"BEST" value resort

[Golden_Eagle426]

Hi ya'll... So I was planning a solo trip to Disney in Late January or Early February and was undecided on the value resort of choice. I'm not particular picky so I'd just like to hear your opinions on the PROS and CONS of each value resort. Thanks for any and all help!!

 

[Keri]

I've only been to POP, but here are my personal pros & cons for that one

GOOD:
*CHEAP We stay in 2 rooms for less than the price of one room in a mod or deluxe. They are small, but the ability to close the door to the kids' room at night & watch tv is crucial for my sanity.

*Food court is good, IMO. There's a good variety, and the food is tasty. We seem to eat 2-3 dinners there and a few breakfasts as well.

*bus service to resorts for us has been great -- we go in Dec. though, so take that with a grain of salt if you are planning for a busier time.

*Magical Express:: FIRST OFF, LAST ON! Love that, and with young kids, it's worth its weight in gold, especially on the ride to the airport when everyone is tired from the long trip.

CONS: (these are likely for all values, but my thoughts anyway)
*external doors. I don't like the "motel" feel, but I've also never felt unsafe there, like I would at a regular hotel. the magic of disney spreads for me, I guess :lol:

*definitely not "nice" accomodations. Perfectly adequate, but no luxury. I became a bit of a hotel snob before I became a SAHM because I travelled for work & stayed at nice places. With kids, I have to give that up. But it's very ordinary. Small, not so great beds, carpets that have clearly seen their share of wet feet from the pool. Small rooms.

But I'm going back for the third year in a row ... so the cons can't be that bad My DH is, um, frugal so while *I* would love to stay at a nicer resort, we'd never go if I insisted. I give up on resort quality in order to convince him to go more often!

 

[Golden_Eagle426]

Thank You for the quick response! POP sounds like a winner! The room would primarily just be used for sleeping and showering. I dont really need nor can afford the extra bells and whistles.

 

[disneyfan2]

of all the Values.. ASMusic is my favorite. Love the nightly movies on big screen by the pool, plus the whole resort is great.,

 

[KSDisneyDad]

I've stayed at all 4 and my preference in order are:

1. AS Music (best landscaping, quiet, great pool activities)
2. Pop Century (fun icons, great location -- much more centralized within WDW making for shorter commutes to/from the parks)
3. AS Movies (needs a refurb, but still a great Value resort. I just don't like the Mighty Ducks section)
4. AS Sports (Love the baseball section)

If I had a car, I'd choose AS Music. With no car, I'd choose Pop Century.

Like a PP said, these are no frills resorts, but they are fun and on-site!

 

[summersalt]

I've stayed at Pop Century. I have to admit that I was kinda surprised. I was expecting worst. The food court was good and had lots to choose from. It was always crowded but not a problem. Take your food back to your room. The bus service was pretty bad. I felt as if I spent a third of my vacation waiting in line. I'd suggest renting a car.

I'm trying Sports for our next vacation. If the bus service turns out to be as bad as Pop, I'm renting a car!

 

[bratmomma]

WOOO HOOOOOO we leave for POP in a few weeks and now I am even MORE excited to get there!

 

[Golden_Eagle426]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Currently leaning towards POP but may end up pulling a resort name out of a hat

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Hi ya'll... So I was planning a solo trip to Disney in Late January or Early February and was undecided on the value resort of choice. I'm not particular picky so I'd just like to hear your opinions on the PROS and CONS of each value resort. Thanks for any and all help!!

In my experience there is no such thing as a "best" resort. There is a resort that is "best" for you, but it may not be the "best" for me.

 

[Golden_Eagle426]

In my experience there is no such thing as a "best" resort. There is a resort that is "best" for you, but it may not be the "best" for me.

Thanks for the reply! I was just looking to see what others thought of the values. I didn't know much about the resorts other than what I see on the vacation planning dvd and certain websites. Ultimately, I am going to choose based on the enjoyment I could get out of a particular place.

 

[DizzDoll]

We just got back last night from a 5 night stay at Pop. It's our 3rd time in a row there, as well. While it's small, and the carpets may need to be upgraded a bit, the resort itself is sparkling clean, there's a lovey walking/jogging path along Hourglass Lake, and believe it or not, this is the first year that we have NOT had problems with the bus service, which can be pretty slow. But on the upside to that, the bus service is dedicated to Pop only and you won't be going to other resorts for pick-ups or drop offs. The food court is above average. Disadvantage there: the smoking section is right outside the doors. The CMs are great, checking in is a pleasure (mainly because you can go from checking in straight to a cash register as you blow through the gift shop on your way to get that reusable mug to keep yourself caffeinated ). We kove it there and are looking forward to next year and a longer stay.

 

[DizzDoll]

I meant the rooms are small...tired from a loooong day yesterday!!

 

[maxiesmom]

The All Star Music and Sports Resorts both had their rooms recently redone, so those rooms probably look fresher than those at the Pop and Movies. I prefer the Music because I though it was neat to be able to swim at night and watch a Disney movie at the same time.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

Have stayed at them all . I would say POP would be my choice. Espically solo.
The other ones can get very busy.

 

[Nadjalu]

You can watch a movie and swim at ASMu?
I haven't heard this, so there is a big screen outside????

Hmm, tell me more please!

 

[KSDisneyDad]

You can watch a movie and swim at ASMu?
I haven't heard this, so there is a big screen outside????

Hmm, tell me more please!

It's a large inflatable screen. They project the movie on it after dark. Lots of people sitting in chairs around the pool watching the movie while others swam or just kind of relaxed in the pool watching the movie. It's usually a Disney animated feature.

It actually reminded me a little of the movies they played on the big screen on the Disney cruise. Lots of people sitting on the lounge chairs while others relaxed in the pool watching a Disney movie together.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

I'm trying Sports for our next vacation. If the bus service turns out to be as bad as Pop, I'm renting a car!

If you're planning on visiting anything other than the 4 major parks, I'd suggest renting that car!

 

[disneyfan2]

Have stayed at them all . I would say POP would be my choice. Espically solo.
The other ones can get very busy.

i would think it is the other way around. Pop is so much bigger and more people around, the food court would be that much busier

 

[MissRoseDarrensAngel]

I really liked Pop, and even my sister's kids enjoyed it as well.

I am glad my mother took the travel agent's advice to book Pop for our vacation.

The food and gift shop had a nice large selection of items.

The kids loved the bowling pin and hippy dippy pools best. So did I.

I liked the fact a lot that our buses went directly to the parks, and we didn't have to share with another resort.

 

[jtdl]

I preferred Pop to ASMu soley because of the closer proximity of everything - it is not as spread out as ASMu. We were in one of the furthest buildings at Pop (with the big wheel) and it was not more than a 4-5 minute walk to the bus stops/food court. We were also at one of the furthest buildings at ASMu (cowboy boot) and it was a very long walk from the main building/bus stops to our room -it was a long time ago, but I'm thinking 15 minutes or so. I was wanting to try Movies next time but I think if it is as big as ASMu, I will get a preferred room - but then paying the extra for a preferred room, I might as well head on over to POFQ!!!!! Decisions, decisions, decisions