All-Star Resort's love them or hate them?

[Keels]

I'd never stayed at All-Star before, and only stayed at AoA two years ago on NYE and HATED it so I was incredibly dubious about my All-Star Sports stay.

It was an impulse reservation when a friend and I decided to go to Pandora Opening Day and we wanted EMH and somewhere to crash, and All-Star Sports showed up with an AP rate at less than $100 with taxes for the one night we needed it.

I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised - the room was dark, cold and the beds comfy. Of course, the resort is populated by kids (especially sports teams) and parking is an absolute disaster. When my friend was taking a lengthy nap, I went to the pool bar and had one of THE BEST pool bar experiences I've had in a long time - the bartender was GREAT and she'd obviously developed a following of "regulars" ... it was awesome, comfortable and I easily forgot I was at a pool that was easily at capacity with children and families.

Would I stay there again? Sure - but only on a one-off night or if the situation dictates. I have a house less than 5 miles from Disney Springs, so I'm likely just to go home before I spend multiple nights at an All-Star, but I can definitely see how people like them and the extreme value they provide for families wanting to spend time at WDW.

 

[Shanti]

We've never stayed since we can't do double beds and a pool slide is important for my kids. We don't go just for the parks. Vacation to us includes some relaxation and pool time. No matter where we go.

My aunt did Pop for years and never had complaints. They loved it for their family of 3. They took a 6 year hiatus from WDW when she had a new baby. When she went back she got a deal at the Beach Club. She fell in love and only wants to stay Deluxe now. She priced out a trip this year and the prices were too high and she didn't want to stay at Pop so they went over to Universal.

We also stayed deluxe last trip and I don't know if I want to go back to moderate. I REALLY liked staying deluxe.

Same issue here. We liked the bus transportation at Pop and the oversized statues, but the lack of water slides is a deal breaker for any summer trip. So are the teenage tour groups, and the small beds and rooms...I love the exterior decor of the values, but the rooms themselves are so blah. I'd rather stay at an offsite hotel if cost was a big issue. We liked tent camping at Fort Wilderness better.

 

[bookgirl]

Since the All-Star Resorts arguably are some of the worst resorts on property, I wanted to know how people feel.

I don't know that they are the worst. There's at least 1 moderate that I consider worse than the All Stars and if I'm honest it's probably 2.

That being said there are some people, and my mom is one of them, who would prefer a mediocre stay at a deluxe to a great stay at a value. She just doesn't like them.

Me, I'm pretty happy with all my stays on site. Some I have liked more than others but none of them have been so bad that I'd say I hated the resort.

And as I've stayed at Value, Mod, and Deluxe I figure I have a pretty good overview of the differences. Outside of Disney I'm pretty picky about my level of stay and there are only a few of the mid price chains that I consider to meet my minimum standard So it's not like I'd settle for just anything.

 

[leebee]

We have stayed at ASMusic (3 times) and at POP (4 times), and we prefer ASMusic, for a variety of reasons. We usually go to Disney for the parks, so our resort/room is mostly a place to sleep, shower, change. We found ASMu to be a smaller resort, so easier/quicker to get around. We choose to stay in the Broadway section, and while the walkway out there isn't fully, brightly lit at night, my DD and I have made the trek multiple times without feeling at all nervous or that it might be dangerous; there is plenty of soft lighting and broad walkways. We like the soft ambiance of ASMu in the evenings instead of the bright garishness of POP; it's one of the reasons we stay there! We are not Disney bus people (although I'll use 'em to save money if I have to) so usually have a rental car, and I LOVE that I can park right next to the Broadway buildings. Heck, I've been known to drive to the food court in the early morning on a breakfast run so we can eat while dressing (height of laziness, I know, but the old feet can only take so much travel- I save 'em for the parks). I find that easier to do at ASMu. POP also seems to have more hyped-up, screaming kids; it's a brighter, noisier, bigger resort. Also... every time we've been to POP, we've ended up in the 50s section (even with requests), with the bowling pins. Don't love that theme, especially when compared to the serenity of Broadway at ASMu.

BOTH resorts have 2 double beds in the room, and I, too, wish they were queen-sized. If it's just 2 in the travel party, we each take a bed. If it's 3, DD gets the aerobed we bring with us and DH and I each take a bed. I wouldn't do 4 if it was DH, myself, DD, and a friend because I think the rooms are too small for DH and DD's friend to be comfortable sharing, but when we went with my sister and her daughter, the girls shared a bed, sis took a bed, I took the aerobed. It's fine and I was more comfortable than if I'd been sharing a double with anyone, including DH. If the values had queen beds, we'd stay at ASMu EVERY trip!!

We prefer the pool bar at ASMu. It's further from the pool, I think, so once again fewer kids hanging around. I don't know... maybe it's just because when we were at the ASMu pool bar we met folks who live in the town where I was born, where all my relatives still live. It was like old-home week and we had a great time!

Food courts- they are both large, loud, and unfortunately now with all of Disney's cut-backs, often cluttered/messy. I am annoyed with POP for changing tie-dyed cheesecake from a REAL cheesecake to the no-bake crud they currently serve, so won't eat in their food court anyhow. It's my own little protest, and I can see what a difference it's making (LOL, that's sarcasm, folks!), so ASMu is a better choice for us. That, and it's usually a little cheaper than POP, especially if I can get the room on an Orbitz sale!

Anyhow, that's why we like ASMu better than POP. We haven't tried Sports or Movies. My DD is a dancer, so the Broadway section of ASMu made more sense to us when choosing a theme. (Of course, I was a wanna-be flower child/hippie in high school so really want the 70s section at POP, which we never get...) Honestly, with me, it usually comes down to cost- because like I said, the Disney room is a space to shower and sleep for us, usually!

 

[Valstew]

We stayed at sport on our last visit and while it wasn't horrible it was just meh. We have stayed at pop and loved it so we don't mind the value resorts. But found the beds very uncomfortable, don't know if I could say I would never stay at one again but it would have to be one hell of a deal.

 

[leebee]

We would not be going to Disney without All Star Resorts. Having a special needs child means we're now a one-income family with a monthly hospital bill the size of a car payment and $800 medication. We enjoyed the smallest room on the cruise ship during our honeymoon week and the rooms at ASM are considerably larger. We have a child now, but will be spending our days at the parks so I don't see space being much of a problem. Without 180+ I doubt I could have gotten the ADRs organized enough for Bibbidi Boppidy Boutique, BOG, & CRT in order on "Princess Day," or BOG, Lilo's Playhouse, & 'Ohana on "Date Night." While free dining isn't free because of opportunity cost we saved enough to pay for the princess makeover, childcare, Akershus, and Memory Maker to record it all. The criticisms I've read do not deter me, but encourage me to bring cleanser & disinfectant, hanging organizers to leverage space, and a memory foam topper for our bed. We have access to an indoor pool with hot tub and bubble couch here at home. An annual membership to the nearby water park is less than one hotel night. Twenty years from now my daughter won't care if the rooms were dated or she had to walk a ways to the bus stop three times (we're driving to all but MK so requested a parking lot view), but she will remember getting a week of first-class park experiences which are only possible because I was able to do it all (including transportation) for around $3,000.

Hey, clarklink, I'm with you on saving "sleep" money and turning it into "experience" money. I always bring "scrubby bubbles" (from Dollar Tree, double-bagged in zip locks) and a sponge with me, just in case, but have never needed it in a value resort. We set up the ironing board in the closet space next to the sink; it still leaves a little "hanging clothes" space (although we usually have one hang-up item each and the rest is shorts/tees) and creates quite a bit of "counter" space. I also bring an "egg crate" mattress topper and they work quite well. I buy a cheap one and pack it in an air-bag (also from dollar tree) to compress it and save on packing space (we fly to WDW). If I can't get it back into the air-bag or don't have space to bring it home, I just leave it... but like I said, I buy the cheap foam egg-crate toppers, so no big loss.

Can I suggest a few things that we find "upgrade" a value room? Bring a power strip for recharging things. It's easier to have them all plugged into one place, and you'll know you have enough outlets. I bring a small pop-up fabric "basket" (measuring maybe 5"x5") to leave on the table. That's where I dump all my pocket-stuff (magic bands, park wallet, car keys, etc) at night; it keeps them in one place so easier to find, and not spread out everywhere. We also bring glow stick bracelets (10 or 12 for $1 at Dollar Tree) to loop around the bathroom doorknobs at night, as night-lights. Final suggestion is to bring a soap dish for the sink, so the soap doesn't get gloppy and mess up the sink edge (although I've often forgotten and used a coffee-cup lid from the food court). OH- just remembered... we bring out own pillowcases. I think that the cases in the room are too narrow, and make the pillows too plump- I always wake up with an aching neck. We bring colored/patterned pillowcases so housekeeping doesn't take them by mistake- and have never had a problem with this. I've found all these things help to maximize the space and comfort that's available in a value room!

It sounds like you are going to have a WONDERFUL trip!

 

[wellesleyprincess]

I like them when I need to. If it's All Stars v. not going because of costs or staying off site, I'd definitely recommend them. If it's veterans who aren't using the resort facilities, I have my refillable mug station and a basic pool I'm good. I enjoy Sports when I've done runDisney because I liked the match in theming and they were mostly solo trips. We recently stayed in All Star Music and it certainly didn't ruin the trip (we needed a family suite, and I didn't want to justify the Deluxe Level prices for AoA and renting points wasn't an option). That being they aren't my favorite, but I have far more issues with the moderates (too spread out except for POFQ to be practical for me.) then to consider them the worst.

 

[clarklink]

In the

Hey, clarklink, I'm with you on saving "sleep" money and turning it into "experience" money. I always bring "scrubby bubbles" (from Dollar Tree, double-bagged in zip locks) and a sponge with me, just in case, but have never needed it in a value resort. We set up the ironing board in the closet space next to the sink; it still leaves a little "hanging clothes" space (although we usually have one hang-up item each and the rest is shorts/tees) and creates quite a bit of "counter" space. I also bring an "egg crate" mattress topper and they work quite well. I buy a cheap one and pack it in an air-bag (also from dollar tree) to compress it and save on packing space (we fly to WDW). If I can't get it back into the air-bag or don't have space to bring it home, I just leave it... but like I said, I buy the cheap foam egg-crate toppers, so no big loss.

Can I suggest a few things that we find "upgrade" a value room? Bring a power strip for recharging things. It's easier to have them all plugged into one place, and you'll know you have enough outlets. I bring a small pop-up fabric "basket" (measuring maybe 5"x5") to leave on the table. That's where I dump all my pocket-stuff (magic bands, park wallet, car keys, etc) at night; it keeps them in one place so easier to find, and not spread out everywhere. We also bring glow stick bracelets (10 or 12 for $1 at Dollar Tree) to loop around the bathroom doorknobs at night, as night-lights. Final suggestion is to bring a soap dish for the sink, so the soap doesn't get gloppy and mess up the sink edge (although I've often forgotten and used a coffee-cup lid from the food court). OH- just remembered... we bring out own pillowcases. I think that the cases in the room are too narrow, and make the pillows too plump- I always wake up with an aching neck. We bring colored/patterned pillowcases so housekeeping doesn't take them by mistake- and have never had a problem with this. I've found all these things help to maximize the space and comfort that's available in a value room!

It sounds like you are going to have a WONDERFUL trip!

Got back late Saturday after our six nights at ASM and it exceeded expectations (see the Trip Reports section). Our room at Rock Inn was clean, no further from the parking lot than other hotels I've stayed in and in fact closer than what we saw when visiting Grand Floridian where we got Photopass pics in front of the big Christmas tree and watched a bride and groom ride off in a lighted Cinderella carriage or Polynesian where we ate dinner at 'Ohana before picking up our daughter from Lilo's Playhouse to watch the Electrical Water Pageant then Happily Ever After fireworks. By taking advantage of free parking we were able to get from our room to inside the parks within half an hour. The power strip was a great suggestion, but I brought an extension cord instead which I plugged into the power strip behind the TV cabinet and draped over the top. We didn't need the cot or mattress topper because both beds were comfy and spacious. The rooms were clean and with the addition of a hanging organizer and extra hangers for the closet it was not cramped. We were in parks or at other resorts every day with no time for the swimming pool or other amenities. We were busy watching two parades, eating four meals in three castles, riding everything my daughter wanted (including Soaring and Avatar Flight of Passage twice each), and meeting over 40 characters nearly filling two autograph books.

 

[SinCityMMAFan]

I've stayed at Pop and all the All-Stars except for Movies. I can say the All-Stars are great for families that are on a budget or those who are spending the vast majority of their days out and about in the parks, shopping at Disney Springs, etc. While the rooms aren't nothing to write home about they serve their purpose and their price point for the rooms is fairly decent when you take into consideration the cost of everything else at Disney.

I also feel All-Stars get a bad reputation from some because guests who stay there stayed at a deluxe before and go in with the same expectations as a deluxe resort because it's simply a Disney resort then get frustrated when they check-in to see it's not the same as a deluxe resort.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I think describing them as “some of the worst resorts” is a bit unfair. I’ve read plenty of posts on these boards over the years where people have described their experience at an All Star as highly as their experiences at other Disney resorts. We stayed at Music for the family suite on our first WDW trip and absolutely loved the layout of it. I think the family suite makes All Star Music a true “value” amongst the value resorts. We would certainly return if we could, but since we are a family of seven now Pop Century is our “go to” Disney resort now since we need two rooms and Pop has the most connecting rooms. The only thing that would steer me away from the All Stars are the large sports/student groups that stay there; but as a pp mentioned large groups are also placed at Pop and the moderates as well. Some pluses about the All Stars are the recently remodeled food courts at Music and Sports; and you can use the pools at any of the three All Stars when you stay at one of them; and no they don’t always share a bus. During the busy times of the day each All Star will have its own bus.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I recently stayed at Sports. It was my first time at a value resort. I've stayed at mods and deluxe. And we own DVC.

I was pretty worried about our stay. It was a first visit in 25 years for my friend, and she generally stays at pretty nice places.

But we were both impressed.

 

[WEDWDW]

I think describing them as “some of the worst resorts” is a bit unfair.

I would say it is a completely invalid statement.

 

[katt789]

I *like* them. Lol. I will choose them IF they are significantly cheaper than Pop for the trip I'm looking at (i.e., when they're under $100).
-Movies is my first pic because of thumbing
-Music is second
-Sports is ABSOLUTE LAST. We had a HORRIBLE experience with management/staff there, so it's a IF WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO AND CANT AFFORD anything else option. Although I do know that all the All Stars share staff so that doesn't REALLY make a difference lol.

That being said, I'm either a solo traveller, or travelling with other young adults, the resorts are cheap, fit our budget, have all the transportation we need, pools, food courts, and we barely spend ANY time at the hotel!!

If I have more money to spend, we might splurge for a mod or deluxe, BUT, I also much prefer the bus system of only have 1 stop per resort, and NO internal stops like most of the mods have. If we do splurge for a deluxe, we'll spend a day just at the resort, taking advantage of the niceness of it.

When if comes down to it, Pop will always be my go to!

 

[Texans_loyal]

Just because it's a value doesn't mean it's automatically the "worst".
I adore the values. it feels like Disney, you never lose the magic. Yes, it's cheesy and kid centered but I go to WDW to feel like a child again and the values have a lot to do with it. While i also love staying in a Deluxe, i like an extra couple of hundred dollars in my pocket more.

 

[Aermaia]

I stayed at a value for the first time last week. Before that trip, I've always stayed at moderates. I actually really liked the value resort. We were in All Star Music in the Broadway section (building 7). We had a corner room facing the parking lot, so the area didn't get all the much traffic and was super quiet. I found the resort to be much easier to navigate than the moderates I usually stay at (granted that is Carribean Beach and Coronado Springs, which are both known for being quite spaced out). I always rent a car, so I am sure I would feel a bit different if relying on the buses. I did miss the double sink in the rooms, but I really liked how "Disney" the rooms felt. Yes, the decorations are kind of tacky, but it feels like you are staying at Walt Disney World versus just any generic hotel. We also usually go using a free dining promotion, and since this year the moderates also only received the quick service dining plan, it made more sense for us to save the money and stay at a value and then upgrade our dining plan to the one we wanted. Considering I spend most of my time in the parks and very little in my rooms, I would definitely consider a value resort again.

 

[missbrooke06]

If I ever stay at one again, I will never use luggage services there again. Horrible.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

There is nothing wrong with staying at All Star. You get access to Disney services, great theming & it fits the budget. The only thing I will say, IMO Disney needs to get queen beds in all their rooms- NOBODY wants doubles.

 

[clarklink]

I think describing them as “some of the worst resorts” is a bit unfair. I’ve read plenty of posts on these boards over the years where people have described their experience at an All Star as highly as their experiences at other Disney resorts. We stayed at Music for the family suite on our first WDW trip and absolutely loved the layout of it. I think the family suite makes All Star Music a true “value” amongst the value resorts. We would certainly return if we could, but since we are a family of seven now Pop Century is our “go to” Disney resort now since we need two rooms and Pop has the most connecting rooms. The only thing that would steer me away from the All Stars are the large sports/student groups that stay there; but as a pp mentioned large groups are also placed at Pop and the moderates as well. Some pluses about the All Stars are the recently remodeled food courts at Music and Sports; and you can use the pools at any of the three All Stars when you stay at one of them; and no they don’t always share a bus. During the busy times of the day each All Star will have its own bus.

People were starting to trickle in for Pop Warner the day we checked out. I imagine there would be a completely different vibe that week where during our stay the week after Thanksgiving it was mostly families with young children.

 

[Cornish Lad]

Stayed in Sports when it was fairly new back in the 90's and had a great time - it was our first "on property" stay and the magic truly worked. Stayed in Music last year and, again, had a great time. The pools were never crowded - we used the piano pool a lot as we were just beside it in the Rock building - and the main pool bar was nice and friendly. We had an issue with our room not being cleaned one day and it was promptly sorted with fresh towels appearing within minutes and a $20 refund given to us by the cleaning manageress who also stopped by to apologise the next morning. We are trying POFQ next year so it will be interesting for us to compare notes afterwards.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

stayed at all stars years ago. once sports, once music. Not bad for the money but too noisy at night and buses took forever back then. I can't imagine the bus crowds now days. I'd rather go once a year and pay more for a resort vs. a motel.