Rejoice in music’s best moments at this Value resort that celebrates music! Country, jazz, rock ‘n roll and calypso music all come alive here.
Recently refurbished rooms placed more emphasis on functionality rather than plastered Disney character walls, offering up to six-bed Family Suites for guests’ use.
Maestro Mickey’s gift shop boasts a wide array of merchandise and souvenirs for purchase, as well as housing the resort’s arcade which provides ticket redemption games.
Rooms
At Disney’s Old Key West Resort, music is celebrated through rooms, food and a pool that looks just like an upright piano. Opened back in 1994 as one of Disney’s value resorts and one of their cheapest ways to stay on property; however, that does come with some tradeoffs.
Guest accommodations span 1,920 rooms located across five music-themed buildings: Calypso, Jazz, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Country Fair and Broadway. For families travelling together with small children there are also family suites featuring two queen beds that sleep up to six.
If you’re seeking something a bit special from your typical value resort (think luxurious decor), book a preferred location room on the top floor for added privacy from the lobby area below. These rooms provide more peace and quiet than their counterparts below.
Most rooms feature an unadorned and straightforward design; beds are often placed between dresser, TV and bathroom facilities. While there may be subtle details here and there, most decor is quite subdued; such as bed covers with musical notes emblazoned across them.
Standard rooms measure 260 square feet and can comfortably accommodate four guests. Amenities include a flat-screen television, refrigerator and microwave as well as a safe for valuables. Some rooms provide pull-down sofa seating while others contain bunk beds – though all rooms are non-smoking, smoking is allowed on patios.
As with other value resorts, there’s no separate check-in for preferred rooms or family suites. Instead, guests can leave their luggage with bell services at the front desk before receiving their Magic Bands upon arrival – these bands allow access to all areas of the resort during their stay!
Contrary to other Disney hotels, this resort does not feature character greetings or greets; however, there are plenty of activities throughout the day, such as games and fun by the main pool. Furthermore, on certain evenings there’s even a campfire with s’more roasting!
Pools
At Disney World resorts, the pools are often the centerpiece of attraction – this is especially true at value resorts like All Star Music which features two pools themed to musical genres. Calypso Pool features an iconic guitar structure topped by Donald Duck and two Caballero friends from Caballero Land; guests can use this pool for various pool games as well as movies in the evening. Piano Pool features an imposing structure resembling a grand piano decorated with black and white keys for even more musical fun!
All Star Music Resort is enjoyable, yet feels less immersive than some other value resorts. If you prefer hotels with immersive themes, consider increasing your budget to stay at a moderate or deluxe resort instead.
Recently, All Star Music rooms were upgraded to match those at value resorts like All Star Movies and All Star Sports. This upgrade provided an updated look while assuring consistent room quality across the hotel. One disadvantage, however, is replacing carpet with laminate flooring; this increased noise from excitable kids and cheerleader groups throughout all buildings, which may prove bothersome to guests hoping to unwind by the pool or take advantage of food court amenities.
Melody Hall at All Star Music serves as its central building, housing the front desk, Note’able Arcade, Maestro Mickey’s Gift Shop and Intermission Food Court. Additionally, All-Star Music houses the Singing Spirits pool bar, serving drinks and snacks from around the globe – unlike other Walt Disney World resorts which provide monorail and Skyliner transportation, All-Star Music only provides bus transportation between parks, water parks and Disney Springs.
All-Star Music features eleven separate buildings with two pools decorated with musical instruments: Piano and Calypso pools are open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. with lifeguards on duty; both also boast pool bar called Petals that serves standard beverage fare such as beer and wine as well as seasonal cocktails.
Dining
All Star Music Resort offers an immersive musical experience for all ages, featuring genres including country, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, calypso and Broadway-style show tunes. Large music-inspired icons outside and hidden singing-and-dancing surprises inside create an inviting environment perfect for guests of all ages to experience their favorite musical genres.
All Star Music Resort offers similar dining options as its sister properties: Everything Pop, the main food court, features five stations with different types of foods: Bakery & Cafe, Market, Grill, East Meets West Pizza & Pasta plus self-serve grab-and-go area. Also included is a fast-service beverage station providing guests with unlimited beverage refills during their entire length-of-stay at any Disney Resort hotel and offering Rapid Fill program where guests may purchase (or get included as part of a Disney Dining Plan) refillable mug for their entire length-of stay for any beverage purchased anywhere on Walt Disney World property!
Petals is another quick-service location located at Hippy Dippy Pool that serves drinks and snacks in an upbeat yet bohemian atmosphere. Here you’ll find classic bar offerings like wine, beer and soda along with more unique musical-themed concoctions such as The Red Carpet, Opening Act Melody Martini or Banana Cabana! Like its All-Star Resort counterparts, Pop Century features Top of the World Lounge which can be found near Calypso Pool. With an easygoing vibe this lounge features some classic drinks along with special treats such as the Musical Mosaic Sangria served from a flowerpot as well as various types of frozen beverages!
Activities
Pop Century Resort pays tribute to popular culture from 20th century pop music genres such as country, jazz, rock and calypso – it even pays a nod to calypso! As one of three All-Star Resorts, this resort serves as an ode to everything musical that gets people singing along to its melodies and lyrics.
As in All-Star Movies and All-Star Sports resorts, each room at All-Star Music Resort reflects various musical genres. For instance, Country Fair rooms feature top hats and musical notes as oversized props; Calypso Broadway Country Fair rooms have unique decorations representing these musical styles.
The All-Star Music Resort features both a food court and gift shop, the latter of which offers typical Disney merchandise such as MagicBands, T-shirts, headbands, pins and ornaments – including MagicBands! Located in Melody Hall lobby. Additionally, there is also a large arcade boasting ticket redemption games as well as larger versions of classic games such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders for ticket redemption purposes in this space.
Though staying at a Value Resort does have its perks, its atmosphere may not be as immersive as that found at moderate and deluxe resorts. Also, finding peace and quiet may be difficult due to louder noises such as kids playing nearby and cheerleader groups staying close by can make finding relaxation hard.
The All-Star Music Resort is a favorite among guests as it is more cost effective than either of its rival Value Resorts and offers on-property parking at ESPN Wide World of Sports area of Walt Disney World. Furthermore, Animal Kingdom can be reached in less than 10 minutes while Epcot and Hollywood Studios require around 15 minutes.