Disney All-Star Music Resort Review: Best Value for Families

Headed to Disney World this year and need a place to stay on a budget? As expensive as Disney World can be, there are some excellent affordable options, even for families and groups!

The All-Star Resorts are the cheapest hotels at Disney, but they aren’t all created equal.

In today’s review, I’m covering the All-Star Music Resort so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.

I’ll dive into everything you need to know, including rooms, recreation, food, transportation, parking, pricing, and more. Plus, I’ll also go over a clear list of pros and cons to make your decision super easy.

Ok, let’s jump right into my Disney All-Star Music Resort review!

An introduction to Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

Disney’s All-Star Music Resort is one of three All-Star resorts at Walt Disney World.

As the name suggests, this resort is music-themed, with five sections: Broadway Hotel, Calypso, Country Fair, Jazz Inn, and Rock Inn.

Each section has two T-shaped buildings for a total of just over 1900 guest rooms.

Despite being a budget option, this hotel comes with free early entry to the four main theme parks, as well as free wi-fi, a Fuel Rod swapping station in Melody Hall, and a ton of recreational activities.

Check-in

Check-in time at All-Star Music is 3 PM, like all other Disney resorts. I love that this is standard across the board!

I always take the first flight out of Boston so I can get to Disney World as early as possible and maximize my time there.

This means I get to whichever resort I’m staying at way ahead of check-in, so I like to do mobile check-in a few days ahead to increase my chances of my room being ready by the time I get there.

However, this time around, I forgot to do the mobile check-in until I boarded the Mears Connect bus at MCO, so my room was not ready when I got there.

However, I went up to the check-in desk and they were able to find me a room! How’s that for good service at a budget resort?

Resort theme

The resort’s music theme is represented by a multitude of musical genres across the property.

The Calypso section is brightly colored, with giant marimbas and maracas on the guest room buildings. It is the closest section to Melody Hall and centers around the main pool area.

Walking straight back you’ll find Jazz Inn, with saxophones, trumpets, and drums. There’s also a lovely little courtyard with benches in between them.

Pushed off to the right from Jazz Inn is Rock Inn, with a 50s rock n roll vibe. Think jukeboxes, vintage cars, guitars, and vinyl records.

And to the left is Broadway Hotel, which is my favorite themed area at this resort.

I love the faux-Broadway adverts for actual Disney plays, like Frozen and Aladdin. It was also cool to see all lit up at night, just like Times Square and Broadway in New York City.

Further back from these sections is the Country Fair area with giant cowboy boots and lots of cutesy blue gingham plaid.

This is the section I stayed in when reviewing this property. Given that it’s the furthest section from the hustle and bustle of Melody Hall and the main pool, it was very quiet back there.

Guest rooms

There are 3 types of guest rooms at the All-Star Music Resort: standard, preferred, and suite. Yes, that’s right – this value resort has family suites!

Standard & preferred guest rooms

Preferred rooms are simply those closest to the main pool and transportation, which includes the Calypso and Jazz Inn buildings.

The rest of the areas – Broadway Hotel, Country Fair, and Rock Inn, are considered Standard rooms.

Aside from the room location, the standard and preferred rooms are the same once inside.

The guest rooms at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort are decently sized, especially for a value resort. They are newly remodeled and feature 1 King or Queen bed and a Queen-sized Murphy bed that doubles as a table.

A lot of folks don’t like this new setup, but the old setup had 2 Full-sized beds that made the small rooms feel even smaller than they were.

Plus, as a long-distance annual pass holder and remote worker, I often end up working from the hotel room during the day and it’s nice to have a proper space to do so, even though it’s a budget hotel.

Aside from the functionality, the Murphy bed is just as comfortable as the regular bed, so I still don’t get the complaints!

On my most recent stay at the All-Star Music resort, I stayed in a Standard room and was placed in Country Fair.

I came to regret this choice, however, as the room was super far from transportation. At the end of the night, all I wanted to do was hop in bed with an ice pack on my sore, tired feet.

Instead, it felt like I was forced to do a runDisney Coast-to-Coast Challenge to get back to my room.

Aside from being far away from the bus stop, the area was a bit more secluded and quiet, which I appreciated when it came time to sleep! But next time I stay here, I’ll pony up for the preferred room.

Guest room amenities

All of the rooms come equipped with easy-to-use digital thermostats that can make the room as warm or cool as you want it to be.

There are also plenty of outlets all over the room – on each side of the bed, by the dresser, in the bathroom, and by the coffee bar.

Speaking of, each room has a bar with a coffee maker, complete with free coffee and tea, plus a mini refrigerator, cups, and an ice bucket. There’s also shelf space to put snacks.

In the bathroom, you’ll find hand soap, tissues, and a hair dryer, as well as an iron and ironing board. Plus in the shower, there’s shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. And plenty of towels and washcloths!

Lastly, there is a dresser underneath the giant flat-screen television where you’ll find a safe, as well as extra pillows.

Family suites

I have yet to stay in a family suite at the All-Star Music Resort, but I’ll provide some info here as I’ve heard great things from folks I know who have stayed there.

Overall, it’s a fantastic budget option if you’re traveling with a group of 5-6 people or just need more space than the regular guest rooms fit (which is 4 people).

The suites include 1 Queen bed and 2 Queen-sized Murphy beds. In addition, the regular bed is in a separate space.

But the biggest perks to the family suites at All-Star Music are the kitchen and TWO full bathrooms.

I am just kicking myself thinking about a past vacation in which we squeezed 5 people into a room at Caribbean Beach. Two bathrooms would have come in handy for mornings and probably would have cost the same.

The kitchen is small but sufficient for a vacation space. It has an apartment-sized refrigerator and freezer, microwave, full sink, and plenty of counter and shelf space for groceries.

I’ll definitely be looking into these rooms when I visit with a larger group again in the future!

Pools & recreation

The All-Star Music Resort has two pools, both with a music-themed design, as well as a kiddie pool.

The main pool, aka the Calypso Pool, is guitar-shaped and has a Three Caballeros-themed fountain. Nearby is a giant chess board, as well as a shuffleboard court.

The Calypso Pool gets quite busy and loud during the day, especially during the hotter Summer months.

The kiddie pool forms the head of the guitar-shaped Calypso Pool but is separate from the larger pool, so you don’t have to worry about kiddos wandering off into deeper waters.

For a more relaxed atmosphere, I recommend heading to the Piano Pool, located in between the Country Fair and Jazz Inn sections.

From 6-7 PM each night, there is a campfire by the Calypso Pool where you can roast marshmallows.

In addition, at 8 PM on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, you can watch a Disney movie outdoors, also at the Calypso Pool.

You can get a copy of the weekly schedule at the front desk in Melody Hall, although sometimes you’ll also find a schedule posted by the pool!

In addition to the pools, there’s a playground nearby the Jazz Inn area and a 1-mile jogging trail that circles all of the All-Star resorts. As for indoor activities, there’s an arcade called Notable Games inside Melody Hall.

Last, but not least, head to Maestro Mickey’s Gift Shop in Melody Hall for shopping, whether it be for souvenirs, (limited) groceries, or toiletries you’ve forgotten.

There’s also a pressed penny kiosk near the arcade for a cheap and fun collectible souvenir.

Food & drink

The All-Star Music Resort offers a quick-service restaurant called Intermission Food Court, as well as the Singing Spirits Pool Bar.

This food court offers a variety of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and more.

I tried the pulled pork mac-and-cheese, which was pretty good, as well as the classic Mickey waffle breakfast platter, and the occasional almost-midnight snack, like a Mickey-shaped Rice Krispy treat.

Overall this food court is a solid option that’s open from 6:30 AM to 11 PM. Mobile order is available here, which I absolutely took advantage of.

Being able to pre-order food while on the park bus after a long day or ordering breakfast to take back to the room while everyone gets ready is a major perk in my opinion!

The Singing Spirits Pool Bar is best for drinks, but it does serve a few snacks that just come from the food court. So if you want a little more variety, just walk a few steps further into Melody Hall for some grub.

Transportation & parking

The All-Star Music Resort offers complimentary transportation to all of the Disney parks.

You can take a bus from the resort to Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, the water parks, and Disney Springs.

Plus, if you’re driving to the resort, parking is free for guests during your stay.

Grocery & package deliveries

One amenity at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort that none of the value resorts have yet is the package lockers.

Guests can have packages delivered from Amazon, Garden Grocer, Instacart, Shipt, FedEx, and UPS to these lockers. The cost for the service is $6 per package.

This is a great option if you’re traveling carry-on only, but need full-sized sunscreen or other toiletries for your trip.

If you have a package delivered, you’ll get a text message with a locker number and code to access it.

This service requires you to do mobile check-in though so that you opt-in or consent to the text message. So if you’re avoiding mobile check-in for some reason, keep that in mind!

Currently, guests at any resort can have packages delivered to a resort they are staying at for the same fee.

However, you have to go through bell services to do so. To be honest, that’s not a huge issue unless there’s a big line. So this is more of a convenience for guests (and probably bell services, too!).

I wish I had known about this new service before my trip because I ended up checking my carry-on luggage solely so I could bring a full-sized bottle of sunscreen.

Thankfully I didn’t have to pay for checking my bag, but still…I could have saved time. And for many others, $6 is a lot cheaper than checking a bag!

Pros and cons of Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

There are big pros and cons to staying at Disney’s All-Star Music hotel that might make or break your decision to stay here.

You may have already picked up on them throughout this review, but to make it easier, I’ll summarize them here.

Pros

The biggest pro is the cost. The All-Star Music Resort is amongst the cheapest of Disney’s hotels.

In 2024, general guest rooms run from $133-350 per night, while suites run from $330-700 per night. Most nights are closer to the cheaper end of the scale, while holidays run on the higher end.

That said, there are often deals throughout that year that bring that low cost down even more. I saw some rooms running for $86 per night in the first few months of the year!

In addition, if you’re a family looking for more space on a budget or are a group of 5-6 people, the family suites are the cheapest suites on Walt Disney World property.

And for a budget option, this resort sure does offer a LOT to do, all for free!

Lastly, you can’t go wrong with early entry to the theme parks, as well as free wi-fi and free transportation to and from the parks.

Cons

On the flip side, the All-Star resorts are further from the parks than the moderate and deluxe resorts, so it will take you longer to get to and from.

While free transportation is nice, having to walk the furthest distance to your resort bus with tired feet is the pits.

Combine that with a long walk back to your room (especially those in standard versus preferred rooms), and you’ll end up with a recipe for crankiness from someone in your group.

I’m holding out hope that one day we’ll get a Skyliner extension to these resorts because it’s become my favorite mode of transportation at Disney World!

Another con to staying here (or any value or moderate resort!) is that you don’t get extended evening hours. In the past, you did, but these days this perk is reserved for deluxe resort guests only.

Lastly, while the All-Star Music resort has lots of amenities, it doesn’t have as many as the moderate and deluxe resorts do. There’s only one cafeteria-style dining option, one shop, one form of transportation, and so on.

If you don’t plan to spend much time at the resort, this shouldn’t be an issue. But it’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning a resort day!

Is Disney’s All-Star Music Resort worth it?

Overall, I think Disney’s All-Star Music Resort is a great budget option, especially for families looking for an affordable stay with the big Disney perks like early entry.

The music theme creates a fun and exciting atmosphere without being too Disney and there are plenty of things to do. Frankly, they offer more than I would expect from a budget option!

The downsides are limited and aren’t that bad and many can be worked around (ex: choosing a preferred room over standard).

I hope this review helped you decide whether to stay at the All-Star Music Resort for your next Walt Disney World vacation.

See you in the parks!