All Star Sports Hotel

As you may know, Rea and I ran the Star Wars 5K at Walt Disney World in Orlando earlier this year. It was an absolute blast. I have a total love/hate relationship with running... but let's not get into that. This is, after all, the Disney section of the blog. 

If you are going to WDW for a race, I suggest you book at the All Star Resorts. They are inexpensive (for Disney) and the transportation to and from the races are unmatched. Yes, Disney does offer "better" hotel selections with race transportation, but (according to my sister) the buses don't run as frequently to the other resorts. That might not seem like a big deal until it's 4 in the morning and you are waiting around for a ride. 

I've stayed at the All Stars a couple of times. And I have to say, it gets better each time. The first time was like 8 or 9 years ago, so perhaps they have made some minor improvements. I remember the beds not being comfortable the first time... this last stay, my bed was fine. I slept comfortably. 

Rea loved the hotel. She loved the over-the-top look of it all. She liked the expansive size of it. She thought the room was awesome. 

The only *total yuck* I can share was that our room smelled like it had at one time been a smoking room. Or, that a handful of occupants had been smoking in the bathroom. The bathroom area had the distinct smell of stale cigarettes. So gross. 

Our room for the race in April 2017.

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We went back to the All Star Sports this week. This time it was a quick 2-day trip. And it was just me, Stu and the monsters. I chose the All Star simply for the price. I felt it hard to beat a $97 room. So I booked it, and we drove up. I'll get into our adventures on a different post. 

This was the first time Stu or Riley had ever stayed at an All Star Resort. Riley thought it was great. He was VERY pleased to find out there was free wifi in the room (a must-have for my tech-obsessed 7 year old). Stu thought it was a fine place to stay. He was taken back by the size of the complex... these resorts are sprawling. I had only had one complaint, and it could have happened at any of the Resorts. Our Magic Bands were totally messed up. Somehow we ended up checking in my sister-in-law and not my husband. But we didn't realize this (and probably never would have) until we tried to enter the Magic Kingdom... since the passes are linked to the bands, it was a giant cluster of crazy at the Park gate. Luckily, we had the Annual Pass cards in my wallet. So we just used those for the entire trip.

Our room in September 2017. Simple, comfortable and clean.

Anyway, here's what it boils down to for me... 

Is this my favorite Disney hotel? Nope.
Will I stay here again? You bet. 
Is there Disney transportation to all the Parks? Yes, buses. 
Decent onsite food? Yes, very large cafeteria.
Fun pool? Yes, multiple pools actually. But the main one is great. 
Do my kids love it? Yes. Duh, it's Disney. 

Thanks for reading. Have you stayed here before? What's your take on the All Stars?

You might also like:

The Grand Floridian

The Polynesian Resort

Fort Wilderness Amenities