You’re favorite Value Resort?

[jamioday001]

Your favorite and why?

Trip date January 19-26, 2019

No suite needed.
We aren’t too particular with theme, just want a spot to sleep at value cost!

We’d prefer least amount of time to get to Parks.
Also would like our room to be very close to bus/transportation so areas of resort recommended would be appreciated.
Quiet areas of resort would be nice too.

Thank you for any tips or suggestions.

 

[mjmgsssp]

Pop Century. On its own bus line. To be close to buses and main building, book a preferred room.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Pop

Buses are efficient and we like the food court. The new rooms are great and beds are comfortable.

 

[Wild4Walt]

Another vote for Pop. I haven't been since the refurb but I have read good things about it. I also like the court court - it's a step above the other value food courts. The grounds are a lot of fun too.

 

[verleniahall]

POP Century

 

[BebopBaloo]

Music! It's in the middle of the All Star Resorts, so you can use the bus stops at any of the three All Stars if you really wanted.

 

[disneydeal]

Music! It's in the middle of the All Star Resorts, so you can use the bus stops at any of the three All Stars if you really wanted.

Plus access to all 6 pools and 3 food courts.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I've stayed at each of the values.
POP is definitely my favorite and the one I'd recommend.
I'd suggest 50's lake view.
I've also found POP to have the most efficient and usually most direct bus routes.

 

[tannerandcatesmom]

Pop! We stayed in a standard room in the 80’s building. Quick shortcut through the parking lot brought us directly to the bus stop. We loved that it was a dedicated bus for the resort - no sharing. Have not been since the reno but our room was nice, clean, and comfortable. The food court and store are nice. Good variety of meals to choose from. Our only problem was Hurricane Matthew! However, the resort handles that very well! Other than the food court being mobbed we had no complaints.

 

[DavidL]

Another vote for POP. We've stayed there twice before, and are there for a week this upcoming August.

A close 2nd place is All Star Movies.

 

[Pmlocke]

AS Music and here is why. My wife and I (both in our mid 60's) have been traveling down to WDW every year now since 2009. We stayed at Music that year but decided to try Pop the next year. Well, we went back to Music and never strayed since. Why you ask? Simple. The CM's. They are our family. You frequent any place for a good amount of time and you get to know the people. Nila and Milagros in the gift shop. Sibil behind the check out counter. Oops, forgot Chris. The sweet little lady in the food court who I go to to get my Bounty Platter on the first morning of our trip every year. The food court manager, the check out girls, the lifeguards. They are all so nice and go out of their way to make sure my wife and I are comfortable. I have stayed at Music during band, cheerleaders, football and can say that I have never been bothered by late night antics and I always stay in the Calypso building on the main floor across from the pool. I lie. There were ducks in the pool last year, quacking away so loud in the morning it woke us up. Now, lets get to the bus situation. Music, as well as the other two all stars have dedicated buses-during peak times. Yes, they share during mid-day and why wouldn't they. You get on a bus at 2 in the afternoon and you are the only one on it. It takes maybe two, three extra minutes to pop over to Movies to pick up two more and then you are off. Another good feature is in Music you are between the other two all stars. You have equal access to their gift shops, food courts and pools. And finally room count. Music has 1,604 rooms. Movies and Sports have 1,920 rooms and Pop has 2,880 rooms. If you put 2 persons each in a room, then Music has alot less people sharing the food court, buses, pools, etcetera. As for reno's. Music is scheduled for a complete room renovation starting next spring. Food court was done several years ago so that should complete the need for renovations for, well at least my lifetime. I love Music and can hardly wait until 2/25/2019 when we return.

 

[HopperFan]

Your favorite and why?

Trip date January 19-26, 2019

No suite needed.
We aren’t too particular with theme, just want a spot to sleep at value cost!

We’d prefer least amount of time to get to Parks.
Also would like our room to be very close to bus/transportation so areas of resort recommended would be appreciated.
Quiet areas of resort would be nice too.

Thank you for any tips or suggestions.

POP Century
Well over 30 stays here
Brand new rooms, with comfy queen beds
Resort does not have a large footprint, so no walk is too long
Preferred available but not necessary
We find 50's Lakeview rooms very quiet and less than 5 minute walk to bus stops

NOTE: Your dates will include big tour group dates so you just won't be guaranteed quiet at any value resort. I was at POP this year that same week and had no issues. I wonder if due to the new rooms & construction the groups weren't booked there this year.

I've stayed at each of the values.
POP is definitely my favorite and the one I'd recommend.
I'd suggest 50's lake view.
I've also found POP to have the most efficient and usually most direct bus routes.

THIS^

Have stayed at all the AllStars and POP, visited AoA often.

Our order ...
1) POP. Good rooms, good footprint, good bus service, good landscaping (more green than Allstars) and access to AoA food court.
2) AoA. Have not stayed but will. Great food court, best imagineering buildings & landscape, good bus service. BUT regular rooms are a long walk from the main hub.
3) SPORTS. Always fresh rooms, great CMs, like this main pool the best of Allstars, always had good bus service. Stayed in all but football. Would return to all but Tennis due to location.
4) MOVIES. 100% Disney decor, going through room reno now, Toy Story area is so cool, nice main pool. Lots of young families here. If staying I'd book preferred and request Toy Story for a new room. We also like Mighty Ducks with it's own pool.
5) MUSIC. Least favorite and would stay offsite before here for several reasons. Different footprint from others making standard rooms a very long walk to bus and food court. Book preferred here to avoid walks and the groups they put in the back.

 

[jamioday001]

I've stayed at each of the values.
POP is definitely my favorite and the one I'd recommend.
I'd suggest 50's lake view.
I've also found POP to have the most efficient and usually most direct bus routes.

Thank you for view suggestion. That's always nice!

 

[jamioday001]

Pop! We stayed in a standard room in the 80’s building. Quick shortcut through the parking lot brought us directly to the bus stop. We loved that it was a dedicated bus for the resort - no sharing. Have not been since the reno but our room was nice, clean, and comfortable. The food court and store are nice. Good variety of meals to choose from. Our only problem was Hurricane Matthew! However, the resort handles that very well! Other than the food court being mobbed we had no complaints.

Thank you for tip on the shortcut to bus!

 

[jamioday001]

POP Century
Well over 30 stays here
Brand new rooms, with comfy queen beds
Resort does not have a large footprint, so no walk is too long
Preferred available but not necessary
We find 50's Lakeview rooms very quiet and less than 5 minute walk to bus stops

NOTE: Your dates will include big tour group dates so you just won't be guaranteed quiet at any value resort. I was at POP this year that same week and had no issues. I wonder if due to the new rooms & construction the groups weren't booked there this year.




THIS^

Have stayed at all the AllStars and POP, visited AoA often.

Our order ...
1) POP. Good rooms, good footprint, good bus service, good landscaping (more green than Allstars) and access to AoA food court.
2) AoA. Have not stayed but will. Great food court, best imagineering buildings & landscape, good bus service. BUT regular rooms are a long walk from the main hub.
3) SPORTS. Always fresh rooms, great CMs, like this main pool the best of Allstars, always had good bus service. Stayed in all but football. Would return to all but Tennis due to location.
4) MOVIES. 100% Disney decor, going through room reno now, Toy Story area is so cool, nice main pool. Lots of young families here. If staying I'd book preferred and request Toy Story for a new room. We also like Mighty Ducks with it's own pool.
5) MUSIC. Least favorite and would stay offsite before here for several reasons. Different footprint from others making standard rooms a very long walk to bus and food court. Book preferred here to avoid walks and the groups they put in the back.

Hi, regarding the big tour group dates. Is there a way to find out which group will be there and where they usually stay? I know this is not a deal-breaker at all for us but was just curious? Thanks!

 

[KELLY]

POP century honestly my favorite resort out of all the places was stayed including the Poly and AKL.

 

[HopperFan]

Hi, regarding the big tour group dates. Is there a way to find out which group will be there and where they usually stay? I know this is not a deal-breaker at all for us but was just curious? Thanks!

The "big tour groups" are international teens that are there in very large groups during their school breaks. They arrive after the New Years and go until the end of February. The bulk will be mid January to mid February. The other school groups are tied mostly to cheer competitions and sports. You will find some listed on the Wide World of Sports calendar but at times there are other groups that do not compete like bands that are marching in the parks etc. so you won't find a list.

 

[MiniMinnie]

Definitely Pop Century. All the above posters have pretty much explained the reasons.

 

[BebopBaloo]

Maybe someday I need to try Pop again. I stayed once and I really really didn't like it. These types of threads always show lots of people loving it though. I didn't like the way that the food court and gift shop flowed into each other. It made it feel more congested to me. I didn't like that the buses were always packed and we would wait on multiple ones for the same park. Maybe I just had an off visit. I guess this is part of why it's always good to try things for yourself. We can give you, OP, all the opinions we have, but only you can really know if it's a good fit for you. I stand by Music, but obviously there's something special about Pop for a lot of folks. If you did go to Music, I liked Jazz Inn or Broadway. They're all good though Country is a little bit of a walk.

 

[jamioday001]

Maybe someday I need to try Pop again. I stayed once and I really really didn't like it. These types of threads always show lots of people loving it though. I didn't like the way that the food court and gift shop flowed into each other. It made it feel more congested to me. I didn't like that the buses were always packed and we would wait on multiple ones for the same park. Maybe I just had an off visit. I guess this is part of why it's always good to try things for yourself. We can give you, OP, all the opinions we have, but only you can really know if it's a good fit for you. I stand by Music, but obviously there's something special about Pop for a lot of folks. If you did go to Music, I liked Jazz Inn or Broadway. They're all good though Country is a little bit of a walk.

Thank you for details on the Music!