The Vacation Take

We spent about $450 for two nights at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort and about $1,200 for two nights at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level before our Disney Wish cruise. I loved both stays—but before another Disney cruise, I’d save the $750 and book All-Star Movies again.

All-Star Movies: About $450 for Two Nights

We started our pre-cruise stay with two nights at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort. For about $450 total, I went in expecting a pretty basic hotel stay. Instead, I was genuinely surprised by how much we enjoyed it.

The resort was fun to walk around, everything felt reasonably close even though the property is large, and the food court had plenty of options. We also bought the refillable drink mugs, which were convenient since food and drinks weren’t included with our stay.

Our room was very clean and perfectly comfortable. It did have more of a motel-style setup, and the bright white room felt a little stark compared with the warm, cozy feel we’d get at Animal Kingdom Lodge. But for roughly $225 a night? I had very little to complain about.

Where You Notice the Lower Price

There are definitely places where you notice the lower price. The rooms have more of a motel-style setup, and while ours was very clean and comfortable, the bright white interior felt a little stark compared with the warmer, cozier feel we’d get at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The pool also doesn’t have a slide, but that ended up mattering less than I expected. There were activities happening around the pool, and we still spent plenty of time there.

Then We Moved to Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level

After two nights at All-Star Movies, we moved to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge for two nights in a Club Level room. The difference was immediate.

We paid about $1,200 for the two nights – roughly $600 per night. The resort itself felt warmer and more luxurious, with rich wood tones, beautiful common areas, and of course the animals right outside.

It was absolutely the more impressive resort. But at about $750 more than our two nights at All-Star Movies, the question for me wasn’t whether Animal Kingdom Lodge was nicer. It was whether the experience was worth paying that much more for.

We Actually Used the Club Lounge

If you’re wondering whether we actually took advantage of Club Level, we did. A lot.

We ate every meal in the Club Level lounge except one breakfast at Boma. Having food and drinks available throughout the day was incredibly convenient, especially because this was the last stop before boarding our Disney Wish cruise.

And the late-night desserts? Clutch. 😂

There’s no question that Club Level saved us money on food we otherwise would have purchased around the resort. It also made the stay feel easy. We could grab breakfast, snacks, drinks, or something to eat without constantly thinking about where we were going next or what another meal was going to cost.

But that’s also what made my final opinion a little surprising: even with how much we used the lounge, I’m still not convinced the food savings came close to making up for the additional cost of Club Level.

The Best Club Level Perk Wasn’t the Food

The thing I remember most about Club Level actually had nothing to do with the lounge.

My son had accidentally left his sketchbook behind in our room at All-Star Movies. When we first asked about it, before anyone knew we were staying Club Level, we were told to fill out Disney’s lost-and-found form — which was completely reasonable.

But when we mentioned it to the Club Level concierge, they took it from there.

They contacted All-Star Movies, tracked down the sketchbook, and arranged to have it delivered to us at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

That kind of service is hard to put a dollar amount on. It didn’t suddenly make the extra $750 disappear, but it did show me what we were paying for beyond food and drinks.

It was personal, incredibly helpful, and probably the best example from our stay of what made Club Level feel different.

So… Was AKL Club Level Worth $1,200?

For us? I don’t think so.

And that feels a little strange to say because I genuinely loved our stay.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is beautiful. The room felt warmer and cozier than our room at All-Star Movies. We loved the pool, the savanna views were incredible, we used the Club Level lounge constantly, and the concierge service was excellent.

I’m glad we tried it. I’d even call it one of those vacation experiences I’m happy we splurged on once.

But would I spend about $1,200 for two nights of Club Level again, knowing our two nights at All-Star Movies cost us about $450?

Probably not.

That’s a difference of roughly $750. Even after considering the food we didn’t have to buy and the extra convenience and service, I don’t feel like we personally got $750 more value from the stay.

And that’s an important distinction: AKL Club Level was absolutely better in a lot of ways. It just wasn’t $750-better for us.

What I’d Do Before Our Next Disney Cruise

If I were planning this exact trip again, I’d book All-Star Movies before the cruise and keep the extra money for the vacation itself.

That doesn’t mean I think All-Star Movies is a “better” resort than Animal Kingdom Lodge. It isn’t trying to be the same thing.

But before an already-expensive Disney cruise, All-Star gave us what I wanted: a clean room, a fun Disney atmosphere, a good pool, plenty of food options, and easy transportation — for about $225 per night on our trip.

I’d rather take that roughly $750 difference and put it toward something else: our cruise, a nicer cabin, an excursion, another night of vacation, or simply spending less overall.

Sometimes the splurge is worth repeating. Sometimes you try it once, love it, and still decide you’d rather keep the money next time.

AKL Club Level falls into that second category for me.

One Transportation Tip I’d Change

One thing I would plan differently at All-Star Movies has nothing to do with the resort itself.

The Disney bus transportation from the resort was easy for us, and we didn’t have an issue with long waits. Our frustrating transportation moment happened after Typhoon Lagoon, when our route back required transferring at Disney Springs.

That meant walking between bus locations — in a downpour. 😂

Next time, I’d pay more attention to transfer logistics and absolutely have ponchos with us. It wasn’t a reason I wouldn’t stay at All-Star again; it was just one of those little vacation lessons you remember afterward.

THE VACATION TAKE

All-Star Movies — about $450 for two nights: I’d book it again. Clean, fun, convenient, and better than I expected for the price.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level — about $1,200 for two nights: I’m glad we did it once. Beautiful resort, excellent concierge service, and we used the lounge heavily — but I wouldn’t personally spend the extra ~$750 again before a cruise.

Where I’d spend next time: All-Star Movies, then keep the difference for the rest of the vacation.

What surprised me most: You can thoroughly enjoy a splurge and still decide it wasn’t worth repeating.