Reviews of Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
A Disney Value Resort
For full details, Fact Sheet, Photos and Videos visit: http://allears.net/acc/faq_pop.htm
Resort Videos:
http://allears.net/acc/resort-videos-value.htm
Reviewed by MelJ Review Date: 06/18/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
I guess I've been sort of a "deluxe" snob (Wilderness Lodge is my favorite resort) but I just returned from a short stay at Pop Century and I am in love! Now that I'm retired and the deluxe resorts are just too pricey for my budget, I decided to give POP a try and I'm so glad I did!
I stayed in a "preferred" pool view room and loved the location. It was in Bldg 4 in the 60's section and just steps away from the main building and the Hippie Dippy pool. I don't mind the noise from the pool. To me it is just part of the fun.
The room was clean and very comfortable. For me and my mother, it was a good size although I could see how it would be a bit cramped with a larger family. The beds were very comfortable and there was everything there that I needed, expect maybe a coffee maker. I missed that.
The food court had a good variety of things. I ordered a turkey sandwich which was basically a Thanksgiving meal between two slices of bread - turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. It was wonderful and huge!
I loved the atmosphere and enjoyed sitting at the pool and hearing all the "old" songs. Mom and I walked over the bridge to see Art of Animation. It was a pleasant walk but was cut short because there was a storm brewing.
I frequently go solo to Disney for one or two nights since I am a Florida resident and I'm definitely planning on going back to POP in a few months (when it cools down!) It's my new favorite resort.
It is a great resort and I had a great time.
Pros:
the price, fun factor,Cons:
—Reviewed by MarysMom Review Date: 06/13/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed at POP for the first time June 2-9, 2013. I was a little nervous since we have stayed at POFQ on our last two trips and because our prior experience with a value was All-Star Movies and I did not like it. POP was a great experience and we would definitely recommend it and stay there again.
The rooms were clean and Mousekeeping was fantastic -- a towel animal every single day. We had two teens with us who were not the best about getting up and getting out of the room in a timely manner and Mousekeeping was very understanding and accommodating! The bathrooms are showing their age a little, so a refurb would be nice.
Aside from one long wait for a Magic Kingdom bus, the bus service was exemplary -- the best I have ever experienced in our four prior trips. I like the queue setup at the POP better than the single shelter at POFQ, so there is no confusion about boarding order. There are many mature trees and garden areas that give POP a lot of charm and add to the "smaller" feel that the resort has, despite its large size. We had a non-preferred location overlooking the lake, and it was still very close to the main building and pools.
Now the food court. I read online -- and heard it live and in person from other guests -- that the food court has been ruined. Having no prior experience with this food court, I can only offer my first-timer's experience. The food was pretty good -- the pork loin/spaetzel/cabbage combination was so good I had it twice. There was a great deal of confusion, especially at the burger station. I had two orders filled incorrectly here as well as receiving an ice cold hamburger. There is no ticket tracking, so you are relying on the CMs to communicate with each other and that was not going very well. There were also two CMs who we observed on different occasions causing trouble for other CMs by questioning their work, arguing, or just standing around watching other people work. The last night we were there, one of these CMs was reprimanded by an upper level CM. I think the confusion over orders will disappear over time, but these two CMs were definitely causing more trouble than necessary. Also only two of the three drink stations were open the whole time we were there and one of the dining areas closed off even though the food court was overflowing. Lots of choices, though, and fun (enjoy the dancing!)
Pros:
Seems smaller than it is, nice grounds, good bus service, great MousekeepingCons:
Food court confusion, food court staff, bathroom refurbs neededReviewed by elkhunter1 Review Date: 06/09/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
My family of 3 stayed at POP May 9-16,room 3338-50's-and we will be coming back next year!This was our 2nd trip to WDW(2011/2013),both times we've stayed at POP,and enjoyed it.Check-in and Check-out have been quick,resort staff have always been pleasant,food court is adequate,rooms are right size for our family(heavy bed covers but we just move them.),bus service has been excellent(1 night after Magic Kingdom fireworks we waited 15 minutes-but most wait times 5 minutes or less.),and the store/game area are nice to have.Resort is clean(there was a cast member powerwashing the bowling ball pool every morning at my daily 6am coffee run!),well-laid out,colorful and full of stuff to see.For our family,POP Century is an affordable,comfortable place to stay,and while it may not be suitable for all families,it's our choice to stay and we will be back for Christmas in 2014.
Pros:
AffordabilityCons:
—Reviewed by Dale Review Date: 06/02/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was our first time staying at Pop and we really enjoyed it. We stayed in the 60's building which was nice and close to the main building, and only a short walk from Art of Animation. The room was well maintained and a good size for two adults and one child. Getting to the parks was great, we never waited more then 7 minutes for a bus. The food court was excellent with good selections. We thought Pop was a really good value and would definitely go back.
Pros:
Excellent Bus Service, Food CourtCons:
—Reviewed by Oneanne Review Date: 05/21/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My May 11-17 trip was the second time in a row staying at POP... it is really starting to feel like home-away-from-home.
I arrived at 7am, having taken a red eye from the west coast. I was tired and had my fingers crossed a room would be available so I could take a power nap! No one else was in the lobby at that hour, so I walked right up to the counter to check in. I had booked a superior pool-view room and had made special requests for a king size bed and a room in the 60's building... it took around 5 minutes, but they were able to find me a room and to fulfill both special requests. My room was on the second floor facing the Hippy Dippy pool which was exactly what I was looking for. For this trip I was on my own and wanted to be right in the middle of the action: the happy noise coming from the pool was never an intrusion, and it was a super short walk to the dining hall and the bus stop.
As with the previous trip, bus karma was amazing! More often than not I was running for a bus already sitting at the bus stop - both at the hotel and the parks. The longest wait I ever had was about 10 minutes. Having only the one hotel bus stop is a huge plus, as is the central location of the hotel... when I went to Hollywood Studios it felt like we pulled out of the hotel drive way, went around a corner and pulled in to the park drive way.
Having just the king bed made the room feel much bigger - no hitting the side of the bed with the door. The room was in good shape and Mousekeeping did a great job, putting out wash cloth animals, even though it was evident an adult was staying in the room.
I was very happy with my stay and prepared to give POP a 10 rating - until I got to checking out. I did express check out and had the email notification of my room charges before I left the room: they had pre-printed my boarding passes and luggage tag and left them on the door knob, so up to this point everything was perfect. But I still had to check my bag in at the Bell station and pay the baggage fee, so I was still standing in line - a very long line. My Magic Express pick-up was at 11:55am, so I was at the Bell Station at 11am along with everyone else who was having to leave their rooms because it was check-out time, even though their pick-up times were much later in the afternoon. I felt like I might be doing something wrong, but couldn't get anyone's attention so I stood in line for over half an hour.... turns out I did need to be in that line, and I was done before the shuttle arrived so it all worked out. Bell services got a negative mark in my previous review and they do this time as well: seems like there has to be a better system - the 11am crush has to happen every day.
I am getting to love the POP and will stay there next trip as well.
Pros:
Location and transportationCons:
—Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 05/12/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
I booked a standard room at Pop Century for a 3 night stay 5/7-10. I used online check in and requested a room on the highest floor near transportation.
Upon arrival at 9:30am, I was greeted at the red carpet and ushered right to the online check in line. They took care of me right away and my room was ready, much to my surprise! I was given room 9415, in the 80s section. It was on the top floor and a short walk across the parking lot to the bus stop, so both of my requests were met.
The room was clean and functional for my needs. I did find the lighting to be on the dim side, but the beds and pillows were extremely comfortable-more so than at Wilderness Lodge! My room was very quiet as well. The bathroom was extremely small, but that was my only minor complaint.
The food court was never too busy and seating was adequate. The gift shop was very well stocked and had a wide variety of items. Transportation was excellent, some of the best I've experienced out of the nine resorts I've stayed at. Cast members were always friendly.
I spent one morning just walking around the resort taking pictures and couldn't stop smiling at all the icons and placards. I did spend a bit of time in the computer pool which was right near my room. They have lifeguards at the quiet pools now, which I think is something new.
The Wi-Fi has finally been upgraded at the resorts, which was definitely needed. I was able to get a strong, steady signal throughout my stay.
This resort is one of the best I've stayed at. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a cheaper, non-extravagant place to stay. The only condition is that the rooms are best meant for 1-2 adults; anymore than that and I could see it quickly becoming uncomfortably crowded!
Pros:
Great theme, friendly cast members, transportation, clean rooms, excellent gift shopCons:
Tiny bathroomReviewed by debsil4 Review Date: 05/06/2013
Rating: (5) Recommended
My DD 17 & I stayed here for Cheerleading Worlds. It is like all the other value hotels. I was disappointed that a lightbulb over the vanity area stayed burnt out all 6 days of our stay. I stayed here years ago when it first opened; but it is beginning to look worn.
Pros:
PriceCons:
Food courtReviewed by caleal Review Date: 04/20/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
I stayed at the Pop recently (4/12 to 4/14). I had a wonderful time here! I don't know if we just lucked out on the perfect weekend to go, or if the opening of Art of Animation has lessened crowds, but I did not find the resort crowded at all like mentioned in a lot of previous reviews. I never had to wait too long for anything - no lines for check in, food court, shopping, etc.
We did eat at the food court twice, once for breakfast and once for dinner. It's standard food court fare - nothing to write home about, but it gets the job done when you need a quick meal.
The bus system is very efficent, we never had to wait too long going to or trying to come back from resorts, and we were always able to get a seat.
It was a lot of fun just hanging around the resort. They have the three pools (I would recommend avoiding the Hippy Dippy Pool if you're wanting something quieter - it was always crawling with kids) and tons of space. The bar off of the main pool, Petals, is awesome and has tons of fun drinks. I also liked just walking around and seeing all of the themeing for the different buildings, and reading all of the yearly facts they have placed around. I also loved the wall of memorabilia in the lobby - it was tons of fun to walk down it and point out the things we remembered/recognized.
The rooms themselves are fine. They're sort of small, but clean and neat. The walls are pretty thin- in certain areas of our room I was able to hear people in other rooms talking very clearly.
While missing some of the amenities of the higher classes of resorts (room size, coffee makers, room service) this place is so much fun, we'll definitely be back!
Pros:
theme, bus systemCons:
thin walls, smaller roomsReviewed by thetony45 Review Date: 04/18/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
Recently returned from a quick WDW vacation and decided to try something new and stay at Pop Century. They have a red carpet rolled out to greet you as you exit the bus and Cast Members are there to greet you with a big smile. The lobby walls are lined with all sorts of memorabilia from the 50s-the 90s. they even have an alcove for kids with a flat screen and 2 arcade game cabinets
Classic Hall (the main building) is home to the Everything Pop gift shop and Food Court. The gift shop is just your run of the mill shop with items like pins, plushes, shirts, and all other little things to buy if you forgot to in the parks. It also has the pick up station should you have any items shipped back to the resort.
The Food Court had 5 different stations each offering something different. I ate 4 of the 5 meals I had during my stay here. 2 breakfasts 1 lunch and 1 dinner. For Breakfast one morning I went with a Western Omelet. It tasted ok. Not great but still good. The other morning I opted for French Toast and sausage. The French Toast was nice and thick with a lot of powdered sugar. The sausage pattys were very flavorful. For lunch I went with a grilled chicken sandwich. The chicken was a bit dry but then again breast meat always is. It came on a huge bun with spinach and tomatoes and tasted great. For dinner I went with an individual sized pepperoni pizza and 2 bread-sticks. People keep saying Disney can't make good pizza but I loved it. The pizza was very flavorful. The bread-sticks were soft and full of garlic flavor which I love. The dipping sauce was a but runny but that my only complaint.
Now on to the Decor. The resort has 10 different buildings (minus Classic Hall) themed to various decades. The 1950s had 3 buildings with The Tramp, Lady, and a jukebox in front and Bowling pins as stairwells. In the middle of the 3 buildings was a bowling pin shaped pool. The 1960s had 2 buildings with Baloo and Mowgli from The Jungle Book in front of one and a giant jar of Play-Doh in front of the other with yo-yos as stairwells. Between the 2 buildings was the resorts main pool shaped like a flower and were various resort activities were held and the resort's poolside bar. There was also a smaller kiddie pool but it was closed for refurbishment at the time. Next to the 60s wing was a small water play area featuring Goofy holding a surfboard.
The 1970's wing had 2 buildings with a giant Big Wheel and a vintage Mickey Mouse phone in front and giant 8 Track tapes as stairwells. There were two small areas with Twister mats painted on the ground and a giant Foosball set in between.
Between the 70s and 80s wing was a giant Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.
The 1980s wing had 2 buildings with a giant Walkman and Roger Rabbit in front with Rubik's Cubes as stairwells. Each cube was in a different stage of being solved ranging from not solved at all to fully solved.
The 1990s only had one building with a Computer in front and Cell Phones as Stairwells. In front of the building and between the 80s buildings was a pool shaped like a computer. Along the walkway all over the resort were signs saying various historical events that happened in each of the years in the wing's decade.
My room was in the 80s wing. The room was kinda small with 2 double beds, a table with 2 chairs, a nightstand with a phone and alarm clock a dresser with 3 drawers, a mini fridge, and a flat screen TV a wall safe an iron and ironing board and a tiny bathroom. The sink was outside the bathroom and had a separate privacy screen if needed. The Bathroom was a small room with just a toilet and bathtub but i love love LOVE the shower heads Disney has.
Like I said the room is kinda small but I travel alone and typically only need a room for a shower and a bed so it fit my needs perfectly.
I opted to hang around the resort and was gonna catch the poolside movie. Halfway through Ratatouille the project died and wasn't fixable so the rest of the showing was canceled. I'm not holding that against Disney though. I work with electronics every day and know for a fact they are very temperamental and unpredictable.
Pros:
Wonderful Themeing Value PricesCons:
Can't think of anyReviewed by Rfren Review Date: 04/09/2013
Rating: (6) Recommended
We stayed at Pop the week of March 25, 2013 for the first time. Comparing to the moderate resorts where we stayed before, Pop is more compact, not far to walk from room to bus and food court. The rooms are very small with 2 double beds . We are used to sleeping in a king bed, so that was hard to do for 8 nights. There is no coffee maker in the room either. The pools were very basic, no bells or whistles, however my young children enjoyed swimming just as well. The food was okay. Overall, we stayed there for the price but would not stay there again due to the cramped space.
Pros:
Compact, not far to walk to bus and food courtCons:
Small roomsOther topics in Disney Resorts
Walt Disney World Dolphin (Deluxe Resort)
Saratoga Springs Resort (Disney Vacation Club)
Wilderness Lodge (Deluxe Resort)
Yacht Club Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Walt Disney World Swan (Deluxe Resort)
Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Ft. Wilderness Cabins (Moderate Resort)
Animal Kingdom Lodge JAMBO House (Disney Vacation Club)
Bay Lake Tower (Disney Vacation Club)
Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Polynesian Bungalows (Disney Vacation Club)
Polynesian Deluxe Studios (Disney Vacation Club)
Copper Creek Villas
Copper Creek Cabins
Port Orleans Riverside Resort (Moderate Resort)
Port Orleans French Quarter (Moderate Resort)
Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
Shades of Green
All Star Music Resort (Value Resort)
All Star Movies Resort (Value Resort)
All Star Sports Resort (Value Resort)
Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House (Deluxe Resort)
Beach Club Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Beach Club Villas (Disney Vacation Club)
Boardwalk Inn (Deluxe Resort)
Boardwalk Villas (Disney Vacation Club)
Caribbean Beach Resort (Moderate Resort)
Contemporary Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Coronado Springs Resort (Moderate Resort)
Fort Wilderness Campground
Grand Floridian Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Old Key West Resort (Disney Vacation Club)
Polynesian Village Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Riviera Resort (Deluxe, DVC)
Trending Posts
Shop the Disney Store | AllEars® Merchandise | Shop Amazon | Press Room | Contact Us
Read more About us or Advertise with us. We respect your right to privacy. Please take a moment to review our privacy policy and terms of use.
Copyright ©1996-2020 AllEarsNet, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
AllEars.Net, AllEars® Newsletter and any other properties owned by AllEarsNet, LLC are not
affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with, The Walt Disney
Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates. All Disney artwork, copyrights,
trademarks, service marks, and trade names are proprietary to Disney Enterprises, Inc. or, its
subsidiary, affiliated and related companies.
For official Disney information, visit http://www.disneyworld.com