Budget trip: All Star Sports vs PoP

[Brookeywookie]

We are going next fall. We are currently booked at all star sports in a standard room. We will be a family of 2 (not so small) adults and a very tall 17 year old. Pop has better beds and the Skyliner but it’s is about $350 more for our stay. We are on a kind of tight budget..but we could switch to pop without totally blowing it. We would just have less spending money (we would still have a couple hundred dollars each). Should i spend the extra money for the room or keep the small beds/shared busses and buy more things while we are there?

Side note: Food and wine is happening while we are there and hubby and i do enjoy having drinks.

 

[Disneylover99]

We are going next fall. We are currently booked at all star sports in a standard room. We will be a family of 2 (not so small) adults and a very tall 17 year old. Pop has better beds and the Skyliner but it’s is about $350 more for our stay. We are on a kind of tight budget..but we could switch to pop without totally blowing it. We would just have less spending money (we would still have a couple hundred dollars each). Should i spend the extra money for the room or keep the small beds/shared busses and buy more things while we are there?

Side note: Food and wine is happening while we are there and hubby and i do enjoy having drinks.

Could you choose Movies instead of Sports? I believe their renovated rooms are just about complete.

 

[Brookeywookie]

We can’t. We are booked with the bounceback and movies is excluded.

 

[Disneylover99]

We can’t. We are booked with the bounceback and movies is excluded.

Oh, I see.

If the bigger beds are important to you, then I’d make the switch to a Pop standard room.

 

[supitscarrie]

$350 is a pretty significant amount of money, in my opinion. Personally I'd stick with Sports for the sake of the money. But I'd also ask if you've shared a full-sized bed with the other not-so-small adult before - if so, was it comfortable? do you think you'd be able to share that amount of space with them for however-many nights? If you know for sure that you're not going to be comfortable, in that case, consider switching to Pop; I can't enjoy a vacation without good sleep, myself.

 

[Brookeywookie]

That pretty much answered my question. Hubby wants to save the money. I know for certain i can’t sleep in a full with him. (I work nights. He works days. I have trouble sleeping in a king with him when I’m off). I would rather have some sleep. Thank you!!

 

[Taylor'sMom]

My DH and I are also "not so small" adults and we have decided we just cannot stay anywhere with full beds anymore. Over the years, we have stayed at all of the All-Stars and Pop. Pop is by far our favorite. The last few years we've stayed moderate or rented DVC points to get an upgradeed experience (larger beds being a big factor). Now that Pop and Movies have the refurb rooms with queen beds, we will be returning. Pop is our favorite value resort and worth the price over an All-Star, even when they all are refurbed.
The Skyliner is another added bonus!

 

[Taylor'sMom]

Keep in mind ypu can decline housekeeping and get some extra "spending money" back, if thats a consideration for you.

 

[wvasweetness]

I love Pop, it's my favorite Value. But $350 is a chunk of change. I would stay where you are, unless you think you won't be able to sleep well. In that case, I would look for another option because no one is going to have a good time if everyone is sleep deprived.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

I agree the price difference is significant (for a budget trip) but lack of comfortable sleep could ruin your vacation if everyone is crabby. Some people bring a blow up bed to put on the floor.
If you move the table/chairs there is enough room I have read. Maybe you could take turns sleeping on it if that is an option for you.

 

[HopperFan]

We are going next fall. We are currently booked at all star sports in a standard room. We will be a family of 2 (not so small) adults and a very tall 17 year old. Pop has better beds and the Skyliner but it’s is about $350 more for our stay. We are on a kind of tight budget..but we could switch to pop without totally blowing it. We would just have less spending money (we would still have a couple hundred dollars each). Should i spend the extra money for the room or keep the small beds/shared busses and buy more things while we are there?

Side note: Food and wine is happening while we are there and hubby and i do enjoy having drinks.

You didn't say how many nights, and when you divide that money by nights that is how I decide if it's worth it. If you won't be sleeping on vacation, not sure it's a vacation and since it's a year away .... I would set up a "bed jar" to save money to cover that difference. I have done that before for upgrades and usually able to cover the difference with change and other random monies.

 

[Moco825]

You could always ask for disney gift cards for birthdays/christmas...if someone doesn't know what to get you or asks what you'd like because they are clueless on a gift. My family always knows disney gift cards are 100% welcomed as a gift, then i can splurge on dinner/use them on drinks around the world or buy myself something i never would have without them.

 

[Disneypro1]

Id go Sports to save the $$ for sure. Maybe even Music. Music is imho the beat value, along with POP. But for the money savings...id definitely stay at the all stars!

 

[Disneypro1]

I agree the price difference is significant (for a budget trip) but lack of comfortable sleep could ruin your vacation if everyone is crabby. Some people bring a blow up bed to put on the floor.
If you move the table/chairs there is enough room I have read. Maybe you could take turns sleeping on it if that is an option for you.

Yep. We have used these a lot.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It completely depends on your family dynamics but does the 17yr old have to sleep by themselves?

My husband is over 6ft 5inches and we sleep together when we have to on a full sized bed. Actually I'm about to do that in a few weeks for 10nights when I visit him on his field assignment as that's the bed he took with him. I get how being tall works out for sure just wondered if it's possible one of the adults gets a separate bed and the 17yr old sleeps with the other adult (whomever he feels more comfortable with as I'm not going to assume who that would be).

It's at least an option as is the common advice/situation I see where people bring or purchase a blow up mattress for the trip. $350 is a decent chunk to us when the situation is something we can handle even when not 100% ideal. If you can't handle it at all then that makes the decision easy

 

[Magical2017]

Pop has its own bus, if that is important to you. I am not sure if things have changed, but I do remember Sports sharing with Music at one time.

 

[Hi Pluto]

With the bigger beds plus the skyliner and IMO a better view with the lake, I say POP is very much worth the extra $350. Could you check with a few travel agents to see what kind of deals they offer as well?

 

[kaytieeldr]

and IMO a better view with the lake

Fixed it for you "and IMO a possibly better view [of] the lake" (so the OP or some unsuspecting reader of this thread is aware that fewer than half the Pop rooms have any view of the lake.)

 

[maxiesmom]

Yeah, no way do I think the Pop is worth the extra money. Stayed there once, and it was fine. But so are the All Stars. And I actually prefer the food courts at the All Stars over the one at Pop.

As far as the buses go, Pop has it's own because it is so much bigger than any single All Star. Half again as big. In my many stays at the All Stars sharing a bus is the exception, not the rule. As as the resorts are right next to each other it isn't a big deal at all when they do share.

 

[Hi Pluto]

Fixed it for you "and IMO a possibly better view [of] the lake" (so the OP or some unsuspecting reader of this thread is aware that fewer than half the Pop rooms have any view of the lake.)

I don't necessarily mean from the room, but from the resort in general.