Disney’s All Star Movies Resort Review
All Star Movies Resort is a Walt Disney World hotel in the “Value Resort” category that offers budget accommodations while still offering on-site Disney perks such as Extra Magic Hours, Disney’s Magical Express, and Disney transportation. In this hotel review, we’ll share photos from our stays at All Star Movies, thoughts on whether you should consider it if you’re weighing the Value Resorts, and offer some general planning info about the hotel.
Disney’s Value Resorts are quite divisive. Some people love them, some people love to hate them. Some people think they are tacky with poorly-made rooms, some people think they offer a cheap alternative to Deluxe resorts while still allowing Guests to take full advantage of on-property benefits. Although the Value Resorts are far from our favorite resorts, Sarah and I come down on the side of liking the Value Resorts–for what they are.
April 2018 Update: Room refurbishments have started and will occur in building by building phases (building 10 is currently down and will be the first finished, likely in late May or early June 2018) at All Star Movies to refurbish all rooms through November 2018. This will be a dramatic redesign strikingly similar to the updated rooms at Pop Century Resort, with only minor thematic flourishes to differentiate the rooms. This refurbishment should be fairly unintrusive to guests staying at All Star Movies, and we would not recommend altering your vacation plans as a result.
We think the divisive nature of the Value Resorts comes down to the fundamental question as to the nature of your visit. If you’re taking a commando-style, “the room is only for sleeping” trip during which you want to be in the parks as much as possible, a sub-$100 night room that offers perks such as the Disney transportation system and Extra Magic Hours is a great idea.
Conversely, if your resort is a large aspect of you vacation and you plan on spending a lot of time there, you may not think to highly of the Value Resorts. From my experience, this goes for all of the Value Resorts, especially the three All Star Resorts, which differ from one another little besides in theme.
We have stayed at each of Walt Disney World’s Value Resorts: Art of Animation, Pop Century, All Star Sports, All Star Music, and All Star Movies. Essentially, they are basic accommodations that are stylized with Disney icons. Sometimes we are traveling to Walt Disney World on a budget and the parks are a priority. The Value Resorts work well when that’s the case. If that’s the nature of our trip, we actually prefer saving money by staying at the Value Resorts since we won’t be in the hotel much, anyway. (Plus, I don’t mind what others sneer at as the garish design of the Values.)
I think the Value Resorts get bashed for their design far too frequently. Disney fans often lose sight of something: that a big part of Walt Disney World is captivating the fancy of children. I’m not suggesting everything should be squarely aimed at kids or that all we need kiddie coasters, but I do think the Value Resorts have their place. I know if we would have stayed at them when I was a kid, I likely would have loved exploring them. As an adult, sure, the Polynesian is much more to my liking. But for kids, giant toys and figures of their favorite Disney characters are pretty appealing.
With my theoretical thoughts concerning resort tiers in mind, here are my thoughts specific to All Star Movies: it’s an okay resort, but definitely not the best of the Values. Ultimately, I think I’d rank them: Art of Animation, Pop Century, Music, Movies, and Sports. Art of Animation and Pop Century are no-brainers in the #1 and #2 spots.
There’s far less of a difference between any of the All Stars, but we consider Music the best since it seems the ‘freshest’ and tends to have fewer large groups than Sports. For the most part, though, there’s little difference between any of them. Room size, amenities, transportation, location, etc., is all pretty much identical among all of the All Star Resorts at Walt Disney World.
Movies is probably the most dated of the three. Even as its World Premiere Food Court now has an updated menu, it never received the large-scale refurbishment the other All Star food courts received.
That, plus the fact that the Mighty Ducks are still heavily showcased, despite no longer being relevant, makes its age really show. If we are looking for the cheapest Value Resort, we usually opt for All Star Music during the Christmas-season, or All Star Sports any other time of the year (being careful to consult the ESPN Wide World of Sports calendar, first). We rarely stay at All Star Movies.
Aside from the Mighty Ducks area, you also have sections of All Star Movies that are themed to 101 Dalmatians, Toy Story, Fantasia, and Herbie: The Love Bug. I’m not sure I’d consider Herbie a timeless Disney creation, either, but the rest hold up well. We generally recommend the Fantasia or Toy Story sections to those guests who want to stay at All Star Movies. Both offer the best of location and decor.
Now, let’s take a look inside the rooms…
Unfortunately, we don’t have photos of All Star Movies since they were last refurbished. The biggest difference is that the comforters have been removed, and the headboards swapped out.
They also no longer have the CRT televisions, and instead have a more streamlined dresser. If you’ve seen the room photos in our All Star Music Review or All Star Sports Review, you know exactly what these rooms now look like.
Just swap out the music or sports poster on the wall for a movies one (well, unless you’re in the Mighty Ducks section…then it’s movies and sports. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!)
Okay, let’s take a look at the pools. All Star Movies has two pools. The feature pool is the Fantasia pool, which is located directly behind the Cinema Hall lobby and food court, between the two Fantasia buildings. You could say 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.
The Fantasia pool features a giant Sorcerer Mickey on a platform with streams of water shooting out from its base…just like you’re on the “set” of Fantasia, ha.
The Mighty Ducks section of All Star Movies contains the Duck Pond Pool. This is the resort’s quiet pool area, and is themed to look a like a hockey rink. It includes Goofy in a Mighty Ducks uniform as goaltender, and everything.
If you were not a child of the 1990s, this might be a bit perplexing…Goofy in the jersey of an NHL team based in Anaheim, California? First, shame on you for not seeing the ultimate film trilogy 1990s cinema. Second, in addition to making the movies, Disney used to own the NHL team.
However, Disney sold the Mighty Ducks (now just the Ducks) over a decade ago, and I don’t think anyone under the age of 25 has even seen the movies, so this area now sticks out like a sore thumb. Walt Disney World might as well theme an area of a hotel to Chicken Little.
Next up, dining at All Star Movies. The World Premiere Food Court actually isn’t that bad; it has a fairly diverse menu that includes options like the Turkey and Muenster Sandwich and Italian Sandwich, both of which are solid. We do not think it’s as good of a food court as the redone End Zone or Intermission food courts, but it is not bad, either.
Overall, All Star Movies Resort features a fun design-aesthetic that most kids will love, but it definitely isn’t for everyone–especially those on an adults-only Walt Disney World trip who want a relaxing hotel. If you’re reading resort reviews because you want to determine which resort is the “best” at Walt Disney World, All Star Movies definitely is not for you. It’s not even the best Value Resort, or the best intersection of quality and price among the Value Resorts. If you’re looking for a cheap place to stay while you’re at Disney, and you don’t want to rent a car or you want to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours (or both!), All Star Movies is an okay choice. However, even then we can’t help but think you’d probably be better off booking one of the other Value Resorts. Basically, unless your kids are huge Mighty Ducks enthusiasts, look elsewhere.
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 a fan of All Star Movies, or is it too basic for you? Any comments on the bus transportation at All Star Movies? What about the food court? Any other tips to share concerning All Star Movies? Where does it rank for you in terms of hotels at Walt Disney World? Do you prefer staying off-site? Hearing from readers is half the fun, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
I have come to all star sports about every 6 to 8 years since I was in middle school the prices here are so high. when I was younger the hotel would help you if u need a ride off property now nothing pay 32 buck for 2 breakfast items. with a 4th of a cup of scrambled eggs and I hope you don’t drink a 6 pack of beer is 17 buck…
Stayed at movies full place needs demolishing.
Food awful
Food court needs upgrading
If you liked Butlins from seventies you will love the chalets.
Buses nitemare on return
No nighttime entertainment or lounge for quiet night in after hectic day.
Only plus are the pools
Never stay again just been august 2022
Can you Tom, or anyone, recommend a way to make the the bad bus service at All Star Movies work for us or tips on how to avoid long waits? We are staying in September and have always stayed at Pop so I am a bit worried about the bus service. Would walking to one of the other all star resorts to get on their bus, or riding back from the park on their bus help? I feel like someone said they did that since the resorts are close.
Hello Jennifer, the bus situation can be a bit problematic at the All Stars. We made our voices heard when we stayed at Movies in September of 2018. My recommendation would be to consult the My Disney Experience app before leaving your room. They do have the monitors at the bus stop with the bus schedule but you should be able to see the same info on the app.
The chef at All Star Movie Chef Tony was wonderful. He helped me with my alergy with wheat . Food was very good . Thank you Chef Tony . Also the server at Lyric his name is Josh he went beyond to keep me safe with the alergy to food . Thanks again .
We stayed at All Star Movies when we were at Disney in Nov/Dec 2018. All I can say is, NEVER AGAIN! That was THE worst hotel stay I’ve ever had!
It started at check-in. While check-in time is officially 3:00, we’ve yet to stay at Disney where we’ve had to wait that long to get our room. At ASM, it wasn’t even ready at 3:00. Or 3:30. It was close to 4:00 by the time I finally got the text saying it was ready.
And I paid for a preferred room (which we got), but requested a room a close to the transportation and lobby as possible. I explained that it’s because I’m handicapped and walking is hard on me. And while I understand that room requests are never guaranteed, I’ve also never had a problem with getting them before. This time, however, our room was about as far from the lobby/transportation as they could put us while still keeping us in a preferred room.
The worst part of the stay, though, was the room. First, the refurbishment got away with the two beds (which is what I paid for). Now it’s one bed and a Murphy bed. Being handicapped, I couldn’t pull the bed down. Someone had to come to the room to do that. Of course, Mousekeeping put it back up the next day. Fortunately, though, Mousekeeping only came to our room that one day, so the bed stayed down the rest of the time we were there (which wasn’t long).
Rooms with a connecting door have very little privacy. We could hear everything that was said in the next room. Word for word. It got bad when they got into a fight and the woman was screaming the F word every other word. I had children with me. And it’s a family resort. After 30 minutes of it, I finally called the front desk. It was so bad, the woman at the front desk could hear it over the phone. She sent security up.
They would have given me a different room, but none were available. It made for a very stressful stay. Needless to say, we didn’t stay long. Two days later we were comfortably settled in at Saratoga Springs. It was SO much quieter and peaceful there!
I Agree we just stayed week of May 14 2019. Worst experience for Disney. Floors were filthy, had to call 5 times to get packages delivered to our room when we arrived. In March stayed at music and had to recover our luggage at 10pm after being there since 1130 am. Never recd text about room ready til I inquired. Never stay here. Disney needs to reevaluate all stars.
Bus service was awful. We were at Animal Kingdom and waited for 35 minutes for a bus to come. Doesn’t seem so bad except that Music and Sports both had 2 buses arrive during that time and a 3rd for Sports showed up as the first for Movies got there. We love staying at Pop but decided to give Movies a shot. From now on, Pop is our value resort.
Don’t count on charging your cell phone. 2 out of 4 outlets in our room are so loose you can’t plug in without it falling out. This must be a hazard. This is just not Disney standard. The lotion was missing. The decor is old and cleanliness questionable. I can’t imagine trying to put kids in that little bathroom to take a bath. Hampton Inn’s are a lot nicer. Mighty Ducks Really???? There are so many Kid friendly Disney movies out there and you choose Mighty Ducks?
I just came back from staying at the movie resort. The bus service really sucked, they were late (more than 20 minutes) picking up from the park every time.The last time it was 55 minutes from the time I got to the stop till I arrived at the hotel. There was a woman with a small baby that was there 5 minutes longer than me, standing in 93 degree heat. At least they could offer shelter with fans and a place to sit. Going to the park was not a problem, it’s like once you’re there and spent your money they forget about you.
We are currently staying at Movies and I have to agree with the bus issue. We have spent a ton of time waiting for a bus since we arrived. Part of what lends to this is them posting the times by the bus stop. I found myself grumbling more because of that than anything else. On a positive note: the refurbished rooms are a nice upgrade from what they used to be. Better use of space and it’s nice to have queen sized beds now too.
We will be staying at All Star Movies in September. Our mission is more ‘commando’ in nature so the resort problems will not necessarily be a problem for us. But, one thing I heard recently is that you should ask for the ‘secret menu’ at the counter service restaurant. I guess the manager will bring out a brief case (in spy movie fashion) where you will find the secret menu on a View Master. I will be asking for this, as my wife thinks it’s a bit hokie…but heck, it’s Disney! If any of you have successfully tried this, please comment. Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend staying at All Star Movies presently. Our family stayed there in early January 2018 and they are having issues. For example, we came back from the parks our second night and a plumbing leak in the ceiling had soiled one of the beds. They would never answer the phone at the front desk so one of our party had to go the lobby for help. We had to move buildings and no longer had adjoining rooms. In our rush to pack and move at 10:30pm I left behind an item. Again, no answer at the front desk and I had to march up to the lobby again. They wanted to give me a key and make me walk all the way from one side of the resort to the other to retreive my item. After a firm discussion they agreed to have one of their employees get it and deliver to my new room. Fast forward to next night in new room. A very loud (think jackhammer) noise was emanating from the walls and it was impossible to sleep. Again, phone call to front desk went unanwered. At 11pm I figured out it was coming from water pipes and I crawled under the sink and shut off the water valves and this stopped the noise. Also, the shower would not drain. The staff did not seem at all concerned when we checked out the next morning. The stay for our family at All Star Movies was certainly NOT full of Disney magic. Take your dollars to a different resort!
We ended up adding an extra night to our Thanksgiving Trip by staying a night a the All-Star Movies. This was after 3 nights in an outstanding remodeled Pop-Century 80’s room. Overall we were satisfied with our stay at All Star Movies but it is definitely showing its age in the rooms and the food court. Strangely enough I had requested ANY room except Mighty Ducks and any floor but ground level, yet that is where they put us. I checked in with the front desk before going to the room and the were happy to put me in a 3rd floor Herbie room. Being born in 1977, I am very familiar with Herbie and so I was delighted…the 12 year old didn’t know Mighty Ducks from Herbie, but the 2 year old…well what child doesn’t love a Slug bug. So we were happy with Herbie, which was closer to the amazing Fantasia Pool than the Ducks room would have been. As for the room, clean but tired, and really its just the carpet…I swear that funky Florida Hotel Smell is just the rancid carpet and we are so happy the refreshed Pop rooms are carpet free now. The grounds were really nice though, the theming was somewhat relatable and timeless and the swaying palm trees and what not were really picturesque. We took a chance on the All Star Movies based on price and your review and were ultimately satisfied…when they redo the rooms someday we would definitely consider longer stays here…but for now Po-Century is still our favorite, especially with the new rooms.