ASMu review (family suite)

[asmit4]

Just got back from ASMu- was worried about it being a value- I shouldn't have worried! I booked the trip and wanted to save my parents some $$ so I chose a family suite at ASMu. They are used to staying at 4 and 5 star resorts and upon leaving, stated they would gladly stay at a value again!

Our room was clean and big, plenty of space! Check in was great- my mom got off the ME bus and was high fived by a guy with a mickey hand- she loved it! About 4 hours later my parents luggage had not arrived. Upon going to check in to ask about it, we found out that Continental had screwed up our luggage and had not scanned their bags in.

The guy at check in spent 40 minutes on the phone with RUDE Continental staff. They told disney that my parents would have to return to the airport to file a claim. Disney refused to accept this and had a guy from the ME luggage group go over to Continental and personally sort it out. The person that helped us was working til 4:30 that day, he told us if it took til 5:30 he'd stay and fix it! Just AMAZING. We tried to tip him but he said he couldn't take it. He went WELL beyond the call of duty. My parents were SO impressed, as was I!

The bus system was fabulous- NEVER waited more than 10 minutes for a bus and usually waited less than 5 minutes at any point in our trip! Mousekeeping did a great job too and the foodcourt food was good. My dad loved the pizza.

On a side note- we spent the day (with other family) at AKL. We were very unimpressed with it. Sure, it's fancier, and more themed but the rooms we felt were VERY small. I couldn't believe how small they were. You could barely get around they were so small. We went to the pool to check it out- the pool was about the same size as the one at ASMu, sure it had a slide, but besides from that- it was the same IMO. PLUS, ASMu had 2 pools and never seemed crowded while AKL's pool was swamped- no chairs left to be had!

I was so glad that we didn't stay at AKL, it would have been $200 more a night and a big waste of $$ in our opinion. Maybe the other deluxes are nicer-but this one just didn't seem worth it to us. I'm sure others feel differently but I just wanted to give my thoughts on the topic.

 

[minnie61650]

Just got back from ASMu- was worried about it being a value- I shouldn't have worried! I booked the trip and wanted to save my parents some $$ so I chose a family suite at ASMu. They are used to staying at 4 and 5 star resorts and upon leaving, stated they would gladly stay at a value again!

Our room was clean and big, plenty of space! Check in was great- my mom got off the ME bus and was high fived by a guy with a mickey hand- she loved it! About 4 hours later my parents luggage had not arrived. Upon going to check in to ask about it, we found out that Continental had screwed up our luggage and had not scanned their bags in.

The guy at check in spent 40 minutes on the phone with RUDE Continental staff. They told disney that my parents would have to return to the airport to file a claim. Disney refused to accept this and had a guy from the ME luggage group go over to Continental and personally sort it out. The person that helped us was working til 4:30 that day, he told us if it took til 5:30 he'd stay and fix it! Just AMAZING. We tried to tip him but he said he couldn't take it. He went WELL beyond the call of duty. My parents were SO impressed, as was I!

The bus system was fabulous- NEVER waited more than 10 minutes for a bus and usually waited less than 5 minutes at any point in our trip! Mousekeeping did a great job too and the foodcourt food was good. My dad loved the pizza.

On a side note- we spent the day (with other family) at AKL. We were very unimpressed with it. Sure, it's fancier, and more themed but the rooms we felt were VERY small. I couldn't believe how small they were. You could barely get around they were so small. We went to the pool to check it out- the pool was about the same size as the one at ASMu, sure it had a slide, but besides from that- it was the same IMO. PLUS, ASMu had 2 pools and never seemed crowded while AKL's pool was swamped- no chairs left to be had!

I was so glad that we didn't stay at AKL, it would have been $200 more a night and a big waste of $$ in our opinion. Maybe the other deluxes are nicer-but this one just didn't seem worth it to us. I'm sure others feel differently but I just wanted to give my thoughts on the topic.

I am so glad you enjoyed your at stay the All Star Music Family Suites.

Did you find the pull outs comfortable?

I think All Star Music has a wonderful staff and I have always recieved very good customer service when staying there.
I was happy to read that the check in CM follwed through on the misplaced luggage and saved your parents a trip back to the airport.

When I travel for pleasure I often stay at 4 star hotels also.
Even though All Star Music does not have a pool slide or hot tub they do have very good customer service, very good bus transporation, nice pools with lots of lounge chairs and a fun atmosphere.

BTW;
I agree that the rooms at AKL are small.
the square footage is larger than All Star Music but the way it is laid out the sleeping area ends up quite small. The AKL rooms also have very bulky furniture which also makes the room feel even smaller.

Most of the "extra "space at AKL is the bathroom area.
And that really isn't bigger just laid out different with an extra door.
The extra room ,the extra square footage is actually the entry hallway!

Here is the layout of a value:

All Star room layout

Here is the room layout of AKL:

AKL room layout

Thank you for your All Star Music Family Suites review!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Glad to read your review. We're a family of 5 and haven't picked our next resort to try out yet. Just stayed at the Poly and loved it but I don't think we can keep spending that amount of money each trip. I was so excited when the suites opened but I must admit I don't like the looks of the room specifically the furniture/beds. Were they comfortable? The fact it has 2 bathrooms and a kitchenette is terrific. Maybe I can convince DH to try it - he doesn't like the values as he thinks they would be very crowded & have the majority of the kids. Which I must admit is a concern of mine as well but its Disney. Thanks for the writeup.

 

[pacew]

We have previously stayed in an AKL with bunkbeds. At the time, we had two children and it worked out great. We now have a third child who will be 3 by our next trip so we no longer qualify. We are planning to stay in a music suite. Having stayed at AS Sports before, I have mixed feelings about this. The rooms were very plain at sports, but I am looking forward to having a separate bedroom. Plus I think music looks more updated now. I just can't wait to go!

Wendy

 

[suzannews]

We just stayed in a family suite at ASMusic and loved it. Even though there are only 3 of us, the extra bathroom and TV was a huge bonus. DD and I slept on the big foldout couch and while it was not the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on, it was not bad in any way. We would stay again.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

We just stayed in a family suite at ASMusic and loved it. Even though there are only 3 of us, the extra bathroom and TV was a huge bonus. DD and I slept on the big foldout couch and while it was not the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on, it was not bad in any way. We would stay again.

Glad to read this. Now if I can just convince DH to give it a try.

 

[asmit4]

I was wondering what you get at a deluxe resort at DW that you actually use, that you can't get at a value?

So far I can think of a King size bed, room service, slide at the pool and hot tub.

Other than overall ambiance is there something I'm missing? While I would like to stay at a variety of DW resorts in the future including deluxes, I'm trying to figure out what makes the deluxe resorts, well, deluxe- at least in a way that is tangible to the average guest.

Having stayed in the suites at ASMu, we had 2 bathrooms, a queen size bed, plenty of space. Having seen my sisters room, it was small IMO, maybe it was the larger furniture or something but I felt cramped. I didn't think the pool was much larger than ASMu's and we actually had 2 instead of 1. AKL's pool seemed crowded, ours didn't feel crowded. We aren't much into room service, so no loss there.

I ate at Mara for CS food and the food options were the same at ASMu from what we could tell. The animals were fantastic and perhaps worth the price but I still felt that spending the day at AK "did" the same thing for me- seeing the animals out their window was cool for about 5 minutes then it was just "ho hum"....of course I'm not much of an animal person so maybe it's just me.

The bus service was great while we were there so I can't see an improvement btwn the value and the deluxes. In addition, it took longer for my sister to get to her room from the bus than it did for us to get to ours. Granted we were in a "preferred location" but even still- she had to walk longer than we did.

I often read about people being worried- "we stayed at a deluxe/moderate last time, now we are doing a value- will we be disappointed"?

Maybe I'm missing something or maybe I'm just easy to please but I thought our stay at a value resort was well themed, relatively uncrowded and full of fun whimsical things to do and see.

I hope the the above doesn't sound snarky- maybe I'm just not a "deluxe" kinda gal, I dunno. I just was wondering what people see in a deluxe like AKL that makes them want to spend say 350 a night, vs. a value.

I certainly would love the opportunity to stay at a variety of DW resorts but for me, it would have little to do with the cost/amenities and more to do with variety. Having seen AKL, I didn't really see anything outright that I wished we had at our place.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

I was wondering what you get at a deluxe resort at DW that you actually use, that you can't get at a value?

So far I can think of a King size bed, room service, slide at the pool and hot tub.

Other than overall ambiance is there something I'm missing? While I would like to stay at a variety of DW resorts in the future including deluxes, I'm trying to figure out what makes the deluxe resorts, well, deluxe- at least in a way that is tangible to the average guest.

Having stayed in the suites at ASMu, we had 2 bathrooms, a queen size bed, plenty of space. Having seen my sisters room, it was small IMO, maybe it was the larger furniture or something but I felt cramped. I didn't think the pool was much larger than ASMu's and we actually had 2 instead of 1. AKL's pool seemed crowded, ours didn't feel crowded. We aren't much into room service, so no loss there.

I ate at Mara for CS food and the food options were the same at ASMu from what we could tell. The animals were fantastic and perhaps worth the price but I still felt that spending the day at AK "did" the same thing for me- seeing the animals out their window was cool for about 5 minutes then it was just "ho hum"....of course I'm not much of an animal person so maybe it's just me.

The bus service was great while we were there so I can't see an improvement btwn the value and the deluxes. In addition, it took longer for my sister to get to her room from the bus than it did for us to get to ours. Granted we were in a "preferred location" but even still- she had to walk longer than we did.

I often read about people being worried- "we stayed at a deluxe/moderate last time, now we are doing a value- will we be disappointed"?

Maybe I'm missing something or maybe I'm just easy to please but I thought our stay at a value resort was well themed, relatively uncrowded and full of fun whimsical things to do and see.

I hope the the above doesn't sound snarky- maybe I'm just not a "deluxe" kinda gal, I dunno. I just was wondering what people see in a deluxe like AKL that makes them want to spend say 350 a night, vs. a value.

I certainly would love the opportunity to stay at a variety of DW resorts but for me, it would have little to do with the cost/amenities and more to do with variety. Having seen AKL, I didn't really see anything outright that I wished we had at our place.

I don't know about the AKL as we've only stayed at one deluxe - the Poly and it was great. I think w/AKL people are paying for the uniqueness & seeing the animals. IMO Disney's deluxe hotels are really more about location then anything. All the deluxes are in close proximity to a theme park. For the Poly - theres the monorail (which is so convenient and easy w/young kids & strollers) & one stop away from the MK, boat to MK as well, close to the TTC, 2 restaurants to dine in, Capt. Cooks for a quick meal, character breakfast, room service (if you want it) which comes in handy after a long day in the park, Neverland Club (which we didn't use but a lot of people do), and the one thing that really wowed us was seeing Wishes & Cinderella's castle from the pool/beach area. Oh and EWP is so fun to watch. I think another thing about the deluxes is they have bigger rooms (w/the exception of any suites like CSR & ASMu) then the moderates & values and can sleep 5. Thats what gets alot of people is space & family size. My DS really like the pool and the fact that the pool was zero entry was terrific for DD2 & DD5. Not all deluxes have the zero entry pool though. It was fun trying the Poly - we loved it. I would have loved to stay at POR (as it fits 5 people) but I was concerned w/space and the fact that connecting rooms are not guaranteed was a huge concern for me. So deluxe it was.

I know a lot of people write this but its so true - disney has so many resorts that people can find one that suits them and their needs. DH and I were just saying that we loved the Poly because of all the above reasons but as our children age our needs will change. We probably won't stay at the resort as much as we did when they were younger so why spend oodles of money. So for us its whatever suits our needs at the time. I think the ASM suites are a great thing - I wish Disney would build more. There are a lot of families of 5 and more that could really use an affordable option then a deluxe. We're one.

I'm really glad to hear these good things about the suites - I am in hopes DH will be open to trying them. Unfortunately our family (on both sides) have had bad experiences w/the values so its hard to erase that from our minds. But things change. I guess its all subjective. Sorry so long.

 

[Luv2Roam]

LOTS of differences between the deluxes and values. Not to say the valuies are bad in any way. We have stayed at values, and one of our best WDW trips was at ASMo.
The deluxes have their ambience of course. But their location and scenery is great.
The rooms have nicer furniture, ceiling fan, possibly plasma TV, inroom frig/minibar, coffeemaker, snacks, room service, internet/computer (varies by resort I am sure), views, concierge availability, health spas, fitness centers, upscale restaurants and better food courts, better indoor shopping, better pools/slides, hot tub, better beds/mattresses/pillows, just more amenities altogether. Out Contemp room even had a sensor motion ceiling night light, with just the right amount of light... Our GF room had nice, cozy, oversized white robes. But of course guests pay for those perks.
It all depends what your needs are and how much you will be at the resort anyway.
When we stay at a deluxe we are much more apt to stay around the resort. When at a value, we would be out and about.

 

[minnie61650]

I have always felt Disney's value resorts are a total bargain. When I stay at value resort at Disney I feel I am getting way more than my money's worth.
The grounds , the food court, gift shop ,lobby and my room have always been very clean and well maintained.


When I rise early in the morning there are always groundskeepers working on the landscape.

The pools have always been clean with sparkling water. (We do have a large heated inground pool at home so I know about pool Maintence and water clarity)


The main pool is huge and always has plenty of lounges and chairs to sit in and relax by the pool.



The staff has always been very friendly.

I get so many perks (Disney theming, Disney transportation, and EMH)
Any of Disney's resort guests (even those staying at a value or mod) are allowed to shop, dine, rent watercraft, use the transportation or spa facilities at any of the Disney Resorts. (Of course pool hopping is not allowed.)

I travel several times a year for pleasure and stay at many 3 and 4 star hotels and a few 5 star hotels.

Disney does charge a premium price for their Deluxe resorts.
The WDW Deluxe guests are paying for location and amenities not for stellar customer service.

Many guests are disappointed because they think the GF is a 5 star hotel.
They expect the service of a 5 star and are disappointed when their expectations are not met.
It is in no way near a 5 star hotel even though it costs as much as many 5 star hotels.
The GF is rated 4 diamonds by AAA but most sites rate it as 3 and a half.
The Poly and CR are usually considered 3 star hotels.


Just my 2 cents