Suites at All Star

[iluvdizknee]

So, I haven't been on here in awhile, and even worse, I haven't been to WDW since a cheer competition with my daughter for 3 days in 2011.
My family and I have gone long enough! My son now lives in LA (25yrs old) and my daughter (22yrs old) has a steady boyfriend who will be coming with us. We live in NJ. My son will fly in from CA and meet us there. There are 5 adults and we are looking into the suites at All Star Music. We are on a tight budget and I DO NOT want to get 2 rooms.
I am asking anyone for an opinion on the suites. Are they good? My son is 6'5 but I don't care because I will sleep on the pull out chair. Looking to go in July because that is the only time my son can take off work and my daughter is not in school.

 

[bumbershoot]

I liked it, but the sleeping situation was perfect for us.

The bedroom had a queen (?) bed. The living room had a pullout chair and a pullout sofa. My then 9 year old shared the bed with me, my little cousin had the chair, and my aunt had the sofa.

 

[iluvdizknee]

Thanks. Sounds like it worked well for you but we are 5 adults? Not sure how it will work

 

[lovesdumbo]

I stayed in a family suite as ASMu when my kids were 9, 7 and 5 and it was perfect for us but I don't think you would be happy there with 5 adults. I would book 2 value rooms so you'll get 4 real beds instead of 1. It would be cheaper than the suite also. Or even consider a suite at AoA where you'll have 2 almost real beds (the murphy bed is pretty comfy) and a full size sleep sofa. OR a deluxe room other than AKL & WL that has 2 queen beds and a twin day bed.

 

[iluvdizknee]

We checked 2 rooms at Asm and it is more expensive than the suite. Also, the sleeping situation is tricky cause it my hubby and I, my son and my daughter and her boyfriend. Not sure if I want them to have their own room and don't think my son wants to room with them. We are on a really tight budget, ugh!!

 

[HopperFan]

ASMu suites are just two rooms that they converted to suites.
- You have the same basic square footage as two rooms.
- You have two bathrooms.
- You now have a kitchenette which if you are on budget will be good for breakfasts and snacks.
- You have a sitting area instead of having to sit on beds.
- You give up sleeping for 8 but that is not an issue for you.
- You give up real beds for fold out beds, so that is a personal decision.
- You are close to main building, food court and buses because they turned close rooms to suites (I don't know why but they did).
- Value resorts are perfect when you are not for hanging out at the resort, they are to give you an onsite place to sleep, shower etc.
- I don't think they have been rehabbed in a long time but am sure the basics attended to.

I don't even like ASMu but it sounds like the suites are a good option for you this trip. In the end save the money so you can be off enjoying your days.

Here are a few reviews:

https://disneyforfive.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/disneys-all-star-music-resort-im-smitten/

http://**************.net/2014/07/02/review-the-family-suites-at-disneys-all-star-music-resort/

http://www.growingupdisney.com/2011/04/hotel-review-all-star-music.html

 

[halfpintpeggy]

How about your daughter & son share the pullout, DD's boyfriend gets the pullout chair, and you & hubby get the bedroom?

 

[bluezy]

We checked 2 rooms at Asm and it is more expensive than the suite. Also, the sleeping situation is tricky cause it my hubby and I, my son and my daughter and her boyfriend. Not sure if I want them to have their own room and don't think my son wants to room with them. We are on a really tight budget, ugh!!

I've never seen the suites be cheaper than 2 rooms. Just looking at random dates in July a standard location room at ASMu is ~$140/night; preferred locations is ~$156/night. A suite is ~$319/night. Granted, the suite is only a few dollars more than 2 preferred location rooms, but 2 standard rooms would be almost $40/night in savings. (ETA: I forgot about the $10 charge for having an extra adult in one of the standard rooms. So 2 preferred rooms would be about the same cost as a suite. But 2 standard rooms would still be about $30 less per night than a suite.) If it was me and I was on a budget, I'd book 2 standard rooms and request that they be connecting rooms. There's no guarantee you'd get connecting rooms, but there's a chance. It sounds like you'd plan on letting your daughter and her boyfriend have the private bedroom in the suite anyway (since you said you'd be sleeping on the pullout), so I'd just let them have their own room and let your son room with you.

If you decide to do a suite, the suites at ASMu have the queen bed in the master bedroom and then the chair and ottoman in the living room convert to single beds and the couch converts to a double bed. So there would be enough "beds" for everyone. While I have never personally stayed in a suite at ASMu, my brother's family as well as a good friend of mine have all stayed there. In both cases, the adults that slept on the pullout beds in the living room did not find them comfortable at all -- though my friends 2 pre-school aged daughters had no complaints about the sofa bed. When we need a suite, we stay at AoA. We've found both of the pullout beds there to be comfortable. On one of our trips, our then 24yo son and his girlfriend were joining us on the trip so they got their own standard room at AoA while the rest of the family stayed in a suite.

Are you set on staying on property? You can probably find a much better priced suite or house at an off-site location.

 

[SmallWorld71]

We checked 2 rooms at Asm and it is more expensive than the suite. Also, the sleeping situation is tricky cause it my hubby and I, my son and my daughter and her boyfriend. Not sure if I want them to have their own room and don't think my son wants to room with them. We are on a really tight budget, ugh!!

Not the exact same, I realize, but we are a group of 5 that has 3 boys and 2 girls. One of those boys (DS20) is 6'4" and over 200 lbs., the other boy (DS17) moves a lot when he falls asleep so nobody wants to share with him, and DH snores loudly. We have found that 2 rooms works best because it gives us 4 sleeping surfaces. DD and I share a bed, then each of the boys gets their own bed. We all sleep best this way and sleep is important for a Disney vacation!
You could do something similar and share with your DD and each of your boys could have their own bed. IME, you would be more comfortable this way then you would with the set up of the suite.

 

[DisneyADottie]

I stayed in the family suite with my boyfriend, his parents, his sister and her boyfriend for New Years. The sleeping situation wasn't that bad, there is space in the living room if you want to bring an air mattress which would be more comfortable than the pull out chair or ottoman. I think if it's your cheapest option you should totally go for it!

 

[cjbcam]

That's weird I just checked random dates as well and 2 regular rooms always come out cheaper than the suite. When we stayed in a suite there was 6 of us. Two adults , four kids. My oldest slept in the pull out chair, my son in fold out ottoman and my other two in the pull out sofa. I ended up sleeping on the ottoman one night because my son fell asleep in the bedroom. It was comfortable enough. The one thing you will find though is with all the beds pulled out there is no room to move. It's awkward to get up to go to the bathroom at night.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We actually considered getting the suites at All-Star Music but it was actually more expensive than just getting 2 rooms at All-Star Movies.

For example: Sep 16th-25th 2016 a Suite at All-Star Music is $282 and some change per night BUT a room with 2 adults at All-Star Movies for the same time period is $120 and some change per night Standard room and a room with 3 adults at All-Star Movies for the same time period is $130 and some change per night Standard Room (as there is a $10 per night per adult charge for having more than 2 adults). Add these together and you get $250 and some change per night which is around $32 LESS per night than the suite (all figures do not include tax).

If you are looking PURELY at cost the suites are not cheaper (check your dates though) at least when you consider cost for a Standard Room not a Preferred Room but maybe you wanted the Preferred Room and thus it would be MORE expensive by about $12 per night if you go 2 separate rooms (dates listed above would be $142 and some change for 2 adults and $152 and some change per night for 3 adults which would equal $294 and some change per night excluding tax again).

However as someone already noted you do gain a kitchenette which for us isn't something we care about as we can deal with making our snacks or quick breakfasts on the space provided. Also with the sleep sofas and ottoman put up you do gain seating for all that you wouldn't really get with the individual rooms and you all would be in the room which would be easier to actually hang out with each other.

If you did separate rooms you could put you and your daughter in one room and your husband, your son and your daughter's boyfriend in the other room. I honestly don't know if they would give you a roll away bed and if they did how much it would be (for the room with the men) and if they did charge that could close the gap a bit with the difference between 2 rooms and a suite.

Another difference between 2 rooms and the suite is the size of the beds:

Suite=1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin-Size Sleeper Chair and 1 Double-Size Sleeper Sofa and 1 Twin-Size Sleeper Ottoman
Room=2 Double Beds

Honestly you might want to sit down with everyone and go over what they might be willing to deal with as well as the overall location inside the resort people would prefer (i.e. are you ok with being further back with a Standard Room or would you like a room closer to the front which would be Preferred Room or what another poster has commented that a Suite would be closer to the front of the resort).

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks. Sounds like it worked well for you but we are 5 adults? Not sure how it will work

That's why I brought it up.

Some people are more liberal about grown children and their boy/girlfriends and I didn't want to assume. In my family if I had expected to share a room with a boyfriend on a trip, my mom would not have paid. If I would have wanted her to pay, in a case like yours it likely would have been me and mom in one room and the dad (stepdad for me) and boyfriend in the other. Brother? Who knows lol.

If you decide to do a suite, the suites at ASMu have the queen bed in the master bedroom and then the chair and ottoman in the living room convert to single beds and the couch converts to a double bed. So there would be enough "beds" for everyone.

I forgot about the ottoman.

 

[iluvdizknee]

Thank you everyone for all your help. My concern is that my son is 6'5" and wonder if he will fit on the pull out chair. I am actually going to call WDW Travel and have them work it out for me, both ways, and see what is the cheapest way to go. They have always helped me in the past.
I think we are trying to go 5/17-5/24. Thanks again everyone!!...

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Thank you everyone for all your help. My concern is that my son is 6'5" and wonder if he will fit on the pull out chair.

I feel you my husband is 6' 5 1/2" or 77.5inches tall. We have a king-sized bed at home (same length as a queen as we do not have a california king-sized bed) and he still doesn't quite fit though his feet don't actually hang off they go right around to the edge (due to using a pillow) but he says it's not uncomfortable though.

Just for comparison when you call you might be able to ask how long each of their bed sizes are. I looked up what the standard sized beds are for North America:

Average size of queen-sized bed:60 in × 80 in
Average size of double/full-sized bed:54 in × 75 in
Average size of twin-sized bed: 39 in × 75 in

What does he sleep on when he's in his house?

 

[iluvdizknee]

At home my son sleeps on a queen size bed. I think the more I look into this, two rooms would probably work the best. But I'm still gonna call W DW and talk to them about it

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

If you get two rooms and aren't sure if you want daughter and her boyfriend, you could always have her room with you and your DH, and then put your son and daughter's boyfriend in the other room.

 

[mrzrich]

Orbitz with code FUNFUNFUN. 5/17-5/24

All Stars Regular Room $82
All Stars Family Suite $194
AOA Suite Which has a better bedding situation with the Queen, the Murphy and the Pull Out $241
FW Cabin Full Size, Bunk Bed, Murphy, option to save money on food with full kitchen $311

 

[Marlyn]

Thank you everyone for all your help. My concern is that my son is 6'5" and wonder if he will fit on the pull out chair. I am actually going to call WDW Travel and have them work it out for me, both ways, and see what is the cheapest way to go. They have always helped me in the past.
I think we are trying to go 5/17-5/24. Thanks again everyone!!...

Also, keep in mind that the regular value resorts rooms have double beds....in a suite at music, their bedroom has a queen bed. Just something to consider. I would never be able to share a double with my DH. Would definitely want a queen.

 

[provencio]

Have you gone to trip advisor? They have tons of reviews and pictures may help you decide