Budget resorts would you recommend

[Dad 2 M & M]

I'm not saying you're wrong in what you report having personally experienced, but the normal behavior is that Art of Animation and Pop Century do not share buses.

I agree with you as in the dozen+ times we have stayed at Pop/AoA we have only experienced shared busing TWICE, and both times it was late at night after an EME at Epcot....so it is certainly NOT normal

The strange thing is to have NEVER experienced shared busing at the All-Stars. I know they HAVE to share at times, but wonder how NORMAL or RARE it is.....

 

[Think Tink]

Depending on when you are going, if the Skyliners are up and running I would steer toward POP or AoA for the added transportation (Unless someone in your family has a fear of heights!) . I have stayed at the All Stars but it's been over 10 years. The best part of Disney is that most children don't care too much where they are staying. They are focused on the parks

 

[Minthorne]

Yep, that's correct, but the sections are not equal in size. Mermaid and Cars are three buildings each, while, Nemo and Lion King are two buildings each. Plus, the Mermaid rooms are half the size of the family suites so each building has twice as many bookable units.

So, the overwhelming majority of square footage in rooms is suites

 

[Mgn240]

I think Pop is a good value for the money. The price difference between Pop and the All-Stars is minimal and you're pretty much guaranteed to have your own bus line (unless it's a slow time and they share with AoA, though I didn't encounter this). We usually stay at deluxe properties as a family but I stayed at Pop last year for a quick trip on my own. I kind of had low expectations, just because I've never stayed at a value, but I thought it was nice and the theming was fun. The renovated rooms are really nice, have a lot of practical updates and space for storage, plus they include a fridge and coffee maker. The downside for your party would be the size, but you're going to run into that issue at any of the (non-suite) value rooms. You can walk right across the bridge to AoA, I'm sure the 4 year old would enjoy walking around there.

 

[DisAl]

I'm following this just because I'm researching the value resorts so that I can include one in my wedding room block (yay!). I have been leaning towards pop century because art of animation isn't an option for wedding parties which makes me wonder if it is nicer.... but anyway.... my logic is that pop century is recently renovated and will be on the gondola line so more fun access to hollywood studios and epcot. Less buses = happier trip, in my mind.

My research showed that pop century now has 2 queen beds in a standard room, instead of 2 full beds that some of the unrenovated value resorts have. I read that the bath tubs have glass doors rather than a shower curtain so that makes it harder (but not impossible) to bathe kids, but i'm not sure if 4 year olds take showers on their own yet (sorry I have a 1.5 year old).

We just got back from a couple of nights at Pop Century.
The queen bed rooms have one "fixed" queen bed and one pull down queen bed. I have attached a photo. (Please ignore the grumpy old guy in the mirror. ) There are several good design features of the newly refurbed rooms. The fixed bed is high enough off the floor that there is plenty of room to store your suitcases UNDER the bed during the day. The fold down bed gives you a desktop size table when up and seems to have the same mattress on it as the fixed bed.
There are 10, yes 10, USB outlets in the room plus 10 a.c. outlets that are easily accessible for charging. The floors are vinyl planking now rather that carpet which I much prefer because it seems cleaner to me. (I have vinyl planking in my home.)
Bath tubs do have sliding glass doors. Baths also have a sliding door between the sink area and the room, and another between the sink area and the tub / toilet area. Shower head is both a fixed head and an adjustable and removable (hand held) head.
All in all I think the design of the new rooms is excellent.

 

[linderman4]

We just got back from a couple of nights at Pop Century.
The queen bed rooms have one "fixed" queen bed and one pull down queen bed. I have attached a photo. (Please ignore the grumpy old guy in the mirror. ) There are several good design features of the newly refurbed rooms. The fixed bed is high enough off the floor that there is plenty of room to store your suitcases UNDER the bed during the day. The fold down bed gives you a desktop size table when up and seems to have the same mattress on it as the fixed bed.
There are 10, yes 10, USB outlets in the room plus 10 a.c. outlets that are easily accessible for charging. The floors are vinyl planking now rather that carpet which I much prefer because it seems cleaner to me. (I have vinyl planking in my home.)
Bath tubs do have sliding glass doors. Baths also have a sliding door between the sink area and the room, and another between the sink area and the tub / toilet area. Shower head is both a fixed head and an adjustable and removable (hand held) head.
All in all I think the design of the new rooms is excellent.View attachment 356868

Is whoever taking the picture standing at the door? I'm wondering if the room is a little bigger than the picture shows

 

[DisAl]

Is whoever taking the picture standing at the door? I'm wondering if the room is a little bigger than the picture shows

I am standing against the window right by the door. Here is another photo from the other side of the room.

There is not much room when the bed is folded down. That is why they fold up and have room under the "fixed" bed to store your luggage.
For what it is worth the TV is an excellent 55" Samsung mounted on the wall. I was so impressed with the picture quality I looked up the model number thinking about getting one at home. They are in the $1,000 range. I'm surprised they put one of that quality in the value resorts.

 

[BWDVCkidsince96]

I am standing against the window right by the door. Here is another photo from the other side of the room. View attachment 356879
There is not much room when the bed is folded down. That is why they fold up and have room under the "fixed" bed to store your luggage.
For what it is worth the TV is an excellent 55" Samsung mounted on the wall. I was so impressed with the picture quality I looked up the model number thinking about getting one at home. They are in the $1,000 range. I'm surprised they put one of that quality in the value resorts.

You are quite helpful. This was awesome. Thanks for the photos!!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

That is why they fold up and have room under the "fixed" bed to store your luggage.

This is a fantastic upgrade that has enhanced all of the resorts it's gone into. We had it for the first time at the Grand Californian in February and we're looking forward to it at Fort Wilderness in August.

 

[linderman4]

I am standing against the window right by the door. Here is another photo from the other side of the room. View attachment 356879
There is not much room when the bed is folded down. That is why they fold up and have room under the "fixed" bed to store your luggage.
For what it is worth the TV is an excellent 55" Samsung mounted on the wall. I was so impressed with the picture quality I looked up the model number thinking about getting one at home. They are in the $1,000 range. I'm surprised they put one of that quality in the value resorts.

Thank you so much for these photos! It helped me change my reservations bc with 4 of us (3 being adults) it would be very tight. It does look very nice however!