just my 2c…
from personal experience, I have to say that the all-stars are a good addition for those of us who don’t want to blow hundreds of dollars a day on a room that we’re never really in, but still want to stay on the property. even though the all-stars are on the fringes, and the transportation to and from the parks is slow and tiring, there’s something to be said for staying within the Disney “realm” when on vacation there.

I have traveled to all of the other resorts and scoped out the nooks and crannies just out of curiosity, and they’re mind-blowing – if I had endless amounts of cash, I’d stay there in a heartbeat. but again, I usually have a budget for when vacationing, I’d rather stay at disney for a week or two in a “sub-par” hotel, than stay in a top-tier resort for 3 days. so, in my opinion, you’re definitely right on about the branding of the all-stars, but I think they’re necessary to giving all families an option for staying on the grounds. plus, if nothing else, it seems that small kids enjoy the over-sized theming.

speaking of never being in the rooms, I think that’s the real answer to the internet fees. much like the reason for dismantling of the skyway, for example, keeping people static with no option for spending doesn’t add to the bottom line. all theme parks want to keep the traffic moving and hit them up with as many buying possibilities along the way. free internet doesn’t do that.

overall, to me, your post is about taste and service, both which are in severe decline in this era of hyper-branding/marketing, over-commercialization, and mass-consumption. service has been an issue everywhere I’ve been, and has been a constant theme at every blog I visit – still, I think Disney is close to the top (but at a lower-level than it once was). it’s really a reflection of society, and that’s sad. one word: standards. if we as a public don’t set them higher, why should businesses?

You’re absolutely right that the hotels have fared better than anything else on property. Despite my other criticisms, they’re very well maintained and are usually kept very fresh. And I really have no qualms to voice about the “Deluxe” resorts (aside from location and transportation, but that comes later) – the AK Lodge is a complete work of art and I love it. The Polynesian will always be my favorite for several reasons, but I have to admit that many of the newer hotels have it beat as far as level of detail.

I kind of tempered my opinion of the All-Stars in this piece because I’ve come to realize over the years that a certain subset of fandom really, really loves them. I really don’t get it, and even my critical tone in this piece is far subdued from my former rants about how they’re heretical abominations and should be scoured from the Earth. I was still pretty much a kid when the first All-Stars were being built and I thought they were atrocities even then.

The only good point about the Values is that they’re way out on the fringe of property – kind of like the appendix of Disney resorts. Useless and out of the way, but prone to infection. You’re right about using them as an excuse to push up prices elsewhere – when the moderates debuted they were priced below what the values cost now. Even the values have outlived their purpose, as they’re far more expensive than equivalent rooms outside property. Witness the idea of Flamingo Crossings – trying to out-value the values.

I too wish that several resorts hadn’t been built, but mostly because of how the screwed up the layout of property. But that’s another story

Disney way, way, way stepped over the line with the All-Stars. Not only are they cheap and ugly, but they were mostly built as an excuse to raise prices at the *real* resorts through the roof. I strongly wish that the “Value” resorts and perhaps a few others of the flock (Coronado Springs is pretty redundant, for example) hadn’t had been built at all.

Strangely enough a lot of people are *really into* the All Stars or the Pop Century – when I was working at Disney in Merchandise I would make it a point to ask people what they thought of the value resorts and the response would usually be an enthusiastic “WE LOVE IT!!1!” I’m not sure what Disney is givingpeople that they love at All-Stars besides the usual on property perks and a lower price that at the Polynesian, but people seem to be receptive.