AAA package, 6 nights $1559 - good deal?

[Smithie00]

Disney experts, I need advice on whether or not this is a good value:

It's a promotional package through AAA. $1558.94 for 2 adults and 3 children ages 5,3,& infant at Allstar Movies in a preferred room with 7 day base ticket Plus free dining.

Dates: September 15, 2009 to September 21, 2009 (total of 6 nights)

I know that I want the "free" dining, and that we don't need the Park Hopper (kids can only handle one park per day at this age!). I don't know anything about whether the All Star Movies Value Resort is a dump or a decent place, and I don't know if the total price is a good deal overall. This will be our first Disney adventure, so I'm very nervous about making a mistake!

TIA for your help and advice...

 

[mickeyluvr004]

I never stayed there but my son stayed at the Allstar Music and thought it was great. the only downfall is thin walls is what he said. we stay at the Fort Wilderness Cabins and we love it nice and quiet, The free dining is great you'll love it we are going Sept 13-20

 

[jrasmom]

I just priced it out using your info. at WDW's website and it comes up with the same price, so it's no special "deal" just the price you get from WDW.

I wanted to tell you we stayed @ ASMovies on our first trip and really enjoyed it. The second time we went, last fall, we stayed at Pop Century. WE actually really enjoy the value hotels & won't bump up until we have to (because of kids ages etc.) and even then may just do adjoining rooms @ a Value because we like them so well.

 

[buzz2400]

I have stayed at all the all stars. They are pretty much identical except for the theming. Anyway, the all stars are not dumps. They are well maintained. I have never heard other people in other rooms. I could hear shower and toilet flushing when I was in the bathroom. You do hear people outside walking by but you can always request a room away from the pool areas and you should be alright. The only thing I don't like about the allstars and pop century is the buses. You will most likely have to wait at the end of the day because disney feels it more a priority to get busses to the resorts that cost more to stay.

With regard to the price, disney and aaa have the same prices. the only difference is that with aaa you get a aaa diamond parking pass that lets you park at the parks closer to the entranceway and I believe you get some story telling thing that you can attend. I might be wrong with the latter since it has been awhile since I looked into it.

 

[lovinpoohbear]

Pop is the newest of the values, All star sports and all star music were recently renovated and the new rooms look nice. Go to www.tripadvisor.com to see reviews and recent pics.
All star movies (I stayed in 2005) is the only value that hasn't had a renovation yet. WHen I stayed in 2005, it was showing a lot of wear and tear. I had a good trip but just wanted to let you know in case you were considering the other values.
I am staying at All Star Music in August with Free Dining and I can't wait. They have poolside Movies, bingo and other activities by the pool.

 

[Smithie00]

These are the regular prices? Really? I ran it at the Disney site and it was over $2100. What am I doing wrong? Am I selecting the dining option in correctly?

 

[bumbershoot]

These are the regular prices? Really? I ran it at the Disney site and it was over $2100. What am I doing wrong? Am I selecting the dining option in correctly?

In the past when I've checked out the Free Dining offer, I have to find the spot on the disneyworld website that is a link to the offer. If I just go straight into making a reservation, without clicking on the special offer link, I do not get the special offer.

So I'd clear cookies and cache from your computer, then go back into disneyworld.com, find the Free Dining offer, and click on that link!

 

[sqerlygirl]

We stayed in the Buzz Lightyear building the 1st week in Feb. The rooms were showing some age but were very clean. If I could change one thing, I would have asked for a room on the backside of the building...not facing the courtyard. Kids were out screaming in the courtyard until midnight 2 nights.
I wasn't bothered by any toilets flushing.
We love the pure Disney atmospere. It was too cold to try the pools but they looked great!!
We loved it so much we have booked another trip for Oct....trying Music this time and free dining!!

Charlene

 

[JennSaint]

These are the regular prices? Really? I ran it at the Disney site and it was over $2100. What am I doing wrong? Am I selecting the dining option in correctly?

Go to the disneyworld.com homepage and scroll to the bottom and click on "It's back and free again, Discover a delicious deal". Book it yourself then you'll be in control of your reservation. If you can afford to upgrade to a moderate resort I'd recommend CBR for the ages of your children. The pool area is great for little ones!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

$896.73 is the value of the four seven-day tickets. This means the room is $662.21. This brings the room rate down to $97.67 (plus tax) per night. Since that is the approximate cost for the dining plan for two adults and two children, they are really giving you the room for almost nothing.

 

[billwendy]

Pop is the newest of the values, All star sports and all star music were recently renovated and the new rooms look nice. Go to www.tripadvisor.com to see reviews and recent pics.
All star movies (I stayed in 2005) is the only value that hasn't had a renovation yet. WHen I stayed in 2005, it was showing a lot of wear and tear. I had a good trip but just wanted to let you know in case you were considering the other values.
I am staying at All Star Music in August with Free Dining and I can't wait. They have poolside Movies, bingo and other activities by the pool.

Do the other All Stars or POP have poolside movies? Is this at the "down time" too - like Sept or Oct? I'd LOVE that!!!!

 

[NewEnglandCamper]

I think this is a good deal as we are paying slightly higher at POR because our 3 years are a tad bit older (14, 11, 5) so enjoy the savings!

WDW was $200 more expensive!

Got to love FREE DINING. Can't wait to make my ADRs

 

[mmmbop]

Do the other All Stars or POP have poolside movies? Is this at the "down time" too - like Sept or Oct? I'd LOVE that!!!!

In December 2008 (and our trip in March 2008), my grandmother & I stayed at All Star Music. They had a giant inflatable screen, and had movies if not nightly, then every other night (weather permitting). They also had Bingo, Wii challenges, pool-side dance parties, and some other fun things!
It was pretty cool and I always wanted to join in (and I'm 22 ) but I never seemed to be around when they were having all the activities going on

 

[gilby]

I would do the hopper passes. You need to book your dining reservations ahead of time and you always have to make sure your at the park that your dining reservations are at. We found that we had to hop a few times to go eat.

 

[Smithie00]

Thanks for all the great advice! Most "experts" in their fields are not so patient with n00bs like me!

WRT needing to hop to get to our eating spot - is the problem that I might not be able to make reservations for 2 places in one park in the same day, even in I make them as fair in advance as possible (90 days, right?) Any reason I couldn't just look at that particular day as the right time to hire the Disney babysitting service and have the kids eat pizza in our room?

 

[a1tinkfans]

Disney experts, I need advice on whether or not this is a good value:

It's a promotional package through AAA. $1558.94 for 2 adults and 3 children ages 5,3,& infant at Allstar Movies in a preferred room with 7 day base ticket Plus free dining.

Dates: September 15, 2009 to September 21, 2009 (total of 6 nights)

I know that I want the "free" dining, and that we don't need the Park Hopper (kids can only handle one park per day at this age!). I don't know anything about whether the All Star Movies Value Resort is a dump or a decent place, and I don't know if the total price is a good deal overall. This will be our first Disney adventure, so I'm very nervous about making a mistake!

TIA for your help and advice...

RESEARCH the resort...is it to your liking and family lifestyle?
I do not think you got a "deal" just the typical.
I have AAA and have never used them for a trip actually.. I have found that "requests, like room locations", etc" seem to go more unheeded thru them, YES< it is only a request, but when booked yourself and the CM notes it on their reservation, it seems to carry more weight, IMHO.
..You can call 1407wdisney and ask for the same pkg, see what they say??

Best of luck!!

 

[mickeyluvr004]

Thanks for all the great advice! Most "experts" in their fields are not so patient with n00bs like me!

WRT needing to hop to get to our eating spot - is the problem that I might not be able to make reservations for 2 places in one park in the same day, even in I make them as fair in advance as possible (90 days, right?) Any reason I couldn't just look at that particular day as the right time to hire the Disney babysitting service and have the kids eat pizza in our room?

Hi again, from my experience unless you want to eat every night take out that is all you will have available to you, all the resturants fill up within the 90 days out. with the free dining you can dine with the characters, chef mickeys a great place to eat and depending on what characters your kids like if you wait then it will be next to impossible to get into anyplace. my suggestion is sit down now and decide what and where your going to go and make your reservations around what you will be doing (if that makes it easier) need anymore advise pm me i'll be glad to help

 

[JenSop]

The value resorts are clean and neat. We've since joined DVC, so don't have any plans to do a value resort again, but we were not disappointed with the room when we stayed at ASMusic.

As far as tickets, we ALWAYS do park hoppers. Can't imagine not having them. Although, we don't have kids, so we like the variety of going between different parks to break up the day.

I think the tricky part comes in with making your ADR's if you don't have a park hopper because of EMH. You'd need to decide if you are going to take advantage of EMH or not. If you don't have hoppers you'll have to be attached to that particular park the whole day, no matter what. You'll need to hope that the EMH schedule will be out in time for you to make your ADR's if you plan to eat in the parks. For our upcoming trip, all of our ADR's will be at different resorts (didn't intentionally plan it that way, just kind of happened) so it won't matter which park we're in on any of the days!

I'd say getting free dinging is a great deal! We'll be spending more than that (what your package costs) on our upcoming trip! (And our room is covered by DVC! )

Have a great time and do your research! Don't sweat it about making mistakes - just know that you won't be able to do everything on your first trip and enjoy what you ARE able to do! Have a great time!

 

[Smithie00]

Extended Magic Hours - a must-have? I was figuring that they were not something to be be super-concerned about, since we are not early birds and the kids will not have enough stamina to make it until the end of the day anyhow. Are the crowds so much thinner during EMH that it is worth our while to adapt to the schedule and use them?

I am beginning to feel like I am planning a military operation

 

[3boymthr]

I know how you feel. I was totally overwhelmed I started planning our first trip a few months ago and here I am leaving tomorrow (we're driving) and I actually think I've got it all down, but know I don't . Relax, take a deep breath and read - every post you can on the DIS (the people on here are great and have responded every crazy question even the one on where to get coffee at 5AM). Also get a copy of the Unofficial Guide or Passporter and read that. And think okay I've got a few months to learn all this and you will.