All Star Music vs. Pop Century

[SeniorWoodchuck]

DW and I are planning a 9-night trip in May. I have a confirmed reservation for a preferred accessible room with a roll-in shower at the All Star Music. We have usually stayed at Deluxes via DVC point rental, but we're planning to use the room for sleeping and afternoon napping and are OK with the idea of a Value resort.

I now see availability for non-preferred accessible rooms at Pop Century (choice of 2Q or 1K -- same price) for our dates at only about $10/night more than ASMu. I've seen multiple reports on Pop being in better shape than ASMu. $10/night is not an issue for us.

So... Do you have any strong feelings/advice for us? We've gone to WDW several times, but never before with mobility issues. I'm not posting this in the disabilities section, as I'm as interested in the big picture as I am in accessibility (and I can get info on the latter from the specific resort threads). Similarly, I'm not posting this in the ASMu or Pop threads, as I'm looking for thoughts from folks who know both resorts and maybe even like both. Thanks for your insights!

 

[olliesmom]

We have stayed at both! I have no complaints about All Star Music - but with the Skyliner, we enjoyed the convenience of the Pop Century so much more. We will always book Pop for a value trip in the future, without hesitation!

 

[Disneylover99]

I've seen multiple reports on Pop being in better shape than ASMu. $10/night is not an issue for us.

I’m not sure what reports you’ve seen, but the Room renovations at Music are more recent than Pop’s.

 

[CanucksRock]

I’ve stayed at both in the last 6 months - and the rooms themselves were the same to me. I prefer having Skyliner.

 

[tguz]

I have not stayed at Music but we are big Pop fans. I would always choose Pop for the skyliner service.

 

[Kerr84]

Assuming you are using a wheel chair or scooter, I would 100% choose Pop because of the skyliner. It is so much easier/quicker to get on and off with a mobility device than a bus.

 

[tink.belle]

I have stayed at both. 100% pick Pop for the skyliner alone! The rooms at Pop are in great shape. It is also fun to head over to AOA, CBR, and the boardwalk for more food options.

 

[DisDreaming4116]

POP for the Skyliner...and tie-dye cheesecake!

 

[summerlvr]

Pop is my favorite value resort and I've stayed there numerous times. The skyliner really is a game changer, but not just because of the ease of access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It makes it so much easier to get to other resorts for dining.
I used to always stay at All Star Sports, but that food court gets old really quickly! Skyliner access at Pop opens up all the choices at CBR, Riviera and Boardwalk.

 

[WEDWDW]

And not mentioned often is that Pop Century is the only Value with a lake-the beautiful Hourglass Lake.

And guests get to fly over Hourglass Lake on Skyliner.

 

[HopperFan]

I know both. POP is our favorite value and Music is our least and after multiple tries we likely will never return for a variety of reasons. I am at Sports right now and love it so it's not an Allstar thing.

POP is a great resort, beautiful landscaping around the lake. A huge step up from the AllStars. MASSIVE PLUS is the Skyliner especially if you have a mobility device. The ability to avoid the bus for two parks is priceless. Also it gives you easy access to lots of dining options at AoA, CBR, Riviera and the Boardwalk area. Easy access to EPCOT for dining. It is apples and oranges transportation wise.

 

[SeniorWoodchuck]

It sounds as if it's apples to apples, for the most part, except for the Skyliner.

For now, at least, I'm going to stick with our preferred room at ASMu. According to TouringPlans, there are only three rooms it could be, any of which would be ideal.

As for the Skyliner, we both have issues with heights. Also, we'll be renting a car, and we had already decided to drive to the parks and know we'd have the car as an escape/retreat. This after a couple of visits when waiting for the bus at night was just one thing too many. (Yes, I know getting to the car from MK will take an extra step... but at least we'll be parked in the HP area.)

Many thanks to all who responded. Your thoughts really helped, especially the "apples to apples" bit.

 

[WEDWDW]

It sounds as if it's apples to apples, for the most part, except for the Skyliner.

For now, at least, I'm going to stick with our preferred room at ASMu. According to TouringPlans, there are only three rooms it could be, any of which would be ideal.

As for the Skyliner, we both have issues with heights. Also, we'll be renting a car, and we had already decided to drive to the parks and know we'd have the car as an escape/retreat. This after a couple of visits when waiting for the bus at night was just one thing too many. (Yes, I know getting to the car from MK will take an extra step... but at least we'll be parked in the HP area.)

Many thanks to all who responded. Your thoughts really helped, especially the "apples to apples" bit.

AND Hourglass Lake-there are a few rooms at Pop Century with a nice view of the Lake-very nice.

Also "high fireworks" from the Parks can be seen at Pop Century.

We love to grab a beverage and sit down by Hourglass Lake and enjoy the fireworks on nights we aren't in the Parks.

 

[seashoreCM]

The Skyliner has a big drawback. It gets shut down often for weather. Leaving Epcot the alternate transportation is a long walk away -- Boardwalk or Futureworld, and/or a long wait before it is pressed into service..

 

[stinkpickle]

For a $10 per night difference, I'd do Pop.

 

[jimmymc]

The rooms are very similar, I don't think Pop is in better shape than music. The one true advantage is the Skyliner, which if you're doing a lot of park days, is easily worth $10/night.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

We stayed at ASMu in August 2022 and LOVED IT.

We PREFER ASMu because their food court opens at 630AM rather than 7AM which works better for us managing DH's diabetes and our schedule.

 

[maxiesmom]

If you won't have a scooter at the resort, stick with the All Star. The skyliner is great if you have a scooter, as it is easier to get on/off of than the buses.

 

[Chuckers]

The Skyliner has a big drawback. It gets shut down often for weather. Leaving Epcot the alternate transportation is a long walk away -- Boardwalk or Futureworld, and/or a long wait before it is pressed into service..

I loved the Skyliner and Pop, but yeah, if the Skyliner breaks down at EPCOT, it's REALLY annoying. You don't know it's not working until you just about get there. You've left the park and now you have a a choice of what to do to get back to your hotel. Hop an uber from one of the nearby hotels (which was my choice), go back through EPCOT to the front gate to get a bus, or get a bus at a nearby hotel to anywhere you can get a bus back to your own hotel.

 

[MimitoAlex]

We stayed at ASMu in August 2022 and LOVED IT.

We PREFER ASMu because their food court opens at 630AM rather than 7AM which works better for us managing DH's diabetes and our schedule.

I did not realize it opened at 6:30 which is good, our grandson wakes up early and is a hungry boy when his eyes open... which for me is great, food for him, coffee for me... then we can go back to the room to chill, get ready and hit the parks because he will be hungry again by the time we start for the parks... who knew a 9 year old could eat so much... lol