Bus service Pop vs All Star Movies

[dbenlee]

My wife and I are looking at booking a trip in late October 2017. We have never stayed in any of the Economy Resorts. We are looking at Pop and All Star Movies right now. Is the bus service to the parks better at one over the other?

 

[Tattylou]

Pop has its own bus, doesn't share with any other resorts.
The All Stars sometimes (most of the time) share a bus among the 3 of them. So they will be picking up and dropping off at each All Star.
I've stayed at 2 All Stars and at Pop a few times. I don't mind the extra stops too much, but it is nice to not have to deal with it.

 

[dansdad]

My wife and I are looking at booking a trip in late October 2017. We have never stayed in any of the Economy Resorts. We are looking at Pop and All Star Movies right now. Is the bus service to the parks better at one over the other?

In our experience, no. The All Stars do share but it's only during the very slow parts of the day when there's only a couple people waiting for each All Star. In over 45 nights across all the three All Stars we were on a shared bus a total of 3 times. And all 3 times there were a handful of other guests on the bus. The rare times of sharing is balanced out nicely with the fact that each All Star resort has 1,000 less rooms than Pop so the buses are usually less crowded.

 

[JennyDrake]

Ditto dansdad about the sharing. WAY overstated and WAY over dramatized. They share ONLY during the slow times of the day IF then--and it's no different than a moderate or deluxe with multiple bus stops. While I have multiple stays in each of the values, I give the edge to All Stars due to fewer rooms and therefore less noise and chaos...

 

[elaine amj]

I like that there are fewer people on the All Stars buses. That said, Pop has a slightly more convenient location and is a bit closer to more parks (DHS and Epcot). Still, that only makes a few minutes of difference for each trip. Not that big a deal. I mostly stay All Stars now because Pop is more expensive.

 

[peg2001]

Bus service wouldn't be a reason to choose one over the other, IMHO. All Stars are a little less expensive but Pop probably has the edge on food court menu, especially with the AoA food court within walking distance.

 

[Lesverts]

Movies. Less waiting on the end of the night. Ability to take a Music bus and a short walk to your room at Movies. Less ECVs. Pop is a nicer resort but Movies has the better bus services hands down.

 

[Disnsyncey]

My wife and I are looking at booking a trip in late October 2017. We have never stayed in any of the Economy Resorts. We are looking at Pop and All Star Movies right now. Is the bus service to the parks better at one over the other?

Since they are both values, the (transportation) difference would be that the all stars take less time to get to AK than Pop....also, since Pop is bigger, there might be longer lines from time to time....obviously Disney sends more buses to deal with the more people, but I like the "smallness" (relative) of the All Stars....

And the last 2-3 trips we have been at All Star Sports......MAYBE once I can remember sharing a bus....and that was with only about 8 other people....

 

[sharadoc]

Ditto dansdad about the sharing. WAY overstated and WAY over dramatized. They share ONLY during the slow times of the day IF then--and it's no different than a moderate or deluxe with multiple bus stops. While I have multiple stays in each of the values, I give the edge to All Stars due to fewer rooms and therefore less noise and chaos...

Yes what she said! There are less rooms at each All Star so you get on the bus faster at busy times. The line to go back to Pop at closing is L O O O O N G.

 

[WEDWDW]

Here is some info you may find helpful.

I kept a "log" during one of my trips to All-Star Sports.

While the buses do share at times,it isn't a "game-changer",we have well over 200 nights at the All-Stars and love it there!

(Times are actual "Travel Times"-they don't include "waiting for the bus times").

It takes the Buses about 2 minutes to travel from Sports to Music and about 2 minutes
from Music to Movies

I also did some Park Hopping:

Monorail from TTC to Epcot----9 minutes.

Monorail from Epcot to TTC----7 minutes.
Express Monorail----4 minutes

Friendship between Epcot and DHS----20-30 minutes(We actually did make it in 20 minutes one day!)

Saturday April 18-
Sports to Epcot----8:23AM to 8:33AM----10 minutes----Direct
Epcot to Sports----4:46PM to 4:58PM----12 minutes----Share

Sunday April 19----Sports to DAK(EMH)----7:44AM to 7:52AM----8 minutes----Direct
DAK to Sports----12:51PM to 12:57PM----6 minutes----Share
Sports to DHS----5:37PM to 5:57PM----20 minutes----Share
MK to Music----10:31PM to 10:52PM----21 minutes----Direct
(Hopped on a waiting Music Bus and then walked back to Sports.)

Monday April 20----Sports to MK----6:49AM to 7:04AM----15 minutes----Direct
(BOG Breakfast!)
Epcot to Sports----12:31PM to 12:42PM----11 minutes----Share
Sports to Epcot----2:44PM to 3:04PM----20 minutes----Share
Epcot to Sports----7:00PM to 7:12PM----12 minutes----Share

Tuesday April 21----Sports to DHS----7:58AM to 8:10AM----12 minutes----Direct
DHS to Sports----11:01AM to 11:15AM----14 minutes----Direct
Sports to DTD----2:23PM to 2:50PM----27 minutes----Share
DHS to Sports----9:57PM to 10:09PM----12 minutes----Share

Wednesday April 22----Sports to DAK----7:33AM to 7:44AM(EMH)----11 minutes----Direct
DAK to Sports----12:29PM to 12:37PM----8 minutes----Share
Sports to DHS----1:30PM to 1:49PM----19 minutes----Share
MK to Music----9:25PM to 9:40PM----15 minutes----Direct

Thursday April 23----Sports to Epcot----11:10AM to 11:19AM----9 minutes----Share
DTD to Sports----5:18PM to 5:37PM-----19 minutes----Share

Friday April 24----Sports to Epcot----8:06AM to 8:17AM-----11 minutes----Direct
Epcot to Sports----10:27AM to 10:43AM----16 minutes----Share
Sports to Epcot----12:23PM to 12:43PM----20 minutes----Share
Epcot to Sports----9:14PM to 9:30PM----16 minutes----Direct

Saturday April 25----Sports to DHS(EMH)----7:20AM to 7:30AM-----10 minutes----Direct
Epcot to Sports-----4:16PM to 4:30PM----14 minutes----Share

Sunday April 26----Sports to MK----9:15AM to 9:30AM----15 minutes----Direct
Epcot to Sports----12:20PM to 12:32PM-----12 minutes-----Share

Time to board THE LIBRARY BUS!!!!BOOOOOOOO!!!!

 

[Babsy]

My wife and I are looking at booking a trip in late October 2017. We have never stayed in any of the Economy Resorts. We are looking at Pop and All Star Movies right now. Is the bus service to the parks better at one over the other?

Not really. Bus service is variable to/from any resort. Good and bad experiences occur at all of them (including deluxe).

FYI: If you are booking for next month, I would book one of those sooner than later. You can always try to switch if you change your mind. Availability is getting low for some ADR's and FP+'s.

 

[brockash]

My wife and I are looking at booking a trip in late October 2017. We have never stayed in any of the Economy Resorts. We are looking at Pop and All Star Movies right now. Is the bus service to the parks better at one over the other?

It's really all a matter of personal preference. We've stayed at both and really prefer Movies, but often stay at Pop due to better bus transportation in our opinion. We much prefer the food court at Movies though and prefer the decor a great deal more. Essentially, the rooms are basically exactly the same (the renovated rooms at Pop are different, if they're ready by the time you go, although again depending on your preferences that may be a positive or negative) just different decor. We do like that each all star is smaller than pop. Feels less crazy at times.

 

[elaine amj]

Here is some info you may find helpful.

I kept a "log" during one of my trips to All-Star Sports.

While the buses do share at times,it isn't a "game-changer",we have well over 200 nights at the All-Stars and love it there!

(Times are actual "Travel Times"-they don't include "waiting for the bus times").

It takes the Buses about 2 minutes to travel from Sports to Music and about 2 minutes
from Music to Movies

I also did some Park Hopping:

Monorail from TTC to Epcot----9 minutes.

Monorail from Epcot to TTC----7 minutes.
Express Monorail----4 minutes

Friendship between Epcot and DHS----20-30 minutes(We actually did make it in 20 minutes one day!)

Saturday April 18-
Sports to Epcot----8:23AM to 8:33AM----10 minutes----Direct
Epcot to Sports----4:46PM to 4:58PM----12 minutes----Share

Sunday April 19----Sports to DAK(EMH)----7:44AM to 7:52AM----8 minutes----Direct
DAK to Sports----12:51PM to 12:57PM----6 minutes----Share
Sports to DHS----5:37PM to 5:57PM----20 minutes----Share
MK to Music----10:31PM to 10:52PM----21 minutes----Direct
(Hopped on a waiting Music Bus and then walked back to Sports.)

Monday April 20----Sports to MK----6:49AM to 7:04AM----15 minutes----Direct
(BOG Breakfast!)
Epcot to Sports----12:31PM to 12:42PM----11 minutes----Share
Sports to Epcot----2:44PM to 3:04PM----20 minutes----Share
Epcot to Sports----7:00PM to 7:12PM----12 minutes----Share

Tuesday April 21----Sports to DHS----7:58AM to 8:10AM----12 minutes----Direct
DHS to Sports----11:01AM to 11:15AM----14 minutes----Direct
Sports to DTD----2:23PM to 2:50PM----27 minutes----Share
DHS to Sports----9:57PM to 10:09PM----12 minutes----Share

Wednesday April 22----Sports to DAK----7:33AM to 7:44AM(EMH)----11 minutes----Direct
DAK to Sports----12:29PM to 12:37PM----8 minutes----Share
Sports to DHS----1:30PM to 1:49PM----19 minutes----Share
MK to Music----9:25PM to 9:40PM----15 minutes----Direct

Thursday April 23----Sports to Epcot----11:10AM to 11:19AM----9 minutes----Share
DTD to Sports----5:18PM to 5:37PM-----19 minutes----Share

Friday April 24----Sports to Epcot----8:06AM to 8:17AM-----11 minutes----Direct
Epcot to Sports----10:27AM to 10:43AM----16 minutes----Share
Sports to Epcot----12:23PM to 12:43PM----20 minutes----Share
Epcot to Sports----9:14PM to 9:30PM----16 minutes----Direct

Saturday April 25----Sports to DHS(EMH)----7:20AM to 7:30AM-----10 minutes----Direct
Epcot to Sports-----4:16PM to 4:30PM----14 minutes----Share

Sunday April 26----Sports to MK----9:15AM to 9:30AM----15 minutes----Direct
Epcot to Sports----12:20PM to 12:32PM-----12 minutes-----Share

Time to board THE LIBRARY BUS!!!!BOOOOOOOO!!!!

Wow. Very cool log! Love it!!

 

[vanjust14]

I had a terrible bus experience at All Star Sports and a great experience at Pop (no sharing!) so based on personal experience I vote Pop.
Recently at Sports we boarded a bus at 7:20, left Sports and 5 minutes later...ended up back at Sports. Picked up two parties then headed for...All Star Movies. Loaded a bunch of people on that bus, one of which asked the driver to wait for her boyfriend who was in the gift shop. Finally headed for EPCOT at 8:00 and we had an 8:05 breakfast reservation.

 

[anneboleyn]

I had a terrible bus experience at All Star Sports and a great experience at Pop (no sharing!) so based on personal experience I vote Pop.
Recently at Sports we boarded a bus at 7:20, left Sports and 5 minutes later...ended up back at Sports. Picked up two parties then headed for...All Star Movies. Loaded a bunch of people on that bus, one of which asked the driver to wait for her boyfriend who was in the gift shop. Finally headed for EPCOT at 8:00 and we had an 8:05 breakfast reservation.

That is so funny because I had the exact opposite experience (except we were at Movies and Music)! Any time we stayed at the All Stars, we had no problems with the bus and always got seats, even when the buses were being shared. But our stay at Pop was the absolute worse bus experience we have ever had, and it actually made me vow never to return to Pop as a result of it. The buses were so overcrowded it was insane. There also seemed to be a lot less of them than there were at the All Stars.

So my vote is for All Star Movies, hands down!