All Star Resorts

[wolfpack]

I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on staying at the All Star Resorts (i.e. rooms, amenities, especially the bus service!). I can't see spending $$$ for a room when we'll be at the parks the majority of the day/night. I'd rather spend $$$ for meals and shopping. By the way we'll be traveling with an 8yr old and a 2yr old; so the transportation issue is a big factor!
Thanks! Much appreciated!

 

[DigitalDisney]

I agree completely. Unless you're either filthy rich, or you plan on spending a lot of time at the resort, there's really no need to spend all the money for a deluxe resort. A trip to WDW isn't cheap, so you might as well make life easier by being practical and spending less on the resort.

Honestly, I'm a fan of the All Star resorts. True, you won't be surrounded by awesome jungle / desert / southern scenery, and the pool won't have a 50ft waterfall and a water slide of any kind. However, the theming is actually pretty fun (kids like it) and enjoyable.

The resorts all have pools, full facilities, a food court (w/refillable mugs), and all of the other stuff in them.

Since MGM and AK are close, the busses will stop for those parks more often than for MK, Epcot, and other destinations. Sometimes they run many busses to MK / Epcot, so it's not a big deal. It's usually not bad when the parks open and when they close (rush hour). Bus service may not be as frequent during the middle of the day.

 

[Cindyrella]

In my opinion, Pop Century is the best value resort; however, my 3yo son LOVED All Star Movies. We are staying at AKL on our next trip and my son keps saying he wants to go back to ASM. He loved the pool.

 

[tracyandalex]

i've stayed in the movies and the sports. depending on what your kids' interests are the movies may be more fun for them, the movies characters are everywhere and the kids i've seen have lots of fun with that.

 

[JPVonDrake]

The four Disney Value Resorts offer:

Resort features:
Kiddie pool
Themed Pools heated to 80º (3 pools at Pop Century, 2 pools at each All Star)
Arcade
Playground
Coin Laundry facilities
Food Court (normally open 6 am - 12 midnight)
Transportation to all points Disney by motorcoaches running every 15-20 minutes (starts 1 hour prior to park opening, ends when each park is clear of guests)

Rooms features:
260 sq. ft. - Layout
2 double beds per room sleeps 4
King-size bed in rooms with disabled access sleeps 2
Table and 2 chairs
Vanity area with sink and a separate bathroom
In-room wall safe
Voice mail
Data Port on phone for internet access (standard phone charges apply)
Remote control color television with Disney cable channels
Central air conditioning

Standard Amenities:
Shampoo & conditioner
Deodorant soap & complexion soap
Iron/ironing boards

Available upon request:
Cribs, bed boards and bed rails
Hair dryers
Rooms accessible to guests with disabilities
Luggage services
Refrigerators - $10.00 plus tax per night
Non-smoking rooms

Hope this helps! :sohappy:

 

[GSpiff]

So far I've been to Pop and All Star Music for values, done AKL and WL. While there's a huge difference in the type of stay you'll have as far as hotels go, if you're going there just to sleep at the hotels and spend the days in the park, why spend the extra money? Even at a value, it's Disney, and there's no skimping.

(Except when I got a handicap room....what a weird experience showering with no tub)

 

[dxwwf3]

Even at a value, it's Disney, and there's no skimping.

That's exactly right. If I had my choice of staying anywhere on property it would be the All Star Sports. I am a huge sports fan, but that's not the biggest reason. That whole place feels like Disney World to me. It just feels like home. I loved staying at Dixie Landings (Can't call it Riverside) and Port Orleans and I wouldn't mind staying there again. Same could be said for Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs. But if you do Disney the right way, you really won't be spending a ton of time at the rooms. But even if you were, the All Stars are still great. Disney creating the Value Resorts line is one of the best decisions ever made concerning Walt Disney World operations, IMO.

 

[inafog]

I only have my usual warning about AS Movies, which is the only one I've stayed in. Bring your stroller for your two-year-old, since the place is huge. We stayed near the back of the resort (I can't remember the building number) and on the map it looked close to the parking lot. It was a pretty long walk witha 4-year-old and a 1-year-old. When you are checking in, get them to show you the room on the map before you agree to take it. Try to get close to the front of the resort, so that you are an easy walk to the food and bus stop.

My other recommendation is to try to get a room that doesn't directly face the pool. It doesn't matter what resort you stay in, I would say that anyway. I have never had problems with noise there, but I was there in October.

All that aside, I find the rooms at the All-Stars to be perfectly acceptable. The staff were friendly and helpful, the room was clean, the shower was hot, and the bed was flat, making it ideal for sleeping.

 

[righttrack]

I wouldn't sweat the transportation. On any given day, transportation can be good/bad/indifferent at any resort. When you are on-property you are a guest, and they will make it better. Somedays you'll wait for a bus 15 minutes, sometimes not at all, it doesn't matter. Always allow travel time into your plans. Don't leave your room and expect to be entering a park in 5 minutes. We always allow 30 to 45 minutes to arrive at the park gate from the bus stop. Coming back from the parks can be a little slower. Still you are not going to get better. Lets look at some real-world times:

To Magic Kingdom Gate, from AS.

Car: Walk to Car. (5 mins) Drive Car (15 mins). Park Car (5 mins) Get Parking Lot Tram (5 mins). Ride Parking Lot Tram (5 mins) Walk to gate (5 mins) - total 40 mins.

Bus - Best Case: Walk to bus stop (5 mins). Wait for Bus (5 mins). Ride Bus (15 mins) Walk to gate (5 mins) - total 30 mins.

Bus - Worst Case: Walk to bus stop (20 mins). Wait for Bus (5 mins). Ride Bus (15 mins) Walk to gate (5 mins) - total 45 mins.

Even at its worst, the bus isn't bad. Buses are re-assignable. That is, if there is a shortage, or too many people in one spot, they put more busses on the situation. If a bus is full and people are waiting, the driver radios ahead and they send another. Again, the value of staying on property is they take care of you, every step of the way, from the rides, to your bed, you are a guest of the same resort.

 

[coltow]

I've stayed at deluxe/moderate and the all star resorts. I will be going in the fall and will be staying at all star movies with my then 20 month old. These are just as enjoyable as the others. The pools are great and the food courts have many things to choose from. When we were there last year, there was 8 adults and 1 infant in our party. We got connecting rooms and kept the door open excpet at night. We never had a problem with the space except that I felt the bathroom was a tad small. My only suggestion is not to request a room right at the pool. Those could get very loud.

 

[slappy magoo]

I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on staying at the All Star Resorts (i.e. rooms, amenities, especially the bus service!). I can't see spending $$$ for a room when we'll be at the parks the majority of the day/night. I'd rather spend $$$ for meals and shopping. By the way we'll be traveling with an 8yr old and a 2yr old; so the transportation issue is a big factor!
Thanks! Much appreciated!

Aside from the previous warning about the resort being so huge that you may need a stroller, also keep in mind that the rooms are not too big. I think they're only 266 sq. ft. Maybe not so bad for just 2 people, but with 2 kids to the mix, it might feel pretty cramped by the end of the vacation. Not that the mods' rooms are cavernous, but staying in one place for awhile, even a little extra space can make a big difference.

 

[ypcat]

Personally, I liked All Stars, but my wife didn't. Yes, the room was small, but we just use the room as a place to sleep and shower. I didn't think the property was that big at all. We stayed at Coronado last summer, and compared to that, they are small. Of course if you count the All Star resort as a whole (all 3 themes), it is a HUGH hotel.

I'd stay there again if I could talk my wife into it. Like the OP said, I find it better to save money on a bed so there's more to spend elsewhere.

 

[awallaceunc]

If you're going for a week or more (which is very affordable to do these days), then you might want to get an Annual Pass. If you get one of those, it's actually the same price to stay at a Moderate Resort as it is a Value for this summer.

-Aaron

 

[mitchk]

Hey,

I am headed to All-star sports, for the 4th time in a row, in July. I love the atmosphere there. It just seems more laid back then the moderate, and deluxe resorts, plus you save some money. Also the way the hotel rooms are set up remind me of the Wildwood Shore in Jersey, my summer home. :animwink:

 

[GrumpysGal]

I wouldn't sweat the transportation. On any given day, transportation can be good/bad/indifferent at any resort. When you are on-property you are a guest, and they will make it better. Somedays you'll wait for a bus 15 minutes, sometimes not at all, it doesn't matter. Always allow travel time into your plans. Don't leave your room and expect to be entering a park in 5 minutes. We always allow 30 to 45 minutes to arrive at the park gate from the bus stop. Coming back from the parks can be a little slower. Still you are not going to get better. Lets look at some real-world times:

To Magic Kingdom Gate, from AS.

Car: Walk to Car. (5 mins) Drive Car (15 mins). Park Car (5 mins) Get Parking Lot Tram (5 mins). Ride Parking Lot Tram (5 mins) Walk to gate (5 mins) - total 40 mins.

Bus - Best Case: Walk to bus stop (5 mins). Wait for Bus (5 mins). Ride Bus (15 mins) Walk to gate (5 mins) - total 30 mins.

Bus - Worst Case: Walk to bus stop (20 mins). Wait for Bus (5 mins). Ride Bus (15 mins) Walk to gate (5 mins) - total 45 mins.

Even at its worst, the bus isn't bad. Buses are re-assignable. That is, if there is a shortage, or too many people in one spot, they put more busses on the situation. If a bus is full and people are waiting, the driver radios ahead and they send another. Again, the value of staying on property is they take care of you, every step of the way, from the rides, to your bed, you are a guest of the same resort.

With many of my experiences staying at a Value resort, I recommend you do spare 30-45 for bus service to the parks. However, after the parks close, getting on a bus to head to your resort will take a little longer. (Sometimes it will feel longer because you are extremely tired after a LONG day.) I recommend that you are extremely patient, because you will be in line and will have to wait for 2-3 bus trips to leave before you get on one. If you dread this, then I would recommend to leaves the parks 2-3 hours before they officially close to beat the crowd. I say this because just this April, my boyfriend and I wanted to beat the crowds to get on the bus to head back to the resort, so we left the MK an hour before it closed and we still had to wait in a long line and watched 2 bus trips pass before we got on one.

I guess this is because everyone is leaving at the same time. Usually big families stay at these resorts because of their value and they are pretty much the biggest resorts with the most rooms.

 

[WDFAN1977]

My wife and I stayed at the Music All Star one time. I enjoyed the design of the property (Everything over sized). Food selection is ok, if you like cafeteria style service. The pools were basic with a little theme. The properties are all really spread out so if you have little ones request a room close to the main building so you do not have to walk far for food and bus service. The rooms are big enough for a family with two little ones. When I stayed there during halloween of 03' I never waited longer then 10 minutes for a bus. The best part, it was not expensive.Overall my wife and I had a good time staying there.

 

[LUV4Goofy]

The four Disney Value Resorts offer:

Resort features:
Kiddie pool
Themed Pools heated to 80º (3 pools at Pop Century, 2 pools at each All Star)
Arcade
Playground
Coin Laundry facilities
Food Court (normally open 6 am - 12 midnight)
Transportation to all points Disney by motorcoaches running every 15-20 minutes (starts 1 hour prior to park opening, ends when each park is clear of guests)

Rooms features:
260 sq. ft. - Layout
2 double beds per room sleeps 4
King-size bed in rooms with disabled access sleeps 2
Table and 2 chairs
Vanity area with sink and a separate bathroom
In-room wall safe
Voice mail
Data Port on phone for internet access (standard phone charges apply)
Remote control color television with Disney cable channels
Central air conditioning

Standard Amenities:
Shampoo & conditioner
Deodorant soap & complexion soap
Iron/ironing boards

Available upon request:
Cribs, bed boards and bed rails
Hair dryers
Rooms accessible to guests with disabilities
Luggage services
Refrigerators - $10.00 plus tax per night
Non-smoking rooms

Hope this helps! :sohappy:

I know that the rooms fit 4....I just ran into a little problem. We'll be there Sunday and my brother-in-law decided that he wants to join us. We already have 2 adults & 2 kids (8,11) in our room. I called to add him to our reservation, assuming that we can just get him a roll-away bed, and was told we cannot and there are no more rooms at the ASM as of today and we cannot add another ADULT to our room per fire regulations, which is totally understandable. I was told the next available room that would fit 5 is a $1000/night room at the CR which is WAY WAY WAY too much for our budget. What would happen if we tried to check-in on Sunday with him in tow anyway??? Will they NOT let us check in even though we paid for the room already?? Truthfully, what can they do for or to us??? I'm sure we're not the first group who made that mistake of assuming they provided roll-a-way beds. Any insight on this situation would be greatly appreciated. I guess that's what we get for assuming. :hammer: :brick: :veryconfu

 

[righttrack]

There really isn't room for a roll-a-way bed in the Allstars to my knowledge. A portable crib is about all the floorspace you have room for.

 

[LUV4Goofy]

I know that but what can the hotel do if we show up with that extra person--not honor our paid for already reservation??????

 

[ypcat]

They could kick you out, if they found out. But it isn't very likely that they would. But I don't know how you will sleep 3 adults and 2 kids in one of those rooms, it would be CRAMPED.

There are no rooms available at any of the All Stars? It really would be best if you got a second room or upgraded to a resort designed to hold 5 people.