Even if you’re the kind of person who simply uses their hotel room for sleeping and wants to spend as much time as possible in the parks, it’s still important to put some thought into which resort you choose to book.
Not only does the price vary, but your entire experience will be different depending on where you choose. That’s why we suggest doing a bit of research to compare your options and help you pick the best resort possible for you and your family!
- Common Ground
- Theme/Rooms
- Pools
- Food
- Transportation
We’re comparing All-Star Music and Pop Century to see which one will come out on top!
Common Ground
Both of these are Value Resorts at Disney World. That means they will both be at a comparable price point, with similar room sizes and amenities. Disney’s All-Star Resorts have strong theming that carries throughout the entire campus; this includes the huge statues you’ll see at each All-Star Resort as well as the theming for their rooms, pools, shops, and eateries. Pop Century also features vibrant architecture and decor, and despite not being an All-Star Resort there are many similarities.
At All-Star Music, room rates start at $132 per night, excluding tax, for Standard Rooms at the cheapest times of year — when the parks are least busy. The most expensive room rates here will run you about $574 per night — that’s for a Family Suite around Christmas, often the most popular time of year. A Standard Room sleeps 4 adults, while a Family Suite can accommodate up to 6 adults.
Pop Century has similar rates. Standard Rooms also start at $149 per night, and a Preferred Room for the same dates in December 2023 was just under $334 per night. Sometimes Disney offers special deals on hotels, usually during the off-season. This can bring the nightly rate down.
Theme/Rooms
Both of these spots have very different themes! However, both show off their theming through vibrant and larger-than-life decorations.Â
All-Star Music
All-Star Music is the only All-Star resort that offers Family Suites. These have a common space with two Murphy beds as well as a separate bedroom with a double or Queen-sized bed. You can see these rooms feature fun Disney decor with a music-themed spin!
The separate bedroom has its own TV, storage, and seating. The rooms all have a similar interior, whereas outside each building has a different design based on the area of the resort you are staying in.
Family suites also include a kitchenette. Standard Rooms come with a small mini-fridge, but the suits have a larger refrigerator as well as a microwave and sink. They also come with 2 full bathrooms, so that means more space and less time fighting over the shower!
Take a Photo Tour to see an All-Star Movies Standard Room here!
Outside is much more bright and colorful! Each area at All-Star Music is themed after a different genre: Country, Broadway, Jazz, Rock and Calypso. The decorations are perfectly suited to the theme and include massive maracas, a giant xylophone, and so much more.
We’ve never seen instruments so big!
Pop Century Resort
Pop Century has a similar interior style, with a modern hotel finish that includes Disney art. The images are done in a vibrant pop art style and feature classic Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Pluto.
Value Resorts have rooms that are often smaller than the rooms at Disney World’s Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. To save on space but still give guests the most amenities as possible, these resorts often use Murphy beds. These beds fold down at night for sleeping and fold back up during the day, revealing a table! Add two chairs and that’s some extra living space you didn’t have before.
Just like other rooms, you’ll also have a TV, dresser, and bathroom. The bathrooms aren’t large but there is still a little bit of storage space for your products.
The rooms are given a little extra personality thanks to the Disney art, like this pop art style mural of Mickey Mouse.
Take a Photo Tour to see ALL the details of a Pop Century Resort Standard Room here!
Outside you’ll discover different areas themed to various decades throughout the 20th century. Starting in the 1950s and ending in the 1990s, each decade is represented here through larger than life building decor and themed amenities.
Over in the 1970s area, you can find an outdoor Twister board ready for playing! These resorts are so fun to explore; you never know what you’ll discover.
Results
When it comes to their theming these resorts are pretty evenly matched! Both have very strong theming that is expressed through statues and decorations that will delight guests of all ages, and their rooms are both modern, clean, and have similar amenities. In this category we’re going to have to give it to All-Star Music, purely because they do have the option of the Family Suites. For those traveling in larger groups this is a great budget option that gives you space for everyone without breaking the bank.
Pools
What’s a resort without a pool! We’re checking out the pools at both All-Star Music and Pop Century to see who stays afloat.
All-Star Music
All-Star Resorts have two pools each; one signature pool and a smaller pool, both in different areas of the resort. They also have smaller kiddie areas for younger children to splash and play in. At All-Star Music, the smaller pool is their Piano Pool. It’s shaped just like a piano and even includes a long row of keys to really complete the look!
Their signature pool is the Calypso Pool. Lined with massive maracas, this pool is home to their Three Caballeros fountain! Donald and his pals are all included, and when you swim by you just might get splashed with a stream of water. This guitar-shaped pool holds 251,418-gallons of water and has plenty of space for you and your family to cool off.
Pop Century Resort
Over at Pop Century you’ll find the Hippy Dippy Pool! It’s located in the 1960s area and is totally groovy. One of the coolest things about this pool is their water jets — they’re shaped like flowers and shower you with a refreshing spray, perfect for hot days. Nearby you’ll find a kiddie pool area with a pop-jet water fountain.
The Bowling Pool is in the 1950s area of the resort and is a long lap pool shaped like a bowling pin.
Jump into the 1990s at the Computer Pool! It’s shaped like an old-school computer and even features a giant floppy disk and keypad, perfect for showing your kids exactly what it was like to access the internet and your favorite games when you were younger!
Results
We have to say there is a clear winner here. Pop Century wins the pool category! Not only does it have an extra pool over All-Star Music, but its theming is just as exciting and offers something a little bit different at each location. All-Star Music does have fun pools, but when you’re staying at a Disney resort with hundreds of other guests an extra pool can go a long way to reduce crowding.Â
Food
Value Resorts won’t have the same dining options you might have tried at Moderate and Deluxe Resorts, but you can still find places where you can grab a bite to eat that really hits the spot after a long day in the parks. Their food options are usually more basic which can be helpful when traveling with kids or other picky eaters!
All-Star Music
Every All-Star Resort has a food court, and the one at All-Star Music is called Intermission. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and most items are $15 and under. They even have Mickey Waffles at breakfast to start your day off right!
You can dine on favorites like hot dogs, burgers, and chicken tenders, or choose from some of their fancier entrees like Braised Beef or Seared Salmon (apparently they like alliteration!). Intermission also has special items for different events, so if you’re dining here for a picky eater but would prefer something a little more exciting be sure to check online ahead of time for limited time offerings. A food court is a great choice for a variety of options that can suit almost any palette!
Over at the Calypso Pool is Singing Spirits Pool Bar. Here you can choose from specialty cocktails, draft beers, sangria and wine to spice up your pool relaxation time. They also serve snacks, so if you’re feeling a little peckish you won’t have to head all the way back inside!
Find our COMPLETE GUIDE TO EATING at All-Star Music Resort HERE
Pop Century Resort
Everything POP is your place to go for dining (and shopping!) at Pop Century. Here you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a colorful and vibrant atmosphere.
Similar to All-Star Music, their food options are priced around $14.99 and under. They have pretty standard breakfast fare including breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, and omelets. For lunch and dinner you can choose from classic burgers and chicken sandwiches or homestyle plates like buttermilk chicken or shrimp and grits!
This is also a food court so you can select your own seats. When you’re finished dining, head over to the retail area to get your shopping on!
Pop Century also has a pool bar. Petals can be found at the Hippy Dippy Pool and is equally as bright and bohemian. Choose from bar standards like wine, sangria, and beer or opt for one of their house specialties, like the tropical Banana Cabana cocktail! Petals also has non-alcoholic drinks as well as small bites for refueling in between laps.
Find our COMPLETE GUIDE TO EATING at Disney’s Pop Century Resort HERE.Â
Results
This category was a tough call. After careful consideration … we’re just going to have to call this one a tie! Both resorts have very similar dining options and include both a food court as well as a pool bar. They also have a wide variety of dishes and snacks that will appeal to lots of different guests no matter their food preferences. We suggest taking a look at each of the menus and seeing which has items that really speak to you!
Transportation
When it comes to Disney transportation, not all resorts will have the same options. Whether it be by bus, boat, Monorail, or Skyliner, you may (or may not!) have a selection of choices to travel to and from your resort. Let’s take a look and see what these two have!
Click Here To Read All About Walt Disney World Resort Transportation
All-Star Music
All three of the All-Star Resorts can ONLY be accessed by bus. This is kind of a bummer to many guests, especially at the end of an exhausting day in the parks when all you want is to crawl into bed. Lines for Disney buses can get quite long, and it isn’t the fastest trip in the world either. Often you’ll need to be patient and wait for the bus to stop at a variety of resorts (and sometimes even multiple stops within a single resort) before it reaches your final destination.
Pop Century Resort
Pop Century is unique in that it is one of only 4 Disney resorts that has a Skyliner station! This gondola system travels high in the sky to take guests around Walt Disney World. Besides Pop Century, the Skyliner also stops at  Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, the Art of Animation Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort as well as EPCOT’s International Gateway and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Skyliner is a fun way to get around the resort and a great option if other forms of transportation are busy. Pop Century also has a bus stop and is part of the Disney World bus transportation system, so likewise if the Skyliner is too busy (or you aren’t a fan of heights!) you can opt for that choice too.
Results
Pop Century clearly wins here thanks to its Skyliner stop! Besides being a more exciting form of transportation, it’s helpful to have more than one option to avoid crowding. Keep in mind the Skyliner does get crowded too, and you may end up waiting in some pretty long lines to get on a gondola, especially when leaving a park around closing time. We recommend budgeting about 40 minutes to an hour for any form of Disney transportation to help scheduling and ensure you don’t miss any reservations!
Overall
Now that we’ve reviewed every category, it’s time to announce the winner! The resort who came out on top is … well, it’s your decision! Both resorts have similar, strong theming and fairly equal amenities, so ultimately the choice really comes down to specific attributes that are important to you. Do you love the theming of All-Star Music and love the idea of staying in a newly renovated room? Or is it important to you to have multiple transportation options and you’d rather use the Skyliner? The good news is, if you can’t find availability at one resort for your chosen dates (or can’t bear to pick between the two) you know you’ll be getting a similar experience.
Interested to see how some of the other resorts have matched up? Check out the post below:
All-Star Movies vs All-Star Sports Disney World Resort Guide 2023
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Comment below your favorite Disney resort to stay in!
I have stayed at both All-Star Music and Pop Century, and I think my only complaint (literally the ONLY complaint) is that it was not clear that while the Skyliner at Pop Century is a fantastic option for transportation, it is in fact the ONLY way to travel to Epcot and Hollywood Studios from Pop. The line I saw the morning we were headed to Epcot was longer than any line I had seen in the parks haha! We wound up taking a bus to MK, then hopped on a Monorail and got ourselves to Epcot that way. But I was not aware that the only way to get to Epcot was via Skyliner.