Attention Value Resort fans-your opinions please!!

[perla75]

Hi there,

After careful consideration & pricing, we are considering staying at a Value resort for our next trip.

We have never stayed (or even visited) at a Value before (only moderate & deluxe), but we want to give it a shot-we looked on Youtube at the different choices & liked all of them except for All Star Sports (just due to theming preference), but we would like some help in deciding which one would be best for us.

A little about us:
-We are a couple in our early 30's w/no kids
-Our favorite theme park is Epcot. We will be visiting all of the parks (except water parks), but would probably do Epcot a little bit more than the others.
-We would definately want a king sized bed.

For ASMu, I think we like the building with the huge banjo the best (b/c I play banjo!). What is the name of it & where is it situated?

For ASMo, we like the Toy Story building the best. Where is that situated?

For Pop, I'm not sure what the different buildings are-can you tell me?

Some more questions:

-Which Value tends to have the least crowded buses (during value season)? We dont mind bus transport at all, but we just want to be able to get to and from the parks in a timely fashion.
-Do all the values have king beds & do you pay extra for them?
-Do any of the Values have a little bit of an Epcot view?
-How are the food courts?
-Are all of the All Stars walking distance to each other? Do you share all of the pools? Can you take any All Star bus to return home (we don't mind walking, as long as there are paths and it's allowed)
-Do these resorts come with a room fridge? If so, is it the same size as the moderate room fridges? If not, how much does it cost to rent one &/or what is a "fridge swap"?
-Do the values have any holiday decorations?

Please complete the poll & offer your suggestions-thanks!!

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

We are in our 30's with no kids and really enjoyed POP and will be going back next year.

Just an FYI but there is no guarantee that you will get a king room and then if you do it could be a handicap room with shower only.

We did luck out and get a king room when we went but they are very limited.

 

[VAN]

I've stayed at POP and at ASMu ... I hope I don't get flamed here, but I really don't see that much difference in the value resorts. Yes, they have different icons on the buildings, but they are all basically the same.

Remember that it is a "Value" and it will be pretty basic.

If you are on a tight budget and will be at the parks a lot ... I think the Values are GREAT. However, if you want to hang out at the resort a lot, want it convenient to the parks (by walking, boat or monorail), etc you may want to look at a Moderate or Deluxe.

I don't believe they come with refrigerators ... Just a hairdryer, safe, and iron+board... Otherwise, it is just your regular motel room ... bathroom, bed, TV, small table and side chairs.

We had a wonderful experience both times ... the rooms were clean and we had good service at the front desk, etc. But it is a "Value" resort in the land of some very, very nice resorts (i.e. bottom of the food chain).

 

[goofy4tink]

I've stayed at ASMusic as well as POP. When at Music, I stayed in the Jazz bldg. I liked it well enough. But that was the only time I've stayed in an AllStar resort. I have stayed at POP 4 times now, with number 5 coming in Sept and number 6 in Dec!
I like the food court at POP much better than the food court at Music..more options. I like the physical plant of POP better. As for where in POP to suggest, it varies. If you want a king bed, that may limit you. I would suggest requesting the king bed as your primary request then any others after that.
There is an Epcot view from POP. It is best on the higher floors in the 50's bldgs...2 and 3. I was in bldg 2 of 50's, on the third, of four, floor way to the end of the bldg. I would just leave my room, turn left and I was at the end of the bldg and had a clear view of Spaceship Earth. Now, the view you get of IllumiNations is not all that great. But, you do get a view of the high up fireworks.

The buses at POP are actually quite good. They don't make any other stops on the way to and from the parks. The buses at the AllStars are combined...Music and Sports always share a bus and sometimes Movies is added to the group.

Fridges cost an addtl $10 a day at the values. I don't do the swaps...way too much trouble for me..that addlt cost is a no-brainer for me.

You can walk between the resorts at the AllStars. In fact, some people take the Music bus instead of the Movies bus because they can just cross a parking lot and they are at their room. You are entitled to use any of the pools at any of the AllStar resorts.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've stayed at POP and at ASMu ... I hope I don't get flamed here, but I really don't see that much difference in the value resorts. Yes, they have different icons on the buildings, but they are all basically the same.

Remember that it is a "Value" and it will be pretty basic.

If you are on a tight budget and will be at the parks a lot ... I think the Values are GREAT. However, if you want to hang out at the resort a lot, want it convenient to the parks (by walking, boat or monorail), etc you may want to look at a Moderate or Deluxe.

I don't believe they come with refrigerators ... Just a hairdryer, safe, and iron+board... Otherwise, it is just your regular motel room ... bathroom, bed, TV, small table and side chairs.

We had a wonderful experience both times ... the rooms were clean and we had good service at the front desk, etc. But it is a "Value" resort in the land of some very, very nice resorts (i.e. bottom of the food chain).

No flaming here...to each his own. I find that the rooms at the values are very similar in size to the moderates. Yes, you get a fridge at a moderate but for the difference in price, I can pay extra for one at POP.
As for transportation options, I just want to be sure everyone realizes that the moderates have bus only transportation to the parks. Yes, POR and POFQ have the boat that goes to DTD but no place else. There are no boats or monorails or walking from the moderate resorts to the parks.

 

[kakiegirl]

Hi! I can't answer most of your questions but I will help with what I can. I voted All Star Music for you just because of reading on these and other boards it seems like alot of people without children prefer music and say it is quieter and another plus for it is the rooms have been redone recently. We have stayed at all three. We stayed at Music in April and were right by the pool so it was not that quiet where we were but did not bother us. We prefer All Star Movies Toy Story Section. We like All Star Movies because to us it is the resort with the most disney fell to it. We like the Toy Story Section because it is close to everything but a little out of the way so it seems quieter to me.

Out of the three we prefer the food court at Movies but they were all good and had a good variety. Probaby just because that is our favorite resort.

To us the buses at the All Stars seemed quicker than at the Pop but you will get different opinions with that. We only stayed at the Pop for one weekend so it may have just been on off weekend. The All Stars do sometimes share a bus or during busy times they often have a designated bus for each resort. With just a few rare occassions we have never had any problems at all with the buses.

You can walk to the All Star Music from the Movies and you can use any of the pools at any of the All Star Resorts if you are staying there.

The standard beds in the Values are two doubles. I do believe you can request a King but like all other requests it is not guaranted. I am not sure if there is an additional charge

I hope this answers a few of your questions from my opinon at least. You will get differing opinions based on others likes and dislikes. We love the value resorts and I do not think you will go wrong with whatever choice you make.

 

[MapleGirl]

DH and I stayed at the Pop last January and loved it. The theming is fun and the gardens are nicely kept. One of the best parts is the music. DH and I kept singing along (quietly) while we were waiting for the buses. We didn't use the pools, but they looked nice. The food court was just that, a food court. Not fine dining, but they had a cute bar and pick-up meals. They also had a slushy machine. We had a king room (not a handicap room). There was plenty of space for us. Enjoy your trip.

 

[karajeboo]

We have stayed at POP twice now and will probably be there again next year! We love the fun themeing, like others have said the food court is great! We've never had a problem with transportation (except a bus that broke down but that could have happened coming from ANY resort!), and it sounds like you're going to spend most of your time in the parks anyway. If you're like us, your room is for a shower and a bed, and POP is great for that! Enjoy!

I also agree with a PP who said they don't see much differenece between a value and a mod - we stayed at POR in March and I must admit that I can't justify the price difference either (we only do it when we get a great FL resident rate!) as the rooms are only slightly larger in a mod, and the transportation is about the same.

 

[spiceycat]

Pop has a lake the other values don't.

that does it for me. also the frozen cokes.... the pools.

you can see the fireworks from Epcot in the 50's parking lot and in some of the 50's building - also when you get off the bus you can see the fireworks.

the other value resorts are not near enough to any of the parks to see fireworks.

the Pop is closest to Studios (Disney's Hollywood) and Epcot.

 

[suzimar57]

pop century lovers here!

 

[princesstinkerbelle]

love POP!! by far the best value resort...we love the food court and the transportation is really efficient.

 

[tinkerbell*Xo]

I have stayed at All of the All stars and most recently the pop century. My boyfriend and I in our 20's in the last 2 years have stayed at the movies and pop. I found that the Pop century has the least amount of bus wait time as they dont have to share the bus with any other resorts where as the all stars share buses.
-I know we walked from the Music to the Movies and it was a short distance. they are all in the same general area.
The Pop and Movies have been decorated beautifully for christmas the past 2 years previously the movies and *** have been decorated very nice for easter and halloween.
-Each of the All Stars has at least 2 pools, the POP has 3?
- at the pop we had a prefered room so it was close to the busses and we had a nice view of mickey mouse we also had a small fridge that fit a our leftovers from dinner and a 6 pack of beer. I have never been to a moderate so im not sure. I know that you can also rent a fridge but im not sure of the price. We had a king sized bed which was not even requested
At the all star movies the toy story building is on the left of the main building and main pool, it's very close.
I don't remember where the banjo building is at the music. If it comes back to me I will let you know!

The Pop buildings are based on different Eras its very colourful and they have roger rabit, jungle book, lady and the tramp and mickey icons! as well as very cool mr and mrs potato head. It also has a bridge over a lake.

I have never spotted any views of epcot.


Hope this Helps, I love the value resorts but have never stayed at any other resorts other than all of the values. I am staying the Poly for the first time in Dec.
Have a great trip

 

[MuseumMouse]

DH and I are early 30s with no kids (yet!) and we love Pop. This year will be the first time staying anywhere else (music) so we'll be able to better compare, but we are big Pop fans. Love the theming for our generation, and have been happy with the transportation.

As others have said, you can add a fridge to your room for $10 a night. You can request a king bed but it's not guaranteed and is based on availability.

The only real difference among the value resorts, though, is the theming. Once you're inside your room you will hardly be able to tell which one you're at, other than you will have a different bedspread and wallpaper border! Room size and layout is all identical. If you're like us and really only slep and shower at your resort then it might not even matter where you end up.

 

[Kaler131]

Pop ROCKS! (like the candy....no pun intended)

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

My DS and I stayed at ASMu before we had kids and found it to be quieter (not that there isn't noise...just a little less chaotic) than the other values.

We also really like the food court there.

I'm sure you will be happy no matter which you choose, though! Enjoy!

 

[bzzymom]

We are in our 30's with kids and we have stayed at all of the all star resorts. We like the movies, mostly because of the theming. My parents are 50's and travel to WDW at least yearly. They like ASmusic best because they say that the mattresses are the most comfortable. Supposedly they got new beds a year or so ago. They request the handicapped accessible room because my mom has mobility issues and needs the extra grab bars in the shower area. Those rooms have a king size bed and a small refrigerator. The rental refrigerators are bigger. However, they don't always get a handicapped room because they don't guarentee them.

 

[perla75]

Thanks so much for these replies! We are leaning towards Pop, based on these reviews, the frozen cokes, and I didn't realize that the All Stars didnt have a lake. I'm not sure why the lake is all the sudden important to me, but it is.

So, you can't pay extra for a garunteed King bed? Bummer....I guess we'll just put in the request and hope for the best!

We are well aware of the downgrades from mods or deluxes, and I think we'll be ok. We are tight on money this next year, so it's either go Value, stay off site (which I really don't want to do), or not go at all . We took the bus from CBR & AKL during our last trip & were fine with it. We'll definately rent a fridge or do that fridge swap thing.

I would love to hear any more opinions though, so keep' em comin' if you've got one!

Still would like to know:

-The name of the "banjo building" as AsMu
-More about the different Pop buildings

Thanks!!

*ETA: I found info on the fridge swaps & it seems too confusing. I think we'd rather just pay the daily fridge fee and be done with it.

 

[perla75]

We are in our 30's with kids and we have stayed at all of the all star resorts. We like the movies, mostly because of the theming. My parents are 50's and travel to WDW at least yearly. They like ASmusic best because they say that the mattresses are the most comfortable. Supposedly they got new beds a year or so ago. They request the handicapped accessible room because my mom has mobility issues and needs the extra grab bars in the shower area. Those rooms have a king size bed and a small refrigerator. The rental refrigerators are bigger. However, they don't always get a handicapped room because they don't guarentee them.

They won't garuntee a handicapped accessible room for someone who needs one?? Doesn't that seem unfair?

 

[Amy&Dan]

I said All Star Music. It has the nicest landscaping, tends to have the fewest kids (i.e. its generally quieter), the whole thing has been recently refurbbed so the rooms are fresh, new and have some nice features the other values don't. Sports has also been recently refurbbed but I found that one to be a bit more hectic than Music.

I suggest paying for preferred at Music because due to its design, some of the rooms are a hike from the main area. Not a huge hike but a bigger hike than the other values which all have a circular design so that no building is too far from the main area.

I love all the values, have stayed at them all (Music and Pop mulitple times) but have to say our recent stay at Music was so great, its my favorite.

We generally stay in our DVC or a moderate but I wouldn't hesitate to stay at Music. Heck, my kids sort of missed Music when we stayed at the Poly last month!

Good luck, you cannot make a bad choice, they are all fun resorts.

Oh the different Pop Buildings are the 50's which has huge Lady and the Tramp icons and has some preferred rooms, the 60's which is Baloo and Mowgli and also has some preferred rooms, 70's, Giant Mickey Phone and has some preferred rooms and then there is the 80's and 90's. No preferred rooms in those, not that far from the main areas and often are quieter. There is a quiet pool near those buildings as well as a quiet pool near the 50's building. I think the benefit to being in the 80's or 90's is the quieter atmosphere (most of the time not always) and parking is usually better.

I have to say, I haven't read the whole thread but if its been mentioned, I do NOT think the bus sharing at the All Stars is an issue. They don't always share, in fact in my stays at the all three of them through the years, we shared infrequently and never at night when the parks were closing. Pop doesn't share its true, but is a huge resort. So there's a lot of people using those busses. Food courts are about even in my book. The one I lean towards the least right now is Movies. None of its rooms have been refurbbed and therefore it has the older, smaller tv's (20 inch vs. 27 inch at Pop and Sports and Music) and the old laminate dressers and I think it just needs a refurb. Not in a bad way, I just think its time. I love its theming the most in many ways but since the other two All Stars are refurbbed and Pop is newer, I would pick one of those three. Movies also has the most kids due to that theming.

Have you checked out the pictures on allearsnet.com They have slideshows for all of them. Just make sure you realize that many of the pictures for Music and Sports are pre refurb.

Good luck!

 

[stemikger]

This August will be my fourth year in a row going to Pop.

Enough Said.

We love this place, it brings out the kid in us.

Me: 44 year old Disney Male Fanatic

Wife: 48 year old beautiful lady married to a Disney Fanatic and goes to make her big baby happy.

Daughter: 13 year old Disney Fanatic. The poor kid is just as obsessed as her dad.