Tips to Make Your All-Star Sports Resort Stay a “Slam Dunk!”

Considering Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort for an upcoming visit to the Walt Disney World Resort? Here are a few tips for making the most of your stay.

Themed sections

If you’ve ever stayed at one of Disney’s Value or Moderate resorts you know how large they are. All-Star Sports is no different. Some of the buildings are quite a distance from Stadium Hall, which means a longer walk to bus transportation and dining options. On our most recent trip, we stayed in Building 3 of the Hoops Hotel section.  The room was a manageable distance from amenities, but, at the same time, far enough away from the activity and noise of the main pool.

Sections with Best Theme

If you’re traveling with a sports fan, by all means, stay in the section that appeals to them; however, if your travel party is open to any theme, I’d suggest requesting a room in either the Touchdown! or Homerun Hotel sections.

Football fanatics will find it hard to resist running or throwing a pass on the football field located between the Touchdown! buildings. We had a difficult time prying my son away from this area when we toured the grounds–he just loved running the routes with Dad! In addition to the great theming, the Touchdown! buildings are located just south of Stadium Hall, hence they offer a modicum of convenience when compared to Homerun Hotel.

Just past the Touchdown! section, the Homerun Hotel will have baseball fans hankering for a hot dog and a beer. Bleachers and chain link fence surround the Grand Slam Pool while pennants and oversized baseball bats adorn the buildings. 

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Most Convenient Section

Disney’s All Star-Resort Guests who prefer to be in the middle of it all should request a room in the Surf’s Up section. These rooms offer the ultimate in convenience, and, as a result, the Surf’s Up buildings are considered preferred rooms. They cost approximately $20.00 more per night.

Quietest Section

Guests looking for a little more peace and quiet should request a room in the Center Court section.

DIStracted Tip: Of course all of this advice is turned on its head if there’s a sports team staying at the resort. The All-Star Resorts are notorious for hosting teams participating in events at the  ESPN Wide World of Sports. What does this mean for resort Guests? More noise and activity throughout the resort as well as a crowded food court. There was a International Youth Netball Tournament during our most recent visit, however, it didn’t impact my family much as we spent little time at the resort. If you know your travel dates, check them against the upcoming events at ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Pools

Not only do Guests have access to the two pools at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, they are welcome to use the pools at the neighboring All-Star Music and All-Star Movie Resorts. Guests can hop between the following pools:

Disney’s All-Star Sports: Grand Slam and Surfboard Bay
Disney’s All-Star Music: Calypso and Piano Pools
Disney’s All-Star Movies: Duck Pond and Fantasia Pools

The All-Star pools are simple, bare bones pools, consequently, Guests looking for slides or hot tubs will be disappointed. Nonetheless, what the pools lack in bells and whistles, they make up for in whimsy and theme.

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Dining

Guests returning to Disney’s All-Star Sports after a long day in the parks can opt to eat at End Zone Food Court. I didn’t find the lunch or dinner menus appealing and ended up eating only breakfasts here. (I would recommend the egg white omelette). If your plans don’t allow for lunch or dinner elsewhere, walk over to Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort and eat at the World Premiere Food Court; while not nearly as convenient, the general consensus among regulars is that the World Premiere Food Court is the best of all All-Star food courts.

A fair warning to pizza lovers: the pizza is akin to a frozen pizza and way overpriced. A monster slice and side salad will set you back $9.99. Guests can purchase an entire cheese pizza and Caesar salad for $16.99 plus tax.  The pizza will be delivered directly to Guest rooms from 6pm-1am. A $3.00 delivery fee and 18% gratuity applies.

Transportation

Heading to a them park during the late afternoon? You may end up sharing bus transportation with Guests from the other All-Star Resorts. While this translates to longer travel times, Disney’s All-Star Sports’ Guests need not fret: All-Star Sports is typically the first stop! Over the course of my visit, I only encountered  a shared bus once–when I headed to Epcot around dinner time. During peak travel times, before park opening for example, there should be separate buses for each of the All-Star Resorts.

DIStracted Tip: If you’d prefer to stay at a budget-friendly resort with dedicated bus service, check out Pop Century or Art of Animation Resorts. These value level accommodations are a bit more expensive than All-Star Sports Resort, however, they still offer a good bang for the buck for budget conscious Guests.