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brandylouwho
DIS Veteran
Registered: May 2006
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 974Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): most "Disney" of the resorts, clean, value priced Cons: small, dark room; pretty far from most parks
The resort is nice enough for what it is. The food court was adequate and the main pool was large enough to handle the crowds. I think our main problem would be the same at any of the values--small, darkish room & not very close to the parks. We'd consider staying here again, but only if it were for a short time or if we'd be in the parks all day and just needed a bed in which to sleep. The kids LOVED the big Disney character icons. 
SCDisney
Earning My Ears
Registered: April 2009
Posts: 11Review Date: Thu April 30, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Affordable price Cons: Distance from parks
I have stayed here twice with my family and we have always enjoyed it. The value resorts are great for people who need to save money when traveling to Disney, as I always do!
FairyGodmotherJen
DIS Veteran
Registered: March 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1094Review Date: Sat May 2, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): affordable, very appealing to kids Cons: size of room
We've stayed at All-Star Movies three times ('05, '07, and '08) and have really enjoyed it. The rooms and pool areas have always been clean. We've had wonderful service from the front desk staff, and we've never had more than a two-minute walk to the main building (though we have paid for a preferred room each time). We've stayed in both the Fantasia building and the 101 Dalmatians building. The (much) larger-than-life Disney icons are fantastic for kids who are in love with the Disney movies. I'll never forget the looks on my older two children's faces when we walked into the "Toy Story/Andy's Room" section for the first time! Other themes include the Mighty Ducks and Herbie.
One of the things I like most about the resort is that the front desk/guest service desk, food court, gift shop and bus stops are all centrally located. With small children, this is a must. The main pool is themed enough (Sorcerer Mickey) to entertain the kids, though there is nowhere near the theming I've seen in photos of the moderates/deluxes. It's also large enough to handle the crowd, and the other pool is large as well.
The size of the room is an issue, of course. We have taken short trips so far (no more than 4 days in the parks), so we haven't been in the room much. On our last trip we had two adults, two children and an infant in a port-a-crib. It was just a little too cramped if you want to lounge a bit after a long day in the park. Also, my family (including my in-laws and an aunt on our 2007 trip) really had enjoyed the food court, since it had fresh burgers and a few options besides just normal grill fare. However, my husband and I were disappointed in 2008 to find out that the burgers they were serving were the same tasteless ones you find in many counter service restaurants. There were a few other issues (my kids didn't even like the chicken nuggets anymore), and we just didn't enjoy our meals there.
However, I think that, despite those issues, this is a great option for a family on a budget that is not planning on spending a lot of time at the resort. I'm not sure that any other resort will ever feel as "Disney" to us as All-Star Movies.
minie_meese
DIS Veteran
Registered: July 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 1003Review Date: Sun May 3, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): on Disney property Cons: largem, can be noisy
We've stayed at all 3 All Star Resorts, a few times with school groups. We've always found the resorts clean and adequate. There is some attention to detail - the theming is fun for kids and the landscaping, while not elaborate is quite nice. The pools are large and pretty basic but they are quite adequate. All of the All Stars are very large resorts so you can end up walking a lot. When we stay there I usually request a room near the parking lots because they tend to be quieter.
Many school groups stay at the All Stars so chances are you will run into at least one. I've found most of them to be well mannered and well chaperoned but there have been a few times when we've run into groups that were not. This can result in a lot of late night noise. We have only had to call the front desk twice and security responded quickly.
I prefer the Deluxe or Moderate Resorts, but the All Stars are a great place to stay if you are on a budget, especially if you plan to spend a lot of time in the parks. We have had some great vacations at the All Stars and have some great photos from the Toy Story Building.
PE_TCR
Disney Cruise Adict
Registered: April 2008
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 338Review Date: Mon May 4, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): price Cons: longer bus rides to the parks
When I go to the parks the resort is usually just a place to sleep after spending a full day in the parks. With that being said all I need is a bed and I really enjoyed All-Star Movies. The food court was nice and the rooms were all I needed. I have no complaints and usually stay at the All-Star resorts. The rides are longer but not all that bad.
erock
Mouseketeer
Registered: September 2004
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 111Review Date: Tue May 5, 2009 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 6
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Price is right Cons: Location
This is my least favorite of the values, simply based on where it is located. It is the last All Star to pick up and drop off for buses. The buses can get pretty crowded in the morning and after park close, it could be a nightmare. I love the design and the price. It just falls a little short because of where it is.
lntsmom
Soarin' is addictive!
I got home and realized I only got 3 sets of arms
Registered: April 2005
Location: Monument, CO
Posts: 1196Review Date: Tue May 5, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Wonderful theming, great food, kid heaven! Cons: The luggage guys at check out.
We've stayed at ASMO twice. In 1999 we stayed in Toy Story. In 2008 we were in Mighty Ducks.
Your ability to enjoy this resort will depend on your ego and how much it depends on your being pampered and catered to. If you are the sort of person who isn't worried about feeling better than others, you will "get" ASMO.
This review will be based on our 2008 stay. Check-in was a breeze. The CM at the counter was very confused when my boys to buy Disney Dollars with their piggy-bank savings. We finally gave up and decided to forgo them. That was the only glitch we encountered until we were waiting for the ME after check-out.
I didn't want to pay extra for the "select" rooms, so we were in Mighty Ducks. My boys and I found the silver lining in this. First, the pool there is almost like a private pool! We never had more than 3 or 4 other families there at the same time. My boys took one look at the big pool and headed back to Mighty Ducks where they could play and swim without having to worry about the crowd. The pool quiets down fairly early- we never had any noise problems despite having a room facing the pool.
We also quickly realized the advantage of being so closed to Music. ASMO is the last stop on the value resort bus route. By walking over to Music to catch the bus there, we never had to wait in line. Matter of fact, one morning when we ate breakfast at Movies we looked at the bus lines and walked to Music anyway!
Speaking of the food court: don't let anyone disuade you from eating there! I had salmon topped with aoli on a bed of rice there one night. I was tempted to go buy seconds! The next night I had salmon at WCC, and it paled in comparison!
If you're on a budget, know that you can purchase bread by the slice and add toppings such as butter, peanut butter, and jelly. On the other hand, if your family wants Mickey Waffles, you can get two sizes here. I have picky eaters and never had a problem findind something they'd like. I really appreciate the variety of fresh fruits, yogurts, and other foods that they offer in the cooler section. The only offering that I felt was overpriced was the milk. Since Disney is now pushing healthy eating it would be nice if they would sell milk at cost.
Our room was clean and quiet. We never heard any of our neighbors. It wasn't large, but everything was in good repair and the air conditioning and lighting were fine.
My kids had a blast touring the resort, photographing themselves with all the props, and watching the bunnies and lizards that you can find on the grounds.
The concierge was very helpful when we asked where to go on the grounds to see the Space Shuttle launch. She was also the only person out of the half dozen we asked who could actually tell us how to get to WinterSummerland.
Check out was painless. The only problem we had arose when waiting for ME. We asked the luggage guys and were told to wait on the benches by the ME sign. The time for our bus came and went. A Disney Cruise bus pulled up to the corner, right by the luggage area. If the bus driver hadn't yelled, asking if anyone else needed to take the 1:40 bus, we would have missed our ride. Be warned, if you are using ME from ASMO, don't count on it using the ME parking dock or being a ME bus!
californiadopeyfreak
Earning My Ears
Registered: May 2005
Location: Bellflower, California
Posts: 65Review Date: Wed May 6, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): The theaming created "Disney Magic" Cons: Rooms can be far from food court and bus stop
Although the last time I was there was April of 2002, I am sure my comments will still be valid. We actually stayed there on our Honeymoon. We were in the Herbie section, which was kinda far from the main area but it was still very nice. The rooms are simple, but that was ok. After our stay there, we transferred to the Beach Club. I really enjoyed our stay there, but I did not feel as "home" as I did at the All-Star Movies. I guess because we are simple people, it was harder to get used to the more expensive hotel and I didn't feel the "magic" as much as I did at the All-Stars. The movies is also a family hotel, so there will for sure be MANY children there.
xipetotec
DIS Veteran
Registered: March 2005
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 1280Review Date: Fri May 8, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): fun themed playgrounds, easy access to busses Cons: Pool was closed
First off, we are DVC members. We get access to "deluxe accomodations" and we would still stay here for extra days or if we were out of points.
All Value resorts are "motel" style. But as done by Disney. We found the grounds clean, easy acecss to the gift shop, dining. Theming was very fun. The only real problem was that the Fantasia pool was closed when we went.
condorthb
Trying to Lure the wife to the DisSide.
Registered: July 2006
Location: 354 miles away from the Magic
Posts: 177Review Date: Fri May 22, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Theming and food choices for young children. Cons: Buses at times.
Have been here twice. Would do it again.
AlexDurrani
Mouseketeer
Registered: February 2008
Location: Sugar Land, TX
Posts: 278Review Date: Tue June 2, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Price, Availability, internet jack by night table Cons: Last Bus Stop
I have stayed at the All Star Sports and Movies at least once. I prefer the Movies due to the size and placement of the buildings.
I stayed at the Movies this last December on the Mousefest 2008 trip and was only in the room for sleep, which was 5 hours a day.
I found the rooms to be a bit small in size and had a hard time with getting an ECV in and out of it.
I was happy to find that the internet plug for the room was by the night table by the door. It made it easier to plug the laptop in to use while sitting in bed.
The only thing I was not happy about was that the resort is the last of the 3 All Star Resorts on the bus route when they combine the 3 resorts at the off peak times.
The great thing about the Movies resort is that they are the last resort if at all that gets used for the Teen Groups.
The themeing is great for the resort it is fun to watch the kids playing around the life-size decorations around the resort.
clomahony
Mouseketeer
Registered: May 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 131Review Date: Mon June 29, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Price, Clean, Great Theming Cons: Crowded
This hotel is a good solid motel style resort. It is clean and provides great value for money but there are no frills and it is very crowded from the food court, buses and pools. Also, many groups and schools use this hotel so it can be noisy but if you are going to spend most of your time at the parks and would rather spend your money elsewhere, it's a good choice. I would recommend that a car be rented though because the buses can be slow in coming and crowded. Mousekeeping does a good job keeping the rooms clean.
manhattan
DIS Veteran
Registered: May 2000
Location: South Florida
Posts: 802Review Date: Tue June 30, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): fun theming, great foodcourt, Cons: no fridge or coffeemaker in room
My DDs (6 and 15) and I stayed there in January 09 during SuperBowl Weekend - got a fantastic deal. Had orginally booked one night at the POR, but was able to stay two nights at a preferred room at the ASMusic and still had a few dollars as credit on my account! This was a quick trip for us, and I was very pleased with the rooms, they seemed to have been recently renovated and while it was cold outside, our rooms were nice and toasty. Food court was right next door, we always found parking right by the building and we loved having McDonalds right outside down the road. We were there during some kind of competition, and while the food court was packed, I was surprised how quickly the lines moved. CMs at check-in, at the food court and the gift shop were all so friendly, I told DH that next time we went as a family, we would stay in a suite. As I mentioned, no fridge or coffemaker in room, but since we drove, we had a cooler and a small coffee machine, so we were fine. For the price, you can't beat staying at one of the All Star resorts!
jediobiwan
DIS Veteran
Registered: January 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 542Review Date: Sun December 6, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): good price, good buses, nice pool Cons: no fridge, aging rooms
All Star Movies is a nice budget resort. If you are looking for a budget resort that is still on Disney property, this one is my favorite for theming. However the rooms are getting outdated, and I suspect a remodel will occur soon. : Posted via eTicket 
kayrosek
DIS Veteran
Registered: November 2009
Posts: 1338Review Date: Mon December 7, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): price, value, theming,on property Cons:
We stayed at All Star Movies for our Thanksgiving 09 trip and thouroughly enjoyed it. The theming was wonderful. The kids enjoyed exploring the resort and looking at all the movie statues. The pools were nice, the smaller of the two was not at all crowded and perfectly adequate for the kids to play in. We were there at a time when holiday decorations were up in the resorts and I was worried that the value resorts wouldent feel Christmasy enough but the holiday spirit was there, the decorations weren't as fancy or elaborate as the more expensive resorts but there were lots of lights, and wreaths and a few trees, the mousekeeping displays in many of the room windows were also festive. I enjoyed looking at them. We ate at the food court many times and DH remarked that the quality was higher than he had expected, cafeteria/foodcourt quality but good still. We particuraly enjoyed the baked chicken dinner. I have read several reviews aboutthe bus service and had worried about the length of the rides or waiting especially as I have an Autistic spectrum son but found that in most cases it wasen't bad. The ride times to the parks weren't nearly as long as I had been expecting and we only experienced long waits a few times during our six day stay. All in all it was a wonderful experience and I would recomend the resort to anyone on a budget looking to have a great time.
alayna86
Former Disney Cast Member 2005
Registered: July 2010
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 46Review Date: Tue July 20, 2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Very cute for kids Cons: Far away from parks/too many hotel guests
Very cute theme however there are like close to 2,000 rooms and there are always lonnnng lines to the buses and when you're on your way back from the park the buses are usually full and you have to wait awhile for another one. These value resorts are far from the parks and such and the bus rides sometimes take awhile but other than that they are decent for a family on a budget.
plasticflame
Earning My Ears
Registered: December 2010
Posts: 4Review Date: Fri December 3, 2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): clean room, food court, resort theming Cons: layout
My family has stayed in the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Treehouses, and a few others on and off site over the last 30 years (and for my parents, 39 years), but this was the first trip that we stayed at a Value resort, as well as being the first trip for my 2 1/2 year old. Overall, it was great.
Considering we were up and to the bus by 8:30, then returning to the resort about 12 hours later, we didn't need anything fancy, just beds and a shower. When we wanted a little fancier dining, we went to the Contemporary if we didn't already eat in the park.
The lines for the buses were long occasionally, but more often than not were reasonable. The commute times were consistent and provided just enough of a rest to get ready for the day's walk.
The only two problems, minor at best, were with the distance from the lobby to the room (we were in the Love Bug, which was a bit of a trek after a day of walking), and a disagreement with the management of the food court concerning one of the food windows (they started shutting down really early, and were rude when we asked about food; the manager made it a bit worse by cutting my dad off when he was trying explain his frustration, unfortunately doing so at the point where he was trying to compliment the court on having surprisingly good food/service overall).
We agreed that while we might attempt a family suite at Music next time, if we just wanted a standard room again, we'd pick Movies, though opt for a closer room.
Disney-Obsessed
The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique. - Walter Elias Disney
Registered: September 2010
Posts: 1367Review Date: Sat December 11, 2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Nice theme Cons: Out-dated
The hotel had great pools and themes, but the rooms seemed quite out-dated... I did like how the Disney buses stopped at ALL of the three All-Star resorts, All-Star Movies being the last stop... I reccomend the Pop Century...
Tinbadge69
Mouseketeer
Registered: February 2011
Location: None of your business
Posts: 126Review Date: Tue April 12, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: $90.00 | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Nice on a Budget Cons: Not too fancy, but who cares
This is a great hotel for the price. You are on the lower end of the budget hotels, so dont set your expectations too high. All in all you cant beat it for the price. Being near the pools have the pro's and con's. You are close to have fun, but later on you'll hear everyone else having fun...lol. The transporattion is great. The food court is well stocked but can get crowded later in the morning and then later as everyone is getting in. You can stay off the property for less, but the cost is well worth it being on the property and not having to drive anywhere. The rooms are adiquate. All you do is sleep in there anyway. It's not a suite but all the furnishings are well maintained. Never had a problem with staff. Always willing to do anything to please.
JessietheNCCowgirl
Yeehaw!
Registered: July 2010
Location: North of Charlotte, NC
Posts: 189Review Date: Wed January 25, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: $81.00 | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Pricing, Disney theme Cons:
We stayed at All Star Movies for 4 nights in December 2011. We had never stayed at a value resort before and we were pleasantly surprised. The rooms have just been refurbished so they were fresh and super clean. We were put in the Mighty Ducks section and were right across the street from the food court/buses at All Star Music. We walked to their food court a few times and also used their buses. It was like having a preferred room at Music. 
Buses at both resorts were efficient - probably some of the best we've experienced at any resort.
The theming at Movies is fun, the food court has variety, the rooms are on the smallish side but more importantly the are clean. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.
ladybugjen
Earning My Ears
Registered: January 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 32Review Date: Fri February 3, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Clean,Friendly,value Cons: none
My husband, my son and I stayed in a preferred room in September 2011. We were in the Toy Story building. We were very close to the food court and the pool. We ate mostly in the parks, or at restaurants at the other resorts. But we did eat at the food court once and it was very good. The pool was very nice. The rooms were clean. I see some people say the rooms are out dated but...I think people expect too much! Everything was in working order. And they were very clean! We didn't stay in our room much so it is perfect for us. We had a rental car so I can not say anything about the buses. But as far as the resort goes...I definitely recommend it!!!
Jordansmominjax
Earning My Ears
Registered: March 2012
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 16Review Date: Mon April 2, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: $85.00 | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Fun, Good Disney Feel. Pool Cons: None
The rooms are like a motel. But clean and they do give you little Mickey soap and shampoos. The made towel animals which my son loved. We stayed in the Buzz Lightyear section. My son loved it. It is a little far from the food court and pool. The bed slept well. I thought for the money it was a good resort. My son still talks about it. I would recommend it for families with small kids. Your kid will love it and after all isn't that the point. We would stay here again We did not eat at the food court. My son did like the game room. Easy drive into the parks.
Cokaho
Earning My Ears
Registered: March 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 11Review Date: Tue April 3, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 6
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Budget friendly, theming Cons: Time to get to parks
This was our first family trip to Disney. Our check in went ok, we used the on-line check in. We had to change rooms because we needed adjoining connected rooms. Our luggage was still delivered in a timely manner from the magical express. The rooms were good, and the Mousekeeping was very nice, the kids loved the towel animals. The resort was loud, as expected. The food court was fair to poor, and we avoided eating there is at all possible. The gift shop was very nice and the pool was nice too. We plan on staying at a moderate or deluxe for our next trip. We got a little frustrated trying to get around. The buses sure beat renting a car, but getting to other resorts was a pain, and we had a lot of ADR's at other resorts.
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