Disney’s All-Star Movies is the quintessential Disney Value resort. For this reason, most people find its offerings to be a fair deal for the cost to stay here. It is not the most luxurious of Disney hotels by any means, but you will get what you need for a fair price. In this review I first want to lay out everything that this resort has to offer. There are many things that the resort does and doesn’t offer that could make or break your decision to stay here. However, if you’ve looked into or stayed at an All-Star resort before, there will be no surprises here. Finally I’m going to give my take on the things I personally love about this resort, as well as the things that drive me crazy.
Overview:
All-Star Movies is the last of the three All-Star resorts, and one of the five Value resorts on property. And given the All-Star prefix, it follows the cookie cutter attributes of the other hotels: Your room will be located in one of five sections: 101 Dalmatians, The Mighty Ducks, Fantasia, Herbie the Love Bug, or Toy Story. Each of these sections has two large buildings with a central courtyard decorated with large mannequins and colorful signs (think route 66 roadside attractions meet Disney.) The resort is very large with multiple buildings, so naturally you will be walking outside to reach your destination. The Toy Story section is the section closest to the lobby and is also home to the pool. In addition to the main pool, there is a small pool for younger kids on the side, and a smaller bar for their parents. An additional “quiet pool” is available in the Mighty Ducks section. But, since it is a Value resort, no hot tub. Sorry.
The main building, which includes the lobby, food court, gift shop, and arcade, acts as the terminal for the hotel. All-Star Movies offers no table service restaurant, but the food court has a fairly wide assortment of quick-service offerings, including burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and other snacks. In-room Pizza delivery is also available for guests. For guests relying on Walt Disney World’s bus transportation, you will have to travel to the main building to reach the resort’s only bus stop. Otherwise there are parking lots nearby each section. If you are using the bus system, don’t worry. Even from the farthest room, it is only about a 10 minute walk to the buses.
The All-Star Resorts are all grouped together in one location. This means that it is possible to walk from one resort to the other, but it can be a bit of a hike to walk all the way across. For example, the resorts are placed in this order: All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, and then All-Star Movies. So if you’re at Magic Kingdom waiting for your bus and you see Music’s come along, it would be entirely possible to hop on Music’s bus and walk over to Movies if you’re so inclined.
NThere’s definitely a few good reasons not to do this. Depending on how fast you walk and how far your room is, it could be more efficient to just wait for the bus. But it is possible.
Speaking of Magic Kingdom, the All-Star resorts are treacherously far from that area; it can be a bit of a drive no matter your means of transportation. They’re fairly isolated, no boat access, no monorails… only road access. But on the bright side, they’re very close to Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach.
Bedding arrangements can vary but every room is about the same size. Behind a curtain in the back of the room is a sink, as well as a small amount of storage space a safe. The bathrooms have just enough room for a tub and a toilet.
NOTE: The rooms are undergoing a resort-wide update. Our stay took place before the refurbishment began.
Let’s talk money. Like I’ve said, the All-Star Resorts are Value resorts, so they’re on the cheaper side of the spectrum. All-Star Movies ranges from $112-$217 per night for a standard room, depending on the time of year. In the off-season I’ve seen the prices go as low as $90 with a good discount. In the summer, its typically around $170. Always check for discounts on both Disney’s official site and other re-sellers.
My take:
Of the All-Star resorts, this one is my favorite. I think the theming is the most accessible and is a more naturally fun fit than the other two. It is good that they’er finally updating the rooms, because they felt horribly outdated: the wallpaper and carpeting are dissonant to the eyes. I’ve never stayed at a single room at any of the All-Stars that didn’t have a wobbly power outlet. I guarantee you’ll spend 10 minutes plugging your cellphone charger into all the sockets until you finally discover one that holds, as long as you don’t jump to hard. How they’ve gone this long without fixing this, I have no idea. The theming for the hotel overall just needs a change. I don’t think kids these days really care much about Herbie the Love Bug, or even really know those movies exist at all, but I could be wrong. But this resort has a lot of potential, and it’s an easy fix.
So whether or not to stay here will come down to what benefits you’re looking for. Trying to plan this trip on a budget? Maybe you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a fancy hotel, just a place to sleep. Good, you’re looking in the perfect spot. If you have a little more money to work with, I’d encourage you to check out the other Value hotels at least. But otherwise, this hotel is fundamentally the same as the other All-Stars. So maybe the real selling point is The Mighty Ducks.
