Disney's POP CENTURY RESORT Information & Questions

[mekay1012]

This is a pic from Monday for the bus line to MK. Soon after I took the pic, the line reached down to the big tall year icons in front of Pop. The line for Hollywood Studios wrapped around the other direction. Been staying at Pop since they opened, and even with certain buildings closed for reno it was still crazy busy. Was there from 5/29-6/6.

I'm curious what time of day that was, too? we are typically at the bus stop by 7-7:30 in the morning.

 

[Shellyb84]

DH surprised me with an extra night on our trip this month at Pop! We'll check in on the 19th and then move to AKL the next day. Just called to request a renovated room! Fingers crossed.

 

[mikegood2]

If it was me, I'd still do online check-in. As long as you don't indicate any room location requests during online check-in, you won't mess up the request you've already made. By doing online check-in, you can indicate what time you plan to arrive and there's a higher possibility that your rooms will be ready when when you get there. Also, you'll be able to put your credit card information in during the process. If you enter your credit card information ahead of time, there's a good chance you'll be able to go directly to your room when you arrive. If you get direct-to-room check-in, you'll get a text with your room number about an hour before you arrive. You'll be able to check with your brother to see if he got his room assignment and you'll know if you got connecting rooms. If you don't get assigned connecting rooms, you can go to the online check-in line at the front desk and see if they can change your room assignments so that you have connecting rooms. And if they don't have any available, ask if they would have something the next day. It seems like most people who request but don't get assigned to connecting rooms at check-in can usually move to connecting rooms by the next day.

Plus, as ChloeChipper mentioned, if you do online check-in and still need to go to the front desk, at least you have the option of going to the online check-in station if that line is shorter. You can also go to the regular check-in stations if that line is shorter.

Side notes:

1. When you call "Pop Century" or any resort, you're calling a call center that may not even be in Orlando (even when you dial the front desk from your room). You're not actually talking to someone at the resort. The phone CMs are notorious for giving incorrect and incomplete information. You will get better advice here from people who have actual experience.

2. I'm not sure I'm clear on your room/credit card situation so I'm just going to throw this out there as general information. If your brother's credit card was/is attached to both rooms and you make a change to have your credit card attached to your room, I highly suggest that both you and your brother make a few purchases using your MBs on your arrival day and then stop by the front desk that night or the next morning to get a print out of charges for each of your rooms to make sure everything is assigned correctly. They will be able to fix it if it isn't, but if you do that little test right away, you won't have a week's worth of charges to sort out when you get your final room charge statement.

LOL! I know... what could they possibly have better to do than be at our beck and call??

I wonder if Pop took any guest surveys before this renovation? Seems there are a few things that are important to people. Although do they allow an air mattress in the room? I'd be suspicious more than four guests were in the room.

Thanks @bluezy, your post was incredibly useful! Tuesday is coming up really quick and our Amazon Pantry order, scheduled to arrive Monday, already arrived their this morning. Of all the times I didn't want a package to get somewhere before it was scheduled to, this had to been it.

We ended up doing the online check in and as far as I know everything worked out great. Also changed the credit card over to mine. The reason we had his cc for both rooms is he booked both rooms and also wanted to pay for them. Remembered that was the reason I didn't change them earlier, Ismhe haven't paid off all of the room yet.

Is direct-to-room check-in part of of the online check-in or is their an additional step? If we do get our room #s before we arrive I plan on looking them up on the Touring Plans room finder to verify they are connecting and check out the view and walking times. We chose a 7am flight, hoping that if we arrive earlier, we'd have a better chance of getting connecting rooms. If, we don't I'll definitely go to the online check-in line.

One last question, if for any reason we don't like our room location is their any value in going to the online check-in and try to get them changed? While I know it's incredibly unlikely, I'd love to get connecting refurbished rooms! I'm even willing to bring my tape measure with me and answer everyones room questions.

 

[bluezy]

Thanks @bluezy, your post was incredibly useful! Tuesday is coming up really quick and our Amazon Pantry order, scheduled to arrive Monday, already arrived their this morning. Of all the times I didn't want a package to get somewhere before it was scheduled to, this had to been it.

We ended up doing the online check in and as far as I know everything worked out great. Also changed the credit card over to mine. The reason we had his cc for both rooms is he booked both rooms and also wanted to pay for them. Remembered that was the reason I didn't change them earlier, Ismhe haven't paid off all of the room yet.

Is direct-to-room check-in part of of the online check-in or is their an additional step? If we do get our room #s before we arrive I plan on looking them up on the Touring Plans room finder to verify they are connecting and check out the view and walking times. We chose a 7am flight, hoping that if we arrive earlier, we'd have a better chance of getting connecting rooms. If, we don't I'll definitely go to the online check-in line.

One last question, if for any reason we don't like our room location is their any value in going to the online check-in and try to get them changed? While I know it's incredibly unlikely, I'd love to get connecting refurbished rooms! I'm even willing to bring my tape measure with me and answer everyones room questions.

Direct-to-room check-in is determined by Disney. If you're eligible (you have to provide your arrival time; enter a credit card for room charges; have received your magic bands; and provide a cell phone number and/or e-mail address during online check-in to be eligible), you'll get a text or e-mail from Disney on your arrival day letting you know you can go straight to your room. I got an e-mail shortly after (within a day or so) doing our online check in letting me know we *might* be able to go straight to our room upon arrival. I always start stalking my phone for messages about an hour before our scheduled arrival time.

It never hurts to ask (nicely) to be moved to a different room location if you're not happy with your original assignment. I've asked to have my room location changed on two different visits because the rooms we were originally assigned weren't really what we asked for. One time was a suite at AoA and the other time was connecting rooms at Pop Century. At Pop, we had been assigned rooms in Building 2 of the 50's section. They were literally the same connecting rooms we had stayed in on the last trip. I nicely asked if they had any other connecting rooms available. They were able to move us to Building 9 in the 80's. The only drawback was that only 1 of the connecting rooms was ready at that time. We weren't going to be able to get in to the other one until later that day. That wasn't a problem for us -- we just unloaded everything from the car and put it in the room that was available and moved the stuff into the other room when we got back from the park later that night. If you're flexible, they really try to accommodate your requests.

 

[mikegood2]

Direct-to-room check-in is determined by Disney. If you're eligible (you have to provide your arrival time; enter a credit card for room charges; have received your magic bands; and provide a cell phone number and/or e-mail address during online check-in to be eligible), you'll get a text or e-mail from Disney on your arrival day letting you know you can go straight to your room. I got an e-mail shortly after (within a day or so) doing our online check in letting me know we *might* be able to go straight to our room upon arrival. I always start stalking my phone for messages about an hour before our scheduled arrival time.

It never hurts to ask (nicely) to be moved to a different room location if you're not happy with your original assignment. I've asked to have my room location changed on two different visits because the rooms we were originally assigned weren't really what we asked for. One time was a suite at AoA and the other time was connecting rooms at Pop Century. At Pop, we had been assigned rooms in Building 2 of the 50's section. They were literally the same connecting rooms we had stayed in on the last trip. I nicely asked if they had any other connecting rooms available. They were able to move us to Building 9 in the 80's. The only drawback was that only 1 of the connecting rooms was ready at that time. We weren't going to be able to get in to the other one until later that day. That wasn't a problem for us -- we just unloaded everything from the car and put it in the room that was available and moved the stuff into the other room when we got back from the park later that night. If you're flexible, they really try to accommodate your requests.

Thanks again @bluezy! They should have all that information on file for us, so we shale wait and see in 4 days. Also agree, I'm always nice and curiosity to people like CMs, tech support, etc. That always tend to be more helpful. Only time I don't is is they are incredibly rude.

 

[mikegood2]

Anyone have any tips or advice on how to make the POP bus system (to and from) work best? We plan on hitting EMH every morning, return in early to mid afternoon and return to a park around 5 or 6pm.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Anyone have any tips or advice on how to make the POP bus system (to and from) work best? We plan on hitting EMH every morning, return in early to mid afternoon and return to a park around 5 or 6pm.

We have stayed at Pop5 times before (#6 coming up next month). I find the bus service to be adequate at most times. If you happen to just miss a bus then it will feel like an inordinately long wait. My main tip is to pack your patience, knowing that any long waits will be equaled by very short waits, all adding up to a reasonable average wait

 

[zebrastreyepz]

We have stayed at Pop5 times before (#6 coming up next month). I find the bus service to be adequate at most times. If you happen to just miss a bus then it will feel like an inordinately long wait. My main tip is to pack your patience, knowing that any long waits will be equaled by very short waits, all adding up to a reasonable average wait

I can't figure out how waiting for a bus is any worse than waiting for a tram.

And at the end of the night, waiting to get out of the parking lot while driving my own car is exhausting.

 

[emmakatbaby]

Upon getting the text with a room number, How do you know from a room number if you have connecting rooms?

 

[mikegood2]

Upon getting the text with a room number, How do you know from a room number if you have connecting rooms?

One way, and the way I'm planning on doing it, is thru touringplans.com room finder. While I'm subscribed to the site, I believe I've read that it's also available to view without a subscription. I'm not sure about that and if it is, it might not have as much info as a subscriber does. Just do a search for "touringplans POP Century room finder"

Cllick on any building and view any room and floor and it get information like:

• View from room
• Direction facing
• If it has a connecting room
• Floor
• Sound Level
• Wheel Chair Accessibility
• Room Type
• Walk to Transportation (minutes)
• Walk to Lobby (minutes)
• If TP recommends it

 

[emmakatbaby]

One way, and the way I'm planning on doing it, is thru touringplans.com room finder. While I'm subscribed to the site, I believe I've read that it's also available to view without a subscription. I'm not sure about that and if it is, it might not have as much info as a subscriber does. Just do a search for "touringplans POP Century room finder"

Cllick on any building and view any room and floor and it get information like:

• View from room
• Direction facing
• If it has a connecting room
• Floor
• Sound Level
• Wheel Chair Accessibility
• Room Type
• Walk to Transportation (minutes)
• Walk to Lobby (minutes)
• If TP recommends it

Thank you!!

 

[bookbunny]

Was able to "FINALLY" book my dining reservations. I still didn't get House of Blues. I tried even going directly to their site and nothing. UGH!!! Now I have to hope I can get one later. Does anyone know if they have finished with the refurb yet? I saw a few of the new pics.

 

[karly05]

One way, and the way I'm planning on doing it, is thru touringplans.com room finder. While I'm subscribed to the site, I believe I've read that it's also available to view without a subscription. I'm not sure about that and if it is, it might not have as much info as a subscriber does. Just do a search for "touringplans POP Century room finder"

Cllick on any building and view any room and floor and it get information like:

• View from room
• Direction facing
• If it has a connecting room
• Floor
• Sound Level
• Wheel Chair Accessibility
• Room Type
• Walk to Transportation (minutes)
• Walk to Lobby (minutes)
• If TP recommends it

Touring Plans room finder works for everyone with all the info listed, no subscription needed. I am on there all the time.

 

[ariel_fan76]

So excited! We are taking our first Disney vacation and staying at Pop on Aug 26th -sept 2. Love this thread BC their is so much information. I am so overwhelmed with the vacation I am trying to learn as much as I can!!

 

[mikegood2]

Transportation questions. We plan on hitting EMH most days, any advice on best time to catch the buses? Our thinking was getting to the bus stop an hour, or slightly more, before the park opens. Does that sound about right? Also, do the POP staff more buses to an EMH park? How often should the next bus arrive?

Also, do the parks have park to park transportation? We arrive Tuesday and plan on heading to Epcot, for the evening. I never sleep well the first night away from home, so I was thinking about hitting Animal Kingdoms EMH. If they offer park to park transportation, I though that would be much quicker than heading back to the POP and then catching a bus to AK.

 

[FeralCatRogue]

Was able to "FINALLY" book my dining reservations. I still didn't get House of Blues. I tried even going directly to their site and nothing. UGH!!! Now I have to hope I can get one later. Does anyone know if they have finished with the refurb yet? I saw a few of the new pics.

Is what your interested in there avaiable at the Crossroads portion? I've gotten there multiple times without a reservation, but I know its menu is limited compared to the full restaurant.

 

[mekay1012]

We have an 8:00 bippity boppity boutique appointment. Will we have trouble getting a bus to magic kingdom that early? What time do we need to plan to be at a bus stop?

 

[dansdad]

We have an 8:00 bippity boppity boutique appointment. Will we have trouble getting a bus to magic kingdom that early? What time do we need to plan to be at a bus stop?

Buses start rolling at 6:30AM every day. I would be at the bus stop 6:45-7AM.

 

[fla4fun]

Transportation questions. We plan on hitting EMH most days, any advice on best time to catch the buses? Our thinking was getting to the bus stop an hour, or slightly more, before the park opens. Does that sound about right? Also, do the POP staff more buses to an EMH park? How often should the next bus arrive?

Also, do the parks have park to park transportation? We arrive Tuesday and plan on heading to Epcot, for the evening. I never sleep well the first night away from home, so I was thinking about hitting Animal Kingdoms EMH. If they offer park to park transportation, I though that would be much quicker than heading back to the POP and then catching a bus to AK.

Yes, there are park to park buses. At Epcot they are usually some of the closest bus stops. They were right across from my POFQ stop last month.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

So excited! We are taking our first Disney vacation and staying at Pop on Aug 26th -sept 2. Love this thread BC their is so much information. I am so overwhelmed with the vacation I am trying to learn as much as I can!!

You are in for such a treat!