Pop or ASMo?

Walt Disney World
1

I had a fantastic stay in Pop at Christmas and would recommend it to anyone staying on a budget.

I’m currently booked to stay at Pop again in July. However I’m wondering about switching to ASMo.

Reasons:

  1. The room I had at Pop was so good (view etc) that whatever room I get next time will be a disappointment.

  2. Providing ASMo completes its refurbishment by July, I’ll have the exact same room interior.

  3. It’s fun to try new things. I’d love to be in the Toy Story section at ASMo.

  4. Pop busses were great. Pop bus stops were less great. (Much walking.)

On the other hand, Pop has the lake and easy access to AOA.

What would you do? Arguments against ASMo?

(It’s premature to be asking. I’d only consider switching if the ASMo refurbishment is complete.)

1 Like
2

When is AsMo supposed to have finished its refurbishments? If it’s close to departure date that would stress me out and I wouldn’t bother trying to switch. But maybe that makes planning more exciting for you so is actually a pro for switching. :wink:

3

It’s halfway through, as I understand it, so it should be ready by July. I wouldn’t rebook unless I was certain that it was.

My current thinking — which I reserve the right to change without notice and repeatedly — is to stick with Pop. I know my way around, it has the lake, maybe I can sweet talk a CM into giving me the kind of room I want if I don’t get assigned it initially.

1 Like
4

There is no way to guarantee that you’ll get that section. Preferred has multiple sections and Toy Story would only be a request.

5

Yeah, I’m kinda going with better-the-devil-you-know at the moment. Not that Pop is a devil.

Which is worse: a “bad” room at Pop, or a “bad” room at ASMo? Probably ASMo. Pop has the lake.

6

I do not know if it is accurate but I just heard that the refurbishment is on hold at AsMo for now. It was reported that it may begin again in March.

7

Going back to Pop would also give me a sense of going “home”. It’s kinda “my” resort.

4 Likes
8

That’s how we feel about Pop after two trips there. It’s a great resort if your priority is visiting the parks and not hanging out in the room.

9

I stayed at Pop on my last trip and LOVED it! Staying at ASMo on my February trip and I’ve never stayed there before! Excited to try something new. I booked preferred so I’m hoping for a refurb room. I get not wanting to switch from something you already like though. There is a certain amount of risk when you stay somewhere new.

2 Likes
10

Pop has the advantage of being near the lake, which the All Stars don’t have. All stars also share transportation during certain parts of the day, which is infuriating.

If I stay in another value resort I would choose Pop or AoA.

1 Like
11

I haven’t stayed at either, but I looked through all 5 of the food court menus the other day and nothing about any of the All Stars excited me. I much preferred AoA and Pop, even though the food is all kinda boring.

12

Unless ASMo is refurbed, you will not be pleased after just having been at Pop.

I may be imagining it, but the layout at Pop certainly feels like it flows better. Overall, I prefer it to AoA and the All Stars.

1 Like
13

I think I will always be Pop from now on unless I am splurging for deluxe. It was just that good! Stay at Pop!

1 Like
14

I really like the All Stars and i think they’ll be my go-to values once the refurbishments are complete. I like the small footprint of each resort - fewer people to compete with for food and buses.

Having said that, if you’re going in July, you may want to just stick with Pop. A lot of South American teen tour groups stay at the All Stars during that time period and we had a pretty awful experience last July with a group. I feel like you run into fewer groups at Pop, though I’ve never stayed there in July so I can’t say for sure.

1 Like
15

I’ve stayed at Pop five times. I made room requests the last three times for building 6 of the 70’s section asking for 1st floor room close to Classic Hall. The front of the building is preferred but the back is standard. I had my request met all three times and the rooms all faced the lake. Perfect for us. The rooms were close enough to the generation gap bridge that we often took the AoA bus back at night and walked over. The AoA bus seemed to have shorter lines. Pop is my go-to resort. We’ve also stayed at WL twice and I like the food court and storage space of the rooms at Pop better than WL. However, you can’t beat that boat ride from WL to MK.

3 Likes