BEST building/room at ASSp?

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Just curious if anyone has any thoughts or recommendations on which is the best building at All Star Sports resort (and any best recommendation on a room also?)

The reason I ask is because I had booked the come-back rate at ASSp because I thought the kids would enjoy either that or movies better than music. I went with sports because it is usually the resort that is picked up first and dropped off first on the bus transportation. (I was in music and saw movies always had long lines and is picked up/dropped off last. They usually ended up having to stand and sometimes had to wait for the next bus since that bus was almost full already by the time we got to their resort).

I booked preferred building because I was entirely too far away at ASMu and got to see how much walking that really entailed. I didn't want to have to walk that much again especially with 3 kids one in a stroller and carrying more stuff with us/having to eat meals that I'd just skipped on my visit/etc.

Well, I looked at pics of the resorts and realized a few things. For one at Sports it doesn't seem to be so "straight" in the way the buildings are alligned so it doesn't seem like the walk is quite as long for some of the buildings as it is at Music.

And two... the preferred building is surfs up! ANY other building would have been fine for my kids- but surfs up. They've never surfed, they probably barely know what it is (except they HAVE watched Lilo and Stitch LOL) so it's not the first choice I would make. But by looking at the resort map of the buildings- Touchdown doesn't really look like that much more of a walk?

Not really worried about "noise"- in fact with 3 children of my own it being more "noisey" would just mask OUR noise. LOL I just wanted a room that was close to the food court and close to the pools. But looking at the map- preferred building doesn't really guarantee all that much closer than Touchdown! (I COULD end up at the very end of one of those buildings on the 3rd floor. It's happened before at music- it could happen again! And that would be RIGHT NEXT to the touchdown building).

So any suggestions to what's the best building/room in your experience or any comments on whether it's really not that much further to just stay in Touchdown or another building? I wanted to go with a resort that was themed like my children would like... not sure how surf's up is going to go over with them. I mean nothing to excite them- KWIM? (ie: it's not really something my children think of as a "sport" since it's not a sport THEY can participate in at home!)

Would it be a good idea to change the reservation to non-preferred and "request" touchdown building? Or do you think it would be better to leave it as it is- and then when we get there request touchdown even though we are paying for preferred building?
OR do you think the best option would be to stay 'preferred' reservation (paid in advance because we have to pay the full amount by 45 days of our stay) and then just SEE which room we get? Because if we get first floor in the front of the surf's up building- that would be fine. But if we get way back at the end of the building sorta BEHIND it on the T and something like 3rd floor- well then I would prefer the touchdown building since we'd be close to it anyway. So do you think it would be wise to just wait and see which room we get at the preferred building and if it's not what we really would like THEN ask to go to touchdown even at the preferred building rate we paid?

LMK please!

 

[bobcat]

I've stayed in Touchdown building 10 twice and really liked it. We were very close to the main building and it was quiet. You are also right in the middle of the quiet homerun pool and the main pool.

 

[justhat]

My favorite location at *** is Touchdown, but I think Surf"s Up is equally as close. While you could be all the way in the back of Surf's Up, you could also be all the way in the back of Touchdown, which would probably end up being a little further from the main building. By keeping the preferred room, at least you know the furthest you'll be is Surf's Up.

However, if you change your reservation from preferred to standard room, then you risk getting a room in Home Run Hotel, which I stayed at and is a very far walk (backside of building 8). I also stayed at Hoops Hotel (furthest part of the T on the backside) and that too was a very far walk and you had to go through the pool area, which was somewhat inconvenient with lounge chairs spread all over and kids darting in front of you to jump in/out of the pool. I imagine this would be the same for Center Court, though I guess you could go behind Surf's Up and Touchdown. Either way, both the Hoops Hotel and Home Run Hotel were very far away from the main building, and during late May after being in the parks all day it seemed even longer. So while you can request Touchdown, you may not get it and instead be on the locations I was and have a big walk everyday.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Thanks for the replies.
I think I'll stay with preferred and just check it out when we get there to see what room we get. If we get a far back on the T room 3rd floor or something- I may just ask if we can get a room in touchdown that is preferable to us and still pay the preferred rate (since it will be already paid by that point). Maybe they'll be more inclined to do that if they can't move us closer/lower in the preferred buildings Surf's Up!

I certainly do NOT want to take the risk of being the furthest away- because obviously with my luck that's exactly where I'd be... the exact furthest away I could possibly be. LOL

 

[disneyjunkie]

If you're going to keep the preferred building, call back have them list the request that you want on your reservation.

Make sure you list the most important item first.

When I booked our room, I reserved the preferred building. My next two request were 3rd floor, facing the pool.

When I was there in 2001, the CM that checked us in told me they try to at least fill your first request.

Since being close to the pool, food court, and bus stop is important to me, I pay the extra $$, this way I don't have to worry about being in the back of the resort.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've stayed at both ASMusic and ASSports, and can talk a little about distance. I also didn't like the way ASMusic was laid out-it reminded me of a bowling alley! So the next time I was going to WDW, I reserved ASSports instead. I didn't make any requests, and got Center Court, third floor, which was relatively far, supposedly. However, I thought it was a much shorter walk than some of the far buildings at ASMusic, and no farther than the Jazz building, which is pretty close relative to other buildings, at ASMusic. So I'd say wherever you get at ASSports isn't that bad a walk compared to ASMusic.

 

[Elysiannn]

Preferred Building is Surf's Up but it's a great place. If you're concerned about all the walking - Surf's up is the closest to everything (which was heavensent after a full day at the parks). The pool is great, the food court is super close and the bus stop is right there. The only downside of Surf's up is if you get pool-view. Very, very noisy at night - even tho the pool is suppose to get quiet by 11 - it goes well past midnight and if you're an early riser it doesn't make for alot of sleep. I just got back and had a garden view at Surf's up which was still very close and blessedly quiet at night.

Also - just keep working with the CM when you check in. One visit we were given a room we didn't like, returned to check-in and was given keys to two other rooms "to check out if we'd like them" - to say the least we got to pick and received better rooms.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[pugdog]

when we went in DEC. we requested touchdown but only paid for a regular room and got it. Never hurts to ask for it this way either.

 

[clori]

I was just as ASSp Feb 2-8th. We just had a regular room reserved and our requests were simple - no smoking, connecting room to my friend and bed rails. My friend who flew from another state got there a few hours before us and ended up getting us both a free upgrade to preferred. I don't know much about it since I wasn't there but it had something to do with cro not sending her reservation over to all stars so check in took a long time. Anyway we ended up in Surfs Up room 1261 (she had 1260). It was in building one according to my friend. They were connecting rooms on the second floor, double beds, no smoking. I did call housekeeping to ask for bed rails and they were there within 5 minutes and we also got a ironing board/iron. The room was about a two minute walk to the food court and less than 5 minutes from the bus stop. Although there was only one 2 year old and 3 adults we all appreciated the closeness to the room coming back at night. The pool was right outside. Before we went we were not interested in paying the extra money for a preferred location but after this stay we will most likely pay for a preferred location at the all stars in the future. By the way we were always the first stop on/off the bus but there was standing at music. Most of the time movies was not included during the early entry morning bus runs so I assume they had their own bus at that time. I agree the theming of surfs up wasn't the ideal theme but it was fine and it is different with just a toddler. No matter what room you end up in have a great trip!

 

[Poohbear123]

I stay here ALL the time, and LOVE building 10! Stayed there in Nov. and will request that building from now on...NO extra Charge either!