Staying at a Walt Disney World Value Resort is a great way to experience all the magic on a small budget. That is exactly what Megan and I did when we took our first trip together in September 2018. When we started our plans to go to Disney, we decided to stay off property, buy our tickets separately, and really do Disney on a limited budget. What we found in the process, was that staying at Disney’s All Star Music Resort, came out to be about the same price as staying off property (I can’t remember exact figures). We also ended up staying at the All Star Sports Resort for a couple nights at the end of our stay.
Today I will breakdown exactly why the All Star Music Resort is one of our favorites, for both nostalgia and practicality. If you are doing Disney World on a budget and are just looking for an on property hotel to use the perks of being on property, this is the absolute perfect place to stay. It is nothing fancy, but it packs the advantages of being at Disney World!
Disney’s All Star Music Resort Origin Story
In 1990, Disney CEO Michael Eisner unveiled a plan for the 1990s to be the “Disney Decade.” This grand plan included adding 7 new resorts, a 4th theme park, and 29 attractions to Walt Disney World. What we ended up getting was 8 resorts opening in the 1990s, including the All Star Music, All Star Movies, and All Star Sports Resorts. These were deemed “value” resorts to accommodate Disney’s desire to serve the needs of lower and middle class families.
In the early 90s, Walt Disney World, in conjunction with its own Imagineering team, commissioned Arquitectonica to master plan and design a 300 acre, 5,760 room, 3 village resort based on pop culture and sports. The ground breaking ceremony was in November 1992, 2.5 years before the announcement for “Wild Animal Kingdom” was made. If you look at an overhead map and the groundbreaking/announcement dates of the surrounding resorts, you would realize it was an odd spot to put a hotel complex of this size. We would later find out that Disney was carefully planning a massive resort expansion and utilizing the land that Walt bought in the 1960s.
The All Star Music Resort was the second of 3 “value” resorts that would open on this property with the Calypso section opening on November 22, 1994. It opened to great critical review for the theming and turned out to be a fan favorite for the value it delivered (we stayed in the All Star resorts many times as a kid).
All Star Music Themed Buildings
The All Star Music features 5 different themed building types based on different music genres. All 5 have larger than life statues that show off the theming of each building. It also has a main lobby named “Melody Hall” where guests check-in to their rooms. Melody Hall also has a large food court, restrooms, a bar that opens to both the food court and the pool area, a game room, and a gift shop.
Melody Hall
Melody Hall features Intermission Food Court, a music themed restaurant area that dishes up American cuisine and deli style food items. Common items include: omelets, French toast, pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, pizza, pasta, fried foods, burgers, sandwiches, ice cream, and various dessert items. Singing Spirits Pool Bar opens to Intermission Food Court and serves traditional beer & spirits, as well as a few themed beverages (my favorite is the Pina Colava).
Evening and nighttime pizza delivery is available to the guest rooms by dialing the “Pizza Delivery” button on the in-room phone. Be aware that an 18% gratuity, $3.00 delivery, and 7% sales tax is applied to all in-room orders (you can also pick up in Melody Hall). Note’able Games is the arcade in Melody Hall and has 1,500 plus games to choose from.
Calypso Rooms
The Calypso section at the All Star Music Resort is based on… Calypso music. A shocker to be sure. The Calypso section features family suites measuring in at 520 square feet each. These rooms were recently renovated in 2018 updating them to modern standards. You can find a queen bed, sleeper sofa, ottoman sleeper, a chair sleeper, a kitchenette, and 2 restrooms in each family suite. These rooms allow for a combination of 6 adults and children.
Jazz Inn Rooms
Come feel the music of the roaring 20s in the Jazz section of All Star Music. This section also features family suites at 520 square feet each. If you’re a fan of the roaring 20s and Jazz music as a whole, be sure to check out this area, even if you’re not staying here! The larger than life drums and musical instruments are winners. You can even hang out in a nice garden/fountain area between the two buildings.
Rock Inn Rooms
This was where Megan and I stayed when we went in 2018. The overall theming of this one features jukeboxes, a grass street with a car themed from the 50s, and guitars on the facades of the buildings. These are the standard rooms at the facility and sleep 4 guests in double beds with a single restroom.
Country Fair Rooms
Country Fair is along the back of the property and tends to be a little quieter than the rest of the resort area. You can find the buildings themed with cowboy boots, violins, and banjos. This is also a standard room section of the resort.
Broadway Rooms
Broadway is on the other side of the piano pool from the Rock Inn section at All Star Music. Like Country Fair and Rock Inn, you will only find the standard rooms that sleep 4 guests.
All Star Music Pools
There are two full size pools at the All Star Music Resort, and one kid sized pool. The main pool, “Calypso Pool,” is shaped like a guitar with the headstock being the kid sized pool. In the center of the Calypso Pool is a fountain of the Three Caballeros shooting water. The Calypso Pool is located towards the front of the complex, directly behind Melody Hall.
The second pool is the shape of a piano and is located towards the back of the complex, between Broadway and Rock Inn, in front of Country Fair. This pool is much smaller and tends to be a little quieter. If you’re wanting a relaxing pool day with fewer kids running around, this is the pool to go to.
All Star Resort Jogging Trail
The All Star Resort complex also features a jogging trail around the entire 3 hotel facility. The 1.5 mile loop is perfect for those wishing to maintain their fitness regimen while on vacation or if you need to take the kids for a walk on an off day.
All Star Music Transportation
The All Star Music Resort has two transportation options: Disney Transport Buses and the Minnie Van system through Lyft. The buses provided by Disney are free to use and will take you to all the theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs.
How late can I use a bus at All Star Music?
The buses drop off at the resort for 1 hour after the park closing time (or Disney Springs closing time) and stop picking up from the resort 1 hour before park closing time. Since the parks close at different times, buses will stop coming and going at different times.
For instance, Animal Kingdom closes at 8:30 P.M. so the Animal Kingdom buses will stop coming to pick up at All Star Music at 7:30 P.M. but will keep taking you from Animal Kingdom to All Star Music until 9:30 P.M.
Since Epcot closes at 9:00 P.M. the Epcot buses will stop coming to pick up from your resort at 8:00 P.M., but will keep taking you from Epcot to All Star Music until 10:00 P.M.
How early can I use a bus at All Star Music?
In a similar fashion, buses start running 45 minutes before the parks open. Since all of the parks open at the same time (exception being the water parks), all of the buses start running to the parks at the same time.
Can I take the bus with Extra Magic Hours?
Yes! This works the same way in that buses run 1 hour after, stop running to the parks 1 hour before closing, and start running 45 minutes before opening. Knowing your daily park schedule will tell you the exact time.
How often do buses show up at All Star Music?
As with all Walt Disney World resorts, buses show up approximately every 20 minutes. Sometimes a little longer, sometimes a little sooner based on traffic in the area.
What about using the Disney Skyliner?
As of now, the Disney Skyliner only goes directly to 3 resorts: Pop Century, Art of Animation, and Riviera. Guests at All Star Music are free to use the Disney Skyliner at any time, but it does not go to or from the All Star Music. Feel free to read our guide and look for updates about the Disney Skyliner.
Your Thoughts
Have you stayed at the All Star Music Resort before? Let us know in the comments what you think of this Walt Disney World Resort! We love to hear feedback. If you have a trip coming up and you are staying here, let us know. As always, we would appreciate it if you would check out our other content as well!
