Split stay : Grand Floridian and Allstar Movies, will we be shocked?

[Fromeurope]

Because the second half of our vacation is during a holiday and I thought it would be very busy at MK we decided to stay at GF first. So we will relax in a luxurious lagoonview room first and then move to the Allstar Movies.
Maybe the other way around is more usual but okay we will give it a try. I am only wondering are there more people who have done this?

 

[scanne]

Well, having stayed at both, I would reverse the plan. Besides, if it's cost you're worried about, if you check in on the last day of value season and let's say the rate is $299 a night, you will pay that rate for your entire stay. They don't change your nightly rate even if you go into holiday season. So if cost is a factor, then maybe this information helps you a bit?

But I wouldn't go from the GF to All Stars. I might go from GF to Port Orleans Riverside or another moderate, but not a value. JMHO.

Hope this helps.

 

[Fromeurope]

No, it's not about the costs we're staying at GF first. We're traveling in value season, but it's going to be expensive anyway
We've been to WDW several times now and always experienced MK as the busiest park. When we found out the second weekend of our stay was a holiday weekend in the US we didn't want to stay at GF during that time.
We don't like MK very crowded and we wouldn't take advantage of the monorail, because we would skip MK.
So now we're staying first at GF and visit MK and Epcot (by monorail!) and than at Allstar Movies we will be visiting AK and MGM.

 

[minnie61650]

Since you have been to All Stars and PoP you know how much the values really offer.
Sure the room will be bigger at the GF and it has the sit down resturants,spa, and other things that any 4 star hotel has. So relax and enjoy those and get ready for the fun you will have when you come to the All Stars.
I am 55 years old and travel several times a year to many 4 star resorts.The deluxe resorts do not have anything special for me.
The All Stars are actually my favorite resort!
Staying at the All Stars is like being in the heart of Disney Magic and that is where I want to be.

All Star Music is my faveroite.It Is quieter because more couples stay there.I love the Clypso builing it is closer to the pool,food court and bus stop.
All Star Movies has pop up fountains now also.

The buses are wonderful.
Bus rides are shorter from the ALL Stars than POP according to PassPorter.com

All Star Buses------------Pop buses
MK 20 min---------------MK 25 min
Epcot 10 min------------Epcot 20 min
MGM 10 min--------------MGM 15 min
AK 10 min----------------AK 15 min
DTD 15 min---------------DTD 20 min

The All Star resorts have 1960 rooms each.
Pop has 2,880rooms.
That means more people in the pools,food court and in line waiting for the bus at POP.
When phase 2 of POP is built it will be 2 bus stops at POP and the 2 POPs will have the same # of rooms as the 3 All Stars.

Also All Star is closer to the main road to get to parks and thats why bus rides are shorter from there than from POP.

A WORD ABOUT BUS SHARING:

It is usually just our stop and maybe one more on the way to the parks. On the way back sometimes its all 3 but often Sports and Music share and Movies has it's own bus back.

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!)

I love the All Star Resorts --they can't be beat. I have visited WDW more than a dozen times with the 1st time in Oct. 1971. It was brand new. I've stayed at FW, Disney Inn, a few the of Hotels on hotel Blvd., CBR and the towers at the Contemporary. I got to see the MK from my balcony at the Contemporary and I'm happy I got to experience it once. I just prefer the All Star Resorts.
The theaming is pure Disney.
My last 4 visits have been at The All Stars and this fall when we take dd,dsil, and our grandson age 3 we are staying at the All Stars Music. I thought about AKL and even though we can well afford AKL I just wanted Alex to experience the Disney Magic at the All Stars on his first visit.
Where else can one find Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse at the pool?
I can hardly wait.
Enjoy your trip. Relax at GF and have fun at the All Stars!
Linda

 

[ksc37]

We're doing a split stay with those two resorts also! I am doing the GF second because I really think it would be hard to leave the location, room size, amenities, etc. and then go to the All Stars. Yes, the All Star Movies is a good value for the money (especially with a discount during value season), but the monorail resorts can't be beat for location (at least for those of us with small kids).

While we're at the Movies, we're going to do the non-monorail parks + SeaWorld. While we're at the GF, we'll do the MK and Epcot, plus take a day to rent a water mouse, let my son do the "Grand Cooking Adventure" (or whatever it's called), and just relax.