All Star Movies Resort Reopens in 2021

Today is shaping up to be one of those Walt Disney World news days. However, unlike most recent instances of this, the stories (thus far at least) are unequivocally positive.

Things started out with Walt Disney World releasing new 2021 discounts for the general public, Floridians, and Annual Passholders, with above-average savings for Winter and Spring 2021. Buried in that deal were details of another resort return.

Walt Disney World announced an opening date for another hotel: Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort. Not only is it coming back sooner than we expected, but it’s already available to book, and with discounted rates that amount to a silver screen steal!

This post will cover what you need to know about the return of the All Star Resorts, starting with the key detail: Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort will reopen on February 9, 2021!

While we assumed that Movies would be first of the All Star Resorts to return, we frankly did not expect it so soon. The best-case scenario, in our view, was a reopening just in time for Spring Break and Easter 2021 with one more All Star Resort returning by October 2021. In our worst case scenario, All Star Movies returned for Christmas 2021.

Our fear was that Walt Disney World would keep the All Stars shuttered since the trio is so dependent upon youth sporting events held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, and that calendar has been decimated (at least right now) for the entirety of 2021.

Thankfully, that does not appear to be how things will play out!

All Star Movies is the logical choice because it’s the only one of the trio to complete the room redesign project prior to the closure of Walt Disney World.

As of March, work was entirely finished at All Star Movies and had yet to begin at All Star Sports. All Star Music was in progress, but we don’t know where things presently stand because this complex is closed off. We have no reason to believe that work has resumed, but who knows.

In case you missed it, these All Star room redesigns are akin to Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

We stayed in one of these new rooms at All Star Movies, which you can read about in our Photos & Video: Newly Reimagined Rooms at the All Star Resorts post. This is a huge upgrade from the previous design, which was more minor leagues than all-star caliber. Suffice to say, we’re fans.

That’s one big reason to book All Star Movies for Spring 2021.

Another is the price. During the Value Season, the Monday through Wednesday night rack rate at All Star Movies are $104 per night (see above). Unfortunately, the hotel won’t be open for much of the early Value Season, but this price point returns throughout the year.

This might sound like a lot, but there are a couple of things worth noting there. First, after discounts, this price is well under $100 per night ($72 per night is the best rate).

Second, because the discount has increased while rack rates have stayed flat, the overall prices are actually lower in 2021 than this year (and the resort won’t have any construction and presumably no youth sporting groups…two HUGE pluses!).

If you need additional “selling points” beyond the pricing, we have the Three Ds: Dining, Diving, and Ducks.

First, dining. World Premiere Food Court is surprisingly solid and offers great shakes and dinner specials. Obviously, this is not the epicenter of fine dining at Walt Disney World nor does it hold a candle to the undisputed champion of Value Resort food courts, Landscape of Flavors. However, it does have some tasty, comfort food meals at relatively reasonable prices.

If the food court isn’t good enough or is too pricey for you, it’s worth noting that the Newly-Rebuilt All Star McDonald’s is located just outside the All Star Resort Complex.

Unfortunately, All Star Movies is the farthest away from it, so it’s not within reasonable walking distance, but it is an incredibly convenient stop at the end of a long night if you’re driving.

Second, diving. Really this is the pools but I wanted to go with the catchy Three Ds.

The feature pool is the Fantasia pool, which is located directly behind the Cinema Hall lobby and food court, between the two Fantasia buildings. In my opinion, this is the best themed area at All Star Movies. To be honest, it might be the best-themed area at any of the All Star Resorts. It’s pretty cool.

Pools is a solid segue into our final D: DUCKS!!!

Here, we’re not talking about Donald’s Duck Dynasty at Disney World. We’re talking the Mighty Ducks. If you’re a child of the 1990s, you know what I’m talking about–one of the greatest films of our youth. If you’re sitting there in bewilderment or don’t get the iconic appeal of the Mighty Ducks, I’d very respectfully ask you to go get cultured. Arts education is important for everyone, and it’s never too late to start appreciating the finer things in life.

With that said, it wouldn’t be right to simply hype All Star Movies up without discussing its big downside: transportation. I’m not entirely sure whether to make a bigger or smaller deal about this than normal. With bus capacity limited and this being a bus-only resort, that could be a major headache.

However, Pop Century is already having issues with Skyliner capacity v. demand at rope drop, and that’s only going to be exacerbated once Art of Animation reopens. Consequently, we’re already recommending guests of those two resorts plan on driving or using Uber much of the time. We’ll likely end up recommending the same for All Star Movies, but there’s also an outside chance that bookings will be sufficiently low (especially on weekdays during winter and early spring) that the bus situation will actually be better at All Star Movies.

Regardless of all that, we’re excited that it’s returning so soon, and plan on booking one of those $72 nights early in 2021 to check things out for ourselves. We’ll keep you posted on developments with this and the other All Stars, and report back once we’ve done our stay at Movies!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

Are you excited for the return of All Star Movies? Big fan of the Mighty Ducks, or do you hate things that are good and pure? What do you think of the new rooms at All Star Movies? What about the Fantasia pool or food court? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment and advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

24 Responses to “All Star Movies Resort Reopens in 2021”
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