POP versus All Stars

[Monkeyfeet]

I posted this under the POP thread but thought that I would get more people viewing this with its own post.


We have always stayed at POP. We like the food court options for the kids, the main pool, the overall environment, how it never feels too crowded even in March, and that the buses only pick-up for that one location.

I am interested in others' thoughts on POP versus any of the All Stars (especially those that have stayed in both places). For our next trip we are going for a week Sept 19th. Our two kids (11 and 7) will be with us.

Thank you!

 

[HopperFan]

Have stayed at them all. POP is our favorite but last couple years have made stops at AllStar Sports. We've really enjoyed out stays there but we literally only use if for sleeping and showering. Ate at food court a few times and it was good. If there is bus sharing then you really want to be at Sports.

Been a long time since we stayed at Movies, it's really cute, we liked our stay but pretty sure they haven't had any room or food court rehabs in long time. Music is our least favorite resort on property and I don't see ever staying there again. Too many issues in addition to not being very Disney like in theme.

 

[hippiechicken]

I consider Pop my other home. I booked AS Sports for Thanksgiving because it was last minute and cheap with a CM discount. I was expecting to hate it, but I actually didn't. Of course, it's not Pop, but it was still cute. The rooms are the same. It wasn't as crowded as Pop, so we didn't have to wait in bus lines. The food court is tiny, and they have Mickey waffles, but they don't have a Cappuccino machine!! The gift shop is tiny, but sufficient. We never had to share a bus while we were there. We really just slept there, so it was fine.
I would still pick Pop, unless it was $50 a night at AS again...

 

[I Love Pluto]

All Stars vs Pop - Six of one/ half dozen of the other!

 

[rhiansmom]

POP was our resort of choice for so long that I never even thought about going elsewhere ... until we became AP holders and wanted a quick November weekend getaway during the marathon and Music was the only value room we could get. We LOVED it... never shared a bus and with a 1/3 less people at the resort the lines were crazy long. It just never felt as crazy as POP. DD is 16 and the theming of POP isn't as necessary anymore. I still love POP but when we go back in a few weeks we are trying out Sports again (it's been awhile) then Movies in March.

 

[4ParkFamily]

I have also stayed at POP and found it so large and crowded. We are staying at ASM this trip looks a lot more compact. I am sure it will be fine though we will still be Disney!!!

 

[hsmamato2]

I stayed both ASM and POP- and found ASM to be MUCH more walking than POP...it's much more 'spread out' and long -we had rooms WAY at the back of both resorts. I like POP better IMHO, but the discounts at ASMU are calling my name again...... Pop is a quick walk from front-back of resort.....

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've done multiple stays at both POP and the All Stars. In general, I prefer the All Stars. A lot less crowded, small property and rarely a wait for a second or even third bus. That said I stayed at POP twice in 2015 and will be back there this March. My DD and I booked POP last March because there were sports teams and marching bands staying at the All Stars the week we were there. I stayed at POP again in Dec because there was nothing else available and booked POP again for this March for the same reason as last March. My DD really wanted to go back to ASMu or ASMo but she hates the teams more than I do. Next trip for sure we will be back at the All Stars.....I really miss it.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I stayed both ASM and POP- and found ASM to be MUCH more walking than POP...it's much more 'spread out' and long -we had rooms WAY at the back of both resorts. I like POP better IMHO, but the discounts at ASMU are calling my name again...... Pop is a quick walk from front-back of resort.....

I am guessing that you are referring to ASMu. I do agree that the standard rooms at the very back of the resort are quite a hike. For that reason I always book a preferred room there. We did standard once and they assigned us Country Fair. I immediately said that we would not accept that room and they moved us to Jazz. The property layout of the other All Stars is much more circular with everything being a similar distance to the main building.

My trip a couple of weeks ago to POP got us assigned the farthest possible room from the main building, in the 90's. We were literally the last room at the far end. We walked to the food court once cutting through the parking lot and once going along the path that leads you through the 70's. Granted going through the parking lot was a lot shorter but either way it was a long walk. I will never stay in that part of the resort again.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

We chose Pop for our upcoming stay as we enjoyed the lovely setting of AofA last year, and thought it would be nice to try. We liked AofA very much. The only other value resort we have stayed at was ASMu and we thought it was quiet and relaxed until our last night when several huge groups of teens checked in for some type of sporting event. From that point the pool and food hall became loud and crowded!

I hope POP is a good choice for us!

 

[disnut8]

I've stayed at all three All Stars and at Pop Century as well. My preference is Pop Century because of the buses (we drive and will leave the car in the parking lot for our entire stay). BUT -

Pop Century can get long bus lines in the morning - each park has its' own queue - so you might have to wait but if we didn't get on the first bus, we didn't wait more than ten minutes after that.

All Stars *can* (not will, please divert from that topic) share buses so if I stayed at All Stars, I would want Sports since that's first in line but if I was at Music, I'd walk over to Sports for the bus and the same for Movies but that's just me.

At Pop Century, you cannot share pools with Art of Animation but it's an easy walk over there for a diversion.

At All Stars, you can share all six pools and it's an easy walk between all three for diversions.

When leaving the parks, it's easy to find the bus queue for Pop Century since it's just one - for All Stars it could be multiple.

Food courts - not that pleased with Pop Century's and there are three at All Stars. Oh - and it's cheaper at any of these to go to the food court and order a pizza and carry it back to your room than to order via room service.

So yes, as someone has already posted, six of one, half of a dozen of another.

 

[Tondee]

I prefer pop. I did not like how the the All Stars resorts were so close together. It seemed too tight. We stayed at ASMo last fall. We usually stay at Pop but I wanted to try something new. My preference is Pop but I would stay at an All Stars again.

 

[kyleandconnorsmom]

I have stayed at Pop and Sports. I very much preferred Sports. It just felt more relaxed to me, and there were even school groups there and cheerleaders practicing in the lawn outside our room. Pop just seemed really, really busy. We also rarely shared buses when we stayed at Sports. Maybe once on the way back, but never going to the parks. I have since stayed at POFQ and AKL and loved those, but wouldn't mind staying at Sports again.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have to say, I like both places! They really are not all that different. I would go with whichever theme appeals to you more.

The one gripe I have with the Pop is that at the parks, the Pop bus stop is either the very farthest out, or next to it. It became a joke during my stay that all we had to do was look for the bus stop that was the farthest away, and that was the one we needed! Other than that, Pop is great. But so are the All Stars.

 

[HopperFan]

I have to say, I like both places! They really are not all that different. I would go with whichever theme appeals to you more.

The one gripe I have with the Pop is that at the parks, the Pop bus stop is either the very farthest out, or next to it. It became a joke during my stay that all we had to do was look for the bus stop that was the farthest away, and that was the one we needed! Other than that, Pop is great. But so are the All Stars.

I have to hunt to find it but just saw this week POP is getting new stop at MK and it's a close one. I got way too excited about it.

MK is my biggest gripe. Well Epcot stinks, but lots of resorts got short stick there.

 

[MinnieMommy07]

I always stop considering POP because with just about the same footprint as an AllStar, the POP buildings are four stories vs. Three. I am curious to how crowded/uncrowded AOA is. We are trying to go for a plan B if we can't.afford CBR by the time our vacation comes along....

We have stayed at ASMO and ASMu and loved both. We are trying a new place for each visit. Next should.be CBR. Yea!

 

[siskaren]

I am guessing that you are referring to ASMu. I do agree that the standard rooms at the very back of the resort are quite a hike. For that reason I always book a preferred room there. We did standard once and they assigned us Country Fair. I immediately said that we would not accept that room and they moved us to Jazz. The property layout of the other All Stars is much more circular with everything being a similar distance to the main building.

It's interesting how different people view things differently. I've stayed at ASMu three times and gotten Broadway twice and Country Fair once and I liked being more removed from the pool/main building area and didn't consider it a long walk at all.

 

[dancin Disney style]

It's interesting how different people view things differently. I've stayed at ASMu three times and gotten Broadway twice and Country Fair once and I liked being more removed from the pool/main building area and didn't consider it a long walk at all.

After a long day in the parks it's a long walk back to Country Fair. IMO, anyway. I could see trying a stay in Broadway though...we thought the theme was fun.

 

[hsmamato2]

I am guessing that you are referring to ASMu. .

yup- sorry I meant ASMU..... and as OP is probably finding out, different people have different favorites! (I learned my lesson last time, I will not stay in the country fair rooms again)