There’s only one Walt Disney World Annual Pass that most out-of-state fans can purchase, the $1,450 Incredi-Pass. Surely this makes no sense to purchase if you’re a tourist, right? I’d imagine that at least some regular readers have nevertheless priced it out, and tried to make it work.
This post is for you. Consider it a cautionary tale or inspiration, as the case may be. We first bought APs over a decade ago while living in the Midwest. Annual Passes were a fraction of their current price, but so too were regular tickets. We justified APs on the basis of discounts on merchandise and food.
Once you have an AP in hand, you never look back. Trust us. You use that “free” admission as an excuse to justify even more trips, but the problem with that brilliant line of thinking is that there are other costs to visiting Walt Disney World than just park tickets. And after dropping a cool $1.5k on admission, you’ll need to find ways to cut costs elsewhere. That’s where this topic comes into play.
One way is on airfare. Frequent flier programs are the obvious one, but there’s a good chance you’ll also sign up for co-branded airline credit cards, and possibly obtaining the Southwest Companion Pass. All good ways to earn free flights and knock out one of the two biggest costs of regular weekend getaways to Walt Disney World.
The other one is accommodations. One route is purchasing Disney Vacation Club. If you’ve debated buying an Annual Pass despite living out of state, there is a 99.9% chance you’ve also entertained the idea of joining DVC. We did this, but of course, it wasn’t enough. That’s also a recurring theme here: trips beget more trips.
The other option is finding cheaper accommodations options. You try to figure out which off-site hotels offer the most bang for buck, search for dates the Swolphin has low rates, try your hand at the Priceline Express Deals blind bookings or DVC point rental. Regardless, I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of people I’m describing are trying to find ways to save money on resorts, and aren’t going all out booking Club Level every time. I know my people, and the WDW Weekend Warriors are not doing that–at least, not always.
One of the absolute easiest ways to save money on hotels is simply booking the All Stars with the best available discount. Even as we’re Disney Vacation Club members and do all of the above things, I’ve found myself staying at one hotel more than any other over the last two-plus years: All Star Sports.
I’ve really come to enjoy the All Star Resorts, and specifically Sports, for quick commando trips to Walt Disney World. These are short stays where the hotel is simply a place to sleep, shower, shave, and so forth. You’re only in the room to crash after a long day, and are up early and out the door as soon as possible the next morning. The goal is to cram a weeklong trip into a long weekend.
For such stays, here are the biggest selling points of the All Star Resorts…
Transportation – The downside of the All Stars, and why I prefer to splurge slightly and stay at Pop Century when possible, is that it’s all bus transportation. There was a time when that was incredibly inefficient, either due to infrequent buses or shared routes among all three All Stars.
We have not had this issue of late with bus transportation anywhere at Walt Disney World. (Knock on wood.) During all of my most recent stays at the All Stars, buses were frequent and efficient. I’ve had zero problems making Early Entry or waiting in long lines when leaving the parks.
The only caveat I’d offer here is that I always do Early Entry and am probably on the first or second bus to depart the resort. I always stay post-closing to wait out the crowd and to enjoy those serene post-closing periods. I’ve never left during the morning rope drop rush or the post-fireworks mass exodus. I’d imagine buses are packed during peak times, just like always.
All Star buses are still not as efficient as the Skyliner between Pop Century and EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. But if I’m doing a commando trip, I’m only using transportation twice per day. Given that, the All Stars are fully delivering and it’s not worth it to me to pay the premium to upgrade to Pop (or anywhere else).
However, contrasted with off-site hotels, the All Stars are much more efficient. With a commando touring style, I’m staying out late and getting up early. Obviously, this means little sleep. What I’ve discovered is that staying on-site is far more conducive to this approach, because it’s much easier to rely on Disney transportation than any off-site alternatives.
The third party buses (where they’re even available) are worthless for anyone serious about strategy. Even driving yourself or taking an Uber/Lyft is more time consuming than you’d expect, with time wasted waiting for a pickup or to park, as the case may be. When staying out super late to close down the parks, I’ve also had issues getting rideshare pickups on occasion (I’ve had to walk to the Contemporary or Beach Club as a result). Time is money at Walt Disney World, and this further turned me off of staying off-site.
Early Entry – As I’ve said on countless occasions, I don’t think Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is the optimal approach for 3 of the 4 theme parks at Walt Disney World. This isn’t just me being frugal, although that undoubtedly plays a small part. I really believe this, and would rather do Early Entry and rope drop in most cases.
The obvious problem with staying off-site is that you cannot do Early Entry. Your best case scenario is arriving for rope drop, which almost forces your hand to buy Lightning Lane Multi-Pass if you want a highly productive day.
New Rooms – All of the Value Resorts have now been upgraded to the same new style of room, with All Star Sports being the last to be finished (these rooms being newest is why I prefer All Star Sports. That, and sentimentality.) These reimagined guest rooms are a huge upgrade from the previous design, which was more minor leagues than all-star caliber.
The functional improvements are tremendous, with a variety of space-saving upgrades that make the rooms feel larger. They also look bright and airy, which is a sharp contrast to the old style. There’s more space for storage, one of the beds converts into a table, and much more. (For more, see our Photos & Video: Newly Reimagined Rooms at the All Star Resorts.)
Some fans have complained about the new rooms, calling them sterile and hospital-like. Respectfully, we think that’s mostly the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia. While I think the design could be more interesting, these are budget hotels at the end of the day–and they’re still a marked improvement over the old look, which was stuck in the 1990s. While I may not want to cram a family of 4 in here for a weeklong stay with a lot of resort time, they’re fine and functional for shorter stays.
Whimsy & Nostalgia – My first stay at All Star Sports in a long time was shortly after it reopened for the sake of “research” to check out the aforementioned new rooms and see what else had been refreshed about the resort. Prior to this, I was admittedly anti-All Star Sports. It was woefully dated and youth sporting events, such as Pop Warner, made it a no-go during about a dozen weekends per year.
Suffice to say, I was really impressed by that stay. The new rooms were a known quantity, but I was pleasantly surprised by the common areas and just how much everything popped. I also had zero issues with other guests–to the contrary, the vibe was good. This came amidst several other review stays at Flamingo Crossing and other off-site hotels, and I was actually taken aback by just how much I preferred All Star Sports. Some of those had larger or more feature-filled rooms, sure, but the hotels weren’t as strong as a whole.
I had some amount of nostalgia for the All Stars prior to this, but it’s been the recent stays that have hammered this home. I savor those late night walks through the resort after closing down Magic Kingdom, and likewise enjoy the sunrise strolls while heading to the bus stop for Early Entry.
The oversized icons are fun and memorable, and I look forward to our daughter someday running around on the football field or pretending to play tennis with Huey, Dewey and Louie or that sort of thing. The Disney touches are fun and memorable, which is much more than can be said about the generic look of the big-box third party hotels that are sprouting up all around Orlando.
Overall Value – In combing through my costs for the last few years, the lowest amount I’ve paid for All Star Sports is $88 per night (after AP discount) and the highest is $139 per night (also after discount, but during a busier weekend). If you’re going by general public discounts, expect to pay $100 to $160 per night–maybe more during peak seasons.
There are certainly cheaper hotels in Central Florida. Doing a quick search, I see options for around $50 per night. After eliminating the shady options where I wouldn’t be comfortable staying, there are $70 to $90 hotels. If I wanted to stay at Flamingo Crossing or the Disney Springs Resort Area, I’d actually be paying about the same cost as the All Stars–in many cases, more!
Regardless, the problem is that none of these are apples to apples comparisons. These are not the “all in” costs of something comparable to the All Stars. You’re going to pay for some combination of parking and transportation (potentially both), and then there’s the value of Early Entry–and what an alternative to that will cost you.
If you do choose an alternative, that’ll most likely be Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. The problem there is that there’s once again an on-site advantage of ride reservations! If you’re going to purchase the new line-skipping service, having the 7-day window (plus length of stay–up to 14 days) is huge. It’s probably going to be make-or-break when it comes to booking Slinky Dog Dash, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and other headliners. See our Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Walt Disney World FAQ.
The bottom line is that the off-site alternatives are not as efficient and often end up costing more once you account for everything. If you’re concerned with saving money or even time, it’s difficult to beat the All Star Resorts at Walt Disney World. Of course, this recommendation isn’t for everyone.
When it comes to on-site hotels, the All Stars are not as strong as the Deluxe Resorts or even most Moderates. As should be obvious given the price difference. But there are way too many Walt Disney World fans who turn their noses up at the All Stars, and their opinion often isn’t grounded in the reality of 2024, but in preconceived notions or stays decades ago. (Ask some of them when was the last time they stayed at the All Stars. I’m betting the answer is “never” about half the time. Impossible to have an informed opinion on something you haven’t experienced.
There are also compelling reasons to stay off-site in nicer or larger accommodations, but if you’re doing a quick commando trip to Walt Disney World, or simply trying to do Disney on a Dime, I personally don’t think you can beat the All Stars. The corners you’ll cut or compromises you’ll make have a value (monetary or otherwise), and it just isn’t worth it. There’s a huge difference between being cheap and being frugal–don’t cut costs in a way that also cuts the quality of your trip!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you stayed at any of the All Star Resorts for commando trips? What did you think of the overall experience? How do you think these options compare to third party or off-site accommodations? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment that the All Stars are actually great hotel options for the Walt Disney World Weekend Warriors trying to maximize the quantity of their annual trips? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
