We have stayed at AS Music 7 times in the last 7 years. Our most recent stay was the week following Thanksgiving 2008.

We've had rooms in all sections of this resort. Country is the farthest away but also the quietest, with giant boot icons and a picnic table for enjoying outdoor meals. Calypso is the preferred area, closest to Melody Hall and the main pool which is shaped like a guitar and has a wonderful squirting statue of the Three Caballeros. Family Suites are located in Calypso and Jazz buildings.

Checkin went quickly although the CM seemed a bit abrupt and never smiled. Still, we were happy to be "home" again and went to the food court for lunch and our refillable mugs. Luggage delivery can be slow, so you may wish to take yours to your room with you after checkin.

We had requested a first floor room and medical fridge. My husband must use a wheelchair while we are at WDW and my son has autism. We store insulin and special foods in the fridge. There is no charge if you have a medical reason for needing it, but after confirming it at checkin, you will need to call Housekeeping to have it delivered. If you need to borrow a wheelchair, Bell Services will help you with this, although availability is limited. Bell Services is also where you will pick up rental wheelchairs/scooters.

Because we have mobility issues we were surprised that they assigned us to Country, the farthest from Melody Hall. It was even worse because we were also far from the parking area, and there were no handicapped spaces anywhere near the long walkway to the room. I suggested that we ask for reassignment, but my husband said we would deal with it and we did. Normally we reserve a Preferred room, but we did get a substantial discount on the standard room when we booked, so maybe all us cheap folks were put toward the back. However next time we will be more specific with our room requests. All buildings have elevators near the center.

The rooms have all been refurbished at this resort within the last 2-3 years. Updated furniture, carpeting, bed spreads and even framed art make the rooms feel a bit nicer. The rooms have two double beds, a small table and two chairs, dresser, and television. There is a small safe (not big enough for a regular laptop but good for wallets, etc.), iron and ironing board, and hairdryer. The preferred rooms have privacy curtains near the sink, but our standard room did not. The awful soap dispensers in the bath are long gone, replaced with Mickey-imprinted soap and small bottles of nice shampoo. You can buy larger bottles of this shampoo at the gift shop.

We have always liked the grounds at this resort. The view of the palm trees around the pool as you exit Melody Hall really says "vacation" to us. There are many flowering shrubs as well. A small playground is in a sheltered area behind Calypso. There are now designated smoking areas, some with umbrellas, as no smoking is permitted in rooms. There are two gardens, one with roses and a fountain in Jazz and another near Broadway (this one is now a smoking area).

A quiet pool shaped like a piano is near Broadway. The pool used to have a statue of Ariel but that has been removed and it now has two benches. Piano music was playing in the background. The kiddie pool is located at the main (guitar) pool. A guest laundry is located next to each pool, making it easy for us multi-taskers to get clean clothes and swim. The lifeguards were on duty from 10-10, although swimming was permitted from 8:00 am - midnight. You can borrow life vests for your children. In a nice touch, towels have been added poolside, so you no longer have to bring them from your room. There is also a place to drop the wet ones. Lounges are available near the pools and shaded tables make eating poolside a pleasant way to start or end a day. One advantage to the All Stars is that guests may use any of the six pools at the three sister resorts. On the down side, we find that although the pools are supposed to be heated, they are much less warm than in years past, making swimming less appealing in the cooler months.

The food court has all the basics: burgers, pasta, chicken, pizza, etc. There are several food stations for pasta/pizza, a grill, a hot meal area, and ice cream. Cold cases and bakery items make it quick to get a breakfast or snack to go. After a long day in the parks, we often buy a large pizza which, with our refillable mugs, makes an inexpensive meal for the three of us. Since we eat dinner at the resort most nights, boredom could set in, so we may hop over to Movies which has a larger, newer food court and a few more selections. Otherwise the food court menus are fairly similar in the All Stars. A hint to those who use lots of milk: buying it in the gift shop is much cheaper than the food court.

Some poolside activities, primarily for kids, have been added. There is a nightly movie, bingo (extra charge), scavenger hunt, etc. Hair wraps are available and a sketch artist is located inside Melody Hall. The Arcade is very popular with boys! And of course, there is a pressed penny machine. The gift shop has many of the things you may have forgotten, although they will cost more than at Wal-Mart! We have bought bathing suits, OTC medicines, and sunglasses. Wine is available for adults--and they will even open it for you.

Although we mostly drive to the parks, we do use busses sometimes, and find that the All Star busses are pretty efficient. I have not waited longer than 12 minutes for a bus.

A note to those planning trips in November/December: the Pop Warner and cheerleader groups stay at the All Stars, so check their event dates if avoiding crowds of kids & teens is important to you. All Star Music will definitely appeal to adults on a budget, but also to families in general. We plan to continue staying there on our annual visits to the World.