All Star Movies Renovations

And, over time, the Murphy bed should remain more comfortable as less people will sleep on it than the regular one... But, really the Murphy beds they are putting are just as comfortable as the other, regular bed. I slept on one and absolutely loved it.
 
Was the queen pull down comfortable? Like did it feel like sleeping on an actual bed or a sofa bed?

It's an actual queen size bed, as others have said above. I slept on it for 3 nights and found it very comfortable.

Haha that’s okay! Also, were they supposed to have that many people in one room? I didn’t think they could sleep that many.

The baby doesn't "count" toward number of people in the room. But everyone (including baby!) had a Disney profile and were registered on the room reservation, so disney knew exactly how many were in the room. :thumbsup2
 
I really would have thought they would have done buildings 1, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10, before starting on the Standard rooms.
 
I really would have thought they would have done buildings 1, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10, before starting on the Standard rooms.

I think it’s just like Pop where they worked in a clockwise rotation around the resort. I expect Musuc and Sports to be the same.
 
I think it’s just like Pop where they worked in a clockwise rotation around the resort. I expect Musuc and Sports to be the same.

And really, it's more efficient that way. Much easier to move equipment to the next building vs. hauling it across the resort and then back again.
 
Some of your cons are actually pros for our family.

We loved that they took the carpet out. Do you know how many times those carpets are thrown up on, kids peed on, liquids spilled on, diapers leaked, and more between carpet cleanings? They only clean the carpets when they look dirty. There are a lot of germs on the carpets you don't see.

Sterile is actually a good thing. Sterile means that it's free of germs. We enjoyed the modern feel and thought it felt more like we were at the Contemporary or something with the updated decor. I was glad to see the carpet and padded chairs go. Hard surfaces are easier to clean. You know they don't steam the carpets or the fabric chairs after each stay. Now they can disinfect so much more of the room.

The alarm clocks were removed in 2012. That's the first time I noticed them gone from all the value resorts. So that is not really part of the refurbishment at all. I asked why they were gone and they said people have smart phones and so many gadgets that very few people use them. They do keep a small supply on hand for those who want them. All you have to do is call and they'll bring it to your room. I like to glance over at the clock and not have to get my phone out every time I want to see the time. So we request a clock every trip when we check in.

I'm surprised you thought the room felt small. Our family of 4 kept commenting on how big and spacious the room felt. With the bed down, it still felt bigger than the old style because there was no table taking up space. We had just come from a 7 nt cruise and had 8 suitcases on this trip. All our bags set easily in the front corner of the room where the table would have been in the old rooms. By putting the murphy bed up, which literally takes seconds, we were able to really spread out and have tons of space.

There are also a lot more storage options with the new furniture design. The bathroom is really nice. That new shower is very deluxe feeling. And all the shelving in the sink area is quite nice.

My family loved the newly refurbished rooms and we would not hesitate to stay there again. The added shrubs around the property also made the resort feel less value-ish and more like a moderate feel.

Just my take on things. I know different people like different things.


Hi again everyone! Now that I’m home from our trip, I wanted to give an in depth follow up of our stay at All Star Movies. Take all of this with a grain of salt and know I’m sharing this in the spirit of being helpful. ::yes:: If I have never stayed at a Disney resort before and had no idea of any of the renovations going on, I might not be so judgmental. (As a point of reference, I’ve stayed in value, moderate, and deluxe Disney resorts multiple times).

The All Star Movies renovated rooms really are nice hotel rooms – there are just some quirks to consider…

Did I hate them? No.
Did I love them? No.
Would I stay in them again? Depends on the size and age of my travel party!

Our travel party was a total of 8: We had three adults in one room, and my sister’s family in the other (her, her husband, and 3 kids - 6 year old, 2 year old, and 1 year old). We stayed in two renovated, connecting rooms on the first floor in Building 10 (Buzz) Aug 1-4. (They are really similar to the new Pop Century rooms.)

Pros:

- Queen beds. The size and comfort level were great. High off the floor, but comfortable.
- Coffee maker in room. Used only once, but it was nice to have the option.
- New and clean feeling (not run down).
- Lots of outlets and USB plugs.
- Slow closing doors, toilet seat, and dresser drawers.
- It was a Disney resort!

Cons:

- Hard wood (or laminate?) floors. Yuck. It wasn’t terrible the entire time, but our first impression was after a rainstorm and we had tracked in some dirt and grime from our shoes. We asked for more bath towels to wipe up the floor and for the rest of our stay we left a towel near the front door so we could wipe our feet when we entered. Also, I know carpet doesn’t add that much cushion, but boy – after being on your feet for 12 hours in the parks, I really wished I had carpet to walk on at the end of the day!

- No mirror in living area. In the old rooms, there was mirror over the table and chairs, which was nice to use for the other adult getting ready in the morning. Not anymore. I used a handheld mirror and we took turns in front of the sink a lot. Very minor, but worth noting.

- No alarm clock. I thought it was weird there was no clock in the room at all. I’m glad I brought my own with my bright LED numbers.

- Very small. It. Was. Cramped. :crowded: There especially wasn’t a lot of space with the pull out bed down. My brother-in-law had to shove the beverage island against the wall so their pack ‘n play could fit between that and the dresser. They actually had to keep their stroller in our room. (I saw a LOT of strollers parked outside of rooms around the Toy Story section! I wonder if Disney will put a stop to it?). We put 2 of our suitcases on top of the dresser, since it was easier to do that than try to find space to put everything. Yes, we knew that we could put them under the beds – but since we were only there for 3 nights, we lived out of our suitcases. There was very little walking space, and we had to zig and zag around corners and doors. We bumped into each other a lot. It gave new meaning to a "family vacation." :hug:

- Sliding door to the toilet area (between sink and toilet). I usually don’t have a problem with sliding doors. But this one has about an inch space between the wall and the door, so when you’re using the restroom and someone is in the sink area, it just doesn’t feel private at all. :rolleyes1 It locks at least, so that’s a plus!

- Very “sterile” feeling. I asked my sister’s opinion of the rooms after we checked out (someone who does not follow these boards), and she said “I wish they didn’t feel so much like a hospital room.” Woof. I agree. Most everything in the room is white and hard.

Other notes:

- Both of our rooms had a shower/tub combo with sliding glass doors. It’s a thick glass, not really that see through. They have the permanent shampoo/conditioner/soap installed on the wall with an inset shelf above. The bath has ledges, so good for other bottles or razors.

- The walls are THIN. Bring a sound machine. We were on the first floor, so I’m sure that had something to do with it, but we could also hear between the walls.:tiptoe: If we didn’t know the family staying next to us, we would have been embarrassed to be overhearing some strangers’ conversations! (Have they always been that way? I can’t remember!)

- Our room had a couple of problems with the bathroom fan and our sliding shower door not staying closed, but we let the front desk know and they made notes for the maintenance people. (We didn’t realize our bathroom fan wasn’t working until our check out day when I went into my sister’s bathroom and heard the fan. Note: you should be able to HEAR the fan running. If you don’t, it’s probably not working!) :rolleyes2

:magnify:**If you are one of the first people to stay in these new rooms, if something doesn’t seem right – ASK! If you think a light is supposed to work one way or the shower has low pressure, make sure to let someone know. I’m sure there are kinks to work out when they finally get people living in the rooms.

- The artwork above the pull out bed is cute. Huey, Dewey, and Louie having All Star Resort themed dreams (sports, music, and movies). So a fair assumption would be to say that ALL the All Star renovated rooms will eventually look like the Movies ones. Other than the Mickeys above the other Queen bed and film reels on the dining chairs, there really wasn’t any theming. :confused3

- The construction around the resort wasn’t super evident until you walked right past it. Even then, it didn’t bother me. Just fences up, papers on the windows, and a few construction people walking around. I heard more noise from landscapers (leaf blowers!), than from the construction.

- I thought the TV was hilariously huge. o_O For such a small room, it made me laugh with how big it was.

Bottom line:

By just looking at the above list, it would seem I complained about everything and had a terrible time. But that’s not true – I really did enjoy my stay (I was in Disney World!), but I had to get past the new “quirks” as I mentioned before. I would stay in a renovated room again if it was just me or one other adult. You could leave the pull out bed up and have a table and chairs at all times with more walking space. If you have 3 or more adults, or 2 adults with kids…. it’s a toss up. It’s doable, but small. If the price point stays reasonable for the Value resort that it is, I'd be willing to try it again just to stay on property "cheaply." :lmao:

If I do stay again, I’m bringing cushioned slippers. :hyper:

Let me know if you have questions, and I’ll try to answer them!
 
It’s always good to hear different viewpoints, so thanks for the two recent visit reports! We’ll be checking out Movies and Pop in 2 weeks and hoping for a refurbished room at Movies so we can compare. I know that different families need different amounts of space based on so many factors and reading other experiences help going in. Then we have to see and experience for ourselves to know where we are most comfortable. Our last stay was at CBR and we’re considering renting a house in 2019, so this trip is a short one and something of a research trip. We’re also staying one night at a Marriott.
 
It’s always good to hear different viewpoints, so thanks for the two recent visit reports! We’ll be checking out Movies and Pop in 2 weeks and hoping for a refurbished room at Movies so we can compare. I know that different families need different amounts of space based on so many factors and reading other experiences help going in. Then we have to see and experience for ourselves to know where we are most comfortable. Our last stay was at CBR and we’re considering renting a house in 2019, so this trip is a short one and something of a research trip. We’re also staying one night at a Marriott.
Let us know how your trip goes!
 
Some of your cons are actually pros for our family.

We loved that they took the carpet out. Do you know how many times those carpets are thrown up on, kids peed on, liquids spilled on, diapers leaked, and more between carpet cleanings? They only clean the carpets when they look dirty. There are a lot of germs on the carpets you don't see.

Sterile is actually a good thing. Sterile means that it's free of germs. We enjoyed the modern feel and thought it felt more like we were at the Contemporary or something with the updated decor. I was glad to see the carpet and padded chairs go. Hard surfaces are easier to clean. You know they don't steam the carpets or the fabric chairs after each stay. Now they can disinfect so much more of the room.

The alarm clocks were removed in 2012. That's the first time I noticed them gone from all the value resorts. So that is not really part of the refurbishment at all. I asked why they were gone and they said people have smart phones and so many gadgets that very few people use them. They do keep a small supply on hand for those who want them. All you have to do is call and they'll bring it to your room. I like to glance over at the clock and not have to get my phone out every time I want to see the time. So we request a clock every trip when we check in.

I'm surprised you thought the room felt small. Our family of 4 kept commenting on how big and spacious the room felt. With the bed down, it still felt bigger than the old style because there was no table taking up space. We had just come from a 7 nt cruise and had 8 suitcases on this trip. All our bags set easily in the front corner of the room where the table would have been in the old rooms. By putting the murphy bed up, which literally takes seconds, we were able to really spread out and have tons of space.

There are also a lot more storage options with the new furniture design. The bathroom is really nice. That new shower is very deluxe feeling. And all the shelving in the sink area is quite nice.

My family loved the newly refurbished rooms and we would not hesitate to stay there again. The added shrubs around the property also made the resort feel less value-ish and more like a moderate feel.

Just my take on things. I know different people like different things.

It's so interesting hearing people's different experiences!

Somehow I missed that alarm clocks have been gone for years. Oops. :confused3 I'm like you and I like to see the clock easily. I always bring my sound machine/alarm clock with me, so maybe I really just didn't notice in the past. I probably noticed it this time because I was looking for differences.

As for the carpet - oh, I know how gross they probably were. Maybe I was of the mindset that what I can't see can't hurt me? I know, I know... yuck. :laughing: Anyway, I do miss the little bit of cushion on my feet.

Oh and I'm glad you mentioned putting the murphy bed up. I forgot to mention how easy it is - you can pretty much do it one-handed. And yes, absolutely, once that bed goes up, you definitely have more space.

I'm sure I'll stay in the renovated rooms again. Now that I know what to expect, I'm sure they'll grow on me and I'll learn to love them. Like I said in my original post, I didn't hate them... it was just different. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try them again soon.

I hope my post didn't turn anyone off from staying there - we didn't hate the rooms and we really did enjoy our stay! ::yes::

It’s always good to hear different viewpoints, so thanks for the two recent visit reports! We’ll be checking out Movies and Pop in 2 weeks and hoping for a refurbished room at Movies so we can compare. I know that different families need different amounts of space based on so many factors and reading other experiences help going in. Then we have to see and experience for ourselves to know where we are most comfortable. Our last stay was at CBR and we’re considering renting a house in 2019, so this trip is a short one and something of a research trip. We’re also staying one night at a Marriott.

Have a great trip! Take pictures if you can - since I forgot! :sad2:
 
Welp, this puts our chances at getting a renovated room next month at slim to zero. I told my dad that our chances were better if we did a preferred room but he prioritized price over cleaniness. (Dont know how my mom will feel about that. :p)

Buy hey, it never hurts to try. So when and how is the best way to submit a room request? Do I do it online? Do I call? How soon from check-in should I speak with them?
 
Welp, this puts our chances at getting a renovated room next month at slim to zero. I told my dad that our chances were better if we did a preferred room but he prioritized price over cleaniness. (Dont know how my mom will feel about that. :p)

Buy hey, it never hurts to try. So when and how is the best way to submit a room request? Do I do it online? Do I call? How soon from check-in should I speak with them?
The best way is to call. They start assigning rooms 2-3 days before you arrive. I would just make sure you limit your requests to 1 or 2 things.
 
We stayed at pop with 3 adults and our 9 yo niece and I thought that was tight!

Comparing very different sized rooms. The CBR rooms are larger. It's why they can handle the fold down bunk. While we can do 4 adults in a POP room (we work well together), I don't think I'd enjoy 5 in those rooms ... and 6 is not allowed.

Some of your cons are actually pros for our family.

We loved that they took the carpet out. Do you know how many times those carpets are thrown up on, kids peed on, liquids spilled on, diapers leaked, and more between carpet cleanings? They only clean the carpets when they look dirty. There are a lot of germs on the carpets you don't see.

Sterile is actually a good thing. Sterile means that it's free of germs.
We enjoyed the modern feel and thought it felt more like we were at the Contemporary or something with the updated decor. I was glad to see the carpet and padded chairs go. Hard surfaces are easier to clean. You know they don't steam the carpets or the fabric chairs after each stay. Now they can disinfect so much more of the room.

The alarm clocks were removed in 2012. That's the first time I noticed them gone from all the value resorts. So that is not really part of the refurbishment at all. I asked why they were gone and they said people have smart phones and so many gadgets that very few people use them. They do keep a small supply on hand for those who want them. All you have to do is call and they'll bring it to your room. I like to glance over at the clock and not have to get my phone out every time I want to see the time. So we request a clock every trip when we check in.

I'm surprised you thought the room felt small. Our family of 4 kept commenting on how big and spacious the room felt. With the bed down, it still felt bigger than the old style because there was no table taking up space. We had just come from a 7 nt cruise and had 8 suitcases on this trip. All our bags set easily in the front corner of the room where the table would have been in the old rooms. By putting the murphy bed up, which literally takes seconds, we were able to really spread out and have tons of space.

There are also a lot more storage options with the new furniture design. The bathroom is really nice. That new shower is very deluxe feeling. And all the shelving in the sink area is quite nice.

My family loved the newly refurbished rooms and we would not hesitate to stay there again. The added shrubs around the property also made the resort feel less value-ish and more like a moderate feel.

Just my take on things. I know different people like different things.

I understand that floors are easier to clean than carpet ........ but they have to be cleaned and every day. I have stayed in the renovated rooms 5-6 times and the floors have been consistently filthy. Not just scuffs, marks and stains but I keep socks on and after a short time the bottoms are black. With the housekeeping shortage the best they are doing is sweeping those floors but anything else hitting them as you say is only getting wiped up by guests. My trips to these vinyl floor rooms now include double the number of socks.

PP posters said the rooms "looked sterile" as we joked they look like hospital rooms with all the white and brown laminate furniture .... but these rooms are far from sterile and far from free of germs. I have yet to get a room that didn't clearly had many dirty surfaces.

Maybe because you just came off a cruise and cabins ........... but this new design - while I love the queen beds and have no use for floor space - in no way looks or feels bigger. There is only 17.5 inches between the two beds; very tight. Even less on outsides of beds. There is only 22" between the foot of the bed and the dresser. Plenty of folks on here are sporting bruises from hitting the beds with so little room.

I'm a POP person with probably around 35 stays and am very happy about queen beds and the new bathrooms with their cubbies .... but the room has many issues that can't be ignored.
 
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Comparing very different sized rooms. The CBR rooms are larger. It's why they can handle the fold down bunk. While we can do 4 adults in a POP room (we work well together), I don't think I'd enjoy 5 in those rooms ... and 6 is not allowed.



I understand that floors are easier to clean than carpet ........ but they have to be cleaned and every day. I have stayed in the renovated rooms 5-6 times and the floors have been consistently filthy. Not just scuffs, marks and stains but I keep socks on and after a short time the bottoms are black. With the housekeeping shortage the best they are doing is sweeping those floors but anything else hitting them as you say is only getting wiped up by guests. My trips to these vinyl floor rooms now include double the number of socks.

PP posters said the rooms "looked sterile" as we joked they look like hospital rooms with all the white and brown laminate furniture .... but these rooms are far from sterile and far from free of germs. I have yet to get a room that clearly had many dirty surfaces.

Maybe because you just came off a cruise and cabins ........... but this new design - while I love the queen beds and have no use for floor space - in no way looks or feels bigger. There is only 17.5 inches between the two beds; very tight. Even less on outsides of beds. There is only 22" between the foot of the bed and the dresser. Plenty of folks on here are sporting bruises from hitting the beds with so little room.

I'm a POP person with probably around 35 stays and am very happy about queen beds and the new bathrooms with their cubbies .... but the room has many issues that can't be ignored.
I actually quoted the wrong person. I meant to quote the person that stayed at pop.
 
I actually quoted the wrong person. I meant to quote the person that stayed at pop.

:thumbsup2

I did see somewhere ... that a poster said they stayed at CBR with 6 in the room and now looking at POP .... I am hoping in two rooms, not just for size but not allowed.
 
:thumbsup2

I did see somewhere ... that a poster said they stayed at CBR with 6 in the room and now looking at POP .... I am hoping in two rooms, not just for size but not allowed.

That was me. Yes with my youngest hitting age 3, we’ll be getting two rooms at movies or POP.

We did CBR last trip because we got that gift card deal for the construction with play, stay, dine on top. That made it worth the ‘coziness’ which with four young ones wasn’t that bad
 

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