Comparing Pop to ASMu

[dclfun]

I'm not sure if this actually belongs on this board, but I'll start here as most of my comments relate to accessibility issues. I just returned from a three night stay at ASMu. Last week we had a three night stay at Pop. These trips were booked by me but paid for by one of my care providers-long story but basically we were a party of only two with my SD. I was hoping that sharing these little details and differences might help someone else in planning and choosing a value resort. Here's the differences:

Rooms: the same size and layout. No fridge in ASMu ( had one at Pop) but one was brought when requested for medical needs. No fold down shower bench in ASMu ( had one at Pop) but a transfer bench was brought. No overlapping curtains at ASMu to block light, however the newer curtains are heavier and stayed shut "in the middle". ASMu had a nice curtain to give some privacy in the sink area for someone to dress outside the bathroom. Very nice since the floor was always soaked after we used the shower( Pop did not have the curtain privacy divider). Loved the newer decor at ASMu and it felt brighter and of course, "new".

Bedding: Much better at ASMu. Both rooms had a king bed but the one at ASMu was the newer pillow top type and was extremely comfortable and easier to transfer into as it was higher than the Pop king bed ( which felt like laying on concrete, esp. for someone who cannot turn over independently)

Food court: Here it was a toss-up. My adult assistant much preferred the food selections at Pop. No icees at ASMu and a much more limited menu that did not change nightly whereas Pop has "specials" and a bit over the standard, plain fare. The queue lines however for someone in a wheelchair are affixed at ASMu, provide wider access, and were much easier to maneuver. The moveable stanchions at Pop are often placed too closely together and I've been caught in the straps before while making a turn. Much, much better accessibility at AsMu in the food court and two tables designated for guests using a w/c which are higher and closer ( don't have the special table areas at Pop).

Busses: Seemed much better at ASMu as not as many people gathered in the waiting areas so it gave the appearance of being less crowded. At the end of the day though all the busses were full and no difference in actual time spent waiting for a bus.

Entertainment/"feel" of the resorts: I prefer the hourglass lake and grassy, quiet areas at Pop, however my friend loved the outdoor poolside movies and bingo games at ASMu. We never actually played bingo or watched the movie but saw lots of families enjoying both and it made for a nice, upbeat atmosphere. Unfortunately we saw lots of smokers outside on our walkway at Pop with smoke blowing into our room. We also saw smokers on the walkways of ASMu. At neither resort were we informed of a no-smoking policy or were told about DSA's when we checked in, so we had to wonder if guests even knew that smoking anywhere but the DSA's is not allowed. We did speak to a manager at Pop who insisted that "people knew better" but that they cannot enforce anything unless they see an infraction. Again, I'm not so sure that people knew better and I certainly didn't want to feel like the "smoking police"- that's Disney's job to explain and then enforce their new rule and smokers do have to smoke "somewhere". Meahwhile the DSA at Pop is right by the doorway into the food court area while the one at ASMu is further away, making it much more pleasant for those of us who cannot tolerate smoke to enter/exit the main building at ASMu. As for the entrance/exit, the sliding doors at Pop are much wider and there are two sliding doors vs. just the one smaller door at ASMu- easier to maneuver at Pop.

Where would we stay again? I give AsMu the edge as accessibility and comfort was a bit better, but really either has it's positives and negatives. I wouldn't hesitate to book either one.---Kathy

 

[MightyMom]

You have no idea just how helpful this post has been for me.

We've been planning our next trip and I can't decide between All Star Music(or Sports) and POP.

My husband says I'm over thinking it..... but I just want things to be as easy as possible.

How would you compare the distance from the preferred rooms to the food court.

My son can ambulate using a walker for short distances.....and I know he would enjoy a stroll to the food court. Which do you think is a shorter walk? POP or ASMu How do you think All Star Sports would compare? (Assuming you've been there)

Thanks again Kathy for your post. It was as if you read my mind and answered my questions.

 

[dclfun]

For the distance from food court to the preferred building it's probably going to be closer in most cases at ASMu. The reason I say this is that all guests who are in the preferred section at ASMu will be in Calypso and some of the rooms designated as "preferred" at Pop are further out. Still, as long as you request something in preferred and mention that you need to be as close to the food court as possible ( or at Pop I'd request the 60's building) then either should be fine. At Pop the sliding door leading into the main building to get to the food court will be larger ( plus there are two) so less chance of someone using a walker to be crowded or pushed by another guest but you do have to go through the gift shop to get to the food court unless you use one of the side doors which are not sliding doors. I've also stayed at Sports and it's a similar layout to ASMu...and I'd think that once those rooms are renovated and with the new decor and mattresses it would also be a good choice. At this time though, of all the All Star resorts, only Music has the activities ( bingo, dancing, hula hoop contest, water basketball, big screen outdoor movies). While we didn't participate in those things, the energy was good and it made the whole place seem really alot of fun. One thing to also think of is if you'll be using the pools or playground with your son. There's the jet fountain area at Pop that doesn't exist at Music which is in addition to the pools. I know the playground at Music has sand, so no way to navigate easily with a walker...but I can't recall the materials under the playground at Pop- maybe someone else will have that info or if you think your son would use the slide/swings/playground then you can always call the resort directly and ask if it's sand, mulch, or the rubbery material. Glad my post helped someone. ---Kathy

 

[jcotter628]

We just returned from a 6 day stay at WDW.My wife had to use a wheelchair this trip because of a bad knee injury a week before the trip(perfect timing).We had reservations at the POP,but only stayed there 3 days because of the behavior of the other guests at the various bus stops.We heard comments ranging from "fat cow" to "that b***H in the wheelchair"when boarding the buses,and it got downright ugly at the MK one night after the MNSSHP.The lift malfunctioned on the bus and while the driver was attempting to fix it,one of the men waiting in line came up and shouted at us,demanding that we tell the driver to stop trying to fix it and take everyone else back to the resort.When that failed,he pounded on the bus door,shouting at the driver.Luckily the driver had called it in,and another bus arrived at that point.He took the waiting people back,leaving us with the first bus.They got the lift working finally,and took us back to the hotel.
What is interesting.is after we got back to the POP,we talked to the night manager and got transfered over to the All-Star Music resort for the last 3 days of our stay.The entire time we stayed there,there were NO incidents or comments at the bus stops and every guest we encountered was friendly and polite.
As this was our first and hopefully only time using a wheelchair,it was a very eye-opening experience with what people using them have to put up with.The cast members at both resorts were without exception,polite,friendly,and very helpful.It was the other guests at the POP that were the problem.I don't think we will be staying at the POP again.

 

[Mason7AK]

We just returned from a 6 day stay at WDW.My wife had to use a wheelchair this trip because of a bad knee injury a week before the trip(perfect timing).We had reservations at the POP,but only stayed there 3 days because of the behavior of the other guests at the various bus stops.We heard comments ranging from "fat cow" to "that b***H in the wheelchair"when boarding the buses,and it got downright ugly at the MK one night after the MNSSHP.The lift malfunctioned on the bus and while the driver was attempting to fix it,one of the men waiting in line came up and shouted at us,demanding that we tell the driver to stop trying to fix it and take everyone else back to the resort.When that failed,he pounded on the bus door,shouting at the driver.Luckily the driver had called it in,and another bus arrived at that point.He took the waiting people back,leaving us with the first bus.They got the lift working finally,and took us back to the hotel.
What is interesting.is after we got back to the POP,we talked to the night manager and got transfered over to the All-Star Music resort for the last 3 days of our stay.The entire time we stayed there,there were NO incidents or comments at the bus stops and every guest we encountered was friendly and polite.
As this was our first and hopefully only time using a wheelchair,it was a very eye-opening experience with what people using them have to put up with.The cast members at both resorts were without exception,polite,friendly,and very helpful.It was the other guests at the POP that were the problem.I don't think we will be staying at the POP again.

wow! I am so sorry that happened to you! Your poor wife! I would have been in tears, so I am sure she was so upset. People can be so incredibly insensitive. I am glad you were able to enjoy the remainder of your trip at Music.
I stayed last year (2006) at Pop with a friend and our two DC in wheelchairs. We were not impressed either. For us, it was a combination of impatient guests at the bus stops, plus the rooms just were not large enough for two wheelchairs (even pediatric ones). We were constantly bumping into door and beds with the chairs. Getting in and out of the room with the chairs was a pain - we laughed about it at the time, but we would not stay at Pop again.
This year, she and I did our annual trip in February and we stayed at POR - wow, what a difference! It was a great trip and well worth the extra $ for a moderate. We were given two connecting rooms, as the roll in shower room only had a King bed and we were a party of four. The CM's at the resort were very helpful, the bus stops were not crowded at all, and the resort is beautiful! We stayed on the Mansion side.
Will be staying at POFQ in December with my family, including DD and DS in wheelchairs, so I will be sure and post how FQ is in comparison!
Angela

 

[kimsuenew]

We just returned from a 6 day stay at WDW.My wife had to use a wheelchair this trip because of a bad knee injury a week before the trip(perfect timing).We had reservations at the POP,but only stayed there 3 days because of the behavior of the other guests at the various bus stops.We heard comments ranging from "fat cow" to "that b***H in the wheelchair"when boarding the buses,and it got downright ugly at the MK one night after the MNSSHP.The lift malfunctioned on the bus and while the driver was attempting to fix it,one of the men waiting in line came up and shouted at us,demanding that we tell the driver to stop trying to fix it and take everyone else back to the resort.When that failed,he pounded on the bus door,shouting at the driver.Luckily the driver had called it in,and another bus arrived at that point.He took the waiting people back,leaving us with the first bus.They got the lift working finally,and took us back to the hotel.
What is interesting.is after we got back to the POP,we talked to the night manager and got transfered over to the All-Star Music resort for the last 3 days of our stay.The entire time we stayed there,there were NO incidents or comments at the bus stops and every guest we encountered was friendly and polite.
As this was our first and hopefully only time using a wheelchair,it was a very eye-opening experience with what people using them have to put up with.The cast members at both resorts were without exception,polite,friendly,and very helpful.It was the other guests at the POP that were the problem.I don't think we will be staying at the POP again.

I am so sorry that happend to you and your wife. I am glad they moved you and the remainder of your stay was without incident. We stayed at SSR while visiting this September, but only rented ECV's at the parks and took a collapsed wheelchair to Downtown Disney so I had no experience with people's reactions. I can walk very for short distances with the use of a cane. When we go next trip (this coming September) I am renting an EVC the entire time. We are also staying at Pop as SSR is simply out of our budget. I am extremely worried now. I cannot even imagine how those people were raised to behave in such a manner. I have worked with special needs (both adults and children) for over 20 years and know how rude people can be. It truly makes me sick! If you are healthy, if you are mobile, if your children are healthy... count your blessings, don't be cruel to those that are not. I am now wondering if I should switch our September 2008 reservations to an All Star. Has anyone else had similar reactions at Pop? At an All Star? Thanks!