Does anybody have a good opinion of All Star Movies?

[dewrlw]

I've been trying to find information on the All Star Movies. All anybody ever says is that they would stay at the Music or Sports because they have been refurbished and the Movies has not. Doesn't anyone like the Movies? If so, why. We will be staying there for Free Dining in September, and I am beginning to wonder if it is a good idea.

 

[WillCAD]

I have a great opinion of Movies.

Music is my favorite of the 4 Value resorts, but I have tried them all at least once, and I really enjoyed my stays at Movies.

The only significant difference between Movies and Music is the arrangement of the buildings; at Music they're all in a long, straight line, but at Movies they're in a cluster.

Cinema Hall and Melody Hall are virtually identical, except for the theme; the buildings are all identical; and the rooms are all pretty much the same (except for the recently rehabed rooms at Music).

Although the rehabs at Music and Sports make them a little more desirable than Movies, and Music is my hands-down fave because it's the quietest, I would (and have) choose Movies in a heartbeat if I got a better better rate there. And I was perfectly happy at Movies.

 

[moon]

I stayed at movies a couple of years ago and loved it. To me it is the most "Disney" of all the resorts. I'd also stay there in a heartbeat again if I could.

Have a great trip!

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

we have stayed at music or movies many many times. we love both. i think the movies is cuter . we have had great trips at both. my dd and her friends liked the movies also. everyone working there was very nice. kids like the food choices also. and actually one visit the food court at movies had more staions opened, and with more choices. i think you will really have a good time. plus you can walk to the sports or music. its a couple min. walk. have fun. oh yeah sorry i forgot, one time our friends came over to our hotel , they were staying at por, and when their kids got to ours they loved the pool and statues and the music was playing so they asked their parents if they could move to our hotel. haha. it was cute.

 

[buzz5985]

On my DS first trip he was 4 and loved Buzz. So naturally we stayed in the Buzz building. It was such a magical trip for us. I remember coming home to see his stuffed animals - both dalmations - Big Dog and Lucky - one day they were posed in the window. Another day we caught them in a chair in front of the TV with the clicker in their lap. We heard my DS whisper to the animals - "I always knew you were real." I don't think we would have had the same experience at other resorts. He really believed that everything was real.

I always feel bad when I see young children at the GF, especially the boys. What fun is that for them?? At least at the POLY there is the Volcano pool, or the CR the monorail goes through the middle.

 

[kmvand1]

I have a great opinion of Movies.

Music is my favorite of the 4 Value resorts, but I have tried them all at least once, and I really enjoyed my stays at Movies.

The only significant difference between Movies and Music is the arrangement of the buildings; at Music they're all in a long, straight line, but at Movies they're in a cluster.

Cinema Hall and Melody Hall are virtually identical, except for the theme; the buildings are all identical; and the rooms are all pretty much the same (except for the recently rehabed rooms at Music).

Although the rehabs at Music and Sports make them a little more desirable than Movies, and Music is my hands-down fave because it's the quietest, I would (and have) choose Movies in a heartbeat if I got a better better rate there. And I was perfectly happy at Movies.

I would say the fact that it is in DIRE need of a refurbishment is enough of a significant difference. At least enough to make one want to stay anywhere else until it's done!

 

[stavidt]

Hi....

I just wanted to give you a little boost of confidence. We stayed at all star movies not last Sept. but the year before and loved it!!! We have stayed at deluxe as well as moderate disney hotels and I was a nervous wreck to stay at a value.

We decided with the free dining and the value we could easily fit disney into our budget (we go every year) again. Don't get me wrong the deluxe resorts are gorgeous!!!!!!!!!! But the All Star Movies is so great for parents with young kids. They have huge icons of Buzz and display Woody's room with a giant door and everything. My kids were soooo excited. The pool theme is really cute....with Mickey as the Sorcerer spraying water from his hands!

We do not spend much time in the room so we are happy to book a value resort. When the kids were babies a deluxe made the most sense for us b/c we would go back and nap most days.

The food court was good but we ate most of our meals in the parks or deluxe hotels b/c we had free dining and didn't want to waste of our meals there.

We are going back this year and staying at Pop which I also love. The two resorts are very similar....I personally like All Star's Pool better. But Pop does not share buses the way All Stars does and I like that.

Don't worry.... you made a good choice.

 

[NorweJenNY]

Very reassuring thread... thanks for your comments!

I'll also be staying at ASMo for the first time this fall.

 

[frisco]

I've stayed at Movies 9 times. Does that make you feel better?

I love it there.

 

[WillCAD]

I would say the fact that it is in DIRE need of a refurbishment is enough of a significant difference. At least enough to make one want to stay anywhere else until it's done!

I don't know how you define the word "dire", but on my last stay at Movies, in Dec 2008, I didn't notice anything falling apart, or any paint peeling or rusty railings or cracked concrete. I also didn't notice any mold or mildew in my room or broken fixtures or ripped wall coverings or carpet worn through.

Movies does need a rehab, and I'm sure it will be getting one soon, since Music and Sports have both gotten one in the last few years. But that doesn't mean that Movies is falling apart or that it's not a terrific place to stay in the meantime.

 

[JeninTN]

It has been a few years since we have been to Movies, but I thought it was fun. If I did not have 3 kids now, I would stay there again. We like the Movies food court better than Music by a long shot. When we had to stay at Music because Movies was not available, we would drive over to Movies for their food court because it was THAT much better.

I say don't feel bad about Movies, it is a fun place to stay.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

We have had great stays at Movies and would stay there again in a heartbeat. The larger than life Disney Characters make it really fun for kids.

Quite honestly I think all of the Disney hotels are nice and I have yet to have a bad stay.

Value, Moderate, Deluxe....they are all great!

 

[redrosesix]

It is not as if ASMovies has not been maintained. Refurbishment means all new beds, furniture, carpets, decor.

We stay at ASMusic because we are there for a twirling competition -- that's where the other twirlers are. But we would easily stay at ASMovies and visit there every year at least once for a meal -- I like the decor in the food court better than at ASMusic (they actually just renovated the food court at ASMusic, but they didn't make it any better IMO)

However, if we stayed at another AS, we would still pop over to ASMusic for the poolside movies

 

[ols386]

I have never stayed there, but I'd be more included to if I had young children. I have read alot of negative reviews about it, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's not a nice place to stay. I just think its designed with kids in mind.

 

[hammie59]

I too have fond memories of ASMo. We stayed last May and found it to be a fun hotel. Now, I do remember noticing a *few* flaws, but I was also coming from a stay at CSR during the same trip, so my view was slightly skewed at the time. What I liked the most was the theming. It just exudes classic Disney and that really made for some great memories. Also, I thought the food court was nice and I can be pretty picky.

It does need to be refurbished, but it wasn't a dump. Just don't go in expecting it to be the Taj Mahal. If you have kids, it's an excellent choice.

 

[Kathkazoo]

We were there this time last year.
It was very clean!
They were painting chipped areas outside.
Pool area was great.
Food was great.
Buses ran smoothly.
We got towel animals every day even though I let our mousekeeper know it was just my 16 year old DD and myself.
The resort was wonderful!

 

[sylhar12]

We stayed there 2 yrs ago and loved it. The figures made such wonderful pictures and we fell in love with the theming. The CMs were wonderful there and as the other poster said..we had lots of towel animals to display. They also arranged our stuffed Mickey and Minnie in different poses everyday. We looked forward to coming back every night to see that they would do. When we stayed at a moderate last year we did not get any of that. I would definantly stay at Movies again.

 

[kmvand1]

I don't know how you define the word "dire", but on my last stay at Movies, in Dec 2008, I didn't notice anything falling apart, or any paint peeling or rusty railings or cracked concrete. I also didn't notice any mold or mildew in my room or broken fixtures or ripped wall coverings or carpet worn through.

Movies does need a rehab, and I'm sure it will be getting one soon, since Music and Sports have both gotten one in the last few years. But that doesn't mean that Movies is falling apart or that it's not a terrific place to stay in the meantime.

The original poster asked for opinions on ASMo and I gave them mine. Yes, it is in DIRE need in my opinion. When you have stickers stuck all over the old clunky furniture and the carpet is unraveled, paint is faded, it is time for a refurb. Again, my opinion.

 

[WillCAD]

The original poster asked for opinions on ASMo and I gave them mine. Yes, it is in DIRE need in my opinion. When you have stickers stuck all over the old clunky furniture and the carpet is unraveled, paint is faded, it is time for a refurb. Again, my opinion.

I didn't say you weren't entitled to your opinion, I said that my opinion, based on my recent experience, is completely different from yours.

I have not encountered any stickers stuck on furniture, nor any clunky old furniture, not unraveled carpet. I have seen some faded paint, but not significantly faded paint, and mostly in outdoor locations which get the brutal Florida sun and fade most quickly.

So it's my opinion that DIRE is a gross overstatement, and that while the resort is in need of a rehab, it is not the clunky old rattletrap that you described.

Again, MY opinion, which I am entitled to as much as you are entitled to yours.

 

[ols386]

The difference in opinion of the 2 pp just shows how two individuals can have completely different opinions/impressions of the same resort. Maybe each one of them were in completely different buildings/areas of the resort. This can be the case with any resort...depending on what time of year you were there, which section/building you were in, how you may have been treated by cm's, etc. etc., can really impact your opinion. I just think it's an interesting observation.