Please tell me the best and worst things about ASMO!

[Chip126]

Based on your experience, please tell me the best and worst things about the All Star Movies.

I have never stayed at the All Stars before, but I will be there for 10 days in December. One room will be my mom and I with my two boys (14 and 11). Another room will be my SIL and her two kids (14 and 4).

Just looking for a heads up on what to expect.

Thanks!

 

[jkovick]

We have stayed at All Stars several times. I can honestly say that they are a great value, especially if you will spend most of your time in the parks. We have found the food courts to be larger and have a better variety than any others on property. It can be a trek to the main building if you are at the back of the resort. The rooms are small, but we have always found them to be well maintained. The themeing is fun and larger than life, not romantic and tranquil-- but fun and upbeat. The pools do tend to be crowded and there is no hot tub. We have always found the bus service to be fine and have never had a bad experience with waiting a long time between buses. When we travel with others we always stay at All Stars, if it is just DH and I we go Moderate or Deluxe. Have a great time.

 

[Magic2000]

We've stayed at many of the Disney resorts - but the All Star Movies is my youngest DDs favorite hotel!!! She could play in "Andy's Room" and by the big TV set by 101 Dalmations all day!!!

In Nov/Dec, 2000, my youngest really wanted to stay with Jessie from Toy Story 2. I asked for Toy Story, but we got Love Bug. At first, I was disappointed because I thought she would be. But she loved our room - especially the "popcorn" light fixtures! Our room was very quiet - and a short walk to the food court/bus stop. Bus service was some of the best we've gotten on property!!

In Nov/Dec, 2001, my youngest was in love with Oddball from 102 Dalmations! Our flight arrived after midnight, and by the time we got to the hotel, Allison had fallen asleep. Well, she heard the CM say 101 Dalmations - and she danced all the way to the room! So much for that nap! Again, our room was very quiet, and a short walk to the bus stop/food court. We loved it!!!

We got pizza delivery one night, and it was pretty good (although a bit pricey!) The food court was big and crowded, but we never had a problem finding a table. We really didn't eat here that much though. Bus service was wonderful - we rarely shared a bus with the other All Stars! The rooms aren't that small - we were fine with four people in it; and I left the stroller open at night (so it was ready to go in the morning!)

Enjoy your stay! We're doing a Momma and Me trip in October (two teenagers don't want to trick or treat???) and we'll be back at the All Star Movies!! Can't wait!!

 

[Miffy]

I haven't stayed at ASMo, but my dh and I stayed at ASMu for 5 nights this past January. I'll try to cover things that apply to all the All Stars. Hope it helps in your decision.

The good points: A truly wonderful mousekeeper, a room that was just fine for 2 people, excellent bus transportation, a great price.

The medium points: The wait at check-in was about an hour, which seemed excessive. The food court food was adequate, but hardly exceptional, and the food court was basically closed late in the evening. Our room was in the building farthest away from the food court/bus stop and even though we're used to walking everywhere (we live in NYC), after a long day in the parks, the walk back to the room was just too much--which may have felt this way because of the bad points, below.

The bad points: I will preface this by saying that dh and I do not wake up early on vacation (even at WDW!). We tend to sleep until at least 8:30 or 9 am and sometimes later. But at ASMu, we were unable to sleep past 7 am, sometimes earlier. The noise from the landings was just too loud. Noise in general inside the room we were in (we were on the 2nd floor--so had rooms on all sides of us) was, well, noisy. I'm not a light sleeper, but I was unable to get an actual night's sleep the entire 5 nights we were there. This was not a case of being in the midst of a cheerleading or football group (there were none there during our stay -- but, be careful, these groups do stay at the All Stars and I've heard they can be boisterous), but just the way the resort is built. The walls are not thick, there's a cement walkway right outside one's front door, and as I'm sure you've heard, the sound from neighboring flushing toilets is HUGE. This can be slightly alleviated by leaving your own bathroom door shut. However, there's no way to tamp down the sound of people on the walkways, of babies crying in the rooms, of people talking above a whisper, of not-even-that-loud neighboring tv sets, etc. Needless to say, this was the killer for me and we won't be staying at an All Star resort again, regardless of the great price.

I'd also like to add that if you're looking for a beautiful room, ASMu fails the aesthetic sweepstakes. I haven't seen the inside of the rooms as ASMo, so they might be nicer. Even though our room was not that attractive (or even adorable), this didn't really bother me...but I had too much time to think about it while I was lying in bed awake, so this developed a significance it wouldn't have otherwise had!

I hope all this helped. If you wake up early, the A.M. sounds won't bother you, and if you get a room on the top floor, you'll probably avoid at least 25% of the room-to-room noise that we experienced. I know a lot of posters say the All Stars seem quiet to them--it may depend on room location, but I don't really know. It also may be that the type of noise that kept me awake doesn't faze you. This is all just my experience--not the definitive word on the All Stars!

But whatever you decide, you'll have a great trip--you'll be at WDW!

--miffy--

 

[bobcat]

You can pick up your pizza in the food court and save the delivery fees. We usually eat it by the pool.

 

[RickinNYC]

Sometimes I have to ask myself whether my partner and I are the only ones to not really care for the All Stars. We've stayed at both the Music and Sports and never really enjoyed the resorts.

They are indeed perfect if all you want is a place to crash your head, but otherwise, if you're looking for ambience or a resort feel, you might want to reconsider.

The food courts, albeit convenient, are merely adequate in quality.
The buses, although pretty darn frequent, were so jammed that we used taxis to and from virtually everywhere.
There was no place to have some "adult" time, i.e. a lounge or bar.
The pools were cute but so crowded it was difficult to enjoy them unless you were willing to take a dip rather late in the evening.
And as far as kids running amok, it's more the teenagers! The area they do provide to have a cocktail is poolside but do not have any divisive point, not allowing minors. This normally wouldn't bother me but on our most recent stay, I can't tell you how many times I was asked to buy a drink for some kid. THAT really got on my nerves!

 

[Chip126]

Thank you to all that have replied! Keep those opinions and reviews coming!

Keep in mind that I will be with two teenagers, an 11 year old and a 4 year old.........so any issues with kids probably will not bother me.


Thanks again!

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

I've stayed at ASMo a couple of times and here's my thoughts:

Pros - my kids LOVE the themeing there. My children are young and couldn't get enough of Andy's room, also thought the dalmatian area was very cute. The whole place is cute. I requested these areas for two separate trips and thought the rooms were fun - but these were movies that appealed to us. I can see how adults only might not enjoy it as much.

Thought the walk to food court was easy from these locations.

We found the food court to be fast and easy most of the time.

Lots of parking spaces. Never had a problem parking close to the room.

Cons - There are kids everywhere (but that will just make families with kids feel at home.)

I know a lot of people find the room size ok but I think the rooms are SMALL. We were crowded with 2 kids and 2 adults and all our stuff in the room. I think rooms are somewhere around 260 sq ft? Someone correct me if I'm way off on that. They seem significantly smaller than the moderates to me, especially smaller than CBR ( the moderate with largest rooms).

That said I would stay on site rather than off any day. Just like the atmosphere of a Disney hotel.

Anyway, have a great trip and enjoy - you'll be at Disney World!

 

[CamColt]

Im a big ASMO fan so my opinion may be biased. My pros may be someone elses cons, but when traveling with kids, this is my take on it...

Pros-
Theming-its so Disney
Bus Service-always great
Food Court-lots or variety, quick, inexpensive
Layout-compact and easy to navigate
CMs-very friendly and helpful
Pool Bar- conveniently located, even us parents like to have a drink or 2. I dont think any of the resorts except BW have 21+ lounges
Price-AMSO is cheaper than most chain hotels around here and even some dumpy motels in nearby beach areas. I think even at rack rate its a great deal.

I didnt find the room size to be a problem at all. Yes, they are smaller, but I didnt notice that much of a difference from POR. Once we even had 3 adults, a child and an infant(crib, double carriage too)in 1 room and had no trouble with space.
As for other kids...other kids dont bother me, its my own that drive me nuts. And it was actually nice for DS to meet some friends by the pool.
Ive also heard a lot about the turbo flush. Ive never heard enough to bother me, and I have kept my ears open. I have heard flushing at the Poly and other deluxe resorts Ive stayed at locally, so I dont think thats exclusive to ASMO.

 

[susy]

I would get two connecting rooms and put the kids in one room. Maybe the 4yo can sleep in the adult room. We did this with my niece and nephew. They really liked having their own room.

The rooms are not small to me, but I'm small.

The food courts are great, cute theming everywhere. Very clean.

Can get noisy. I bring my humidifer on all my trips now and it blocks out all noise! The bus service is very good at these resorts. f you want "more room" I would try CBR. The rooms are really spacious and have a lot of storage space. The kids would fall in love with the pool at CSR, though. Much better waterslide than CBR.

 

[wdwobsessed]

I didn't read the other replies you got so pardon me if I'm redundant! I always post first, read later so my replies are true!

I'd say the best things are that the resort is a good value, the food court is large with lots of choices & the resort is colorful with lots of great photo opps.

I'd say the worst things are that the bus stops are always the most far removed, the resort can feel crowded at times and if you get a far away building it can add extra miles to those already tired feet. The resort is also the farthest removed from most of the park adding travel time.

I think the resort is fine. Most of the things that I disliked about it were due to the fact that I'm a lazy tourist and hate having to add steps to my day! LOL

wdwo

 

[RickinNYC]

Excellent point! I think that because you'll be traveling with little ones and teens, this is very likely the best choice. Not only will your tots be enthralled by the theming, your teens will not be lacking for companionship. Plenty of teens around as I said!

And I reread my original post in this thread and boy, do I sound like a curmudgeon!

Although the All Stars are not my favorite, I'd much prefer staying there than off property (god forbid, brrrrrr....).

 

[KatelynnsAuntie]

We will be arriving at the All Star Movies in 3 1/2 weeks...can someone please tell me what "Andy's Room" is? Should I request a room in/near it?

 

[G's mommy]

The area between the two Toy Story themed buildings, one Buzz and one Woody. You can request a room in the Toy Story buildings, but it's not guaranteed. I've requested it twice, got it one time, did not get it last year.

 

[sedwards]

We stayed at All Star Movies on our first family trip Dec 18 2001 thru Dec 29 2001. My kids were 12 and 13 and they loved the theme. We stayed on the ground floor of the Dalmations. Room was a tad bit small but we had no trouble. Check in was quick and easy. We got there early and the room was ready. Food court was good for eating quick and we didn't run into too much of a crowd. Pool was not crowded at all. Great mousekeeping. Transportation was excellent, never waited more than 10 minutes for the bus. My daughter is going this year with my sister and her family and after seeing our pictures and hearing how much we liked it they've decided to stay there.

You get a lot of value for your dollar

Have fun

 

[wendypooh]

We have stayed at All Star Movies twice. Our son age 2 ( first time) and 3 this last time (Jan. 03) LOVED this hotel. He is a huge Buzz fan, so he just loved being in "Andy's Room". OK here's the scoop. The rooms are adequate..... a little small, but average hotel room size. Our room had 2 beds....... these beds are NOT queen size beds, but they are not twins either. It had a table w/ 2 chairs, and a dresser w/ some drawers and a tv. the bathroom was small, but workable. We found the foodcourt to be good....... NOT gourmet, but good. The pool was super, our son loved it. On both of our trips, we DID NOT have a long wait for check-in, only about 15 min. which in my opinion is NOT long. Our son went to the little "movie theatre" with a few other kids and watched the movie while DH checked us in. We only waited 5-10 on the busses........ NOT long either.... granted one of our trips was in Jan..... NO CROWDS at all. If you want milk... etc.. go to the gift shop and buy it, it is less expensive than the food court...... way in the back of the gift shop they have a small cooler with drinks and such for sale. We found this place to be great for the price....... I will say one thing....... If you are not with kids or VERY fond of kids....... spend the extra money to stay elsewhere!!!! I find most of the complaints come from people who don't REALIZE this is a VERY VERY KID FRIENDLY place!!!!!!!! It is NOT romantic, or serene........ and the decor is KIDDIE......... be prepared for A LOT of kids........ teens, etc. For us, it was fine and we felt VERY much at ease and relaxed when we were not "STARED" at like we just fell off a turnip truck when our 3 year old was being a 3 year old........ you know what I mean!!!!!! They like to run around, and play!!!!!! We really enjoyed it, but we went in KNOWING that is was a KID place and not to expect tooo much. You can't beat the price and we were really rarely there, except to sleep, and eat dinner. I'd say give it a try, if it isn't your cup of tea, stay somewhere else. We enjoyed it. I will tell you that we are going back to florida in aug. and we are staying at the Royal Pacific at Universal........ DH and I wanted to try something more "upscale"....... and then we are going to the Beach Club for a few days..... but we didn't really have a problem with the all star's. OH, as far as noise in the room........ YES, you can hear pretty much everything around you...... but it did quiet down and we did get sleep........ kids are just so excited to be at DISNEY they can barely control themselves...... which was ok with us. Good Luck.

 

[crazy4themouse]

I love the ASMo's!!!!!! My son and I have stayed in Fantasmic, Toy Story, and Dalmations. Mind you, the decor in the rooms are pretty much all the same...same bed spread, same light fixture, and same bathroom. It is the exterior that my son loves. Our favorite has been Toy Story. There is a small play area near by and it is close to the main building, laundry room, and pool. The dalmations were a little noisy at night. The arcade is just the right size and has games for all ages. The food court was great and we did buy the refillable mugs. We have always traveled in December and have had no problems with check-in. I've never had to request a room prior to arriving. When we check in, we've always received options. My son was 6 the first time we went and his now 9. His favorite spot to eat in the food court is in the corner by the movie projector which plays not stop cartoons. The food choices are great. And if you have a birthday in your party tell a CM and there is a special surprise for them.
And I have never stayed anywhere else, so I might be a little bias. My son & I also love to decorate the window to our room. It is great to see everyone else decorate also.
Oh, and when you check in, you can ask baggage service for the use of one of their carts. You just need to sign a slip and return it when your done. Helped us out a bunch!
Only downfall... the room walls are awfully thin. So I would go for connecting rooms.

Ok, I feel like I have rambled on with no organization to my thoughts. I hope this helps you.

 

[PamNC]

I've stayed at All Star Music twice (never at Movies) - but it was a long time ago (about 7 years). Nonetheless, here's my answer.

BEST - price.

WORST - small small room - and not so comfortable beds

PamNC

 

[MJames41]

Originally posted by PamNC

WORST - small small room - and not so comfortable beds

PamNC

Wow, we have only stayed at Sports so far, but I loved the beds there - I found them so unbelievably comfortable. I guess I just like soft beds.

 

[disneychrista]

The food court is the best food court of any WDW resort.

I would say having to stand for the bus first thing in the morning and last thing at night would be the worst thing.