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DISNEY’S ALL-STAR MUSIC RESORT FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS

I’ve stayed at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort six times among my 30+ stays at Disney World’s value resorts (so far), most recently in January 2018.

These stays confirm that All-Star Music, although it’s my own personal favorite among the value resorts, is the lowest-ranked value resort for first time family visitors to Walt Disney World.

You can have a wonderful visit at any Walt Disney World resort hotel.

However, this site recommends that first time visitors to Walt Disney World who can afford it should stay at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, a deluxe resort, and that those who can’t should stay at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, a value resort.

(It also suggests that first time visitors should avoid the moderate resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first. See this for why.)

Compared to other Walt Disney World owned and operated resorts, the value resorts are distinguished by having the lowest prices and smallest standard rooms.

You likely will never stay in a hotel with smaller 2-bed rooms.

Like most other standard rooms at the value resorts, standard rooms in All-Star Music sleep four in two full-size beds, plus one more, younger than three, in a crib; the crib fits best between the dresser and the closet wall. (Refurbed rooms at Pop Century have queen beds, not full beds.)

However, if your family will fit, Disney’s All-Star Music resort, like the other value resorts, has much more kid appeal than the moderate resorts, the next higher price class (about twice as expensive, but with much bigger rooms and nicer landscaping).

Moreover, All-Star Music is one of two value resorts (Art of Animation is the other) that also offers family suites–spaces twice as big as standard rooms, that sleep 6.

For a detailed review of the All-Star Music family suites, and a comparison to other large family options including at Art of Animation, see The Family Suites at All-Star Music.

(See this for much more on resort distinctions by price class–value, moderate, deluxe, etc.)

Compared to staying off-site, the value resorts are distinguished by their higher kid appeal, convenience, and access to certain key perks that off-site hotels can’t provide.

Note that the long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at All-Star Music or anywhere else–contact her at at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

DISNEY’S ALL-STAR MUSIC RESORT

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience.

On this basis, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort is the fifth best value resort for first time family visitors.

Kid Appeal. Several of the deluxe resorts–notably, the Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Polynesian Resort–have spectacular kid appeal. None of the moderates do.

All of the value resorts–Disney’s Art of Animation resort, Disney’s All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, and All-Star Movies, and its Pop Century resort–have terrific kid appeal.

This appeal comes from the approach to theming they all share: bright and vibrant exteriors, framing much larger than life objects of interest to kids–like the cowboy boots in the image above from the Country Inn area of All-Star Music

These objects reinforce that these resorts were designed for the sake of kids…and not necessarily for adults!

Of these, Disney’s All-Star Music is the least kid-appealing. (Art of Animation has the most kid appeal.)

All-Star Music’s theme is…music.

Its ten three-story buildings (all with elevators) are grouped into five areas, each area themed after a musical genre (two buildings each): rock, jazz, calypso, Broadway, and country.

This musical theme is less about Disney than the movies theme at All-Star Movies, and less broadly interesting to kids than the sports theme at All-Star Sports.

(I do have to note that All-Star Music overall has the simplest layout among the values. Moreover, the area between the two pools, flanked by the Jazz buildings, is the loveliest space in the values. The photo at right hints at this, but does not do it justice.)

Convenience. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort is the least convenient of the Value resorts.

During some slower periods, the three All-Star Resorts share buses, except for the Magic Kingdom, to which each has its own bus.

When operating, shared buses stop first at Sports, second at Music, and last at Movies.

What this means for Music is that other than to the Magic Kingdom, all your buses in both directions have at least one more stop besides Music itself.

For shared buses, at Sports, you are the first stop back; at Movies, the last stop out.  At Music, neither.  This is why I rank it least convenient.

Best places to stay at All Star Music. This site suggests that first time visitors stay in standard rooms, and not specially seek preferred rooms (because they won’t be spending much time in their rooms, or going to the main resort food area often).

The single exception is visitors to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, who should always pay for savanna views.

Disney’s All-Star Music Resort is divided into five areas.

See the map for the general layout (as always on this site, click it to enlarge it).

Of these areas, a third floor room in buildings 7 or 8, the Broadway Hotel, is the best place to stay.

Music has the same problem the other values do: it can be packed with teenagers who are at Walt Disney World as part of a tournament or other sports event.

As a result, the resort can be very loud and boisterous. Buildings around the pools are particularly so.

At All-Star Music, buildings 1 and 10 (the Calypso area) frame the main pool, and should be avoided.  These are also two of the four “preferred” buildings–the other two are the two Jazz Inn buildings, 2 and 9, which I used to recommend before they were designated as “preferred.” (Note that Disney changes these designations from time to time–if Jazz is available to you, take it.)

Because of the layout of All-Star Music, no other buildings frame a pool, but many rooms are close to pools.

Of the six non-preferred buildings, all are about an equal walk from the shops, dining, transportation and main pool. The Broadway Hotel and Rock Inn have more convenient parking, but the parking lot near the Rock Inn is commonly used as a staging area for noisy youth groups (see above, taken from outside my room at the Rock Inn.  So pick the Broadway Hotel if you have a car, and either it or the Country Fair if  you don’t.

Ask for the third floor because it is also the top floor, which makes it quieter.

BEST FOR:

Families than cannot afford a deluxe resort, or who are otherwise on a tight budget, who can fit into its small rooms, and find the Music noted an attractive theme.  Larger families looking for value prices.

WORST FOR:

Families who are tall or otherwise won’t fit into full-size beds, or who have more than two adult-sized people, or who will be using a crib.

The long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at All-Star Music or anywhere else–contact her at at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499, or use the form on this page.

PHOTO TOUR OF A STANDARD ROOM AT ALL-STAR MUSIC

This review continues here. 

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S ALL-STAR MUSIC RESORT

• Overview of All-Star Music
• Photo Tour of a Standard Room at All-Star Music
• The Family Suites at All-Star Music
• Photo Tour of a Family Suite at All-Star Music
• The Themed Areas of All-Star Music
• Amenities at All-Star Music
• The Pools at All-Star Music

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MORE FREE DINING FOOLISHNESS

My post last week where, inspired by my conversations with the Mysterious “B” about the recent flood of free dining pin codes, I inched back a bit from my prediction that we won’t see general public free dining in 2013 after September, has gotten a lot of reaction.

See for example this disboards thread starting at the bottom of the page on post number 2055, and of course the comments on the page itself, most fascinating, a few foolish.

I still don’t think we’ll see general public free dining after September, but I am not so firm on it as I had been, thanks to the delay in MyMagic+ and the resulting shortage of anything interesting for Disney World marketing to talk about to engender bookings in the non-holiday weeks of the fourth quarter of 2013.

What we are seeing, though, is a spate of pin codes, with word of more rounds of pin codes to come, a lot of hints dropped by Disney World cast members about upcoming deals (these hints could be referring to room rate deals, or free dining, or both), and some really interesting ways that people are getting pin codes.

HOW TO GET A WALT DISNEY WORLD PIN CODE

[Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JUNE 29, 2013 TO JULY 7, 2013

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the table, but organized by park, not by topic.

This will be the busiest week of the summer at Walt Disney World, thanks to the 4th of July holiday. For more on the Fourth of July celebrations at Disney World, see this.

(And for more on June 2013 at Walt Disney World, see this, and for more on July, see this.)

[Read more →]

MORE FREE DINING AT DISNEY WORLD IN 2013?

So I’ve forecast a number of times—most recently here—that I don’t expect to see any generally available free dining in 2013 beyond the current deal for September.

But the possibility that we won’t see Fastpass+ until January 2014 has me re-thinking this a little.

Not much.  Just a little.

There’s several possibilities, all framed around how well bookings for October to mid-December are already going:

• Bookings for October to mid-December are going fine (which is still my guess, based on how strong attendance has been so far this year): if so, then no more free dining
• Bookings for then are running a little behind expectations: then expansion of the current individualized pin-code offer, probably around 8/1
• Bookings for then are running a lot behind expectations: then expansion of the pin-code offer, possibly well before 8/1, and also a limited general public free dining deal, probably after August 6th

Here’s why I think this.

THE LOGIC OF MORE DISNEY WORLD FREE DINING IN 2013 [Read more →]

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Polynesian Resort, see this)

THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

Note: Guests in the Disney Vacation Club spaces at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are eligible for Disney World’s Early Entry program, and have the ability to pre-book as early as  seven days before check-in Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass rides. They are also eligible for its Extended Evening Hours.

Disney Vacation Club Studios and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort opened to the general public in April 2015.

There’s two types of spaces here, Studios and Bungalows. These spaces can be booked by anyone like any other DIsney World offering–you don’t have to be a DVC member to book them.

Studios at the Polynesian are a little different than other DVC studios.  The Bungalows are unlike anything else except the Cabins at Copper Creek.

There’s no traditional one or two bedroom villas present at the Polynesian or in any announced plans.

I have photo tours of both Polynesian Village offerings on this site, so you could just skip to those:

• Photo tour of a Studio at The Polynesian
• Photo tour of a Bungalow at the Polynesian 

Otherwise, here’s some thoughts on them.

STUDIOS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS

Studios at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (“PVB”) sleep five in a queen bed, fold-out couch, and fold-down bed.

Besides normal deluxe room accoutrements, they—like other DVC studios—also include a mini-kitchen, with the same coffee-maker and mini-fridge as in other deluxe rooms, but also with a small sink, toaster, microwave, and a few eating utensils.

There’s a couple of distinctive features of these studios compared to other DVC studios.

First, you can book them as connecting rooms—most other DVC Studios only connect to (more expensive) One Bedroom Villas.

Second, their capacity for five is currently rare among studios—but becoming more common. Right now, only Studios at Disney’s Riviera Resort, the Villas at the Grand Floridian, BoardWalk Villas, Beach Club Villas, and Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge also sleep five.

Third, the baths are distinct. Like the Studios at the Grand Floridian and Riviera, there’s both a sink and shower space and also a separate tub and toilet space. However, the baths at PVB add a sink to the tub and toilet space, yielding one full bath and a second bath with shower and sink. Add the third sink just outside in the mini-kitchen area, and your family will have every chance to be very clean.

Fourth, at 465 square feet (the size of the rooms they were converted from), these Studios are the largest among the DVC Studio offerings.

This is a mostly a function of extra width—about 14’ 3” compared to, for example, the Studios at Grand Floridian at 12’ 9” wide. About 50 square feet comes from that difference.

Much of the rest of the extra space is dedicated to the bath and hallway, rather than to the living space, which is wide but short.

As a result of these and other design choices, there’s no room for a dresser. Work at it and you can find probably enough storage in various points across a Studio…but less bath and more dresser would have been a good choice.

So who should stay in these rooms? Well, those renting points should definitely consider them.

Families paying cash instead will find prices most nights of the year in standard view Studios between 102% and 110% of what a standard view room at the Poly those nights would cost.

The Studios are in what used to be my most highly recommended longhouses at the Polynesian—Pago Pago (which most recently was Rapa Nui), Moorea (recently Tahiti) and Tokelau (whose name has not changed).

I used to recommend these longhouses for three reasons: balconies or patios in every room (standard second floor rooms at the rest of the Poly are missing balconies), nice positioning between the Magic Kingdom resort monorail and the walkway to the Epcot monorail, and an extra 50 square feet compared to rooms in the rest of the Poly longhouses, which extra space used to be all dedicated to the living area.

The first two reasons still hold. However, since now most of the extra square footage is now dedicated to the bath and mini-kitchen area, the third reason morphs a bit—at the Studios, for nearly the same amount of money you get a divided bath and the microwave/toaster, and a smaller overall living space.

I  go with Tokelau as the best standard view choice among the Studios at the Polynesian.

A full photo tour of a Studio at The Polynesian is here.

BUNGALOWS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS

Bungalows in the Polynesian DVC offering are unlike any other accommodations at Disney World except the Cabins at Copper Creek. They hold eight people in two bedrooms—like many DVC Two Bedroom Villas. But the differences are so profound that they should be thought of as their own thing, not as an option among the standard two bedroom choices.

I’m tempted to start with prices, but let’s first focus on the positive.

Each bungalow is its own little building built on pilings in the Seven Seas Lagoon, just away from the Polynesian beaches, and reached from over-water walkways. There’s twenty in all—collectively, the “Bora Bora” area.

You enter into the bedroom wing (on the right of the floor plan) and at the far end (on the left) is a deck with views of the Magic Kingdom and its fireworks, sunbathing spots, and a little “cold water” pool in which to refresh yourself on hot sunbathing days.

Note on this deck lounge chairs, table and chairs (shown above), and the smaller set of chairs  accessed from the master bedroom (shown on the floor plan). There’s nothing like this outdoor space anywhere else at Disney World.

Just inside, accessed from two sets of sliding glass doors, is a great room with a full kitchen and dining area on one side, and a living room on the other. The dining area seats all eight this room will sleep—something you won’t find at other two bedroom villas—but the living area, as is common, seats fewer. There’s room here to drag some dining room chairs over.

The living room sleeps three—two on a fold-out couch, and one on a fold-down bed.

Back down the entry hall on the right you’ll find the master suite, with a king bed and private bath. It’s similar to what you’ll find in other DVC master rooms.

Across the hall from the master bedroom is the bath for everyone else, which, after the washer/dryer and closet, is divided into two areas.

Beyond it is the second bedroom, sleeping three on a queen and a fold-down bed. Other second bedrooms at DVC villas are much bigger than this, and typically sleep four on two queens.

So what have we got?

• An astonishing deck, likely pretty darn uncomfortable in the sun and humidity even with the little pool from later May through September, but charming the rest of the year, and in early mornings and evenings all year
• A kitchen/dining/living space that in sum is clearly better than the eight person equivalents elsewhere except in Copper Creek and perhaps in Old Key West
• A fine master bedroom and bath
• A very small second bedroom

For this you will pay (including tax) between $3,000 and $5,200 a night.

That number is so big it makes my head hurt. This is around twice what a Two Bedroom Villa at the Villas at the Grand Floridian would cost, and comparable to what a Grand Villa at the Villas at the Grand Floridian—which sleeps four more in almost twice the space…

So Disney is clearly attributing a lot of value to that deck and little pool…or seeing the Bungalows as an alternative not to Two Bedroom Villas elsewhere, but rather to suites at the Polynesian or the Four Seasons.

Most of the highlights of a Bungalow have been covered, but for a full photo tour of a Bungalow at the Polynesian, see this.

PHOTO TOUR OF A STUDIO AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

• Summary and overview of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Theming and Accommodations at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Photo Tour of a Standard Room at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Amenities at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Dining at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• The Pools at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• The Disney Vacation Club at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Photo Tour of a Studio at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Photo Tour of a Bungalow at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 150+ stays in them

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, click here.)

DINING AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

Disney’s Polynesian Resort has some of the best dining at Walt Disney World, most of it in the Great Ceremonial House.

The counter service offering is the first-floor Captain Cook’s–also with outdoor seating…

…which you can see through the windows.

You’ll find the most up-to date menu on Disney’s site, but above is the lunch/dinner menu as of my last visit.

You order and then use a pager to actually get your food when it is ready.

The well-known Polynesian treat, a Reuben sandwich.

The breakfast menu.

There’s a number of dining items at Disney World that are considered must-trys, but to me the one that most consistently lives up to its billing is Tonga Toast (above).

Outside of Captain Cook’s is a spot where you can grab a Dole Whip or Pineapple Sundae.

The first floor bar, Trader Sam’s, is based on the famous one at the Disneyland Hotel. On my visit it was too crowded for me to get in to the indoor part of this bar other than for a quick, out-of-focus shot.  I promise  do better soon!

There’s also an outdoor section to Trader Sam’s–an image of it is at the top of the page.

The Trader Sam’s review from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

Upstairs there’s two table service restaurants, the family-friendly ‘Ohana and the Kona Cafe.

‘Ohana (review here) does a breakfast meal with Mickey, Lilo and Stitch, and a no-character evening meal with skewered meat.

Here’s the review from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

‘Ohana gets booked up in advance and its staging area gets quite crowded.

Kona Cafe, around the corner from ‘Ohana, has two areas.  One serves as a coffee bar in the morning and a sushi bar in the evening.

The other is the restaurant proper.

The Kona Cafe review from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

‘Ohana is best loved by families; Kona Café is an under-appreciated gem, best known for its Tonga Toast.  Neither is a truly distinctive adult dining experience–for that, you’ll need to go to another Disney World deluxe resort.

Also on the second floor floor you’ll find another bar, Tambu Lounge.

If getting to the second floor seems like too much work, you may find this bar cart downstairs in the lobby area.

Outside and towards the Grand Floridian you’ll find the luau dinner show. Our lukewarm review from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

There’s also a bar at each pool, and the smaller Oasis pool has a limited-hours grill with an interesting menu (click it to enlarge it):

More on this on the next page!

THE POOLS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

• Summary and overview of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Theming and Accommodations at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Photo Tour of a Standard Room at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Amenities at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Dining at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• The Pools at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• The Disney Vacation Club at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Photo Tour of a Studio at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Photo Tour of a Bungalow at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 150+ stays in them

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!