All-Star Resort's love them or hate them?

[Pmlocke]

We've never done a value since they only have double beds and no pool slides. For my children the pool is just as important as the parks. I've thought about a value for a mother/daughter trip but DD will still want her pool time.

DS is staying at All Stars for his senior class trip. They are packing 4 to a room. I'm sure he won't have any complaints but he will most likely be bummed that there is no pool slide.

They also have Kings. I know this because that is what I sleep in every year at Music.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

They also have Kings. I know this because that is what I sleep in every year at Music.

That would be great for a couples trip but we have always gone as a family of four. I can't sleep on a double bed with anyone else at this point. When they were younger we did CBR and one parent/one kid per bed. They're too old for that now.

 

[Beer Me]

I don't love or hate them but have a generally positive view. I've stayed at all of the All Stars and never had a bad experience. The rooms are a bit cramped and occasionally you hear more noise (kids running etc) than you might hear elsewhere.

I've stayed at CBR and The Swan. If it's within the budget I would prefer those (you do get more for your money) but I wouldn't hesitate to stay at all stars again.

 

[keishashadow]

I voted love but would prefer to say i like & appreciate them for their 'value'

ASMo was my first onsite stay @ WDW. We've stayed @ them all over the years.

bus service is very good, the theming makes me smile & I am quite fond of ASMu's main pool.

Only major complaints are the few times we encountered loosely supervised youth groups & the high ratio of guests in limited public space that make it seem overly crowded.

The values serve their purpose for us when we:

1) can't grab a DVC unit or one of the offsite properties we enjoy

2) will be commando'ing and only in room to sleep & shower

3) don't want to rent a car for a short get-away

I certainly wouldn't consider forgoing a visit if we 'had' to stay @ the AS resorts!

 

[BlueStarryHat]

- The layout is like no other resort with many of the standard rooms a long way back from the food court/buses.
- It is a value but minimally Disney decor and feels very "motel 6" cheesy.
- It's a very very dark resort at night, and it makes me uncomfortable.
- I'm a city girl, and often returning to hotels at 2 am or so without issue ..
.... but here I ended up driving to avoid the dark walk.
- There is a reason the resort often has lower prices than others and always has rooms open.

The above are constants but I also had, this can vary trip to trip, to tarnish my trips.
- Once after a complete refurb a bed with a big dip, pulled sheets and saw mattresses many years old.
- Once had POLICE, not security, called to my building down the hall twice for adult problems.
- Horrible food court experiences (this was years ago and before refurb).
- Room in Broadway by parking had lots of 18 wheel trucks etc parked by room making me uncomfortable.

Now I want you to have the best trip you can have since $600 and FD is nothing to sneeze at ...
- Are you preferred? That would help. You'll be closer to main hub.

- If Standard and no theme preference ...
- I would likely ask only for "Close to Transportation".
- I have done that at Sports and they upgraded me to Preferred Surfs up and at POP upgraded to Preferred Pool View.

- If Standard and you want to pick theme ...
- I would pick theme and close to transportation as your online requests.
- I would first pick Rock & Roll, some rooms only feet from Preferred, some are the same distance walk to Sports (and if buses share you'll be first on/off there, and it's a funky American Graffitti decor.
- I would pick Broadway second, as some rooms only feet from Preferred
- I would not pick Country, they can be way back, isolated and I felt like it looks abandoned, and if driving Country is far away from any parking lots. You'd have to haul your stuff a long way.

Thanks for the reasons, HopperFan and also for the tips-I'll be trying them!

 

[peg2001]

Best ratio of benefits to dollars.

 

[SPAM]

They also have Kings. I know this because that is what I sleep in every year at Music.

Do all the kings have roll in showers?

 

[goofy4tink]

- The layout is like no other resort with many of the standard rooms a long way back from the food court/buses.
- It is a value but minimally Disney decor and feels very "motel 6" cheesy.
- It's a very very dark resort at night, and it makes me uncomfortable.
- I'm a city girl, and often returning to hotels at 2 am or so without issue ..
.... but here I ended up driving to avoid the dark walk.
- There is a reason the resort often has lower prices than others and always has rooms open.

The above are constants but I also had, this can vary trip to trip, to tarnish my trips.
- Once after a complete refurb a bed with a big dip, pulled sheets and saw mattresses many years old.
- Once had POLICE, not security, called to my building down the hall twice for adult problems.
- Horrible food court experiences (this was years ago and before refurb).
- Room in Broadway by parking had lots of 18 wheel trucks etc parked by room making me uncomfortable.

Now I want you to have the best trip you can have since $600 and FD is nothing to sneeze at ...
- Are you preferred? That would help. You'll be closer to main hub.

- If Standard and no theme preference ...
- I would likely ask only for "Close to Transportation".
- I have done that at Sports and they upgraded me to Preferred Surfs up and at POP upgraded to Preferred Pool View.

- If Standard and you want to pick theme ...
- I would pick theme and close to transportation as your online requests.
- I would first pick Rock & Roll, some rooms only feet from Preferred, some are the same distance walk to Sports (and if buses share you'll be first on/off there, and it's a funky American Graffitti decor.
- I would pick Broadway second, as some rooms only feet from Preferred
- I would not pick Country, they can be way back, isolated and I felt like it looks abandoned, and if driving Country is far away from any parking lots. You'd have to haul your stuff a long way.

Agree 100%!!! I've stayed at Music twice. Loved it the first time, stayed in the rear of Jazz, before it moved to suites. The second time, we ended up in Country Fair! Wanted to pack up and move! Hate it. I hated the walk back to my room from the food court. My dd hated it after dark...lighting wasn't all that great. I couldn't wait to get out of there. We moved to AoA-LM room for two nights. That was wonderful.
When my dd was a CM from Sept-May, she was able to get me a good rate at Movies, so I figured, 'Ok, for that kind of discount, I can stay anywhere'. I was very pleasantly surprised. Loved the feel and the layout. Even my dd, who hated Music, felt differently about Movies. I'm staying at Sports for the first time in a week....will have a preferred room.
I own DVC at both BWV and BLT. I love my DVC stays, but I tend to run out of points. So, I stay at value resorts. I love Pop, but got Sports for significantly less this time.

 

[jsmla]

I love the Yacht Club and Polynesian. The thing is I also love stuff like eating and a zero balance on my credit card. Pop is my go-to but the All Stars are a perfectly acceptable option.

 

[Tattylou]

I think the All-Stars are fine and I don't expect them to be as nice as the moderates or the deluxes. Our last few trips I'd rather just spend the money on other things than on a fancier hotel. My boys are young and so they're happy with a basic pool. I wouldn't really be able to use many other amenities that the other Resorts offer with two little kids and all the time we spent at the parks. So for me the price is right and they are clean and we don't spend a lot of time there anyway. I do prefer Pop Century because I like the easy access to AOA food court, but I stayed at music and sports and they were both good too.

 

[pat fan]

Love the AllStars! We just stayed at POP and didnt care fot it at all. Can't wait to go back "home" next trip! Great food courts, fantastic bus service, stellar CM's..... give me an AllStar, any AllStar!

 

[MrsDuck]

We love them.

 

[WEDWDW]

I think the All-Stars are fine and I don't expect them to be as nice as the moderates or the deluxes.

And Disney,it appears,is in the process of "plussing" the Values and giving them many of the same amenities as the Mods/Luxes.

Fridges were added to the Values a few years ago,full-size hair dryers were also added "recently"and Pool Towels are now available at all Value Pools.

Also the POP refurb includes large wall-mounted TVs and "rumored" coffeemakers which will almost assuredly find their way to the All-Star Resort at some point.

 

[Marshel]

Pop is 50% bigger than any of the All Stars and sometimes it shows, if you're in certain sections it can be a really long walk and the bus lines are formidable at park closings. Food court can also be a zoo at times. As for the groups, I once stayed at Sports at the end of July many years ago and there was a large influx of Brazilian teen age girls. apparently they have/had a tradition of sending them on a trip then. All these young ladies walking around in very skimpy bikinis, it was just terrible, I tell you .

 

[goofyintoronto]

Pop is 50% bigger than any of the All Stars and sometimes it shows, if you're in certain sections it can be a really long walk and the bus lines are formidable at park closings. Food court can also be a zoo at times.

This is so true. I do love Pop, its one of my fave values. But its quite big. My other fave is sports...i love how compact it is compared to pop.

 

[maxiesmom]

I love Sports! I think many people would be surprised at how pretty the main area is. The blues and greens of the Surfs Up area is not what first pops in my head when you say Sports. I've had nothing but nice CMs and found the bus service to be very good.

I've stayed at the Music too, and while it is nice enough, being downgraded twice at check in from preferred to standard has put me off of that resort.

 

[Disnerd6838]

Just got back from All Star Sports, and we LOVED it! It allowed us extra cash to invest towards our dining plan. Also, was quite clean and convenient to get around. The cafeteria was great when we used it for breakfast, and the buses ran very efficiently. Never more than a 10 minute wait. For the price and amount of time we were even at the resort, I had zero complaints. They even gave me my requested king size bed! AND it's the first bus stop between the three

 

[WEDWDW]

As for the groups, I once stayed at Sports at the end of July many years ago and there was a large influx of Brazilian teen age girls. apparently they have/had a tradition of sending them on a trip then. All these young ladies walking around in very skimpy bikinis, it was just terrible, I tell you .

Those were The 15s-South American girls(LARGE numbers from Brazil and Argentina with smaller numbers from Chile,Paraguay,Venezuela,etc.)who come to Walt Disney World to celebrate their Fifteenth Birthday.

It is a HUGE thing for them-they save and look forward to it for years.

The "main" months are July(Winter Break) and January/February(Summer Break-mainly Argentina in February).

They also stay at POP and all of the Moderates at times also.

 

[pat fan]

Those were The 15s-South American girls(LARGE numbers from Brazil and Argentina with smaller numbers from Chile,Paraguay,Venezuela,etc.)who come to Walt Disney World to celebrate their Fifteenth Birthday.

It is a HUGE thing for them-they save and look forward to it for years.

The "main" months are July(Winter Break) and January/February(Summer Break-mainly Argentina in February).

They also stay at POP and all of the Moderates at times also.

We've run into them on numerous trips. Nightmare!

 

[ShyMiss]

Those were The 15s-South American girls(LARGE numbers from Brazil and Argentina with smaller numbers from Chile,Paraguay,Venezuela,etc.)who come to Walt Disney World to celebrate their Fifteenth Birthday.

It is a HUGE thing for them-they save and look forward to it for years.

The "main" months are July(Winter Break) and January/February(Summer Break-mainly Argentina in February).

They also stay at POP and all of the Moderates at times also.

When is this most likely to occur in July? LOL We usually visit in winter, but will be staying at POP next month.
ETA I see the date on the pic is mid-july. Hhmm.