Photos & Video: New Rooms at All Stars
All Star Movies Resort has reimagined room designs that are coming soon to the Sports & Music hotels as part of Walt Disney World’s comprehensive overhauls. In this review, we’ll cover everything from our experience staying in these new rooms, and whether you might want to book here for your next WDW vacation. (Updated March 22, 2021.)
This is one of the projects we’ve been tracking in Hotel Refurbishments & Renovations at Walt Disney World in 2021 & 2022. Currently, work is entirely finished at All Star Movies, in progress at All Star Music, and has yet to begin at All Star Sports. It’s unclear how far along All Star Music is with the overhaul, since that resort is presently closed. The room reimagining could be entirely finished or stalled.
The other good news is that All Star Movies has reopened as of March 22, 2021 after being closed for just over a year! We haven’t done a stay at All Star Movies yet in 2021, but you can check out our Hotel Health Safety Protocol & Changes at Walt Disney World for a general idea of what’s different. Basically, lots of warning signs, plexiglass barriers, and “please wait here” markers for physical distancing. Of course, there’s also these new rooms, but this project was completed shortly before Walt Disney World’s closure last year, so they’re not really new-new…
With all the rooms at All Star Movies and half of the rooms at Disney’s All Star Music Resort now finished, we’d highly recommend those resorts over All Star Sports. The difference between a refurbished and non-refurbished room is so stark that we’d recommend avoiding All Star Sports at this point.
Well, our actual Value Resort recommendation would be Pop Century, but if room rates are more attractive at the All Stars, there’s absolutely no reason not to book Movies at this point…
I was excited to get back to All Star Movies to stay in one of these new rooms. In part for the room itself, but we had already experienced pretty close to the same thing at Pop Century. More so because the All Stars make me nostalgic, evoking old memories of our past commando touring, long weekend visits.
The last time we had stayed at All Star Movies was several years ago, when we attended the “Destination D: Walt Disney World 40th” event only a couple months after launching this blog. Tickets for that were a major splurge for us, so we stayed at the cheapest on-site hotel we could find: All Star Movies. I think we were at the resort for a total of about 5-6 hours per night.
We like nice hotels, but we’re pretty far from “luxury or die” hotel snobs. All you have to do is survey a few of the sketchy places we’ve stayed in Anaheim to know that isn’t the case. We find hotels of all tiers really fascinating, and it’s interesting to see how budget-friendly accommodations try (or don’t) to resonate with guests.
Another thing we enjoy about All Star Movies is World Premiere Food Court, which 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.
The All Star Resorts do this pretty well for hotels of their tier via the oversized decor, pools, and landscaping. Some Walt Disney World fans are quick to criticize these are overpriced and sketchy motels–as someone with a lot of experience staying at actual sketchy motels, I’ll can say with some authority that these people have no clue what they’re talking about.
Like them or not, the All Star Resorts offer a slate of amenities far superior to what the average motel offers in a setting that’s also dramatically better. People can quibble over the ‘thematic’ quality of those oversized icons, but even that appeals to some families.
The most legitimate criticism of the All Stars has long been the guest rooms, which are small, dingy, and have little redeeming qualities or character. Thankfully, with this All Star Movies room overhaul, that’s finally being addressed, too…
Suffice to say, the new rooms are an unequivocal upgrade from the old rooms at All Star Movies. Thanks to our experience in this new room, All Star Movies will once again be in our regular Walt Disney World hotel rotation, particularly during long weekend ‘rope drop until park close’ trips or when deals are lacking elsewhere.
Before we get going with our thoughts on this experience, here’s a video tour of the new room we stayed in at All Star Movies to provide some context for what we’re describing:
The biggest change is a new configuration with a regular bed flanked by nightstands and Murphy bed that doubles as a table. Both of these beds are queen-sized, versus the double beds previously in these rooms.
There’s a lighter color scheme, dominated by white with hints of red, orange, and lime. There’s Mickey & friends art above the queen bed, plus Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck art above the Murphy bed.
There’s also a ton more storage space, including a dresser under the television, room for luggage under the bed, and a variety of random cubbies around the room. There are also a boat-load of USB-charging ports and outlets around the room, which is a huge plus.
In the corner, there’s a kiosk with drawers, a mini-fridge, and a coffee maker. This is debuted with the new rooms at Pop Century as a Walt Disney World Value Resort first, and thankfully continues at All Star Movies.
In the bathroom, you have a vessel sink, illuminated bathroom mirror, and make-up mirror.
There’s also an actual sliding door separating the bathroom area from the main room (instead of a thin curtain), glass door in the shower, and rainfall shower fixture in addition to the standard one.
All of these things, to us, are upgrades to the room with zero downside. Each individually might be a minor thing, but collectively, they make for a room that is significantly “plussed” over the Value Resort defaults.
One of the biggest complaints that we’ve heard about the rooms is that they are sterile and thematically lacking. We can understand the sterile complaint, as a few more splashes of color (cough*bed runner*cough) would’ve done wonders.
However, these All Star Movies rooms being less themed than their predecessors is not really a valid critique. These have always been low on theme. In looking through my old photos of these rooms, the only thing that could arguably pass for “theme” are framed Mighty Ducks movie posters, film strip wallpaper border, and bed runners with stars on them. That’s it.
Setting aside how laughably dated two of those things are, the old rooms felt dingy and claustrophobic. They were “All Star” in about the same sense that a 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity is “Hollywood.” I get that Walt Disney World fan opinions about literally everything are colored by nostalgia, but there’s no good reason to be sentimental about the old rooms. They are not good.
Now, you have the character art, chairs with various symbols from the All Stars, and vaguely star-looking curtains on the window. It’d be nice if there were a bit more, but at least the rooms are nicer now.
The biggest valid criticism, I think, is the aforementioned lack of color. Even having one red or some other colored wall would go a long way in giving the room warmth and a bit of flavor. As it stands, the complaints about this room looking clinical, sterile, or “hospital-like” have a degree of validity.
If I had to choose this or the old look, I’d pick this in an instant. I feel Value Resort rooms have always been too dark and drab, and this brightens them up. Perhaps it was an over-correction to the old style, but I’ll take a hotel room that looks crisp and clean over one that’s dark and drab any day. Still, I can appreciate the desire for something of a happy medium.
Another complaint is that the removal of carpet and addition of laminate flooring makes the room louder. This has yet to be an issue for us with any of the new rooms (here or at Pop Century), but perhaps we’ve been lucky.
If you end up on a lower floor with a herd of cheerleaders, football players, or bison above you, perhaps you won’t be as forgiving of this change. Noise aside, we prefer the new floors. They are easier to clean and keep clean; in a budget-rate motel, we’re down with as little bodily fluid-retaining surfaces as possible.
The space that the pull-down Murphy Bed opened up for us was huge. It made the small room feel less claustrophobic, and that plus the brighter look of the room made it easier for us to spend time in the room without going stir-crazy. We think this change makes the new rooms at All Star Movies a significantly better option for couples and solo travelers.
For families, the layout with the Murphy bed not be ideal, especially since it means not having any table in the room when the kids are sleeping. That’s really the only downside for families that immediately jumps to my mind. There’s always concern that Murphy beds will be less comfortable, but we did not find that to be the case. I’m sure there are other changes that could be legitimate negatives for some parties, but I suspect that’ll largely be on a circumstantial basis.
Overall, we view the new rooms at All Star Movies as significant upgrades. This should be somewhat unsurprising given that these are essentially a clone of the Pop Century rooms, which we also really liked. While nothing that’s done here is going to revolutionize the hotel industry or earn accolades as the pinnacle of themed design, the new rooms at All Star Movies are a considerable improvement over their predecessors. In addition to visually looking better, they now feel more spacious, which is a huge victory given how small the Value Resort rooms can feel.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of these new rooms at All Star Movies? Excited for the room redesign, or are you not a fan of the Murphy bed style? Do you agree or disagree with our take on the changes being appealing to couples or solo travelers? Any thoughts of your own to add? Have you stayed in one of the new rooms? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
This layout is nearly identical to the Pop Century room we stayed in late last year.
One minor thing to watch out for- the fold down bed sticks out further into the room. Both I and especially my spouse banged our legs on it. We sort of unconsciously aligned ourselves as we walked past the standard bed, which put us on a collision course with end of the other bed which is another 6″ or so further out. FYI, we were there a long time and heard exactly one thump from above, so our noise concerns appear to have been overblown.
With myself & my 4 kids, we stay at Caribbean Beach. They offer 2 queen beds & a Murphy bed. Cheaper than getting a family suite. This has worked twice but my older 2 girls want to spread out. We’re going in July & getting adjoining rooms at Pop Century. Gonna miss CB, but looking forward to trying something new.
I am curious if they will be adding family suites to the other All Stars and maybe that is why there is a delay? We loved the family suite at All Stars Music and havent found space comparable even in the deluxe hotels. After a long day in the parks there is somthing special for this introvert momma to be able to shut the door and take a moment. I recomend the family suites to everyone. Amazing space for the price, even for a family with 2 kids. I look forward to the updates they will receive.
i have to disagree. there is nothing in these photos that tells me which resort it is. i hate the “one design fits all” that disney is going to. i love the removal of carpet. it’s just cleaner. i don’t love the stark white everything. it really does look like a hospital/nursing home. i agree with others that the lack of a table could present a problem. we’re trying art of animation on our next trip and i really hope they leave it alone. these pop and all star “upgrades”, aside from carpet, are lacking a lot. i agree that an accent wall could have helped, as well as some other sort of themeing.
I’ll give you (and others) the stark white look–there’s no reason that couldn’t have been done differently to give the rooms more personality.
As for the tables, I’m good with the decision that was made. The old rooms were so cramped and undersized. This made lemonade out of lemons–even though it’s an imperfect solution, that was the only type of solution available.
even some sort of star mural or accent border, to remind you that it’s the all-star resorts. something.
I’m loving the new look. We always stay at the All-Star resorts.
Will the upgrade have any affect on the price of the rooms? Honestly, it doesn’t really matter to me, but my ever frugal husband is curious…
PS I LOVE DISNEY!
Any idea when the refurbishments will start back up?
Unfortunately, no. I really figured they would’ve started in mid-January, but alas, they did not.
At this point, I’m wondering whether they are pumping the brakes a bit with so many simultaneous hotel projects…but it’s not as if that’s anything new. I would’ve figured getting as much done as possible before Star Wars land would’ve been the goal, and then finishing *everything* with plenty of time before the 50th Anniversary so all rooms are in the available inventory.
What a great idea, could even store the snacks in it for easy choice each day!
Old design was poor, new design is about as attractive as the average nursing home. Stayed at Pop not long ago. The new design room was already showing signs of significant wear. Rooms are loud. Lighting is horrible. On the plus side bathrooms are much nicer. In general, think low quality IKEA.
Our family had a split stay between ASM and POP a few months ago, and the difference was worth the upcharge at POP. The room might have been a bit tighter at POP, but there seemed to be more space, and just a higher quality experience. Excited to see it coming around to the the All Stars!
We just got back from a 7 day stay at All Star Movies. I found the new room to be amazing. There was an over abundance of storage for me and my two pre teen children. It was extremely quiet. I never heard a peep from anyone outside of our room. The beds were so comfortable and we did love the amount of pillows provided!! I would stay here again in a heartbeat.
do we know if there are any upgrades done to All Star Sports yet?
According to this article you’re commenting on: no.
why can a family of 5 not stay at pop century ?
There are, at most, two queen beds which sleep a total of four. All Star Music has a family suite which can sleep 6, as does Art of Animation which can also sleep 6.
This is a tough subject to broach, but since this kind of touches on the idea of some hygienic reasons for less fabric surface areas…How about also preventing bed bugs? Disney has had past issues with bed bugs at all hotel tiers (Not singling out Disney only as I know many hotels and even airlines deal with this issue). But, in all of your numerous Disney travel destinations, have you ever had an issue with bed bugs? Has anyone on this forum had any issue in recent months? It seems like Disney was getting serious about battling these pests. I will still do a bed check, however, when we arrive later this year.
Always do a bed check! You are right, no hotel is immune to them. While I haven’t encountered a problem at a Disney hotel (of which we have stayed at 6 times in just over 2 years), I did have them at a hotel across from Sea World. I now check beds, never leave my suitcases on the floor (in fact, I put them in the shower), put all my clothes directly in the washer as soon as I get home, and steam the seams on my suitcases before putting them away. It may sound like overkill, but once you have dealt with those things, you don’t want to do it again!
also be sure to never EVER put a suitcase or bag on the bed. we use every other space in a hotel, desk, ironing board, luggage racks, but never the bed. it’s the easiest way to transport a hitchiker…
We stayed in a newly renovated room in early November. It was FANTASTIC!!! We LOVED our room. We were given a king since it was just me and the hubby for an adults-only F&W trip. I was blown away… best Value Room we’ve ever stayed in BY FAR (we haven’t been at Pop since their refurb). First and maybe most notable, was there were like eight or nine pillows on the bed. This is huge pro for a pillowmonger like me. We also loved the food & drink kiosk that was separate from everything else. And the bathroom was really cool. There was no bathtub but the shower was plenty big and had really great sliding glass doors and built-in shampoo/conditioner containers. I really have no complaints at all about the new rooms. Not sure if we would have had a different experience if we had had our kids with us, but a king room for two was definitely two enthusiastic thumbs up.
Does it appear the All Star Movies rooms will complete the renovation before the fall?
My husband and I stayed in the Pop Century rooms in December and absolutely LOVED them. The room layout was perfect for a couples trip, but I do know that when we travel to WDW with our daughter, we will opt to stay elsewhere
We stayed at Pop the last week in Nov. due to the room overhaul. We will not be staying value again. With a family of 4 that includes a toddler there is just not enough space in those rooms with 2 queen beds. We didn’t want to have to take the bed rails off the bed daily in order to put the 2nd bed up and had major issues fitting our single stroller into the room with the bed down. My husband had to open the door all the way so we could get the stroller through the threshhold, then I had to back up into the nightstand to shut the door so we could store the stroller behind the door and in front of the window. We had paid for a pool view but couldn’t even view the pool from our room due to stroller placing. Also, there was barely enough room between the two beds when they were out to walk. Finally, if we had still needed a pack n play too I have no idea where it would’ve gone. The only place I could think of was in front of the inside connecting door but that is where we place two of our four suitcases.
I like the new look. There seems to be plenty of space below the TV to double as a counter. I have no problem putting the Murphy bed up for the kids to have some quick breakfast. Seems easy enough to do. It also creates way more floor space in the room so we won’t constantly be tripping over each other as we pass by the beds.
We solved the table problem at the new Pop and All-Star Movies rooms by taking the Murphy bed and giving the kids the “real” bed. The mattresses are equally comfortable and it’s much easier for my husband and I to get up and close the bed than to bother the kids, move their blankets and lovies out of the way, etc. We love both refurbishments and lean slightly towards ASM now. Great review, as always, Tom!
Family of 4 and we dump so much on our table! The fact that you can’t leave the table out is a deal breaker for us I’m afraid. Breakfast cereal, the kids drawings, pins, itinerary for the day.. it’s endless and we’d have to clear that off every night before getting into the bed or putting the kids in theirs. What a shame!
Couldn’t agree more, Carrie! That, and the fact the rooms now look so cold, will have us booking elsewhere.
There’s so much space on top of the large dresser and also the coffee stand for everything that might otherwise go on the table. We always have lots to dump as well and those surfaces have been more than adequate for us so losing the table every night hasn’t been an issue.
Agree. The effectiveness and efficiency of the new design is lacking. After spending 6 days in one, we won’t be back.
There is still a ton of room. We stayed at Pop last July- family of 4, kids were 5 and 18 months. We had a double stroller as well and still had plenty of room for everything. I could see an issue if you needed a pack-n-play, but if your kids are using the bed, there is plenty of space for storage on/in the dresser and on the kiosk that houses the mini fridge.
I was worried about the lack of table space before our trip as well.
I know it is one more thing to “haul in”, but we brought a hanging shoe organizer and placed it over the sliding door. It was the perfect solution for storage. It’s 24 pockets are just the right size for magic bands, cameras, frog tog towels, maps, itineary and the collection of “souvenirs” we picked up. Bonus was the clear pockets made it immediately clear who had forgotten put on their magic band before we left the room.
We typically travel light with carry on luggage from now on our “shoe storage” hanger makes it on the list. We won’t travel as a family of 4 with out it!