Trying to travel to Disney while balancing a budget might not be easy. We get it. Fortunately, Disney provides a handful of “value” hotels. Now, I know what you are thinking. “Value hotel” doesn’t sound like somewhere you’d want to stay with the kids. To put it simply, it might be the only place you’d want to stay. All Star Resorts are home to three exceptional hotels; Sports, Music, and Movies. Personally, All Star Movies are my all time favorite for so many reasons. For $200 (on a busy week) and lower, All-Star Movies ensures a little more magic. I have even been able to get a room here for as low as $80 a night with a special email and coupon I received directly from Disney.
Lobby at All Star Movies
Disney resort or Hollywood Blvd? When arriving at the lobby for All Star Movies, guests are welcomed in by a red carpet. Smile for the camera! If you love Hollywood and the movies like I do, you will swoon over the walk from the lobby to the pool. There are photos of legendary movies lining the wall. One even starring Walt Disney himself! Remember when I said you are definitely going to want to stay with the kids? Exhibit A. There is a huge arcade located right behind the lobby, next to an extra large cafeteria. Not mention a mini theater where the kids can watch a movie while you check in! The real treat is what is next.
Movie Sets at All Star Movies
My favorite part about checking into the Movies hotel is the anticipation of what movie set you will be staying in. After you pass the enormous Fantasia pool, you’ll be greeted to your special set. The movies that the resort has available are:
- Toy Story
- Love Bug
- 101 Dalmatians
- Mighty Ducks
- Fantasia
Here, you leave the world behind and have a chance to enter your favorite movies. Larger than life figures soar in the sky bringing so much excitement and magic to your adventure! During my numerous stays at the Movies resort, I have stayed in Toy Story, 101 Dalmatians, and Love Bug.
A little tip when you book your stay, request Toy Story. I promise you will not regret it. Toy Story is particularly magic because you literally are in Andy’s room. You shrink down to toy size and see what it would be like. Say “Hi” to Buzz and Woody for us! But that isn’t all. You can meet Pongo, Perdita, Herbie and Sorcerer Mickey!
Inside the Rooms at All Star Movies
There are nearly 2,000 rooms throughout this hotel and every single one is simply perfect. Recently, a few buildings have undergone room renovations. The first section of the resort to undergo work was the Toy Story buildings. During my last trip, I was fortunate enough to stay at this brand new room.
Typical rooms in the hotel are according to the movie theme. They are super cute with all the accommodations guests would need. This includes extra pillows and blankets, towels, a mini refrigerator, and a table and chairs. Standard rooms have plenty of space for bags and merch, of course. There is a banner running across the top of the wall representing all the movies that are used for the resort, and a bathroom privacy shade that has your select characters. It was a very playful look and had so much character.
The new rooms, however, are more modern. I liked them but personally was not a fan of the fact that it pretty much has nothing to do with movies. The only “movie” thing about the rooms is the picture of the new Minnie, Mickey, and Donald (Which I don’t like, I might add). I was fascinated by the look of the bathrooms. Adulthood. With extra storage, a brand new tub and a glass shower door instead of a curtain, plus so much more. All I can say is these rooms are beautifully done. A little more Hollywood would have been the perfect touch.
Extra Magic
I hope I amazed you. There are activities, movies and pool fun held at this resort. From sunrise yoga to sunset movies, they have it all. Like all other resorts, there are well-organized bus stops in the front of the building. Forgot to buy that mug in the Emporium? Pop into the lobby gift shop on your way home. All-star resorts are more than affordable, offer outstanding events, and is a ton of fun for the whole family. Like I said, Disney on a budget may be hard, but be sure to check out our article Best Ways to Keep Your Disney Vacation Under Budget. Thanks for reading!
Hi Mousketeers! I am 20 “ears” old and have been going to the parks since I was two. Each time I’m there, I learn new things. Just like yours, my world revolves around Mickey, so a New York girl traveling to Florida as much as possible may seem crazy, but it’s very much worth it. WDW Vacation Tips is the perfect outlet to gain fast and reliable knowledge for your upcoming trip to the parks. Whether it’s your first or one hundred and first visit to Walt Disney World, there is plenty to know before you go. Stop by and read some articles so you can experience the magic in a whole new way!
PegP
Wednesday 9th of January 2019
This is the only resort we've stayed in at Disney that we absolutely would never ever stay at again. I couldn't wait to check out and move to a different resort! We arrived on a Wednesday and were out of there by Sunday morning.
I paid for a preferred room and requested a room close to the lobby and transportation. I even explained why - I am disabled and can't walk that much, especially after walking a Disney park. While I realize that requests aren't guaranteed, I've never had a problem until this resort. And I'd made the requests many months before arrival, so it shouldn't have been an issue with already paying for preferred room. But, no, we were in a room about as far from the lobby as a room could get and still be 'preferred.'
Check-in time is at 3:00 but our room wasn't ready for us until almost 4:00. We've never even come close to getting our room that late at any other Disney resort we'd ever stayed at. But you'd best be out of the room by 11:00 sharp or they're knocking on your door at about 10:50. I'm serious. They actually came to the room and fussed at us because we hadn't checked out yet.
And the rooms! We had a connecting door and could hear EVERYTHING the people in the next room said. Word for word. One day they got into a fight. The woman was throwing the F word out every other word. After 30 minutes, I called the front desk. The phone's on the other side of the room and the woman at the front desk could even hear the yelling and slamming of doors. They would have switched us rooms, but there weren't any available. So I stayed in fear of what might blow in the room next to mine and what my kids might witness. And then we went to Saratoga Springs.
NEVER AGAIN!