The WDW News Today Podcast - without News Today · Tom Corless & Eric Morton

What are the Best & Worst Disney World Hotels? - The WDW News Today Podcast: Episode 82

·1 hr 10 min·4 clips

Eric says the Contemporary is “bar none” the worst Disney hotel for dollar value now.

1. The WDW News Today Podcast - without News Today focuses on what Eric Morton and Tom Corliss think are the best and worst Disney World hotels. 2. Eric Morton hosts with Tom Corliss, and their long Disney resort experience shapes every ranking they make. 3. The episode asks which Walt Disney World hotels still justify their price, theme, and location, and which ones no longer do. 4. Eric starts with the All-Star resorts, calling All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports “the worst three” hotels on property. 5. Tom pushes back by saying the All-Stars have better grounds than Pop Century and still show the Disney philosophy of themed value resorts. 6. The conversation compares Disney value resorts with Universal’s Cabana Bay, which Tom says is “leaps and bounds better” than the All-Stars. 7. Eric and Tom both note that the older value rooms at Pop Century and the All-Stars used to feel more distinctive than the current versions. 8. Tom says the themed exterior areas at All-Star Music, like the jazz and country sections, still create a whimsical atmosphere. 9. The discussion turns to Fort Wilderness, where Eric says the shoreline, Trails End, and the cabins have been weakened by recent changes. 10. Eric says the new cabins look like “shipping containers” in the woods, even though he still sees Fort Wilderness as a place with fishing, biking, horses, and RV camping. 11. The Contemporary becomes the harshest single critique, with Eric calling its current rooms “abysmal” and saying the remodel removed the building’s quirky appeal. 12. Eric and Tom both mention the Grand Canyon Concourse, the pink hallways, and the move from the Wave to Steakhouse 71 as part of that decline. 13. Eric says the garden wing can still work for him, especially when the Electrical Water Pageant passes 30 feet from the patio. 14. Tom says the Contemporary’s value is tied mostly to location, not to room quality, and compares it to older Disney hotels with historical significance. 15. The Polynesian comes up next, especially the Island Tower, which Tom calls a “monstrosity” that ruined the shoreline and sight lines. 16. Eric argues that the original tower concept would have worked better if Disney had used the 1960s concept art instead of a brown rectangle. 17. The Grand Floridian gets a softer but still mixed response, with Tom praising Citricos, Grand Floridian Cafe, Narcoossee’s, and the pool areas. 18. Eric says the Grand Floridian is not in his top five, while Tom places Riverside, Old Key West, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, and Yacht Club near the top. 19. The tone is conversational, opinion-driven, and informal, with frequent side trips into Universal, Horror Nights, candy bars, and restaurant memories. 20. Listeners who like Disney resort rankings and design debates will get the most from this episode, while people wanting a tight, single-topic review may skip it.

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