Split stay at value resorts

[dancin Disney style]

Ok...we are staying for 2 weeks this summer and have already booked at POP. Now, I'm thinking about staying 1 week at POP and 1 week at ASMu. Not that I really want to pack up and move but we'll be there the first 2 weeks in July and the potential crowds, at POP, are feaking me out a lot I thought that it might be a little less crowded at the All Stars.

So lets hear the opinions on which resort to stay at first and why.

A little back ground on this trip.....
We are a family of 4...me,dh,dd17,dd9. We are attending a convention for a few days at the start of the trip. We do intend on spending time at the resort, our plan has several days of just hanging out at the pool. On our park days we generally return to the room in the afternoon for lunch and a rest.

 

[MandM-Mom]

We did a split stay for our free dining trip in August-September. We spent a weekend at POP before our package started then moved over to ASMofor 10 days of free dining. Just becareful if you move resorts that you get all your luggage, we had them transfer our luggage and they lost a very important box with all meds and baby supplies, turned up later in the back of the maids linen closet. Disney was great about helping get our meds refilled and delivered to front desk of ASMo. I would of liked to spend more time at POP, the food court seemed to have much more variety to us, but I liked the convenience of ASMo being closer to the bus stops and things.

 

[3mickeys&me]

We have done split stays twice and both worked out very well. Disney moves all your luggage for you. If you have any important meds like the previous poster said KEEP that with you or take it to the new resort yourself.

Never stayed at POP but stayed at ASM on our last trip and we absolutely LOVED it. My niece was thrilled to see the BIG BUZZ AND WOODY LOL!!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Right now it looks like we will be driving to the world so the actual resort move is not an issue. Even if we fly, I would just get a cab and move myself.

I guess my problem is that we stayed last summer at POFQ and it was very quiet there all the time even though the resort was fully booked. I'm worried about the things that I have read about the crowds at the food court, pool and on the buses. I REALLY want to try POP but I'm getting scared off by what people are saying about the busier times of the year. Unfortunately, for us the dates are out of our control due the convention we are attending.

Is it unreasonable to think that because ASMu has about 900 fewer rooms that we wouldn't experience the lines and crowds everywhere we go? I'm concerned that POP will be out of control.

What about those South American tour groups? Did I read somewhere that they stay at the AllStars?

 

[MandM-Mom]

We always stay at a value and we have not seen one of these "groups" yet, maybe we have just been lucky!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I did encounter one of the 'groups' last February at ASMo but never saw them in the parks. However, every time we have been there in the summer months they are everywhere in the parks. On those trips we stayed at mod resorts and they were not there.

 

[Tinkerbelll]

We've stayed at POP and ASMu and honestly, the difference in crowds was NOT enough to make me want to pick up and move from one value to another. They are all prety much the same and POP is probably the best with the newer food court and bigger TV's. But basically, a value is a value and during the summer months, they are all going to be crowded. The only reason I would recommend splitting a stay is if you can afford the next price range for half of your vacation. In that case, I would recommend staying in a value the first half, and then in a mod the second half. Or a mod and then deluxe. In your case, I would stick with POP or see if I could swing POR for a couple days at the end.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I'm all in for the better food court at POP. We will be eating about half our meals there so it is sort of important.

This trip we can't do a mod because we have opted to stay for 2 weeks. Normally we will do 8-10 days at a mod.....the kids are begging for POFQ again.

I came up with a few other options today. One is a great deal at the Regal Sun(former Grosvenor at DTD) which would save me $600. That's tempting. My other option is to stay at RS for the first week (we need to be at the Hilton for a convention anyway) then get a 3 or 4 day cruise sell-off and come back to POP for the last couple of days.

Still confused

 

[ang]

I went in August, the food court was busy, but you got through really fast. If you are worried about noise, don't stay on the pool side. We stayed in the 70's section, 2x, never had a noise problem
The main pool to get really crowded one day...so we went to the computer pool, no one was there.
Saturday and Sunday seemed the most crowded, people coming and going.

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

Remember, people will post their bad experiences more often than people post the good. POP was designed to handle large crowds. Even though it may look busy, there are three HUGE pools, so those are never crowded, the food court has ALOT of seating, and it moves very fast. The fastest check-in I have ever experienced was after I got off the ME bus at POP. It was crowded, but they handled it. The buses are dispatched according to need, so even though there may be lines for buses, sometimes they come 2 at a time! Keep that in mind.

 

[danny25]

Hi I hope you enjoy your stay at POP, we like it too much, we are a family of 3, and we are from Uruguay a small country in southamerica and we have travel to Disneyworld more than 10 times and this May we will travel again and have booked the Poly to our 16 nigths stay, I so sad about your coment of the Southamerican groups my family and me really really love Disney and never have disturbe anybody, I don´t know why you talk in that way about the Southamericans but I wish you a very very happy and magical vacation in the midle of the magic, Daniel and family

 

[dancin Disney style]

Hi I hope you enjoy your stay at POP, we like it too much, we are a family of 3, and we are from Uruguay a small country in southamerica and we have travel to Disneyworld more than 10 times and this May we will travel again and have booked the Poly to our 16 nigths stay, I so sad about your coment of the Southamerican groups my family and me really really love Disney and never have disturbe anybody, I don´t know why you talk in that way about the Southamericans but I wish you a very very happy and magical vacation in the midle of the magic, Daniel and family

Daniel.......

I'm truely sorry that you feel like we are bashing South Americans. For me personally, I absolutely am NOT. The 'groups' that have been referred to are very large groups of teenagers. They are extremely loud and very rude. In my experience they pretend that they don't speak english so therefore the rules of common courtesy do not apply to them. I feel that it is a case of one person, or in this case a group, ruining things for everyone. Teenagers in general can behave this way having nothing to do with where they are from.

My rule in life about people is simple....if you are good to me, than I will be good to you. Daniel, my friend, you have been very polite and generous in your remarks.

I also wish you a very happy and magical vacation.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Wellll, I would stay at POP the whole time. I don't think you're going to see much of a crowd difference between any of the values. The food court is better and if you plan on eating there alot... We have stayed at ASSp once (and never again), ASMu (once & would again if I couldn't get POP), and at POP three times. We've encountered trouble at check-in but other than that, our stays have been pleasant. I thoroughly enjoy staying at POP. I stayed at POP this past July and while, Yes it was crowded, we did not have any worse experience then at a less busy time. Quite often, even at the slower times of year, we will take our food back to our room to enjoy complete peace and quiet. I just need some down (very quiet) time each day just because after a couple of days at WDW I feel like I am in sensory overload.
Good Luck making your decision, but I don't think I'd change from one value to another. I'd only move to upgrade to a mod.