Pop or All Star Movies?

[armerida]

Looking to book a long weekend in September and I'm torn between Pop and All Star Movies. We usually stay at AoA but recently stayed at Pop and enjoyed the new rooms and the proximity to AoA for the cafeteria and fun scenery. It was also nice being able to take whichever bus came first back from the parks.

I've heard good things about the renovated rooms at All Star Movies, but am wondering how it stacks up compared to Pop overall in terms of noise, cafeteria, buses, and pools. I know the new rooms are identical to the Pop rooms in design - are they as loud as well/thin walls? Are there long lines for buses during peak hours? Do buses come regularly? Is the main pool as large? We found the food at the Pop cafeteria to be pretty terrible, can't imagine AS would be much different?

Any feedback would be appreciated. Wasn't factoring in the Skyliner because I don't think that will be open in September. Thanks!

 

[hammie59]

It’s been quite a few years since we stayed at ASMo, however not much has changed other than the refurb on the rooms. To me it’s the most Disney themed resort they have.
Sometimes the All Stars share buses so getting a seat could be tricky, where POP has their own. The main pools seem to be comparable in size. You may find more small children and famlies at ASMo simply based on it’s theme. POP tends to run a little more money per room than the All Stars, but not by much. Many times ASMo is not part of the discount offers due to it’s popularity.

 

[tink2]

I haven't stayed at Pop, but we love ASMo. We got a refurbished room year and it was so nice and a great improvement! We've stayed at ASMo twice and have not shared a bus once with the other All Stars. We also got the Sun and Fun discount for our upcoming trip in June and our past two stays~ I have heard they are excluded from some discounts~ but we got it for both of our stays so far and for our upcoming on at ASMo. We choose preferred rooms because we love Toy Story and it is closest to the buses ~ but they all seem to be pretty close.
ASMo tends to be cheaper than Pop as well~ which is what made us choose it to begin with. Once we stayed~ we loved it and there is no reason to change and pay more.
We had always stayed at moderates~ but one stay at ASMo changed our minds and now we save a good deal of money. Our first two experiences were wonderful~ hoping the upcoming one will be as well!

 

[Disneypro1]

Well all star music is imho the best all star. Just really nice grounds...POP is great also. You're options...id go POP

 

[armerida]

Sorry, didn’t realize someone just posted the same question on this board

 

[Lord Fantasius]

We just got back from a 5-night stay at ASMo that we then split with a 2-night stay at BC for a splurge...and would go back to Movies in an instant! We have stayed at Pop a few times and really like it, but the grounds at Movies are much more mature and "intimate"...especially for a value resort.

Also, the room renovations are really nice, with the extra cubby holes/nooks in the bathroom really practical.

The buses do fluctuate from having your own to sharing with the other All-Stars depending on the time of day and attendance, but since the resorts are so close to each other, we just took whichever bus came first.

The food is on par with the other Values, which can't match AoA, so if food is high on your priority and you're going to be eating lunch and/or dinner at your resort, definitely choose Pop for its vicinity to AoA.

Pop also has the largest pool of the Values, but they all have the same number of pools (I think), just Pop is a larger resort overall.

To us, walking around and seeing all the differently themed All-Star buildings was really fun.

Good luck, I know it's a hard choice...

 

[jbehr12]

Movies is great if you want something extremely Disney themed. It’s usually cheaper than Pop and I prefer the food at Movies to any of the other values besides AoA.

 

[armerida]

Thanks for all the responses!

 

[mkb3]

So I'm looking at these two for our upcoming trip as well. My biggest concern is noise. I've never visited an All Star Hotels, but I heard they are all pretty loud. Is this true for Movies as well?

 

[BelleBriarRose]

TBH I think all the value resorts are going to be kind of loud, just because they tend to attract families. When I stayed at Pop Century our room was sort of near the pool (not facing the pool, just in an adjacent building) and it was pretty loud except at night. If you are only using the resort as a place to sleep at night after a day at the parks, as we were, that's fine, but if you're looking to spend more time at your hotel it's just something to be aware of.

 

[armerida]

So I'm looking at these two for our upcoming trip as well. My biggest concern is noise. I've never visited an All Star Hotels, but I heard they are all pretty loud. Is this true for Movies as well?

So we have stayed many times at AoA in the Mermaid section and it's been very quiet (we always request top floor lake view). When we stayed at Pop, we were on the 3rd floor facing the lake in 60's. it was noticeably louder, which may have been from having neighbors above, and noise coming through the connecting door from our neighbors next door. Plumbing noises were also much louder (toilets, showers, etc.). I'm wondering as well since Movies is an older resort if the rooms are less soundproofed.

 

[isabellea]

I prefer Movies to Pop so my choice would be ASMo. In fact, it’s probably the only value I woukd go back if I couldn’t afford a stay at a moderate.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Between the two I definitely prefer Pop Century. I like the cafe & gift shop better....I also love that its a combo and not separated. I love being able to walk over to AoA. Its nice to have the AoA food court near by. Love their offerings.

Movies is nice too, but I like Pop better. In terms of price, its interesting because i've often seen Movies on par with Pop prices for some reason. Given the choice pop would definitely win here.

Not sure if the prices would increase once the gondola is open, but i imagine pop will definitely be more popular once it is running.

 

[eagle1992]

I've never been to All Stars but the two queen beds vs two double beds (not to mention refurbished), as well as the dedicated bus line pushes POP over the top for me...

I think you are going to get a different answer from everyone based on tastes, experiences, etc. There really is no wrong choice...it's Disney after all.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I've never been to All Stars but the two queen beds vs two double beds (not to mention refurbished), as well as the dedicated bus line pushes POP over the top for me...

I think you are going to get a different answer from everyone based on tastes, experiences, etc. There really is no wrong choice...it's Disney after all.

This is one of the reasons why I like Pop more. The past couple of times i've stayed at Movies i've had to share the bus with the other two all stars a few times. It was honestly a pain.

 

[armerida]

This is one of the reasons why I like Pop more. The past couple of times i've stayed at Movies i've had to share the bus with the other two all stars a few times. It was honestly a pain.

The shared buses is one of the main deterrents for me, although I’ve read they only share during off hours/in the middle of the day. Also, we love the convenience of being able to take the Pop or AoA bus, whichever comes first. Although I guess we could do that amongst the 3 All Stars too, not sure how far of a walk it is from the other 2 to Movies.

 

[JennyDrake]

Pop has 1,000 more rooms so potentially 1,000-2,000 more guests. The lake is LOVELY, no doubt! But I'll take All Star movies for smaller size, great Disney theming.

 

[DeanDoug]

I prefer POP for the bus alone!

 

[angelmav]

We can actually stay at ASMovies for less than Shades of Green, would be great for the ME plus free bands, just not sure how good the sleep will be there, though it is the 6 year olds preference. Looking late Sep early October so possible low crowds. Debating debating...

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

Any feedback would be appreciated. Wasn't factoring in the Skyliner because I don't think that will be open in September. Thanks!

What did you end up deciding? I am thinking about going in September as well and looking at these two resorts!