AOA or AS Movies?

[mlggirl]

Hi! Visiting Disney September 15-20 with my boyfriend (his first visit!!), will be doing all 4 parks with a half resort day before MNSSHP. I stayed at POP last time I visited and loved it, but want to try somewhere new! Trying to decide between AOA Little Mermaid rooms or AS Movies. Price difference for 4 nights is ~$300. Major deciding factors are the skyliner convenience and resort pool. We could afford AKL with rented DVC points but that is a whopping ~$600 difference (which could go towards a lot of fancy dining and souvenirs).

What should I book? Suggestions?

 

[glocon]

I’d say save the money and go the least expensive route.

Then on your party day, sleep in and make an adr at a monorail resort for a late lunch or early dinner so you can head out to the party straight from there. So convenient! Especially if you have an adr at the CR where you can walk to MK from.

You can use the $$ you saved to pay for the monorail adr!

 

[KittyKitty]

I would go AoA. That skyliner is great getting around. Only have to take bus to AK and MK. Using the skyliner you can eat at many different places without going into a park.

 

[HolRae]

I would pick All Stars. The little mermaid rooms are old style. No storage. The beds are permanent. You don’t have the option of folding one up and having a table and chairs. They feel much smaller than Pop. If you want the Skyliner I would do Pop. The All Star rooms are just like the Pop rooms so they have storage and table and chairs.

 

[JodyK]

I would pick All Stars with the savings you could ride share to the Skyliner parks fairly easily so wouldn't be worth the extra on such a tight schedule.

 

[Coozman]

Hi! Visiting Disney September 15-20 with my boyfriend (his first visit!!), will be doing all 4 parks with a half resort day before MNSSHP. I stayed at POP last time I visited and loved it, but want to try somewhere new! Trying to decide between AOA Little Mermaid rooms or AS Movies. Price difference for 4 nights is ~$300. Major deciding factors are the skyliner convenience and resort pool. We could afford AKL with rented DVC points but that is a whopping ~$600 difference (which could go towards a lot of fancy dining and souvenirs).

What should I book? Suggestions?

Without a doubt AOA. All of the All Star Resorts are so dated and having just returned from AOA, it was a great surprise! It is another member stated, having the sky liner at your fingertips can't be beat!

 

[JodyK]

I came back to say I know you said you didn't want to stay at POP because you wanted to try somewhere new, given that is a goal I may have missed before, I think I would consider AOA more heavily. The difference from POP to ASM really isn't that much, since the rooms on the inside are mostly the same, it is really just the resort theming/giant icons. I do think there would be pros to a second trip at POP, like you'll have the Skyliner and already know where everything is. You could also walk over to AOA on your off day and walk around so that may be a way of making it feel new but in the end I don't think you can make a bad choice.

 

[Bella Paige]

Without a doubt AOA. All of the All Star Resorts are so dated and having just returned from AOA, it was a great surprise! It is another member stated, having the sky liner at your fingertips can't be beat!

Just an FYI renovations are complete at AS Music and Movies and are underway at Sports and room are now identical to those at POP.

 

[Disneylover99]

I’d pick Movies. The walk from the LM rooms to the Skyliner could be a hike.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

Aoa

 

[garris3404]

AS Movies. Save your money. Riding a couple of times on the Skyliner isn't worth it!

 

[Princess Merida]

I would choose All Star Movies unless you really love Ariel and then I would go AOA. We liked both, but the new rooms at the All Stars are nice especially if you only need one bed and can keep the table up and have the extra space.

 

[MamaMermaid]

AoA - hard to beat the skyliner!!

 

[HopperFan]

AOA !!!!

- The deluxe of the value resorts
- Great pools and I'd want to try them all
- Quiet pools that put moderates to shame
- We enjoy just walking the resort for landscaping
- Better food court
- SKYLINER
- Rooms were renovated a few years ago, no murphy but well done
- If was a great design overall to put you in the movies.

We have stayed at all the Allstars and I thought we'd love Movies. It's ... okay. A couple areas are well done but I think they got lazy for the other half. It's just not special.

 

[brockash]

Hi! Visiting Disney September 15-20 with my boyfriend (his first visit!!), will be doing all 4 parks with a half resort day before MNSSHP. I stayed at POP last time I visited and loved it, but want to try somewhere new! Trying to decide between AOA Little Mermaid rooms or AS Movies. Price difference for 4 nights is ~$300. Major deciding factors are the skyliner convenience and resort pool. We could afford AKL with rented DVC points but that is a whopping ~$600 difference (which could go towards a lot of fancy dining and souvenirs).

What should I book? Suggestions?

Here's my philosophy when trying to decide on skyliner resort. If it's not during the rainy months; it's pretty great. - We just stayed at pop in feb. with no (weather) issues. Having said that we won't do a skyliner resort in Aug and Sept especially, just because we have been in the huge mess and PITA it is when there's bad weather coming, going etc. In our opinion Disney does not do a good job at communicating when it's down or providing a fast, reasonable alternative.

In your case I'd stick with movies and put away the savings to upgrade a future trip.

Also, TLM rooms are the farthest from lobby, transportation (skyliner etc.) I wouldn't love that either. We also prefer the food court at Movies.

 

[Sacahara]

I only ever use the room as a place to crash at the end of a long park day, it serves no other purpose for me, so I couldn't see spending more money for something I don't really use even with resort days, how long do you really plan to spend inside the room? I just don't see the value in spending more for something I won't really use. Skyliner? Sure it's fun and a great way to get to HS and Epcot but it isn't worth $300 to me. I don't really utilize the food courts, preferring to eat in park or DS. I don't swim but a pool is a pool. If I valued those kinds of things though or even had them on par with park time? Sure, maybe I could see spending that but, for me, it's just not worth it when there are cheaper options that work just as well.

Look, my dream stay is at AKL with a Savannah view. Will I ever stay there? More likely not, I can't justify that price when I'll only really be able to enjoy a room on check-in and check-out day. I even priced it for my August trip, it'd only be $400 extra but that's $400 that could be spent anywhere for more. There's just no value in the money to me.

Ultimately it's all about how you vacation. You said that the skyliner and pool are important to you so go with AOA but you also mentioned fancy dining and souvenirs so if those are more important go with Movies because you'll save and can use the money for those without having to budget extra or cut back on something else. Just pick what's most important and go with it! Either way, you're both going to have a blast! And don't forget BF's 1st Visit pin lol! No reason to miss a 'free' souvenir.

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

Pools are better at AoA but if you are not really going to stay that long in the pool area, save the money. We were just at AoA LM last year, wanted to give POP a break (lol) it's a walk to/from LM rooms and when it rains...eek. It's not horrible but the money you could save you can Uber to DHS & Epcot from Movies. We personally love the skyliner and this time doing a split stay at POP/POLY. We can't seem to give the sky liner up

 

[bchbetha]

AOA. Skyliner rocks.
ASM- more chance of way too many school/sport/music...groups that can be annoying. (traveled with them and have been one of them so I know what they can potentially be like- lots of youthful energy and noise )

 

[Woth2982]

NORMALLY I would say pick AOA, but this time I am going to say Music based on the time of year you are going. Thunderstorms are a daily event in September and if it is storming the skyliner does not run. My dad, sister and brother got stranded at Caribbean Beach for over an hour during a storm one day trying to get back to AOA. They finally ubered back to AOA.

 

[mickeymom22]

I have stayed at both. I would choose the AS Movies over the Little Mermaid room at AoA because it sounds like you aren't going to be hanging out at the resort too much. We love to stay in the AS Movies Mighty Duck section. It usually has the lowest prices because it isn't near the main hub of that resort, but it is totally near the main hub for AS Music! So easy to catch the bus or eat at the food court.

The Skyliner is fun but you can always ride it on your Epcot or HS day just to give your feet a break.

Looks like we will be there around the same time. We just found out our daughter got into DCP...and of course I had to plan some Disney days to see her!

Happy Planning!