Favorite Value and Why?

[Nana2Callie]

We have decided to go value next year and looking for the best fit for us. 4 adults and 1 child (8 yrs) in our group. We will be doing connecting/adjoining rooms.

So please share your opinions.

 

[Megs114]

Honestly, my favorite is All-Star Sports. We are going in August and it is my third time staying here. We had an adjoining room the last time we were there and it worked out great. The pool is nice and I really like it for the buses. Since it is the first of the All-Stars location wise, you are the first to be picked up and the first to be dropped off. Hope this helps! Have fun!

 

[Mac4life30]

Pop Century! Waiting for an all star bus is not fun. They take forever and are normally very crowded.

 

[Mariep26]

We enjoyed ASMo (Toy Story section). The food court is great and my kids loved the Fantasia pool. They have a nice playground and we had a great room on a top floor close to the pool and dining hall. We went in March which was supposed to be moderate to high crowds and we had no trouble getting buses -- probably one time it was very crowded and that was going to DTD around dinner so it was understandable. We would definitely return! Others really like Pop Century -- I haven't stayed there but based on the pictures, I can see why people find it appealing. Where it is, with the lake and all, seems very nice!
Edited to fix a typo!

 

[Mariep26]

Pop Century! Waiting for an all star bus is not fun. They take forever and are normally very crowded.

IDK about others but this was not my experience. We went March 26-30 of this year and had maybe one wait that seemed a little long. I think many factors could contribute to buses being an issue but it could happen at any resort (and it has -- I have seen posts about CBR and even deluxes having bus issues).

Edited to add that I have seen Deluxe resorts having transportation issues in general -- not just on buses but the monorail being closed, boats being too full, etc...

 

[cricket12960]

I love AllStar Music. I would also request a suite because they have two bathrooms, It can sleep up to six people, Microwave, mini fridge. We have stayed there many times. It is our favorite of the values!

 

[maxiesmom]

If you want to get preferred rooms, go with the All Star Sports. During the times when the all stars share a bus, the Sports is the first stop. I like the Music too, but many of the preferred rooms were used to make the family suites. So getting a preferred room, or preferred rooms that connect, is harder at the Music than at the Sports.

 

[NJtoATL]

POP!!! I was said I would never stay at another value again after staying at AKL. Tried to book a moderate. There was nothing available for what I needed and wanted. Stayed at POP and I was pleasantly surprised. I would stay there again during a less busy time. Was there the 2nd week of June.

 

[waffles77]

POP! We love POP. The kids won't stay anywhere else. It's such a fun theme.

Also, the bus situation is much better than at the All Star. You don't have to make 100 stops before being on your way.

 

[Phatoomch]

IDK about others but this was not my experience. We went March 26-30 of this year and had maybe one wait that seemed a little long. I think many factors could contribute to buses being an issue but it could happen at any resort (and it has -- I have seen posts about CBR and even deluxes having bus issues).

Edited to add that I have seen Deluxe resorts having transportation issues in general -- not just on buses but the monorail being closed, boats being too full, etc...

I second Movies!! You feel like you really are in the heart of Disney with the giant characters, we were also in Toy Story

I think you hear stories about buses from Value to Deluxe - one person had a great experience, another person had a terrible experience .... you often hear about ASMovies sharing with ASMusic but when we were there (Sept) there was no sharing, direct from resort to park.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I second Movies!! You feel like you really are in the heart of Disney with the giant characters, we were also in Toy Story

I think you hear stories about buses from Value to Deluxe - one person had a great experience, another person had a terrible experience .... you often hear about ASMovies sharing with ASMusic but when we were there (Sept) there was no sharing, direct from resort to park.

I third Movies!! This is my first on-site resort! This place will always have a place in my heart. It shouts "Disney" to me! We were in the Toy Story building, Buzz section facing Woody! We stayed in this bldg twice, then the other time we stayed at 101 Dalmatians facing the center courtyard. It's has been a "magical" stay for us.

 

[Colleen27]

We really enjoyed both of the values we stayed at. You read on the boards all the time that people get spoiled by a moderate or deluxe stay and have a hard time downgrading to a value, but for us it was just the opposite - the values have everything we need for the limited time we're in the room and fun, colorful themes that my kids love. Once we stayed value we have a hard time justifying the higher cost to stay elsewhere!

And again, running contrary to board wisdom... I preferred All Star Sports over Pop. We enjoyed both our stays at Pop and it is awesome being at a resort that never shares buses and has only one stop (contrast that with our stay at the Beach Club - the buses sometimes shared with ALL FOUR other Epcot area resorts!). But we found the same to be true of the All Stars any time it mattered - the only shared bus we got on was going to Downtown Disney for a 9pm movie. We never shared going to or from a park. And my kids liked the option to pool hop and the ability to walk over to a different All Star to catch a different evening movie if the one showing at our resort didn't appeal.

Next time we plan to try Music, for two reasons - as a family of 5 the suites are perfect (better floor plan than AoA IMO - three pull-outs instead of two means no kids have to share beds, and all 3 are in the living area for watching TV in the evening; at AoA one of the beds is in the "kitchen" with no view of the TV, and you need to clear the table to open it), and as the middle All Star it is a good "home base" for pool & movie hopping.

 

[Tink415]

We've stayed at ASMo and Pop a few times each and ASMu once. Its been a few years but I would stay at any of them again except for July or August when I want a ceiling fan in the room.

Love the atmosphere in general and main pool area at ASMo, lots of palm trees. I can remember each room and area we've stayed at and they were cute. Probably I'd go with where I could get the best price.

At Pop I really enjoy the food court and the store. Often if we're staying someplace else I like to visit Pop to check out the store and have lunch. We've only stayed at Pop during colder months when we didn't swim. And I can't remember the rooms or locations where we've stayed - just weren't memorable to me I guess.

Stayed in a family suite at ASMu when they were new. The pool area is very nice. The MBR was very nice. Furniture in LR seemed unnecessarily ugly to me and I didn't think it would wear well. I would stay again if traveling with a group and didn't have enough points for DVC villa.

The bus service at all the values is generally very good IMHO!

 

[goofyintoronto]

We love Pop!!! We love the vibe, the bright colors, the icons, the food court, pool & games, movies at night, the arcade (and prize redemption zone!). Its a great resort.

For the All Stars, we like Sports. Nice small resort. First to get picked up and dropped off.

 

[jlcw14]

We've stayed at AS Mo, AS Mu, and POP. I really liked them all, and miss the fun theming! (We stay moderate now because my teens require a queen bed, lol!). I liked everything about POP, but I have to say that I found the opposite of what others have posted - the bus sytem was worse than at the AS resorts. Sure, I was able to score a seat more often, but we had to wait ALOT longer for the buses to come along. Maybe it was just poor timing on our part, but we had to wait...and wait...and wait...ALOT on that trip! I think its really hit or miss.

 

[lustergirl]

If you want to get preferred rooms, go with the All Star Sports. During the times when the all stars share a bus, the Sports is the first stop. I like the Music too, but many of the preferred rooms were used to make the family suites. So getting a preferred room, or preferred rooms that connect, is harder at the Music than at the Sports.

Have to agree with you maxie. AS Sports is awesome and I keep returning to this resort for short trips. A couple of years ago we stayed at POP. It was an awesome vacation but I missed Sports. POP is too big for me and way too hectic. I was impressed with their bus service though.

 

[rocketmom]

I love All Star Sports All Star Sports has great bus service, friendly cast members, great food court, and the best mousekeepers at Disney! I spent one trip at POP and said Never Again! This was the only time I was happy to leave Disney and return home.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Last August, my family stayed at POP. The buses left a bit to be desired. I usually arrive at a queue an hour before park opening. In the past, this method worked great. At POP, when I arrived, the queues were already full and you had to wait for additional buses. Then when we were leaving MK one night, the bus queue was full and down the walkway. I've never run into this chaos, when staying at ASMu. My experience at the AS queues during park closing, is that there are buses for each resort running. Hop in whatever line is shorter and then walk to your resort.