So Why Does Everyone Say POP is Better than AllStars?

[kcrew]

We stayed at Pop last Septimber during free dining and were 100% satisfied. The room, and the resort overall are not really priorities for us. Probably the most important thing of all is bus transportation. We planned to stay at POP again this year, but it was not available for free dining when we booked. A stick with what you know philosophy... So now we are at ASMo.

Well to me it appears to be a POP clone(or other way around--I know POP is newer), so what gives with all the POP devotees? I have heard transportation complaints, but a couple of sources I have checked indicate AS as actually having shorter bus times.

I would like some feedback because I am wondering if I should continue to check for POP openings?

Thanks!!

 

[IlovemythreeC's]

Hi- we have stayed at both resorts and love them both. I think you will be very happy at the Movies. Last year we stayed at the POP during free dining, because the Movies were full and found POP to be great as well. POP is newer than the Movies, but these properties are so similar that we did not seem to notice much difference. That being said, we actually prefer the theming of the movies.

We are getting ready for our 5th stay at the Movies and have never had any transportation problems.

I hope this helps you!

 

[minnie61650]

1. A lot of Pop guests are under the impression that the All Stars share buses all the time which is not the case.

2. Pop is newer.

3. Pop has a Lake.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Bus rides are quite short from the ALL Stars according to PassPorter.com

All Star Buses-CBR buses---POPbuses--PO buses--- Contemporary
MK 20 min---- 20 min-----25 min------10 min---20 min(mono)
Epcot 10 min-- 15 min-----20 min------10 min---15 min
MGM 10 min----12 min-----15 min------15 min---20min
AK 10 min------20min-------15 min----15 min---20 min
DTD 15 min----20 min------20 min-----15 min---35 min

It only takes 10 minutes to get to Epcot, MGM and AK from All Stars.
MK is 20 min away. That's the same amount of time it takes on the monorail from the Contemporary.

A WORD ABOUT BUS SHARING

To me Bus Sharing at the All Stars is really a non issue.

In the mornings during Park opening hours each All Star usually has a dedicated bus.
During mid day it is usually just our stop and maybe one more on the way to the parks. On the way back sometimes it is all 3 but often Sports and Music share and Movies has it's own bus back. Each of the All Stars usually has it's own dedicated bus back from the MK.
That is a big plus. It seems like the Music bus stop usually has the shortest of the three All Star bus lines.

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!)

2. The All Stars are undergoing complete refubishishment of the rooms.
They have new paint, new carpet, new furnitue, new bedding,new curtains, including a privacy curtain by the sink area like the mods have.

All Star Music is undergoing a refurbishment of all of the rooms and is slated to be completed by June 2007.

The Calypso , Jazz. and Broadway buildings are completed and the last I heard they are working on the Rock Inn Buildings.

Here is a website with photos of the newly refurbished rooms at All Star Music.

Look at the Jazz Inn section with new posted:

http://allearsnet.com/acc/g_asmu.htm

All Star Sports is slated to be finished between June and November of 2007.

3. The All Stars do not have a lake.
* Note The Legendary Years at Pop were never finished so Popguests cannot walk around the lake and guests cannot cross the bridge to the other sideof the lake.
The other side is fenced off and guests staying at the Classic Years of Pop also have a view of the abandoned buildings across Hour Glass Lake.

Have fun at Disney!

 

[guelde96]

We have stayed in the ASMo and loved it. No problem with transportation and we took bus transportation everywhere.

We are staying at Pop in September and are wondering the same thing. Wanted to try a new resort. Can't wait.

 

[Ellasgirls]

We have stayed at Asports and ASMu and we were not impressed with Sports but that may have been just a one time problem we had. Our non smoking room was full of smoke smell and we needed two rooms next to or connecting each other because I went with 2 small kids (3 & 1), my mom and sister and her 2 younger kids (3 & 7). The kids all needed naps but our room was unihabitable so they told us to leave for a couple hours and they would clean the air. So we took 4 tired kids to MK and when we came back nothing was different so they offered to move our room only and we ended up on a different floor and around the corner...I felt so alone. The next day I called and talked to a manager and they moved us to another building and got us connecting rooms...so after 3 rooms in 2 days all turned out ok in the end. I didn't notice any transportation delays just the usual having to stop at each AS resort vs POP having their own buses. ASports just seemed overall like it needed a face lift due to being the oldest. I think any of the resorts in WDW are great and would take them in a minute vs offsite (which we have also done).

 

[nbodyhome]

I like the food court, the music, the atmosphere - pretty much everything about Pop (except the big "DUH"!) I also like the lake. The cast members (to me) always seem more enthusiastic - as a whole - over other resorts.

I am looking forward to eventually seeing a newer room at the All Star Music, though - that was my second choice, though I think I'll always prefer Pop.

 

[CanadianGuy]

(except the big "DUH"!)

Ok.. I'm stupid.. What's the big "DUH" --?? Is that some saying stuck on the side of one of the 80's buildings?

Knox

 

[nbodyhome]

Ok.. I'm stupid.. What's the big "DUH" --?? Is that some saying stuck on the side of one of the 80's buildings?

Knox

I found a photo on an image search: http://www.mpimages.net/wdw1/compressed/Resort_Hotels/Pop_Century/Duh-holland.jpg

I remember when it was being built - there is the Gaylord Palms, this amazingly beautiful hotel just outside Disney property. And the first thing you see when you get on Disney property? DUH!

 

[kcrew]

Thanks for the repiies so far. I didn't notice the "DUH" at POP, and get this--I didn't know there was a lake! \ : I TOLD you the resort itself is not important to me!

 

[bettyann29]

I've been to ASMo twice and Pop 4 times.. The first time I went to Pop it was because it was newer and one I hadnt done before.. the second time was to take DH there.. by the 3rd and 4th times I was thinking it was better because it has a bus all to itself and I liked that.. we just got back from our 4th time a few weeks ago and I dont think I will go back to Pop anytime soon..mainly because it just seems to be busier and busier and it seems like it takes longer to get a bus now because it seems like there are more people to get on the bus at the end of the night at the parks.. I've been noticing the lines are shorter for the line where the 3 resorts share a bus..

we've not been to Music or Sports so those are the next two for me to try..

I do like the atmosphere of Pop alot though..

 

[TDC Nala]

I find the bus sharing to be an issue because while they will run separate buses from the parks at busy times, they share buses coming back from PI at 1 AM. I'd rather have one stop at Pop by then.

 

[declansdad]

1. A lot of Pop guests are under the impression that the All Stars share buses all the time which is not the case.

2. Pop is newer.

3. Pop has a Lake.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Bus rides are quite short from the ALL Stars according to PassPorter.com

All Star Buses-CBR buses---POPbuses--PO buses--- Contemporary
MK 20 min---- 20 min-----25 min------10 min---20 min(mono)
Epcot 10 min-- 15 min-----20 min------10 min---15 min
MGM 10 min----12 min-----15 min------15 min---20min
AK 10 min------20min-------15 min----15 min---20 min
DTD 15 min----20 min------20 min-----15 min---35 min

It only takes 10 minutes to get to Epcot, MGM and AK from All Stars.
MK is 20 min away. That's the same amount of time it takes on the monorail from the Contemporary.

A WORD ABOUT BUS SHARING

To me Bus Sharing at the All Stars is really a non issue.

In the mornings during Park opening hours each All Star usually has a dedicated bus.
During mid day it is usually just our stop and maybe one more on the way to the parks. On the way back sometimes it is all 3 but often Sports and Music share and Movies has it's own bus back. Each of the All Stars usually has it's own dedicated bus back from the MK.
That is a big plus. It seems like the Music bus stop usually has the shortest of the three All Star bus lines.

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!)

2. The All Stars are undergoing complete refubishishment of the rooms.
They have new paint, new carpet, new furnitue, new bedding,new curtains, including a privacy curtain by the sink area like the mods have.

All Star Music is undergoing a refurbishment of all of the rooms and is slated to be completed by June 2007.

The Calypso , Jazz. and Broadway buildings are completed and the last I heard they are working on the Rock Inn Buildings.

Here is a website with photos of the newly refurbished rooms at All Star Music.

Look at the Jazz Inn section with new posted:

http://allearsnet.com/acc/g_asmu.htm

All Star Sports is slated to be finished between June and November of 2007.

3. The All Stars do not have a lake.
* Note The Legendary Years at Pop were never finished so Popguests cannot walk around the lake and guests cannot cross the bridge to the other sideof the lake.
The other side is fenced off and guests staying at the Classic Years of Pop also have a view of the abandoned buildings across Hour Glass Lake.

Have fun at Disney!

We have stayed at both and I don't agree with Passporter's bus times. The rides from POP to all parks except for AK were much shorter than the times from ASMo.

You can cross the bridge but it is blocked off on the far side.

We would stay at either resort again but prefer POP for its busses, location, newer/cleaner, brighter, and better food court.

 

[minnie61650]

We have stayed at both and I don't agree with Passporter's bus times. The rides from POP to all parks except for AK were much shorter than the times from ASMo.

You can cross the bridge but it is blocked off on the far side.

We would stay at either resort again but prefer POP for its busses, location, newer/cleaner, brighter, and better food court.

Sorry, I think you misunderstood I did say cannot cross to the other side meaning it is blocked.

cannot cross the bridge to the other sideof the lake.
The other side is fenced off

.

I really do wish they would finish the other half of Pop but unfortunatly I do not see that happing any time soon.

 

[TDC Nala]

I think they're saying you CAN walk across the lake on the bridge, but there's no outlet on the far side.

If they ever finish Legendary Years that'd be kind of cool...except that there would probably be bus sharing then.

 

[swilphil]

It seems we have conflicting reports here.

Is it quicker by bus to get to Epcot from AllStars or Pop?

Is there a section of the fastest resort that is going to be quicker.

 

[minnie61650]

It seems we have conflicting reports here.

Both resorts have short rides.

 

[Terk-1]

I have stayed at the All Star Movies and loved it!! Great staff, food, etc.

Stayed at Pop in 2004 and won't stay there again. One of the worst stays I have ever had. Mousekeeping was barely exisisting (found trash under the beds when we checked in. Called to mention it and when we returned to the room the next day, the trash was still there.), found the food nasty in the foodcourt and encountered some pretty rude CM's.

 

[TDC Nala]

It is my understanding that the bus ride from the All Stars is usually quicker than from Pop because of the bus routes and the fact that the buses take you to the front gate of the parks.

So even though Pop is closer to Epcot than the All Stars the way the bird flies the buses from the All Stars get to Epcot faster.

I hope that makes sence.

If you are talking about Epcot, you really can't anticipate where the bus will drop you off. The driver will stop at whatever bus bay is assigned to the resort the bus has been dispatched to after he/she drops you off. They don't necessarily return to the All Stars if they came from there. Sometimes they will stop at the closest bus bay just to let people off. Where your resort's stop is located is really only relevant for your return trip.

Epcot bus stops are not at the park gates. They are a short walk away. There are two sections of bus stops. The value resort stops are in the second section.

 

[minnie61650]

If you are talking about Epcot, you really can't anticipate where the bus will drop you off. The driver will stop at whatever bus bay is assigned to the resort the bus has been dispatched to after he/she drops you off. They don't necessarily return to the All Stars if they came from there. Sometimes they will stop at the closest bus bay just to let people off. Where your resort's stop is located is really only relevant for your return trip.

Epcot bus stops are not at the park gates. They are a short walk away. There are two sections of bus stops. The value resort stops are in the second section.

You are correct.

I was talking about the route on the roads that the buses take to the bus stops at Epcot.

But the rides are short from both Pop and the All Stars.

 

[declansdad]

It seems we have conflicting reports here.

Is it quicker by bus to get to Epcot from AllStars or Pop?

Is there a section of the fastest resort that is going to be quicker.

It took us maybe 10 minutes to Epcot from Pop and about 5 minutes to MGM. It is much quicker from Pop.