Many years ago, Disney executives carefully combed through the financials of their vast theme park empire. In an unexpected turn of events, someone looked at the lucrative Parks & Resorts division’s balance sheet and said, “That’s not enough!” They saw an inequality on the ledger. Disney wasn’t satisfactorily catering to budget-conscious families. This enterprising cast member uncovered a new avenue for monetization. In that moment, the idea of the All-Star Resort was born.
Currently, three different All-Star properties are part of what Disney describes as the Value Resorts, the cheapest Disney hotels available on the Walt Disney World campus. You know them as Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, and Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort. Theme park tourists who visit Walt Disney World regularly have almost certainly stayed in one of these properties at some point…but which one is the best value of the All-Star Resorts? Read on to find out…
The Basics on All-Star resorts
Image: Disney
With Value Resorts, Disney’s offering cheap stays onsite as a way of enticing budget-minded travelers to stay at an official hotel. You’ll get all of the amenities of such as Magical Express, Extra Magic Hours, 30 extra days on your FastPass+ booking window, free transportation to and from the parks, and the option of the Disney Dining Plan. That’s a lot of extras for a reasonably low hotel room cost.
The other thing that you should realize about all of the All-Star Resorts is that they’re similar in the most important ways. All of them are mediocre hotels with modest space. The basic rooms are 260 square feet, which means that they’re the equivalent of a modest Days Inn. While each hotel has a specific theme, the reality is that they fall far short of Moderate Resorts in this regard.
3) Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Image: Disney
Let’s examine the three All-Star Resorts in chronological order. You may not realize it, but All-Star Sports was the first property to open to the public. It debuted in April of 1994, beating All-Star Music by about seven months.
What’s interesting about the timeline is that the theming at the Value Resorts basically mirrors the age of each hotel. With only one exception, each new resort had better theming than any that had come before it, which is a prolonged way of saying that All-Star Sports Resort has a dull theme. Don’t get me wrong. I love sports, almost obsessively. A lot of my (non-Disney) wardrobe is sports team-related. Still, All-Star Sports Resort is basically some giant helmets and a couple of statues of Disney ducks playing tennis. Let’s cut to the chase. You’re not staying here for the theme.
What does All-Star Sports Resort offer if not a quality theme? Well, the pools are nice, and it’s a great place to stay during busy seasons. The way that Disney routes the buses at the All-Star Resorts, Sports is usually the first one. That’s great when you’re traveling to a theme park, as there’s always space for you. On the way back, it bites you since you’re the last hotel to exit. So, the situation is good and bad.
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You’re going to ride a bus with a mob of kids no matter what for reasons explained in a moment. You will get a seat on the bus most of the time, though, and you may not have to wait for stops at other All-Star Resorts, a net positive. Your bus trip might be loud, but it’ll be quicker than at the other All-Stars.
As for the food, you’ll eat at End Zone Food Court, which is close to the lobby. This Quick Service eatery is open from 6 a.m. until midnight, and so it covers most waking hours for all but the earliest of early risers and late night owls. The fare is standard for a Disney food court. It has sandwiches and pizza, nuggets and hot dogs. It even has some nicer fare such as a steak on the menu, and healthy options abound for those who eat smarter than me.
Image: DisneyThe real problem I have with All-Star Sports Resort is that it’s a place where Disney hosts a lot of groups for their sports-related events. Once you run into a swimming pool full of 10-year-old boys once, you’ll live in fear of that experience any time you return to Disney. It’s a shame because Surfboard Bay and Grand Slam Pool are both quality pools if not for all the chaotic congestion. If you’re a parent of a child this age, you may even see the situation as a net positive. Generally speaking, this IS a great resort for the parents of boys.
With a lack of a quality theme and group congestion issues, the only strong point of this resort is the price. Rack rates are as low as $106, and Disney still does $79 deals from time to time…but that’s true of most of the All-Star Resorts. For the same money, you can do better.
2) Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Image: DisneyAll-Star Music Resort is lacking in theme, which isn’t surprising since it’s one of the two oldest facilities. Disney built cookie cutter hotels in 1994. Yes, they gradually demonstrated more care about these themes with the newer resorts, but All-Star Music is basically some novelty-sized trumpets and guitars. They’re colorful and entertaining enough, and I always get a kick out of the three-story high jukebox, but let’s be honest here. Your kids have no idea what a jukebox is.
Staying at the All-Star Music gets theme park tourists away from the giant exhibitions at the other All-Star resorts. It simply doesn’t have the same foot traffic as the others. That’s a positive. It also has lovely courtyards that feel more open than some of the others, and I also like the Calypso Pool quite a bit.
Image: DisneyIn terms of logistics, many people suggest that it’s perfectly functional during busy seasons when each All-Star resort gets its own buses. Our parties have never had any luck here, which is a primary reason why we actively avoid the place. All of these discussions become irrelevant when the Disney Skyliner arrives, though. At that point, the only logistics that matter are the distance of the walks from the All-Star resorts to the Skyliner loading area.
The busing for All-Star Music Resort is the middle drop spot, both coming and going. That means you’ll have to wait for one resort stop prior to your own. It also means that some buses are mostly full by the time they reach the Music stop. Hopefully, you’re luckier than us when you stay here.
Image: DisneyThe only dining option at All-Star Music Resort is Intermission Food Court, a Quick Service eatery. It too is open from 6 a.m. until midnight. I find the layout of this restaurant deadly dull to the point of feeling like a cafeteria, but the bright color schemes are lovely. The menu isn’t quite as deep or strong as End Zone Food Court, and I actually think of this food court as the worst one among the All-Star properties.
Overall, I’m just not a big enough fan of the style at this resort to pick it over the others. I’m ranking it above All-Star Sports Resort for two main reasons. The first is that it’s generally the cheapest Disney hotel to book, even among All-Star properties. I presume that’s because people prefer the other Value Resorts more. You will find more availability for ~$100-$110 than the other two All-Stars options and sometimes much less, which is great if you’re budget-focused. You’re getting Disney resort benefits at offsite hotel prices. The second is that it does avoid those huge event crowds that plague All-Star Sports.
1) Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
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The All-Star Movies Resort is the third of three All-Star resorts, all of which are s enough that choosing between them is a splitting of hairs. The most recently built in 1999, All-Star Movies is also currently in the shakiest condition. Many TripAdvisor reviewers have requested renovations for several years now. That’s the downside and enough to push many people toward Music or Sports, an understandable decision.
In terms of transportation, All-Star Movies Resort is the last stop on the way to the parks. That’s great news, as long as the bus has room. The time that you save on logistics is a key reason why this place is so appealing, but your evaluation of the resort’s value will vary depending on how much you prioritize bus access and convenience.
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The food court at All-Star Movies is my favorite of the three All-Stars options. I love the theming of World Premiere Food Court for reasons you’ll understand in a moment. I also like that Disney cartoons play on a loop here, which may be something that’s available at the other All-Star resorts. I’ve only noticed it here, though. This restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and offers the deepest menu, with two different steak options and lasagna to boot! When you’re traveling with a party that has a lot of divergent diets, World Premiere Food Court is your best bet.
Why is this resort the best, though? I’ll be blunt here. I run a pair of movie websites and have done so for more than a decade. My love of movies is integral to how I rank the three resorts listed. Cosmologically, they’re all similar. These are low-rent hotels by Disney standards. Their purpose is to get people who spend most of their time at the parks to stay onsite rather than with hotel industry competitors. Their pools don’t have hot tubs or slides, they don’t have Table Service restaurants (although one is currently rumored), and the transportation issue is often nightmarish.
Image: DisneyI like All-Star Movies the best of the three due to its theming. It has Toy Story characters sprinkled throughout the lot in addition to other classic Disney characters like Herbie The Love Bug, 101 Dalmatians, and Fantasia. As opposed to trumpets and tennis racquets, this hotel’s design feels truly Disney at its core, and I love that. If you’re ambivalent to these characters, you won’t feel the same, as the atmosphere is actually better at All-Star Music in particular.
