All Star Movie Shared Bus?!?!

[TinkerDust10]

I am planning a trip to DW in August. I made a reservation for All Star Movies but cancelled it as soon as I found out they shared a bus system with Music and Sports. My other option is Pop Century but now I just read somewhere that all star movies do not share buses with the other all star resorts. I am wicked confused do they or don't they? It would be a huge deal breaker for me. I do not like the disney bus system because I have preschoolers and I will most likely have one of those bulky double strollers to fight with. Our last vacation with the bus system sucked ( sorry my pg 13 language but it did) I just want to make sure we have smooth transportation this time around.

 

[dansdad]

The All Stars SOMETIMES share buses during the slow times of the day. We've had two 7 night stays at All Star Sports and shared a bus once during one trip and twice the other trip. When we did share, there were maybe a total of 4 other people on the bus besides my family. They do not share during the morning and/or evening rush.

 

[brockash]

We've stayed at ASMo twice and Pop once. We hands down prefer ASMo, and are heading back there this trip, however the only plus to Pop was the bus system. Pop does not share and bus and we always had really good luck with the buses at Pop. In our experience, going once in Jan. and once in early Sept. ASMo's always shared a bus in the morning and during slower times in the day, however almost never at closing time.

I didn't think the buses were horrible at ASMo, but they were better at Pop, and it's the only thing we liked better there, but for us the buses were better at Pop.

 

[JessM]

Pop hands downs has the best bus system of the values. AOA probably rivals now. I'd stay at POP but that's just me. Especially at MK the POP bus stop is the last one in the row which easily allows them to pull up bus after bus very quickly. The All Stars are stuck in the middle and it always looks like they have more people with less busses coming. That may not be true but that's what I've observed.

 

[Reddy]

they share during the day when the bus has enough room for everyone to sit down - during busy times they have their own buses

if you happen to get a room in duck/hockey section - All Star Music buses are closer to your rooms than Movies is but that does require crossing a road so if you have little ones that don't look you may not want to go that way

I really enjoyed Movies - trying Music this time (got a bigger discount) we just plan on standing on the trip back after the fireworks

 

[circus4u]

Stayed at Music in November and just returned from Movies. Each resort had dedicated buses in the mornings and evenings and shared buses during the "slack" times. Never had a problem and at the really busy times, such as closing, there were two dedicated buses for our resort at the same time.

 

[goofy4tink]

they share during the day when the bus has enough room for everyone to sit down - during busy times they have their own buses

if you happen to get a room in duck/hockey section - All Star Music buses are closer to your rooms than Movies is but that does require crossing a road so if you have little ones that don't look you may not want to go that way

I really enjoyed Movies - trying Music this time (got a bigger discount) we just plan on standing on the trip back after the fireworks

Absolutely agree. If you want no other stops then stay at Pop. But the AllStars have a lot going for them. I don't think there is any issue with their buses. I am seeing a lot of people complaining about transportation and double strollers lately. Not sure why this is...but if it's going to be an issue, perhaps they can just get two much smaller strollers. No way would I be using a double stroller in WDW...way too many people to navigate around.

Anyway.....it looks like we'll be at Music at the same time!!!! We arrive on the 28th. Have a great stay!!!

 

[DisneyGal24]

We stayed at Sports with DD6 and DD3 last June and NO problems with the buses. We had a double stroller too. DH handled the stroller while I dealt with the kids. DH usually ended up standing because he would give up his seat for others but the kids and I always had seats. Sometimes one kid would sit in my lap to give others room. The buses at Pop were always crowded when we went in Feb 2011. Just know that bus issues can arise regardless of where you are staying.

 

[David Brent]

We stayed at Sports with DD6 and DD3 last June and NO problems with the buses. We had a double stroller too. DH handled the stroller while I dealt with the kids. DH usually ended up standing because he would give up his seat for others but the kids and I always had seats. Sometimes one kid would sit in my lap to give others room. The buses at Pop were always crowded when we went in Feb 2011. Just know that bus issues can arise regardless of where you are staying.

I love your family already! So courteous and respectful. I've been married less than a year and plan on having kids in a few years but I don't see how grown men can sit and not recognize an elderly person or woman and not just offer but invite them to have their seat. It's worse when it's a family, especially a mother who has her hands full and no one will help or offer a seat.

 

[rteetz]

I am planning a trip to DW in August. I made a reservation for All Star Movies but cancelled it as soon as I found out they shared a bus system with Music and Sports. My other option is Pop Century but now I just read somewhere that all star movies do not share buses with the other all star resorts. I am wicked confused do they or don't they? It would be a huge deal breaker for me. I do not like the disney bus system because I have preschoolers and I will most likely have one of those bulky double strollers to fight with. Our last vacation with the bus system sucked ( sorry my pg 13 language but it did) I just want to make sure we have smooth transportation this time around.

Yes it's true they do share the buses but not all the time. They share because all the hotels are so close to each other and it makes sense. We have stay at sports and movies and we usually go in the middle of summer during busy time. We have never had a problem with the shared bus system and the only time it gets crowded is when coming back to the hotel at night but that happens with every bus to every hotel. The Pop we have also stayed at and it is one of our absolute favorites. All the values are a fun time so it doesn't matter which you pick. All values may have a bit of a bus headache but that comes with staying at a value and I don't mind that.

disney lover at heart

 

[disnut8]

they share during the day when the bus has enough room for everyone to sit down - during busy times they have their own buses

I have to disagree with this. We stayed at All Star Sports over Labor Day last year. On that Friday, we arrived at 4:00, unpacked and then went to Epcot around 5:00 which I wouldn't consider a busy time. Bus pulled up at Epcot and every seat was full. Then we went to All Star Music where more people piled in. And then we went to All Star Movies where even more people piled in. Every inch of space was filled with people.

To the OP - if the transportation is an issue with you, don't stay at the All Stars complex because you COULD get the above example. And if you have to concern yourself with that possibility all the time, it's not going to be very relaxing.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

I have to say that in all our stays at the value resorts over the years the worst buses we ever had were at Pop. Sometimes going to the MK we had to wait quite awhile for buses no matter what time of day. The buses filled quickly so you might have to wait for 2 or 3 buses to cycle through before u ever got on one. Plus there's no shade where u wait for the buses either. We had many other issues at Pop so if we're going to stay value we usually stay at Music. Very few times have we shared buses with the other Allstars while staying there. Good luck with your choice & have a great vacation.

 

[sharadoc]

I am an All Stars fan and I would always choose it over Pop. Just because Pop has only one bus stop doesn't mean the buses aren't crowded. Pop is much bigger than any individual All Star, I believe there are 2,000 rooms at Pop and a little over 1,200 at All Stars (this is just from memory, not fact-checked), but I heard stories of folks having to wait for a 2nd or 3rd bus at Pop because they were so packed in the early morning, and in the evening at park closing. All Star buses are always individual during those busy times. I think in January we shared a bus around 2:00 in the afternoon when there was around 8 people on the bus. That was it. Even going to a park around 4 pm we had a dedicated bus - in January, the slowest time of the year.

There are few things that upset me on the DISboards, but the myth of sharing buses at All Stars is one of them. I know people aren't deliberately spreading a lie, it's just one of those things that won't go away.

At an All Star you'll have a choice of 6 pools, 3 food courts and at least one other bus option, depending on where your room is. The landscaping is mature and lush, and the grounds are really nice.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[MomToOne]

We've stayed at Pop, ASMovies, and ASMusic.

I far prefer the All Stars to Pop, bus service included. It's rare that we've actually had a shared bus, and when we did it was usually a slow time of day. At Pop, while it had it's "own" bus all the time, just due to the larger volume of people at the resort it would end up just as crowded as the shared All Star buses.

 

[JoeKir]

Stayed at All Star Movies last summer (end of August) and never had an issue with the buses. We were in the Might Ducks Section and (as mentioned above) would occasionally get off at Music and just cross the road to our room. I actually found it more convenient than when we stayed at Coronado - If we missed a bus to Movies, we just hopped on a bus to Music. It was like have two bus options instead of one.

 

[goofy4tink]

Every single resort can have bus issues!! I have never had an issue with buses at Pop or AoA. And I do know that when I've been at Music in the past, we have had other guests on the bus when we got on at Music, so it obviously had stopped at Sports first. Then, sometimes we went on to Movies, sometimes not. There was never a bus trip that had only Music guests on it. Obviously, that can, and does, change.

It is never a good idea to choose a resort based on it's bus system. Every trip is going to be different. you can stay at a resort and have wonderful bus service..but then go there again for another trip and find that you have less than stellar bus service.

 

[maxiesmom]

Every single resort can have bus issues!! I have never had an issue with buses at Pop or AoA. And I do know that when I've been at Music in the past, we have had other guests on the bus when we got on at Music, so it obviously had stopped at Sports first. Then, sometimes we went on to Movies, sometimes not. There was never a bus trip that had only Music guests on it. Obviously, that can, and does, change.

It is never a good idea to choose a resort based on it's bus system. Every trip is going to be different. you can stay at a resort and have wonderful bus service..but then go there again for another trip and find that you have less than stellar bus service.

This exactly! Whatever you do, don't pick a resort based on bus service. Each resort has days where it works like a charm, and days where it stinks!

No matter where you stay, there are times where the bus will be packed full. And probably times where you will end up standing, trying to hold on to your kids and your stroller, unless you choose to step aside and wait for a bus to come with open seating.

Pick your resort based on what one looks most appealing to you. Not on bus service!

 

[disnut8]

Every single resort can have bus issues!!

Yes, they can. I posted about shared buses at All Stars for when I thought it wasn't a busy time and the bus was packed. The OP asked specifically about shared buses so that's how I answered.

However, I have been on packed buses at Pop Century as well. Six of us boarded, included my five year old grandson and 13 year old granddaughter. We really didn't have to worry about either of them falling (since we were some of the last to board, we stood) since there was absolutely no way to do that because we were side by side by side by side by side with lots of people. And that was in early January - a less busy time.

And there there are times when we board and it's just us and another family. Or maybe twenty people. At either All Stars or Pop Century. You roll the dice and you play what lands.

OP - you might consider renting a car if the transportation is going to be an issue.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Bear in mind Pop is a very large resort. So its busses can and do get very packed.

Our experience after four stays at Music, two at Movies and one at Sports was that we shared only during slack times.

All resorts have their bus issues. Which is why I never pick based on bussing experiences, my own or others!

The shared route of the All Stars is a quick one. Versus say the Epcot resorts or even the spread out mods with 4 to 7 stops.

 

[strmtroopr96]

Just an FYI but we just got home last night from a 12 day stay at Pop Century and we did end up sharing buses with Art of Animation twice. Once was last week and I forget now where we were headed (thinking Epcot?) and then again yesterday morning at about 8:30 am while heading to MK. We were picked upo first and then headed over to AoA both times to pick up more guests.

We did noticed the lines were much longer at AoA than Pop this trip. While leaving the MK on Tuesday night after closing, they were bringing in MEARS buses to pick up the AoA crowd waiting.