Disney's All-Star Movies Review (By Resorts Gal)

Sometimes, our budget requires staying at a value resort. So, we occasionally find ourselves at one of Disney’s All-Star Resorts. It’s no secret that they are the most budget-friendly of all the Walt Disney World Resorts. We usually pick whichever resort has the best rate for the time we’ll visit. For whatever reason, we almost always end up at Disney’s All-Star Music or Sports Resort.

Until the past couple of years, we had never stayed at All-Star Movies. So, I felt it was time to change things up and provide a formal review of Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort. As you may know, the All-Stars Resorts are almost entirely identical. The main difference is that each one has a unique theming. So, if you’re more into movies than sports or music, you might consider planning a stay at Disney’s All-Star Movies for your next vacation. Let’s take a look at what to expect.

a statue of Buzz Lightyear in the All-Star Movies Toy Story courtyard

When we booked this stay at All-Star Movies, we found a reasonable rate for a preferred room. If you’ve read our other resort reviews, you know our budget is one of our top priorities. We pay for our resort stays out of pocket to provide unbiased reviews, so finding a decent deal is always a win. Typically, we wouldn’t consider a preferred room because of the price difference. But that was the only room available for this stay with the current room discount. So, I thought this would be an opportune time to discuss whether or not a preferred room was worth it.

Most value and moderate resorts have a preferred room category. These rooms are closer to the resort’s amenities. Per Disney, at All-Star Movies, preferred rooms are closer to Cinema Hall, dining, shopping, and transportation. So you won’t have to walk far from your room to get to these locations. The following buildings at Disney’s All-Star Movies have dedicated preferred rooms:

Toy Story Buildings 9 and 10
Fantasia Buildings 5 and 8
101 Dalmations Building 1 and 4

Some standard rooms are also in these buildings, and all the rooms in Love Bug and Mighty Ducks are standard. Our room (room 9805) was on the second floor in the Toy Story area. We have a photo of the room view from the walkway outside our room to the Cinema Hall.

view from the preferred room at All-Star Movies to the hotel's lobby

It took us approximately 0.19 miles (less than five minutes) to get from the room to the bus stop, the longest distance from our room to the resort’s major amenities. On our way to the bus pick-up area, we passed the feature pool, lobby, gift shop, and food court. So, to minimize walking at the resort, you might consider a preferred room. However, the furthest room locations from the lobby aren’t a terrible distance. That said, when you’ve been walking through the theme parks all day, you may get stiff on the bus ride back to the resort. If your room is near the back of the resort, it will feel like another hike.

When we arrived at the resort, we immediately received a text that our room was ready. Since we drove, we had to pass through the security gate on arrival. From there, the security guard alerts check-in that you’ve arrived, which usually generates a text response about whether your room is ready. If it is prepared, you will receive a text with the room number and can head directly to it. You never have to worry about visiting the front desk for check-in or check-out unless there is an issue. It all works seamlessly.

Our first priority was photographing the room. Most of the rooms at All-Star Movies have a queen-size bed and a queen-size pull-down (Murphy-style) bed. These rooms sleep up to four guests.

overall view of the room with two queen beds

When the bed is not in use, it doubles as a table with two chairs.

overall view of All-Star Movies room with the table bed

Here is a look at the vanity area. This space has a sliding door that divides the room, providing privacy when getting ready or if others are still sleeping.

the vanity area in the bathroom with one sink

Bathrooms at the All-Star Movies have a tub with a shower combination.

Rooms have a coffee maker and a beverage cooler. Note that this beverage cooler is not the same as a mini-fridge. It has a warning on the front that it is only designed to cool items, not necessarily keep perishable items.

the storage shelf, beverage cooler, dresser, and television in the room

Toiletries include body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. A hair dryer, iron, and ironing board are also available. If you want to preview more details, we have a separate article with extra photos and a video tour of the room.

a cubby shelf with an iron and a hairdryer

When dining at All-Star Movies, you have one option: the World Premiere Food Court. A pool bar, Silver Screen Spirits Pool Bar, offers a few snack items and cocktails. World Premiere is a large food court with four stations and one large grab-and-go area. It is usually open daily from 6:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

the food court at Disney's All-Star Movies

For breakfast, you can find anything from bagel sandwiches to Mickey-shaped waffles. During lunch, selections include pizza, burgers, and chicken strips. One station has healthier items like salmon with green beans.

a sign that says Roxy over one of the court stations

The grab-and-go area has plenty of snacks. You’ll find chips, candy, crispy rice treats, cereal bars, protein bars, individual fruit cups, and a pastry case full of items.

a case with pastries, donuts, cookies, and other sweet treats

During our stay, I photographed every item available at the food court, along with the menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since there were too many photos to include in this review, we created a separate dining guide.

Movies is similar to the other value resorts when it comes to pools. All-Star Resorts have two pools: a feature pool and a quiet pool. Unfortunately, these pools will not have a water slide or a hot tub. Disney’s All-Star Movies feature pool is the Fantasia Pool, which sits directly behind Cinema Hall. This pool has a water feature with Sorcerer Mickey on a large stage backdrop.

the feature pool at all-Star Movies Resort

It’s a fun pool with tons of seating. During the afternoon, cast members are available to play trivia and a few pool games. This helps keep the kids entertained.

Fantasia Pool with Sorcerer Mickey water feature at All-Star Movies Resort

This pool has a separately fenced kiddie pool and splash area for children.

The splash area is in front of the main laundry room, and a laundry room is near each pool.

a small splash pad that's blue with a swirl design

For those wanting a quieter experience, you may prefer to visit the Duck Pond Pool at the Mighty Ducks section of the resort.

While this is considered a quiet pool, it’s still a decent size and can get crowded, so it might not be quiet during your visit.

Goofy at the goal post at the All-Star Movies Pool

Most of the resorts offer nightly Movies Under the Stars near the pool. However, All-Star Movies has a separate covered area where movies are held.

the Reel Spot at All-Star Movies is shaped like a film reel

The Reel Spot is immediately next to Cinema Hall, only a few steps from the Fantasia Pool.

chairs inside the Reel Spot where guests can sit to watch the nightly movie

Upon arrival, you’ll probably want to snap a photo of the recreation schedule. A sign listing the schedule can usually be found in the lobby and near the pool area.

Various Disney films are available each night. This is a fun way to spend the evening on a day when you need some extra rest.

the recreation calendar for All-Star Movies Resort

Regarding recreation, there are a few other things you may want to be aware of during your stay. For example, the resort has a large playground. A small pathway between the resort’s Toy Story section and Cinema Hall leads to it.

a playground that's brown with red and green accents

Toward the left side of the playground, a separate play area is designed for children ages 2-5.

a side view of the playground with a slide

Additionally, a giant chess board and a few game tables are available in front of the Toy Story buildings.

a larger checkerboard and ping pong table in the All-Star Movies section

We saw multiple guests playing ping-pong during our stay.

a ping pong table with brown benches sitting around it

Right inside Cinema Hall, you’ll run into the Reel Fun Arcade.

The Reel Fun Arcade at Disney's All-Star Movies

It’s an excellent arcade with plenty of games.

interior of the arcade with rows of video games

A few cornhole games are usually near the pool. They change the covers on them pretty regularly.

Value resorts only offer one form of transportation to the Disney Parks: buses.

the entrance with larger letters that spell out All-Star Movies in red with stars in the backdrop

All-Star Movies buses take you to and from the following locations:

Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
Disney Springs

*You’ll often have to take a transfer bus to the water parks. If so, the bus driver will drop you off at the transfer location. Then, you’ll find the bus stop for the water park at the drop-off.

a sign that lists the transportation options at All-Star Movies

We took advantage of the bus transportation provided at the resort during our stay. We only used our car a handful of times to pick up fast food.

a sign that shows the wait times for the buses

All bus stops are located on the front side of Cinema Hall near the resort’s gift shop. We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. But that is not always the case, no matter where you stay. Sometimes, the buses run slower than others for various reasons. If you reserve an airport shuttle, they have a designated bus stop in the same area. We saw many Mears buses pick up guests during our stay.

the bus stop with a sign that shows where to wait for the airport shuttle

Before we wrap things up, let’s look at the different sections of the resort. That way, you’ll have a good idea of where you might end up if you stay here. Directly behind the feature pool is the resort’s Fantasia area, which is modeled after the popular Fantasia cartoon films.

the Fantasia section of All-Star Movies with large mops carrying buckets of water

Staircases on each end of the building are wrapped with books that say Fantasia 2000. Speaking of staircases, each building at All-Star Movies has an elevator.

a book end that doubles as a staircase that says Fantasia 2000

Here are a few more photos of the Fantasia section.

a giant jack in the box in the Fantasia section of All-Star Movies

The Love Bug area is directly behind Fantasia. It’s modeled after The Love Bug movies.

the walkway that leads to the Love Bug section of Disney's All-Star Movies

Herbie is sitting in the winner’s circle. He probably drove himself up there.

Herbie sitting on a display in the Winner's Circle of All-Star Movies

Each building has checkered flags and other tools.

The Love Bug section has giant tools like wrenches, wire pliers, and screwdrivers

And hearts.

a close up of The Love Bug with a blue backdrop with red and pink hearts

If you explore the grounds, you may notice some fun imprints left in the concrete.

Perdita and Pongo overlook the 101 Dalmatians section of the resort.

The 101 Dalmatians section of Disney's All-Star Movies

All the characters are larger-than-life, making this kind of Disney Resort fun for children.

Pongo in the Movies Section at the Resort

There’s also a fun photo opp where you can stand inside the faux television screen.

pups watching television next to Pongo in the 101 Dalmatians section

Even the pavement in the area has bones.

large dog bones that say Kanine Krunchies in the concrete walkway

On the opposite side of 101 Dalmatians sits the Mighty Ducks. This portion of the resort will be a little further away. It also sits directly across the parking lot from Disney’s All-Star Music Resort.

a huge Hockey mask in the Mighty Ducks section of All-Star Movies

You’ll find tons of hockey sticks, pucks, and other references here.

Hockey pucks and sticks on the railings of All-Star Movies

Each staircase is wrapped with a hockey goal.

a hockey net wraps the stairwell in the Mighty Ducks section

Lastly, we stayed in the Toy Story section of the resort. It’s fun because when you first walk up to the section, you’ll enter through a large door with a sign that says, “Andy’s Room, Keep Out.”

a larger than life door way that leads to Andy's room in the Toy Story section of All-Star Movies

Once inside, you’ll see the familiar cloudy sky wallpaper. We noticed several guests had come over to take a few photos, likely for their social accounts. Some were wearing the popular cloudy sky dress.

doorway to Andy's room with the blue sky wallpaper and cloud print

Inside Andy’s room, you’ll find favorite Toy Story characters like Woody, Bo Peep, Rex, and Buzz Lightyear.

Woody, Bo Peep and Rex in the All-Star Movies Toy Story area

Several blocks are stacked to spell out the characters’ names.

Buzz Light year with giant blocks beside him that spell out Buzz

Rex had a few checkers with hidden Mickey’s.

Here is our old pal, Woody.

Woody next to large blocks that spell out Woody

And make sure not to miss the Bucket o’ Soldiers staircase wrap. The Green Army Men are climbing out of the bucket and surrounding the parameter. You may have noticed them on all of the rooftops.

the staircase wraps look like giant Bucket O Soldiers

The Resorts Gal Spin on All-Star Movies

Overall, we enjoyed our stay and think All-Star Movies is suitable for those who want to stay on Disney property and remain in a specific price range. However, we did note a few negatives.

My main issue is that the rooms at All-Star Movies have thin walls. During our stay, someone next to us was very sick and coughed all night long. This kept me from sleeping one evening, and it added stress. Of course, this could happen at any of the values, and you’re not immune to overhearing things at most hotels.

Besides a few snacks and coffee, we had most of our meals in the parks and at nearby off-property locations. Over the years, we’ve had plenty of Mickey-shaped waffles, Disney cheeseburgers, and pizza. So we’re always looking for something fresh. While the food court has many options, it could have been better. Anyone spending an entire week at the resort will likely be burnt out by the food options long before the end of their vacation.

That said, children love the All-Star Resorts. They don’t know the difference between a cheap motel room with exterior access and a high-end hotel room with interior entry. Most are enthralled by the character statues, pools, and resort playgrounds, which are not found at the deluxe resorts at Disney World. No, you won’t get that fancy feeling you would if you were staying at a nice hotel. But if you can get a rate of approximately $130.00 or less per night, you’ll get an incredible value for the benefit of staying on Disney property. (That’s about my top-out price for any of the All-Star Resorts.)

the entrance to All-Star Movies with the green star at the front

a red carpet entrance to All-Star Movies

Hopefully, this All-Star Movies Resort Review answers your questions about the resort. We love the resort for what it is and the fun theming. As much as we love the higher-priced resorts in the area, we know they aren’t always feasible for everyone’s budget. (Not even ours!) So we try to provide as many options as possible, no matter the price range.

For more information, try our Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort Guide. Or you might like to browse these articles for these other value resort reviews:

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