3. Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

Image: DisneyEarlier, I mentioned that Caribbean Beach has risen in my estimation in recent months due to new additions. Had I written this article a few months from now, the same might be true of Coronado Springs. The resort’s massive 15-story building expansion, Gran Destino Tower, may change my opinion.

Until I stay there, however, my experiences with Coronado Springs are primarily negative, a rarity for Disney. The expansive resort is confusing, and the logistics are poor. The restaurants are forgettable as well. The only activity that I enjoy here is the Lost City of Cibola Pool, and even a brilliantly themed pool like this one won't change my overall opinion of Disney's worst Moderate Tier resort. I hope that Gran Destino Tower changes everything. I really do. Disney shouldn’t have any mediocre properties in its catalog.

2. Disney’s BoardWalk Inn

Image: DisneyThe grass is always greener on the other side. In the case of BoardWalk Inn, the hotel across the water, the one that guests can see from their rooms, is vastly superior. I’m speaking of Disney’s Beach Club Resort, the home of Stormalong Bay. This pool is like having a water park in the backyard, but it’s only available to guests staying at Beach Club. Meanwhile, the pool at BoardWalk is the one with the creepy clown.

In terms of restaurants, BoardWalk Inn has none of its own, although it connects to a few on the actual BoardWalk. Two of them Trattoria al Forno and Flying Fish, are pretty good, but neither one is on my family’s dining must-list. Conversely, Beach Club has Beaches & Cream and Cape May Café, both of which we adore.

The primary positives for the BoardWalk involve logistics. It’s a 10-15 minute walk away from Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a much shorter stroll to Epcot’s International Gateway. These amenities are terrific, but Beach Club has the same ones, although the Hollywood Studios walk is a few minutes longer. Since the two resorts cost the same, BoardWalk has never done a thing for us. Even as Disney Vacation Club members, we only book it when we’re desperate.

1. Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

Image: DisneyDisney’s marketing team knows what they’re doing. They price everything efficiently. When something seems too good to be true, it usually is. In the case of the All-Star resorts, the price is low because the value is low. You’re staying here for a cheap room, and that’s about it.

I actually think that the All-Star properties get kind of a bad rap. Most hotels in the country have similar rack rates if not higher, and none of them has special Disney touches or are, you know, at Walt Disney World. In terms of value, they’re fantastic. It’s just that they simply cannot compare to other Disney resorts in terms of amenities. Since Disney builds them to cater to a large volume of budget-conscious consumers, these hotels are also immense and crowded.

All-Star Sports is the worst of them for several reasons. Disney packages events at the ESPN Wide World of Sports with hotel stays here. When you stay at All-Star Sports, you’re in a low-rent (by Disney standards) hotel that’s swamped with loud kids, many of whom are brimming with adrenaline for their sporting events. It can be a nightmarish reminder of the horrors of elementary and middle school.

Unless you absolutely have no other choice, you should pick one of the other All-Star hotels over this one. To a larger point, it's the worst resort at Walt Disney World, which borders on a compliment to Imagineers. What I am describing as their most significant failure is a triumph to most hoteliers.