Disney's POP CENTURY RESORT Information & Questions

[Melanie230]

LOL.. she has a point! My daughter will miss 6 days of school (she will be in 5th grade) and I'm a bit nervous about that. Hopefully her teachers will be cool and let her do some work early, so that she doesn't have too much to make up when she gets back. She is refusing to go once she hits Middle School (don't blame her) because she said it will be "too hard to make up that work". We have her thinking we are going NEXT fall, so she will be very happy when we surprise her with a trip THIS December.. and yes, staying at POP for the first time!

Surprising them is the BEST. Our first Disney trip we surprised the kids. I could hardly stand it. We told them we were going to Georgia to visit my husbands mother. Well...we made it to Cracker Barrel in SC and I couldn't do it any more. Here is the video...so funny.

 

[paradesintherain]

There's been a lot of threads disparaging Pop and the other values, or being concerned about them after moderates and deluxes, etc.

So I wanna hear why everyone loves it and what makes it great! It isn't fun to read all these negative things ahead of a stay I've been looking forward to!

 

[Haley R]

There's been a lot of threads disparaging Pop and the other values, or being concerned about them after moderates and deluxes, etc.

So I wanna hear why everyone loves it and what makes it great! It isn't fun to read all these negative things ahead of a stay I've been looking forward to!

I honestly can’t really think of anything too negative about pop. We loved the overall size of the resort and thought the theming was fun. We just stayed at CSR and I think the functionality of the pop rooms is so much better. The staff in the gift shop is fantastic and fun to talk with. We liked our stay so much that we are going again in October.

 

[samsteele]

or being concerned about them after moderates and deluxes, etc.

Part of the misinformation is the focus on labels like Value, Mod and Deluxe. For my first adult trip to WDW, I selected a Mod because of my fear that Values would be overrun with screaming kids. The reality is that all of WDW is overrun with kids. It's WDW. While some vets are locked into DVC or are loyal to one specific Deluxe or Mod resort, many of us returning guests have learned that most resort tier differences are superficial and pale when we discover that 1) we spend most of our time in the parks so don't get our money's worth out of the resort amenities anyway 2) we can eat off resort in any restaurant we want and 3) we can stretch our vacation dollars and tack on more vacation days. I'd gladly go Value to add another 5-7 days onto my trip.

 

[chelynnah]

Aside from one specific person who’s expectations were wayyy off the charts I’ve not really seen any negative posts in the last 100 or so pages. I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’ve never been to Pop. I’ve only stayed on site once and it was originally booked as Pop, but the UK free dining plan included just one QS meal at values, and the mods with full QS dining and a $200 gift card were better value (as in the difference became same price as upgrading the meal plan at Pop) so we upgraded to POFQ. It’s the same for our next trip. Outside of a free dining offer, DH and I are still interested in the possibility of staying at Pop in the future for a couple of days before an off-site trip so I’ve been following this thread since mid 2016 and nothing I’ve read has ever caused me concern or made me think I don’t want to stay here in the future. In fact just the opposite, especially with the new rooms.

I hope this helps alleviate any concerns.

 

[scrappinginontario]

There's been a lot of threads disparaging Pop and the other values, or being concerned about them after moderates and deluxes, etc.

So I wanna hear why everyone loves it and what makes it great! It isn't fun to read all these negative things ahead of a stay I've been looking forward to!

I guess I’d find it difficult to compare as I can’t say I’ve read the negative threads. What negative things have you read?

We have stayed at Pop more than 20 times and absolutely love it!! Now that the rooms are refurbished with queen beds that are extremely comfortable and lots of storage space for me to unpack it’s only got better!

My daughter says she loves the fun of walking around Pop enjoying the bright, happy decorations!

As @samsteele said, our family is not at the resort too much either. We love to be in the parks from open to close!! We use our room to sleep in and that’s about all. I can not justify paying $50+ a night for space I’m not using other than for sleeping.

If you like to prepare your own meals while on vacation then Pop would not be the resort for you. The food court is fine although I will admit I enjoy the walk across generation gap bridge to Art if Animation’s food court too.

We love the organized, direct buses and not the cattle call style I’ve experienced at some mods or deluxes. At Pop first there, first on, it’s as easy as that.

If you have other questions about things you’ve read I’m happy to respond.

Lol personally I’m happy to hear some people are speaking negatively about Pop as it’s so popular that sometimes I haven’t been able to get a room. Maybe they will assist me in getting rooms. Thanks negative people! You pay more and I’ll pay less for what I love!!

 

[Disneylover99]

There's been a lot of threads disparaging Pop and the other values, or being concerned about them after moderates and deluxes, etc.

So I wanna hear why everyone loves it and what makes it great! It isn't fun to read all these negative things ahead of a stay I've been looking forward to!

Our quietest stays at WDW have been in a lakeview room at Pop. And yes we have also stayed in moderates and deluxe hotels.

The buses are the quickest and most efficient. They service a lot of people each day. Probably way more than any other resort. Buses do come more frequently.

There are so many quick service options between Pop and AofA. Lots to choose from. I don’t miss not having a table service at all.

It’s roughly a $100 jump a night to go from a value to a moderate resort. That’s a huge savings when you stay for 14 nights at Pop like we do.

I know many people who go to the park love Pop because they go to the parks everyday from dawn to dusk. We are not that family. We are a family of four who spend many days and evenings relaxing by the pool. Love it!

We will be there in 3 weeks!

 

[scottyv4371]

I have a question about the bus wait times that are in the MDE app now. Has anyone had any experience using the app to get the wait times and are they fairly accurate. I know they have the times posted @ the bus stops now but curious about the new option of using the app.

 

[Haley R]

I have a question about the bus wait times that are in the MDE app now. Has anyone had any experience using the app to get the wait times and are they fairly accurate. I know they have the times posted @ the bus stops now but curious about the new option of using the app.

We just used them last weekend and we thought they were really accurate. Often times the buses came before the stated time so we tried to be out there 5-10 minutes early.

 

[scottyv4371]

We just used them last weekend and we thought they were really accurate. Often times the buses came before the stated time so we tried to be out there 5-10 minutes early.

Awesome . TY. Could you see the times in the app before you arrived or do they just show up when you have checked in? We have reservations first week of Sept. but as of right now I can not see the times in the app. I am thinking you may have to be on site to see them???

 

[Selket]

There's been a lot of threads disparaging Pop and the other values, or being concerned about them after moderates and deluxes, etc.

So I wanna hear why everyone loves it and what makes it great! It isn't fun to read all these negative things ahead of a stay I've been looking forward to!

I'm a fan of the mods and deluxe resorts but I was super impressed with the new rooms at Pop. I think they are on par with the new rooms at CSR - just beautiful and I love the change to the queen size beds. If you're eating QS I also prefer the QS choices at the values - it feels like a lot more choices - plus all the drinks, desserts and grab and go items are plentiful. If you've stayed at mod or deluxe you know they have their charms and upsides - probably the biggest for me would be the nicer pools at those places and some of the landscaping. But not being the biggest pool person and my kids are older, it's good to save the money sometimes. Also it's cheaper enough we could add on water park tickets and rent an umbrella if we really wanted to at the water park.

 

[Haley R]

Awesome . TY. Could you see the times in the app before you arrived or do they just show up when you have checked in? We have reservations first week of Sept. but as of right now I can not see the times in the app. I am thinking you may have to be on site to see them???

You do have to have an active reservation to see bus times. It’s nice because we stayed at CSR and it even showed us the wait times for each bus stop. Since pop only has one stop it won’t do that but I thought that was a nice touch.

 

[jcarwash]

Awesome . TY. Could you see the times in the app before you arrived or do they just show up when you have checked in? We have reservations first week of Sept. but as of right now I can not see the times in the app. I am thinking you may have to be on site to see them???

As answered above, you need to have an active room check-in; the bus times feature appears inside the information for your resort/room, alongside your room charges, etc.

 

[k5xs]

There's been a lot of threads disparaging Pop and the other values, or being concerned about them after moderates and deluxes, etc.

So I wanna hear why everyone loves it and what makes it great! It isn't fun to read all these negative things ahead of a stay I've been looking forward to!

We love Pop and stay there often. But like ANY place, there are negatives from some perspectives.

1. The food court area is far noisier than moderates and deluxe resorts. This is noticeable, and I suppose on a day we feel like eating in quiet it can be an irritant.

2. Because there are a lot of families with small children, the buses seem to attract a large number of strollers that, even when folded as required, can make things crowded.

3. Buses around Extra Magic Hours seem more packed than at other resorts.

But I can make a list of negatives for my favorite resort of all time, also: The Contemporary Resort. What's important to us is all of the positives:

1. It's on Disney property!
2. The housekeeping has been immaculate for us.
3. We have found cast members universally helpful and friendly.
4. The food is high quality and well prepared.
5. We've never had a maintenance issue that wasn't fixed right away.
6. Transportation via bus is reliable and quick to all parks.
7. If you are close to Generation Gap Bridge, you have convenient access to Art of Animation's food court, shop, and bus transportation (a big plus late at night after fireworks).
8. The price is right!
9. It has a fun and energetic vibe.
10. Did I mention it's on Disney property?

 

[Melanie230]

There's been a lot of threads disparaging Pop and the other values, or being concerned about them after moderates and deluxes, etc.

So I wanna hear why everyone loves it and what makes it great! It isn't fun to read all these negative things ahead of a stay I've been looking forward to!

Well let's see. The Pop has a GREAT theme. It is always different depending on which building you get. You will find yourself saying...to find our room take a right by the big Mickey phone, or the big Play Doh. LOL!

You get your very own bus! No sharing with other resorts.

Yes it is a longer bus ride, but I enjoy the few minutes of down time and just riding back to the parks or the room.

For us...we choose to stay more days than to stay in a deluxe. We ALWAYS stay at Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure because of the FOTL passes. But since Disney doesn't have that, we prefer staying in the Value resorts. We don't care about the pool, we use our room to sleep and shower. To pay big $$$ is not smart for us.

 

[scottyv4371]

I'm a fan of the mods and deluxe resorts but I was super impressed with the new rooms at Pop. I think they are on par with the new rooms at CSR - just beautiful and I love the change to the queen size beds. If you're eating QS I also prefer the QS choices at the values - it feels like a lot more choices - plus all the drinks, desserts and grab and go items are plentiful. If you've stayed at mod or deluxe you know they have their charms and upsides - probably the biggest for me would be the nicer pools at those places and some of the landscaping. But not being the biggest pool person and my kids are older, it's good to save the money sometimes. Also it's cheaper enough we could add on water park tickets and rent an umbrella if we really wanted to at the water park.

 

[scottyv4371]

You do have to have an active reservation to see bus times. It’s nice because we stayed at CSR and it even showed us the wait times for each bus stop. Since pop only has one stop it won’t do that but I thought that was a nice touch.

As answered above, you need to have an active room check-in; the bus times feature appears inside the information for your resort/room, alongshore your room charges, etc.

Thanks for the info!

 

[MouseTrip07]

Just returned from a quick one night stay at Pop (which I scored on Priceline!). We were in the 60s in room 5423. This was an adjoining room and had a full bathtub. We stayed in a refurbished room last fall that had the shower & I have to say I prefer the shower to the tub-it just feels larger and more “luxurious.”

For a long time, I was not a lover of Pop Century. I enjoyed the theming but not so much the rooms, the food court, it always felt over crowded, etc. As we were leaving this morning, though, I was reflecting on how Pop has become one of my top 5 favorite resorts at Disney World-and maybe even top 3! I still love the theming, the refurbished rooms are awesome for families, the CMs are friendly & helpful, and the location makes it easy to get around, too.

 

[terri33inne]

I just booked a last minute trip for the end of August... when I do online checkin the drop downs for room requests are blank... Is this a known issue? I know I can call, or fax, but would prefer to do it online.

 

[grumpy28]

I just booked a last minute trip for the end of August... when I do online checkin the drop downs for room requests are blank... Is this a known issue? I know I can call, or fax, but would prefer to do it online.

Unfortunately, it is a known issue. You will need to call or fax your requests.