Ranking the Skyliner Hotels
Four resorts share Disney's best transportation system. They are not created equal.
Jul 3, 2026 · 4 min read
TL;DR
Four resorts share the Skyliner, and they are not created equal. Our order, worst to first: Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera on top. Pick on price, location, or theming; Riviera wins everything but the bill.
The Skyliner is the best perk at Walt Disney World that nobody prices in when they book. Four resorts sit on the line (two value, one moderate, one deluxe), and picking between them is really a question of what you're optimizing for: price, location, or the room itself. Here's our order, worst to first.
4. Disney's Art of Animation Resort
Full disclosure up front: I haven't stayed here. This is from walking the grounds and visiting, not a night in the room. But even as a visitor it's obvious who Art of Animation is for. If you've got little kids who love Cars, Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid, or The Lion King, the theming is an event. The Cars courtyard in particular is the best "let the kids run around and lose their minds" space on the whole property.
The catches are real, though. The value-priced standard rooms are the Little Mermaid section, and they're both the farthest walk from everything (roughly a ten-minute walk to the lobby and food court, plus another eight or so to the Skyliner station) and motel-style, with exterior corridors and a smaller footprint. Some families love that setup; others bounce off it hard. It's also the priciest "value" resort Disney sells: Little Mermaid rooms start around $250 a night in 2026, and the Cars, Nemo, and Lion King family suites run north of $500.
Still, for a family on a budget that's here for the kids, Art of Animation punches way above its class. It only lands at #4 because on this particular line, everything above it does more for the grown-ups too.
3. Disney's Pop Century Resort
Pop is Art of Animation's across-the-lake neighbor (the two share a Skyliner station), and I'll say up front I haven't stayed here either. But the pitch writes itself: it's the smart-money value pick. You get the same Skyliner access for meaningfully less money, and unlike Art of Animation, every room is a standard room, so you're not paying a family-suite premium you don't need.
The theming is a walk through the decades: giant Big Wheels, a four-story Rubik's Cube, oversized nostalgia that begs to be photographed on the way to the gondola. The rooms caught the property-wide refresh a few years back, so they feel current: hard flooring, a proper queen setup, more storage. If you're treating the room as a place to sleep between park days and the Skyliner as your commute, Pop is the one that leaves the most money in your pocket.
2. Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
Caribbean Beach is the older resort on the line, and it doesn't hide it. But it has the single best structural advantage of any of them: it's the Skyliner hub. Every route on the system passes through the Caribbean Beach station, which means you're boarding at the source. Easy hops to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and the other resorts without the transfer being a chore, as long as you're not stuck in one of the farther-flung villages, because this place sprawls (pack the good shoes). Request a room near the main hall and Old Port Royale and the whole calculus improves.
The location perk that surprised me most: you're a short stroll from Riviera. Being able to walk over and grab a coffee at Le Petit Café (Riviera's little walk-up espresso spot) from a moderate-priced room is a nice bit of borrowed luxury. And the on-site dining holds its own: Sebastian's Bistro is quietly one of the better table-service meals at any moderate.
The pool area is heavily themed and, no exaggeration, beautiful, and the food on the pool deck is better than it has any right to be. Caribbean Beach isn't for everyone, but for the price and that hub location, it's hard to beat for what it is.
1. Disney's Riviera Resort
Being the newest resort on the Skyliner line, it's no wonder Riviera lands at number one. But really, what doesn't this place offer? Top-tier dining (Topolino's Terrace is one of the best meals and best character breakfasts on all of Walt Disney World, with a rooftop view to match), beautiful grounds, effortless Skyliner access one stop from both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, the full slate of deluxe perks, and DVC options if you're buying in or renting points. Name it and Riviera has it.
The only real downside is the price. It's the expensive one, no way around that. But two things soften the blow: go in the off-season and the rates come down more than you'd expect, and a good DVC point rental can put a studio here within reach of something close to moderate money. For everything you get, it's the most complete resort on the line, and it isn't close.
Stayed at all four? You know what to do: get them rated in the app.