POP vs ASMU for a young'uns solo trip

[FunkyFunBuckets]

Hey im just wondering if i could get some help as i am not sure which resort to stay at this year i have previously stayed at POR and a studio in OKW however this year i am travelling solo and can only afford to stay alone at a value i have narrowed my choices down to ASMU and POP so i was wondering if anyone could give me any recommendations or reviews.


Also it would be really helpful to here from people who have stayed both resorts and can give a comparative review. I would also like to here if any of you have older children in their late teens/early 20's as i myself fall into that category being of the college age.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I thought I'd done a review of Pop from my Nov. 08 stay but can't find it. It's amazing how many threads I've killed though.

I pulled out my notes from the trip and this is what I have.

First I was looking at staying at ASMU because I never have. But I had heard such good things about POP I decided to try it. I went with my DD who was 9 at the time.

DME. It was great. We were off the plane and actually in line to check in at POP within 45 minutes. We arrived late in the evening and I even got our own luggage instead of letting DME deal with it. I've never gotten to a resort that fast before.

Check in was smooth. I had a friendly CM and it went quickly. We did have a 25 minute wait to check in. My notes say alot of people on the DME bus were going to Pop. I loved the fun stuff in the lobby.

We stayed in a preferred room and I requested lakeside in the 1950's. That is what we got. It was a wonderful location. Very quiet and once I knew to turn at a statue I think it was Lady maybe?, I quit getting lost trying to find our room.

The room itself is teeny but all value rooms are. You also have to know I prefer to stay moderate or deluxe so that might affect my notes about the room. The beds weren't that great. They were pretty hard and I like a softer one. I didn't sleep well the first 2 nights because of it but once I got used to it, I did sleep.
We had turbo toilet flushing noises going on around us alot. I closed the door to the bathroom which helped alot. We could still hear people actually going to the bathroom (ick) during the day when we took afternoon breaks. There are no fridges/coffeemakers in value resorts which alot of people don't realize. It wasn't a problem for us. Because it was just 2 of us, the room was ok.

My notes say the food court was a crowded, crazy mess. but we only ate breakfast there and 1 lunch. At breakfast it was better to get there before 8am. it was only mildly crazy then but once 8am hit, it got much worse. I also have a note about a problem with my lunch. I wanted a hamburger with no cheese and they didn't have that so I asked for a cheeseburger with no cheese and it was nearly impossible to get. I finally got it after 30 minutes of waiting and having to talk with a supervisor.

Gift Shop - my notes say I really liked it. Bright, cheerful and plenty of selection.

Main Pool - DD liked it. It was crowded but all I cared about was that DD enjoyed herself and she did. If I was by myself, I'd use one of the quiet pools instead.

Buses - crowded. But I did like that there was a set line. One of my pet peeves at the moderates is there isn't really a line for waiting so people who have been waiting awhile sometimes don't get a seat on the bus because others get ahead of them. The bus stop leaving the parks was always the furthest away. I felt like I had to walk to the next county to catch it when heading back to the resort.

Overall, it was an ok resort. If I had to go value, I could handle that resort again.

 

[monarchsfan16]

I'm 23. I was 21 on my first solo trip. I stayed at Pop for that one. Last month I stayed solo at All Star Music. I personally liked Music better than Pop, but that was simply because Music has more landscaping, making it feel like less of a concrete jungle. Music is also somewhat smaller than Pop, which is nice in terms of walking around alone after dark. That being said, because of the way Pop is set up, there tend to be more people around, which could be a bonus in terms of walking around alone. This also could have been a reflection of the weather and crowd levels when I was there last month though, as opposed to May '08 when I stayed at Pop (and encountered much better weather, and higher crowds).

I did not find bus sharing at the All Stars to be the big issue that some people make it out to be, and I didn't notice any major differences in the food courts. Music's is smaller, but the food offerings are pretty similar. The All Stars DO attract more tour groups, sports teams, etc, but I didn't have any major issues with them. Some bus rides were a bit louder, and they had a large presence in the food court, but it wasn't a big issue.

Regardless, either are perfectly fine for a solo trip.

 

[standleyent1]

I have stayed at both with my DD and we like POP for its location, single buses, food court and especially theme. Music is a nice resort since they have done the refurbishment, everything is new and looks a ton better. If you are concerned about being solo then I would pick POP as it seems more secure and plus like I said earlier the location is the best as you are right between DHS and Epcot not to mention just a few minutes from DTD.
You really can't go wrong with either one just remember to have fun!!