Disney's All-Star Sports Resort Review

When my wife decided to take part in the Everest 5K Challenge, naturally my first reaction was to figure out where we would stay for the weekend. As with all Run Disney events, there are specific resorts the runners are encouraged to stay, as they are the only hotels where transportation is provided for the participants. Our available options were Animal Kingdom Lodge, Caribbean Beach, and the All-Star Sports resorts. Usually, we would have selected the Animal Kingdom Lodge from the list, as it is one of our favorite resorts and is available with our Disney Vacation Club membership. However, this visit was a little different, in that our room was truly just a place to sleep, since the rest of our weekend was filled with activities. So we decided to do our wallet a favor, and booked a room at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort.

Part of an enormous multi-resort complex, the All-Star Sports is one of four hotels in Disney's "value" category. Combined with its neighbors, the All-Star Music and Movies, the entire resort complex consists of a staggering 5400 rooms. The buildings in the Sports section feature over-sized sporting goods, such as footballs, tennis ball cans, and surfboards. Our room was in building 3, which was a basketball theme, and featured the pennants of many popular college teams.
Disney All Star Sports Resort
The guest rooms themselves are a comfortable size, but I wouldn't call them large by any means. It was more than suitable for just the two of us, but I'd imagine things could be a bit cramped for a family of four. I was surprised to see the room featured a flat screen TV, as even some of the "Deluxe" rooms at other resorts are still lagging in this increasingly standard amenity. That said, however, there were many things which the room lacked, such as a ceiling fan, closet doors, and towels of more weight than quality tissue paper. This is to be expected, however, as the lack in these amenities partially allows for the lower rates of the "Value" category.
Disney All Star Sports Resort
As for food, the resort is home to the End Zone Food Court, where one can find anything from pizza and burgers, to caesar salad and chicken parmesan. I had my traditional Disney breakfast of Mickey waffles, as well as a late lunch one afternoon, and found the food to be surprisingly good, considering it is a food court. Keep in mind, this is the only dining option at a resort with over 1900 rooms, meaning it can seem as busy as your local grocery the day before Thanksgiving.
Disney All Star Sports Resort
The resort also features two pools, and while we didn't have time to enjoy them, I did pay a visit to the poolside "Team Spirits" bar. The pool itself was basic in design, without the kid friendly features of a slide, etc. Given the size of the resort, I thought the main pool was quite small, but each time we went by it was not overcrowded at all.
Disney All Star Sports Resort
For those considering a stay at the All-Star, a few important things of note. The first is that the All-Stars frequently play host to various schools, youth sports teams, etc. This can translate into a noisy atmosphere throughout the resort. During our stay, our entire building was home to what appeared to be a high school trip, and Disney security guards were stationed between buildings to ensure the kids didn't leave their rooms at night. In addition to the groups, the housekeeping around the buildings was lacking, as trash which was outside rooms upon our arrival still remained two days later.
Disney All Star Sports Resort
On the other hand, there are plenty of positives to these resorts. First off, one certainly can't beat the "value" a.k.a. price. Our room was under $100 per night, and for a family on a budget, these resorts can give the Disney experience without breaking the bank. It's also fair to say that most kids will love the All-Stars, as the theme of the resorts will fit right in with their general excitement of vacation at Disney.

I've said it here before...I'm a hotel snob. Yes, I whined quite a bit during our stay, but most of it was no fault of the resort, but just me being a spoiled brat. While we probably won't find ourselves back at the All-Stars anytime soon, overall our experience was right in line with expectations, and really that's not all that bad...


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