Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

The 1,920-room All-Star Movies is a sprawling, family-oriented resort with some elements of several Disney movies, from Mighty Ducks bedding to a 47-foot-tall Buzz Lightyear statue in the grounds. It's in Disney's Value category, the cheapest rung of Disney resorts (above camping, that is). Its guest rooms are smaller, its features are fewer, and, unlike the Moderate- and Deluxe-category resorts, its only food option is a self-serve cafeteria. It is one of a triplet of near-identical All-Star properties next to one another (All-Star Music and All-Star Sports have the same layout, food options, and activities, but different decorations).The resort consists of five different motel-style, three-story buildings; each building is decorated to represent a different Disney film: Toy Story, Fantasia, Love Bug, 101 Dalmatians, and The Mighty Ducks. It has two movie-themed pools, a small video-game arcade, and fake tattoo and hair wrap carts set up in the afternoon -- little else.Like all Disney resorts, the hotel comes with some great perks: free parking throughout Disney World; free shuttle service to Disney resorts, parks, and Downtown Disney; extended hours at Disney parks; you can charge any activities, food, or purchases at a Disney park or resort to your room bill.However, due to the All-Stars resorts' location on the far outskirts of Disney World near Animal Kingdom, it is a generally a less-desirable option than other value-category options like the more central Pop Century, which offers faster direct shuttles to Epcot and other Disney parks.

Compared to Disney's more expensive resorts, like the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, this property seems to have a skeleton staff: front desk staff, security, lifeguards, and cafeteria check-out staff perform minimal practical services; not a pampering customer service experience. All of the dining is self-serve, there are no kids' clubs or supervised activities on-site, and the lines at the front desk can get frustratingly long. But, like at all Disney resorts, you're guaranteed a set of free services. These include free transportation within Disney, off-hours access to the parks, and the ability use the room key card to charge theme-park purchases to the rooms.- Free shuttle transportation to and from Orlando International Airport, plus free delivery of one luggage item per person

• Free shuttle transportation to all Disney attractions, including Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Downtown Disney (10- to 25-minutes, depending on traffic)
• Extended hours to the parks -- opens one hour early and/or up to three hours after the park's closing time
• Guests can charge all theme park purchaces (and purchaces at other Disney Resorts) to their rooms.
• Concierge desk, mainly to help guests book an activity or get tickets to an event.
• No poolside drink service
• No full room service menu; just pizza delivery

Disney All-Star Movies is one of three adjacent "All-Star" properties (Music and Sports being the other two) located on the far western end of Walt Disney World, near Animal Kingdom. It's relatively isolated from many of the park's most popular areas, Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney, making the shuttle rides longer in many cases (up to 25 minutes, for example) and less convenient, especially for families.Like most Disney resorts, Disney's All-Star Movies Resort is set back from the main roads. It's quiet, but like just about any Orlando resort, there isn't anything to do, eat, or see within reasonable walking distance.- Free bus transportation to Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Downtown Disney (all within 10- to 25-minutes, depending on traffic)

• 15- to 20-minute drive to SeaWorld and Wet 'n Wild parks
• 20-minute drive to Universal Studios and Universal's Islands of Adventure
• 15- to 20-minute drive to International Drive, a 14.5-mile road parallel to Interstate 4 that's full of hotels, strip malls, outlet shops, and restaurants
• 30-minute drive to Orlando International Airport (Disney provides a free shuttle)

The guest rooms feel old (the last section of the resort was constructed in 1999 and it does't look like the rooms have seen much of a renovation since then). The walls and carpet are shabby; flaking paint and dirty tile grout are clear signs that the rooms are due for an update.- Small standard rooms (260 square feet) -- smaller than most other hotel rooms in Orlando, but about the same size as the other rooms in the "Value" category of Disney resorts

• Standard room capacity is four, on two double-size beds.
• Poor noise insulation between rooms; Expect to hear your neighbors' family feuds, crying babies, and television sets.
• Cramped bathroom; toilet and shower in separate rooms, but the vanity area doubles as closet space.
• Disney-brand soap provided; no other toiletries like shampoo or conditioner provided
• Old, tube TV; basic cable and on-demand movies (no DVD player, though)
• Free Wi-Fi
• No balconies; rooms open to either ground level pathways or exposed hallways
• Some rooms are up to a half-mile from the hotel lobby, amenities, and dining.

While the on-site facilities might be a bit limited, at least compared to most other Orlando resorts, guests can use the free Disney shuttle service (or just drive themselves) to get to other resorts -- including the Animal Kingdom and Coronado Springs -- and freely use the kids' club, gym, restaurants, pools, and shops there.- Movie-themed Fantasia Pool with a "Sorcerer's Apprentice" fountain (a large fountain themed after the Fantasia character); small, shallow children's pool beside it

• Duck Pond Pool, next to the Mighty-Duck-themed buildings, shaped like a hockey rink
• Videogame arcade next to the food court and lobby (game tokens bought on-site)
• Fake tattoo and hair-wrap station (hours are seasonal)
• Free Wi-Fi on entire property
• Coin-operated laundry room
• Gift shop sells a small stock of snacks and groceries (at inflated resort prices).

The All-Star properties are designed for families: kid-friendly themes; affordable, kid-friendly cafeteria-style dining; and activities like a video-game arcade and multiple supervised pools. That said, the entertainment is sparser and quality of rooms and facilities lower than at Disney properties of a higher tier -- rooms are somewhat small and in need of renovations; there's no kids' club; and food options, despite being kid-friendly, are still somewhat limited. It's best enjoyed as a landing pad for families spending most of their time (and money) at the parks.- Standard room capacity is four, on two double-size beds. Extra rollaways are available for a per day fee and cribs are free, but it also costs an additional fee per day per guest over the age of two years old.

• Free cribs and bedrails, available by request
• Poor noise insulation between rooms; could be a problem for light sleepers
• Kid-friendly dining
• Concierge can arrange private, in-room babysitters through a separate company.
• On-site coin-operated laundry room
• Video-game arcade
• Two pools, including a shallow children's pool
• No kids' club or supervised activities on-site

Though housekeeping is visibly active throughout the property, the rooms' dingy paint, old carpets, and banged-up furniture are clearly reaching their expiration date. The grounds seem well-enough maintained, but Disney clearly puts minimal investment into updating the facilities and rooms.

Dining is an area where the cost cut of Disney's "Value" resorts really shows -- the only food available on-site is a single, self-serve cafeteria, End Zone, which serves kid-friendly options like pizza, pasta, fried chicken, and chili-cheese dogs. During breakfast and dinner, long lines overwhelm the cashiers and it can be hard to find a place to sit.- End Zone cafeteria serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (hours are seasonal).

• Breakfast items -- pancakes, waffles, cereals, and pastries.
• Lunch and dinner items run a narrow range from pizza and pasta to burgers, chili-cheese dogs, and chicken nuggets.
• Silver Screen Spirits, the on-site bar, serves alcoholic drinks outside the food court, near the resort's [[main pool].
• No formal room service, but guests can order pizza and have it delivered to their room in the evenings.