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I have a reservation on the shades of green overflow rate at all star sports in june. The overflow rate for the values at that time of year is 88 bucks.

I really wanted to stay at the moderates but there are no overflow rates available (nl overflow for this year at that time would be 140). Instead I would have to pay the full rate of 175.

For full disclosure, when I was a kid I stay at deluxes. But now that I am paying I normally stay at moderates since I find they have a nice balance of amenities for cost. I usually deride the values since I dont think disney put any imagineering into them.

Any thoughts?

The moderate rooms are a little bigger than the value, but not that much. It's true that the moderate pools are themed better. Their are more type of food choices at the moderates. But I think it all comes down to how much time you are going to spend at the resort. If you will be at the parks from open to close and not spend a lot of time in the room or at the pools I say pocket the extra $$$ and stay at the value resorts.

MouseMan wrote:The moderate rooms are a little bigger than the value, but not that much. It's true that the moderate pools are themed better. Their are more type of food choices at the moderates. But I think it all comes down to how much time you are going to spend at the resort. If you will be at the parks from open to close and not spend a lot of time in the room or at the pools I say pocket the extra $$$ and stay at the value resorts.

I fully agree. A lot of people spend a lot more than they need to on staying at a more pricey, albeit nicer, resort that they hardly ever see because they're in the parks or out to dinner then to bed and repeat. Unless you plan on spending a significant amount of time at the resort itself, i.e. a relaxation day, pool/nap breaks in middle of day, etc. then the value is still a nice bed, a bus service, and EMH.

I've stayed at All Stars and moderate and deluxe resorts in my times to WDW. I liked the All Stars a lot (although I stayed when I graduated high school, so it was a good high energy place for me).

The two things I liked about the All Stars was the environment and cafeteria. The transportation was fine, but it seems like one bus goes to all the All Star resorts, which made it a bit long of trips. So, sometimes you pay for better transportation at other resorts.

If you're looking for a good pool area also, All Stars might not be the best. It's a big pool, but fairly busy at times.

The resort experience is huge for us - for others it isn't as big of deal. Just depends on what you're looking for but the general rule is you get what you pay for. We've not stayed in values, but we had doen moderates before and they're nice. Not the biggest fan of exterior outside hallways, but the theming is nice, the pools are nice and the food courts are great.

Like AKLRULZ stated, it really depends on how important the resort experience is for you. Here are my pros and cons of the all-stars and pop century resorts:

Pros:
1. Cheaper - yes they are less expensive so that is a major plus
2. Food courts have more variety of choices
3. Rooms are pleasantly themed

Cons:
1. Rooms are smaller
2. Themeing of resort not as complete or as nice as moderates
3. No sit down restaurant
4. More resort noise, and walls thinner in rooms, do the math

I think the value resorts are fine, if you spend a lot of time in the park and don't like the lower level that you get. They are better then staying off property. Of the values I would chose All-Star Movies or Pop Century, less unruly school crowds there.

I will say that the value resorts are not my first choice, and I tend not to stay any level below Moderate. I just feel its worth the extra money to have the nicer resorts experience.

Rich

The last time I stayed at All Star Sports, there were a lot of high school groups staying there as well. They overtook all the pool areas. The biggest problem was the noise at night. It was rather bothersome and, needless to say, my family will definitely be spending more next time we're at WDW for a different resort.

We like moderates because we like taking the afternoon break and heading back to the resort for a swim and a rest before heading back to the parks. I like that the moderate resorts offer better themed pools, smaller crowds, and the rooms are a bit bigger. Also, I find moderate resorts pretty laid back. These reasons justify the extra cost for us.

To me the values are a great way to keep costs down and re-direct $$$ to things like nicer meals, shopping, pass upgrades, etc... Also, I think the values have more energy and buzz (perhaps because there are more people and more "Disney" type theming).

If you are not opposed to switching resorts, why not do both? WDW does a great job moving your luggage for you, and aside from packing, you won't miss a beat. They may not have the moderate overflow rate available for the entire stay, but it may be available for a few nights.

We've stayed at all the value resorts, with the exception of Allstar Movies - which is the newest of the Allstar resorts. By far, our favorite is Pop Century. Awesome food court, great themeing and not crazy like the Allstar Sports can be. Also, Pop Century has only one bus stop, right outside the gift shop. The Allstars share busses, stopping at each resort along the way. Saves on much travel time with just one bus stop.

We've also stayed at moderates, along with deluxe and DVC accommodations. We actually like Pop alot!! Good luck with your decision.

One thing we did when we were staying at the All-Stars, but wanted a resort experience was to go to a different resort like Wilderness Lodge and enjoy the lobby area and restaurants. Before it was against Disney Law, we would go swimming in their pool, too. If I was planning a trip to WDW right now, with my budget (married, expecting first child, and only 2 years out of college at our first "real" jobs) I would stay at Pop Century since it is more centrally located than the All-Stars and we've never stayed there. We'd probably spend a lot of time touring other resorts and of course in EPCOT, our favorite park.

ambiguity123 wrote: Before it was against Disney Law, we would go swimming in their pool, too.

My family stays at a timeshare off property but my dad and I would always "sneak" into the Yacht Club pool area at night. That place is like a mini waterpark! That was before youneeded a key card to enter

I stayed once at POP and wished I had upgraded. The transportation was really tough. Id spend the $$. Hour by Hour you actually save when you are not in those lines...

Too bad you couldn't get into Shades of Green. It's a great resort.

You might want to check out Mousesavers.com to see if any codes for moderates are available. You might be able to get it down into the $150 range. Not as good as SoG overflow but not too bad. Personally I'd go for the Moderates if for no other reason than to avoid the school groups and other groups of kids that tend to stay at the Values.

I have to chime in on this one because I stay at both.

bribren wrote:I stayed once at POP and wished I had upgraded. The transportation was really tough.

The Transportation at POP is actually one of the most efficient, in the ranks of GF, Poly, etc. it is way better than the moderates like CB, CS, etc. where the buses have to drive around the the whole resort before it leaves or when it comes back. And as for the length of travel, granted it takes a while to get to places but just remember where it is, at the bottom of the property. I never had to wait long for a bus during my stays.

rdeacon wrote: 3. No sit down restaurant
4. More resort noise, and walls thinner in rooms, do the math Smile

I never use the sit downs in the resort anyway I always go to the sit downs in the various parks. Of course it is different when you go all the time. As for the noise I can agree that it is louder but that is because of all of the kids not the walls. I know construction and those walls are the same in all of the Moderates and values. At little drywall, some metal studs, and minimal amounts of insulation. They still use fiberglass instead of the spray foam (which is cheaper). haha[/quote]

I'm not a big fan of values, but then again, we spend quite a bit of time at the resort. As everyone here has stated, it depends on the amount of time you will be staying at the resort. If using the pool is a big deal to you, consider switching to POR (which also has beautiful grounds!).