Need Quick Value Resort Comparisons About This Page:

[Courtney892]

SIL wants me to plan a family trip (SIL, BIL, Niece (8), Nephew (1), MIL, FIL, hubby and I) to take advantage of the free DDP. I am concerned that the offer has been out for so long that we are only going to have crumbs left in terms of rooms at a Value resort (all they will have the money for) and in terms of trying to make ADRs this late.

My strategy is to book as late as possible in Sept to give myself maximum planning time. When my family (4 adults) needed a Value for a couple nights in January, I researched the Values and POP won hands down. We loved the icons from our youths and thought POP was fun as long as we stayed out of the food court in the mornings I love the possiblity of getting a water view room and seeing some of Illuminations (although we did not get this, we got a view of a pool). We never had time to enjoy the themeing as much as we'd desired because we had a wedding to attend (didn't even play TWISTER!!), so we hope to go back someday and take a walk down Generation Gap Bridge and maybe even enjoy Illuminations from there.

I have already been told that the time I am considering going POP is not available. Am considering modifying dates to get POP or just checking back daily as I hear rooms are supposed to be released in waves for the free DDP offer.

Also, I've been looking at All Stars and I can see some definite upsides there--AK and BB may very well be the 2 places that we go on this trip. I love CBR for just the "pod" type rooming that give everything a much smaller feel, so I think I could like it at All Stars. Also, with 3 food courts it probably won't be the madhouse of POP's. And quite honestly it seems like AS could be a better area for kids because they would have no connection to the icons from the 50-90s that we enjoyed so much. Also heard terrible stories of kids groups and terrible noise levels at all the AS resorts.

AS Sports is our last choice because the little boy will only be 1 and the rest of us won't get any kick out of the sports themeing. However, its upside is that you get first dibs on buses and are pretty much guaranteed a seat, plus you get off first if you are travelling with whiny, exhausted children.

AS Music would be one of my choices if we could stay in the Broadway section. Plus the family we're travelling with are all very musically inclined, so they might like it. Again doesn't seem to offer much for the little girl 7--who quite honestly has been taught she's pretty much the center of the universe so she might be really disappointed.

AS Movies would be my first choice and seems like it could have the most Disney-ness with icons that would mean something to the kids. I'd personally choose the 101 Dalmation section, but my understanding is that is a preferred bldg. That means every room is at the preferred rate right? With money being such an issue with them, I'm just not sure they'd want to spend the extra $50. The only non preferred bldgs in AS Movies is Love Bug which we'd find cute, but again the kids would have no connection to.

For convenience yet not spending the extra for preferred, it looks like we should choose AS Sports--Touchdown, AS Music--Jazz, or AS Movies--The Mighty Ducks. The only one of those choices that would interest me or hubby is Touchdown, but none would offer anything that would interest kids (particularly a little princess) in my opinion.

So there is my dilemma, any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Oh one other question. Hubby and I will want a king bed room. Can you get those without paying preferred rate at a Value?

[Courtney892]

Well I got the answer on the king room. On line chat said that the king rooms in the values are reserved for special needs guests as these are the barrier free rooms that have no tubs but instead have showers wheelchairs can roll into. They said we can request it (at the same price as a regular room), but special needs guests obviously have preference.

[B.M.]

It sounds like you've done your research on comparing the values. I think you will be happy with any of them. And as you said ; this late in the game- you may just need to take what's available. Have a great trip!

[belleandmaddysmom]

We stayed at All-Star Movies in October. My girls it! We did stay in the Dalmation section. But just so you know, you walk past the dalmations to get to Mighty Ducks. The Mighty Duck pool was quiet and we had it basically to ourselves most of the time. However, The Kids really do like the Fantasia Mickey pool.

Also after our trip, my girls had saw "herbie" at ASM. They started watching the Love Bug movies. They just love them! Maybe the kids would get into the Love Bug? Who Knows.

You will find what is right for you! Have fun!

[Nova]

Hubby's thing is you just sleep there since we are in the parks most of the time so just have a nice time which ever you get. Is late Pop fills up fast.

[lukeandbrookesmom]

We love the All Star resorts! We stayed at the Movies last year in the Toy Story building and it was wonderful. My little princess loves the Toy Story movies and had a blast playing in Andy's Room. The theming is cool and we were less than 100 steps to the food court, pool, playground and laundry. The Mighty Ducks building is also not a preferred building. To answer your question all the rooms in a preferred building are preferred. We also had fun walking around to all the other buildings checking out the cool icons.

[MMMD]

Good luck.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by Courtney892

My strategy is to book as late as possible in Sept to give myself maximum planning time.

Added bonus: the Food & Wine Festival, at Epcot, starts September 26th.

While exploring alternatives to our own expected January dates, we looked at a 19th-28th (that's Saturday the 20th to Sunday the 28th - a full week, plus travel days on either side). And you only have to check in by the 20th in order to enjoy a free DDP for the entire trip, well, the availability is still pretty good. And that's also still "Value season", so you'd get the lowest room rates still, too.

Also, with 3 food courts it probably won't be the madhouse of POP's.

However, also three times as many rooms. Each of the All-Stars is as big as POP, or very nearly so.

AS Sports is our last choice because the little boy will only be 1 and the rest of us won't get any kick out of the sports themeing.

For theme stuff ... consider ASMovies. Everyone, youngsters and grey-haired grandparents alike, can relate to the Disney classics ...! ^_^

[elisa1006]

I let my 7 yr old choose our value resort, she chose the AS Movies. So I am sure your niece would be happy there, in any building you are given.

[Courtney892]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I agree that All Star Movies would be our best option if we need to stay in AS which it looks like will be the case.

I called today to put the rooms on a courtesy hold so I can calm down and wait more patiently for the family to make their decisions. AS Sports and Music were the only Value resorts with free DDP availability and the CM told me that as they are already at 75% capacity for the free DDP offer and with availability at the other resort categories, they do not expect any more rooms to get released even though there is still another month of booking available.

I want to keep trying for Movies, but I'm concerned about the distance from The Love Bug bldg (the only non-preferred bldg) to the food court and bus stop. When it is just hubby and I we don't even consider walking distance, but this is an infant and a 7 year old we've never travelled with and I want everything to be as convenient as possible.

We've asked for the Jazz bldg as it is the closest non-preferred bldg at AS Music, but from the map I'm looking at it doesn't look like The Love Bug bldg is too much further away from the food court/bus stop at Movies than Jazz is at Music.

Can anyone give an opinion as I've never been there?

[GinaButtrfly]

In truth, they're all pretty close. The baby will be in a stroller and a seven yr old can handle it. I've stayed in Jazz and from memory it was 2 minutes out the main building door - about 1/2 way down. You are going to be FINE in any of the rooms in any of the buildings. All the themes are fun - bigger than life. If you can't get movies, the children will never know the theming they aren't seeing. They will be delighted with the decor in front of them and the BIG pools.