Do I need a preferred room at POP?

[ShaneH]

Got my room booked for September but all they had available was preferred rooms so it cost me an extra 100 bucks. Now I'm not a total cheap skate but is it worth the exra hundred bucks? I could move to one of the All Star resorts and save the money for other things. Also thinking that the All Star resorts must not be as crowded since they had plenty of regular rooms left. Is POP that much better that its worth the extra hundred and being at a more crowded resort?

 

[MiaSRN62]

I've stayed at all the AS resorts and POP. I like POP and Movies the best. Especially if you have children, Movies is really cute. But all are very bright and colorful. At POP, I'm beginning to think "preferred" is a good thing. I have booked standard the last three stays there and requested 50's or 70's section. Instead, I got the 80's twice (very far end) and the 90's this most recent stay. It can be quite a hike to the food court from these areas---especially if you have very young or elderly with you. It used to be easier to get the 50's or 70's section when booking standard, but now they've designated the closer rooms in these sections as preferred, so I think that is why I haven't been having my requests met the past three stays. So preferred could be a very good thing at POP.

On the flip side, if you want to save the $100, Movies is very nice----but some of their standard rooms can be far from the food court as well. YOu could be placed in the Love Bug or Mighty Ducks sections which are furthest. Fantasia, Dalmations and Toy Story tend to be preferred and closer (though certain rooms in the TS/Dalmation section are standard I believe). You just risk a chance of not getting placed there even with a request.

I think POP's bus service is a bit more consistantly better. POP has it's own bus, as do all the AS resorts, but I've heard during certain times, the AS resorts can share busses. But POP has never, to my knowlege, shared a bus with any other resort. Now granted, I think the AS bus sharing is minimal, but it can happen.

So, if you don't mind a bit of a walk to the food court, and want to save the $100, go with the Movies. It's the next newest under POP.

Good luck.

 

[minnie61650]

All Star Music is my favorite Disney owned hotel.
It tends to be the quietest of the values.

Here is a list of differences between Pop and the All Star resorts.

Pop is newer.
Pop was built in 2003.
All Star Movies was built in 1999.
All Star Sports and Music were built in 1994.

All Star Music is undergoing a refurbishment of all of the rooms and is slated to be completed by June 2007.

The Calypso and Jazz buildings are completed and the last I heard they are working on the Broadway Buildings.

Here is a website with photos of the newly refurbished rooms at All Star Music.

Look at the Jazz Inn section with new posted:

http://allearsnet.com/acc/g_asmu.htm

Pop has a lake. The All Stars do not have a lake.

When staying at the All Stars you use any of the All Stars pools.
The 3 All Stars are within easy walking distance of each other.

The gift shops are separate from the food court at the All Stars.
The gift shop and food court are combined at Pop.

Pop has 2,880 guest rooms. 4 floors in each building.
Each of the All Stars has 1,960 rooms. 3 floors in each building.

Both Pop and the All Star rooms are 260 square feet.

The beds at the All Stars are movable.

the beds at Pop at bolted to the floor.

The far bed at an All Star is closer to wall. And the near bed is not as close to the doorway as it is at Pop

The far bed at Pop is pulled away from the wall more. The near bed is closer to door.
http://allearsnet.com/acc/asmv59.jpg
http://allearsnet.com/acc/popcent56.jpg

For most people that would not make a difference but since I need an ECV
the bed being so near the door at Pop makes it more difficult for me to back my EVC in.



Please see my info thread For the reasons why I enjoy All Star Music so much.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18641909#post18641909

Have fun at Disney!

 

[ShaneH]

Thanks a ton for all the info guys. Of the All Star resorts which tends to be the least crowded?

 

[minnie61650]

Thanks a ton for all the info guys. Of the All Star resorts which tends to be the least crowded?

Movies is the most popular.

Music and Sports are usually less crowded.

Whenever we have returned from a park to Music the bus lines are usually about half as long as the lines for the other All Stars.

So I think Music is usually less crowded.

Have fun at Disney!

 

[M2DD's]

Linda-OMG you just made my day Are the beds at the all star sports moveable?Can I move the bed closets to the wall and place it against the wall?(does that make sense.) So my DD doesn't roll off the bed and we can have more space in between the two beds. we stayed at the pop last year and the beds were botlted. I also agree with your thought on the pop.so this yr we are traying ASsports.
laura

 

[minnie61650]

Linda-OMG you just made my day Are the beds at the all star sports moveable?Can I move the bed closets to the wall and place it against the wall?(does that make sense.) So my DD doesn't roll off the bed and we can have more space in between the two beds. we stayed at the pop last year and the beds were botlted. I also agree with your thought on the pop.so this yr we are traying ASsports.
laura

Yes, the beds at the All Star resorts are movable. You can move the far bed against the wall thus keeping a little one safe and making more room between the beds.

Remember bed rails are available from housekeeping also.

Have fun at Disney!

 

[ShaneH]

Anyone know which buildings the preferred rooms are in? Is there any difference in size or amenities or is it just the location?

 

[Mickeefan]

You can always call back to POP periodically and see if a standard room opens up.

 

[Minnie1156]

Got my room booked for September but all they had available was preferred rooms so it cost me an extra 100 bucks. Now I'm not a total cheap skate but is it worth the exra hundred bucks? I could move to one of the All Star resorts and save the money for other things. Also thinking that the All Star resorts must not be as crowded since they had plenty of regular rooms left. Is POP that much better that its worth the extra hundred and being at a more crowded resort?

I like Pop better because it has its own buses. The All stars share theirs. You do not really need preferred. It is not that big. It is a circle.


Only 19 More Days for me Hoorah

 

[JKMJ441724]

Got my room booked for September but all they had available was preferred rooms so it cost me an extra 100 bucks. Now I'm not a total cheap skate but is it worth the exra hundred bucks? I could move to one of the All Star resorts and save the money for other things. Also thinking that the All Star resorts must not be as crowded since they had plenty of regular rooms left. Is POP that much better that its worth the extra hundred and being at a more crowded resort?

We stayed at POP last year. We were in one of the 80s buildings - SO NOT PREFERRED LOCATION. Let me tell you, it was a schlep to get to main pool, food court, gift shop, buses, etc. We had two little ones we had to drag from our room to the buses. We finally ended up just driving to the parks because of the hassle of getting the kids to the buses. If I ever stayed there again, I would upgrade.

Have a great time.

 

[ShaneH]

Do you know which buildings the preferred rooms were in?

 

[CinRell]

Linda.. I believe you just sold me on all stars music!!!!!!

 

[MiaSRN62]

POP Preferred : 60's and parts of the 50's and 70's
Music Preferred : Calypso
Sports Preferred : Surf's Up (and I think Touchdown...if Touchdown isn't preferred, it's probably the next closest to being preferred)
Movies Preferred : as mentioned in my prior post, Fantasia and parts of Toy Story and Dalmations

Hope this helps.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Linda.. I believe you just sold me on all stars music!!!!!!

We last stayed in Music in Oct '03. At that time, felt the bedspreads and carpet was a little worn/tired looking. Almost like the bedspreads had been washed one too many times. We were in the Calypso bldg---hope they got a facelift there. Anyone who stayed after 2003 know if they did ? Other than that....we liked this resort and loved the location/theme.

 

[ShaneH]

POP Preferred : 60's and parts of the 50's and 70's
Music Preferred : Calypso
Sports Preferred : Surf's Up (and I think Touchdown...if Touchdown isn't preferred, it's probably the next closest to being preferred)
Movies Preferred : as mentioned in my prior post, Fantasia and parts of Toy Story and Dalmations

Hope this helps.

Thank you. I had seen it some place but could not find it again.

 

[minnie61650]

We last stayed in Music in Oct '03. At that time, felt the bedspreads and carpet was a little worn/tired looking. Almost like the bedspreads had been washed one too many times. We were in the Calypso bldg---hope they got a facelift there. Anyone who stayed after 2003 know if they did ? Other than that....we liked this resort and loved the location/theme.

All Star Music started refurbishing all of thier rooms last summer (2006)
DH and I stayed in a reburished room in Calypso building #10 last September and we are staying in Calypso again this September.

DH and I loved the newly refurbished rooms.


All Star Music is undergoing a refurbishment of all of the rooms and is slated to be completed by June 2007.

The Calypso and Jazz. & Broardway buildings are completed and the last I heard they are working on the Rock Inn buildings with only the Country Fair buildings needing a reburishment to be completed..

Here is a website with photos of the newly refurbished rooms at All Star Music.

Look at the Jazz Inn section with new posted:

http://allearsnet.com/acc/g_asmu.htm

Have fun Disney wherever you choose to stay!

 

[Tara8595]

There are some standard rooms in the 60's section as well. Even if you get put into 80s or 90s, if you aren't happy, you can request a room change for the next day if they have something open then - we did that last summer during August.

Here's a link to show the preferred areas: http://www.willcad.org/maps/resorts/resort_pop_prefered.jpg

If you are using the elevators and have an upper floor room, the distance to your standard room in 50's, 60's, or 70's would be no further than to the preferred. Also the rooms on the back where the lake is are really nice and quiet.

Also, Pop food court and shop are in two totally different areas - you can just walk through the shop to get to the food court at Pop.

I stayed ASMu last January and really hated the theming. Those murals in the food court creeped me out, and it just seemed old. Also, the food court is way smaller than at Pop. But I did like my mug with Mickey playing guitar.

 

[MiaSRN62]

All Star Music is undergoing a refurbishment of all of the rooms and is slated to be completed by June 2007.

Thank You Linda...this is really good to hear They really needed it. Did Sports as well, do u know ?

Even if you get put into 80s or 90s, if you aren't happy, you can request a room change for the next day if they have something open then - we did that last summer during August.

I did request something closer and no such luck. It was the tail end of the Pres Week crowd, so maybe that's the reason. Not sure. But my requests were not met in 2005 (Feb 10-14), 2006 (Oct 4-7) or most recently in Feb 2007.