AoA vs Pop vs All Stars for a family?

Just thought of one more thing we liked better at AoA's suites vs. ASMu's. With AoA, one bathroom is in the small bedroom and the other is in the big room. At ASMu, I think both bathrooms are off the bigger room. When DH and I are getting ready for bed or showering late at night, we'll be more worried about waking the kids with the ASMu layout.

Our family of 5 has stayed at both but only 1 night at AoA. We really like AoA but not sure $100 more per night more than ASMu. The ASMu suites were made out of 2 regular rooms so the bathrooms are at the far end of both rooms. The bedroom is a portion of one of the original rooms. So while the bathroom is outside of the bedroom door it is more to that side of the suite than the living area. The kitchenette is in between bedroom and bathroom. I liked the kitchenette in ASMu better than AoA-tons of storage to keep the whole suite better organized. I'm sure you'll still have a great trip! At ASMu you can easily walk to ASMo or ASSp to eat at either of their food courts-enjoy their oversized icons.
 
If money isn't a big deal, get AofA. If you love saving, get a moderate that "sleep five," but you'd be more packed. don't get the connecting rooms because you don't want to risk not being connected, probably, although your teens may not mind a room to themselves away from the parents, in case you don't get connected rooms.

In the case of the poster you have quoted, the kids are not old enough to have a room to themselves. You have to have at least on person age 18 or older in each room. Meaning the parents would have to split up.
 
We are planning a trip in mid- August 2019 and want to book now before likely price increases just in case no promos are offered for that time. We are a blended family of 5 (kids age 6, 13, 14). I've stayed at AoA and loved it but only had one child at the time.

Our current considerations are a suite at AoA or two adjoining rooms at either Pop or All Stars Movies, maybe? I'm not crazy about the sleeping options in the All Stars Music suites.

I would love feedback or pros/cons to these options or even suggestions to something I may be missing? Thank you!

We've done connecting rooms at Pop three times -- we were lucky and always had that request honored though I was always worried about it. We have 5 kids and two of them were over 17 on those 3 trips and could have stayed in a room by themselves if we didn't get connecting rooms but one of the "littles" would have had to stay in that room and that wouldn't have been good. Once AoA opened (and our oldest wasn't traveling with us anymore) we started staying there. We've stayed there 4 times now and love the resort. We're once again at a point where the oldest kids traveling with us are over 18 and could stay in a room by themselves if we went back to getting 2 rooms and didn't get connecting rooms, but we still prefer to stay at AoA because we like it there and we ultimately prefer to be under one roof.

Our kids also don't like to share beds (it's fine for a night or two, but would never work for 7 or 8 nights). We drive to Disney so we bring an air mattress or two with us. Our youngest daughter still likes to make a bed out of the seat cushions from the pull-out sofa. Like a PP said, we just request extra sheets and blankets from housekeeping and she makes up her own bed.

We have never stayed in a suite at ASMu but know 2 different families who have. One family found it to be fine though an adult in that family had to sleep on the pull-outs and didn't find any of them to be comfortable. Her kids (8 & 10 at the time) didn't have a problem with the pullouts. The other family had stayed at AoA on a previous trip but wanted to save money on the next trip so they stayed at ASMu. They weren't happy with the suite. They found all of the beds to be much less comfortable than the ones at AoA and they didn't like the layout of the ASMu suite -- specifically that the exterior door entrance/exit is in the room that the kids slept in -- they were worried about the kids sneaking out (I think they ranged in age from about 8-12 at the time). In the AoA suite the parents (if they kept their bedroom door open) could see the door and just felt more comfortable with that set up.

One other thing (sorry, I talk a lot. :D) While we absolutely love the suites at AoA and find the pullout beds to be very comfortable (the mattresses are about 6" thick). I find the mattress on the queen-size bed to be horribly firm (my DH doesn't mind it). I used to make a mattress topper out of extra blankets from housekeeping but I discovered on our most recent trip that you can request a foam mattress topper from housekeeping (I actually requested 2). They came in and put them on the bed while we were out. That made a HUGE difference and I found the bed to be very comfortable after that modification.
 


I loved AoA with my family. The extra space is just priceless. I appreciated that there were 2 "beds", 1 a sofa fold out, 1 a Murphy bed. I loved 2 bathrooms and the fact that my bedroom had a door I could shut if I wanted quiet time.
I stayed at Pop and would gladly pay more to stay at AoA again next time.
 
AoA if the cost doesn't matter to you! The theming is great! We think the table bed is very comfortable - even as adults. (But, we still wouldn't sleep on the pull out sofa bed for more than a night as adults - but the kid I travel with seems to like it well enough)
 
I know one anecdote does not prove a point... but... I reserved 2 rooms at Pop on one reservation in August 2018 for my recently completed October trip. Every time I called (4 times in all), the cast members (I know, I know, as reliable as bus drivers) swore to me that connecting was guaranteed and it needn't even be on my room requests. When we arrived, our room wasn't available. As the CM searched through available rooms, she did guarantee we'd get connecting but she also said nothing else was guaranteed. We ended up with connecting. I know doesn't prove anything, but all the CMs were adamant that connecting was guaranteed.

However my DH and I were fully prepared to have separate rooms if the connecting didn't happen. Two rooms at Pop was $100 less per night than a suite at AoA and this was a short, park-focused trip -- so it would've been ok if the rooms didn't connect.

So I guess my question is could the policy about connecting been changed recently? Or perhaps something specific to Pop?

To the original poster -- since you have a 6-year-old, I'd pick AoA if it works for you financially. My youngest grandson who was 3 when he stayed at AoA kept talking about hearing the voices underwater at the AoA pool when we were at Pop. He's now 9 and he wished we'd gone to AoA. I pointed out we saved $400 by staying at Pop instead of AoA and used that for Halloween Party tix. He didn't bring up staying at AoA again. But AoA was obviously quite memorable! The biggest drawback to an AoA suite is 2 of the kids will have to share either the couch or table bed. Connecting at Pop will give you 4 real beds with lots of great pillows! Also AoA has a microwave but only one fridge. Two rooms at Pop will have 2 fridges but no microwave.
 


So I guess my question is could the policy about connecting been changed recently? Or perhaps something specific to Pop?

No, connecting rooms are still not guaranteed. I'm not sure why they were telling you they were. Disney's own web site states they are a request only.

Truly nothing about your Disney trip is guaranteed. Everything is subject to availability. They do on occasion even move guests to different resorts. I've twice now booked a specific room type that was a paid for upgrade, only to be told at check in it wasn't available.

When you call you get a call center, with people who probably haven't even been to Disney World. Unfortunately they are not a great place to go when you need very specific info. At check in, that cast member could guarantee you connecting rooms, as you were standing right there and they were looking at the current room inventory. Disney does not block off rooms as we book them, so even 2 months out no one over the phone is truly able to tell you if there will be connecting rooms available when you arrive. They have no idea.
 
Sorry to "pile on" but i have to agree with the pp's that you are never guaranteed connecting rooms, sadly I have personal experience with this. If there are 2 adults then they will expect you to split and in my case if there aren't they will find you a room that sleeps 5 even if it isn't a resort you were wanting to stay in. Having btdt I personally wouldn't do it again or recommend it.

If you want 2 bathrooms then I would go with either AOA (a favorite of ours) or the ASM suites - we have done both. The pro in your case is that the ASM suite will give each of your kids a separate sleeping space (my then 12 yo niece didn't mind the pull out ottoman) both bathrooms are in the main area and the kitchen area has a slightly better layout. With AOA it just feels like there is more living space, the table when open works great for 5 or 6, the murphy bed is comfy for 2 even though its a 'double" and if you want a third bed we used an airbed and it fits great. Plus/minus depending on your needs is that one bathroom is in the master bedroom.

If you don't need the extra bathroom I might look at a moderate or DVC studio? In the moderate category POR and CBR sleep 5 and have a twin size murphy at an affordable price. Also some of the DVC Studio's can be found at almost the same price as a moderate and have the twin murphy, off hand SSR and WLV have been around the same price or just a bit more than a moderate with additional amenities.

Also the WL Cabins can some times be found at an affordable price - lots of sleeping space but only one bathroom.

Have fun deciding :)
 

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