As someone who stays at value hotels almost exclusively, I can definitely see where our readers are coming from. If someone ELSE is paying, I’d love to stay at the Grand Floridian! But when I’m the one shelling out the cash, I’m totally happy to visit, grab my mac ‘n’ cheese from Gasparilla Island Grill, and then head back to Magic Kingdom (with a stop at the Polynesian Village Resort to grab a DOLE Whip for the trip, of course).

Learn more about the Grand Floridian here!

Honorable Mentions

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

This one BREAKS MY HEART. I have stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge a total of ONE time (there was a great bounce-back offer that made it possible), and I’ve been dying to go back ever since. But when our readers explained WHY they said they’d never go back to Animal Kingdom Lodge, I had to conclude that they have one very good point.

Melissa said that they “stayed there a few years ago and it is a beautiful resort but it is far out from everything. I felt like I was in the bus for hours, but I’m glad to have stayed there.” Melissa is completely right. Pretty much the ONLY downside to Animal Kingdom Lodge is the transportation — for a deluxe resort, it really has awful transportation options. 

The ONLY option if you’re staying here is the bus. No Skyliner, no Monorail, no boats. And because it’s over near Animal Kingdom (duh), it’s pretty far away from the other parks, which means those bus rides will be fairly long.

Kelly agreed, saying “AKL … because it is too far out from everything else … that does NOT mean I wouldn’t want to tour it and eat at Sana’a or one of the other amazing restaurants.”

Even if you don’t stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, I totally agree with Kelly that you SHOULD visit to see the beautiful grounds (and real-life animals on the savanna) and eat at any of the incredible restaurants there. Some of my favorites are Boma, Sanaa, and Jiko.

Learn more about Animal Kingdom Lodge here.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Like Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Caribbean Beach has one fatal flaw. The Achilles heel of this moderate-level hotel is its sheer SIZE.

Larissa summed up the problem: “Caribbean beach… way too spread out … too much walking!” You might get a room right next to the Skyliner station and have easy access to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. (Usually you have to request and possibly pay extra to get a location like that.) OR your room might be located way on the other side of the resort and you’ll have to take a bus to even get to the Skyliner station.

The internal bus loop at this hotel is a DOOZY. If you’ve never heard of internal bus loops, it just means that there are several stops at the same hotel instead of just one main bus stop at the front. Because of the size of Caribbean Beach, there are EIGHT bus stops throughout the resort. That could mean a loooong bus ride in the morning as the bus has to make a bunch more stops throughout the hotel before it can get on its way to whichever park you’re wanting to visit.

Kelly said, “I don’t want to stay in a resort that is so large that it has several bus stops.”

Note that Caribbean Beach isn’t the only hotel in Disney World with an internal bus loop (though it definitely has the most stops). Here’s an overview of all the hotels with internal bus loops and how many stops are on each one:

Port Orleans — Riverside with three stops
Saratoga Springs with five stops
Old Key West with five stops
Coronado Springs with four stops
Caribbean Beach with eight stops

Learn more about Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort here.

Disney’s Riviera Resort

We’ve got to mention one more hotel that was mentioned several times: Disney’s Riviera Resort.

One reader said, “Riviera, overpriced, small and a pain to get to if the skyliner is down. Wouldn’t suit my family’s needs if we were booking a trip.”

The Riviera definitely has some of the smallest rooms of any deluxe-level hotel at Disney World, especially if you’re staying in one of the tower rooms. For the price, it’s a little bit off-putting that the rooms can be so small.

Although the Riviera has a Skyliner station (and is very close to EPCOT), it can sometimes be a pain to get on the Skyliner because it’s a stop on the way from the main hub (at Caribbean Beach) to EPCOT, which means sometimes the gondolas are all full and you just have to wait until an empty one comes along. I’ve been stuck waiting for a long time when all the gondolas were full and there wasn’t room for me to board.

Learn more about Disney’s Riviera Resort here.

Never Say Never!

Lots of our readers reminded us that we should “never say never” when it comes to Disney World hotels! Sherry said, “Doesn’t matter to me. I’m on Disney property I literally sleep and shower there! If I’m paying I can’t afford deluxe but I’d sure stay there on someone else’s dime lol!!!”

I totally agree with Sherry — I would LOVE to stay at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort…just as long as someone’s paying for me! And it’s always fun to try out different hotels to check out the unique theming and eats found at each one.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the choices you need to make for your upcoming Disney World trip (we don’t blame you — there are so many hotel, restaurant, and ride options!), talk to our friends over at Small World Vacations. Their travel agents have tons of experience planning Disney trips, and they can help you make all the right choices for your upcoming vacation!

Stay tuned to DFB for more tips and updates as you plan your upcoming trip!

Click here to see an overview of ALL the hotels in Disney World.

Which Disney World hotel is your FAVORITE? Let us know in the comments!

The post Disney Experts Reveal the Hotel They’ll NEVER Stay In: There Was One CLEAR Winner (and a SURPRISING Runner-Up!) first appeared on the disney food blog.