Disney’s All-Star Sports Review – Cheap Disney World Value Resort

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This review of Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort may come as a surprise since I’m not a big sports fan. However, it’s one of my life goals to be able to say that I’ve stayed at every single Disney resort. Before this trip, I’d only been to one. So what did I think of one of the cheapest Walt Disney World value resorts, and would I recommend you stay there on your next magical theme park vacation?

Disney All-Star Sports Location

Disney’s All-Star Sports is one of three All-Star resorts located in the Animal Kingdom area of the Walt Disney World Resort. It’s also near Blizzard Beach, one of Disney’s two water parks. These three are Disney value resorts, along with Pop Century and Art of Animation.

It can feel a bit out-of-the-way compared to some of the other Disney resorts, but it still isn’t too bad, especially if you’re planning on spending most of your time at either Animal Kingdom or Blizzard Beach. It’s farthest away from Magic Kingdom, though, so keep that in mind.

Since Disney no longer offers their free Magical Express bus service to resort guests, planning your travel to and from the Orlando airport (MCO) is now your responsibility as a Disney World vacationer. Be sure to budget both money and time to get there and back.

I took a Sunshine Flyer bus (now merged with Mears Connect), and I waited about 40 minutes for the bus to pick me up at the Orlando airport. Then, the bus ride was about another 40-45 minutes to the resort due to making another stop at another resort.

Disney All-Star Sports Resort Rooms

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this hotel since pictures can make it look tacky, but honestly, once I was there, I kind of enjoyed it. While it isn’t going to be as upscale as some other hotels, it has a fun kind of vibe to it, and the colors really pop. I think kids would especially love the way that this resort looks with its vibrant colors and theming.

I stayed in the “Surf’s Up!” area of the resort, which is one of the closest to the lobby and the cafeteria-style food court. Other themed areas include baseball, football, and tennis. I thought the “Surf’s Up” section was pretty cute because there were surfboards and fish on the railings painted in bright colors.

I know that for a long time, All-Star Sports was the only value resort to not have all its rooms refurbished. I’m not sure if all of the rooms have been refurbished yet or not, but I was lucky enough to stay in a refurbished room. It was a lot nicer than I expected.

There’s one queen bed in the room, and then to have another queen bed, you have to pull it down from the wall. It folds down from the wall and sets down, so it’s not there permanently. When this bed is down, the room does feel pretty tight. Not a problem for solo travelers, but larger families may feel crowded.

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The beds themselves were comfortable, and there were plenty of pillows.

I was worried that the art in the room was going to be too tacky or too sports-themed for my liking, but it’s nice. There were some art prints on the wall featuring some well-known Disney characters, and when you pulled the second bed from the wall, there were Huey, Dewey, and Louie from Ducktails taking a nap, so that was especially cute. 

I didn’t find it particularly loud, although to be fair, I wasn’t facing the pool, so that may have helped. Because this is a value resort, a lot of school groups stay here, so noise could be an issue, depending on when you visit. 

This resort does not have any family suites as of the time this post is being written. You’ll have to stay at another Disney World resort for those kinds of hotel rooms, such as Disney’s All-Star Music or Art of Animation Resort.

All-Star Sports Food Court and Dining

Since this is one of Disney’s value resorts, this is going to be the cheapest option on the property. Therefore, you won’t have any fancy sit-down restaurants to eat at – there is just a food court style cafeteria. I only ate my breakfasts there because I was in the park pretty much for the entire day until I got back at the end of the night.

Mickey waffles are somehow the best waffles ever, and they do have them at this resort, thankfully. The rest of the breakfast was pretty good. I got basic eggs and bacon as well as a banana and some orange juice. While tasty, it’s all very expensive – it was close to $20 for one meal, which adds up when you’re coming with a large family.

The cafeteria has basic food court-style food and American cuisine – eggs, bacon, hamburgers, hotdogs, etc. They were having some special dishes for Black History Month that I unfortunately didn’t get to try, but they had some things that varied from the usual menu, which I thought was a nice touch.

I wouldn’t necessarily come to a value resort and expect cuisine from all over the world. This is your pretty basic food court food.

They did have a pool bar as well, serving some alcoholic drinks as well as some light snacks. I didn’t get to try the pool bar out, but I did see some adults enjoying their stay there. It appeared that this stayed open once the pool closed each night as well. 

All-Star Sports Pool and Amenities

As one of, if not the cheapest Disney resort on property the All-Star Sports Resort does not have a ton of extra amenities.

There aren’t any fitness centers, lazy rivers, or other amenities that you may find at more expensive resorts like Disney’s Yacht Club and Disney World Swan, but again, you’re staying at a value resort, so those shouldn’t necessarily be expected.

They have a swimming pool that closes at 10 PM. They have a game room with some different games that you could play. They also had a gift shop, which, in addition to carrying merchandise, also carried some essentials in case you need anything like medication or sunscreen.

Because this is a value resort, you’re going to be relying on shuttle bus transportation to get to and from the parks. However, I didn’t have an issue with the buses on my most recent visit there.

Some people have complained that the All-Star resorts can all share one bus between the three of them, resulting in longer wait and transportation times, but that wasn’t the case for me. 

Every time I needed to go to and from the parks, I had my own dedicated shuttle bus for the All-Star Sports Resort, and it went straight there to and from the park fairly quickly. I never had to wait too long for a one to arrive, either. 

The free shuttle service that continues throughout the day is one of the best perks of staying on-property at Disney. While you can stay off-property, there are not many hotels with shuttles to Disney World that run continuously.

Disney All-Star Sports Review – Overall Impressions

Overall, I was actually pretty impressed with this resort, and I wouldn’t be mad if I had to stay here again. Do I think it will be my favorite Disney resort hotel? No. But the staff are friendly (shout-out to Disney cast members) and the food that I got was pretty good, even if it was expensive. The room itself was a pleasant surprise as well. 

The bus service worked pretty well, and I thought the theming, though it may be too much for some, was fun – I didn’t think it was too bad, and I don’t enjoy sports.

Let’s face it – Disney vacations are not cheap. If you’re the kind of person or family that spends most of your time in the parks, these are fine places to just rest your head at the end of a long day. I recommend this resort to families or anybody who wants to stay on Disney property but doesn’t want to spend too much of a premium price.

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Now, again, this is still a Disney Resort, so even though it’s one of the cheapest options, it is going to be more expensive than what you can get off property. However, you do still get those Disney perks from staying on property even though it is a value resort – like transportation to and from the parks and early theme park entry each day. 

That’s one more Disney resort I can cross off my list, and hopefully I’ll be seeing another one soon! Have you stayed at the All-Star Sports Resort? If you have, tell me what you think about the resort itself, and do you have any tips or tricks for anybody staying there?

FAQs About Disney All-Star Sports Resort

Has All-Star Sports been renovated/refurbished?

Partially – as of the time this post is being written, Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort has at least some rooms that are refurbished/renovated.

Does All-Star Sports have refrigerators?

Yes – every room includes a mini-fridge.

Does Disney All-Star Sports have a gym?

No – there is no fitness center or gym at this resort, but outdoor jogging paths are available.

How many rooms are at All-Star Sports?

All-Star Sports resort has 1,920 rooms.

When was Disney All-Star Sports built?

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort opened on April 29, 1994.

Can I Uber from All-Star Sports to Magic Kingdom?

Yes – but remember that free Disney shuttle service is included if you stay here!

Does All-Star Sports have transportation?

Yes – free bus service to and from the resort, parks, and Disney Springs is provided.

Does the monorail go to All-Star Sports?

No – All-Star Sports is not on the monorail line.

Does All-Star Sports have a restaurant?

No – while All-Star Sports Resort has a quick service, food court style place to grab food, as well as a pool bar, it does not have a sit-down restaurant.

Does All-Star Sports have a hot tub or jacuzzi?

No – only a bathtub, shower, and swimming pool can be found at All-Star Sports Resort.

Does Disney All-Star Sports Resort provide body wash?

Yes – as of the time this post is being written, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner were provided by the resort. These bottles are attached to the wall and cannot be removed from the rooms.

Does Disney All-Star Sports Resort include breakfast?

No – there is a quick service restaurant to purchase breakfast separately, but there is no free breakfast provided. My Mickey waffles with bacon, eggs, tater tots, banana, and orange juice were about $20.

Sources

All-Ears https://allears.net/walt-disney-world/wdw-accommodation/all-star-sports-value-resort/
WDW Magic https://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/disneys-all-star-sports-resort.htm