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My best friend and I took a quick girls' trip to Disney World in January, spending three nights at Disney's All Star Movies Resort. I have stayed at all three of the All Star resorts, Movies, Music, and Sports, but have only been in one refurbished room when I stayed in the Mighty Ducks section of All Star Movies. At that time not all of the sections had been renovated, so I was excited to go back and see what the renovations looked like in a different area of the resort. (read more)
ALL STAR MOVIES RENOVATED ROOMS
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ALL STAR MOVIES RENOVATIONS
As I said, I've stayed at All Star Movies twice, and both times were in renovated rooms, so I can't speak specifically about the state of these rooms before the renovation. However, I have stayed in un-renovated rooms at both All Star Music and All Star Sports.
I'm going to show you some pictures from those trips so you can see the difference.
First, my son and I took a trip to Disney in 2018, just the two of us. We stayed in the Calypso section of All Star Movies, and while the room wasn't in bad shape, you could tell it had been a long while since it had been updated.
The interior felt dated, the carpet was not in great shape, the bathroom fixtures had some yellowing and rust stains, the caulk had aged, etc.
We still had a great time, but the room wasn't something I'd look terribly forward to staying in again. I'd still stay, I just wouldn't be as excited about it.
Here's a shot of us on the day we arrived. You can tell that it's not in bad shape, it just needs some love.
READ OUR REVIEW OF DISNEY'S ULTIMATE NIGHTS OF ADVENTURE VIP TOUR
I'm going to show you some pictures from those trips so you can see the difference.
First, my son and I took a trip to Disney in 2018, just the two of us. We stayed in the Calypso section of All Star Movies, and while the room wasn't in bad shape, you could tell it had been a long while since it had been updated.
The interior felt dated, the carpet was not in great shape, the bathroom fixtures had some yellowing and rust stains, the caulk had aged, etc.
We still had a great time, but the room wasn't something I'd look terribly forward to staying in again. I'd still stay, I just wouldn't be as excited about it.
Here's a shot of us on the day we arrived. You can tell that it's not in bad shape, it just needs some love.
READ OUR REVIEW OF DISNEY'S ULTIMATE NIGHTS OF ADVENTURE VIP TOUR
ALL STAR RESORTS ROOM RENOVATIONS
In May of 2018, my mom, my two boys and I took a last minute trip to Disney World. We stayed at All Star Sports. I was prepared for it not to be renovated since I knew the renovations were just getting under way at that point, and I had already stayed at All Star Music without the renovations.
I didn't take any pictures of the room at All Star Sports, but I wish I had, if only to show you how drab they were, even compared to the un-renovated rooms at All Star Music.
The rooms were in bad need of loves, so much so that I won't stay at All Star Sports again unless the rooms have undergone refurbishment. Everything in the room felt old, like it had come straight out of the 70's and had only been cleaned and painted over since then.
Everything was carpet, there was some staining and hard places on the carpet, the paint was chipped in places, caulk was missing, fixtures were yellowed, and the whole room was just not a pleasant place to be.
The resort itself was very nice, we loved the theming, and the kids swam in the pool every time they could talk an adult into hanging out with them out there.
The rooms started their renovation in 2018, but I didn't know about it so I didn't request a room. The renovation was supposed to be finished in 2020, but with Coronavirus that might have been delayed. I would recommend calling your Travel Agent or calling Disney directly to see if you can request a refurbished room.
All Star Music is also under renovation, but again I do not believe it is completed, so I'd recommend the same precautions for booking a room, though I will stress that the non renovated rooms at Music were nicer than the non renovated rooms at Sports.
To my knowledge, the only All Star Resort that has seen all of its rooms renovated is All Star Movies.
Now let's talk about what's changed in the rooms and what to expect from the resort overall.
READ OUR REVIEW OF DISNEY AFTER HOURS AT MAGIC KINGDOM
I didn't take any pictures of the room at All Star Sports, but I wish I had, if only to show you how drab they were, even compared to the un-renovated rooms at All Star Music.
The rooms were in bad need of loves, so much so that I won't stay at All Star Sports again unless the rooms have undergone refurbishment. Everything in the room felt old, like it had come straight out of the 70's and had only been cleaned and painted over since then.
Everything was carpet, there was some staining and hard places on the carpet, the paint was chipped in places, caulk was missing, fixtures were yellowed, and the whole room was just not a pleasant place to be.
The resort itself was very nice, we loved the theming, and the kids swam in the pool every time they could talk an adult into hanging out with them out there.
The rooms started their renovation in 2018, but I didn't know about it so I didn't request a room. The renovation was supposed to be finished in 2020, but with Coronavirus that might have been delayed. I would recommend calling your Travel Agent or calling Disney directly to see if you can request a refurbished room.
All Star Music is also under renovation, but again I do not believe it is completed, so I'd recommend the same precautions for booking a room, though I will stress that the non renovated rooms at Music were nicer than the non renovated rooms at Sports.
To my knowledge, the only All Star Resort that has seen all of its rooms renovated is All Star Movies.
Now let's talk about what's changed in the rooms and what to expect from the resort overall.
READ OUR REVIEW OF DISNEY AFTER HOURS AT MAGIC KINGDOM
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ALL STAR MOVIES RESORT ROOM RENOVATIONS
Here are a list of items that have changed at All Star Movies. This is not an exhaustive list, just the things that really stood out for me. You should know that the entire room has changed, though. It's all brand new, and it feels like a room you'd find in any of the high end resorts. I can say that with some authority since I've stayed at Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Beds - Instead of two double beds, you now have two queen beds, one of which folds up into the wall, Murphy style. You can push the bed up, which pops open a table that you can use to eat, play games, color, whatever.
There is another queen to the side of the Murphy bed. Plenty of space for a family of four, or two best friends who like to sprawl!
Here is a still shot of the bed folded up into the wall.
RENTING DVC POINTS VS BOOKING THROUGH DISNEY FOR A LUXURY RESORT STAY
Beds - Instead of two double beds, you now have two queen beds, one of which folds up into the wall, Murphy style. You can push the bed up, which pops open a table that you can use to eat, play games, color, whatever.
There is another queen to the side of the Murphy bed. Plenty of space for a family of four, or two best friends who like to sprawl!
Here is a still shot of the bed folded up into the wall.
RENTING DVC POINTS VS BOOKING THROUGH DISNEY FOR A LUXURY RESORT STAY
You can see the table that pops up when you put the bed away. This table cannot be moved.
The storage in the renovated rooms is excellent as well. There is a dresser with quite a few drawers (which are huge), and a cabinet that has shelving as well as a safe that'll hold all of your important documents, a tablet, smaller electronics, etc.
You can see our VIP Tour lanyards on the dresser. We did two tours this trip (Ultimate Day of Thrills, Ultimate Nights of Adventure, and Disney After Hours).
All were wonderful, and I have reviewed each in separate posts.
There is a flat screen TV mounted above the dresser, and I much prefer it to the TV's that are mounted inside of a TV cabinet in some of the other resorts. It takes up less space and makes the room feel lighter and less cluttered.
There are also loads of electrical outlets all over the room. If you're like me, this can be a real issue, especially when you're traveling with a family who has phones, computer, tablets, etc. I know some people love to unplug on vacation, but we enjoy watching Netflix after a day in the parks, and the kids enjoy playing games on their iPads, all of which needs juice!
I was happy to see all of the outlets, especially after our last cruise. The room we stayed on the Explorer of the Seas had one single outlet with two plugs, that was it. Disney doesn't do it that way, thank goodness.
READ OUR REVIEW OF THE FAMILY PANORAMIC SUITE ON EXPLORER OF THE SEAS
You can see our VIP Tour lanyards on the dresser. We did two tours this trip (Ultimate Day of Thrills, Ultimate Nights of Adventure, and Disney After Hours).
All were wonderful, and I have reviewed each in separate posts.
There is a flat screen TV mounted above the dresser, and I much prefer it to the TV's that are mounted inside of a TV cabinet in some of the other resorts. It takes up less space and makes the room feel lighter and less cluttered.
There are also loads of electrical outlets all over the room. If you're like me, this can be a real issue, especially when you're traveling with a family who has phones, computer, tablets, etc. I know some people love to unplug on vacation, but we enjoy watching Netflix after a day in the parks, and the kids enjoy playing games on their iPads, all of which needs juice!
I was happy to see all of the outlets, especially after our last cruise. The room we stayed on the Explorer of the Seas had one single outlet with two plugs, that was it. Disney doesn't do it that way, thank goodness.
READ OUR REVIEW OF THE FAMILY PANORAMIC SUITE ON EXPLORER OF THE SEAS
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The first time I saw this particular fridge/coffee desk was when a friend and I stayed at Coronado Springs ini 2018, so I'm glad to see that it has been incorporated into the All Star Resorts renovations as well.
You have a nice sized fridge to keep any leftovers in, and you also have a coffee maker that can make coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, all of which are provided for you.
READ OUR REVIEW OF OUR DISNEY FANTASY ROY O. DISNEY SUITE STAY
You have a nice sized fridge to keep any leftovers in, and you also have a coffee maker that can make coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, all of which are provided for you.
READ OUR REVIEW OF OUR DISNEY FANTASY ROY O. DISNEY SUITE STAY
I think, for me, the beds being renovated would be the most important aspect of the refurbishment, but that's followed closely by the bathroom being renovated.
The new bathrooms are light and airy, there is tons of room to lay out all of your stuff, shelves for storage, hangers, extra pillows and blankets, a blow dryer, etc. There is even shampoo, soap, and conditioner provided for you in a dispenser on the shower wall.
WHEN WE CAN'T TRAVEL, WE GET UNIVERSAL YUMS, OUR VERY FAVORITE SNACK BOX
The new bathrooms are light and airy, there is tons of room to lay out all of your stuff, shelves for storage, hangers, extra pillows and blankets, a blow dryer, etc. There is even shampoo, soap, and conditioner provided for you in a dispenser on the shower wall.
WHEN WE CAN'T TRAVEL, WE GET UNIVERSAL YUMS, OUR VERY FAVORITE SNACK BOX
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DISNEY ALL STAR RESORTS REVIEW
Now that we've gone over the specifics of the room renovations, I want to point out a few reasons why we love the All Star Resorts so much. They have become my "go to" resorts whenever I head to Disney World.
1. Busses - You don't share busses with any other resort, making your wait time less when you're coming or going. You do share with the other two All Star resorts, so there might be a time that the bus gets to you, especially if you're in Movies, that it might be full, but they send another bus quickly.
If you are worried about it, you can stay in Sports, which is the first resort in the chain, but do call first to make sure your room is renovated.
Do not try to walk between the resorts. You can for sure, and it might seem like a good idea when the only bus you can get from the park to the resort is for one of the other All Star resorts, but they really are quite far apart, a 15 -20 minute walk, easily. (Speaking from experience here)
The order of stops is Sports, Music, Movies, but often times each resort will have its own dedicated bus, especially at night when you're trying to get home to the parks. We only encountered one evening when all three resorts were leaving from the same bus terminal.
2. Price - Of all the Disney value resorts, we find the All Star Resorts to have the most consistently cheapest pricing. This doesn't mean they're worse, not at all. If you are good with a resort that offers Quick Service and no Table Service, this is a great place to stay. The pools are really fun and well themed, the food and drinks are good, and we really enjoy playing Guitar Hero when we stay at All Star Music.
3. Availablity - It seems like, whenever I plan a last minute trip to Florida, I am always able to find a room at one of the All Star Resorts, and I don't have to pay an arm and a leg. I don't mind giving up the ability to make Fast Passes 60 days in advance when I know I can take that money savings and hit up a good tour or after hours event.
TY WRITES BOOKS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL READERS WHO LOVE MINECRAFT AND ROBLOX
1. Busses - You don't share busses with any other resort, making your wait time less when you're coming or going. You do share with the other two All Star resorts, so there might be a time that the bus gets to you, especially if you're in Movies, that it might be full, but they send another bus quickly.
If you are worried about it, you can stay in Sports, which is the first resort in the chain, but do call first to make sure your room is renovated.
Do not try to walk between the resorts. You can for sure, and it might seem like a good idea when the only bus you can get from the park to the resort is for one of the other All Star resorts, but they really are quite far apart, a 15 -20 minute walk, easily. (Speaking from experience here)
The order of stops is Sports, Music, Movies, but often times each resort will have its own dedicated bus, especially at night when you're trying to get home to the parks. We only encountered one evening when all three resorts were leaving from the same bus terminal.
2. Price - Of all the Disney value resorts, we find the All Star Resorts to have the most consistently cheapest pricing. This doesn't mean they're worse, not at all. If you are good with a resort that offers Quick Service and no Table Service, this is a great place to stay. The pools are really fun and well themed, the food and drinks are good, and we really enjoy playing Guitar Hero when we stay at All Star Music.
3. Availablity - It seems like, whenever I plan a last minute trip to Florida, I am always able to find a room at one of the All Star Resorts, and I don't have to pay an arm and a leg. I don't mind giving up the ability to make Fast Passes 60 days in advance when I know I can take that money savings and hit up a good tour or after hours event.
TY WRITES BOOKS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL READERS WHO LOVE MINECRAFT AND ROBLOX
FINAL THOUGHTS
As always, I hope this post has helped you decide whether or not the All Star Resorts are a good fit for your traveling party. We love it, but we've stayed at the expensive resorts and find that (other than for taking a mid day nap) we just aren't in the room enough to justify the cost.
That said, I have never stayed on the monorail, so I will definitely be doing that the next time we go, though I'll likely book by renting DVC points from a DVC owner.
If you have any questions, please let me know, I'm always happy to help if I can. I am not a travel agent, though, so if you're looking to book, I'm not the Jedi you're looking for.
Have fun!
Ty
That said, I have never stayed on the monorail, so I will definitely be doing that the next time we go, though I'll likely book by renting DVC points from a DVC owner.
If you have any questions, please let me know, I'm always happy to help if I can. I am not a travel agent, though, so if you're looking to book, I'm not the Jedi you're looking for.
Have fun!
Ty
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I'm a mom, wife, dog parent, bird parent, homeschooler, author, quilter, travel lover, and blogger. It's very nice to meet you!
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