Living Like a Movie Star
I’m writing this blog as I head home to Knoxville on a flight, roughly 80 days away from my next Disney vacation. In thinking about my next trip, the first question I ask myself, is where am I going to stay and how am I going to get there?
This past trip we stayed in Disney’s All-Star Movie resort, which brings me to the topic of this post! This is a review of my experience at Disney’s All-Star Movies resort. I’d stayed in several Disney resorts before, but never a value resort. I’ll admit, although I was excited to experience a new resort on property, I was afraid of how it would measure up to the others.
Pleasantly surprised, I had a great time and would definitely recommend this resort. Here are some of my thoughts.
Location: This Resort is walking distance to Disney’s All-Star Music and Disney’s All-Star Sports. The All-Star resorts are all Disney’s Animal Kingdom Area resorts, so they are in close proximity to the other Disney’s Animal Kingdom area resorts, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park. A bus to the Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios area is about 5 minutes. The Disney Springs area and Magic Kingdom area are a little farther away, but overall it’s close to most guest areas.
Dining: This resort offers quick service dining only. All restaurants are located in the same dining hall/cafeteria. A grab and go area is also located in the dining hall. Prices were very affordable for Disney, most meals ranging from $10-15. The hall offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and is open until midnight! They offer a variety of foods, including diet conscious options, i.e. gluten free and vegan, etc. Overall, the food isn’t life changing or unique, but I enjoyed everything I ate. There is apparently a secret menu with unique eats that I didn’t find out about until later. Let’s also not forget the poolside bar!
Theming: I thought the theming at this resort was really cute. The themed areas include, Fantasia, 101 Dalmatians, The Mighty Ducks, The Love Bug, and Toy Story. It wasn’t as rich in theming as some of the elevated level resorts, but I definitely felt the Disney magic while staying there.
Transportation: Bus transportation and the Minnie vans are the options available here. The bus is a free option. However, there is a fee to ride the Minnie van.
Amenities: I would say this is the only category where Disney’s All-Star Movies somewhat falls short. The resort does offer three nice pools. A regular pool and a kiddie pool in the Fantasia section and a regular pool in the Mighty Ducks section. Nightly movies are offered and a few recreational activities for children. There is no fitness facility at the resort, but there is a New Balance running trail and sunrise yoga is offered on Friday mornings. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to experience yoga due to a weather cancellation. The room is your average standard room, but we did stay in a renovated room that was modernized! All rooms in this resort are set to be renovated by the end of 2019.
Pricing: Compared to other Disney resorts the pricing is more affordable here. Sometimes it can be on the pricey side for basic accommodations, but the resort offers on site dining options and free transportation around the Walt Disney World property. The savings on transportation alone can make up for the extra costs.
Again, I would recommend this resort to anyone looking to stay on property who doesn’t want to break the bank.
As always thanks for reading!
Kirsten