All Star Sports Resort

All-Star Sports Resort opened in 1999 and is located in the Animal Kingdom Resort area. Additionally, it is located near the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park. All-Star Sports is a value resort with 1920 guest rooms. Guests can choose either standard or preferred rooms. Rooms can accommodate up to four guests, with an additional child under the age of three in a crib. Both standard and preferred rooms offer views of the parking lot, courtyard, or pool, depending on which building you are located in. Preferred rooms are closest to Stadium Hall, in buildings one, six, seven or ten. These rooms are closest to the front desk, gift shop, dining, and transportation. Booking a preferred room and being closer to Stadium Hall is to your benefit, as it will require fewer steps to your room at the end of a long day after walking many miles in the parks. It is also a shorter walk to the dining hall for meals and to refill your resort mug with soda, coffee, tea or hot chocolate!

The rooms have recently been refurbished.  A typical 260 square foot room has two double beds, a small table with 2 chairs, a television, a nightstand, a telephone, a dresser, a wall mirror, a luggage rack, closet area, themed lighting fixtures and wall art, and a clock radio. The bathrooms offer a single sink and mirror in the vanity area that is separate from the shower and toilet. A small wall safe is located in the closet area and in room amenities include an iron and ironing board, hairdryer and a mini refrigerator. Free Wi-Fi and onsite, self-service laundry facilities are also available.

All of the All-Star resorts are on schedule to be refurbished; similar to the renovations completed at Pop Century Resort. All-Star Movies was first, followed by All-Star Music and finally All-Star Sports. After renovations are complete, the rooms will offer hardwood flooring with storage space for luggage under the beds. In addition, rooms will offer one queen-size bed, with another fold down queen size murphy-style bed that serves as a table when the bed is stowed.  While it has not been confirmed, we suspect that these changes will be reflected when the resort re-opens on March 31, 2022.

All-Star Sports resort has five buildings – Touchdown, Home Run Court, Center Court, Surf’s Up, and Hoops Hotel. Gigantic footballs, surfboards, and photo opportunities with Disney character icons are featured throughout the resort. Be sure to explore the grounds to get some super cute photos!

 

The only transportation option to and from the All-Star Resorts are the bus. There are now monitors located in the transportation waiting area near the busses that will let you know when the next bus will arrive. Depending on traffic, you can get to Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios in about 10 minutes. It will be about 15 minutes to Disney Springs and closer to a 20-minute ride to Magic Kingdom.  If you are bringing a vehicle to All-Star Sports, be sure to budget for the $15 per night parking fee.

There are two dining options at All-Star Sports. The End Zone Food Court offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks galore.  This quick service dining location serves many options including burgers, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, other hot entrees, and salads, as well as grab and go items. They do offer a limited selection of beer and wine from the coolers if an adult beverage is something you might be interested in purchasing. Additionally, the Grandstand Spirits Pool Bar is located near the Surfboard Bay pool, serving a variety of beer, wine, and specialty cocktails.

All-Star Sports offers a 1.5-mile jogging trail that circles all three All-Star resorts, Game Point Arcade has a variety of video and pinball games, and there is a playground where little athletes can climb and slide. This play area is located near the Touchdown building of the resort. On select nights, Disney Movies Under the Stars is offered on the outdoor-turfed football field. Grab a snack at End Zone and settle in for a Disney film on the big screen!

There are two pools at All Star Sports Resort. The main pool, Surfboard Bay, features a surfboard motif. Most days, Disney cast members offer poolside games and competitions to entertain guests. The Grand Slam pool is smaller and shaped like a baseball diamond, featuring a Goofy fountain that squirts water at swimmers.

Pros:
Family friendly resort with a great price point.
Oversized sports themed icons appeal to sports enthusiasts of all ages.
Perfect for families who spend long days in the parks and do not need many amenities.

All Disney Resort Guests can get a 30-minute jump on their Disney Day with early theme park entry.  

Cons:
Bus transportation is often shared with the other All-Star Resorts.
All-Star Resorts accommodate many guests. With only one quick service dining location, the food court can get crowded and loud.
Because the ESPN Wide World Sports is so close to Disney’s All-Star Resorts, many young athletes competing in competitions nearby are housed at these resorts, so it can get a bit busy (and loud).

My personal review:
We have stayed at all of the All-Star Resort properties and we have had a great experience each time. Some of the most adorable photos of my boys were taken at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort posing with larger-than-life icons and fun Disney character statues around the resort. We have chosen to stay at the All-Star properties when we know will be opening and closing the parks and only need a clean, fun place to sleep. The variety of food offered in the food court appeals to all preferences and the pools provide a nice retreat from the parks. However, as our children have gotten older and our pace at the parks has slowed a bit, resorts in the moderate or deluxe categories have become more appealing. Once you move beyond the value resorts, the moderate and deluxe resorts are much more spread out, have more green space, offer more amenities and overall seem less noisy and less crowded. When it comes to accommodations at Disney World, there are many options to choose from, depending on your budget, preferred amenities and overall feel of what you want your vacation to look like. There is a perfect fit for everyone and the team at On The Road Travel is here to help you make the best selection for your family!

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