Many people say that the All Stars aren't the greatest resorts. I believe (after seeing the "Deluxe" resorts on property) that this is because of the standards held in the deluxe resorts. Many of those, such as the Polynesian, offer extra amenities (which are nice, but in my opinion, not always necessary).

The biggest differences between the deluxe resorts and the All Stars are the room size and the lack of special amenities. However, by no means are the All Stars lacking in any way. They are still much cleaner and nicer than a standard hotel (such as Holiday Inn) and they offer services like transportation, room-charging privileges (up to $500 by credit card, debit card, or cash), food court, swimming pools, gift shop, and package delivery (meaning that I could purchase something in the parks and have it sent back to the hotel).

Yes, the rooms are small. But I will say this: our room was always clean, the resort itself was gorgeous and well-maintained, and I always received star treatment from the cast members (Disney-speak for employees).

For those who are on a budget, the All Star resorts are quite nice. Plus, you have the Disney transportation, which is extremely efficient at the All Stars (never waited more than five minutes for a bus) -- it has to be since the three All Stars resorts (Music, Movies, and Sports) are the largest resorts on the property!

Checking In:
We arrived at 11am prior to the 3pm check-in. Upon arrival, we checked in at the front desk. If your room is not quite ready by Mousekeeping (more Disney-speak), you will be assigned your room keys (for room charging privileges if you choose to use it) and told to call a number to see if your room is ready. However, our cast member chatted with us for about 10 minutes, waiting for a room to open up. We had requested the Jazz section when we made our reservations (the resort has such areas as Calypso (a preferred building very close to the main lobby and food court, but it costs $10 extra for this), Country Fair, Broadway, and Rock). We were so glad we got our requested area because we were right next to the Calypso building. It was hardly a walk to the pool or food court. It was all right there!

Each of the three resorts consist of ten three-story buildings and one main hall. The main hall is a high-ceilinged building which houses check-in, guest relations, a large Disney store, arcade and a restaurant. The store offers the usual Disney gifts plus toiletries, bottled drinks and magazines. The restaurant is cafeteria-style and the menus change depending on the time of day. There is also a small self-serve "Market" area to buy drinks and packaged meals instead of waiting on the regular food lines. It seems like most of the food is prepared when it is ordered. We found the chicken quesadilla to be pretty good for lunch and dinner hours.

Right outside the main hall, heading to the guest buildings, is the first of two pools for each resort. Each pool is shaped to fit into the theme of the resorts. For instance, our resort had pools shaped like a guitar and piano. It seemed at our resort that the pool nearest the hall was used more and seemed to be heated better.

The buildings also fit into the themes of the resorts. Our building was not only number 8, but also the Broadway building. The buildings are painted in eye-catching (eye-burning?) colors, and have designs to fit into their individual themes.

The guest rooms are comfortable but basic. The TV has an abundance of channels, although many are WDW-related. I thought the bathtub was quite comfortable, unlike many budget places I have stayed. I am told that all the rooms are the same (except those for wheelchair guests, although I don’t know what makes those rooms special) to a point where a friend of mine who was staying in the same building said we had the same print from "Beauty and the Beast" hanging in our respective rooms. There is no room service except for pizza delivery from the main hall.

The hotel key-cards are also park-hopper passes, so guests can go everywhere in WDW. That’s one of the perks. One of the other budget drawbacks is the transportation system: these resorts seem to be the furthest from most of the action. I timed the bus from my resort to the Magic Kingdom at about 20 minutes, and I would guess from experience that these budget hotels have fewer buses serving them for each park. In contrast, the monorail to the top resorts runs every five minutes or so and the ride is shorter. Also the buses to the All-Star resorts are always the furthest from the park gates.

Here are some tips for obtaining this rate. First, you must ask for this rate. The rate code is CQM. You may need to be flexible with dates in order to get this rate. All of the All Star Resorts offer the same amenities, so it really doesn’t make a difference which one you stay in. If you are able to find a room, put it on hold immediately. At this rate, rooms are going quickly.

I’m glad I chose to stay at the All Star Music Resort. Even though I was seeing rates at motels outside the park in the $30 to $40/night range, the convenience of staying on Disney property was well worth the extra money. The buses from the All Star Resorts only make one stop each for Movies, Music, and Sports, so it doesn’t take a long time to get where you’re going.

Although the rooms at the All Star Music Resort are pretty basic, they were spotless and had everything that we needed. We were able to get a portable crib at no charge for our daughter. The room only had one sink, so getting ready in the morning may be a problem for a family of four.

The resort itself had everything that we could have wanted: two large beautifully landscaped pools, a kiddie pool, playground, arcade, food court, and gift shop. Ten buildings make up the All Star Music Resort. The themes are Calypso, Jazz, Rock, Country, and Broadway with two buildings for each theme. Tip: When making a reservation, request either one of the Calypso or Jazz buildings. These buildings are located closer to Melody Hall where the lobby, food court, arcade, bus stop, and shop are.

Guests are able to buy passes right at the front desk and avoid waiting in line at the parks. Employees (a.k.a. cast members) at the Disney Resorts are Disney experts. I told the cast member how many days I had at Disney and what parks I wanted to see and she went over the many ticketing options available. Maps of each park are also available at the front desk, so you can begin planning each day.

We saw mainly families at the All Star Music Resort. But, adults without children would also enjoy the All Star Resorts. I would definitely stay here again.