Moderate or Value for family with children under 6

[max'smom]

We are coming to Disney for our second trip since our oldest was 2. Now he is 6 and we have a second child who is two. Last time we stayed at All Star Movies because our little guy was a huge Toy Story fan. Now that we are coming back and can get a great deal on a Moderate resort, we're wondering if we should try something new or let our little one experience the fun of the Toy Story area. Any suggestions? Will little ones enjoy the moderates as much as the value resorts? How about the parents? Thanks!

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

I love the value resorts. Their theming is straight at the kids, with the oversized icons and fun touches. My kids are 7 and 5 and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Pop Century and All Star Sports. As parents, we prefer Pop for the bus service convenience (only resort for this bus - no sharing like All-Stars). We've been to Pop 3 times, Sports once, Music once, and POFQ 3 times. For the most part, we are only sleeping in the room, not really spending a lot of time at the resort, so the values work out perfectly for us. Hope that helps!

 

[max'smom]

Thanks!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I'd say save the money and go back to All Stars! On our first trip, we did 3 days at Movies, then 2 days at Coronado Springs Moderate...and although the beauty was obviously different...the room size wasn't really noticeably different, and the kids LOVE the value resorts.

 

[abaldacci]

When it's my DH and myself. I spend more money on a room we like to relax and stay in the room more, but with the kids I do a cheaper room because we are out with the children and in the room less. It is totally a choice you will have to make but if it were me I would do value, I am doing value for our trip with the kids in sept.POP

 

[annie1995]

Hello,

I would personally do the Value resort with kids under six, I am totally in to POP century. Save the moderate for when they are older, they have really cool water slides, that completely freaked out my almost 5 year old last year. We stayed at both Riverside and Pop, both were very nice places. Pop has fountains and a special kiddie pool and the Hippy Dippy pool, lots of stuff to do. The Hippy Dippy pool is the one I believe with flowers that shower water down on the swimmers. Really cool. Hope that helps!

 

[minnie61650]

I prefer the All Star resorts.

Here is a site with a map of All Star Sports and All Star Music.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/allstarmap.htm
Scroll down.All Star Music is at the bottom of the page.
The Calypso buildings at All Star Music are #1 and #10 are nearest to the food court and bus stop.
They are the preferred buildings and cost about $12 extra per night.
The Calypso pool at ASMU has Donald Duck.

Here is the map of All Movies.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/allstarmovie.JPG
The Fantasia Buildings are the preferred buildings.
The All Star Movie Fantasia pool has Mickey.
The buses are wonderful.
Bus ride times according to PassPorter.com

All Star Buses----CBR buses---CSR buses--PO buses
MK 20 min-------MK 20 min---15 min------10 min
Epcot 10 min---- Epcot 15 min--15 min----10 min
MGM 10 min-----MGM 12 min----15 min----15 min
AK 10 min------AK 20min--------10 min----15 min
DTD 15 min-----DTD 20 min----35 min-----15 min

I the All Star Resorts --they can't be beat. I have visited WDW more than a dozen times with the 1st time in Oct. 1971. It was brand new. I've stayed at FW, Disney Inn, a few the of Hotels on hotel Blvd., CBR and the towers at the Contemporary. I got to see the MK from my balcony at the Contemporary and I'm happy I got to experience it once. I just prefer the All Star Resorts.
The theaming is pure Disney.
My last 4 visits have been at The All Stars and this fall when we take dd,dsil, and our grandson age 3 we are staying at the All Stars Music. I thought about AKL and even though we can well afford AKL I just wanted Alex to experience the Disney Magic at the All Stars on his first visit.
Where else can one find Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse at the pool?
I can hardly wait.
Linda

 

[annie1995]

I forgot to add that POP only uses one bus. The allstars share buses from what I have been told. Also, If the lines for POP were really long at closing, they sent extra buses for pickups!

 

[minnie61650]

sorry extra post.

 

[minnie61650]

another extra post.
Bad computer

 

[minnie61650]

Hello,

I would personally do the Value resort with kids under six, I am totally in to POP century. Save the moderate for when they are older, they have really cool water slides, that completely freaked out my almost 5 year old last year. We stayed at both Riverside and Pop, both were very nice places. Pop has fountains and a special kiddie pool and the Hippy Dippy pool, lots of stuff to do. The Hippy Dippy pool is the one I believe with flowers that shower water down on the swimmers. Really cool. Hope that helps!

All Star Movies has pop up fountains now also.
Bus rides are shorter from the ALL Stars than POP according to PassPorter.com

All Star Buses------------Pop buses
MK 20 min---------------MK 25 min
Epcot 10 min------------Epcot 20 min
MGM 10 min--------------MGM 15 min
AK 10 min----------------AK 15 min
DTD 15 min---------------DTD 20 min

The All Star resorts have 1960 rooms each.
Pop has 2,880rooms.
That means more people in the pools,food court and in line waiting for the bus.
When phase 2 of POP is built it will be 2 bus stops at POP and the 2 POPs will have the same # of rooms as the 3 All Stars.

BUS SHARING
It is usually just our stop and maybe one more on the way to the parks. On the way back sometimes its all 3 but often Sports and Music share and Movies has it's qwn bus back.

I guess some people who stay at POP see all 3 All Star names on the return sign of our bus stop when they head to the POP bus stop and think All Stars also has 3 stops on the way to the park.
(Even when we stop at another AS resort to load up it has not taken more than 5 minutes and we are on our way!)

Also All Star is closer to the main road to get to parks and thats why bus rides are shorter from there than from POP.
Linda

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

I also have to say go with the All Stars. They are my favorites When I was a cast member we stayed all over the place. I am saying this honestly; I prefer the All Stars to the Grand Floridian.

I like the All Stars the best because they are the most Disneyish to me. I love all the character statues they have around the pools and the framed pictures of the characters in the rooms. It makes me feel like I am truley in Disney

We also only use the room to sleep and shower in so the size of the room doesn't really matter to us.

 

[stacy6552]

I dont see the extra value for the extra money at the moderates, especially with small kids who enjoy the icons of the values so much. Go back to the ASMovies.

 

[tn_disney_addict]

I have told this story before, but here goes...

Couple years ago they offered the pay for 4 stay for 7, so we splurged and stayed at WL instead of the value resorts (we have stayed at all the values and love them). While at WL, DD7 (she was 5 then) said "Mom, did we not have the money to stay at a Disney hotel?"..... !?!?!? I am and will be at the value resorts for a long time!!