Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
This is a comprehensive review of Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. I will give my thoughts about the resort itself and I will review the room. I will also give some recommendations for those who may want to stay at the resort and some suggestions to make your stay better.
Sarah and I stayed here during Sarah’s Birthday trip. This is the first time that we had ever stayed at one of the Disney’s All-Star resorts, so I was curious. Sarah was more worried about having the best birthday weekend ever. Marriage, am I right
?Resort
First, some overall thoughts about the resort. As I have stated before, I think that all WDW experiences have to be taken with a grain of salt. The expectations of this resort need to be exactly what their name designates: value. These are not the Ritz Carlton. You will be sorely disappointed if those are your expectations.
But let’s get into the positives. First, the price. Guests who choose this resort are looking at hotels in the category because they are more affordable. I have stayed at resorts across the country and few resorts are this well priced. These resorts aren’t even attached to one of the largest and most popular theme parks in the world!
Next, while we were staying at the resort, each All-Star Resort had their own buses. My understanding is that is not normally the case. Just a wild guess, I would imagine they share during lighter crowd times, and have their own while the resorts are expected to be busier. This shared bus issue can make a world of difference. It can be the difference between a 20-30-minute bus journey, or an hour. If all three resorts are sharing buses, I would move transportation into the negative column.
The next positive is the facade and lobby theming. I know that theming can be highly subjective, but I think there are fun details. The facade looks great at night and the larger than life pictures on the walls of the lobby gives you the feeling of rock history (even if Taylor Swift is one of the pictures
). I also think this theming extends well to the pool areas. The Calypso Pool area is really fun and I like the Three Caballeros statues in the center. The Piano Pool is also great. It is quieter and actually shaped like a piano! Sarah also wanted to make sure I mentioned that Ariel has a statue at the Piano Pool. A cannot miss for us (her). I also like the icons that are spread throughout the resort. We took a lot of pictures of them!
I also think that the Intermissions Food Court is a positive here. It is an above-average food court with some really good options. There was a full ice cream and smoothie bar, convenience-style grocery area, grill, pizza area, and outside bar. Sarah and I both enjoyed the s’more tart that we tried!
Now time to talk about some negatives of the resort. First, I don’t quite understand what the designers were planning with the sidewalks of the resort. We were staying in the Broadway section and it felt like we had to go awfully far out of the way to get to our room. Sarah and I were in commando mode, so this extra walking was unwelcome. We found ourselves walking down one sidewalk when it would inexplicably would end. We tried to walk to the Broadway section without walking through the center of the resort and we ended up bushwhacking through thick grass because we could not find a sidewalk.
I also recognize here that the theming can be kitschy to those not looking for 30-foot cowboy boots outside of their room. As it is with everything in life, it is a matter of preference. I don’t mind them because I think they are interesting, my parents would likely not.
Rooms
It is important to start this section of the review off by stating that these rooms, once again, are value. They are Motel 6ish because they cost what most Motel 6’s would cost. These resorts are for people who want to get the most “bang for their buck” or people who will be spending almost all their times in the parks (Sarah and I).
I thought the rooms had some positives. They were well-lit and I also had no problem with the furniture. The bed frame, entertainment center, and table were nice and even had a little not-so-hidden-Mickey in them. There was also an unexpected and unique little wall fixture where we could hang our sopping wet clothes. Details matter!
Now come the negatives. I know what you are going to say. This is a long list. But, remember, expectations! These aren’t bad resorts, they are just inexpensive. First, these rooms are small and lightly themed. If you are looking for amazing, over-the-top Disney theming, splurge a bit and go to Disney’s Art of Animation.
There were also a couple of room construction elements that seemed odd or not up to Disney standards. First, all the electrical outlets in the room were upside down. That isn’t a big deal, but it was odd to me. I also noticed the carpets were ripped. This seems like an occupational hazard for a kid-friendly resort, but it was strange to see. There were a few details missing from our room. We were trying to take a nap, but the Do Not Disturb sign was not present and there was no pamphlet explaining the hours of the food court or pools. I do not remember whether this was in our other Disney resort rooms, but I feel like it should be.
The beds were another point of contention for us. I did not expect a TempurPedic bed, but the issue was far beyond the comfort level of the bed. This sounds strange, but the beds were both different firmness levels. I had to have Sarah try them out several times to make sure I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t. They were different! Their pillows were also not very high quality. Hot tip: if you like to use a lot of pillows (like me) request more. They were incredibly weak.
The bathroom is another area where you can thank good expectations for your happiness level. It is a perfectly functioning bathroom space. All the essentials are there: sink and vanity, toilet, and shower. But nothing in the bathroom will blow you away. The vanity is small. The light made a really loud noise when I turned it on. The tile looked like it could have used a cleaning. The water pressure in the shower was below-average. Overall, the room is small and basic. You can definitely enjoy staying here. But, you will not be knocked off your feet by the opulence of the room.
Should I Stay Here?
As I stated before, if you are looking to save money on your room or not see it very often, this resort can meet your needs. As with all the Value resorts, ASM has kitschy theming. Some love it, some hate it, but most are so focused on the parks that they ignore it completely. To each their own! The transportation can make ASM a win or lose; if it is operating on the same bus trip as the other All-Star Resorts, it makes it a difficult resort to justify for hardcore park tourists. The rooms are also very basic, if you are looking to spend a great deal of time in the room, I would avoid this resort.
As a result of this, I would recommend ASM for the following people:
- People whose budget is their chief concern.
- Families who would appreciate the music, theming, or plan to spend time at a pretty good pool.
- Park tourists coming at a busier time.
Tips
First, I would recommend splurging on a preferred room. This can be about $30 extra?? per night. If you able, that will get you much closer to the main building. If you cannot splurge, you can always ask for the Jazz Inn area when you complete your check-in. This is not something you can ask for in online check-in, so you will have to call. It didn’t work for us, but maybe it will for you! Lastly, take a walk while the resort is quiet. I walked around in the early morning as the sun was rising and it was really peaceful. I also got some great shots of the icons.
Have you stayed at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort? Share your experience! We would love to hear from you! Just add to the Comments section below.
