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.
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
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!
If anyone is at All Star Movies currently, just wondering if in the store (not food court), if they
have packaged foods, like Entemanns donuts, regular size bags of chips, 8 packs of small
waters? I am staying there soon, if they do not have food items now due to Covid, we are thinking of ordering from Amazon Prime Now or Garden grocer to get some items for room.
Stayed at Pop Century in October 2020, they had no food items or water to buy in the actual
store. Thanks for your help.
I am old and over the years have stayed at all the resorts except the Grand Floridian. Because I am old I am cranky about changes so it is to be expected that I hate the new designs in POP and the All Stars. They remind me of hospital rooms, sterile and cold. They make me depressed. I like rugs, at least a throw rug. The Murphy bed is not really that comfortable and not having a table to toss stuff on is inconvenient when both beds are being used. These updated rooms have been my biggest turnoff of all Disney changes.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the updated review. Especially knowing the AS Movies resort refurb is 100% finished, so there is no chance of being given a pre-refurb room.
This puts AS Movies back in the mix, although the parking charge closes the gap with renting DVC points ($165 + $15 parking per night at ASM vs $222 renting 155 points for AKV studio from 12/28/21-01/12/22).
With ASM preferred rooms quoted by Disney at $185 (plus parking), the 10% increase for AKV studio is a no-brainer, surely? I’m guessing the Disney website is quoting rack rates and there will be a ~35% special at some point.
PS Para 1 states “…that are coming coming soon”
If you’re comfortable with the risks of renting points (and can find availability for your dates), it’s absolutely the better option. There’s literally no comparing Animal Kingdom Lodge with the All Stars.
(Thanks for the typo heads up, too!)
Agreed with Tom – it’s all about whether you can find an open room and stomach the risk. I did my first stay at AKL in January 2021 by renting points, and I booked 10 months ahead to get a studio (when I’d previously checked DVC availability six months out for my 2020 trip everything I wanted had already been snapped up–studios at the more desirable resorts go fast). My AKL rental was a great value and I fell in love with Kidani Village (I had initially been disappointed not to get Jambo House)…but with the pandemic springing up between my booking date and the date of my vacation, I had a lot of heartburn over that trip. It all worked out and it was a fantastic trip, but at the moment I’m personally a bit too risk-averse to sink money into a nonrefundable DVC rental again. If I’d been unable or unwilling to go this January, I would have lost more than $1600 on that reservation.
Love your blog, Tom and Sarah! Just a quick editing comment, do you want to delete or revise the “We haven’t yet done a post-opening stay at All Star Movies…” in the third paragraph? For the first few paragraphs, I was confused whether you had actually done a stay here or not… 🙂 Thanks and take care!
Haven’t stayed in the new All Star rooms but have stayed twice in the new Pop Century rooms so expect my reactions to All Star would be similar. About the only annoying thing for the two of us was a tendency to hit our shins on the Murphy bed because it sticks out further. We’re sort of trained by other hotels to expect both beds to be in the same line, so coming out of the bathroom we nail ourselves several times before adjusting to the difference.
Except for one visit to OKW renting points we’ve always stayed in Values because we’re not in the room all that much, and when you turn out the lights, all rooms look the same. Do have a slight preference for Pop because of the better food across the bridge and now the Skyliner. Haven’t checked prices recently to see how much the difference is now; it didn’t use to be much.
Oh, and I’ll only welcome the bed runners if they get rid of some of the 6 pillows or so per bed. Stuffing 5 of them somewhere takes up storage space and I’m not tacky enough to put them under the bed. Runners look nice but it’s just one more thing to move elsewhere.
While it depends upon the season, Pop Century prices nowadays are often closer to Art of Animation standard rooms than All-Star prices; most nights I priced had the difference between Pop Century and All-Star being twice that of the difference between Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms and that of Pop Century.
My daughter and I had the same shins issue lol when we stayed at POP August 2020 trip The downside we found to the new rooms was that my son would always take the bed and my daughter we packed a twin size air mattress and we used to have that for her at the end of one of the beds moving the table to the window in the old style rooms, this new room style did not work as well because the table is underneath and there’s no room to move anything to fit her air mattress! she’s 17 he’s 19 I don’t know how many more years to come we will have these family vacations but we always stay at the All-Star sports because it hasn’t been renovated.
I also agree with Aaron on pricing pop century was over $200 a night and the only reason we stayed there was because the All-Stars were closed in August so they upgraded us personally I would not pay that price I always pick all stars to save $$ because we’re never in the room, just a shower and sleep and we are off but we are coming in May and unfortunately movies was booked even though it just opened so I’m stuck at the pop again but I do have to say I grab the pop at about 150 bucks so price difference from the movies was only about $40 total for our trip so I’ll deal with it and the kids are staying home this time around so I’ll be able to experience the new room without kids . Hope All stars is open for this August Family trip
I am beyond excited to see the hard flooring, the glass shower door, and the actual sliding door to the bathroom! YAY!! Carpet and shower curtains gross me and most of my family out. I would choose this over several of the deluxe hotels just for this reason alone.
YES! Carpet is 100% UNdesirable. My family is so happy that most of the refurbish plans include hard floors. -and no one likes battling a shower curtain (that has been battling other previous guests).
I like the new layout. I would like a bigger bed, but at least you can choose if you’re a one bed party or a two bed party and have more room if you don’t need the second bed. And I like the addition of an actual door for the bedroom instead of a curtain.
I would like to know has the All Star Sports hotel has been Refurbished, I think it’s the older of the All Stars!! If not when will it be finished! I want my family to go back together!! My Children now have there own Families!! We went from 1996-2003!
I stayed at All Star Music this February. They are about half way done remodeling the 10 buildings. All Star Sports has not been started yet. It supposed to be done after All Star Music, but the refurbishment is on hold for now. Hopefully will continue when this Virus is more under control. Good luck!
Thank you, LindaB and Vickie!
Are refurbishments and all star movies completed yet?
Do they give more blankets than that? It seems awfully thin. But otherwise I can’t wait. We’ll be there in a few weeks. Cheerleaders and bison
My 4 adult nieces and I just got back from staying in two refurbished, connecting rooms in building 2 of the Mighty Ducks area, and we could not have been happier with the rooms. We were on the ground floor, but the noise level was non-existent. The clean look and the lighting, especially in the bathroom, was wonderful.
I didn’t mind using the Murphy bed – it was easy to push up out of the way when not needed. We also enjoyed all the USB ports and the area that housed the coffee maker/supplies and the fridge. Maybe we just happened to be there when there were not hordes of noisy people there (Nov. 10 – 14), but I definitely recommend All-Star Movies.
Hello,
I planning to stay in the All Star Movies in September… Can you tell me if the fridge just cool food or it work as a freezer too in the top shelf?
Thank u!
I don’t think there was a freezer compartment, but I could be wrong. Maybe someone else can verify.
Just stayed at Music in refurbished room with new refrig. with glass door, which Movies has the same refrigerators. There is NO freezer section. Sorry. Thanks. Vickie
These refurbished rooms in the value category are a huge deal for us. We prefer to stay in a deluxe resort that has a nice lobby, multiple restaurant choices, fun pool areas with slides at the pools and rooms entered from an indoor hallway. We are DVC members but occasionally pay cash and save our points.
This summer we stayed 5 nights at POP Century & we were very happy. The rooms were clean, bright and new looking. The sliding door from the main to the bathroom vanity was a huge bonus and the sliding door from the vanity to the toilet/shower area gave even more privacy. I loved the clean lines, that there were plenty of usb plugs and electrical outlets as well as shelving. This was a very well thought out redesign. I would stay at POP or any of the value resorts again if they all met this standard. So glad they are making these changes.
Hi, Are there still connecting rooms here?
Yes, we just returned from there and had a connecting room. We loved the new renovations and think the murphy bed is brilliant
Hi. We are planning a trip for summer 2020 and considering all stars music family suites. Will the family suites be updated when the regular rooms are updated? Any guesses about what will replace the sofa/chair/ottoman? And what is the likelihood that the music resort will be done with renovations by next summer? Thank
Just got back couple weeks ago from All Star Music. Calypso building 10 is completely closed for refurbishment, yes the family suites are being refurbished also. Manager told me they expected to be completed refurbishment in about 13 months. They started with Calypso building 10, then will do 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 ,3 2, and Calpyso building 1 last (which is the building I stayed in). So some of the family suites will for sure be done by Summer 2020. Don’t know how the configuration will be new family suites.
I did look into rooms being redone (they had the doors open) and they were ripping out walls so don’t know what final rooms will be like. The Calypso pool will be closed starting fall of 2020 also for refurbishment (I am staying there then).
Planning to be there Fall 2020. Is there a hair dryer in each of the rooms or should I bring my own? None of the photos or videos show a hair dryer. Thanks.
Planning to be there Sept 2020. Internet states that a hair dryer is in each of the rooms, yet none of the photos or videos show a hair dryer. Are they just hidden away, or should I bring my own?
They have hair dryers.
I am curious to know if the family suites at ASM will get a refurb or if they will change them to the regular rooms? We have considered staying in them but they are so outdated.
I just got back from staying at All Star Music. I looked inside Calypso building 10, the doors are open during the day, which they are refurbishing, they have ripped out walls in the family suites, but have no idea how the final configuration will end up.
We are staying in November 2020 at music. Do you think the referb will be complete. And the bigger question… is there enough room for a cot or blow up twin bed? Our two daughters can not sleep in the same bed LOL. trying to make it work but if there is no room I will need a new plan.
Russell Bacon. I just returned from Staying at All Star Music. Building 10 totally
closed for refurbishment. Manager told me they are doing 10, 9, 8, etc. with building 1 being last. Expected to take about 13 months., so it will be close to being done if not totally done by November 2020. Just an FYI. They are taking entire buildings out of
inventory this time , per a manager.
Could I please get an update on the Mighty Ducks rooms? Completed?
we are staying in one tonight that is refurbished. it is nice but very sterile and just different as the blog mentioned
We just stayed a week at AS Movies in Might Ducks. Our room was refurbished and we really enjoyed it. The design of the murphy bed is great and the fridge is good. There was a hair dryer, iron, ironing board in the room as well. Loved the storage for suitcases under the bed.
I love the pocket door for the shower/toilet area. Those rooms are so tiny & the regular door was always in the way when getting in the area and when trying to bathe children.
Brandy, do you know which building there are working on at All Star Music. I am staying there very soon, hoping to Stay in Calypso building, I did book preferred room,
but Jazz Inn is also preferred. Thanks for the information! Vickie
Just got back from Music yesterday. They are working on the Calypso building now.