Value Resorts - need opinions on each

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

My DH and I are in our 30's and have no children. We usually stay at CSR which we love. However on our next trip we won't be at Disney every day and were thinking about staying at CSR on the days we'd be at Disney and then off property for the days we wouldn't be.

Someone suggested staying at a value. My DH and I don't get up early - usually 8. We don't want to be disturbed by kids that are screaming and yelling at 6 in the morning.

Is it a good idea for us to stay at a value then?

If so which is your favorite? WHY?

I've never been to a value resort. So any info about them would be great. Pro's and Con's of each.

Thanks everyone for your help!:thumbsup:

[biodtl]

We have stayed at AS Movies and AS Sports and they were both great. Movies is a little better for us, since it is more classic Disney themed. I'd happily stay in any value.

Obviously, the biggest benefit is the cost. There is a pretty big gap between value prices and Mod/Deluxe prices. We are trying a deluxe for the first time this fall, and while I look forward to it, I'd be perfectly content in a value.

I have never had a problem with noise, other than DD's horrible snoring!

[JerseyDad]

.....POP has been our resort of choice for all but one (1) trip to WDW.

We stayed at ASM on our second trip of 2004..but only because it was a last minute trip and POP was booked up solid. With that comparison, we've decided to book our stays at POP from then on. We like the resort for its colorful theming....it's transportation (no shared bus route with other resorts)....and, despite many people's not so favorable opinion related to the dining there...we like the food court. It just feels like a very "family" place to us.

[WonderlandsMostWanted]

I was just at Pop this past December for my 29th birthday, no kids, and we slept in every day. (even the days I didn't really want/intend to!) We were there for almost 2 weeks and had no problems at all with noise.

We stayed in the 70's section, just off to the left of the main building, (if you're facing it) with a room that faced in to the courtyard. It was perfect for us, as though it was maybe a 3-4 minute walk to the food court/desk/gift shop area, we could walk right along hte edge of the parking lot, and right to the busses, without going through the main building at all, in about 2 minutes, tops. At the end of a long day at the parks, it was nice to be able to walk straight "home" so quickly.

I'm sure that facing the courtyard, and being away from the pools, playgrounds and parking lot helped with the noise levels (or lack there of) but I never felt that the resort was overly noisy at any time during our stay.

I haven't stayed at a moderate resort before, but other than a few nights of thinking it'd be lovely to have a hot tub, I've never felt that I was missing anything at a value, or that as an adult with no children, I was out of place. I particularly enjoyed Pop Century. I think you'd be just fine at a Value. For myself, I know I'd rather stay on Disney property, knowing the level of customer service I can expect, than take my chances off site any day.

[Floridian Yeti]

I'd have to echo a lot of the comments above - I prefer POP, with ASM as my second choice. We've stayed at moderates and deluxes as well, but, unless you plan on spending a lot of time at the resort (which I would prefer, but my kids have other opinions)...well, you know the rest.

I think the POP food court is fine, and I don't really recall any noise at all. Of course, when you stumble into bed at 11, after completing the Epcot Death march, how hard is it to get to sleep anyway?

[KylesMom]

We've stayed in three of the Values (Sports, Movies & Music) and I would have to say our favorite was movies due to the theming and quietness - we were in the Dalmatians building with a room facing outside the courtyard & never heard a peep. All Star Sports was by far the loudest, we were in the Surf's Up building.

I will say that it is definitely a different atmosphere than, say, Caribbean Beach which was our first and only moderate. If the cash is a really serious consideration for you then I would definitely recommend Values. However, if you're looking for a way to save a few bucks but could afford CSR, I'd stick with it. I remember your first post, so I'm not going to suggest a split stay since it really wouldn't pay off for you.

[GrmGrninGost]

We've stayed at all of them and I've never had a problem. However, I do prefer the POP slightly over the others. I would not hesitate for a moment to stay at any of them again! They are fun! :mickey:

[RocknRoller94]

I prefer the pop for the food courts (ICEE dispensers!!!) and the landscape (lots of green!!:), however, if you can stay at a moderate or better, its worth it! Rooms are smaller at the value, and the service is not as good (No food service to your room besides pizza delivery, tranportation not as fast, etc.). However, value resorts are clean and very nice compared to Motel 8 or someyhing like that.

[crazeedizneefinatic]

When we do stay at a value we like POP the best. No particular reason except themeing and it does seem cleaner than the others. The bus system seems better too.

If you want quiet I would not recommend a value. It's okay if you are traveling with small children or family but if it's just the two of you I would reconsider. It seems the values are very small, the grounds are not spread out and sometimes the noise levels are crazy. I am not knocking the values and I am not a resort snob, believe me we have stayed there to save a few bucks but if the choice is there choose the moderate for better atmosphere.

Have fun!

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

I am always the oddball with this question..lol. We were not fans of Pop. The resort is huge! No, the buses do not share with other resorts but, Pop is so big that you still have very busy buses.
The food court was very busy at all times of our stay. However, we were there in September when Free Dining was being offered.
We were just not thrilled with the resort itself. Our room was clean and the CM's were great though.
We loved our stays at Movies the four times we stayed there. Maybe we were lucky but, we never shared buses with the other Values on any of our trips. We think the theming is great and the food court as good options.
I will second another poster that said none of the Value's will really be quiet. But, the noise was never an issue when we stayed at either resort.
Have a great trip!!

[Mickey91]

We love everything about the Pop!!

[mainemajor]

I think Pop is the best and would be my first choice of values to stay at. There is so much to do all around the resort. I prefered Music to sports. I have not stayed at Movies so I can not rate it.

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

We stayed at ASMu on our honeymoon in 2003 and had a great time. We stayed at POP last September... and are going back again this September because our kids loved it. I thought both were wonderful.. POP seems a little more crowded.. but both are very fun places to be

[momof3+twins]

We have stayed at Music, Movies and Sports.
Movies and music are quiet except for Grad nights. They tend to come in late.
Sports was very loud until midnight or so.
But, none were loud in the morning, except maybe toliets!:D

[Jasminegirlsmom]

Stay at the Pop. It's great. We've stayed there several times and love it. It's small enough that you don't feel over crowded. We sleep in just about every day (we're NOT morning people) and we've never had any problem with noise.:mickey:

[Buttercup]

#1. POP - it's newer, has it's own bus line, good sized food court and gift shop.
#2. ALL STAR MOVIES - it's fun, has a good sized food court and gift shop, but you've got to share the bus line.
#3. ALL STAR MUSIC - it's good theming, but it's small, the food court isn't very big, you've got to share the bus line.
#4. ALL STAR SPORTS - haven't stayed there yet but it's basically the "other half" of AS Music, so I assume it feels small too.

[Speedy1998]

Themeing at Movies is the best, POP generally has the best layout (Though personnally, I prefer the gift shop and food courts at movies better).

Also one thing of note while the All-star resorts do share the buses, they only share buses when the parks are slow, or during the middle of the day. Generally when the "rush hours" occur the all-stars each have their own bus.

[BelleBeauty]

I highly recommend POP. Traveling without children (and with siblings who get cranky when they don't get their beauty rest), we've never had a problem with noise. The last trip we requested the back side of the 50s Jukebox building at the suggestion of Intercotees. If you request a room on the third or fourth floor near the lake, you will also get a view of Spacehsip Earth in the distance. The bowling pin pool closes early (maybe around 10) and being on the back side of the building we really had no noise at all - rarely even saw people coming and going.

[DDBird]

We have always liked ASSports. We found that on the ground floor the maid service in the golf carts always woke us when we stayed on the ground floor. On the other floors we never had a problem.

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

Thanks everyone for all the great information!

I do have one last question. If you stay on the upper floors do they have elevators?

[Marker]

Ok, I voted for POP, but honestly, I don't really see but a thimble-ful of difference. I think Sports is my least favorite, again, not my much of a margin.

I guess I just like being at WDW regardless of where I'm sleeping.

[Floridian Yeti]

I do have one last question. If you stay on the upper floors do they have elevators?
Yes they do:thumbsup:
Have a super trip -- I'll be at POP in just...seventeen days!

[cal5755]

Yes they have elevators.

We like Movies best. Pop is good too and so is music. We just like the theming at Movies better as well as gift shop and food court. The only thing we wish it had that Pop does have is the coke slushies in the food court.

[lightyearfan]

me and dw voted for All Stars Music, because it just seems a little more quieter than Movies. we stayed at Movies in 06, and although the themeing was great it just more more noise than our past 2 trips staying at Music,

other than that it's just a matter of preference, if you prefer the movie theme or music theme, i'm more of a music man myself, All Star Sports seems to be the craziest of the 3, there just seems to be more going on at that resort with team sports and i've read that it is the most noisest of the 3 Values, i haven't stayed at Pop so i can't help there.

Hope this helps

Victor

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

me and dw voted for All Stars Music, because it just seems a little more quieter than Movies. we stayed at Movies in 06, and although the themeing was great it just more more noise than our past 2 trips staying at Music,

other than that it's just a matter of preference, if you prefer the movie theme or music theme, i'm more of a music man myself, All Star Sports seems to be the craziest of the 3, there just seems to be more going on at that resort with team sports and i've read that it is the most noisest of the 3 Values, i haven't stayed at Pop so i can't help there.

Hope this helps

Victor

I've had other people say the same thing. That the quietest resort was Music, followed by Movies. And that Sports is loudest. I really like the Movies theming....I'd probably like Music more if I didn't live in a city where I see music related stuff all the time. Sports is definitely ruled out.

Is there a building that everyone recommends at the other 3? I've heard that at Music - country is the quietest....but I see that everyday....any others? At Movies - Herbie is the quietest.....but how is Might Ducks? As you can see I love hockey. And I haven't heard anything about POP. What's everyone think?

[Taja]

A vote for Pop Century!

Of course, it's the only value resort I've stayed at--four times! As much as I like the deluxe and moderate resorts, PC meets my basic resort requirements--unless I'm pampering myself.

Morning noise--or any noise, for that matter--hasn't been an issue for us. My friend is a very light sleeper--and we tend to get moving rather late, particularly at the beginning of a WDW visit (time zone issues). She has had no problems sleeping at PC.

If you want to ensure a quieter area, ask for an upper floor away from the pools. My friend really likes an area at the back of the resort--not sure if it's 80s or 70s, but it's at the very back. I like the 50s--a shade less walking after a long day in the parks! She had no problems with noise in either location.

[Vinny]

I've had other people say the same thing. That the quietest resort was Music, followed by Movies. And that Sports is loudest. I really like the Movies theming....I'd probably like Music more if I didn't live in a city where I see music related stuff all the time. Sports is definitely ruled out.

Is there a building that everyone recommends at the other 3? I've heard that at Music - country is the quietest....but I see that everyday....any others? At Movies - Herbie is the quietest.....but how is Might Ducks? As you can see I love hockey. And I haven't heard anything about POP. What's everyone think?

POP is our favorite value resort as well. We have stayed there on our last several WDW trips. We stayed in the 50's section the first time but while we did like theme, we found this section a little too far of a walk to the main building. We have stayed in the 70's section on every trip since, either the one with the large Big Wheel or Mickey telephone (don't remember the building number offhand). We have not had any issues with noise in the morning or night time and it is a nice, short walk to the main hall/food court. As others have noted and I have experienced, the food court can be busy at times but that is true of almost all dining areas in WDW. When we do eat meals at POP we always try to get there about an hour after the peak dining time. Have a great time!!

[lightyearfan]

Is there a building that everyone recommends at the other 3? I've heard that at Music - country is the quietest....

well when we were at the ASMO we were in the Mighty Ducks section and it was really cool being a big hockey fan myself(NYR),at Music we've stayed in Jazz Inn+Broadway and both were really quiet and really nice.

on a hockey note that was a great Preds game the other night, you and i both have big games to watch tonite i don't want to go back to NJ tied 2-2 . good luck tonite

Victor

[lighteningqueen]

We stayed at Music in the Calypso building family suites 3rd floor facing the pool. We never heard a noise one,,, I think staying up on the 3rd is better because you don't get the walk by noise. Yes, there are elevators and a cart to take your bags up the first time and to leave. made it nice... I would never pay to stay anything higher, because this hotel room was great, colorful and the buses were quick. Plus the 2 baths and 2 tvs and the bedroom and kitchenette are worth it. Even if my husband and I go without the dd,dsl,dgrandson we would book the suites.. Nice to be able to come in and sit on a chair couch etc than a bed. 3rd floor as well

[msc_idiot]

When we stayed at the AS Sports in February we had a problem with noise at night (most nights past midnight) but I think that was aggravated by the fact that thousands of cheerleaders were in town for a competition, and we were in the Surf's Up building 6. But the upside was that the resort was all but dead in the mornings (except the food court) so you can sleep in with no problem. And it wasn't that much of an issue at night because we were so tired after spending the day in the park that we couldn't keep our eyes open.

I'll be staying at the Pop in December, so I'm really glad to hear such great reviews!

[joonyer]

The 3 All-Stars and Pop having different theming, but overall they are about the same kind of hotel. All-Stars are three different hotels on one site, so there is some bus sharing, but as far as convenience during your stay, (noise level, # of families with kids, food choices, etc.) there is not that much difference. Stay in a building farther away form the main building and pools for more quiet.

[MOJoe]

I had never tried a value until this month. My family just spent a week at ASMusic and loved it. We found the differences between the values and mods to be subtle, not striking. And i think others will agree with me on the following points, regardless of the resort.

If saving money is important, do not hesitate to stay at a value.
If you spend nearly all your time at the parks, a value is perfect.
If you like to eat dinner somewhere besides your resort, a value fits the bill.

The moderate resorts seem less crowded.
A mod provides a more "adult" and somewhat more relaxing atmosphere.
A mod has more ammenities and entertainment options.

Only you know what you are looking for in a vacation. Anyone can say, "Oh pick my favorite!" But if you match your needs with the right resort category, you will be satisfied.

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

Thanks everyone!

We decided to give POP a try. We spend most of our time at the parks and DD. I contacted MJ to book the trip and am following everyone recommendations for upper floor and requesting a quiet building.

This trip we wanted to try the DDP deluxe and figured we'd use the money we are saving from the room to give it a try. Looking forward to a different resort and lots of new restaurants.

[lightyearfan]

I had never tried a value until this month. My family just spent a week at ASMusic and loved it. We found the differences between the values and mods to be subtle, not striking. And i think others will agree with me on the following points, regardless of the resort.

If saving money is important, do not hesitate to stay at a value.
If you spend nearly all your time at the parks, a value is perfect.
If you like to eat dinner somewhere besides your resort, a value fits the bill.

The moderate resorts seem less crowded.
A mod provides a more "adult" and somewhat more relaxing atmosphere.
A mod has more ammenities and entertainment options.

Only you know what you are looking for in a vacation. Anyone can say, "Oh pick my favorite!" But if you match your needs with the right resort category, you will be satisfied.

perfectly said, me and dw couldn't agree more

Victor

[Hull-onian]

My DH and I are in our 30's and have no children. We usually stay at CSR which we love. However on our next trip we won't be at Disney every day and were thinking about staying at CSR on the days we'd be at Disney and then off property for the days we wouldn't be.

Someone suggested staying at a value. My DH and I don't get up early - usually 8. We don't want to be disturbed by kids that are screaming and yelling at 6 in the morning.

Is it a good idea for us to stay at a value then?

If so which is your favorite? WHY?

I've never been to a value resort. So any info about them would be great. Pro's and Con's of each.

Thanks everyone for your help!:thumbsup:


We stayed at POP. Had no choice. Room location was sort of a walk to the food court. Further to the bus. Food court had a sour odor to it. We took our food poolside to eat it. For an all around good resort go to All Star Sports. We got a room in Surfs Up, courtyard side. It was room number 1150 first floor. Extremely quiet for the amount of teenagers that was there for grad weekend. Four days before we went there, I faxed the room assigner and requested it and got my request. Disney Magic. Food Court was excellent. Concierge was very helpful. I think it is a good choice.