We love ASSp, but would like to try POP

[PinkMagnolia]

Our family has stayed at POFQ, CSR and All Star Sports X2. My boys LOVE ASSp and are sentimental about the place. They play a lot of sports IRL, and love the theming of this resort.

I would love to try something new! Pop seems great and gets a lot of love, but would add about $170 to our trip (when pricing out Standard vs. Standard room)

For those who have stayed at both, what are your thoughts? This trip would be in 2018, so the Pop room refurb would be completed. Any ASSp lovers out there that gave POP a try?

 

[Babsy]

ASSp and POP are our two favourite value resorts! However, we would often choose POP over ASSp because we like the lake, the access across the bridge to A0A and the theme appeals just a little bit more to us. Also, we like the easy access to the AoA food court as an option to the FC at POP.

Have you shown the boys that they would be able to walk to AoA and get pictures in the Lion King, Nemo and Cars sections? Perhaps they might find that interesting enough to get excited about trying somewhere new! Look at some online pictures of POP and AoA with them.

Of course, another option is a split stay with POP first and the standby fav of ASSp finishing up the trip.

Trying somewhere new if fun. It doesn't mean that you can't go back to ASSp in the future, but you might find a new favourite!~

 

[wdwthanksgiving]

We have stayed at both resorts - POP would be my choice - especially with the refurb. It is open with a lot of space for the children to run around, walking over the bridge to AoA is fun and gives you two good food courts to choose from ...POP has a nice large pool and the theming is fun. POP has a designated bus. I'm not sure how much the actual experience of sleeping would be different - the rooms are very similar. It is fun to try new places and broaden the Disney experience if your budget allows - let us know what you decide!

 

[VillainFavs]

We've stayed both, as well as ASMo, POFQ, and WL. Personally, I'm with your boys! I prefer either of the All Stars to Pop. Pop is much, much larger so if you're in a standard room, you could be quite a ways from the bus or food court. Also, there's WAY more people staying there. Just seemed that the food court, common areas, bus stops, etc. were always crowded and chaotic. Seemed less so with the All Stars. Yes, Pop has dedicated buses but as you probably already know, the All Stars don't share all the time and usually not at all during the busiest times. Even though Pop has dedicated service, they also have a lot more people vying for those same buses. We sometimes had to wait for a second bus to come along--never happened to us with the All Stars.

The rooms are pretty much the same at any of them. And I always look at this way--how much time do you spend looking at the outside theming anyway? You're basically walking to/from your room -- and often after dark!

 

[goofyintoronto]

Both are my fave resorts for different reasons. I love the lakeview at pop, and the easy access to AoA. Love walking around AoA and eating at the food court. Pop is huge though. If you get stuck in a room in the 80's or 90's, be prepared for a hike. That's why in my room requests i always ask for 50/60/70's...always lakeview. its standard and so pretty. As for sports....I love how compact the resort is....even the furthest building away isn't a very far walk. Both are wonderful, so i understand why the choice is difficult for you. Im surprised its $170 more though. But if you do want to try something different, then I think you should go for pop. Its worth experiencing pop at least once, and its nice to try something new. As much as I love sports, I'd go for pop because you've never been.

 

[kristen821]

I would probably save the $170. My son was also into sports and I am pretty sure he would have chosen all Star sports over pop. I personally think they are pretty equal. The only plus to pop is they have their own bus so no extra stops, but other than that I think they are equal to all stars so I would go with the cheaper one

 

[samsteele]

I'd also save the $170. I love POP but have grown to really like Sports. I also ducked the POP "premium" upcharge and saved well over $200 US last year. If possible, either earmark that saved money for some special extras like MNSSHP, or the Christmas party, etc. or tuck it away as a future payment toward next year's vacation.

 

[PinkMagnolia]

Thanks to all for your helpful replies! I've been going back and forth thinking about this.

We will be spending 1 night at ASMu this August pre-cruise, with the plan to book a FD BB for 2018 - I will see what rooms they have available. If I can get a Standard at Pop, I will go for it. Also, I'd like to book a longer vacation (9 nights), so I'm thinking having the 2nd food court to eat at is something I hadn't considered before.

If for some reason, I can only get preferred (or pricier) at Pop, I'll go with our 2nd choice of ASSp, which seems to always have availability. I'm a thrifty person, so it's hard for me to justify the extra $$$ - especially as we'd be so happy with Sports.

Thanks again for your helpful replies!

 

[Kaytie]

Pop is much, much larger so if you're in a standard room, you could be quite a ways from the bus or food court

Couple of hundred yards, maybe. Standard standard (no pool view) are all over the resort and can easily be as close as some preferred rooms.

Also, there's WAY more people staying there.

Well, yes. There are more rooms so reasonably there are more people. Even if the same percentage of guests at each resort drive, that's still more on the buses at Pop than ASSp. But WDW has the "accordion buses, so it shouldn't be a serious difference.

I'm a thrifty person, so it's hard for me to justify the extra $$$

$170 total for a nine night stay? That's less than $20 a night. Keep in mind, at Pop you would be in a recently refurbished room.

 

[buzznina]

First let me say that I always tell people to go ahead and try a new resort if they have a chance too, how else are you really going to know if you may like a different resort better I will say that the majority of the time you will see the adults like POP better and the kids will like one of the all-stars With our family DW likes POP and our 2 DDs and myself like ASMO Our DDs do not like the theme of POP since it only has a few icons that they can relate too. Based on the early photos, I personally do not like the new rooms at POP, because I really hate that you lose the table when you bring down the murphy bed If it stays that way, that would eliminate POP for us in the future. Size of resorts do not bother us, nor do we put much weight on transportation. We have been a lot to know that transportation can be great one day and horrible the next and no resort is immune to it.