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

[HopperFan]

Call me crazy but after watching numerous Youtube videos and "documentaries" about the Legendary Hotels, I just shudder at thinking about staying in those values. They were partially built and left to rot in the Florida sun for YEARS until Disney finally realized they needed to either bulldoze and backfill, or finish the stupid hotels! And by that time, it was really easy to rip out any theming that didn't fit and just finish the whole project on like a Motel 6 budget.

So now you have these massive concrete boxes with paper-thin walls that already needed refurbishment by the time they opened. Aside from "the price" I don't hear much good about them. At least nothing to suggest that one would lounge and relax using your resort. Meanwhile if you stay at a moderate or a deluxe, I hear lots about the great food, the pools, the entertainment... at the value price with little amenities, I hardly see the point in staying on-site ; other off-site places are much more appealing to me. But then you have access to FP and ADR... so I'm not sure that losing those opportunities justifies staying off-site. It just is really hard for me to think about that lower Value price and not compare it to a Mom and Pop Motel, amenities-wise, which immediately makes the price too much for me!

POFQ is small and I think I like only hearing and encountering other guests when I go to the pool or the food court. I certainly have heard more than one story from Value guests that you can hear your neighbors!

And if I wanted to stay in a giant concrete condo situation, that's what AirBnB is for. I want a nice relaxing resort that has nothing to do with 3 cm industrial carpet, if you catch my meaning.

I don't think you have the right picture regarding the room buildings. ONLY the few Little Mermaid rooms at AoA fall into the category of the partially built. All the rest at Allstars and POP, and AoA Suites were build new from start to finish with no lull. LM rooms were only concrete structure which I am sure was then treated and ready to move forward.

There is plenty of talk about the values, you probably just don't look for it. They are in your face Disney theme that some folks love and some, like myself think it's cute but at this point I only want bed and bath. We are park people. I can lay around a pool at home. That said I have never had a problem getting a lounge at a value like I do at the moderates and deluxes. The only thing they are really missing is more lush around pools that a few have, hot tubs and slides. ALL the values have more pools each than POFQ.

NO Disney hotel is worth the price you pay if comparing to real world hotels. The rooms are all underwhelming vs a non-Disney hotel in the same price point. But the room rate includes the cost of nicer lobbies, more dining options, bigger grounds and landscape, nicer pools slides etc for the most part (not always), bus transportation to parks, Magical Express ... all paid for with hotel room rates. When those amenities are not a perk for a guest, offsite makes way more sense for a nicer room.

As far as noise, I've deal with worse noise issues at Disney Deluxe resorts.

Around 25 POP Century stays and this is what I see outside my standard room, along with peace & quiet, a minute to a pool, a few minutes to food court and transportation. I'm okay with this Mom & Pop (note I won't stay at them offsite).

The plus is that Disney offers a wide range so that most can find something that works for them.

 

[Mome Rath]

Yes, the "zombie" hotel (as my brother and I used to call it) became a part of AoA, not Allstars. We used to stand on the far side of hourglass lake and make up all kinds of zombie stories about that place... probably one reason we've never stayed there. Ha!

The decor at Allstars and Pop hasn't ever bothered me (in fact I love a few sections), but I admit the room decor at AoA isn't my style.

 

[WEDWDW]

NO Disney hotel is worth the price you pay if comparing to real world hotels.

I call it the "Disney World Bubble Surcharge".

 

[Katie L]

I don't think you have the right picture regarding the room buildings. ONLY the few Little Mermaid rooms at AoA fall into the category of the partially built. All the rest at Allstars and POP, and AoA Suites were build new from start to finish with no lull. LM rooms were only concrete structure which I am sure was then treated and ready to move forward.

There is plenty of talk about the values, you probably just don't look for it. They are in your face Disney theme that some folks love and some, like myself think it's cute but at this point I only want bed and bath. We are park people. I can lay around a pool at home. That said I have never had a problem getting a lounge at a value like I do at the moderates and deluxes. The only thing they are really missing is more lush around pools that a few have, hot tubs and slides. ALL the values have more pools each than POFQ.

NO Disney hotel is worth the price you pay if comparing to real world hotels. The rooms are all underwhelming vs a non-Disney hotel in the same price point. But the room rate includes the cost of nicer lobbies, more dining options, bigger grounds and landscape, nicer pools slides etc for the most part (not always), bus transportation to parks, Magical Express ... all paid for with hotel room rates. When those amenities are not a perk for a guest, offsite makes way more sense for a nicer room.

As far as noise, I've deal with worse noise issues at Disney Deluxe resorts.

Around 25 POP Century stays and this is what I see outside my standard room, along with peace & quiet, a minute to a pool, a few minutes to food court and transportation. I'm okay with this Mom & Pop (note I won't stay at them offsite).

The plus is that Disney offers a wide range so that most can find something that works for them.

We loved pop when we stayed there almost 3 years ago. We landed a king bed (at the time we were 2.5 ppl... I was 20 weeks prego) I'm not sure I could handle it sharing a double with hubby now that we have kids...

The trip we are going on in September will be in a villa with extended family. I'll be interested to see if I like it as well as Pop.

It helps that my husband LOVES the uber-cheesy theming - while I don't REALLY care either way.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I don't think you have the right picture regarding the room buildings. ONLY the few Little Mermaid rooms at AoA fall into the category of the partially built. All the rest at Allstars and POP, and AoA Suites were build new from start to finish with no lull. LM rooms were only concrete structure which I am sure was then treated and ready to move forward.

There is plenty of talk about the values, you probably just don't look for it. They are in your face Disney theme that some folks love and some, like myself think it's cute but at this point I only want bed and bath. We are park people. I can lay around a pool at home. That said I have never had a problem getting a lounge at a value like I do at the moderates and deluxes. The only thing they are really missing is more lush around pools that a few have, hot tubs and slides. ALL the values have more pools each than POFQ.

NO Disney hotel is worth the price you pay if comparing to real world hotels. The rooms are all underwhelming vs a non-Disney hotel in the same price point. But the room rate includes the cost of nicer lobbies, more dining options, bigger grounds and landscape, nicer pools slides etc for the most part (not always), bus transportation to parks, Magical Express ... all paid for with hotel room rates. When those amenities are not a perk for a guest, offsite makes way more sense for a nicer room.

As far as noise, I've deal with worse noise issues at Disney Deluxe resorts.

Around 25 POP Century stays and this is what I see outside my standard room, along with peace & quiet, a minute to a pool, a few minutes to food court and transportation. I'm okay with this Mom & Pop (note I won't stay at them offsite).

The plus is that Disney offers a wide range so that most can find something that works for them.

I pretty much see them the same way. No one is claiming they're "destination hotels"- there are just a lot of us who spend almost all of our waking hours in the parks. And the transportation is a big perk for me- I understand that many drive and many rent cars for various reasons. I just flat out don't want to. So if I could figure out a way to do offsite cheaper sans car, I'd be offsite. Haven't done so yet. I don't care that much about the earlier windows for FP and ADRs.


Honestly (and I know no one will likely agree with this) but I think price and amenity wise, they compare favorably to many budget hotels in popular destinations on the west coast. I really thought they'd be more expensive than they are. But in fact, the same amount of money generally buys you less here in high season. Less cleanliness, less convenience, a worse pool or no pool at all. At some point they probably will become more expensive than I would be willing to spend, but right now, I'd be spending more if I went to California or Colorado. At least in lodging. My main Disney expenses are food and ticket.


I'd say where I really see the biggest discrepancy is between on property "deluxe" prices and the actual amenities. My family are hotel snobs, and I've stayed in a lot of 4/5 star hotels, especially in major cities. Disney deluxe is often MORE expensive with fewer amenities. The restaurants and service don't match up. A major city hotel has the excuse of location; Disney hotels do not. I love the theming, but I don't know if theming is really enough to justify the price of the Contemporary or GF.

 

[WEDWDW]

A major city hotel has the excuse of location; Disney hotels do not.

They have the "location" many Guests like and are willing to pay for-"The Walt Disney World Bubble".

 

[Westcoastwild]

They have the "location" many Guests like and are willing to pay for-"The Walt Disney World Bubble".

Lol. Well, fair enough, but I'd personally rather spend the money to be "in the bubble" of a real neighborhood or happening downtown of a major city.

I "get" the bubble idea more than I did before visiting WDW. I thought people who talked about the bubble at DL were nuts. There's so much more to do at WDW.

But that doesn't mean that I really think it's something worth paying for. Convenience, sure but it's like saying your trip was "made" by pixie dust. WDW is a commercial enterprise, run by thousands of people. It's impacted by weather, holidays, mechanical failures. Your trip is "made" by planning, money, mood, happenstance.

 

[cheshirealliekat]

We stayed at Music once, and I liked the resort just fine, but I did not like the room. The double beds killed me, and I did notice more noise from outside than I do at the mods, but I was also trying to fall asleep early for a runDisney race so I am not sure it would have bothered me if I was on normal vacation hours. Otherwise the food court was good, the pool was adequate, and the resort was clean. So if you are a cuddler, and can share a double bed, I would say go for it!

 

[SgtTibbs]

I'll get back to you on this. I check into Music tomorrow.

 

[Davistigers]

We're checking into the All Star Sports resort in just under 2 weeks. It's a bit of a gamble to "downgrade" since we stayed in a moderate last year (Port Orleans French Quarter) and had really nice amenities and a room with a river view. But we all shared 2 queen beds and it got a bit crowded. This year we were able to get 2 rooms at a value for close to the price of a moderate, so my teenage kids (ages 18 and 15) can have a separate room all to themselves and my husband and I can have our own room. We're so excited for that extra space and 2 bathrooms between the 4 of us. Plus we'll each get our own double bed. We'll be on the move most days - either in the parks or visiting nearby relatives - so hopefully a basic room will be fine for us. And now I think my kids might enjoy having other teens around in the pool and food court to meet and hang out with. I was a little concerned about staying here since I just listened to the DIS podcast that named "***" the worst value resort, but now after reading this thread I am determined to make this a fun vacation no matter what. I'll come back to this thread when we return and provide our feedback.

 

[SgtTibbs]

Initial impression, everything is satisfactory.
I received my room ready text at 9:33am so kudos to Disney for being on the ball. My room is close to transportation as requested, clean and what I expect from a value. No complaints so far. Updates as they occurr.....

 

[clarklink]

We would not be going to Disney without All Star Resorts. Having a special needs child means we're now a one-income family with a monthly hospital bill the size of a car payment and $800 medication. We enjoyed the smallest room on the cruise ship during our honeymoon week and the rooms at ASM are considerably larger. We have a child now, but will be spending our days at the parks so I don't see space being much of a problem. Without 180+ I doubt I could have gotten the ADRs organized enough for Bibbidi Boppidy Boutique, BOG, & CRT in order on "Princess Day," or BOG, Lilo's Playhouse, & 'Ohana on "Date Night." While free dining isn't free because of opportunity cost we saved enough to pay for the princess makeover, childcare, Akershus, and Memory Maker to record it all. The criticisms I've read do not deter me, but encourage me to bring cleanser & disinfectant, hanging organizers to leverage space, and a memory foam topper for our bed. We have access to an indoor pool with hot tub and bubble couch here at home. An annual membership to the nearby water park is less than one hotel night. Twenty years from now my daughter won't care if the rooms were dated or she had to walk a ways to the bus stop three times (we're driving to all but MK so requested a parking lot view), but she will remember getting a week of first-class park experiences which are only possible because I was able to do it all (including transportation) for around $3,000.

 

[RefillableMug]

Sure they're old and dated. But I just love those giant icons! You know you're at Disney at these resorts.

 

[Dean Marino]

Responding to original question.....
For us? NO WAY. We would simply go off site ... or hit the Dolphin/Swan Hotels.
"All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong."

 

[Joeyswife3108]

We loved All star movies when we went last year. We were in 101 Dalmations and facing the parking lot. It was really quiet, our room was ready well before check in. It was clean. We had neighbors who had a baby and never heard them through the walls, just the occasional shower or toilet but nothing else. Front desk staff was great, we even passed by some managers working in a random office in our building and they stopped us to ask how our stay was going, gave the kids candy and buttons and off we went. We plan to stay again in 2018!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Love them. All three of them. We have stayed at every level of WDW resort and we truly enjoy the values. All Star Music has been our most frequent All Star destination but we enjoy them all.

We spend a lot of time at our resort and we've spent many a pleasant day at All Star pools. The values can be fun and relaxing!

Can't wait to stay at Movies in a few weeks!

 

[MonaMN]

I just can't share a double bed for a week with either my husband or daughter - so we have stayed at POR, CBR and AKL.

I just booked a couple days at Pop prior to our cruise in March, since the refurb should be close to complete so we should get queen beds.

If they refurb and add queens like Pop, I would give them a try.

 

[Anthony12345]

I'll be at music from next Saturday. In town for 11 days, with a new person who has never done Disney before. If I was on my own or with the rest of the family who have done Disney many times, we would probably spend more time in the hotel therefore stay in a better one, but we are going to literally be sleeping there and out early every morning, so for the purposes we need a value for (the bus and a bed), it's a case of why bother paying more?

 

[toonaspie]

You get what you pay for with the All Stars. The worst aspect of it, IMO, is the layout of the resorts in general. But this seems to be an overall problem with the majority of resorts at WDW. The theming and room decor can come off looking a bit tacky (the latter has improved though). The cafeterias can be a nightmare during breakfast time.

All that aside, the value can't go unappreciated. And yes I am aware that you can get better rooms for much cheaper offsite. But the All Stars still remain the most affordable way to stay in the on Disney and get the near-full Disney experience. This is why to be honest, I hope they don't overdo the next refurbishment of the All Stars to the degree they have done with Pop Century mainly because otherwise the rooms won't be as affordable as they should. I would be fine with a new coat of paint, maybe a bit more shelving in the bathroom and keeping the full beds minus coffeemaker. I know the latter can be a problem for some, but...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[lelew]

we have stayed at Hiltons, AKL ( savanna view ), Wilderness Lodge, Art of Animation (mermaid room ), Art of Animation ( Nemo suite ), CSR, Port Orleans ( riverside), All Star Music and Cabana bay over at Universal. In Aug 2017 we are doing FD at All Star Sports as this was the cheapest offering but A good deal for me. I enjoyed all the resorts I stayed at. My 9year Old daughter loved Art of Amimation the best. They all make me feel like I'm on Vacation. But the Deluxe are getting way over priced and we can have just as much fun at a All Star.