I've booked my All Star rooms -- now tell me the advantages of staying there

[tar heel]

I have booked two All Star Sports rooms for our trip in June. We're a family of 5, including two teens (one 19 and counting as an adult) and an almost 9-year-old. We're never stayed at the All Stars -- have stayed at YC three times, Poly once, PO-R twice and CBR once. YC is by far our favorite resort and that's where we've stayed the past three years. With the extra adult fee and so-so code rate, it would cost more than $100 a night more than All Stars -- just can't justify it. We know we're going to miss the pool (I have not told the kids that there is no slide at All Stars) and the yc location. We don't use room service or valet parking (used to use the latter) and find the food situation at yc to be a problem -- very difficult to get something quick or less than a sit-down meal before/after the pool is open.

Here are my pluses for the All Stars:

Cost -- paying college tuition and need to keep it down.
Extra bathroom -- sometimes two people need to go at the same time.
Extra bed -- All the big people will have his/her own bed, and little guy can choose who he sleeps with
Two TVs -- cartoons on one and sports on the other
Food court -- We found we ate a couple meals there when we stayed at PO-R, so having it available will be good.
Car parked near room -- I actually like to have the car accessible. We don't use it to get to parks, but it's nice to be able to go get something out without having to go so far or get it from valet.
No tips for carrying our luggage -- every bit of savings helps.

Can you think of some other pluses for me, so I'll be ready when the family begins rebelling?

Thanks!

 

[disneyjunkie]

EXCELLENT BUS SERVICE!!

 

[DMRick]

There is no slide, correct..but the baseball pool is still very cute. You get two bathrooms and two TV's with two rooms instead of one. You can pool hop over to Music and Movies..and no one will report you..cause it's allowed!! McDonalds is close. AK is close. You won't have to pay extra for the "adult" child, with two rooms..you can have two adults in each room. Enough good reasons for me.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

And friendly relaxed feeling due in part, I think, to not having to spend SO much to stay there. Granted the pool(s) aren't as fancy but they're fun. And pool hopping to Movies and Music is acceptable. So though there are no slides your son can enjoy three different themed main pools.

Be sure to ask for connecting rooms if you haven't already. We've done it several times with various family members and it makes the space so much more useful.

You get to go to Disney AND pay college expenses - that wonderful! Lots of families (ours included) could only do the college load for several years. Congrats!

 

[VickiVM]

We spent one night at ASMu before our 5 nights at BCV. We were 6 (3 adults, 3 kids) and also had two rooms. We actually didn't check in until 1am and checked out at 12 later that morning. I have to say that unless you're assigned a building adjacent to the parking, you may still have a trek to and from our vehicle. We drove in and was parked a good 5-7 minutes from our room. My mom and I did walk to the food court to grab a lite breakfast for the kids and found the selection to be sufficient and varied. The pool looked really inviting and I know the kids wouldn't have cared if there wasn't a slide. I know if we had more days there the children would have been happy. My husband, however, found the rooms too small. (But with kids ages 8, 6 and 4 any room with them in it can be too small!) At a rate of $49/night, though, who wouldn't love AllStars??

I'm sure you and your family will enjoy your stay there. I can assure you that even though it is considered a budget resort by WDW standards, it doesn't feel like you're "slumming" when you're there.

BTW, have you considered splitting your stay and adding one or two nights at YC just to get a flavor of a deluxe to end your trip??

 

[Sharby]

I'd try for a fridge for your stay as well. Somehow having access to food and cold drinks - milk for some cereal if you're starving in the morning - makes all the difference to hungry kids who can't wait another minute. (Don't forget you might be given the 2 queen standard room/2 queen disabled-access room configuration and this means that you'll have a fridge in one of the rooms already - ie - no charge.)

And do let us know how it all works out. Don't forget that we love to get feedback on what worked and what did.

 

[tar heel]

Thanks folks. Keep them coming.

Sharby -- about the refrigerator . . . I have the cooler thing down to an art. We always keep a cooler full of soft drinks, lemonade, tea, water and milk. I also bring two shopping bags full of cereal, granola bars, snacks, etc. We eat breakfast in the room every day except one -- usually do a big breakfast one time. I didn't know about the disabled room-standard room with queens -- we would really like to have that!

VickiVM -- we are considering doing the last two nights at a deluxe. I'm waiting for AP rates. The current code ones are more than we've paid previous summers plus we have to do the $25 extra adult fee.

crazyforgoofy -- I don't think we could still do it if our son had not chosen a state university. He looked at some very expensive schools, but finally decided on N.C. State. This also may be the last trip for awhile -- we bought APs last year BEFORE we began paying tuition. Passes would add a lot of the cost.

 

[susy]

We've stayed twice at ASSp. One was a spur of the moment trip -a half hour's notice and $99 for the room-yikes!!! The second was a planned trip (three weeks after the previous one). It was yslef, DH, DS (5), nice (13) adn nephew (16). We had two conncecting room in Hoops Hotel on the first floor.

At the AS, you have to keep in mind that it is a value hotel and how much you paid. If you do , you will not be dissapointed, but very happy!!!! The theming is so cute, the food courts, pool bars, great!!!! I found that if I bring my own pillow and something to drown out noise (for example, a humidifier) I sleep perfectly! the roomsare small, but the drawers are deep. Not much counter space at all. With two rooms, it does not feel small, however, and we like the fact that the adults have a place to hang out once the litte ones crash. The bus service is great and the food court is a big plus!!!! Have fun!!

 

[onceuponadream]

tar heel

This is a little off the subject but did you know you can get a CR garden wing room for just a little more than the price of 2 All Stars? We were quoted a rate of $182.86 (with tax) per night with The new code out (CZF). The rate at the All Stars is $74/night or $82.88/night per room so $165.76 per night ($17 difference). I'm not sure how much the extra adult costs. there are 2 queen sized beds and a daybed. This would not give you the extra TV or bathroom but it sounds as if you're family was kind of used to this. Some folks would prefer 2 rooms and some 1. Hope you don't mind me suggesting this I just thought it was a great rate for a monorail deluxe.

 

[tar heel]

onceuponadream -- extra adult is $25 plus tax, so it would be about $43 a night more for us or $344 for eight nights. That's eight counter service meals (I budget them at $40 each) or 3.5 sit-downs (budgeted at $100) or about three engineering books. Can you tell I've been pretty obsessive about this thing?

Actually, though, staying two or three nights at the end at the Contemporary might be a good option and would give us the chance to try a different resort. We also would pay about that at Swan or Dolphin with the $139 rate plus resort fee, extra adult and rollaway charge.

I'm still hoping AP rates will get everything down a little bit more --I want those Florida resident rates!

 

[onceuponadream]

Wow!! You have planned it out...we are just as obsessive LOL. Keep waivering between 2 All Star, 2 POR or 1 CR garden wing room. We would book All Star Movies in a heartbeat but no code rate available there. Also would book CSR (like the theme) but no code rate there either. Really would like 2 TV's (2 bathrooms doesn't really matter but a room for the kids to sleep while DH and I stay up would be nice). However, the convenience factor...I looked at ourlaughingplace.com. The have a "transportation wizzard". Their staff actually timed the transportation to and from every location/rsort. I couldn't believe how much longer it took to get to most places from the All Stars. If this is to be believed it would add a lot of travel time to our day. We have to take afternoon breaks because of the 3 and 6 year old. For us I think the easier transportation (CR) may win over the extra TV. And of course we don't have the extra adult charge. I think the theming at All Star Sports looks really cute though. Good luck

 

[Blondiex46]

thanks for the info, I was wondering about some things and you guys answered all of them wonderfully... thanks again

 

[DMRick]

(Don't forget you might be given the 2 queen standard room/2 queen disabled-access room configuration and this means that you'll have a fridge in one of the rooms already - ie - no charge.)

I've only gotten a fridge with the king bed/handicap room (one full handicap room, and one with a sliding door to the bathroom)..and I didn't know Allstars had any queen beds..they sure felt like full size lol. Have you had a queen bed in the Allstars? Guess I need to pay better attention.