Pop Century Review and Comparison of All-Star Sports
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In January 2019 our family of four spent one night at the Pop Century Resort before going on a Disney Cruise. In September 2018 our family spent five nights at the All-Star Sports Resort.
This article is a Pop Century Review and Comparison of All-Star Sports – both of which are value resorts at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Want to try a moderate level resort, then check out our review of the Caribbean Beach Resort or Port Orleans Riverside Review.
Pop Century Value Resort and All-Star Sports Value Resort Comparison
Our son said he liked All-Star Sports better because he liked walking across the football field and he didn’t really relate to the theme at Pop Century as much.
The Murphy bed at Pop Century was a novelty as much as a space saver for our kids. They had so much fun using it. And they might’ve jumped back and forth a couple of times before we shut that down.
Having two queen beds in the Pop Century room made enough difference that my husband and I didn’t care what the theme was. The better sleep was very valuable to us and worth the additional $15 per night.
We also like the tile floor versus carpet. Regardless of how it looks, we all know deep down in our soul that hotel room carpet has to get pretty gross.
Sliding doors by the Pop Century bathroom offered much more privacy than the curtain at All Stars. Our two year old can move a curtain much easier than a door.
Disney Hotels on a Budget – Value Resort Pros and Cons
Our goal in September 2018 was to stay on Disney property to reap the associated benefits of transportation and service while spending the least amount of money possible. The All-Star Movie resort was our first choice but a free meal plan was offered if we moved to Sports, so that made the decision easy. We also planned to spend very little time in the room because our goal was to spend every minute possible in the park or pool. We LOVED that vacation.
As the kids get older and the toddler is no longer in a pack and play we can see value in spending a bit more to have more space.
Our goal in January 2019 was to get to Orlando one night before our cruise set sail so we priced hotels at Port Canaveral, the airport and WDW. The airport was the most expensive and offered the fewest activities for a young family.
Hotel prices at Port Canaveral and WDW value resorts were comparable. Hotels at the port offered a breakfast included in the price, but we just packed granola bars and fruit to avoid that cost at a WDW resort. Pop Century offered us transportation and access to Disney Springs and other WDW resorts which we enjoyed seeing without spending extra money.
Value Hotels at Disney Are Good!
If we had the goal to have a more restful vacation with a day or two of downtime or away from the parks we would place more value on more space and amenities in the hotel room.
Overall we recommend discussing your vacation goals as a family and prioritizing them. Think about where you want to spend most of your time. We quickly learned that it would take weeks if not months to do everything at Disney. Since seeing Disney on a budget is a high priority for our family we really enjoyed the value resorts at Disney.
If budget is a high priority, then go for the All-Stars value resorts and suck up some of the inconveniences like smaller rooms and double beds. If you’re willing to spend more and give up something else in life then go for the resort that fits your budget and enjoy the trip.
Spending less on a room also means there may be more budget to try a dinner show like the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue.
We love the themes we’ve experienced at every Disney attraction and show that we’ve visited. We’re hoping to enjoy more of the resorts in the future!
Other Disney Articles You May Enjoy:
Our family also enjoys going on Disney Cruises. Here is a review of our 3-Day Disney Cruise to the Bahamas and Dos & Don’ts for a Disney Cruise that we hope help you plan a Disney Cruise.
Here is an extensive article about our experiences in this Disney Cruise Transportation to Port Canaveral Review, doing the Castaway Cay 5K, here are notes from a non-runner’s perspective, and notes on Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise.
We typically stay at Pop Century Resort the night before our cruise. If our budget allows we try to visit the Magic Kingdom and go to Be Our Guest, here are some notes Do’s & Don’ts for Be Our Guest Restaurant.