Are Disney World’s Cheapest Hotels Actually Good?
I still remember the first time I heard a scary story about Walt Disney World. I was a kid, maybe around 10 years old, and my parents were talking with a family that was staying at the new on-site budget motels. I don’t recall their laundry list of complaints, but the one has stuck with me for years since: the toilet exploded.
Stupid as it sounds, I imagined something like the Hollywood Tower Hotel, but with exploding toilets. Everything I envisioned was almost certainly untrue, but I was a kid with a vivid imagination. What’s particularly aggravating (at least for me) is that I still remember this silly conversation, but yet I have zero memories of Horizons. Memories can be cruel.
This isn’t the only horror story about Walt Disney World’s budget motels I’ve heard over the years. When Sarah and I started returning as adults, there were plenty more tales we were told about the overcrowded, dirty, poorly-maintained, low-quality motels. We even had our own unpleasant experiences during Pop Warner and another youth sporting event. It’s not just us. I’ve read reports and seen questions on social media and online forums that essentially ask: are Disney’s All Star Resorts “good enough” for a family on a tight budget traveling to Walt Disney World?
Yes. That’s the answer to the titular question. Disney’s All Star Resorts are perfectly adequate, at bare minimum. I’m not going to bury the lede, make insinuations, or lead you to question whether the All Stars are sufficient, safe, scary, subpar, and so forth. The point of this post actually isn’t to cast doubt about the All Stars, but rather, debunk some of those ‘horror’ stories, and recast Walt Disney World’s “budget motels” in a different light. In other words, we’ll explain why the All Stars aren’t just “good enough,” but rather, are actually good.
As background, we’ve stayed at every single one of the All Stars (Movies, Sports, and Music) multiple times in both the old and new rooms at each of the resorts. This includes three stays in the last year (family suite once; standard rooms twice), with one more reservation on the books going forward and probably another this year after that. Bluntly, I would not keep booking a particular hotel if it regularly (or even occasionally) had exploding toilet incidents.
With that in mind, let’s take this point by point and discuss the potential problem points that Disney’s All Star Resorts do not actually have…
Maintenance & Upkeep – There was a time from the aughts right up until the room overhaul began that the All Stars were in rough shape. Faded decor all around, woefully outdated posters, and details that had not aged well and were in need of outright replacement.
As someone who has actually stayed in shady motels around Orlando and Anaheim, I would stop well short of calling the All Stars that, even at their lowest point. Truly sketchy motels have an unsafe and unsettling quality to them; the All Stars never had that. They just were not up to Disney’s standards.
That has changed in the last 5 or so years, and even more so in the last year. Along with the room overhaul, common areas were refreshed, oversized icons were thoroughly cleaned and given a fresh coat of paint, and everything looks crisper and nicer as a result. There are still elements of the hotels that are dated, but they’re little things–small cues that the hotels were built in a different era, and not major components of the properties.
In short, maintenance and upkeep are now every bit as good at the All Star Resorts as other hotels at Walt Disney World. There are no noteworthy cleanliness issue, and to the extent that anything is dated, the same type of thing exists pretty much every at Walt Disney World. One person’s dated detail is another’s nostalgia.
The oversized icons, exterior hallways, and general thematic style of the All Stars are certainly not for everyone, but “not to my tastes” is certainly not the same as “poorly maintained.” In my view, the upkeep is no better or worse at the All Stars on average than other hotels at Walt Disney World.
Quality – Monorail loop and Crescent Lake area resorts are higher quality than the Value Resorts. Regardless of thematic tastes, it’s fair to say those are a rung or two above the Value Resorts. Those being more luxurious or having a greater sense of immersion isn’t really in question. They also have a better set of amenities, indoor hallways, table service restaurants, and objective features that are absent from the All Stars.
So this isn’t really about that. When questioned about the quality of the Value Resorts, the focus (it seems to me, at least) is less about the checklist of amenities and more about the subjective side of things. In particular, the most common query I’ve heard is whether the rooms are decent.
There was a while that my answer would’ve been something along the lines of “it depends.” They were cramped, dark, dreary, outdated–like Motel 6 but with a few Disney decorations affixed to the walls. Those original rooms were in keeping with what you’d find at real-world motels, but Disneyfied.
The new rooms are a totally different story. (For more, see our Photos & Video: Newly Reimagined Rooms at the All Star Resorts.) We’ve now stayed in these many times (they’re pretty much the same at all three All Stars), and have zero hesitations to return. The Family Suites at All Star Music have also been redone in the same style, and are a marked improvement.
All of these new rooms at the All Stars are a huge upgrade from the previous design, which was more minor leagues than all-star caliber. The functional improvements are tremendous, with a variety of space-saving upgrades that make the rooms feel larger. They also look bright and airy, which is a sharp contrast to the old style.
With that said, we’ve found some diehard fans who have complained about the new rooms, and others who call them sterile and hospital-like. Respectfully, we think that’s mostly the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia. To that point, I chatted with a manager at All Star Sports about the resort refurbishment during a recent stay. She told me that with only one (1) exception, the feedback from actual guests on the new rooms at All Star Sports has been universally positive. Across the board at the All Stars, guest satisfaction is up and Cast Members prefer the new rooms, too.
Crowds – Another common past complaint about the All Star Resorts is the crowds. Packed pools, overstuffed food courts during peak hours, tons of people loitering around the common areas, chaotic lobbies, and huge lines for the buses. We’ve experienced all of these things ourselves, so I know they actually happened and weren’t exaggerated.
That has not been our experience since the All Stars reopened. In fact, it also wasn’t our experience in the year-plus pre-closure, but we also always stayed while the room reimaginings were happening, which necessarily reduced the overall resort capacity and, by extension, cut down on overcrowding.
With that said, I’m hesitant to draw any premature conclusions here. I know at least two of the All Stars have been operating at reduced capacity due to staffing shortages and/or room refurbishments in the last year. With the former starting to be resolved and the latter ending, occupancy could spike again. I’m still skeptical that will be a frequent issue, though. (The worst we ever experienced was during Pop Warner, and that’s now hosted at Universal.)
Food – The food courts at the All Stars are nothing special. Suggesting otherwise would strain credulity and cast my credibility into doubt. With that said, they’ve all been refreshed in the last 5 years or so, and generally are more pleasant than they once were.
I cannot speak to breakfast, as it’s been years since I’ve wasted my money on powdered eggs and rubber bacon at a Walt Disney World food court. (Aside from ‘special’ breakfasts, we do grocery delivery and focus on fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods for our morning meal.)
However, I do think dinner has improved. In addition to the stereotypical fare, these food courts also serve up seared salmon, braised beef, pork loin, stir fry, and fried chicken. That’s better than I remember the options being a decade ago, but still hardly the pinnacle of WDW’s dining scene.
Failing all of that, there’s the remodeled McDonald’s within walking distance of the All Star Resorts if you need a late night Filet-o-Fish fix.
Transportation – There was a time when we built in the cost of two to three taxi trips with each stay at the All Stars, as bus lines over a certain length meant the waits would be unbearably long. That was about a decade ago–before Uber and Lyft came onto the scene. This was also at a time when shared transportation among all three All Stars was common, even during busier times.
We have not had this issue of late with bus transportation anywhere (Coronado Springs is the worst due to the addition of Gran Destino, and even that is not bad by 2007 to 2015 standards) at Walt Disney World. During our most recent stays at the All Stars, buses were frequent and efficient, and the only reason pickup times were ever inaccurate was when third-party Academy buses were dispatched (those aren’t connected to the wait times system), which was more like a “bonus bus” as opposed to an actual issue.
We’ve had zero problems making Early Entry or waiting in long lines when leaving the parks. Likewise, midday waits have been bearable, with no lengthy gaps or inconsistencies. The only caveat I’d offer here is that we’ve never left during the morning rope drop rush–our trips are always to arrive for Early Entry or later in the morning. Likewise, we never leave during the post-fireworks mass exodus. I’d imagine buses are still packed during those peak times, just like always.
Another caveat is that frame of reference matters. I’m comparing transportation at the All Stars today to how it was in the past; my perception is that it has improved as Disney has contracted with third party bus companies while also relieving strain on the system thanks to the Skyliner. If you’re comparing the All Stars of today to Pop Century of today, your perception will be very different.
Guests – Few things drive me crazier than guests passing judgment or casting aspersions on their fellow guests at Walt Disney World. There’s a belief among certain people that they are “too good” for a Value Resort or want to stay at a more expensive hotel not for any substantive reasons, but so they aren’t around “lower class” guests. This type of sentiment or the idea that Walt Disney World should be even more expensive to price out “undesirable” guests (these are all air quotes, by the way) is absolute nonsense at best, and downright offensive at worst.
Money does not buy class. The opposite is also true: an absence of money does not mean an absence of class. Bad behavior transcends income levels, and if anything, there’s a straight line between higher prices and more entitled guests. Beyond that, whose place is it to pass judgment on the working class family that skimped and saved to afford a rite of passage trip for their kids to Walt Disney World, but could only afford the All Stars? Are they any more or less ‘worthy’ than the middle class parents who maxed out their credit cards to stay at the Grand Floridian?
This whole conversation makes me uncomfortable, but it’s nevertheless worth addressing because I’ve heard plenty of derogatory terms to describe the All Stars and their supposed clientele. It’s all BS. There is no material difference in the nature of guests at any of the resorts. I’ve witnessed obnoxious and drunken behavior out of business people at the Yacht Club and Gran Destino Tower, and have enjoyed perfectly peaceful stays at the All Stars. To be sure, the decibel level is higher when these hotels are hosting youth events, but it’s possible to get lucky or unlucky with guests behaving badly at any of the resorts. People are alike all over.
Value – This is another one where frame of reference matters. If you’re a large party pricing out vacation home rentals as an alternative and you’ll be renting a car regardless as part of a Central Florida vacation, your perspective will differ dramatically from a smaller party that would not rent a car and is staying exclusively within the Disney bubble.
If you’re comparing an off-property vacation home rental, it’s always going to come out ahead relative to on-site Walt Disney World hotels. Those homes are great for larger parties, offering tons of space and private amenities. If you’d otherwise need multiple standard hotel rooms or a multi-room unit at Walt Disney World, you will pay less off-site. There’s no two ways of slicing it–and that’s not a comparison unique to the All Stars.
A scenario we’ve now experienced multiple times, which is actually what prompted this whole post, closely resembles the latter circumstances as a smaller party. We’re taking a trip in late spring that will be focused on Walt Disney World and have already determined that it’s more cost-effective for us to not rent a car. In pricing out hotel options, the least-expensive hotels in the Flamingo Crossings or Disney Springs areas are $115/night, with the suites we like all costing over $150/night. Decent off-site accommodations are at least $100/night. To be sure, there are cheaper options, but nowhere we want to stay.
By contrast, All Star Movies has an average rate of $121/night with an Annual Passholder discount. Obviously, the average tourist is not an Annual Passholder, so let’s use the general public offer instead, which increases the cost to $128/night. That’s still only a $13/night surcharge over the options at Flamingo Crossings or Disney Springs, where we’d be using Uber or Lyft twice per day at an average cost of around $15 per trip (we leave early and stay late, so surge pricing would be unlikely to apply).
That alone makes the All Stars more reasonable, and it’s before even accounting for Early Entry or other perks. I’d also add the whimsical resort grounds and fun pools as strengths of the All Stars. Even more subjective and perhaps controversial, but I also prefer the new standard rooms at the All Stars to most of those at Disney Springs or Flamingo Crossings, and I’d also rather use the Disney buses rather than Uber or Lyft (especially from Flamingo Crossings, where pickup times are often lengthy).
To be fair, this glosses over a lot offered by third party hotels. This includes everything from table service dining options to hotel loyalty rewards to free breakfasts and probably much more. Nevertheless, if the cost of a standard room at a third party hotel is $30 or less per night than the cheapest Value Resort, I’m booking one of the All Stars every single time. The cost of transportation makes them equal, and all else considered, I’ll take the All Stars on balance. That’s just me, though.
The other comparison, and where things get trickier for me, is when comparing the All Stars to Pop Century. The price gap between these can vary, but I’ve frequently found it to be about $30 to $50 per night after discounts. For the same dates as the above comparison, it’s a $40/night difference.
For us, the key difference between the All Stars and Pop Century is the Skyliner. The gondolas are a game-changer for us, and we’ve previously gone as far as to say that we prefer the Skyliner to the monorails (outside of storm season). Value is in the eye of the beholder, but having Skyliner access to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is absolutely worth $40/night to us. The Skyliner makes Early Entry easier and more predictable (at the two parks where I think it’s most valuable), facilitates midday breaks (from the one park where they’re most valuable), and makes it simple to do a nice breakfast or dinner at several different resorts.
Honestly, I think Walt Disney World fans take for granted just how impressive and unprecedented it is for Value Resorts to have access to such a streamlined transportation option. Gondolas are still a rarity in the United States, and even where they’re more common, they are pricey to use. Are there any other budget-friendly hotels that offer novel transportation?
Heck, just look at Walt Disney World before the Skyliner was added. The only resorts with non-bus transportation to the parks were all Deluxes, and the surcharge for monorail access was at least $100 night (the cheapest monorail loop rooms v. Wilderness Lodge, which is also a Magic Kingdom area resort; an imperfect comparison, but the best we can do). In light of that, $40 for the Skyliner seems perfectly fair. Beyond that, there are other minor reasons I’d prefer Pop Century to the All Stars, but they’re all significantly overshadowed by the Skyliner.
Ultimately, the answer to the titular question is an emphatic yes…as established by the fourth paragraph of the post and reinforced with the concrete and tangible examples of how the All Star Resorts have improved. Bus transportation, rooms, maintenance, and more have all improved by leaps and bounds in the last several years at the All Stars.
That sets the stage for what’s almost an entirely separate question, which is whether the All Star Resorts are competitive in terms of bang for buck. Despite their prices having gone up considerably from the halcyon days during the Great Recession when rooms were frequently under $80/night (I swear they were $49 at one point), so too have pretty much all hotels around Central Florida.
Given that and the improved quality of the rooms, transportation, on-site guest perks, and overall experience at the All Stars, I think a compelling case can be made for many parties to choose the All Stars over off-site accommodations. That’s without even addressing the emotional and subjective side of things–that emotional pull to be inside the Disney Bubble.
Finally, there’s the comparison to Pop Century, that other (regular) Value Resort at Walt Disney World. This is the point at which the comparison turns less favorable, and where I think Pop Century’s premium pricing is justified. Of course, reasonable minds may differ on the value added by the Skyliner (or any of the various variables discussed–or even overlooked–here).
With all of that said, we come full circle to the question of the title. If you’re a frugal traveler wanting to get the “full” Walt Disney World experience but unable to splurge or spend extra on Pop Century or another higher-tier resort, the cheapest hotels on-site are actually good. They’re not my first or even fifteenth choice among on-site accommodations I’d choose at Walt Disney World if money were no issue, but I don’t find myself regularly winning the lottery, so value does matter to me. I also don’t feel like I’m compromising on the quality of my overall experience when staying at the All Stars. If I did, I wouldn’t keep booking them!
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
Have you stayed at any of the All Star Resorts since their room reimaginings? What did you think of the room quality? What about the hotel(s) as a whole? How do you think these options compare to third party or off-site accommodations? What about relative to Pop Century or higher-tier hotels at Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment that the All Stars are actually good hotel options for those wanting to be in the Disney bubble? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
This is a great article, I last stayed at the All Stars 3.5 years ago as a group of 3 ladies, we don’t rent a car, so having transportation included is important. We would rather save on accomodation to spend money on nice meals/nights out. This trip we also had negativity from a waiter in California Grill when we said we were staying at the All Stars, which really ruined the experience.
I think you are spot on with your assessment here. When we first traveled to Disneyworld when our kids were young we stayed at All Stars on a few occasions. This was ranging in dates over 15 years ago. We always thought the All Stars resorts were a great option for our family. We did it because of the budget aspect. Then we later upgraded to moderate resorts for a couple visits which were also nice. Then we were absent from Disneyworld for quite some time based on the age of our family. I hear that All Stars may have gotten a bit tired and need of renovation. We may have missed out on those years.
Last year in early 2022 my wife and I made our return to Disneyworld and stayed at All Star Musics. Now my wife and I stayed at All Stars for different reasons that I thought I would add to the Value Resorts – Pro column. Even as more mature Disneyworld visitors we fall into the category of “Disney Park Warriors”. We are there for rope drops and we are there until the fireworks go off to close the day (with plenty of moments of sitting in the shade enjoying a snack in between). Which means for us our Resort is just a place to sleep, so we need it to be safe and clean with acceptable transportation. All Stars checks those items on the list for us. And the second reason for us, is that even though we could do a moderate or better resort when we look at the bottom line price difference we make a decision by staying at All Stars we can easily justify a lot of other goodies on our trip as a substitute for a different resort. We choose to stay at All Stars which we thought was great on our visit last year, and we also enjoyed things like Genie +, and Individual Lightning Lanes, and plenty of Mickey Ice Cream Bar, etc..
Just my two cents on the subject, but in summary I just was at All Stars last year and I whole-heartedly agree with your assessment.
This is great! We typically visit with a group of 6 and usually end up staying in AoA family suites. Recently we stayed in a family suite at All Star Music and we were surprised about how enjoyable that stay was. We also LOVE the Skyliner, but the price gap in the All Star Music to AoA suites seems to growing, so I’ve been debating if the upgrade to AoA is truly worth it at this point… Any thoughts?
Not really. You’ve identified the issue and are asking the right question…but it’s really one that depends on the party and budget.
The Skyliner premium is worth about $40/day to us–but that number could be different for you! How often do you visit EPCOT or DHS and take midday breaks; how much is the non-bus transportation worth? Do you prefer the AoA suites or exterior themed design? It’s a really close call, IMO!
The “guests” section was eloquently put. Thank you for addressing that the way you did.
I have stayed at many Disney resorts with my family over the last ten years or so. We stayed at an All Star resort the first vacation. We enjoyed our stay but had no experience with other resorts to compare. We returned the next year (around 2010??), had a few minor Disney issues and were asked if we would like to be upgraded for free to the Polynesian, a delux resort. We moved to the Polynesian, wonderful and beautiful resort. Smart tactic by Disney because once you stay at a nicer resort, you don’t want to go back to an All Star resort. That being said, even the All Stars resorts are nice at Disney. Disney just does everything well. We have stayed at the Animal Kingdom resort, excellent. Also, at the Caribbean Resort which was nice. Also, Conronado springs, which I didn’t like the layout at all. We also have stayed at the Art of Animation resort, super cute. Young children would love this resort. It a sprawling complex but it does have Skyliner access.
I’m glad I read this, and will probably book All Stars next time. Although I spend freely on hotels when I travel, the value of this level of Disney hotels is the only way I can really enjoy a stay at WDW. With the deluxe’s nightly rates, I’d be at the parks with a nagging feeling that I’d left the bathwater running but instead of water – money!
I make no comments in terms of income, I don’t necessarily see it as a working class/middle class/upper class issue. But I don’t know that it can be denied the All Stars are just louder, even when there isn’t a sporting event going on.
I’ve stayed there for a night 3 times in the last few years, usually because of an earlier arrival than initially planned. Every single time I’ve been woken up in the middle of the night by rowdy guests yell-talking to each other outside and continually going in and out of their rooms slamming the doors. Maybe it’s the nature of motel style accommodations in general, but I don’t seem to experience it at POP! for whatever reason. It just seems to me that the All-Stars carry a partier atmosphere that doesn’t lend itself well to people who don’t wish to be awake at 1am.
We’ve had experiences like that just about everywhere. Stay at Yacht Club or Coronado while there’s a convention going on and it’s drunken business people instead of youth sporting groups. A lot of that happening or not is simply good or bad luck–people ‘party’ on vacation.
What I will concede is that it can be worse or at least more audible at all of the motel-style accommodations with exterior hallways. Soundproofing isn’t as good and you’re more likely to hear whatever’s happening outside your room. Similarly, noise is now worse from above with the removal of carpeting. Even if the people above you are not partying, it can sound like a herd of buffalo overhead if they are loud steppers.
Stayed at All Star Movies for the first night of a nine night stay recently, followed up by four nights at Boardwalk DVC studio and then Beach Club Resort studio. Bus service for early entry was great and everything was clean. For the price, these rooms are a great value. I do think the rooms are a bit small for a family of four. The smell in the lobby was way too strong. It was loud at night. Teenagers were doing some stupid cheer at around 11 pm and then slamming doors. Ridiculous, but we also had an issue with an outside reception/event that took place at the Beach Club so the noise problem can happen anywhere (and these were bigger issues for my wife really as I sleep like the dead). One thing I couldn’t help notice was the location of the bus pick-up. We only went to Disney Springs that first night, but the All Star bus pick-up location was much further away than the deluxe resort bus pick-up locations. I mean, I get it–the deluxe resort bus pick-up locations should probably be closer for the premium paid, I just wish the contrast wasn’t so obvious.
“I do think the rooms are a bit small for a family of four.”
It’s been a while, but I thought the Value rooms were okay for four back when they used two double beds instead of two queen beds; and celebrated the use of good modern beds that come out from the wall because it’s a bit tight with two queen beds. Do people take advantage of this and leave the bed up until it’s bedtime, or do people leave it down when they’re in the room due for seating or other reasons?
It’s hard for me to judge by pictures, but even going non-Disney to get more space for a week you’ll need to pay more or stay farther away, even if you count Disney Springs hotels as about the same distance.
We were only there for the night, but compared to the Boardwalk DVC studio and the Beach Club Resort studio, the All Start Movie studio just seemed too small. We’re talking about 260 square feet versus 359 feet versus 381 feet. That additional 100 or 120 square feet is huge. If you fold the murphy bed back up during the day, that does create additional space, but that would require I fold my kid up with it as he is going to be lying in that bed while we’re in the room and my wife will be on the other bed (unlike fold-out or murphy beds in DVC villas which turn into couches–although, on the other hand, the murphy beds at the All Stars are much, much more comfortable than the fold-outs–but then again, all DVC rooms will eventually have murphy beds as I understand it so the All Stars will lose that advantage). Getting back to my point, as incredibly comprehensive (and awesome) Tom’s insights are on this blog, he doesn’t have kids so he may be less focused on the size issue when he is analyzing the pros and cons.
we started staying at DW in the all star hotels…….We have stayed about 8 times at all star music in the suites, ( loved them) at AOA suites one time, (ok but like music ones better) and we have stayed at POP many times and loved it…….This was before the pandemic. Since then we stayed at Coranado springs. one time…………absolutely hated it. Definately was because of the lack of a cleaning staff at the time ( at least that is what I believe) so havent stayed at any disney hotels since then . If we ever stay again I will make sure there is a cleaning staff to clean, change towels, TP , and make sure the bedding is fresh , otherwise nope. All I can say is make sure things are back to the way they were b4 the pandemic before you book.
My favorite 2/3-star off-property motels from when I was a kid and when I first went as an adult no longer exist! I remember beating $60 a night with $40 a night, which was a nice 33% off.
Even if you are willing to put a price on staying on site, it’s a lot harder to beat the All-Stars in price for a weeklong vacation (Sun-Fri especially) without staying more than five miles away or staying in an Alamo Inn-level shack (Tom’s horror story/review from DL-area hotel is must reading). It’s easier on the weekends, but there’s definitely trade-offs paying less, just as there’s trade-offs paying more at Pop Century.
Writing this from my comfortable queen-size bed at All Star Movies. I completely concur with your review. My first All Star stay was in 2017, and since then I have been renting DVC and staying in deluxe resorts. I have stayed in nearly all of them. Booked the AP here for Tron previews and am super impressed with the renovation. The rooms are clean, modern, well designed, and really leave nothing lacking. We had a rental car, but our friend took the bus back and forth to Magic Kingdom twice today and said it was easy and had little wait. I called Mousekeeping to request more pillows and coffee, and they brought them very promptly. The two differences I noted between this and the deluxe resorts are they didn’t provide the H2O lotion here, and the walls here are definitely thinner. I brought earplugs and it’s definitely not a dealbreaker for me at all. I too enjoy the theming, better than a bland mid-tier chain for me for sure. Like you said, it’s not my first choice when money is no object, but I would not hesitate to stay here again, on my own or with my family.
As much as we would love to stay at Poly, or one of the Lodges, or on the Boardwalk, we genuinely love the value resorts. We stayed recently at All Star Music and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We spend most of our time in the parks, but did have some time to enjoy the pools and grounds and both were great. I loved coming back to our resort in the evening after our park days. The grounds were well kept and with the ambient lighting in the Broadway section, it felt like a less jarring transition away from the parks than driving to a nearby Marriott would. For anyone on the fence and concerned if the horror stories you hear are true, the Values are clean and pleasant and sprinkled with pixie dust 🙂
Our first Disney hotel that we experienced was the Art of Animation years ago. We then started staying at the moderate and higher end hotels, and yes, they are obviously nicer with much better amenities. But the value hotels are still excellent.
During the holidays we stayed at the Pop Century for the first time. It was the only reasonably priced hotel available when i booked. It was great. My kids loved the decor around the property and the skyliner was a game changer. Easy access to Epcot and to our character breakfast at Cape May (plus the skyliner is just fun on its own). plus it made it easy to visit some of the other hotels to see their decorations. If someone wants to complain about the “class” of people,.etc. please do us a favor and stay home. I don’t want your negativity and bad vibes ruining everyone else’s trip.